Back on Trail

This will be my last post from NYC. Tomorrow we head back out to the trail, and I am ready to be moving on. This was my second full week off the trail (Trail days and Hardcore was the other week), and that is just a bit too long. I have the ants in my pants. I even went running in the park a couple of times. Not to stay in shape but to get some energy out so I could get to sleep. When you are used to hiking 15-20 miles a day, a couple of days of rest are good, but after 3 or 4 you are rested and you get anxious. I was able to get a lot of errands done for the trail and for moving out to Portland afterwards, but two pieces of mail that I was waiting for did not arrive. I did not receive my tax refund check which would have paid for a full month on the trail. I also do not receive my new backpack from Granite Gear. About a week before getting to NYC my 20 day old backpack developed a tear. I didn't have Granite Gear send me a new one right away because I thought that I would be able to get it switched out in NYC. However none of the outfitters that are Granite Gear dealers carry the backpacks. So they sent it on Monday and it did not arrive. So I will now get to see how long this pack will last with a tear. And everyone who reads my blog knows exactly which pieces of gear have failed and who is the best at replacing or repairing their gear. however when I arrived at home there was another pair of REI pants. There was a mix up and I received a second pair. So I now have two new pairs of pants, all for the price of shipping one pair back to REI.
While most of my NYC friends were out of town this weekend I was able to get into town before my parents left for their vacation, and I was able to see my grandparents three times. I was also able to eat out all the time since my parents are redoing the kitchen this summer. So currently there is a refridgerator and nothing else in the kitchen. No sinks, no cabinets, no nothing. I was unable to cook at all, just store milk for cereal in the morning.
At this point I am partly ready to get back to hiking, and partly ready just to finish the trail. I have heard that the upcoming trail is better than NY, but I was getting a bit depressed. I do not want to drop out at this point, but I am ready to be done. We will see if in a week or see things have improved. I am looking forward to getting to New Hampshire and the White Mountains. I did a lot of hiking there when I was younger and it will be nice to get back to familiar territory.
ps if any of you are feeling in the mood to mail something that will arrive my July 28th
Jeffrey Berliss
c/o General Delivery
Hold for AT Thru Hiker
Hanover, NH 03755