Being the excellent planner that I am not, I checked routes on Google. To the bar; from THAT bar to “MY” bar … er … um … office. Filled out an online application, got an email saying come in for a talk, and the process was started. Of course in my usual perfect timing, this day it decided to snow. Oh well. Walking in a light snow can actually be quite refreshing. I walked to he potential job site, actually FOUND it with only slight difficulty, had my ten minute canned interview (stay tuned for results), then began the walk to the office to get some REAL work done.

Pause for sarcastic laughter.

It is one of the many ironies that govern my life that the more “civilized” and area is, the less capable I am of navigating it. Put me in the woods, and I will rarely get lost. Put me in something man-made, like say a city or a mall, and I will be lost for hours. I am glad (?) to say yesterday was no different. I apparently totally misread the map for my return journey. Add to that the lowering temperature, the increasing snow, and my tendency to go into the “zone” when conditions become less than comfortable, in no time I was … completely unsure where I was.

I am one who travels by landmarks. Like trees and rocks. Stock buildings, highways and advertising signs completely baffle me, especially when they keep repeating themselves. After a few, “I’ll turn here, it is bound to take me somewhere,” mishaps, I finally ended up somewhere that there was potential for warmth and better yet … directions. I shed what remained of my pride and … dun dun dun … asked. I may be remembering incorrectly at this point, but I am pretty sure the answer was, “You are in the wrong state.”

Finally I figured out where I needed to be, roughly 5 miles That-a-way. Fortunately it was now getting darker, colder, and snowier, ensuring I didn’t settle down in someone’s yard for a nap. So after a walking only about nine miles out of my way, I finally made it to the “office”, I stayed long enough to thaw out before I skied back to my room to crash for the night.

So basically I walked roughly 13 miles and got slightly hypothermic for a ten minute interview for a job I may or may not get. All in all a rather productive day.

The post Return of a footsore Idiot first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Rain. Snow. Pain. Slow.

That kind of sums up the last few days. I finally entered the “dreaded” Smoky Mountains. Why dreaded. Well first there is the whole bureaucracy involved with getting through the park. Can’t even escape The Man in the woods. Add to that every previous hikers tales of what to expect … and the imagination has you quivering in your shoes.

First lesson learned: don’t listen to what anyone else says.

This section of The Trail is beautiful. It is cold and unpredictable. It is both harder and easier than one expects. And the local Trail Runners have a nasty habit of telling you it is MUCH easier than it actually is (note the first lesson).

Second lesson learned: most of our physical limits are self imposed.

What still remains the best part Of the journey is the people met along the way … on and off the trail. There is a whole trail based culture that truly can not be fully understood by those who have not experienced it. This includes those who offer trail magic … even the spontaneous kind. With that in mind, I want to offer a special shout out to Joe, Linda, and Jonathan. Thanks again for the ride. It was great meeting you.

A couple of side notes: I am writing this from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the “Redneck Las Vegas”. As usual, it is sucking me in for a few days. I also am about 3 inches smaller in belt size.

The post Just do it! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Day 2-5
Weather: rainy; cold, rainy, and windy; rainy into sunny; hot sunny
Distance travelled: 21.1 miles

After Jeff’s setback, I hooked up with two new hikers: Rich (Grey Wolf) who is my age, and Ken who is 71 (no trail name yet). We all realized that our eyes were bigger than our muscles, and we are basically some of the slower folk on the trail right now.

Day 2 was crappy weather, and we were all feeling the effects of the previous day, so we stayed put that day. The next day we moved on, though it turned out to be and even crappier day. Between the rain, the chill, and the three stooges, we ended up only making it roughly half way to where we wanted to be. We made the mistake of camping in a gap (Cooper’s Gap) which means stopping in a wind tunnel. Thirty to fifty mile an hour steady winds, combined with rain and almost freezing temperatures made for a rather uncomfortable night. We were saved by some trail magic when a local car camper took pity on us and gave us beverages and food, and even a hat that night, and returned the next morning with hot coffee.

The next day we reached the shelter we were originally aiming for on day 2.

