Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Go West, Young Man

14th May, 1859

Dear Internet Diary,

Today was the first day of my obscenely long journey West. I set off with a wagon full of supplies, four oxen, and my six children (Obadiah, Jebediah, Jedediah, Josiah, Ezekiel, and Bob) [read: a car with a couple of suitcases, some snacks, and my dad].

We drove from sunup to sundown, battling cruel road conditions and harsh weather and horrible gas-station coffee. No rivers needed to be forded, nor did we hire an Indian guide, but damn did it rain.

Using our covered wagon's tape player (it's a fancy wagon), we've been listening to a book on tape. It is Sharpe's Escape, from Cornwell's Sharpe series, and if you enjoy military historical fiction from the Napoleonic era (and who doesn't?), then this is one of a few series I can recommend to you.

So, greetings from Indianapolis, or rather a Days Inn just outside thereof (was that grammatically correct? let's assume that yes it was). 715 miles today. Oof. My poor oxens!

Tomorrow should be a shorter travel, a measly 250 miles. Maybe I'll be able to jog when I get to St. Louis, so my legs don't totally atrophy.

Wish me the luck, my beloved anthopomorphized Internet diary.

Yours sincerely,
Don Theninja, Esq.

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