Throwing out the trash of years collected ....

Spent a beautiful rainy day doing a hiking equipment inventory.
In the process, got rid of "things" that have no further use in my life.  It feels right.  Mentally and Physically speaking that is.
Things I no longer need to carry.  Me and My Monkeys.

One monkey: Halloween.  Shot dead.  lol

Words for today:
(Power)
Egalitarian
adjective

1. relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

(Force)
Elitist
adjective

1. relating to or supporting the view that a society or system should be led by an elite.

I am quickly realizing that this is helping me.
Writing is becoming therapeutic in a great way.
"Force" is loosing with my philosophy rather quickly.
I'm glad a counter point, on point, is offered.
It's been a humbling exercise.

******* 

So far in my re-Kindled "To The Trail" (Triple T) Journey,  I've uncovered some deep ..... misguided hatred?  false judgement? suppressed self-value? ..... still seeking deep into some moments of places I remember.   In MY Life.  

"Just like the song Lucy, just like the song." ~ Sam I Am  :)

I think I've passed the pond scum and am digging deep into the muck and frog/fish shit section of my life right now.
Still there are oceans to I need to cross and deal with the whale shit that was "planted in my brain".     It's a process long overdue.

I do resonate favorably with Beatles tunes and the original Triple T.
Several John and Paul songs and these "Office Linebacker" youtube(s) actually.  lol  17 million views and still out there. :)

Just like "In my life", Revolution 1 (acoustic), Number 9 (for some odd reason) and others, "they" had a way with helping me transition from one heaven/hell to the next I placed myself into.
I have no one to blame.  I accepted long ago the results for my actions. 
Not sure if it was the First Ass Whopping or Umpteenth, a Grounding, Stand in the Corner, Traffic Ticket, Captain's Mast or the 7th Captain's Mast, Child Arrival, Car Wreck, Tax Audit(s) .... somewhere along that path, I learned to accept the situation.

I've learned, much the hard way, that we all need to come to a time when it is explained to us that we are 100% responsible for no one but ourselves.  No more running from Source. No blaming it on our Mothers, Fathers, Childhood, etc.  Satan or God. 
(blaming shit on Satan, what a cop out and weakness)

Places and time occurred, true.
How I move forward to the next places and time matter to more than just me.   I am connected with the air I Breathe and that makes me connected to those around me.  Molecular and Tron view.
If one was to pick up the book: "Success Principles" by Jack Canfield, they would read those words in the very first chapter.

"1. Take 100% Responsibility of Your Life"

The link just will take you to a summary.  For me, it was "A Mirror Look" so to say.   Gut check kinda memo that I need from time to time.  I prefer mentors that tell me straight up and candidly with 

NO BULLSHIT.

When farting around, funny bullshit is OK but sound advice should never be clouded and covered with bullshit.
I believe the words: "You can't bullshit a bullshitter." are a misnomer. 
Lets just say: I'm mindful of others and of their potential.
I'm no good at bullshitting, most times. ;)
So, once again I arrive at:

"Everything you experience today is the result of choices you have made in the past." 

and I still choose in every moment of life.
Bad and good choices .... learn, move forward.

**********

I'm still cleaning up the data for my 2nd and 3rd leg of the hike.
It has been a long process but so much easier than when it was just a book to flip thru and notebook to jot down ideas and itineraries.

Hiking inventory proved one thing, when I got rid of my old camping and hiking equipment I must have thought about it.
I knew I would be starting in a new era of lightweight, ultralight and now, hyper-light materials.   A few decades worth of time.
All I've located is an aluminum sheet to be "made into" a stove wind guard/shield, an MSR fuel bottle and a day pack that I won from Backpacker Magazine at a Trail Daze in Damascus, VA.

I've still other boxes and stuff to sort .. I believe there will be more.

I'll have a complete gear list to share on Trail Journals when I have it complete but for now, it is what it is.  Still a dream.

*********

Physically, I'm beginning to "adjust" into my new body shell.
Snap, Crackle and Pop is still the sounds my body emits when I rise from the mattress each morning.

Crunches arrived at a count of 75 today before coffee.
Actually, 30 low back/hip flexor leg lifts, 75 crunches, Cobra pose stretch, 20 hands above shoulder Joint modified pushups, 20 (hands on outer edge of mat) modified pushups and 20 wide (window sill deep for front chest and traps) modified pushups - before coffee.

I have great equipment here on the homestead to use for the ailments that my family deals with.
One of the pieces is an inversion table.   I've feared it soon after it's purchase cuz it locked up my neck/shoulders soo fricken bad the first time I got on it.
That was a few years ago.  Yesterday, it helped me loose a migraine and an unhappy digestive track that has plagued me the past few days.  C1 and T5 of my spine have been issues since I was a young teen.  Too much "activity" in my younger days.  Crashes were just the norm.  No bubble wrap and everyone did not get a trophy.

One of my idols in the late 60's, early 70's was Evel Knievel. 
Had the doll and the cycle jump show kit. 
Never missed seeing his exploits on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
I had to learn how to fix bicycles cuz mine was taking a beating.
My Dad, bless his soul, took me around to all the junk piles in the county to gather parts.  

I was raised Roman Catholic, and my Godfather, Wally, was patient with me to teach me all he knew.  He was an expert.  I have a book inside of me just from him.

It's not a book about bikes.  It's a book about disability, acceptance, friendship, love as seen thru the eyes of a cripple.  My Uncle Walter was born crippled.  

People were cruel to him in my presence.  
People were accepting to him in my presence.
His friends were from all walks of life in Buffalo, NY.
Business Professionals, Spiritual Leaders, Political Giants and also the cities "People of the Streets", alleyways and sidewalks.

People did love him too while he was in my presence.  Hugs and handshakes and words of kindness.  Food, Iroquois Beer and Vernors Pop.  Back then the Vernors was original and not the watered down version that Dr. Pepper brews.

I paid attention but I missed a lot of lessons.  They will become a book.  He was one of my best mentors at an early age.  A misfit, a lot like me.

Moving forward.
~ Kindle

First 721 miles are planned .....

My first leg of a triple frog A.T. Hike is planned, tentatively.
54 to 60 days to complete it. 
I have to allow for changes in plans and much can happen along the journey.
Two more sections to plan.  I hopefully can have that completed by this weekend and begin the process of calculating the costs and then rough in and solicit outside support and assistance.
Moving forward on a dream of mine.
Walking forward on a treadmill right now.

********

I've done some research of my past as I move forward.
Times, places, people .... google makes it easier. :)

I understand how life gets in the way with distant friendships.
Some pass, some dissolve, some re-kindle, some end.

So it is with me as well as I read a friends words, penned in a book.
I hear his voice in his words that I read.

the book: Finally fit at 50 by G. Porter Freeman.
"Inspiring Down-Home Advice for Transforming Your Body and LIFE"

Thru an unexplained series of events that brought him and I into the same space the first time was blessed by God.

