Quitting Smoking Attempt #12

decided not to buy "them" today when i ran out... in other words, i snuck up on them and they had no idea i was gonna not buy them... so now they are like, wait, i'm confused, you want to smoke us, but you forgot to buy us, and i'm all like, yeah, i got somethin else to smoke, and so i think they are mad at me right now, but that's ok, it's about to get tough.  nano has this book about quitting that i guess i'll start reading, and i'm chewin on one of those cinamint toothpicks.

I don't want to be a smoker anymore... i have smoked for 20 years. that's enough.

yes, at age 14, i would steal my grandma's menthol 100s and go climb this tree with my cousin, and we learned to inhale there.. one day grandma decided to take a walk up to the tree to see what we were up to, and found us coughing and choking on them... but then a funny thing happened... she started just giving them to me, and then we would stay up late playing rummy and smoking and talking, she was very cool. then she died from really fucked up lungs. i remember her coughing on the phone when i would call to talk to her, at the time it didn't bother me, but now that i have actually done that to someone else, multiple times... i think i better start giving my lungs the 7 years they need to heal.

maybe when i turn 70, i can start smoking again, since i really do enjoy it, and at that point, smoking won't be what kills me anyways...

it's crazy to think that i can shut my whole life down and leave for the pct journey with no problem, but quitting smoking is harder to do, even though i know damn right that i will be a better hiker if i quit, and i'll save so much money for things like beer.

Near Mt. Shasta last summer (2009)

During our visit to chico, i may have been on the pct, not sure! does
it get this close?

Dumb Stupid Cold Winter

so i guess everyone is sick of this winter... well i am more sick of it than anyone. i want to go do some 3 and 4 day training hikes around here while i have the time, but it's too damn cold for all that! it truly is hibernation season for everything. i sleep, i blog, i work, i drink, i watch a movie, i sleep. shit. no big walks, just little ones to town to get coffee or tea, and then nano makes bread and i have to eat it because it is delicious, and of course it's even better with butter, and this all leads up to mr. out of shape guy on the pct. well, in my defense, we did do a 4 mile hike just last sunday, and i may go to Siler Bald overnight this thursday...

my two jobs are gonna catch up to me soon, and then i'll have no time for anything but work and moving out of this apartment... and that's another thing... i can't wait to box all this crap up and put it in a storage shed and fly away to the trailhead. that will be a righteous moment. bye bye dishes, bye bye clothes i never wear, bye bye stack of golden blade iii dvds... bye bye computer.

hello rattlesnakes, marmots, scorpions, bugs, birds, sand, rocks, cacti, streams, sunsets, CALIFORNIA!

PCT Haiku #1

two travelers sweat,
changes come swiftly and mix
their animal souls

Trip to "The Clearing" (Training/Gear Check)

X games..

X games..

nano done got her some phone internet

is this thing on?

Plane Tickets..

so we finally got our one way plane tickets to san diego for $115 each! April 26th is the flight.. starting in Campo, CA at the mexican border 2 days later on the 28th! gonna stay at the Mann's house (trail angels) while we get our first few packages together and sent up to mt. laguna and warner springs. nano bought some komperdell trekking poles for 60 bucks, and i am excited.

added a pct map to the bottom of the blog, and i'm starting a gear page for both of us... i am a big nerd.

it's 2am and i am wide awake...

A walk up Becca Mountain

Big Bald - Feb. 3, 2010

Got my ass kicked!

Trail magic

Trail magic

Update 1

Update from the first clearing headed north on the AT from Sam's Gap to Big Bald...

Chops

Chops