That's a Lot of Friendship

With a subtitle of: Sleeping Sitting Up 😊

After an accidental small "win" during my next-to-last overnight Greyhound Bus trip [read: sleeping time] where, because I happened to be sitting in one of the last seats toward the bus's back end, I sprawled out over both of the seats on the side of the bus where I'd been sitting. I curled up &, since I had this packed in my carry-on, & therefore accessible & out, I had it wrapping me up - for an added bonus, I also tossed it over my face & head enough to block out the lighting the bus offered, especially when it would stop for its few short breaks.

I learned, from a nearby passenger, that whenever our bus would reach a stop at a station & pick up one or two more passengers, & they'd walk all the way to the back of the bus & see me (& there was one other passenger who'd done the same as I did right behind me), they'd turn & pick to sit with the next passenger over who didn't have someone sitting immediately next to them; essentially the two of us sleeping curled up, taking up two seats each, were left alone to continue our slumber.

This was an immense win & total turn of events from my near frozen-first-night post (click here). To top it off, the following night, when I realized the final overnight bus ride would be a full load of passengers, & that there'd be no way to replicate my previous night's curled-up-slumber.

A gregarious one, I chatted with a few passengers also waiting for their bus while at the final station as there was a nearly forty-five minute layover. In doing so, a highly anxious female inquired with me about her ticket. She was certain that her next bus, because her next layover was one in the same with my final destination, that we would be riding on the same bus. I couldn't confirm that & highly encouraged her to speak with a station associate. Somewhere in that process another passenger got her even more anxious.

Then I checked with a station associate in order to confirm in exactly which boarding line I belonged. I was so excited to board, I at first didn't get into the correct line. 😏😅 Whoops! 😂 I then got myself into the appropriate single-file line & happened to find myself behind a young man headed back to Ireland who'd spent the past three months as the oldest counselor (& definitely the tallest too! He was super tall!) at a kids camp. He'd already aged out as a counselor, yet since it was the final summer he had, post college graduation, he'd been awarded one more final opportunity to be with the camp's kids.

He introduced me to the line-up of these, handmade from these he wore on his lower left forearm. He knew the name of each child who'd made him one, & which one they'd made; he knew each child's story. It was amazing also, because obviously he could've told me anything, made up a likely name for each bracelets creator; he could've even actually just bought these, yet he didn't.

It was genuinely apparent that he did not. That each was made through a process where he made them one, & in turn, they made him one. They may have even picked out the colors & patterns they'd use together. Just like a snowflake, no two could stories, or children, could possibly be the same.

He'd genuinely loved his role as camp counselor & expressed sincere gratitude for spending the additional, final Summertime with his given role.

Sometime after we'd chatted about the purpose of our journeys, we dozed off. Well, he managed to. As tall as he was, over in the window seat, he managed to slouch in such a way that he was out rather quickly. I, on the other hand, overall enjoying the freedom the aisle seat can provide, also had to concern myself with not falling off the seat. That's because the seat my new Irish friend had selected, the one where I'd followed him feeling confident that in sitting next to him, I'd be with good company, happened to be a seat where the aisle's armrest simply wasn't there. So I was comfortable, I just had to pay a different kind of attention whenever the bus moved in certain ways.

After struggling for well over an hour, possibly much longer, I found myself dozing out enough by process of leaning over, my hands & forearms braced on my quadriceps & my head using my hands & forearms as a pillow. It sounds weird, yet it actually worked! And that truly is the most important part!

When we'd woken up due to the driver announcing our arrival in the town (which was my final destination) my Irish seat partner talked about how, when he'd woken for a moment & seen how I was sleeping, he was surprised. I told him I felt the same about how he'd managed to sleep, & so well, being so lengthy & next to the window.

Alas, I was so excited to finally be in my town-of-great-familiarity that I didn't even need help yanking my carry-on from the overhead (the handle on it tended to continue getting caught & be difficult to budge).

