#Nebraska Diary

[williammarksommer]

Nebraska diary

Part 1

iPhone photos

[lesbianjudasiscariot]

And I feel so alone, and I feel so alone out here I feel so alone, I feel so alone out here and I feel so alone without you, I'm so alone out here I feel so alone, I feel so alone I'm so alone out here without you, baby

[ethelschapel]

do you have any idea about the story of willoughby and ethel and logan and can you explain it?

We don't know much about either character, especially Logan as the only real source material we have about him is the song Western Nights. However, I'll start with Willoughby as he's been hailed Ethel's first love. House in Nebraska is about him, the song clearly stating Ethel's extremely strong feelings for him but also outlining his departure or death or whatever happened to him that caused his split from Ethel. There's speculation that he died, that Ethel did something that caused him to leave her. A lot of what we know about Willoughby is purely conjecture, however in one way or another, Ethel and him separated before she met Logan and long before Isaiah.

There's an excerpt from a page of "Diary of a Preacher's Daughter" which Hayden posted herself saying, "As for me personally, I lost Willoughby that night. The only thing I've ever truly loved in this wretched life and I left him curled between the couch and the coffee table when it all got too loud. "Be mean" is what he'd tell me, every time I'd start my shaking. What he didn't tell me is that you can be mean and still be a coward. Some things you have to learn on your own."

You can read the full thing here.

Again, we don't know the full story surrounding Willoughby and probably never will until the book is published but that excerpt could lead us to believe that he died in the tornado. There's also another piece of source material, a fictional magazine called "Thoughts and Prayers for Ethel Cain," available to read here where the question "What about Willoughby Tucker? I know you two seemed pretty close before he moved away, have you kept in contact at all?" is asked. There's another interpretation here that he moved away, that Ethel could've done something to drive him away etc. I have to reiterate though that it's not confirmed what happened to him.

You may have also heard about the "B-sides" which are said to be all about Willoughby. You can find some collected information about them in this Reddit post. Note that although some of these things have been "confirmed" the artistic process is unpredictable and a lot of what's been discussed in asks and lives may not make it to the final project. The B-sides are also probably not coming for a while but Hayden has not scrapped the project as when saying her next project will have nothing to do with Preacher's Daughter she said, "no this doesn't mean b-sides are scrapped."

There's a lot to be revealed about Willoughby Tucker however he is a very important and frequently mentioned character by Hayden and the fandom.

Now, Logan is a different kettle of fish. He is Ethel's second love interest but is abusive, supposedly using Ethel for sex if you were to interpret the lyrics of Western Nights.

There's little known about Logan and he's very rarely mentioned by Hayden so just like with Willoughby, most of his lore is speculation. He is however a criminal, outlined by the line "Breaking in to the ATMs," and Ethel is dragged into the lifestyle alongside him. If it helps you visualise him better, Hayden has said before that Logan is a "hunky daddy." So...do with that what you will!

Either way, the relationship between the two is short-lived as he dies in a police shootout after robbing a bank causing Ethel to go on the run, ruminating on her relationship with Logan and how the abuse is a mirror of her relationship with her family, shown through the song Family Tree.

The most recent piece of lore we have was posted by Hayden on tumblr where she summarises the plot of Preacher's Daughter. See that here.

As I've said, it's not likely that much will be revealed until the book is out. I'm not Hayden and I don't have access to her head so understanding every detail is hard to do. I've tried to give different interpretations, piggy-backing off asks and source material that Hayden has posted herself, because the particulars are unknown and there's lot of contradictory things spread around. Art is meant to be interpreted though so do with this information as you wish.

If you want to do some of your own reading/listening, here's some other sources that could be useful:

. The lore page on Reddit

. Preachers Daughter document

. Thoughts and Prayers Mag

. Alt Press Mag

. The Line Of Best Fit Mag

. Artist Decoded

There's also another document which gives the basic interpretations of the story rather than lyrical analysis.

I hope this was helpful! And I hope I've made it clear that literally most of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt lol.

[dcdreamblog]

Roy Raymond's book about the history of PIs has a chapter on PoC PIs and he mentions a native American private detective who went by "Pow-Wow Smith"; I seem to recall that this was a nickname occasionally used for Sheriff Ohiyesa Smith, the Western Hero (which he hated for obvious reasons); was this a descendant or just someone using it for name recognition or...?

Yea that one's a...I mean I'm sure it was progressive for the time. So to back fill some information for those not in the know. We're talking here about famous sheriff Ohiyesa Smith of Elkhorn, Nebraska.

(Smith's official portrait from his exhibit at the National Cowboy 7 Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City (can you tell they're my best source for shit like this?))

Yes that was the name he went by, only about half against his will. It is how he is recorded for posterity and while I do not enjoy it, his actual relationship to the name and his own legacy during life was...complicated to say the least.

He was born on what is now the Red Deer Valley reservation to the Santee Sioux, a band of the Eastern Dakota in Nebraska and went out to learn about the "white man's world" via the nearby town of Elkhorn. He was a skilled tracker, fighter and shooter and so was made deputy sheriff in short order and eventually promoted to sheriff full stop.

The name "Pow Wow" was given to him by the townsfolk in what by all accounts seemed to be a genuine attempt at affection. Yes, Ohiyesa made it clear, especially in his early career that he would have preferred going by his "Indian name" (his words, not mine) but as the town continued to insist and as he integrated himself more and more with that community he made his peace with it calling it, from his own diaries... "The people of this city blessing me with their approval. I cannot fully remove the part of me that is proud to here the name "Pow Wow" spoken proudly by my people and with fear by bandits and outlaws" Make of that what you will, he was a Sioux man who had gained some measure of status and even acclaim in the late 1800s. While he was to many respects a trailblazing and radical figure I can't find it in my heart to condemn him for picking his battles and making his peace.

He was even granted US citizenship directly by an act of congress (Because no one is allowed to forget native americans were not given automatic citizenship until *1924*)

He eventually married another SIoux woman named Fleetfoot Smith and they had many children, who in turn had children, on and on until we get to today's subject. U.S Marshall Ohiyesa Smith the Second.

(Cropped newspaper photo of Smith from the Gotham Gazette)

Yes, Smith is indeed a direct descendant of the famous man with whom he shares a name. He is also on the rolls as a member of the Santee Sioux of Red Deer Valley. By all accounts he is a U.S Marshall in VERY good standing with a sterling record (as I was told very directly (and loudly) by a government source (I have those now) who assumed I was investigating him out of some kind of assumption of misconduct.)

If there's an award that a U.S Marshall is eligible for, Smith has one it thrice over and everybody I spoke to had nothing but decent things to say about him. Though he's probably most famous outside "true crime"-esque circles for an utterly bizarre caper he was wrapped up in that involved an old fashioned shoot out at the derelict Gotham Gulch amusement park.