We bonded shortly after our first handshake cuz the letter I handed to him to read briefly touched his soul.  I got information from something outside of my self to present to him that day.
I did not understand WHY in the first place I was writing a letter to a man I never met before BUT it was so intensely required of me to pen the letter that morning.  I could not quench the internal desire to drive a hundred miles to meet with him and others in a sweat smelling gym in a strip mall near Bristol, VA that day.

I was driving to work for the 1/2 day I scheduled to work before the drive to meet Mr. Porter Freeman.

For lack of a better understanding about that day, I received a nudge, while driving and listening to Mr. Jim Rohn on CD, going too work, I HAD to write the letter and quickly stopped at the neighborhood Food Lion grocery store to pick up a pad, pen and envelope.  Jotted the thought out and sealed it.  The nudge then ended.  The coming events blew my mind.

It must have been a personal prayer of his that prompted why I had to write to him cuz the sound of it still seems crazy to me.
I don't have a copy since it was hand written on the fly.
I still get what I ask for. 
One of my "Asks" many moons ago, was to be aware and be available to the source when ever asked to do so. 
God hears you and grants you your requests.  EVERY one.

The gist?
It ended up being an encouragement for him to continue, but it came from God thru me.   How do I know?  Porter told me so and he thanked me.  We formed a friendship that day. 
In the letter I penned words that he personally "verbally" shares with the Champions when he presents them their checks and jackets.  No one knew that, including me, but God knew and Porter knew and he needed that transaction to occur that day.  I was just the willing conduit.  "Here am I Lord, send me" type of thing.

I have the memory of that day and can see the event in my minds eye from that moment he read the note and as he turned white and his knees buckled.  I met a God ordained friend that day and I possess a book now of some of his best advice.

Sorry to bore you "the reader" with all of this "woo woo" twilight zone shit, but Porter's book now is helping me form the correct mental fortitude to complete ANYTHING I set my mind to accomplish.  Right when I need it most.
Coincidentally some will say, but I know in my heart a different story.  I use the word often:  CoinciGodly.

I guess what comes around again needs some attention.  I guess I needed to live and be part of a miracle to have it stick with me as being important to my future.

And so with that, I'll share the Chapter descriptions for MY inspiration.  I seem to learn better when I type out the words I desire to incorporate into my life.

Part 1: Changing Your Mind
Forward: The way I see it...

Chapter 1: We all look and feel about as good as we decide to.
Chapter 2: We're either in control or out of it: there's no middle ground.
Chapter 3: A bite of the bait ain't worth the pain of the hook.
Chapter 4: You can never lie to yourself and get away with it.

Chapter 5: With faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.
Chapter 6: The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of the hole.
Chapter 7: You ain't never gonna find a diamond in a goats ass, so quit looking.

Part 2: Changing Your Body

Chapter 8:   You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you are.
Chapter 9:   There are 4 steps everyone must take to escape the comfort of their misery.

Chapter 10: Being efficient isn't the same thing as being effective.
Chapter 11: There's no shame in reaching out for a helping hand.
Chapter 12: We wind up paying a high price for low-nutrient "value meals"
Chapter 13: Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.

Part 3: Staying The Course
Chapter 14: You've gotta want to change as much in hour two, day three and week four as you do right this second.
Chapter 15: If you can't go with someone as good as you, go alone.
Chapter 16: Don't try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig
Chapter 17: Insecurity and hate go hand in hand; don't hold hands with either of them.
Chapter 18: Every tragedy isn't avoidable; every day wasted is.
Chapter 19: If you are only going to do one exercise tomorrow, make it a walk with the Lord.
Chapter 20: When you say "No" today, you'll be able to say "Yes!" a thousand times in the future.
Chapter 21: A Road Less Traveled

The Last Word .....
We all have the power to change, and no one can take that away.

If's by chance you see this: Be well my friend. 
Happy 70th to you recently!  

R.I.P. in case I did not get the memo as was the case for some of my other acquaintances from that time of my life. 
Google immortalizes their words and images and life.
I do miss them.

********

So as I stated in the beginning of this blog, I researched some of my past and found out that since Porter left EAS, (the muscle building company) they dissolved.  Porter is and was an awesome force for sure. 

I never could take consume the EAS line of products especially after Abbot Pharmaceuticals doctored the formulas.  Hair loss and Cancer causing stuff need not be placed in Body Building nutrition.
But that is my curse. Paying attention to detail.
I stopped when chunks of hair fell out of my scalp.

********

Now, on to the word(s) of the day:
There seems to be no definition than their meanings.
Both fit into how I feel today.  Woke up from a dead sleep angry.
Somehow, someway, I need to get it out of me.  I'm the one who's supposed to be in control .... of me.

Power
Choosing-to .... 

Force

Having-to .... 

These words today in study just brought to mind another friend who penned a book entitled: Heavenly Birth 

Denise Taylor.

I've not read it..... yet.
I lived a portion of it with her as he shared to me and others while she was writing it.
I guess, as the other book appeared recently, I'll have more reading to do in my future.

But choosing to and having to was a big part of how she coped with her daughters long cycle death.  I know the story and the end.

Universally, I've been coached and befriended by a legion of GREAT people.  At ALL levels of society.
My travels have placed me in their lives and they in mine.

I sometimes have a hard time coping with knowing so many people, who like me, struggle with life and how the hand is dealt.
Staying motivated to continue among the shit show that life can sometimes become.

Possibly a book is what I need to pen to get it out of my head.
Time will reveal Source Energy's request of me. 
I'm starting to listen cuz the woo woo just hit me.

Cue the T'light zone music: do,do,do,do   do,do,do,do

Just noticed as I set up the link to Denise's book that it was launched 10 years ago to this day.
I'm saddened that it has been that long and longer since I hugged my friend. 

Life sure has a way with cutting one's heart open. 
Mine was sliced today with vivid memories that are sometimes suppressed.  Grief is an odd emotion.

I have the choice to choose how I move forward today as well as being present in every moment of each day.  I don't Have-to, I Choose-to.

Some friends took the time to share their moments in print.
Wisdom still is out there if one knows how to find it.
Even dead people still speak on YouTube.  Jim Rohn for one.
Jesus said we would be able to do His miracles and more, IF we believe we can.
Well, raising someone from the dead to share a recorded session is one way.  It is a miracle those words are not lost to dust.
The real miracle is: will we listen? 

I'm long past with being able to contact many of my past friends as their blogs and contact info has been compromised by web bots and web crawlers and hacks via time.  Phone numbers change like the breeze with each new model of phone it seems.  If I am meant to share air space again with them, it will be arranged by something larger than me.  I'll get the memo when it happens for I believe.

Just some of the hazards of having an online presence and a Googled life.

I've been mostly "off line" and disconnected as my life continued on a downward spiral from pain and the personal wealth ill-effects that come from it.  Separation does happen especially when one finds themselves homeless.

