Ode de "Gnomes"

To all ye who have heard,
Many curse the little gnome.

He sits in your home,
In the pipes be his throne,
until asleep you want to be.

When you lye down,
Smile replace frown,
As he comes out to play.

At first a smatter,
Then such a clatter,
Even the dead even sit up.

You little rat bastard!
Yes, I'm a crass turd!
I hate the gnome in the pipes!

He comes with ferocity,
Intent on waking you and me,
Just to say "YOU HAVE HEAT!"

Will it appease you,
When departed from view,

I sleep without even a frown.
Far away from this steam heated town?


So I never stated that I was a poet, but that's the great thing about odes (little to no form.) Last night a conversation with Andrea came to mind about pipe gnomes as the radiator started clanking. If you have ever had steam heat, you probably know the noise I'm talking about. In my apartment, every night, just when you lie down to sleep it sounds like a score toddlers starting a heavy metal band (minus the singing) in my apartment. I smiled one of my biggest smiles when I thought that for at least 4 months I will live without the pipe gnomes (sorry I cant take them with me and feed them to the bears for you Andrea.)

Also a random happening today. I went in for a last min haircut at the mall and had a very nice 99 thru hiker cutting my very overdue and unstyled hair. He gave me lots of good tips and things to expect. And was probably one of the most engaging haircuts I have ever had. Cudos Bart!

That's all I have for tonight. Sleepy time.

Too Stubborn To Die?

It has been brought to my attention that I have nothing to fear from my upcoming trek. No less than 4 people have in formed me that I am too stubborn to quit or die... too stubborn to die? If that's the case then I must be a robot ...

I do wonder what has caused this fabulous overconfidence in my physical/mental health. Could it be the 2 days I tried to "exercise" off an appendix going nuclear? Or the time I walked out of a soccer practice to go to the hospital for some sort of broken hip? I'm glad I have the absolute backing of my friends and family and though I'm not a T2000 (liquid metal! Seriously, besides ninjas, does it get any better than that?) I will be giving that model a run for its money. A perk is that my body shape/size will change nicely by the time its all over with. Lets just hope the the funds hold out for possible sequels... as I hear Hiland might be doing a big bike trip across the states in 2009.

Megra-Fahrbot?

I find myself up at night wondering if I'm mad, hence the title. Were I living in a different time, based on my recent actions, I might have been gifted with a lovely white coat and some pills to help me drool better. However in my mind, the combination of lucidly exciting and madly terrifying co-mingle into what will shortly be my adventure.

I do hope that people who visit this, find me on their maps much like the old "where's waldo" books and send me your best thoughts. The blog is a record for me as well as a taste of the life for all of you that told me "I could never do that." Just don't bite off too much of the madness, lest you decide to quit your job, leave your home/friends/family, Spend your life savings, and take a 4-6 month walk in the woods with little more than 20lbs of possessions to your name. Now that would be crazy.