[letmesleep8]

even if I die screaming // elliexreader

CHAPTER 4: There's an ocean in Nebraska

AO3 | chapter 3 | chapter 5

content warnings/tags: subtle homophobia, mentions of alcohol/being drunk, mention of cannibalism as a metaphor

notes: oh my, look who it is! i know it took me quite a while to post this. sorry, i was in a depression. but anyways, here is the chapter! i promise I'll try to post the next one soon this time. have a great evening! or morning. or anything.

tag list: @h4-rt3s @sallythatgurl-64 @pinkinternetfire @lorelaihehe (sorry if i tag you without you asking or something, unless you're lorelai, that was on purpose :3)

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"I hate it here so I will go to lunar valleys in my mind

When they found a better planet, only the gentle survived"

— I Hate It Here, Taylor Swift

January 23, 2039 Winter

Dear diary, 

Today was strange. I came home from the get-together and ate the whole rest of the cake I made. My head hurts and I feel like my fingers smell like Ellie. I can still feel her phantom touch in my face whenever I close my eyes for too long.

Mom’s drunk, she's already completely asleep in her bedroom. I locked myself up in mine, I’m afraid she’ll smell the weed. I feel bad, guilty. I can’t sleep. I am a terrible daughter and I deserve nothing she’s ever fought to give me. I am a disappointment and I promise I won’t do anything like this ever ag- 

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I heard a noise on my window, I first thought it was maybe a bird. One more time, I heard something hitting the frame. I got up to check and got scared by the pebble that almost hit my face. 

“Oh fuck, I’m sorry!” Ellie looked worried and embarrassed. I simply laughed.

“What are you doing here? It’s, like, four a.m”, I sat on the frame. “You should be in bed.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” She swallowed, nervously. “ Y’wanna go for a walk?” I unknowingly held my breath and bit my bottom lip to the blood. If Mama wakes up and doesn’t see me in bed she would be so worried, but at the same time, I couldn’t pretend like living under her subtle rules wasn’t killing me slowly. 

“Help me get out.” I said and Ellie smirked, giving me her hand. I jumped off the frame and tripped a little. “Where are you taking me?” I started following her down to the trees. 

“Just follow, I promise you’ll like it.” She smiled and so did I. Just then I realized she hasn’t let go of my hand since I jumped out of the window. In fact, she squeezed it from time to  time. 

I went with her up to a small clearing across the creek, we had hung out around there before. The difference is that now there was a blanket on the floor with what seemed to be a telescope on top.

“What is this?” I sat, smiling. “Where’d you get this thing?”

“Oh, this old thing? Joel found it and gave it to me when I was, like, fifteen.” She sat down by my side. “I just remembered it, y’know, when you started tracing the stars on my back and shit…” 

I felt my cheeks getting completely flustered, so I hid my face between my hands. “I am so sorry about that, it was embarrassing as hell.” I sighed and chuckled, throwing my head back.

“It’s not embarrassing, you were just high”, Ellie laughed. “T’was sweet.” Her cheeks started becoming rosy too. I laid back on the blanket. “Hey, c’mere. Let’s check this thing out.” I  scooted closer to her, looking into the telescope and then giving her some space to look too, her shoulder brushing against mine. “Damn, the sky’s always so pretty in Wyoming. It was always smokey back in Boston.” She said, looking amazed. 

“You’re from Boston? “ I asked.

“Born and raised.” She replied.  “You?”

“Nebraska. Never traveled that far.” I chuckled. “Have you ever seen the ocean? “

“ Yeah, sure! Wait… Haven’t you?” I shook my head, she looked surprised.

“Yeah…” I laughed. “Nebraska isn’t really beachy, y’know?”

She laughed, elbowing me softly. “Well, then we gotta take you somewhere that is! Where’d you like to go, miss?” 

I smiled. It was fun pretending like we weren’t trapped here forever sometimes. “Well, I think California must be nice, you know? Maybe Florida. Just don’t think we could get there by horse.” 

She laid back on the blanket, arms above her head, and sighed. “Man, I wish it was easier to find a car that actually works. I could drive ya there, you’d see the beach.” 

I watched as she laid there, the skin under her slightly open flannel chilled by the breeze. I wondered if her chest was freckled too, where did her spots end? I didn’t even realize I was staring, when something slipped my mouth. “Well, actually-” I stopped myself, but it was kinda late, she seemed interested and I couldn’t leave those forest eyes guessing. “My mom, she keeps a car battery hidden. But it’s for desperate situations, a safe way out. But don’t tell anyone I said that!”

Ellie’s hand reached for my nose, booping me like a cat. “Relax, spacegirl. Your secret’s safe with me.” She laughed and I laid on the blanket too. 

The sky was a deep blue, the stars like snowflakes. I thought I saw a beam of light or something, maybe thunder, but soon I realized: it was a shooting star. “Ellie, quick, make a wish!” I closed my eyes. “Aw shit, okay.” She closed hers too, smiling. 

“I wished for my mom to find me new records.” I smiled, “what did you wish for, Els?”

She blushed in the slightest, looking away. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to make one.”

“You’re just lying now.” I laughed. “Come on, you can tell. What would you like right now? A car? A camera? A puppy?” 

I felt her eyes analyzing every single inch of my face and her lips parting, almost involuntarily. “I wish you liked girls.” I felt my heart dropping to my feet, my throat went dry, I stayed silent. She sat up immediately, I did the same. She started putting the telescope away, getting ready to leave. 

“Wait, Ellie, don’t-” I touched her shoulder. “I… don’t like boys, I- Girls… I’ve never tried.” 

I could see her face light back up but she was trying to keep it nonchalant. “Do… you want to?” I swallowed and breathed in deeply as I simply nodded in response. Her face went straight up red, it looked like fire. I think I may have caught her by surprise. 

The girl took her left hand towards my face, tucking away a strand of hair behind my ear. I was almost panting as she got closer to me, our noses touching. My eyes went to her lips, chapped but pink, burnt from the cold. She exhaled into mine as she finally locked them in, her hand now on the side of my neck. Almost as if programmed to, I opened them up for her.

Her mouth was heavenly, her tongue felt like a warm treat. So I kissed her, I kissed like I longed for it for ages, I kissed her like a movie, I kissed her like everyone could watch. I took my hand to her neck, hers climbed its way up to my hair, holding onto it like I’d run away. But I would never, I wish we would stay like this until the end of times. 

Quickly, the simple kiss had turned hungry. I felt like she was going to eat me whole, devour me like a beast and, truthfully, I didn’t even mind, I waited for it, too. I wished for her body so bad that I wouldn’t even mind becoming part of it. It felt like an out-of-body experience how she held me like I was always hers. 

Until I heard a voice coming from beyond the creek. “Els, sorry for interrupting but she should come with me. Quick.” It was Dina, she seemed worried. I followed her, she told Ellie to not come along. 

When we went back to town near my house, I could hear my mom talking to Mike. “Just- gone! I just woke up and she wasn’t there.” Dina stepped closer, “found her!” She smiled, not really knowing what to say. 

Mama took into a tight hug. “Oh my God, you scared me so much!” I could smell the worry in her, or maybe it was just the alcohol. Didn’t take long for her to switch and slightly shake me. “Where the hell were you!?” I froze. 

“I- I was just stargazing, with Dina, you were asleep-” I didn’t have a clue what to say, I am a terrible liar. Always been. 

