So it turns out mailing yourself food is a lot of work. And it would be fair say that we procrastinated a bit. Ninja arrived at my parents’ house in Blandon, PA this past Sunday, exactly one week before we fly out to start the trail. We did a blitz of shopping and packing. The foundation of our strategy was the local grocery outlet. This isn’t one of those fancy chain outlets you see with shiny floors, organized aisles and modest savings. Oh no, this is the dig through bins that turn your hands black to find expired by 2 years pesto packets for 10 cents grocery outlet.

50 cent albacore tuna packets!

Ninja’s impulse buy: jalapeno cheese straws, “this is the worst 75 cents I’ve ever spent.”

“I just saw a hotdog that didn’t need to be refrigerated and knew you needed it.” –Ninja. Team “Bad Wizard” has the Wizard Penis. We have the Tijuana Mama 300% hotter pickled sausage.

“We’re going to be healthy, yay!”

Then it was off to Echo Hill. For those not from Berks County, I should explain that this is a Mennonite run store that caters to both Mennonites and crunchy white people. By this I mean you can buy both ring baloney casings and Kombucha.

“Why yes, I do need 18 new chapsticks.”

For the third shopping trip of the day, we went to the chain grocery outlet, Amelia’s. We scored some good deals there, but still had to stop at a regular supermarket for some other things. Needless to say, it was an exhausting day of shopping.

Exhaustion fueled *cackles* at the 16 ct boxes of Larabars for $6.

It’s been a very long day.

Almost all of our dinners, half our lunches, and all of my breakfasts had to be assembled from dry goods. Day and night we slaved. We finally finished Thursday.

Late night dinner assembly requires some alcohol. Unfortunately, this was the only booze in my parents’ house.

It’s 10:30am and Ninja’s drinking beer. If you know Ninja, you understand how rough this packing thing is.

This should last DnR about a week.

In process.

“I don’t totally hate this flavor….yet”

Commenting on the angel pin Ninja found on the floor of the grocery store, “I am NOT carrying this on the trail”

Cashier: Wow, you must really like these. Ninja: Well….not really.

Down home stretch!

Finally done.

Ready or not, here we go!