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Homeward Bound

"Homeward bound" took another day due to the way I'd initially set up my "round trip" options. Originally I wasn't too thrilled that I'd have to wait around that one more day; I really just wanted to "get back" already. At the same time, not having to drive back, eat, instantly pack up, sleep, & finish the final threads of packing all within a matter of less than 24 hours, did work out well.

The bus ride back would begin around the start of a typical work day no matter, so unless that would've been different & I'd have been able to board the bus the afternoon or the evening prior, I ultimately had the best set up I could get.

As I forced all of my belongings to fit in their appropriate pockets I recalled the lessons I'd learned while on the initial bus ride. I did not pack my only long-sleeve shirt into my checked luggage bag; that was definitely a lesson I'd learned the hard way! 😂 I would be guaranteed a better bus's night's sleep simply by not having to fold my lower arms into the sleeves of a short-sleeve cotton t-shirt for basic (I use that term rather loosely here) comfort as I sat completely upright not on the aisle, instead next to the window constantly considering how cold I was & how it appeared that essentially everyone else on the bus was getting their REM's.

I also made sure to pack the few remaining snacks I had, a few of these, & a few of these (they are both organic 😏), in the upper portion of my carry-on luggage bag. I'd learned on the way to the marathons that sucking it up & spending a dollar or two on a few bites of protein would go a lot farther for me than keeping around "continental" grubbing options. Yes, they do work; no, they do not sustain. Not for this particular sort of purpose anyway. 😋


One winning decision I'd made for the initial bus ride that "really won" so much so that I never considered not doing it on the return trip: this. Yep. I typically have one of these around, especially when I will be running & this (because it holds a lot & my hair is that long). More importantly, however, a large "perk" is that in winding & twisting my hair around & then up in its grasp, if anything I'm enhancing my hair's wavy curl.

Whenever I just use this it works. I mean, it does hold my hair back, & very well at that. In fact, it's essentially a more secure hold than this! However, it tends to crimp. And to leave a line. Possibly one that's rather faint. It's still a "line", or a fold in my otherwise simply wavy curly head of hair. It's "sporty", which is why it does work so well while I'm running. (Cause it especially wouldn't make much sense to wear this while I ran a marathon!)

In wearing this, rather than one of these, I've accidentally fallen on a really great idea because it can wrap around for as many repetitions as needed; it won't stretch out & break, at least not nearly as quickly, as these will. So wearing this while I'm running is always a positive solution.

Wearing this while I'm traveling or interested in looking, well, a bit nicer works for the win because I can simply "unclip it", or, I suppose, "ungrip it" just the same. My hair can then fall right back down & into place hanging far over one or both shoulders. And instantly it's essentially impossible to recognize that the this had even just been in my hair! 😃

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Down to the Last Drop

...Or nearly so. And a lot of the local "pit stop" locations only catered to restrooms & maybe vending machines, or one fast food joint.

Why would this be of concern?

When I originally initialed the paperwork, once I'd finally stepped off that final Greyhound bus to begin my few weeks of vehicle renting, I was asked about an option the rental company offered which discounted a tank of gas for the customer, should the customer opt-in.

I decided with the heightened price of gas, essentially all across the country in some way or another, that since I'd be using this vehicle for longer than an extended weekend, & traveling across a state's border - twice - for a several hour's long drive, that I should make use of this option for a discounted tank of gas. The counter clerk would then add the charge of whatever it would take to refill this rental's tank to my card at a lower rate than neighbor stations were offering - once I returned the vehicle.

The way the opportunity worked was to pre-select, while initialing paperwork, that I'd want this "other" tank of gas. This special tank meant that I'd bring back the vehicle at the end of my trip - empty. I could quite literally bring the vehicle back running on fumes.

I didn't.

However, I did try. 😂

Upon leaving the state where the second marathon had been held, instead of topping off the tank (it was at three quarters full), I simply got myself on the highway & started heading on back. On the way to that second marathon, toward the end of the route, I'd needed to fill up, or run out.