“Don’t you lie to me! Where were you?!” Her voice became angrier. “You were with that girl again, weren’t you? Joel 's girl? I told you to stay away from her!”

“No, mom, I wasn’t with Ellie, I swear.” My lip was trembling. “I just went for a walk! I thought you were asleep…” 

“Go home. Right now. Go.” She looked so disappointed. My eyes filled with water, I had never seen her like that. Mike tried waving goodbye to me but I was so  distraught that I didn’t even pay attention. I just went straight back home and cried in my room for the rest of the night, sitting on the windowsill. I felt unworthy.

[skeedelvee]

Carry On Countdown Day 12 - Normal

For this year's COC I've decided to put together daily fic rec lists! Let me know if you find any new favorite reads from these <3

For todays prompt I've gone with fics that are about Shepard Love or feature him prominently

Bro Under the Mistletoe by @nick-eyre

Rated T, 900 words

Is it gay to kiss your bro under the mistletoe?

Sleeper Agents by @mostlymaudlin

Rated M, 2,189 words

“You should really put a case on that,” I say. “You’re going to crack the screen.” “Simon can fix it.” Baz yawns, rolling toward me now. He’s got one cheek mushed up against the pillow, hair in his eyes. “It’s his love language.” I snort, and Baz finally cracks a grin. “Do you want to have a cuddle, then?” I ask. Baz rolls his eyes. He’s a treat in the mornings. An absolute ray of sunshine. He’s lucky he’s pretty enough to pull it off. - Shepard and Baz have a cuddle. Simon gets in there too. (Part of the Stoner AU verse.)

Cryptozoology 101 by @scone-lover

Rated E, 3,200 words

I think it’s more than being a little into cryptozoology. I mean, Mothman’s got me on my knees, pushed against a tree with my pants down to my ankles, so really— cryptozoology is about to be into me. aka: The Exclusive Monsterfucking Diaries of Shepard from Omaha (2015-2017, illustrated)

Bangers & Smash by @scone-lover

Rated E, 2,699 words

Monster: Goblin Location: Boston, MA Contact Info: Adrian, 617-462-5467 Rating: 9/10 (one point removed for imminent danger of being turned into a skin suit) Notes: Turns out goblins do eat people after all. (I’m fine, Ma.)

and Cursed: a Shepard from Omaha Adventure by @scone-lover

Rated E, 5,200 words

Shep teaches a sex demon a lesson in consent. But then he accidentally sells his soul in the process. No biggie. Aka: the NSFW version of how Shep got cursed by that demon.

The Naked Truth by Maanorchidee

Rated T, 15,317 words

“But here he is. Simon Salisbury. My boarding school roommate, nemesis, all-around-prick, and the boy I’ve been in love with since I was fifteen.” Baz Grimm-Pitch has moved out of England to study art in Omaha, Nebraska. He left his old life behind and he doesn’t regret it. But one day his former nemesis and long-time crush Simon Salisbury walks into his figure drawing class as the model. How will Baz deal with their shared past and the resurface of his feelings?

Five Times Shepard Brought a Cryptid Home and One Time a Cryptid Brought Shepard Home by @aristocratic-otter

Rated G, 14,340 words

Shepard moved in with me in August three years ago, after an eventful trip back to Nebraska to pack up his things and arrange his papers so that he could live here legally. It’s been so good since then, though there are some oddities you just have to accept when living with a man like Shepard. He never met a creature he didn’t immediately try to befriend, and the demon curse that brought us together is just one example of how such things can go quite badly wrong. I’m hoping that I can exert a tempering influence on him from now on.

✨Gratuitous self rec✨

Nebraska Nebraska I love ya! by me! @skeedelvee

Rated G, 1,449 words

The gang goes out to The Whistling Ogre. Shepard surprises everyone with an excellent karaoke performance to Lady Gaga's Yoü and I

Special shout out for 2021's Carry On Shepfest, lots of great Shep content in there!

If you have any recs that fit the prompt that I've missed, feel free to leave them in the comments! There's plenty of gaps in my reading so there's a good chance I may not have read it

Also I've had a hard time finding if some people are here on Tumblr, so if you know someone who hasn't been tagged, feel free to leave that in the comments as well <3

@carryon-countdown

[handeaux]

Cincinnati’s Gold Rush Coins, Steeped In Mystery, Are Worth A Fortune Today

Among the most sought after and valuable coins in the world are a handful struck for the Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company during the California Gold Rush of 1849.

Despite the exorbitant value of these rare coins, we know next to nothing about the company that minted them or the men who organized the Cincinnati company. We don’t know where these coins were minted or why. Perhaps because of the mystery, the Cincinnati coins change hands for sums up to a million dollars – when they rarely emerge on the market.

According to coin dealer Joseph O’Connor, only a single Cincinnati five-dollar gold piece is known. It resides in the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian Institution. There are only seven recorded gold Cincinnati ten-dollar pieces, two of which are held by the Smithsonian. A lone twenty-dollar coin from this company is known. It’s at the Philadelphia Mint, and it was struck from copper, not gold, deepening the mystery.

The most complete history of the Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company may be found in a 1913 book by Edgar H. Adams, “Private Gold Coinage of California 1849-55: Its History and Its Issues.” According to Adams, although the coins bear the legend “Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company,” the official name of the firm was “California Mining and Trading Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.”

The by-laws of the company were printed in Cincinnati in 1849 by the Model Western Printing House, a company that appears not to be found in any city directory or contemporary newspaper. That document is preserved in the library of Yale University.

Adams provides a full list of the fifty or so stockholders in the company, copied from the New York Tribune of 17 March 1849. According to that roster, the president was J.H. Leavering, vice-president W.B. Norman, treasurer David Kinsey, secretary Sam T. Jones, bookkeeper A.H. Colton, and a “board of finance” consisted of Joseph Talbert, G. W. Letter and L. M. Rogers. Scant clues from Cincinnati records suggest these officers were solidly middle-class: teachers, lawyers, wholesalers, grocers. Amos Gove was a bookkeeper in his uncle’s Cincinnati market.

Among the stockholders were a couple of Nixons, maybe brothers, who might have been connected with a Cincinnati paper manufactory. In his 1981 book, “Private Gold Coins and Patterns of the United States” (1981), Don Kagin hypothesizes that the dies used to strike the Cincinnati coins originated at the Nixon paper company:

“There can be some intelligent speculation as to who made the dies for the Cincinnati Company. Nixon and Co. were paper manufacturers in Cincinnati on Walnut Street below Pearl and employed engravers on steel to create the designs for wallpaper. H. Johnson and W. Johnson of Cincinnati later engraved dies for the token cents which widely circulated during the Civil War. Since A. B. Nixon, J. Johnson, and A. Johnson were members of the Cincinnati party going to California, it is probable that the Cincinnati Company coining dies were prepared by the Johnsons in Nixon’s paper mill.”

It remains a mystery where the coins were minted. Were they struck in Cincinnati as sample designs? Were they struck in California by the Cincinnati company after they arrived? Or did the Cincinnati company sell or give its dies to another company, who then struck the coins in California?