At least, for a moment of my time history, I was surrounded by GIANTS who shared from their hearts and for that I will forever be blessed to have known all of them.  Placed in their midst, co-inci-Godly, I might add.

Moving forward....
~ Kindle

139 Words counting down: A great day to be alive

Continuing with my Power and Force comparisons:
Day 2 of this with 138 more to go ..... Power
Experienced:

adjective

1. having knowledge or skill in a particular field, especially a profession or job, gained over a period of time.

and the counter ....... Force
Cynical:

adjective

1. 1.

   believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.

********

So, moving forward .... I have had an issue with human integrity, accountability and responsibility for one's actions.  Still do.
When I "calculate" my moves, I accept the outcomes. 
I "expect" others to do the same. 
Too much expectation at times ... hmmmm, possibly I need to dig deeper.

My standards are tight and strict at times.  Nuclear, so to say.
Guess it was my vocations that forced that on me to adopt and adapt.  Pay attention, pay attention, pay attention! 
It is just how I was raised as I had MANY questions. 
I'm a child of the 60's & 70's.

I am cynical in that regard and I know if I look deeper, I am cynical of other regards in the human condition.  I trust I'll find how to allow and let go by the end of this study.

"Question all the answers"
"Envy all the dancers who had all the nerve". 
"You must go for what you wanted" &
"All who did got what they deserved"
(reference to the song by CSN: Wasted on the way)
Lyrics will be at the end of this.

Also, fear could not be a part of some of my vocations as I've been up close and personal with testing limits of MAJOR equipment.
Safety pressure valves need to be tested some times on equipment that runs on super heated steam and high pressure air systems.
There are safe ways to do that and Darwin Award ways to do that.
I'm still here.  I have zero desire for a Darwin Award.

My family calls me: Mr. Safety & Testy the Tester. 
I find edges and dance along them to see if rules are rigid or are they are indeed merely guidelines. 

How safe is safe?
Should everyone be wrapped in bubble wrap? :)  I ain't skeered.

As for Experience: that might appear as making one an expert. 
I choose to continue to be a learn it all and I choose to refrain from being a know it all.

If you have a moment - HERE is a short comedy sketch about being or becoming an EXPERT. :)  7 red lines.
Experts CAN do everything! lol

*******

Please, don't believe a word I say.
It is just my experience.
Nothing more.  Nothing less.  Just mine.
Test it.  If it works for you, use it freely.
If it fails for you, toss it away with yesterday's trash.

Now, "becoming" a hiker.
I have experience.  I'm not an expert.
I've camped out in a snow drift with a candle for light and heat.
I've hunted wild game (often successfully) by trap, snare, jig, spear  and gun.
Swimming for miles .... done it too.
I can survive if need be .... I just choose to do it in a recreational manner.  :)

That has zero to do with waking, eating, walking, pooping, walking, eating, walking, eating, walking, resting, pooping, walking, eating, sleeping .... wash, rinse, repeat.

So, in preparation, I check and inspect my walking shoes each morning.  I check and inspect my walking socks each morning.
I am beginning to form a routine on how I lace myself into the equipment.  Simple disciplines, practiced each day that make my success percentage tick a little higher for this dream to appear.
Yes, I hike on a treadmill right now.  It is what I have now and it limits my injury risk.  I've hard charged headlong into injury more times than I care to remember.  This time is different cuz I make it that way.

I understand that my core, my mind, my feet and my legs are what I need to take care of, starting BEFORE I hike.
These are LARGE reasons why one fails at hiking. 
I started there.  At the basics.  Seems like common sense to me.

Why, so common?
I've trained my mind to accept the fact that many others on the globe brush off the basics in everything they do.

I've taught others that by mastering the basics (in anything you do) will advance them 2 notches above any one they are being compared to.   Then by mastering the basics, the medium study is easier and will eventually become part of the basics in their study and then advanced will be easier still to master.  That is, if anyone desires to become a master of their craft, art or vocation.

"Every Master was once a Disaster." ~ T. Harv Eker.

That's how I've always done it and advancement at a J.O.B. is guaranteed.  Directors, Managers and Supervisors will reward the "hot charger" that desires to understand by learning until the student becomes the teacher.
Does that mean you have to LOVE your job right now or LOVE being in classes?  Hell NO!
But while you are there, be there.  Perform there.  LEARN there.
It will benefit your smile and your pocketbook.

Then again, Don't believe the words I write. They are just mine.

How anyone does anything is how they do everything. - T. Harv again.

And " So I'll continue to continue to pretend My life will never end. And the Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall."
Thank you Paul Simon.

~ Kindle: "keep moving forward"

********

Here's the CSN lyrics.

Look around me, I can see my life before me
Running rings around the way it used to be
I am older now I have more than what I wanted
But I wish that I had started long before I did

And there's so much time to make up everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away

Oh when you were young did you question all the answers
Did you envy all the dancers who had all the nerve?
Look round you know, you must go for what you wanted
Look at all my friends who did and got what they deserved

So much time to make up everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away

So much love to make up everywhere you turn
Love we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away
Let the water come and carry us away

170 days til Kick Off - Today's Power Word: Allowing

Housekeeping:
Happy 59th Birthday to moi.
My "Do Epic Shit" adventure will lead me to a better me.

Annual Physical: Dr. says I'm Ok to try this. 
Tests will give me a great base line to compare to next year and then give me a great reason to STAY fit.
Perfect timing as I'm just beginning to consider my caloric intake for this fun WTF event.  (Walking Thru Forests).

My Dr is encouraged cuz I'm the first patient that has ever said:
"I'm looking forward to doing PLANKS again." 
Maybe I am nucking futz?  lol 
(in time, in time)

Odd event though: the TV in the Dr.s waiting room was off and I was thankful.
While writing my thoughts on the morning in my journal, the TV turned on. 
No one else was in the room with me.
I then was drawn into the story of Cyntoia Brown on CBS Morning.
"God does hear you" she mentioned several times.
Seems others have gone on this journey too. 
The Journey to Forgiveness & Freedom.
I got it.  Thanks God! 
It was cool how you turned on the TV at that story for me.
and thank you Cyntoia for sharing your heart.

*********

Day 1 of 140 words before my hike.
If you missed what I've mentioned recently, here's a recap.
Taking the list of 280 words found on pages 146 and 147 of the book: Power vs. Force by Dr. David R. Hawkins, MD.  
I am going to work on working on myself, one word at a time.
Incorporating the power words and "allowing" the others to exist but hopefully not in my character as I become a newer version of me.

So I felt it was important to begin with the word  Allowing.

(Power)

Allowing: Allow verb

gerund or present participle: allowing

1. 1.

   give (someone) permission to do something.

(vs. Force)
Controlling: Control verb

gerund or present participle: controlling

1. 1.

   determine the behavior or supervise the running of.

Until looking up the 1st definition of both words, I did not realize I was the one who "gives" someone permission to do something.
That will take some analyzing today as I walk my 10,000 steps soon before Lunch.