Finally today, day 5, we got the exact opposite weather, being unseasonably hot. Beautiful views, but dehydration was hanging over us. We ended at Woody Gap, far short of where we wanted to be again, and beat, decided to stay in a hostel. A subway sandwich, a hot shower, some cleaning, and a decent night sleep (hopefully), ended this part of the journey.

Right now we are averaging about 5 miles a day, which is well shy of the 8 to 10 a day planned on, but we are still plugging along. I shed most of the gadgets I brought along. They did not really work as I hoped, and are not worth the 15 extra pounds the are loading me with. I will still blog, and take as many pics as I can. It just won’t be as often as I envisioned.

Incidentally, my current trail name is Rotund.

The post The truth sets in first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Since an ass bite will really not be all that pleasant on the trail, and I will most likely be facing a LOT more pain than just in the posterior regions, I figured I really need to get OFF that proverbial ass and start doing something resembling training again. Even if it is only for a few more weeks. Part of my personal challenge, beyond losing weight, building muscle, learning discipline, and getting enough stamina to function for more than 5 minutes at a time … is a distinct lack of access to the right KIND of training. I know, I know, this sounds like another excuse, but really it is not, just one of the challenges that I needed to work on. The reality is, no matter how much I gyrate around in front of a TV full of insanely fit people telling me what to do; no matter how many gallons of sweat I manage to soak out of my tortured body; no matter the fact that I can now lift a keg with one hand before I tap it; no matter the fact that I can walk a marathon on a flat surface in day no problem … NOTHING prepares one for hiking mountainous terrain with a the weight of a small human on your back like … well … hiking mountainous terrain with a the weight of a small human on your back.

Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of mountainous terrain in my neighborhood, and being on the Registry of Motor Vehicles MOST WANTED list makes it rather difficult for me to get to said mountains with any ease. We don’t even have any tall buildings with endless staircases in these parts. So I have not really gotten as much of that kind of training as I had hoped to in the last few months. Being the clever guy I am, I came up with a way to sort of emulate this kind of activity. I am now walking around the house for most of the day with a daypack holding thirty pounds of weight. I walk to and fro, up and down the few stairs we have, and throughout my room, which with MY cleaning style is as close to mountainous terrain I am likely to get off a mountain. Being the SLOW guy I am, I just thought of this idea two days ago, so no telling how much a few weeks of this will actually help when the real thing hits. But it is better than nothing (I hope).

I have also been practicing eating small quantities of food at a time, getting used to functioning with my stomach viciously growling at me constantly. Unfortunately, I suspect I will not be able to have those small portions on the trail every five minutes like I do at home, so I am not sure how effective this particular training method will actually be.

Maytag and I are basically now both chomping at the bit for this hike to start (in between me chomping at snacks). He has suggested a possible Trail Name for me … Captain Nasty … based on a nickname for cleaver murderer from a crime show (close to an ax murderer). I have been leaning towards letting the masses assign me a name on the trail, but am always open to ideas. Have to think on that one.

Time for my next snack attack. Until the next time folks!

The post Training continues first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Right now the biggest obstacle to be the famous explorer that is my current destiny is … you probably guessed it … lack of funds. So everything I am doing now is in pursuit of those bright shiny objects we all seem to revere so much. Pretty much everything I have been doing lately has, at least in some way, revolved around my inner capitalist.

SHUDDER!

The Go Fund Me campaign is ongoing, and is helping a bit, but I never really thought of it as the ultimate solution. After all I am not a cute puppy or someone who has recently suffered a tragedy. Nor am I particularly newsworthy. I have basically stopped an extraneous spending, which means bye-bye to my brief illusion of a social life. And no more games for you mister (at least the kind that cost). I have made a(nother) site that basically fools people into thinking I am an experienced and productive member of society. In other words an online CV of sorts.  I went so far as to post the link on Craigslist with a request for local temporary work. I even got a response already, though I suspect it is someone trying to hook me up with the same business I am already not doing so hot in.

To show how desperatedicated I really am, I even stepped into the world of surveys for money. No doubt the 2 cents I earn ever six hours or so will get me where I need to be in no time. Assuming I can survive the complete inanity of it all. Are people REALLY that superficial?

