Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Help me get my girl!

All right, I now know a little bit more about the girl I've written about: She drives a black Nissan Pathfinder (which is probably the only one in Yellow Springs).

I didn't get any opportunities to talk to her while I was in Yellow Springs, so I ask all you Yellow Springers (and Yellow Springs regulars) to do me a favor. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do me this favor. If you see a slim, twentysomething, tallish woman getting out of a black Nissan Pathfinder in Yellow Springs, please tell her some guy (me) would like her to visit www.aimlessmovie.com and call the contact phone number (614-738-3867).

I just didn't have the chance to talk to her while I was in town, and now I won't be there for a long time, so I'm counting on you to help me. It's the only thing I'll ever ask of y'all.

Whoever comes through for me will win something (probably a personal thank you from me). You may not just be doing this for me; you may also be doing it for her. The look she gave me Saturday makes me believe that's very likely.

Thank you.

Aimless
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Getting down the road

I am at the library in Covington, Kentucky right now (right across the river from Cincinnati). I'd hoped to provide some updates sooner than this, but I can only do it when I have the opportunity.

So this is how it's gone so far:

I left home (near Darbydale, Ohio) on Sunday April 22 at about 5:00 PM, walking toward London along Route 665. About 8 miles down the road I came to an intersection I figured would take me to the old railroad line that is now a trail, so I headed north to find the trail. I found the trail and pitched my tent in the darkness, using a tiny flashlight to read the instructions. I didn't have much choice other than to sleep on forgotten railroad ballast that night, as would be true of the nights to come. In total I walked about 8.5 miles that night (in 5 hours).

Monday I was a hurtin'. I hit the trail toward London at about 10:00 AM, I guess, arriving in London at about 2 or 3. Found my way to McDonald's for a couple $1 double cheeseburgers and a $1 fry, then sat at McDonald's for a total of about 2 hours. Leaving McDonald's, I had a smoke then started walking southwest along US 42 out of London. Didn't know if I would stay by the road or get back on the trail, but I ended up getting back on the trail, then camping beside the trail a couple miles out of London. Walked about 8.5 miles again, but it took nearly twice as long as the previous day because this shit ain't easy after Day 1. It rained that night.

Tuesday I stayed on the trail, walking a little past South Charleston, 11.5 miles for the day. Got a lot of sun that day. Unfortunately I was too late to whip out the sun block, so I ended up with some pretty bad burns. Had some really good chicken from the grocery store in South Charleston. It stormed that night, with me camped out under power lines. (It was really the only place I could choose.) Like usual I didn't sleep too well.

Wednesday there was a small break in the rain that gave me an opportunity to pack up the tent without getting too wet, but there would end up being a lot of rain that day. I got off the trail and walked up South Charleston-Clifton Road (or something like that), toward Clifton and Yellow Springs. By now I had decided I wanted to walk all the way to Yellow Springs because I had already walked so far, so I actually turned down an offer for a ride about 3 miles up the road.

Wednesday was tough. With the rain and the pain and the hilly roads, I wasn't liking things much. Eventually, though, the rain stopped and I made it through Clifton, leaving me about 4 more miles to Yellow Springs.

About a mile from Yellow Springs, I hit a wall, having walked another 11.5 miles. This was about 5:00, I think. So I sat down and decided I would take a ride if anyone offered a ride. Eventually I decided that I would pick up my stuff and continue walking if no one offered me a ride by 7:00. But at about 6:00, a young lady (Jill ???) stopped to ask me where I was headed. I said Yellow Springs and she took me there, dropping me off behind Dino's. She said she was meeting her sister in Yellow Springs and maybe they'd stop by later at Dino's.

Shortly after arriving at Dino's I walked across the street to Tom's Market and bought some donuts. I then chowed down on four of my six donuts at Dino's. Yum yum. Later Jill, her sister, and a friend came into Dino's and invited me to join them for dinner across the street at Ye Olde Trail Tavern, their treat. Even though I had already satisfied my hunger, I accepted their offer and had me a cheeseburger. Jill & Co. were very friendly and nice to talk to. They said a prayer for me before we split up.

I pitched the tent near the firehouse Wednesday night and freshened up the next morning at the public restroom near the trail.

Thursday morning, as I walked to the restroom from my tent, a young woman on a bike passed me in the opposite direction. I didn't get a good look, mostly because my brain was too asleep to interpret pictures correctly, but I think it may have been the girl I've written about recently. Whoever it was, she said "Good morning" as she passed me. It was the sweetest sounding voice, and I've decided it must have been her. Even if it wasn't her, I'm going to remember it as if it was her. (More about her in the next post).

I had a bed and a shower Thursday night, thanks to the kindness of Lisa Russell, who is the girlfriend of a guy I know in Yellow Springs (Donn Steinhilber). I really appreciate your kindness, Lisa and Donn. Thank you.

While in Yellow Springs, Dave Chappelle spoke to me for the first time. Walking into Dino's, he asked me if I didn't mind him leaving his skateboard next to me while he waited in line for a coffee. Smiling and nodding, I said, "I'll take care of it."

I met a lot of interesting people over the weekend in Yellow Springs. Getting out and walking around town really helped me get out of my shell. There are some people I'd really like to talk to whenever I hit town again.

Man, so much to say. And I'm on limited time here.

I left Yellow Springs Monday morning after spending four days recovering from the 40-mile walk. Heading south along the trail, toward (and beyond) Xenia, I ended up walking 17 miles before setting up camp. I could have walked even longer, but I found what seemed like a good place to spend the night in the middle of nowhere, about a mile or two past Spring Valley.

With my endurance improving dramatically, I figured Tuesday would be about the same. I thought I could walk 15 miles or more and end up close to my brother's house near King's Island. Well, I was wrong. Everything went wrong yesterday, from running out of water to not being able to eat. In other words, I had a shitty day yesterday, hitting the wall again after about 11 miles. So I called my brother from near Waynesville and asked him how far I still had to go to get to his house. I said I was trying to get a ride, but he ended offering to come and pick me up. He arrived at about 7:00.

I had hoped to hang around Roman's house today and leave tomorrow, to recover a little bit, but his wife Erin is a total fucking bitch, so it was out of the question even before I could ask. Erin used to be really cool and enjoyable, but she has become a manipulative twat over the years. I have no love left for you, Erin. You're not a good person.

So now I'm in Kentucky, and I think I'm going to head south. Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently down the road.

Aimless
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