We know the Cincinnati company headed westward hauling a machine for striking coins because the diary of one of Doctor Alexander Butler Nixon is preserved at the California State Library in Sacramento. According to that diary, the Cincinnati company ironically realized, once they were on the dusty trail, that they were too well equipped. John Phillip Reid, in a 1976 article for the Hastings Law Journal, described the dilemma:

“Before reaching Fort Kearney in Nebraska the members of the Cincinnati company had discovered that their wealth was not a source of strength. It was instead a source of disharmony, dissension, and division.”

Nixon relates that, after much debate, the company compromised. They agreed not to haul the heavy coining machine in their own wagons but sent it ahead with another wagon train. Interestingly, Nixon – the company’s medical doctor – noted that other supplies were abandoned as well:

“Our Brandy was taken along for medicinal purposes, the company being organized under the titotal abstinence principle, but that Brandy was a very popular preventive and of course was all used medicinally.”

Despite the logistical hurdles, it appears that the Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company did arrive some months later in California. Alexander Nixon and Amos Gove, at least, survived long enough to be designated as California Pioneers in the 1870s. The documentation required for this honor raises even more questions. Gove wrote a long letter to his Cincinnati family from a point halfway through Nebraska on May 17, 1849. His California Pioneer file indicates he arrived in California on July 6, 1849 – but claims he arrived by ship, which would have required many more months of travel.

What happened after the Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company arrived in California also remains a mystery. The Alta California newspaper of 15 November 1851 records a “Cincinnati Company” operating a mine in Calaveras or Tuolumne County, but none of the names associated with this operation match any of the stockholders listed in 1849.

Edgar H. Adams devoted an entire book to the private mints that operated in California before the U.S. government got involved in producing coinage late in 1850. Until the feds muscled in, private specie was the basis for commerce in the gold field. Adams does not believe the Cincinnati coins ever made it into circulation:

“Almarin B. Paul, of San Francisco, who conducted an extensive business in Sacramento in 1849 and 1850, and through whose hands passed many of the private issues, states that neither he nor any of the pioneers with whom he had consulted, remember seeing this Company’s coins in circulation. It is very likely that those known were simply trial pieces, struck in gold, and that for some reason the Company which contemplated their issue abandoned the plan.”

Circulated or not, it has been suggested that so few coins exist because the company’s dies were faulty. Surviving coins show cracks on the reverse side, indicating that a few more strikes would have fractured the die.

At least the Cincinnati company was mostly honest. Coins struck by other private mints were criminally debased. Some private ten-dollar pieces contained less than $8.00 in gold. The Cincinnati coins, on the other hand, averaged about $9.70 in actual gold.

You may be inspired to take another look at those odd coins you shoved to the back of your sock drawer, but beware. Numismatic expert Mike Locke reports that a company called Martguild makes brass or gold-plated cast-zinc replicas of rare and expensive coins. These reproductions are extremely common and have very little value. Other large pioneer gold coins have been similarly reproduced, but the Cincinnati company’s coins seem to be one of the most common. The reproductions often misspell “trading” as “tracing” or have a “T” standing for “token” stamped on them.

[cyberkatsworld]

Kitze's Digital Diary pg. 1

🌻✎ᝰ.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

Dear diary: I originally wanted to post this yesterday but I didn't get time to work on it so all of this happened yesterday (⁠*⁠﹏⁠*⁠;⁠) Also I'm really bad at writing in actual journals so I think this would be better and maybe I'll just rewrite all of this in my journal ^^ idk how often I'll do this but i hope you guys enjoy <3

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• I didn't have school today yay! But I did have school assignments to do. I didn't complete one fully since I couldn't find the motivation to do it so I'll probably have to do it in lunch, I don't mind tho cuz I get to listen to my music !!

• It was a really nice day and I almost rotted the day away in bed but @heavenlyangels02 convinced me to go outside so I did!! I'm really glad I did cuz it felt so relaxing. I started to re-read Heaven by Mieko Kawakami since I couldn't remember where I stopped plus I wanted to annotate it. Also does bullying really go undetected in Japan? These kids are literally making him drink chalk water and swallow random shit...

• While I was reading I was listening to Preacher's Daughter by Ethel Cain and OH MY GOD!!!!! THE LORE IS FUCKING CRAZY LIKE....I got into it thanks to @julia-bonkers it's my new obsession now. My fav song from the album is House In Nebraska but my fav lyric is "God loves you but not enough to save you." it just hits so close to home it's crazy

• by then I think it was 5 pm and my dad needed to go on errands so I went with him! I was so lucky enough to find the Tragic Kingdom CD by No Doubt on my spring break so I played the CD for the first time in the car!! I only new two songs going into it, Excuse Me Mr and I'm Just a Girl, but the rest of the album is so good!!! After, we stopped by IHOP and I got the cali roasted turkey melt with mango lemonade it was so yummyyy.When I got home I immediately went to bed and went onto yt to watch a deep dive on Ethel Cain's album. I gotta go now but I'll write again soon <3

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[council-of-beetroot]

I tend to like OCs more if it's from a creator I already like. I have trouble getting invested in a whole ass new character, but if I like how an artist or writer interprets one of my blorbos, I'm more likely to enjoy their OCs too. But even then, if it's states, province, city OCs, I probably won't care as much than if it's a country OC, and I usually immediately lose interest if it's an OC for an imaginary country except for very few exceptions. Like a Genovia OC in a Princess Diaries crossover my friend did years ago, but also this was a friend, I probably wouldn't have read about it if it was a stranger's OC.

I agree like I enjoy seeing nations that Himaruya just forgets exists or something. I need central Asia so badly (never going to happen though but hey we got 15 different micronations... Yes I'm bitter.)

But when it gets to regions, I often find it hard to get invested. I feel like then with regions it so often becomes even more US centric than the Hetalia fandom already is because half the time it's just another version of someone's OC of North Carolina or Nebraska or something. Which not that there is anything wrong with that it's just not my thing. Even with Poland, i don't really feel the need to make OCs for the Voivodeships.

The other thing I find hard to get invested in when it's an alternate character that's supposed to be a canon character but different but it's like this character is like the equivalent of the canon character's sixth cousin five times removed.

