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Some of the stuff, I'll actually use on my trip. It's really great to feel the connection of 5 years with my coworkers even if I don't feel it with my direct employer.

I was really touched by the decorating. I'm the type of guy who usually thinks that stuff has little value. It was great to have my leaving made big.

I have to vent a little here. I'm feeling snubbed by EDS. I've never quit a job with two weeks' notice before. Maybe this is just how it is. When an employer lays you off, they treat you with some respect because of the gross violation they are putting you through. When you resign, they have no motivation to provide support or participate in departure activities. Urgh. It seems impolite.

Later, my going away lunch was very fun. I came up with the idea of asking each table to come up with a question about my trip. I enjoyed my going away lunch more than I've ever enjoyed anyone else's. I wonder why?

4/19/02

My last day of work was easy and productive. Betty, Scott, and Lucille, my office mates, threw a bagel and juice reception that was well-attended.

My motto by the end of the day was:

It's all garbage.

I was throwing things in the recycle bin left and right. Piles of file folders, meeting notes, design specifications, lucky-to-find-once tidbits. It was only important to me, and now I didn't need to know that stuff any more.

Had dinner with my Mom, who's worried about me on my trip. I've tried to offer her reassurances without obligating myself to continuous contact while I'm hiking. She's doing great as far as I can tell.

4/22/02

My life has been a whirlwind for a while now, but this weekend topped it off. Bart and I had our "We Are Leaving Santa Cruz" party on Saturday, but not before I packed up the car and headed to my storage in SF. I got the last of my stuff into storage. I also found the food I was looking for in Chinatown.

Lots of wonderful people showed up for the potluck and heartcircle at our party. We chose to focus the heartcircle, asking people to talk about what they learned from knowing us and what changes they might make as a result of knowing us. It was powerful and touching for me. And we managed to keep it from becoming a roast or stroll down memory lane.

I spent the night at Matt's with Tom. In the morning, we talked about the adventure we're planning after Tom gets back from Japan and I get back from my long walk.

Cupcake tries to sleep while Tom poses and Matt plays with my new camera.

Tom and I headed off to Dance Church. I was glad I made it. I love dancing on Sunday morning.

Got to the faerie heartcircle by 6 after spending the afternoon digging through my resupply boxes making sure I had enough food. Good thing I did too. Some boxes were strangely missing breakfasts. I also took a necessary cat nap.

It was great to see the men at the heartcircle last night. I was reflecting as I was listening. Each of the men in the room has taught me, and I love each one for different reasons.

On my voicemail on the way home I picked up a message from Bailey, my niece. She was crying and wanting to talk to me. She was going to miss me. It was incredible to listen to a 6 year old's heart as she tried to compose herself and remain articulate. They grow up so fast.

04/24/02

Got to Tucson. David and his new house are here.

Cupcake sorting it all out in Tucson.

Tomorrow we drive to Campo.

04/25/02

Fun adventures from Tucson to Campo. Details when I can find where I put them. Highlights:

• Toilet paper getting sucked out of a portable toilet being towed at 80 mph.
• The worst Chinese food in the world.
• Campo not having a hotel. David and I shared my sleeping bag on a plywood bunk for $25 at Lake Morena.

David driving 70MPH with his knee.

04/26/02
Hiked the first 20 miles of the PCT today.

Instead of heat and dryness, we had cold, windy rain, which is continuing this evening.
David Gilmore dropped me off this morning after our adventure of getting here. The adventure started after our drive from Tucson had ended.
I thought there was a place to stay in Campo. There isn't, and David didn't have any camping stuff. We ended up in cabins at Lake Morena which had plywood platforms for beds. We shared my sleeping stuff and used some stuff from his car, like the floor mats, to make a bed. It was a cold night.

After an OK breakfast in Lake Morena, I got started. Soon after that the rain got started too, but I didn't think the rain was going to amount to much. Eventually, I had to relent. I put on my raingear, put everything in plastic bags, and continued. The miles felt easy. My new, untried shoes felt OK. I met Henry Shires who was day-hiking. His journal was an early one I read.
The kickoff at Lake Morena is in full swing.

04/27/02
ADZPCTKO is over, at least for me. Others are whooping it up over a large fire. I'm under my tarp listening to the first time to the minidisk Wind made for me. I really start hiking tomorrow, just like I saw the people doing last year.
I won 4th place for my NBCS, Nut Butter Carrying System, and I got the prize I was looking for: a Photon light. I'm so happy.
Yesterday I was worried that I had too much food , but today I'm worried that I have too little. At the same time, I'm not worried.
I'm feeling excited. I'm feeling like I'm not taking enough photographs, or recording enough.

04/28/02
We are in a pine forest just outside of Mt. Laguna. It's clear and a little cold now that the sun is gone. Got around 80° today, which was nothing to complain about. Had views south to Lake Morena and further to Mexico as we made our way through the trough of chaparral. The trails are well-graded, and the hills are not the mountains of the Sierra.
There's a huge camp down below at the creek crossing. There's 9 of us up here.
Hiked with Shawn from Chicago, Yogi, and Holly Hobbie from BC most of today. My feet are holding up quite well. I am very much enjoying hiking. It's what I do. The trail is were I live.

04/29/02
I cried soft tears of joy when the sun hit my body for the first time today. It was a cold, windy night, and I selected a cold, windy site somewhere on the seemingly endless ridge. I survived.
Got water from a water tank.

04/30/02
Heat is moderate and made less of an issue by wind. Hiked into Sissors Crossing and ate dinner there. Grabbed some watercress from the stream.
The wind going up the San Felipe Hills was amazing. As we passed ocotillo, barrel cactus, and prickly pear, all in bloom, we had to watch our step to keep the wind from sending us away. Hiked that section with Dan [Who would become Scooter.] We decided to push on into the evening rather than stay at Scissors Crossing which was a good decision. We got the climb out of the way and it wasn't too hot. DLow was camped nearby, but we didn't see him until morning.

Keep on reading May's Journal.