I understand controlling: I've done way too much of that.  I guess it happens when you take a young mind and give it "Chutzpha".
(Chutzpha: Bravery that borders on rudeness)
I was raised a bit rough on the edges. 2nd generation Polish.
All 4 of my grand parents came from Poland near Warsaw.
I continue to become an American as I was directed to by my Busha. (Pronounced: Boo-shaaa = Grandmother).

"A bit rough' means that it came with hits, slaps, spankings, smacks, kicks, flying shoes (or what ever might be within throwing range at me), belts, lamp cords, coffee pot cords, wooden spoons, and other things that could be tossed or used, and I'm OK with that.  Most of all of the pain associated with the brutality is gone. 
Some of it was deserved, most not.  I still love my parents.
They did the best they could with me.  They helped make me Fearless.

Some scars remain on the surface and in my thoughts.
That is why I'm working thru the words and getting ready to walk with those thoughts until I can create a new history.
No Dr's orders, no shrink help ... self trouble shooting and a huge BELIEF that it will work.
I'm an advanced technician, I'm going to give it a great shot.
It is mine to do and I accept the responsibility and accountability to myself to accomplish. 

*******

Hiking: I've got a few spreadsheets to adjust and adapt to my hike.

Sobo NY to VA = 721.0 Miles
Nobo NY to ME = 741.3 Miles
Sobo VA to GA = 729.7 Miles
Total from the 2019 data = 2192.0 Miles

Each now needs to be set up to give me a better idea of Mail Drops, End of the Day stays and Poison Ivy locations.  Things I have to consider.

********

I've finished the "Living the Dream" book and will be moving forward into a book that found me again:
"Finally Fit at 50" by G. Porter Freeman
A friend and mentor .... a great read!  I highly recommend it!
Actually, I think Porter is every ones friend. :)

I have a library of books to read before April on a lot of subjects.
The book of the day provides a perfect distraction from the treadmill screen as most books cover it completely.
They also help me loose 1 to 2 hours of clock watching.
Treadmills are boring.

I ponder as I saunter .... looking out the back window is a bird feeder so that I can have wildlife sightings as I walk too.
Mental breaks from reading while walking.

As for the books I've finished, I still will skim back thru each page and glean from it the pertinent gold nuggets of information that I know will assist my 170 day preparation.

Keeping it as simple as I can,
Keeping it as positive as I can and I keep moving forward, always forward.

~ Kindle.

171 days til Tax Day 2020

Now that I have my data parsed from PDF to 6 columns in an Excel spreadsheet, I can begin my adventure planning structure.
It is 171 days till kick off.
Fall sales are beginning to appear in my email for gear purchases.
I'm trying to keep my self mentally motivated for change.
Change is the only constant in my life. ;)  Pain is the other constant.

(btw: I started with Open Office Calc and after the umteenth time of it crashing, even with 2 updates, I switched to Excel 2007 - old but it works for what I needed).  Frustration for me leads to anger.
Anger is why I desire to hike .... to lose it with the added weight I carry.

*******

Moving forward:  I've decided to spend the next 140 days learning 140 powerful words to assist me with losing, letting go and dissolving my anger.
In this quest so far, I've spent a few years digging deep to find the seeds to some of the core beliefs I've held on to for too long.
Beliefs can, and in many cases "should", change.
Should being the optimum word.

I should understand this but for some reason, I've not gotten the memo.

A while back, I've done a 22 day meditation about my beliefs.
I'll revisit that series soon to work on the next set of key seeds.
(if interested in the Belief Study, the link "should" work)
Information on this from the site......

• Become the person you’re meant to be
• Uncover your core beliefs and how they shape your identity
• Embrace your positive beliefs to take control of the direction your life is moving
• Dissolve the unconscious beliefs that are holding you back

If unfamiliar with changing a belief, allow me to share just one of many I've had the joy of finding and fixing.

October 14th, 1962.  My 716th day on this earth.
JFK parade in Buffalo, NY.  (the same day he got the news of the Cuban Missle Crisis)

I looked him in the eyes.  Twice that day. Blue.  My favorite color.
My aunt Irene had on a pair of cat eye glasses with sparkles, blue.
The water cooler was the first I had ever witnessed and the bubbles fascinated me. Water and jug: Blue.  Bubbles were just cool!
I was not allowed to let the water run to see more bubbles appear.

How can I remember?  I'm not sure, but I was there and I witnessed much.  Just never needed to know that I knew I knew .... until I searched for a seed of a belief I held.  A fear of heights.

I was told many times that day as I was getting dressed and before the meeting that it was a big day.  All my aunts and uncles (that were not working) were in the Democratic Party office where my Mom was the office manager.   I was almost 2 years old.

During the parade, my uncle held me out the 2 or 3 story window to watch the President pass by under us down Main Street.
JFK looked at me with concern in his eyes.

I found my seed of "Fear of Heights".  An event triggered it and I held it as a belief for all my years.  Has that fear stopped me from changing out aircraft warning lamps on the moving mast of a US Naval ship at anchor?  No.  Nor did the fear stop me from inspecting gantry cranes wires, motors and controls nor fixing stack monitoring equipment or changing lamps in theaters stage lights on catwalks or parking lot and highway entry lamps.  That was my profession.  It was part of my vocations.  I had to change the bulbs and do the inspections at extreme heights or be fired.
One learns how to manage fear when needed. 
Money was a good reason to manage it.

I was on a quest to eliminate the fear by finding it's seed and it uncovered the fact that on my 716th day in area code 716 (a telephone reference as I was a phone fixer for a bit too), I found the exact reason I was afraid of heights.  Un-control.

If I am in control of being up on any height, I can perform.
If someone else is holding me over a height .... well I WAS a toddler.  I can forgive and let go now.

False Evidence Appearing Real.

As I've learned: you can show me a chair but you cannot show me a fear.  It's in my head and no where else.  I have the control or should I say, should have the control.  lol

********

So, with that, I now know I can seek out my fears and quell them.
With power and not force.

Power for me is defined as: Source Energy.

The next 140 days will give me an opportunity before I hike to really work on my words.  Words that hold "Power" in my life.

I'll also be kind and share the "Force" words that are the counter to the Power words. 
(my opinion here: Power is God style and Force is Trump style)

Where did the 140 Power and 140 Force words come from?
The Book entitled: Power vs. Force : The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior.  by David R. Hawkins, M.D.
A copy can be cheaply found on eBay or Amazon.
A brief description will be at the end of this post.

******

Starting tomorrow, I will pick a word I will work on in no particular order from a list found on pages 146 and 147.
I'll define it for my life and move forward to Tax Day 2020.

This is the first year in a few that I will need to file before I hike.
After this hike, I trust I will become a Happy Tax Payer again.
I've not had to file taxes the past few years.  If one does not produce an income, one should not have to file income tax.  I've tested it by reading the rules and then caused a tax gap in filing.