[likeadevils]

2006 Lover Diaries Transcripts

May 27, 2006- Las Vegas, NV

This morning me and Mom got up (we’re in Vegas staying at the MGM Grand) and I got dressed in that light green strapless butterfly dress and boots and went to do a radio interview and it was fun. Then I went down to the radio remote where all the artists and radio people are and did about a hundred interviews. It’s cool. John Rich came up to me and made me tell him who I was. And Dierks Bentley introduced himself to me. I felt awesome. Then we were walking out and all these fans wanted their pictures with me and were calling out my name and stuff and I loved it. now I’m about to go out and do another show. Taylor Swift

Jun 3, 2006- Nashville, TN

weather: stormy on the radio today: ME what’s going on? I’ve been on WSIX 98 SO much lately and it’s unbelievable. I am excited about: Being on the radio! I’ve been winning song challenges across the country my concerns: Dude. I just want things to keep being amazing. I feel: Great. Feel like all the work is finally paying off. Tomorrow: Lunch w/ Abigail Monday: Phoenix, open for Hootie + The Blowfish at a huge radio event. Oh Gosh. Today was great. I got up early and went to Love Shack, a studio downtown with mom. There I had an ISDN phone interview for Westwood One radio. Then one for NASCAR radio. Then we broke for lunch. Then went to Sirius Radio and that went amazing. Then an interview at CMT radio. Then went to the label to label envelopes of singles. Then went home and me and Abigail watched GAC Nights. Then went to the v-ball courts. Then answered like 100 emails over myspace. Then my friend called me and said they heard “Tim McGraw” on the radio! And I couldn’t believe it! I’m so excited. This is such an unbelievable life. I’m so happy. God I’m so lucky to be doing this. I really just hope things keep going great, and OH MY GOD This is all I’ve been waiting for! Taylor Swift

Oct 12, 2006

Come In With The Rain lyrics

Oct 19, 2006

Mediabase: 14 Billboard: 17 OH MY GOD I am on the RASCAL FLATTS TOUR. I got the call yesterday and screamed louder than i can ever remember screaming before. I'm opening up for the last nine dates of their tour. I'm SO excited. My first Rascal show is tomorrow night in Omaha, Nebraska. I am SO excited. Taylor Swift

Nov 29, 2006- Nashville, TN

Mediabase: 9 BB: 11 Hey, So I just got in from Idaho Falls, I did a sold out show in Ogden, UT ?? 2 nights ago and then another in Idaho Falls last night. It was snowing in both places and FREAKING cold. MAN it was cold. So today we all piled in this huge van and drove to the airport in Salt Lake City (4 hr. drive) and ??? ?? me and mom were supposed to be flying to St. Louis for WIL JingleFest, and but Scot called me at the airport and said "St. Louis is supposed to get 15 inches of snow, they're cancelling the show. You have a day off." SO we hopped on a flight to Vegas, and we're supposed to have a 4 hour layover, but we found a flight that was just about to leave for Nashville, and it was barely full ?? so we ran and caught that one and here I am in my own comfy bed. I have tomorrow off so I'm gonna go out to eat with Abigail. Oh and I'm dieting again. Over the holidays I didn't watch what I ate and man its so weird how fast I can gain or lose weight... It's crazy. So I'm going to lose some now. <3 Taylor

Dec 2006

White Horse lyrics

Dec 27, 2006- Hendersonville, TN

So I got to check off my first life goal today. My album sold 61,000 copies last week!!! My goal was to sell 50,000 in one week. We flew by that. How CRAZY is that? How crazy is this, I'm playing the Wild Horse Saloon tomorrow night and I'm SO excited. All of my friends are coming. Cannot WAIT. It's gonna be a fun show. So I've been home since Christmas. Let's see, life is pretty good. I'm now obsessed with Law + Order. Completely obsessed. And my albums about to go gold. Havent kissed a boy in 209 days. <3 Taylor

(2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 & 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 & 2017)

[williammarksommer]

Nebraska diary

Part 2

iPhone Photos

[haveyoureadthismgyabook]

Series info...

Book one in the Dear America series

A Journey to the New World

The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 by Kristiana Gregory

When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 by Barry Denenberg

A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia, 1859 by Patricia McKissack

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, 1847 by Kristiana Gregory

So Far from Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847 by Barry Denenberg

I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 by Joyce Hansen

West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 by Jim Murphy

Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 by Kathryn Lasky

Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by Mary Pope Osborne

Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, RMS Titanic, 1912 by Ellen Emerson White

A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence, Gonzales, Texas, 1836 by Sherry Garland

My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl, Carlisle Indian School, Pennsylvania, 1880 by Ann Rinaldi

The Great Railroad Race: The Diary of Libby West, Utah Territory, 1868 by Kristiana Gregory

A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin, Fenwick Island, Delaware, 1861 by Karen Hesse

The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864 by Ann Turner

A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska, Lattimer, Pennsylvania, 1896 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North, Chicago, Illinois, 1919 by Patricia McKissack

One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York, 1938 by Barry Denenberg

My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York, 1941 by Mary Pope Osborne

Valley of the Moon: The Diary Of Maria Rosalia de Milagros, Sonoma Valley, Alta California, 1846 by Sherry Garland

Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory, 1849 by Kristiana Gregory

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1932 by Kathryn Lasky

Early Sunday Morning: The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii, 1941 by Barry Denenberg

My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska, 1881 by Jim Murphy

Where Have All the Flowers Gone? The Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty, Boston, Massachusetts, 1968 by Ellen Emerson White

A Time for Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen, Washington, D.C., 1917 by Kathryn Lasky

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan, Perkins School for the Blind, 1932 by Barry Denenberg

Survival in the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards, Dalhart, Texas, 1935 by Katelan Janke

When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer, New York City to the Western Front, 1917 by Beth Seidel Levine

Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, an English Girl in Minnesota, New Yeovil, Minnesota, 1873 by Marion Dane Bauer

Love Thy Neighbor: The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson, Green Marsh, Massachusetts, 1774 by Ann Turner

All the Stars in the Sky: The Santa Fe Trail Diary of Florrie Mack Ryder, The Santa Fe Trail, 1848 by Megan McDonald

Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl, New York Colony, 1763 by Patricia McKissack

I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembley, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1691 by Lisa Rowe Fraustino

Hear My Sorrow: The Diary of Angela Denoto, a Shirtwaist Worker, New York City, 1909 by Deborah Hopkinson

The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941 by Kirby Larson

Like the Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce, Portland, Maine, 1918 by Lois Lowry

Cannons at Dawn: The Second Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1779 by Kristiana Gregory

With the Might of Angels: The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angeline Reddy, Bodie, California, 1880 by Susan Patron

A City Tossed and Broken: The Diary of Minnie Bonner, San Francisco, California, 1906 by Judy Blundell

Down the Rabbit Hole: The Diary of Pringle Rose, Chicago, Illinois, 1871 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

[roboobin]

dear diary,

i forgot about nebraska again

[glowing-disciple]

Tried something different this round: Sam was a banker (thus had a ton of money), brought along livestock, and I didn't have the family ration their meals. This meant I needed to either buy or trade for fresh supplies regularly, as they often ran out of fruits and vegetables.

Also, this time I had everybody settle in the Sacramento Valley instead of Oregon - which lead to some new adventures as I've never been this way before.

Sam's diary can be found under the cut.

April 30, 1847 Here begins the journal of Sam, formerly a banker. Tomorrow we leave Independence behind to begin our journey west to Sacramento River Valley. We must still purchase the supplies that our large farmwagon will hold to sustain us during our long trek. I hope that my skill in commerce/trade will prove of some value.