This is where I did my math wrong. Well, to be honest, I didn't do any math, which is likely the even bigger problem here. Essentially I took the missing quarter tank from the wrong end in my mind. (This is the backwards way that I do math.) I had passed up several exits promoting that they had gas stations at them because, in my head, I'd be good to go.

Then I realized that I wouldn't be.

Incidentally panic did not set in immediately. Panic waited until I arrived at an exit - not promoting a lack of gas stations, which to me meant that there'd be at least one. Once I was off the highway & had driven out five miles with no sight or signage for a gas station, I hurried to turn around.

Next I found a rest stop & hoped for the best. At least I took advantage of using the restroom while I was parked. I also made sure to use my phone & look up my options while I was off the highway, not on some random, side-of-the-road property, & parked in so that I could completely focus.

What I learned was that, twenty more miles toward my destination I'd find the closest gas station. I could breathe a bit easier now. The digital notice on the dashboard had begun informing me of my "miles left till empty" countdown. The number when I turned the engine back on read forty miles to go. I might have a Bachelor of Arts degree, yet my first & second grade mathematics class quickly subtracted twenty from forty & left me with over a dozen additional miles. No, I'm not proud; it's not an accomplishment. It was just nice to know that I'd not run out of gas along a major highway in a state where I'd never been before, let alone had driven.

Upon arriving at said station & still wanting to make the most of the rental company, return-the-vehicle-empty option, I tried, to no avail, to research the size of the rental & my remaining mileage (including what I anticipated once I returned to the town where I'd be returning the vehicle, which was roughly a dozen miles). Then I glanced next to me & saw a gentleman filling a large vehicle. I decided it couldn't hurt to ask him about my how-much-gas-for-this-many-more-miles question. In short, the gentleman didn't fail me. He even mentioned that the number he gave me would be a bit of a bumper, or slightly more than I'd likely need. I thanked him & stopped pumping the gas once I reached that many gallons.

I arrived safely & without fail back to where I needed to be. And I ultimately didn't need one of these either! 😎😁

How close did I come to returning the vehicle "running on fumes"? Kind of close. I did drive around the town for a few errands before I finished closing the final zipper on my luggage bag. If memory serves me correctly, I believe the line on the dashboard had recently registered a low tank of gas when it became time to relinquish the rental keys.

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On "Toe Socks"

A few days ago I wrote about using these for the first time during the marathon I ran in mid-July. I explained how I realized partway through the 26.2 miles that I should've first tested them out beforehand & that I learned more recently that the using them on my big toes, especially while I hike, definitely does work.

What I didn't write about at that time was another faux pas I made that morning when I was putting myself together & stretching out as best as I could in the store's parking lot next to the vehicle I'd rented. This faux pas was a momentary one. Momentary because, while wearing these, these simply weren't an option. So, after trying to shove the tiny knit pieces of these over these, I quickly retreated to my pile of items for marathon morning (since I definitely overpacked & included everything I could possibly need to get out & get running). I grabbed a pair of these instead &, because they're "regular" in that way, they fit just fine overtop these.

These weren't meant to be broken into on this marathon's course. I'd purchased them after using this often & figured that, rather than changing this out as frequently as it needed to be, I should give them a-go.


Recently, when I went on a long, 15 mile run, I realized it would be a good idea to try them out. On my previous week's long run (of the same 15 mile distance) I realized just one toe in particular (in case you're wondering, it's the one on my left foot next to my baby toe 😂) to be rubbing & beginning to blister. It made complete sense to consider trying these out again! And so I did!

The bigger blunder in the "testing" would be that this blister which had formed, had formed along the top front edge of my toe & not the section where my toenail sits, or even better, in between my toes. It was still fun to wear them & experience their particular comfort, to feel the knitting in between my toes & while I ran.

I think for simple bruises & blisters they could work well. Maybe they're best for preventative needs instead. The blister which I'd had form, I keep wrapped in one of these anyway, then with these overtop. I've purchased the three options which came in my size: the blue/turquoise, pink, & the black & I'm eager to wear them again.