Today though I'll spend the day relaxing, watching football (GO BILLS!) and work out my hike beginning.  8 miles a day starting for about a few weeks and then ramping up the mileage to see if I can fit in my Triple Leap Frog A.T. hike from Tax Day to Election Day 2020.

Sobo_Nobo_Sobo_Hobo_2 ..... Sobo_Nobo_Sobo_Hobo_2
There: I've satisfied my agreement .... again. lol 
42 is my answer. :)

I've got to come up with a better question.  lol

In closing, I'm placing my words into action.
Shit or get off the pot, I've known it to be said.
Taking Knowledge and Applying it.
Going from Static to Dynamic.
One step at a time.   Kindle style.   Spark to a Flame.  :)

Keep it simple (cuz, I'm complex), Keep it Positive (Cuz I'm Cynical right now), and keep moving forward always forward (cuz, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm an adopted Robinson).

~ Kindle
Putting better tools in my tool box
(as I point to my head)

The Power vs. Force book cover description: 

Building on the accumulated wisdom of applied kinesiology (diagnostic muscle-testing to determine the causes of allergies and ailments) and behavioral kinesiology (muscle-testing to determine emotional responses to stimuli), David R. Hawkins, M.D. has taken muscle-testing to the next level, in an effort to determine what makes people and systems strong, healthy, effective, and spiritually sound. He has uncovered several important patterns in human consciousness and behavior that would suggest that all living things, on closer inspection, are connected. The more we choose connection and empathy over competition and destruction, the more we increase our power. It is this titular power that wins out over mere force (violence generated from self-interest) every time. Hawkins explains his complex theories and then provides living examples of political systems, self-help organizations, even store chains that seem to have succeeded through their use of power, not force. 300 pages. 

And last but not least: the Happy Taxpayer concept as described in this blog by Jonathan Vieker.
I don't know Jonathan but he nails it when explaining that advice from a dead man is still great advice.

As for Jim Rohn, he is a dead mentor of mine.  I respect much of what he has to say as I do with ALL of my mentors.  I trust their knowledge and experience as "Guidelines" and then I create my personal philosophy and my rules for my life from that.

(Spoiler Alert: the Hour Long Jim Rohn seminar he links to has been taken down because of copyright infringement.  The full seminar can be purchased from Nightingale Conant and it's official title is: How to have YOUR best year by Jim Rohn)
I've owned the VHS and then DVD and will watch it again this week.

How to Have Your Best Year Ever

1. Keep your priorities straight.
2. Release yourself from the crowd of followers.
3. Reverse failure by uncovering the essence of it.
4. Make yourself more valuable.
5. Discover the four “seasons” of opportunity and make them work for you.
6. Ignite your ambition and launch yourself to the highest heights.
7. And much more!   Get Ready to Have Your Best Year EVER!

(more from the Nightingale Conant site)
Imagine yourself as the person you've always wanted to be.
How far are you from that vision?
Regardless of whether you're a short step or a long journey away from achieving that goal, this energizing and highly motivating seminar delivers dozens of proven ways to transform YOUR life fast, giving you the tools and confidence you need to get to the level of your vision and then go miles beyond it!
Experience a year unlike any you've known before.

Yep, that's what I'm doing this year from Birthday 59 to 60.
Start to Finish with a dream accomplished! 
Today is my last day of being 58...... Whoop!
LEEEEROY     JENKIIIINS!  lol (still cracks me up)

~ Kindle McGuinness

Sobo Nobo Sobo Hobo2 :)

The last few days have been filled with emotional Ups and Downs.
I'm near the end of parsing the data from the:
2019 Southbound A.T. Guide by David "Awol" Miller
for my personal use and for my "Sobo Nobo Sobo Hobo2" hike. 
(and for the geeks that are following, here's a fact:  by stating "Sobo Nobo Sobo Hobo2" - twice, I've satisfied my agreement.)
 

42 is the meaning of everything.
Yep: the answer to life, the universe, to everything.

It's not an answer I was looking for and not what I was expecting.  It appeared.
I guess I need to have a better question then to receive a meaningful answer next time.  lol  :)

Anyone that works with data can appreciate ALL the work that goes into keeping those "trons" in a row.  Thank you Awol.  It may have taken over a dozen years since I first asked you for this at Trail Days when Lion King was visiting you that year, but I now have what I asked for.  Thank you,  YOU ROCK!!!

******

I was inspired today during my 3 mile walk before breakfast.
"Be whom you seek to be, one moment, one breath, one step at a time"  (found on page 166 of Living a Dream by Paralee Dawson)
Thank you friend.
I needed the best information I could find concerning the hazards of Pennsylvania's rocks and your book has explained it the best.
Daily entries of the pain.  I have daily pain without hiking and can relate.  My daily pain has been around for over 25 years now, I'm thinking that hiking the A.T. is not going to be a cure for it, BUT, I have a better "tool box" now (as I point to my head) that can fix some issues I can expect to encounter.

Seems the reviewers on A-Z missed her opening statement: "I don't claim to be a writer, just a dreamer who is living her dreams."

I too am just a Dreamer, learning to put my head in my hands.
(to create my dreams - thank you Roger Hodgson)

Having shared some time with "Trapper Lee" in conversation, I continue to enjoy her writing.  She is helping me immensely with my planning of starting just outside of Rocksillvania and also with separation from spouse by using Jedi mind tricks.  

As I plan to HMOH and I can now better respect that others can HYOH .... & reviews are like farts.  Some stink and others don't.
We all have to Bitch, Belch or Fart or else we will explode. I get it.

*******

Moving forward, always forward:
Psychological wellness and feeding the body with correct nutrients (trons) that supports the mind, muscles and motion forward.

That's where I needed to start.  

Begin at the beginning.  

What fuels my quest, journey and adventure.  

Thoughts and Beliefs.  Both needed to change.

So with that, I will begin a "To The Trail" countdown.

With that will be a 30 day or so "transition" from this blog and format to the Trail Journals I'll be sharing with the world which then will point back to these amusements in case others care to know what goes into the 6 months prior to.

Also, the last 30 or so days will be focused on the goal:
to be "On The Trail".

and I trust that at the end, I'll continue with "Off The Trail".
A triple set or Triad to form a forth idea I seek for my future.

(Triad: a Welsh form of literary composition with an arrangement of subjects or statements in groups of three.)

k ?  I'm cool with it and that is all that matters.

Monday, I begin with blood work and a full annual physical.
I'll see were I'm at in my 59 year old body on the day that matters, my birth day.  Not counting the leap days added to the Full Monty.

By the 60th, I trust I will have completed the tasks for my goal.

More on all that tomorrow as I formulate a format.

Keeping it simple, keeping it positive and still moving forward.
~ Kindle

P.S. Some info I sought appeared - Kindle was my name long before November 2007 when A-Z created their app. 
The Universe conspires to do me well and answers my requests. lol

Liberty: to hike .... like ...... "Leeroy Jenkins"!!! lol :)

Day 2401 - Wii Scale: 208.0#  Two weeks in a row. (I've been Yo-Yo'ing for a few years)

Seems October each Year is my Lower Points and March my Higher Points. I end the Yo-Yo-Yo this time.