As the date gets closer, the excitement builds. But so does the that feeling you get when you haven’t finished the school project you had three weeks to do and it is due tomorrow. In other words everything is as it should be. Just like any theatre person will tell you, it never really comes together until the opening day.

More updates soon. Hopefully positive on ALL fronts!

The post Career change first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Fortunately, I am still an Idiot.

So after another few weeks of banging my head into walls and wondering what the hell I am doing with my life, I am now again ready to blow up my balloons. Not that I have any helium to work with, but I AM full of hot air. So status of things so far … I have slacked in my exercise and … well just about all preparation aspects of this trip. My business to help raise funds has gotten off to a fast start. Unfortunately the horse I am riding is easily confused and it seems to have run the wrong way on the track altogether. My attempts to interest others in this project seem to be falling on deaf ears … or my mike simply does not work. I can definitely say, without ANY doubts whatsoever, that I may or may not have someone hiking with me.

In other words everything is as expected … for a guy who’s idea of planning for the future is wondering about what snack he will eat in the next five minutes.

Being the man that I am though, it is far too early to call it quits. I have always been one who lived by the seat of my pants, no matter how torn they may be. So I will keep plugging along, even if at the moment I have no idea what direction to go in. That is what compasses are for right? By the way, does anyone have a compass?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z4dcJ34IRY]
So my plan at the moment:

1. Bang my head against some more walls. Maybe I will finally shake SOMETHING loose.
2. Keep pretending I know anything about running a business. Maybe I will actually sell SOMETHING.
3. Keep writing things on various blogs in the hope that they will accidentally cross someone’s path who is really bored and might be able to help me in anyway (even if it be only psychologically).
4. Stop using a whole slew of unrelated metaphors and images. Banging heads against walls DOES have certain unhealthy results.
5. Keep on plugging. That’s what I do best.

Just wanted to give a shout out in case anyone was still listening. Ya never know. This crazy idea, like all my others, may turn into something yet. But only if I keep running with it (even if it is more like a wounded crawl at the moment).

The post Testing 1,2,3 … is this mike on? first appeared on thrumyeyes.

I have a large number of projects going on: five blogs,two books, a new business (of sorts), losing weight and getting fit, saving the world, and of course preparing for a really long hike. Unfortunately I am not making much progress on ANY of these things. It could be a classic case of me biting off more than I can chew. Or it could be a lack of belief in myself. Or it could be that sheer laziness thang. Probably some combination of all of the above.

But we have already established that I am also an Idiot. Which among other things means I don’t know when to quit. So even if I took way to big a mouthful … I will keep chewing, and chewing, occasionally gagging, until I swallow it. Even if I occasionally stop chewing to catch my breath and wonder if I actually CAN swallow it. In short guys …

… I have started chewing again. Ultimately, everything I am doing is pretty much focused on the AT Hike, even if not directly. I have a few months to achieve a few (miracles?) deeds. I still need all the help I can get (and no we are NOT talking psychological this time). What needs to be achieved:

• A crazy partner. I will still do it even without a hiking partner, but I just old enough to recognize that I might NOT actually be invincible.
• Increase my fitness and weight loss. That is pretty much up to me.
• Get the funding I need to make this happen. This includes successfully getting some income. It would be ideal if I could make some progress on my business, but so far it seems I have chosen the wrong type of business for my personality (i.e. one that makes money). If out of sheer pity’s sake (or you happen to actually have fitness goals of your own), let me know and I can try out my used car salesman self on ya. Or just visit taochild.info and buy stuff. I am also hoping to get some sponsors involved, but really have no clue what I am doing there. So feedback, names, offers, bags of cash … anything thrown my way will be much appreciated.
• Equipment. Once I have actually figured out the whole funding thing … I need to get the supplies. Donations and suggestions welcome!
• Publicity. As much as this is a project to prove my own craziness; manhood; determination; boredom ; your choice of words here … to me it is also all about actually doing something positive for the world. The whole charity idea is still very important to me, and I need to get the word out there. If people can’t afford to make a donation, they can help by spreading the word. The more people who know about this crazy idea, the more chance of making a notable difference. Again if doesn’t happen that way … I will still go on. I am not doing this for acclaim. But it would be OH SO cool if it actually DID make a notable difference in this darkening world. Wouldn’t it be great to say you were part of it too? You might even get a few lines in the movie!

