1/11/2015
While the ALCO discount store was clearing its inventory and preparing to shut its doors, they still showed generosity and kindness to two weary travelers. We waited for the store to close for the evening before plugging in our trailer. Once the customers had cleared out, we flipped on the heat. The gadget started with a deep guttural growl. A couple weeks ago, when the chills began, the heater made more of a high pitched shriek. These noises did not bode well for our comfort as the coldest of winter days probably still laid ahead.
The heater held out for another evening although the loud sounds periodically shook me in the night. It was in the morning that I received the loudest wake-up call though. One of the employees knocked on our door to tell us the ALCO was getting ready to open its doors. We had to move the vehicle to free the path to the main entrance. Crystal moved our vehicle while I ran. We agreed to meet at a fast food joint to use their wifi.
Crystal had already parked and plugged our computers into the sockets by the time I arrived. But when I looked at the vehicle I noticed a small neon green puddle. When I took a look under the car, sure enough, antifreeze was dripping. Crystal had been commenting over the recent days that the heater smelled like antifreeze but we refused to entertain the idea of something being broken. Of course we did some research and we did find that we needed to fix yet another item. We decided to keep antifreeze in the car and Crystal would abstain from using the car heater.
The entire morning was a fiasco and it was afternoon before I was able to hit the road. On top of the late start, I had to add another hour to the clock leaving me with one less hour of daylight. I took off for Hosford. The roads remained tranquil and inhabitants were practically nil. When we reached Hosford we were lucky enough to see a library that was closed for the evening and weekend. The lucky part was discovery of an exposed outlet on the outside of the building. I would continue running into the forest and return to the library after I finished.
The temperamental heater lowered it’s wailing by a couple decibels but the noise was still loud enough to drown out the sounds of nature.
Florida’s state capital was the next stop. After Hosford, the map showed my trail to be mainly state forest. I was surprised to find a random home or gas station every now and then. On the outskirts of town, construction cones filled the streets. I didn’t expect the Florida State University to emerge out of nowhere. Many runners began to appear. The young students were darting around in every direction. Honestly it gave me a charge and helped me finish the day strong. I ran toward their stadium, past their field, and through their village.
The day ended with an amazing meal donation from Genghis Grill. Crystal had been craving Mongolian BBQ since she tried it on my birthday. I piled on the veggies, made sure there was plenty of tofu for protein, and chose my peanut curry sauce. I decided that, after a thirty mile plus day, I would also indulge in a Dr. Pepper float. What I didn’t plan on was the Tuxedo Bomb dessert. A small layer of cake laid the foundation for a chocolate mousse. The next layer was a vanilla flavored white mousse. The hardened chocolate shell protected the soft insides. Melted chocolate and caramel were dripped onto the cake for a final assault on the taste buds. Mmmm Delicious.
The day ended at the Tallahassee RV resort. The park was very expansive with roomy parking spots. We were nestled between trees and secluded from the city. It provided the perfect respite at the end of the day as well as much needed hot running water.
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