Day 102 : Zero With Deb and Dave

0 miles today

745 miles to go

I am not going to journal about my entire zero day as some of it is private and family related. I will talk about the things pertaining to this through hike. Like eating! Trish is another person staying with Deb and Dave. Trish is making chocolate chips cookies! Woohoo! We have all you can eat waffles, eggs, and sausage. We go to a pub, I have fish and chips. I eat ice cream. Biscuits and gravy, milkshakes, grilled steak and potatoes. I feel like I might never be hungry again.

I get a ride to REI in Eugene. I meet Tom the shoe guy. I tell Tom I'm a PCT hiker and need to get my feet measured because the shoes I have hurt my feet. He asks me to take off my shoes and I do so, carefully and gingerly dislodging my feet from my shoes. They pop out and unfurl, plopping on to the carpeted floor like a couple of fish. Tom takes a look at my feet and tries to hold back a chuckle. “You have duck feet,” he doesn't say. Though I'm pretty sure he's thinking it. Instead he says, “you're feet hurt because those shoes aren't the right shape for your foot.” No kidding, do they even make duck foot shaped shoes? I stand there in my stubby flippers while Tom says, “let me go consult with my associate to get the right shoes.” He disappears into the back, I pretend not to hear the guffaws and knee slapping going on back there. Cory comes out and says, “Tom needs to take his break, I'll be helping you,” grinning and trying not to look at my feet. He suggests a pair and brings them out. I try them on and ask if I can get them in a size larger. He swaps them out for one size larger, size eleven! I try them on, oh comfortable! I cinch down the laces, oh still comfortable! “They're so long,” I think. Like clown shoes. I wonder if they have them in fire engine red? Probably not. The only shoes that fit my feet in width are super long. I wonder if I'll be able to walk without tripping over my toes. I think about going to the bicycle department and getting a matching squeeze bulb horn but decide the REI is to cool and hip to sell squeeze bulb bicycle horns. Maybe I can stop by a clown store and pick one up, and maybe a round red clown nose. I get the shoes. For the rest of the day, in order to distract people from the length of my shoes I tell them how comfortable my feet feel, which is true. I'm just a little self conscious about the length.

I checked to see if my resupply box has arrived and it has not. I check the tracking web site, apparently the Postal Service decided to send it to Federal Way in Washington. They say it'll be delayed. Ok, how long? They'll update the page when they know. Well if they don't know I don't know. Looks like I might have to go to the local Rays Food Place and purchase my own resupply. I'm not looking forward to that. Just as I'm making plans to go to the store the Mail Carrier drives up and drops off my box. Yay! Perfect timing!

I spend a most enjoyable zero at Deb and Dave’s. They are both warm hearted generous people. Time passes much too quickly to say and do everything I'd hope to say and do. Blessings on you and your home my good friends.