May 1, 1847 Took advantage of the package deal offered to me. What a relief not to have to shop for all that individually! Purchased 2 8-oz. bottles of alum, 2 butcher knives, 3 8-oz. boxes of Dover's Powder, 3 8-oz. bottles of Duffy's Elixir, 5 12-oz. bottles of epsom salts, 1 fishing net, 1 fishing spear, 1 frying pan, 1 hatchet, 5 4-oz. bottles of iodine, 5 16-oz. bottles of isopropyl alcohol, 3 lanterns, 3 4-oz. bottles of peppermint, 6 30-foot lengths of rope, 1 set of cooking utensils, 2 sets of eating utensils, 1 thermometer, 2 washboards, 5 water kegs. Purchased 6 oxen, 3 chickens. Purchased 1 25-lb. keg of gunpowder, 1 rifle. Near Blue River, had a wagon train meeting to discuss our current circumstances. Decided to ford the river. Our train lost 4 wagons and 9 people crossing the river today. The good citizens of the wagon train elected me as their captain. I plan to accept position of captain.

May 7, 1847 We had to double-team the animals to try to get our wagon out of the mud. Approached Westport today. Some people in our wagon train are very tired of the journey. Purchased 10 20-lb. sacks of rice, 75 pounds of salt pork. From our guidebook, estimated we would reach New Santa Fe today, and sure enough, there it was!

May 8, 1847 We lost a chicken today. The trail brought us to Lone Elm today.

May 10, 1847 Rested the animals near Blue Mound.

May 12, 1847 Passed Kansas River about noon. Decided to take advantage of the ferry.

May 13, 1847 Passed the hundred mile mark today.

May 14, 1847 Reached Red Vermillion River about noon--about time! Fording the river looks to be our best option. Our train lost 3 wagons and 5 people crossing the river today. We tipped the wagon and lost 44 pounds of bacon; 5 pounds of cheese; 9 pounds of coffee beans; 6 10-lb. sacks of cornmeal; and various other items.

May 15, 1847 Today I saw Scott Spring. We stopped along the trail to hunt. We obtained 83 pounds of meat.

May 17, 1847 Near Alcove Spring, had a wagon train meeting to discuss our current circumstances.

May 18, 1847 Had a bit of a run-in with another wagon party today near Big Blue River, but we patched up our differences before nightfall. A delay prevented us from crossing at Big Blue River. We're going to wait our turn to cross. Caulk the wagon and float it across, that is the way to go.

May 19, 1847 Our wagon tipped over. We lost 1 8-oz. bottle of alum; 28 pounds of bacon; 7 pounds of cheese; 4 pounds of coffee beans; 1 10-lb. sack of cornmeal; and various other items.

May 20, 1847 Reached another prominent landmark today: St. Joseph Road Junction.

May 24, 1847 The trail brought us to The Narrows today. Traded 2 sets of clothing for 2 25-lb. kegs of gunpowder. We stopped along the trail to hunt. We obtained 169 pounds of meat.

May 27, 1847 Dreadful thunderstorm today. I figured it was best to continue as usual.

May 28, 1847 In good spirits today; got as far as “The Coast of Nebraska”.

June 1, 1847 Today we saw Plum Creek. How sublime it appears by moonlight.

June 4, 1847 The trail's flooded. We had to wait for conditions to improve.

June 5, 1847 The trail's flooded. We had to wait for conditions to improve. We are still waiting.

June 6, 1847 The trail's flooded. We had to wait for conditions to improve. We are still waiting.

June 7, 1847 The trail's flooded. We had to wait for conditions to improve. We are still waiting.

June 8, 1847 The trail's flooded. We had to wait for conditions to improve. We are still waiting.

June 9, 1847 We came upon a portion of the trail that was flooded, and had to wait for conditions to improve. We are still waiting.

June 14, 1847 Jonas has cholera. I decided to administer epsom salts.

June 16, 1847 Reached another prominent landmark today: O’Fallon’s Bluffs. Traded 1 box of 20 bullets for 1 4-oz. bottle of laudanum.

June 17, 1847 Hans came down with a bad cold, and I decided to increase fluid intake.

June 18, 1847 Edward came down with a bad cold, and I decided to increase fluid intake.

June 21, 1847 We were inconvenienced by a serious thunderstorm. We chose to continue as usual.

June 22, 1847 Mr. Tillman claims it's the Oregon Territory up ahead, but the guidebook says it's South Platte River. Fording the river looks to be our best option.

June 24, 1847 We lost a chicken today. Passed the five hundred mile mark today. Today we passed Ash Hollow.

June 26, 1847 It was extremely foggy early today. We figured it was best to slow down. An oxen is missing. This time we plan to organize a search party.

June 27, 1847 An accident caused the death of one of our oxen. We'll butcher the animal for meat. We salvaged 145 pounds of meat.

June 28, 1847 Jonas has cholera. I decided to administer epsom salts.

June 29, 1847 A chicken died today.

June 30, 1847 Arrived at Courthouse and Jail Rocks, despite some “help” from Nicholas J. Tillman.

July 4, 1847 Today is Independence Day and we've decided to continue. Misplaced my guidebook at Chimney Rock today. Luckily we found it before leaving.

July 6, 1847 Passed Scotts Bluff about noon. Saw a small, foul-looking pool of water near Robidoux Pass. Could be poison; I prevented our animals from drinking it.

July 9, 1847 We saw a small party of coyotes today, just a mile or so west of Laramie River. Decided to take advantage of the ferry. Nooned at Fort John. Purchased 20 pounds of cheese, 5 10-lb. sacks of flour, 70 pounds of ham, 3 16-oz. tins of lantern oil, 2 mules, 30 pounds of pemmican, 40 pounds of salt pork, 2 spare horse or mule harnesses, 5 pounds of tea, 4 water kegs.

July 10, 1847 We found an abandoned wagon. We decided to search it for something useful. We found: 6 pounds of pemmican. Saw eagles today near Register Cliff. What majestic creatures!

July 14, 1847 Traded 1 8-oz. box of Dover's Powder for 1 10-lb. sack of dried beans. We spotted a group of strangers and decided it would be best to wait to see what they do. They approached us and we talked. Happened upon a fresh grave near Ayers Natural Bridge. A reminder of the hazards we all face on the this journey.

July 15, 1847 We spotted a group of strangers and decided it would be best to wait to see what they do. They moved on.

July 17, 1847 Saw a grave dug up by wolves near North Platte River--bones scattered about. A most distressing sight! Given the price, we will take the ferry. Nooned at Mormon Ferry Trading Post. Purchased 20 pounds of bacon, 10 pounds of butter, 5 10-lb. sacks of cornmeal, 3 10-lb. sacks of flour, 5 10-lb. sacks of salt. Arrived at Emigrant Gap today.

July 18, 1847 Made our way past Willow Springs late today. Trail could be better.

July 19, 1847 Passed Independence Rock. Road fair to middling.

July 20, 1847 We came across an abandoned wagon and decided to search it for something useful. We found: 1 saw; 1 30-foot length of chain; 1 ladle; 3 10-lb. sacks of shot. Camped today near Devil’s Gate.

July 21, 1847 Camped today near Split Rock.

July 22, 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Billings came by for a visit today near Three Crossings; had a very nice chat. The wagon train reached First Sweetwater River Crossing this day. Decided to ford the river. Another step on the trail; today we reached Second Sweetwater River Crossing. Decided to ford the river. From our guidebook, estimated we would reach Third Sweetwater River Crossing today, and sure enough, there it was! Fording the river looks to be our best option. Our train lost 3 wagons and 4 people crossing the river today. Our wagon tipped over. We lost 14 pounds of bacon; 1 box of 20 bullets; 1 10-lb. sack of dried beans; 1 5-lb. sack of dried fruit; and various other items.

