4/12/2015
I had very little sleep on my last night in North Carolina. Cars rushed past the abandoned building at high speeds as I slept. They never woke me fully but my slumber was far from sound. I became more comfortable in the early morning and fell into a comfortable position. Around that time my alarm sounded and I pulled my sluggish body out of bed. The melody for the alarm was made to sound like nature and birds. The idea was to gently rouse a person from sleep. It annoyed my ears.
I had ten miles to reach the border. I knew I was going to have company so I didn’t want to arrive late. I made myself the tried and true peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Crystal woke a bit later and decided I needed more food and prepared a fried egg sandwich. Both meals gave me the energy I needed for the day. When I stepped outside my throat itched. Pollen was everywhere and it caused me to sneeze several times. I ran back inside and threw a cloth around my face to protect my sinuses from the microscopic nuisance.
My feet felt light running mile after mile. Perhaps my body had just become accustomed to the forward motion. I even enjoyed the rolling hills. The change of scenery must have provided a new distraction for my senses. I went over a highway overpass and knew that Crystal would be waiting. We had to fulfill our ritual of taking pictures at every state sign. As I approached I saw a brown haired girl in a bright neon green running shirt. I was pretty sure it was Shannon Facchina waiting to run with me. She was a new running friend, which was introduced to me by Stephanie, which was the cousin of my longtime friend Christy. Through the wonder of social media, I had found company for my run and many new friends in the town of South Hill. Shannon had been dropped at the state line by her husband Doug. I was happy to see Crystal would have company while waiting for us.
Shannon got to start her day with a beastly hill. She was able to hold a steady conversation and I got to learn about the area. I learned the lake was ranked in the top ten for bass fishing and that the local farmers considered tabacco to be king. The spring day was a nice warm temperature yet my long sleeve running shirt was still comfortable. There was a hill for every mile of the route and each one appeared steeper than the last. Crystal and Doug were waiting at the lake with Patrick Love, a reporter from the local paper. They snapped a few shots of us running by as we continued toward our destination. Another couple hills later we reached five miles. It was at Easy St. that Shannon fulfilled her distance for the day. From there I would have two solitary miles before reaching Ruthie.
I connected with Ruthie, Crystal, and Kenny by an assisted living facility. Ruthie was very upbeat and ready for her run. The hills closer to the city were less steep but what they lacked in height, they made up for in length. As we ran cars passed us and honked for encouragement. Of course at that point the sun was strong and Ruthie was able to get water sprayed on her at the local car wash. She pointed out all the places where I had appointments and I took mental notes. On the outskirts of town Shannon roared up to us in a red convertible to cheer us on. I was definitely having lots of fun at that point.
When we reached the actual downtown area we stopped to meet a couple of people. One of them happened to be Stephanie. The meeting was brief because Stephanie still had to work and we had to complete our run. Luckily we were on the home stretch and our final stopping point was less than a mile away.
We reached Freedom Life gym unscathed and smiling. The facility had been a Pepsi warehouse in a previous life. For our stay in South Hill it would also double as our home away from home. The equipment inside was brand new and they even had a fighting cage inside. I would take a nap in the trailer before hitting the gym with Crystal. We had plenty of time to relax and unwind. That night Crystal and I had a surprise dinner donation from Los Cocos restaurant. I got to try a potato burrito that was filled with mashed potatoes. It was soft, tasty, and just what I needed to get my energy up. I was thankful that Ruthie had recommended the place as we passed it.
Day 220 arrived quickly. We found ourselves a Doug and Shannon’s home early in the morning having breakfast. The scent of an egg and spinach frittata and fresh baked bread floated into my nose and led me into the warm home. It tickled my hunger and my stomach began to talk to me. Inside we were greeted by two affectionate canines Ellie and Duke. Soon after we were paid a visit from the Burke family. The sweet family had brought a little gift bundle on their way to Sunday service. It was an array of goodies that would keep us going. Crystal and I spent the morning eating and chatting with Doug and Shannon. Crystal even got to wash a load of our laundry. Before long I received a message from my childhood friend Jay Eusebio. We had arranged to get together while I made my way up the east coast.
Jay’s wife was also named Crystal so we put our table under their name. We threw back lunch before hitting the park with the kids. That of course was an afternoon of running around with the kids and playing games. The kids loved the warm day and we had too much fun with tossing the ball and Frisbee back and forth. Crystal brought her hula hoop out and had everyone hooping. All the activity drained Crystal of her energy. Just before we said our farewells, I introduced the kids to Chuck. Their newest addition to the family, Riley, became good friends with our floufoo prototype. I think she even liked him more than Mickey Mouse.
When Jay, his wife, and kids left I took a quick nap before heading to dinner with Doug, Shannon, and Stephanie. Crystal stayed asleep while Doug and Shannon took me to a local restaurant. It seemed everyone was determined that I hit the road with plenty of energy. I made sure to eat a good portion of carbohydrates while getting to know Christy’s cousin, Stephanie. Being so close to tax time Stephanie had been cooped up preparing paperwork. It was fortunate that we were able to connect and take a breather. It was an excellent weekend. The company was just what Crystal and I needed to rediscover the joy in the journey.
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