It’s Labor Day, so post offices – like the one in Cascade Locks, where a new pair of shoes and my 3F sleeping bag are waiting for me – are closed, so it’s a vaguely-guilt-free zero in the Portlandian suburbs today. It’s 6am when I find myself awake-awake – curse the sun and my inability to stay asleep long while it’s up! It’s entirely too early for Seamus and Alice to be moving, so I guess this means getting my writing and internetting out of the way so I can spend as much of my waking time chilling with them as possible. 
I’ve got my own bathroom, so I decide to take a bath, then a shower, just because I can, and who knows when I’ll get the chance to do this again. More writing, more internet, before I hear them moving and I make my way downstairs to chat and cuddle with their fur babies.  We hang out for a bit, decide to get breakfast at IHOP before I figure I should probably not go in my dirty-ass clothes; I borrow a skirt and shirt from Alice, throw my hikerstuff in as its own load, before it’s off in the car to IHOP.

A full belly of pancakes later, we’re back and hanging out, talking about the trek, the outdoors, love, life. I love old friends, and particularly this Seamus-old-friend, for being so goddamn chill. There’s no pressure to do anything, really, and it’s nice to be able to sit and watch the two of them play video games and not be judged for enjoying myself.

also LOOKIT THIS BADASS 3D PRINTER

My legs start to itch, and I decide to walk to the grocery store for ice cream and hard cider, chat with my parents on the way. The length is literally nothing to me now – 1.5 miles round trip, through a string of parks that is basically green space under some power lines. Still it’s more green space than a lot of people have, and it’s nice to be able to walk in a city, as there are plenty of places that discourage such “crazy” things. It’s also nice to not have everything freeze up on me and still feel like I’ve gotten a full rest day in.

I come back and hork down the ice cream, and pizza, when it arrives; I get through about half my post-dinner cider before I’m sick sick sick – the food was too much too rich too soon. I am cursing my weakling stomach as I curl around it and, somehow, manage to find unconsciousness.

Date: September 5 • Start: 2144.6 • End: 2144.6 • Day: 0 + 1.5 to store and back
Notable Accomplishments: Seamus and Alice! • Got my ice cream • Barely any walking