Monday, 13 July 1998. Blacksburg, Virginia.
Packing up my apartment in Cambridge was physically a lot of work, but emotionally a non-event. Walking out the door of NetCentric gave me a moment's pause, then I walked out the door. Leaving Massachusetts was more hectic than anything else. Saying good by to my Mom Thursday morning was tough. I left as quickly as possible to avoid a tearful goodbye. The drive to Washington DC was filled with melancholy.
My adjenda since leaving NetCentric has been to see as many of my friends as I can before leaving. I saw quite a few of my fellow Boston climbers at my barbeque in Medford, then another bunch at Al & Alyssa's party in North Conway (Thanks Al & Alyssa). The fireworks were rained out in North Conway, but the rain held out long enough to get in three good days of climbing. In the rain on Sunday, Tuckerman and I hiked up to his namesake -- Tuckerman's Ravine. Yeah, I know I waited until the last minute...
Heather, who lives in Connecticut, stopped by for lunch in Delaware while driving from her parents place in DC. I had a list of last minute tasks to finish in Delaware, which for the most part got accomplished. Then for a short stop over in DC to have lunch w/ Frank McPherson, dinner with Dawn, Scott & Tracie. Tuckerman enjoyed spending the night at Tracie's place since four other dogs live there. Jerry Caviston expensed lunch as a recruting expense when I visited him at his new office in Arlington. PNI's machine room wouldn't look out of place in Fort Knox (thick metal door, the previous occupants where the CIA).
Then on to Seneca Rocks for a weekend of climbing. I got in early enough to hike around to get a sense where some of the climbs were. The first part of this email message was writen at my campsite in Seneca Rocks. It feels pretty weird to be camping out geeking with a laptop. At first I composed outside, but the bugs were getting pretty bad. Moths like LCD displays. Now I'm in my tent where the bugs can't get me. Ha!
This message will have to be sent later since I'm out of cellular coverage...