July 24, 1847 We saw a small party of coyotes today, just a mile or so west of Ice Spring Slough.

July 27, 1847 Traveled past Final Sweetwater River Crossing this afternoon. Decided to ford the river. Mr. and Mrs. Billings came by for a visit today near South Pass; had a very nice chat. We rested a while not far from Pacific Springs.

July 28, 1847 Nooned near Dry Sandy.

July 29, 1847 Just heard that there's quicksand ahead. Looks like we'll wait for conditions to improve.

July 30, 1847 Just heard that there's quicksand ahead. Looks like we'll wait for conditions to improve.

July 31, 1847 Found some quicksand ahead. I decided to wait for conditions to improve.

August 1, 1847 Found some quicksand ahead. I decided to wait for conditions to improve.

August 2, 1847 Found some quicksand ahead. I decided to wait for conditions to improve.

August 3, 1847 Just heard that there's quicksand ahead. Looks like we'll wait for conditions to improve.

August 4, 1847 Found some quicksand ahead. I decided to wait for conditions to improve.

August 5, 1847 Just heard that there's quicksand ahead. Looks like we'll wait for conditions to improve. Just heard that there's quicksand ahead. Looks like we'll put weakest animal up front. The dust from other wagons has gotten bad. We decided to slow down. [name] came down with a bad cold, and I decided to increase fluid intake. Saw some Indians in the distance not far from “Parting of the Ways”. No incident, but some concern.

August 6, 1847 We found some wild vegetables and decided to stop and gather vegetables. We gathered 3 pounds.

August 9, 1847 Today we have traveled for 100 days. The trail brought us to Green River today. Decided to take advantage of the ferry.

August 11, 1847 Today we have traveled 1,000 miles! We found some wild fruit and decided to stop and gather fruit. We gathered 16 pounds. Heard news of a murder and hanging last night near Church Butte. Enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

August 12, 1847 Encamped a while near Name Rock. Traded 1 spare horse or mule harness for 20 pounds of cheese. Traded 1 spare horse or mule harness for 5 10-lb. sacks of cornmeal. Traded 1 mule for 3 boxes of 20 bullets. We stopped along the trail to hunt. We obtained 84 pounds of meat.

August 13, 1847 Today our eyes were greeted with the sight of Fort Bridger. Purchased 30 pounds of bacon, 10 5-lb. tins of biscuits, 5 pounds of butter, 10 10-lb. sacks of dried beans, 5 5-lb. sacks of dried vegetables, 5 10-lb. sacks of flour, 2 oxen, 60 pounds of pemmican, 40 pounds of salt pork.

August 15, 1847 Arrived at Bear River, despite some “help” from Nicholas J. Tillman. Decided to take advantage of the ferry.

August 16, 1847 Saw The Needles today. We were treated to a remarkably beautiful sunset near Cache Cave. Felt somewhat weary today. Passed Echo Canyon.

August 18, 1847 We came upon some fallen rocks on the trail and decided to try to clear the path.

August 19, 1847 We're nearly choking on the dust of the trail. We've decided to slow down. The ox yoke broke, and I decided to try to repair it. We were successful.

August 20, 1847 Made an early start this morning; passed Weber River. Given the price, we will take the ferry. Made it to Pratt’s Pass. Passed Hogsback Summit about noon.

August 21, 1847 We found some wild fruit and decided to stop and gather fruit. We gathered 8 pounds. Today we passed East Canyon.

August 23, 1847 Saw a mountain lion not far from Big Mountain Pass. Our wagon tipped over. We lost 12 pounds of bacon; 6 pounds of pemmican; 1 pair of shoes; 2 pairs of socks; 1 fishing spear; and various other items.

August 24, 1847 From our guidebook, estimated we would reach Little Mountain today, and sure enough, there it was! We stopped along the trail to hunt. We obtained 185 pounds of meat. I just got bitten by a wild animal. We're going to treat with an antiseptic.

August 28, 1847 Reached Last Creek Canyon. We were treated to a remarkably beautiful sunset near Donner Hill. The wagon train reached Great Salt Lake City this day. Purchased 4 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of coffee beans, 5 5-lb. sacks of dried fruit, 3 5-lb. sacks of dried vegetables, 5 10-lb. sacks of flour, 30 pounds of ham, 50 pounds of salt pork, 2 5-lb. boxes of yeast cake.

September 3, 1847 As expected, we made it to Weber River today. Decided to take advantage of the ferry.

September 6, 1847 Happened upon a fresh grave near Bear River. A reminder of the hazards we all face on the this journey. Given the price, we will take the ferry. Heard news of a murder and hanging last night near Malad River. Enough to send shivers down one’s spine. Decided to ford the river.

September 8, 1847 Saw Blue Springs, sight is most reassuring. Passed Rattlesnake Pass about noon.

September 9, 1847 Another step on the trail; today we reached Deep Creek. Caulk the wagon and float it across, that is the way to go.

September 10, 1847 Passed Cedar Springs about noon.

September 12, 1847 Made our way past Raft River late today. Trail could be better.

September 14, 1847 Enjoyed some good fiddle music today during our nooning near Salt Lake Cutoff Junction. Traded 5 pounds of pemmican for 1 20-lb. sack of potatoes. Traded 1 dollar for 1 25-lb. keg of pickles. Traded 2 dollars for 1 25-lb. keg of pickles.

September 21, 1847 Every day our journey comes closer to its end. Today we made it to Hot Spring Valley.

September 27, 1847 One of our wagon wheels broke. We have to try to repair it. We were unable to make the repair. We were able to replace it from supplies.

September 28, 1847 Reached North Fork of the Humboldt River. Decided to ford the river.

September 30, 1847 Misplaced my guidebook at Emigrant Pass today. Luckily we found it before leaving.

October 2, 1847 We found an abandoned wagon. We decided to search it for something useful. We found: 5 1-lb. tins of smoked salmon; 2 16-oz. tins of lantern oil.

October 4, 1847 Got as far as Gravelly Ford of the Humboldt River today. Decided to ford the river.

October 12, 1847 We were inconvenienced by a serious thunderstorm. We chose to continue as usual.

October 15, 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Billings came by for a visit today near Applegate Cutoff; had a very nice chat.

October 16, 1847 A thick fog rolled in today. Looks like we'll slow down.

October 17, 1847 It was extremely foggy early today. We figured it was best to slow down.

October 18, 1847 Sang and told stories around the noon campfire near Big Meadows. Traded 1 set of clothing for 5 5-lb. sacks of dried fruit. Traded 2 1-lb. tins of smoked salmon for 1 25-lb. keg of pickles.

October 19, 1847 Had a pleasant talk with Miss Whitney today in the vicinity of Humboldt Sink.

October 23, 1847 The eternal dust of the wagons ahead of us is most troublesome. We will slow down.