Of course nobody is obliged to help me in this. But for me it has become a group effort, even if I am the one doing the actual hiking. I would love for the effort to grow; for it to become a truly communal project that both benefits and gives satisfaction to many. But in order for that to happen … well there has got to be many. I will get off my recently lazy arse, and chew harder. But I am quickly becoming aware that no matter how determined I may (or may not) be, this is NOT something I really achieve all by my rather inadequate lonesome. So if anyone is still paying attention … alert the press. Tell ALL your friends. Pretend I am your child with girl-scout cookies! Let’s see if this Endeavor of Idiots can become a truly NOTEWORTHY Endeavor of Idiots.

I just hope my motivational begging works on me too!

[ujicountdown id=”IDIOTS AWAY!” expire=”2014/03/20 07:00″ hide = “true”]

The post Yep. still plugging along. first appeared on thrumyeyes.

I just recently added another 8 miles to the training mile total. Half of that was with 45+ lbs on my back. Granted it was city walking with limited altitude changes, but it was still an eye opener. I plan on doing a lot more training with that added weight on my back. Unfortunately, my weight loss has staled for the moment. The rumor that vacation and party calories do not count has been formally disproven. But I am still down roughly 15 pounds from when we started, so I am not ashamed of progress. Just need to beef things up and shift something to keep going down!

In the mean time, Mark has started a less painful (physically anyway) adventure, working on his book about the evil that was the ultimate start of his blogging career, his fame as The Idiot, and basically the whole idea that started this craziness in the first place! I expect it will be an amazing book when it is finished. In the mean time he has been sharing the drafts of his chapters to date. I would highly recommend a swing over that way to get all the details … starting HERE.

I am still plugging along, and still hoping to up the pledges. I am not only and Idiot myself … but a stubborn one! I will try for more regular updates again … as well as have more to share! I lost my better half when it came to keeping the masses entertained!! Until the next time folks!

The post Getting back on schedule! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

If we truly embrace everything we face in the journey, ironically we often find that maybe the destination we thought we were aiming for is not the one we really want. Or maybe the end point is not what matters at all. Destinations change, yet the journey does not end. Mark encountered an not unimaginable, but unplanned for realization in this journey we decided to take together, but in my mind the journey has not ended. It has not even really changed destinations all that much. It has only changed in form.  To me what we have always been about is improving ourselves, and not letting limits that we have not placed on ourselves guide our path. There is a difference between recognizing our own limits, and being guided by limits forced upon us by others. Maybe Mark can not actually do the trail, but he has already stepped beyond. He has taken control of his own destiny, and has already proven he can do much more than many could believe. This will not change. He has lost a lot of weight, and can continue to do so … even if it is just to get heathy again. We are still heading to the realm of possibility together, even if those possibilities have changed a bit.

I plan to continue the hike. I plan to continue the training and hopefully will continue to raise funds for various charities … even though that has stalled a bit now. And I as far as I am concerned, Mark is still part of the team. He can still train with me. He can even walk the same distance as me … just on well paved surfaces. He can be ground control to my Major Tom. And when he figures out the next part of HIS journey, I will be right there beside him!

I often participate in a WP Weekly Photo Challenge (even if they are the incarnate of online evil … they still have the occasional good idea). This week’s theme is Foreshadow, and the picture I chose was partly because of this particular journey, and what it means to my recent past and soon to be future …

Our journey together has definitely NOT ended …

The post Just call me Major Tom first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Does this mean the blog is now R Rated?

While I am doing things gratuitously, it seems a good time to do some self plugging again. I mentioned a few times my OTHER nefarious plan to strip people of their hard-earned wealth while at the same time forcing them to do such evil things as exercise and diet. So I don’t pester people TOO much here and on my other 40,000 blogs, I have gone and created ANOTHER page devoted entirely to making me richhelping folk get healthy again. Please take a look, become mesmerized, find a program that really excites you, and order it. If you need any help in that area feel free to holla for me!

This addpost brought to you by:

The post Time for some gratuitous stuff first appeared on thrumyeyes.