I have increased my attention to muscle retention.  My workout/stretching routine is being formed as I try new movements before and after walking.  It is all OK'd by my Dr.  (at least one of them).

The other Dr. in my life will get my blood work and report soon.  I decided to have a Physical on my Birthday this year and it should then be scheduled for next year on my Birthday, which co-incidentally happens to be the day I'm guessing I will finish the A.T. in 2020.

By my calculations: I should be able to loose 50# before I start in April and if not, soon after I start .... lol.

If's I desire to carry only 25# of gear and at most, 40# total for long sections, I SHOULD never be this heavy again while walking.  That gives me hope to know that my body type and frame can do this even with my disabling limitations.
I have the liberty to hike.

*********

Doing it Leeroy Jenkins Style.
(Meaning to do something so bloody wild that you'll be talked about for months because it was bloody insane.)   I guess I've been disconnected since about 2005.

Being disconnected from main stream social media for so long, I've missed the reference or meme labeled Leeroy Jenkins.  It wasn't until I was introduced to a Robot by the name. 
It did what it wanted when it wanted..... a bit unsafe but in the scheme of things it was a controlled safe if that can be comprehended.   Anyway, it may become my cry to the woods each morning as I start out on my daily adventure.

If you don't know what that reference is:
I don't have time to explain a long elaborate plan so I'll start up the trail first and then use and intimidating SHOUT!
When my shouts done, I'll need "a moment" to hear if anyone else responds with a shout.
So I don't know, possibly I can get someone to give me a number crunch "real quick" of that possibility? ....

Gimme a sec, I've come up with a 32.33333 (repeating of course) ... 

Ok, that's a lot better than I usually do .... So lets .....

...  LEE ROY JENKINS!!!!

OMG - Stick to the plan... Let's go, let's go!  ;)

*******

yep, it's one of those mornings. 

All before my crunches & coffee today.

********

I've completed about 33% of my data collection for this trip.
I hope to have it complete by Halloween and start November/December with gear idea purchases. 
I'm looking for their end of year sales from ALL the vendors I've recently placed myself on their marketing lists.   Then in January, weed out the competitions to hold true to my purchases and the company mail blasts.

I'll also need to fund my Trail Journals page and begin the process of converting this blog to an actual hike blog.

"On the Trail: Adventure is out there!" 

or something silly like that.

*****

Last but not least: Dynamic and Static Stretching

I began stretching after my knees could not handle two days in a row of walking 10,000 steps each day.

I searched for stretching routines and much is to be said.
So, I gathered 40 pages of data, weeded it down to a few great sites and am building my personal pre and post 

routines.  Dynamic before and Static After.

I'll get my sports Dr. to refine it and have it OK'd before too long.

When complete, I'll add here what I've figgered out.

Just for the record: I'll continue to stretch as it made a HUGE difference.  Pain subsided so quickly without medicine or topical that I'll have is as part of my routine everyday.

Keep it simple, keep it positive and keep moving forward, always forward.

~ Kindle

Searching, Stretching, Sponsors and Sssssssssss .... Living the Dream for Pain relief success :)

Well, I knew the day would arrive when a stretching routine would become my daily friend.
We re-acquainted ourselves to each other this morning.

So, my morning has been filled with doing first what I could remember to do and then I began "the search".

A lot has changed since I've last looked at this subject called Stretching.   I'm thankful for that.  Much to try and consider these next 6 months.  I'll also be bringing with me my "Miracle Ball System" weighing in at 4.5 oz or 7.5 if's I bring the second ball.
Self-Spinal adjustments in the woods are hard to come by.  Being on the ball will allow gravity to assist me from time to time as required.

*********

My Son also let me know yesterday that he will sponsor my excursion.  He lived how long I've desired to do this Epic Shit Adventure.   A corporate idea he has will be the sponsor.
PACZ.ninja   
Oddly: PACZ is pronounced "Poonch" and means "LOOK",  but in all honesty, it is the first initial of each of our names in the family. 
Ninja just happens to be our web domain name.  
Not active ... yet. :)  Stealth ... lol 
LOOK >>>>>> Ninja!     Too late.   Ha!  :)

I understand I'll be tracked like a National Fuel Gas truck, locatable by satellite.   Ninja like.  lol

********

I owe this latest thought about stretching to Paralee Dawson.
She penned the book: "Living a Dream" Laughter, Pain and Life on the Appalachian Trail.

I met Trapper Lee at a Trail Daze event in Damascus, VA.
She was kind enough to sign my copy of her book and also, she shared with Penny Grateful and I, some of her joys experienced.

Her one line: (Paraphrased from Memory) "I stretch 45 minutes each morning before my daily hike", really stuck.
45 MINUTES?!!!  WTF? (Walking Thru Forests) lol.

It takes me 45 minutes before I can think walking.  I guess I will need to find what works for me, and I will.  Might end up being 1 hour and 45 minutes after I'm done.  Sheech!

So,this morning I fudged a few stretches and will get in my 10,000 steps before breakfast.  I'll work on getting a better stretching routine from the plethora of data and links.
Add it to my day and then create a Miracle Ball Routine for "Sssssssssssuccess!" 
(The sssssss sound is what I expel from my lungs and throat as the pain melts away & gravity works in my favor and my life around an inflatable, small blue ball.)  Daily will become daily.

Just as 50 crunches before coffee has become my routine.  :)

As one of my mentors, the late Jim Rohn would say:
"The Result of Your Life Is Determined by a Few Simple Disciplines" 
Because: 
"Being Successful is a Personal Choice"

So true and proven.

I continue to live my dream.  One step at a time.

Keep it simple, keep it positive and keep moving forward, always forward!

~ Kindle.

Pain, Trials & Realizations .... Moving Forward on plan

Moving into my new body shell as it changes has been .... interesting.

This morning, I awake to something new .... knee joint discomfort.
Good thing!  I was waiting for this day.  Do I start taking Vitamin "I" or rest as my body acclimates?   The questions begin, lol.

I'm going rest first as pills are 2nd to my last resort. 
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food", I understand.

Which brings me to a very good point in this journey quest, that if only after 2 continuous days of walking on a flat treadmill, for over 10,000 steps each day, (roughly 3.5 miles each day right now), I am slower and in discomfort .... how will I handle the trail as I acclimate to it?  One moment at a time will be my answer - pure joy! :)

I guess I'll find out when I get there.  I'm learning to fly.  Thanks Tom Petty.

*********

Another odd thing appeared twice from two different sources as well yesterday: Death on the Trail.
Apparently, a man (trail name: Open Mike) passed away on the trail in 2011.  I first read of it as I finished up the book: "Appalachian Trials" by Zach Davis, and I'll say that I did not see that coming.