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Posh Sleeping

When I made this trip almost all the way across the country, & because I would definitely need to rent a vehicle to get around for a few weeks (which was gonna cost me much moola even with uber discounts included), I realized long before I hopped aboard the Greyhound that I'd be best off to "car camp".

In my general inexperience with car camping (just an overall affection for camping) I figured that as long as I got myself an SUV for a rental, I'd be set & I could fold down the backseat, leaving a long amount of space for me to stretch out. It turned out that I only needed to fold down a portion of the backseat leaving ample width for this whether I'd be sleeping on it or inside of it. This, in turn, left space where I could also set up & consider which things from my checked luggage bag I'd need at certain points during my trip.

I set myself up just fine for my first night - where my only "glitch" became the unexpected learning experience of being farther north than my "hometown" familiarity being much more unanticipated daylight than I could process. Well, that's an exaggeration, yes. It was July & not June anymore, after all. And therefore a time of year when it's sensible - rather, assumable - that each day's daylight will be the appropriate minutes shorter that it should be. And, well, it is, for each given area.


I'd learned years ago how Alaska has daylight all day for half the year & then darkness all day for the other half the year. Or, something like that. Similar to those who believe that Earth is flat, I somehow got it into my head that it's only in Alaska, down to the jagged borders of the state's line, where this "extended daylight" happens.

😂 Well, yes, the tears of laughter are all on me! As well they should be!! I mean, really people, c'mon! There's no practically, no logic - because, well, I simply hadn't ever really thought about it. I knew it to be true for Alaska & so I "locked" it in as being "only in Alaska". And that it is definitely not.

It's a gradual phenomenon (okay, so "phenomenon" might be a strong word to use here, although when one discovers something that seems on equal level to comprehending that the Earth is round & not actually flat, "phenomenon" has a bit more reasoning than might otherwise be acceptable). And by "gradual" I mean similarly to how the time zones exist, in part, to maintain modern day latitude fluctuation, there's something to be said for daylight in regard to longitude as well.

And so, in addition to all of the other "unexpected learning" I experienced on this trip to cross the finish line of two marathons, I also learned, first hand, how much more daylight there is further north than where I typically spend my time. And whereas I expected, in mid-July, for the sun to be going down (for it to be practically dark, or absolutely dark) definitely by 9:15 or 9:30 at night, well, that's not what I did experience that first night of sleeping in the back of an SUV (so no curtains on the windows) & in a parking lot (so no trees - definitely none of appreciable abundance) while I tossed & turned a bit anyway out of general heightened anticipation for the first of the two marathons, which I'd be crossing the finish line for after I slept like this three more times. On the positive note, I certainly had the time to adjust my body to this alternative (car camping) sleeping style. I really do believe it was roughly 10:45 that first night when darkness fell upon that parking lot. And so it was.


When I awoke needing to use the store's restroom, & figuring that a "stretching out" walk through the store would do me well anyway, I found myself contemplating the home fashions department just a little bit more. I was hesitant because I knew whatever I'd chose to buy would be large or bulky & that I'd not want to pitch it out, rather to manage forcing the zipper closed on my checked luggage bag once I did pack it back up for the return trip.

Since I'd been silly enough to reason I'd potentially read six books (when I ended up bringing back a seventh book too) & where I furthered my reading of one of the original books & managed my way through nearly a third of another, there simply wasn't space for me to be buying anything of substantial size that I'd not be eating or recycling, etc.

Alas, I found this. I found it to be reasonably priced & felt that I'd be ultimately be able to wrap my belongings around it in order to get it shoved well into the checked luggage. And, in the end, it folded down incredibly (intense compression) & everything else got piled heavily atop it with additional items originally not included with the carry-on, now adding to the carry-on after all. Because, yes, it did all. work. out. to bring it back with me.

And, because I did purchase it, I was able to set it up underneath this. The extra cushioning (or cushioning in general 😊, because otherwise I was stretching out directly atop the barebones "carpet" of the SUV) became a welcome respite.

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If you'd like to shop my general Amazon Store, click here. By clicking any of these links to get to Amazon's site I may get a small share of the sale. Thank You!