October 24, 1847 We endured a most unpleasant sandstorm today. We decided to slow down.

October 27, 1847 Had a bit of a run-in with another wagon party today near Truckee River, but we patched up our differences before nightfall. Decided to ford the river. In good spirits today; got as far as Truckee Canyons.

October 30, 1847 Our path was blocked by fallen rocks on the trail. We decided to wait for conditions to improve. Another group of emigrants cleared the path.

October 31, 1847 Misplaced my guidebook at Truckee Meadows today. Luckily we found it before leaving. Traded 1 set of clothing for 15 5-lb. sacks of dried fruit. Traded 1 spare wagon tongue for 5 5-lb. sacks of dried vegetables.

November 3, 1847 One of the oxen was injured. It looks like we’ll have to slow down.

November 4, 1847 Encamped a while near Donner Lake.

November 5, 1847 The animals are so exhausted they can't continue. We plan to stop and rest awhile.

November 6, 1847 Saw a grave dug up by wolves near Cold Stream Pass--bones scattered about. A most distressing sight! Much grumbling today about Nick Tillman near Summit Valley. Passed Donner Pass. Road fair to middling.

November 7, 1847 We rested a while not far from Donner Lake.

November 8, 1847 We tipped the wagon and lost 6 pounds of bacon; 4 pounds of pemmican; 1 hatchet; 1 16-oz. bottle of isopropyl alcohol; 1 washboard; and various other items. Our wagon tipped over. We lost 2 8-oz. bottles of alum; 17 pounds of bacon; 1 4-oz. bottle of iodine; 1 box of matches; 4 pounds of pemmican; and various other items.

November 9, 1847 Made our way past Cold Stream Pass late today. Trail could be better. Came to Summit Valley.

November 15, 1847 Nooned at Johnson’s Ranch. Purchased 20 pounds of butter, 10 pounds of cheese, 10 pounds of coffee beans, 5 10-lb. sacks of flour, 10 20-lb. sacks of rice, 30 pounds of salt pork.

November 17, 1847 Will this journey never end! Today we have traveled for 200 days. Sore feet today, but I'll manage. Saw American River. There was a delay at American River. Looks like we'll have to wait our turn.

November 18, 1847 Decided to take advantage of the ferry. From our guidebook, estimated we would reach Sutter’s Fort today, and sure enough, there it was! Purchased 10 5-lb. tins of biscuits, 5 pounds of cheese, 5 10-lb. sacks of cornmeal, 5 10-lb. sacks of dried beans, 10 5-lb. tins of dried bread, 4 10-lb. sacks of flour, 50 pounds of ham, 2 10-lb. sacks of onions, 3 25-lb. kegs of pickles, 2 20-lb. sacks of potatoes, 2 30-foot lengths of rope, 1 shovel. Arrived today at the Sacramento Valley!! At last we have reached our destination! Truly this is the land of opportunity!

December 27, 1847 Obtained a land deed today from the county for 436 acres. Now I can begin to build my new life! Final Score: 5930

December 28, 1847 Sam settled in the Sacramento Valley of California in 1847, building a home on 436 acres of land. After several years of mining, Sam decided to move to the burgeoning city of San Francisco, establishing a business that proved both successful and satisfying. An 1869 gold strike on a tract of land owned by Sam provided even greater wealth, much of which was donated to charity in later years. An early twentieth-century descendant repeated this good fortune by striking oil in southern California, providing the family with continued affluence and influence.

[corndoggod]

A New Apartment

I almost feel like I’m back in Chicago. The wide screened windows at half mast, the smell of thunder seeping in, a big book in one hand and a tall beer in the other. And all is quiet. I’ve been getting up early too - before 6am - a habit I started the first summer I stayed in Chicago when everyone else decided to leave or go abroad, not that I had many friends anyway. It was one of the best summers in my life, largely because of my routine. I rose early with the sun to write for two to three hours before biking to my job where I watched the World Cup, read articles and researched recipes for dinner that evening. After work I bought a six-pack and went home to cook. I was in bed by 10pm. 

Yesterday I woke up to two mouthy sanitation workers and yelled down, “Thank you.” 

Today I woke up to Chicken meowing, only to realize later that she was thirsty, not hungry. 

I feel calm for the first time in a while. It’s been nice to be slow. Last night, C pried and I told her that ever since I got back from Nebraska I’ve felt out of sync with things, like I’ve been trying to slip back into the flow of things but can’t quite, as if I’m walking one inch off the ground. Normally I’m so consumed with day-to-day shit I suffer from tunnel vision. But it was nice to sit on shore for a bit and skip rocks and drink in the river from end to end. 

I listened to today’s episode of The Daily about people evacuating coastal cities due to the cost of living. And once again, I felt irritated. I was ready to leave, or thought I was, but I had just signed for a new place. I listened to the end, remembered to not race through life, and convinced myself that I was doing well in the city. I had a good job and my rent was below $1000. I lived on a quiet street a block from a park in a new neighborhood I was partially familiar with. 

I meandered from the kitchen where I took my coffee and yogurt and read. Then I ambled into the living room to read some more. Then I ran and rested my legs in bed before posting up in armchair to work. For seven years I had confined myself to my room, because I did not want to risk conversation or observation. But here I could move freely, and how nice it was to rotate around throughout the day. 

It was also great to be alone. I have never lived alone and I still don’t, but C was on Long Island for a paint job and I soaked it in. There were so many things I needed to do alone: bake salmon, catch up on Succession, read the final installment in The Three-Body Problem trilogy, diary, train for a marathon I just signed up for, an play Zelda, which I’d hel off on purchasing until after the move. 

Homeownership will come. Instead, I bought a tent for our upcoming road trip to Yellowstone, Wind Caves an the Grand Tetons. I was excited for strenuous hikes, free hot springs and the majesty of the West. 

After I signed up for the marathon in Acadia, I declared it the year of National Parks. The race has motivated me. I’ve run late (8:30pm) and early (6:30am) and I’ve ran at least five miles every day this week. I may live to regret choosing a full marathon, the training is basically a part-time job, but it’ll be nice to have that as a talking point again. And it’s far more impressive than a half, which feels pedestrian. I will suffer and I will like it and I will feel superhuman come September. 

Now I feel like a Paul Schrader leading man writing alone at the bare kitchen table. Writing the rules of my life. Rereading them. Throwing them away. Waiting for redemption from C who is due home any minute now. 

[apollosolis]

All my fandoms!!

Mains

Glee

Dead Poets Society

Brokeback Mountain

911

911 Lonestar

Abbott Elementary

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Others

Community (Still on Season 3)

DCU (Mostly SuperBat)

MCU (Most Spider-Man and the Avengers)

Moonlight (BETTER THAN LA LA LAND)

American Housewife

Brooklyn 99

Shadow and Bone ( Mostly The Crows)

IT

Young Royals

Heartbreak High

Shameless

Chucky

Alice In Boarderland

Southpark

The Umbrella Academy (NAWT THAT LAST SEASON)

Jackson's Diary

Heir's Game

Stranger Things

Hamilton (ik it's embarrassing)

Wicked

Current Obsession(s)

SUPERBAT