Later in the day, I then read of others named Mike, that also passed on the trail in the past 6 days and in the past few years.
I'm glad my given name is Pete.  Nick Named: Zak
Trail blessed: Kindle  - as I like fires from spark to blaze.
(for the record, I was Kindle {circa: 2004} before Amazon used it for books which was Nov 19, 2007 for their Kindle launch)  Reason I know: 11/19 is my younger  brothers birthday - it stuck out from memory and I dealt with A LOT of hiker trash talk about me being electronics in the woods (especially when I did not carry electronics in the woods).  Hikers are odd for sure, I am one too.

Thanks to the trash talk, McGuinness was added to my hiking handle to cause a pause in others thinking.  To date, it has worked.

I added: McGuinness for the love of beer and the possibility of wearing a Kilt, hiking as a Highlander - Go Radford Rowdy Red! lol.

Back to death by hiking:
I was not searching for it, I was looking for "under ware" brands preferred by male hikers, not death.  I guess that is the ultimate in pain relief, none.  In each of the 3 "Mike" A.T. Death cases, seems they miscalculated a move and it was their last. Happens.

So, it opened up my mind to consider that my affairs best be in order before I begin my April 2020 trek.  I found my guide:
"I'm Dead, Now What?" by Peter Pauper Press.

Now this is not the first time I've had to consider myself deceased and then work the time line backwards to my present life to construct my last wishes.   I think I've mentioned that I'm former Navy.  Being dead first in order to perform under extreme pressures for the ship in battle conditions was a thought process I've taken myself thru before.  Ain't Skeered.  Just a responsibility I need to uphold myself to by being accountable for myself to and thru the end. Shit happens then we all end up dead eventually.  Just a fact.

********

Then comes today. 
I wake in pain .... nothing new, just a new normal day!  :)

Communication has begun with some in my life who are encouraging me to do this hike, FINALLY!  I think they were tired of my Springer Fever moments each year for the past 2 dozen.

I found my library saved: Seems, when I have a notion for a future event in my life, (aka: a Dream), I collect data to signify the time spent thinking thru the event, long before it happens.

Well, It appears that the last time I was getting Springer Fever, was between 2004 and 2009.  Yep, 5 years I mentioned I was going to do the trail ..... life got in the way.  I was as close as I could be back then.  Meeting the rock stars: Baltimore Jack on Fathers Day 2006 at Angels Rest in Pearisburg Virginia, (R.I.P. dude). Then there was Trail Daze: A.W.O.L. , Lion King, What?, Persistent and Certain to name a few. Trail pros in my eyes.

I was still too far from hiking as I still needed to eat and pay bills back then.  Working for a University Library, I was reading everything I could find and I also picked up some materials (Books, Mags, DVD's, etc) to review to keep me close to my dream.
I also did several hikes to McAfee Knob including the day I met a 76 yo man (On his Birthday) who's father bulldosed the initial path to that outcropping.  Seen the pictures of the Model T ford on the Knob and the bulldozer ON the knob as well.   He was a HOOT! 
I know I have the pictures of the day on a stored drive somewhere.
Memories.   I know I can do this.

Last but not least: I figured out how the beautiful Yellow Book, Appalachian Trials entered my life.
Final page: Printed in Lexington, KY (02 March 2014)

I was working for Amazon Fulfillment in Lexington.
I was J.O.B. at the time (Just Over Broke) and still very much disabled.  I know that "Picking and Stowing" kicked my ass.
Keeping up with their insane "quotas" had me working overtime in the Book Printing area of the facility to make up time by placing newly printed books on the shelves for pickup.
Most all of the books were print on demand, so they were sold before I could place them to be picked up for packaging.
I must have been thinking "March 4th!" and had Springer Fever for Zach Davis' book would have caught my eyes as I most likely had to place several copies on the shelves in various cubbies.  I would write down the titles of books that interested me and then later I would purchase those titles from home, usually to arrive the next day. 

Yeah, working within the belly of the A-Z beast was a great LAST employment job.  The speed was not difficult, the recovery was.
Night shift also ages one quicker I believe.  Body clock gets all wonked.

Anyhoo .... enough of that.  I'm planning a life time "Epic Shit" Adventure!   ESA .... hmmm.  EEEE Sah!  Needs refining. :)

*********

I'm monitoring my health closely as I've begun training for this ESA. My son Zack purchased BioStraps for Penny Grateful and I.

It's a Sleep Tracker and Health & Activity troubleshooter.
Hacking my body to see where I need to adjust its Biometrics.  lol

Moving Forward.

~ Kindle




 

Waking up, feeling a little bit different.... same pain, different 'tude.

It was pleasant waking up to a gentle rainfall outside.  We've been in a drought as of late and are presently in a Burn Ban until December. 

Don't want the Daniel Boone National Forest to burn more than it has in the RRG (Red River Gorge) which is a few miles down the country road from us.

Life seems a bit different now that I have set a date to start the trail and picked a starting point.
Logistics are what I am going thru right now so that I can collectively create a "wish list" of items needed for this journey.  Timing of costs is my next concern for it is the exact concern of my wife's.

I've been handling the budget and such as we've both been labeled disabled. 
Cash is a concern as it should be for her.  Dr's still are a part of our lives but Insurance is limited.
We both are doing our best to work with the bodies we have and the Ins. systems as it changes.

Disability:
Unable to do what we used to for the labor force. Out of place on this mountainside where we recover or continue as is.  In a way it is freedom ..... in another way, a cage.  We just keep moving forward.

Her's from Cancer and mine from a physically hard life to date.  Arthritic spine that snap, crackles and pops, and for many years I thought the sound was coming from my cereal bowl, lol.

Anyway, I'll be back to crunching the data on my screen to formulate a guess-ta-mate plan for this journey.  I understand that it cannot be too rigid but it has to hold some structure for my sanity.
I'm a technician ..... I have to have some edge of my unknown to believe in.  Base line, so to say.

HMOH and truly enjoy it, including this line for line data entry for myself.

Possibly, some day it will matter to me to re-read it all.

Keeping it simple, keeping it positive and I will keep moving forward, always forward.

Kindle

Appalachian trials..... I have a date and starting place :)

Today was an emotional roller coaster day ..... glad I had it.

Without getting deep into details, I love my wife Annette more than I love myself.  Our discussions about this crazy excursion proved how much she loves me.... it came thru her chemo brain, unfiltered words.   Some words hurt deeply and others enraged me.... I need to walk a long distance to figure out why I need to walk a long distance.

I love you Babe.... I'm thankful you deal with me straight and have a "NO BULLSHIT" rule that I can support.

*********

I had a normal pain day....numb arms, left leg today and a deep lower back issue.  Pain makes me behave more like an asshole than I can seem to control.  One of the reasons I care to hike the A.T.

Later in the day, I was better counseled by the book "appalachian trials" by Zach Davis.

The book cover explains that it is: "a psychological and emotional guide to successfully thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail."

