8-23-2012 In Which I Take a Few Days Off.
I wanted to be walking into into Hanover today, that’s 40 miles away. Instead I’m sitting on a rock in front of the Long Trail Inn. I managed to escape the magnetic pull of the Yellow Deli. I had decided to stay, but then couldn’t stand not being on the trail or in the woods. So at almost 5pm I left, which was pretty late to take a 40 mile hike into Hanover. So I was going to night hike and try to get to a road 20 miles north, then hitch to Hanover, but that didn’t work out because I left my headlamp at the Yellow Deli. So I figured, “Welp” I’m here at the Inn, might as well grab a bite and comingle. I thought of Carver’s trail philosophy, he says, concerning the trail, “Where I am is where I’m supposed to be.” So I like that. At the restaurant I met an old Austrian guy named Adi. I asked him what he does, he said in a heavy accent, “I’m a woodworker” and showed me his hands. Man they were beat up. One finger showed scars of being almost completely unattached at one point in its career. I pointed at it and asked, “Table saw?” He said, “Shaper” and I cringed. I won’t describe what a shaper does and hopefully spare you the cringe. So we talked woodworking for awhile as he enjoyed his Reuben, I my broccoli soup. It was hard to understand him, but I learned that he makes some higher end furniture for people on the high end, but his bread and butter are cedar chests with dovetail corners. I really wanted to see his shop and some of his work so I asked where it was and if I could stop in this morning and he said I could. I just came from his shop. It was what I expected for the most part, an old red building with a charming handmade sign out front that said “Adi’s Woodworks” and as I walked in, a pleasing blend of black walnut, and aromatic cedar lovingly flooded my nasal labyrinths. I breathed in deep and smiled. The first piece that caught my eye was a stunning quilted black walnut cabinet with wrought iron pulls. The grain was so vibrant and alive. I couldn’t believe, in looking around, that this shop produced such a piece. Like most wood shops, it was cluttered and didn’t have the expensive chisel and plane sets, expensive power tools and other fine implements you can spend money on. He had ryobi and chicago routers which aren’t top of the line, but a top of the line person can do a lot with a little. Adi was a top of the line guy, he definitely had a certain anachronistic style about him too, with his faded non collared corduroy jacket, and Austrian accent. When I asked if he learned woodworking from his father or grandfather, I learned that before Adi turned 3, his father was killed on the Russian front in WWII.  He’s definitely making some quality furniture at his age. It was just refreshing to be in a non-trail setting talking with a non-trail person about non-trail things. My normal conversations cycle through things like food we fantasize about, where our next town stop is, the best hostel or restaurant in the that town, how the terrain is up ahead, what kind and how well our gear is holding up, whether so and so is up ahead or behind and were they took some time off. It’s all like that. I gets old, so a wood shop was just what I needed.
                Now. I think I’ve finally figured out what to do here. After Adi’s, my plan was to hitchhike to Hanover, hang out with my friend Patrick for tonight and tomorrow morning, then rent a car, go pick up Caitlin and hang out with her and Kelly until Saturday. Take Caitlin back to the airport, but then I’d be stuck with having to get back to Killington, and back on the trail. So after 15 minutes of unsuccessful hitching, I just figured I’ll pay for an extra day of car rental, save myself a big headache, and rent from Rutland. I’m slowly coming to terms that it’s okay to be taking it easy. 5 days off trail seems like a lot, but I’ve only had one zero mile day so far. I need to relax and enjoy myself. Mentally prepare for the White Mountains in New Hampshire maybe. My brother-in-law, Reuben, is always telling me it’s not about the destination, but about the journey, so I just need to relax. I'll still finish in December in Georgia, which will be chilly but shouldn’t be too bad. So I think I’m definitely relaxing. I’m excited about driving a car too. It’s been about a month and a half since I’ve driven…good thing it’s a rental.
…Evening…
I’m at Patrick’s right now in Hanover. His family has a very nice place, and we had a relaxing meal outside. Looking forward to breakfast in Hanover and seeing the town a little bit in the morning. Driving the car was fun. It’s not like it was hard getting the hang of it, but I had to be mindful of things moving much faster than normal. Looking forward to the next 2-3 days very much, feeling relaxed.