I left Thursday to spend the night at a hotel in Alpharetta and the lovely Janice Lynn arrived shortly thereafter to share the room. We woke up bright and early, went downstairs for a quick bite of crappy free breakfast, then came back upstairs to gather our things and get ready for day one.
We boarded the shuttle bus which took us to the Northpoint Mall for the opening ceremonies. This was a very cruel coincidence for a woman like me. I never walk away from a mall until I've left my mark inside. But that was not to be on Friday. After meeting up with the rest of Team Parallel Heat (and my tentmate, Lynne Simpson) and going through the opening ceremonies (which were both touching and a little cheesy), we started walking.
About two hours in, we took our first major detour. Into a Starbucks that ajoined a Barnes and Noble. Hey, we're writers. What did you expect? Needless to say we were soon back on the course, mocha lattes in hand. (It's good to know TKA values caffeine as much as I do.)
By lunch, the dogs were barking, but we pushed on, determined to make the day. Many hills and long hours later, we limped into camp. Lynne and I found our tent easily, since it was the only one of about 2500 that was not set up. I knew then that this whole experience was going to be some sort of test. I am not a camper. I bought all my camping supplies for this trip the day before. Now they wanted me to put up a tent? It happened, that's all I can say.
After a hot meal (institutional spaghetti not fit for the gullet of a true Italian, but I was hungry and tired and past caring) and a hot shower, I headed for a crew member to find out where I could plug in the hair dryer I had been given special dispensation to use. Fortunately for me, I brought the chain of emails that had led to this special permission. After much discussion and a promise that I would be apologized to, I was shown to a plug. Did I mention the emails were confiscated? Oh yes, kittens, they were. But my hair was bone dry and sparkling clean.
Stay tuned tomorrow for tales of the ice tent and Day Two.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The Walk - Day One
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What? There weren't cabana boys there setting up your tents? I'd ask for a refund.
ReplyDeleteI want to know more about the hair dryer incident.
ReplyDeletelike, why did you need permission to use one in the first place and WHY on earth would they confiscate the emails?
Ice tent? Don't like the sound sof that!
ReplyDeleteteri
Sounds like it was an adventure {:0
ReplyDeleteLOL, Kristen! :-) I think you're right -- it WAS some kind of test. We aced the tent challenge, though. We had that thing completely assembled in nothing flat, with no instructions or prior experience.
ReplyDeleteSo did you get your email apology yet? :-)
I still think it would've been funny if we had fabricated an email trail for something far more outrageous than a hair dryer and presented it to them the next day.
I would have asked for cabana boys and gourmet food instead of a plug for my hair dryer. :):)
ReplyDeleteBut hey...to each her own.
L
Kristin, I hope you're writing your memoirs. They'll make a blockbuster motion picture someday. :D
ReplyDeleteDang it, I KNOW your name is spelled with an "e" -- really, I do.
ReplyDeleteOMG! That sure was an ordeal!
ReplyDeleteHowl! Such a great (and light-handed) depiction of the struggles. :) But such fun too! Hey, that spaghetti rocked. But not nearly so much as the DIET COKE that was in that same food line!! :) Loving your report!
ReplyDeleteYou CAMPED??????????? Crikey, I must be rubbing off on you. Meantime I tried to power shop in Sydney so I guess we traded places. :-) I suspect you were more capable in my shoes than I was in yours. I left a huge mall full of fantastic boutiques with NO new clothes in tow. I know-- pathetic! What can I say, the local merchandising piranahs put me off. I hang my head in shame, knowing I failed miserably at retail therapies. But I'm so proud of you, Florida's very own Jane Goodall. Bananas anyone? Go K!
ReplyDeleteWow you are a far better person than I!
ReplyDeleteIt must not have killed you (although if you're writing this from the afterlife, your agent must more than adore you) - so are you stronger?
ReplyDelete