Doing the exercises and being honest with myself about the tougher questions I need answered.   

"Seems that the best strategy to stave off separation anxiety is to do your best damn job to enjoy the trail as much as possible - your ultimate goal anyway."   pg 47

Enjoy the trail as much as possible .... Ok. 
Right now, I'm enjoying the process.  The day was going to arrive where I started to dissect the data to produce an accurate plan so that I can begin to compute costs of how I desire to enjoy the trail.

Well, the process began on Saturday, October 19th, 2019 when I was given the OK to hike by my best friend, wife and life partner in sauntering.... I would be sauntering alone if I was to do it at all.

My son and daughter understand that I should not go though existence with the final thought that I did not attempt to accomplish a dream.   If you have read my journal this far, you might have caught on that I'm a dreamer.  Many of my dreams have materialized and I am a firm believer that many more will continue to materialize for me.  I'm good at it and I work at it.

That A. T. "Seed" was a thought delivered to me by EM1 Scott Ensell while we both served on the USS KittyHawk.   (circa: 1987)

A resurgence of this seed appeared when I worked an 11 year stint for Radford University, McConnell Library.  The trail runs near this quaint hamlet and the Library I served had maps for about 300 miles of the "Virginia Blues".

Feeling that that was the time I should section hike, I did just that.
Starting with Campbell Shelter and the Pig Farm Campsite, McAfee knob drew me in deeper into considering a long term hike.

30 mile stretch from Dragons Tooth to Daleville, VA has felt my feet trod on it's surfaces and body did drink from it's springs.
Lightning dancing on ridges, downpours and deluges - drought and trail magic .... I got a taste.  It was all good.

A few Trail Daze Events in Damascus, VA had me win a few prizes from Backpacker magazine.  (Day backpack, Italian custom hiking shoes and widgets are the most memorable - all have been replaced).
I got to meet some of the Trail Journals hiking rock stars of the times too.   All of these memories get me to this day in 2019, 19 years after I started that job for the Library, still no more accomplished a hiker than those days.   Most of my gear needs updating.....if I would have not noticed, 19 years brings with it major advances in technology and weight / costs too.
I like my opportunities to walk in 2020 with a ultra light or hopefully hyper light setup.

But if nothing was to change but my personal body weight, I do believe I will never have to carry my fat ass up a hill heavier with a full pack than my personal body weight is today without one.

I can only believe.

*****
The plan:   Starting on Saturday, April 18th, 2020, I will leave the A.T. Train Stop and begin walking South to Roanoke, VA.

I placed it online and in my being. 
As Jean Luc Piccard would say..... "Make it so." 

Leg 1 of my Triple Frog, Cool Breeze Itinerary. NY to VA.

Leg 2 will see me at the very same starting point in NY going North to Maine and the final frog leg will be from Roanoke to Georgia before my 60th birthday and the 2020 Presidential Election.

Continuing a daily blog: so far so good.
Just registered my hike with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Here's the link: https://atcamp.org/index.cfm

Much to do, much to consider, much to allow.
Moving forward, always forward.

Kindle McG, and happy is he.  :)

Trail Journals has a new writer:  Me.

So, What's Changed? Everything.......

If you have virgin eyes, my blog might not be suitable for you...
Just saying.

I came to the realization earlier this month that age 60 will eventually get to my time line continuum.
Just like my vector lines on my trading screen, price (life) will meet time and visa versa. So will I meet time, time and time again.   

I trust we all agree that time is relative.  So then, the same can be held for age.  For that: "Shift" needs to Happen.

I purchased a SOBO AT guide in PDF form recently from A.W.O.L.
I had personally asked him for one at a Trail Days many moon ago.... back then, PDF's were new and non-developed.   Time had to pass for my request and I'm thankful for David's efforts and skill in producing an AWESOME guide product.

Now that I have that PDF, I've begun the arduous task of parsing & using the data, line for line, for my SOBO, NOBO, SOBO Cool Breeze itinerary.  Reading it as I create my journey on paper, or should I correctly state, on screen right now. I'm giddy with excitement to begin and continue.

So with bandwidth provided by WiFi hotspots (4 of them) via 3 different carriers, channeled thru a Linux Pi-Hole, I now can research and comment more frequently.  Thank you Zack for making this a reality for me.   Awesome network you made.
Stronger than A-Z or the Gov, (which I'm told are the same, lol). Thank you as well for allowing me to interject from time to time with it's construction.  You, my son, ARE a Genius.... and a great White Hat. :) 
(& might I add, "gloating", you did it without a degree - just by reading the books and applying the knowledge.  Skills rule!) 

Soapbox moment:
Diploma's yellow like the piss poor performance of many that do not know HOW to learn. 
Knowledge is not powerful, Applied Knowledge is.
I'm done with this for now... It might pop up again.  Fair warning.

Health? I'm disabled and sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Two months now, I've done crunches and gravity leg lifts to construct my core area.  I call it my: Morning Mat Work before my coffee each day.  I needed a prize to perform and coffee worked.
Having a stronger core has allowed for my hips and pelvic area to allow for longer walks on my very level treadmill that I use.

As the winter winds appear, I have a stepper and an rower to use too for cardio.  Building slowly to losing the pack weight before I purchase anything for this trek.  I already understand that the only way to prep for hiking is to hike.  I have a 22 acre mountain behind the house here to practice in the spring when it's slippery.
My April 15th start date should give me a good month to practice here and down the road in the Daniel Boone Forest on trails to get my trail dancing feet and legs ready for the adventure.

So now, gravity helps align my arthritic spine each morning before coffee.  I'm not pain free at all.  Pain is normal and constant most days, so either I live with it or I let it rule.  It will not rule.
I can thank the "Welcome to Marwen" Movie for that.

Money?  It will need to materialize as well.  I should be able to fund my trek as I walk each month with FX trading and my monthly stipend, but it's the upfront costs that will be a titch problematic up until April 15th.   I'll chart that out soon to perform this with the frugal pocketbook & budget that I have.

Today, I'm resting from my Friday and Saturday walks, crunches and yard cardio.....the leaves are clogging the ditch and rain is forecast to arrive.....finally. 

I'm also going to commit to write on this blog to craft my skill and structure my voice in text.  I have a USN language. 
Fuck is a descriptive word in my past vocations, and I use it.
I was a technician:  Electronics, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, Network, Telephone, Voicemail ..... I've heard and shared many descriptive words along my paths.
I'm starting with freedom of speech and with that comes the responsibility and accountability to myself and my readers.
Each can place their own meanings to those words the same as I.
Change the channel if you care.  I will grow forward.

As I move forward, I will work on toning down my use of the vulgar (as society has claimed I do) to possibly produce a book from this rambling I am laying out on this screen for Google to store.  If you are following still, hopefully you will notice the change. 

As a Car Plate front plate shared recently: "EXCUSE ME! I was not aware that it was my responsibility for YOUR JOY today."

Enjoy the day, I'll do my best to do the same.