Day One-Hundred-Sixty-Five, Best-Sellers

It was still dark when I woke up. I hadn't been shot full of holes. Nor had my tent, though it was fairly moist, and likely will be for the rest of this trip. It will dry itself in twenty minutes once exposed to the sun. But the days are short. I can't be waiting around. I have walking to do.

Five or six miles took me to Pinson (unincorporated), Tennessee. It was, through no fault of my own, a fairly unhappy walk. I'm strong and, if not completely healthy, I can overcome. But my gear is letting me down. My hat has gone all floppy. A broken strap on my backpack is causing me pain and my computer is pissing me off. After careful thought I think I may mention that Samsung really sucks.

Samsung is a Korean company. "Samsung" is Korean for "suck."

Pinson is home to the Pinson Mounds, graves some 2000 years old. I did not veer off my road to see them. I have seen burial mounds before. In Japan, believe it or don't. I can tell you exactly what they look like. They look like mounds. The Egyptians had it all over them when it came to burying their dead.

I had a big breakfast at the local cafe. I saw "chittlins" on the menu for the first time. And fried baloney. You can get it in restaurants. I stuck with my standard biscuits and gravy and eggs and sausage and toast. And hash browns, of course. A boy's got to keep fed. They did not have any pie.

But I lingered there for a good hour longer than I at all wanted to. I am still trying to juice my comouter. I believe I am losing the fight. I get it up to forty percent or so, turn it off for an hour, and when I turn it on it's at twelve. We all cope with stress in our own silly ways. I'd like to hit someone.

It is meant to be cold in a couple of days. I may just move indoors. And try to get this problem solved. And operate on my backpack. And send hate mail to the Samsung corporation, who, by the way, suck.

I walked on to Henderson, a neat little town only five miles away. My shoulder came back. It had disappeared for a while. So there was some sunshine in that. Morning drivers are the worst. Everyone's going to work. It puts them in a sour mood. They drive fast to ease their feelings. And toy with the possibility of murdering a pedestrian.

It was too soon to eat again. I wound up eating anyway. I had to kill time. I found a print shop to make me new business cards. They've got my name and my blog address. Walking Across America, they say. It makes it all seem more official and me seem less like a bum.

Everywhere else it's a four-day job. They did it in two short hours. And made a lovely job of it and didn't charge too much. Brothers Printing in Henderson, Tennessee. I'm sure they'll ship anywhere in the world. Send a little business their way. They gave me water, too.

And a Bible. You may recall I sent my last Bible home yesterday. And now I have another one. The Word of God is like gum on my shoe. I'm sure some of you will see this as a Sign. I think it's just Tennessee. Here they pass out Bibles. It's a regional thing. In Japan pretty girls in very short shorts distribute cigarettes and beer.

I stayed there fifteen years.

Whether or not it's a Sign From God, I'll hang on to this one. It is small and not too heavy. There are times when I do like to read. I lugged a copy of Walden with me, back when I had more daylight. Now there is a book I suggest you all read. I don't think Jesus would mind.

From Henderson I took off in earnest. I had to get some miles in. Now that it gets dark at five o'clock I really can't mess around. My feet hurt but I think I did twenty miles, or not too much short of that. And set up my tent by the side of the road, in some trees, in a sort of swamp.

The ground is soft. It is comfortable here. This deer hunting has me stressed. I am trying to outwit my murderer while staying invisible to traffic. My hope is that no one will shoot at the highway. Or shoot into the woods from their car. But the bullets are buzzing around me like gnats. It is what I thought Los Angeles was like.

There is real enthusiasm for hunting here. Deer must be delicious. Or hateful creatures unworthy of pity. Like snakes or Nancy Grace.

The day after tomorrow is going to be cold. I may just have fixed my computer. Which means I've got no reason to stay indoors. Damn you, Samsung Corp.


I THINK it was a software issue. Droid, not Samsung at all. But they're all in cahoots. Samsung still sucks. If not now, they'll suck tomorrow.

I SET UP my tent next to an owl. He was sleeping so I tried to be quiet. Let's see if he returns the favor. I don't mind if he don't.

THERE WAS no pie today. I had ice cream. I don't like ice cream as much as I used to. That makes me sad.

THIS MORNING I walked past a prison. It was evil and scary looking. But it turned out to be an elementary school. I hope it's nicer on the inside.

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