A note concerning tangents: (XVI)

Current Location: Foristell, MO

(N38°49.10’, W090°54.27’)

Distance traveled leg 16: 778.0 miles

Total Distance traveled: 5975.3 miles

Expedition Outlook: We are the Walrus

Number of times Edison has made a joke and laughed himself to shortness of breath: At least a half dozen.

*Bonus Data*Number of times ANY member of the expedition also laughed: No more than twice.

Sadly, we never did get to visit Hannibal (actually the town Samuel Clemens grew up in)

Well, dedicated readers, we unintentionally beat our distance record by over 100 miles today. Because of our rest stop antic of the previous evening, we were on the road again by probably 8 and frankly we just kept driving. Eloise charted a course that took us through SD into IO, down through NE, back into IO and finally into MO. We didn’t really stop save for refuels until MO and even then that was a brief excursion. As a result we are ahead of schedule and have bought ourselves a bit more wiggle room for our return east.

The Room (please waggle your fingers spookily when you read the caption)

Our one stop was in St. Joseph, MO, formerly one of the terminus points for the Pony Express as well as the home of the notorious bandit Jesse James. Though we surged across the land with mighty speed, we were only able to briefly sample St. Joseph’s attractions before they closed. We settled on the house of Jesse James. Not a bad place to get out and stretch the legs, learned some about the man and all the craziness surrounding his death. Would have been neat to see the Pony Express stuff and the military museum, but everything in St. Joseph’s was icing, as it were, and not worth delaying for. If Chicago is any indicator, having a full day for St. Louis will serve us well, and will almost certainly deliver a higher yield than St. Joseph’s would have.

Spirits are bright despite the marathon run, and the party is looking forward to seeing St. Louis tomorrow.

Can't really blame them.

Hannibal had a long soak in the hot tub followed by a nap. The Crew Bears took this as an open invitation to prank Hannibal and it was only by pure chance that I was able to catch them before they commenced with their vandalism operation.

Eloise is still recovering from whatever forces had her so confused in the Black Hills. She suffered several bouts of disorientation throughout most of the day until we got to MO. Her power supply is also still acting pretty dodgey. I believe that these handicaps are the only things that have prevented her from outright destroying us. We’ll have to see how she fares tomorrow.

I have come to suspect that Edison needs to engage in some sort of maintenance or ritual practice to keep himself from sublimating into a snarl of chaotic energy. I think the trip prevents him from completing that ritual or distances him from some point of power that he needs visit.  As the days have accrued his ability to maintain a façade of sanity has waned. His coherency seems to hit a nadir whenever we’re in Corona and he doesn’t even have to try to keep it together. As I am largely protected from Edison’s powers and abilities, I am more intrigued than concerned about his condition. Will he become totally unhinged before we get to New Jersey or will critical mass be delayed until Pennsic? My curiosity has been engaged and I’m not so certain I would intervene even if there was something I could do.

Edison, is there any insight that you would like to offer about this or anything else?

[Notes from Edison: Me? Why, I am perfectly fine, sir. I have no idea what state you may be referring to. *twitch*

Speaking of Jesse James, one of my ancestors on the Cassell branch was supposed to have ridden with Quantrill's Raiders and was fleeing the tax men with Jesse and Frank and the Youngers when he was shot from behind and subsequently trampled. I believe his name was Frank, and he used the easier version of the family name, Castle. And yes, I know that's the name of the Punisher from Marvel comics. Regardless.

Not much else to report today. I slept poorly over the last day and a half and was constantly slipping in and out of sleep when Nick was driving, I'm going to try and make sure I'm more alert tomorrow. Let me leave you with two quotes from Thomas Jefferson, one of the smartest guys ever. First on government:"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion." Second, on his own life: "I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way."

You could have a hell of a worse epitaph.

Love and Peace, and take care of each other out there. Farvel and amayugotoro! Today you can win!]

I think if you were to combine all of the members of the expedition into one gestalt being you'd have a creature with something approximating normal sleep habits (not to mention one handsome devil). In typical expedition fashion (We've noticed that we are always going against the flow of traffic and doing everything backwards), we will be entering the Gateway to the West, from the west. For now though, to sleep. Thank you, America, and good night. This is the Nickness, signing off:

Thanks for tuning in! Don't forget, the full broadcast for Leg XV was broadcast just before this on. On tomorrow's episode: What's With All The Saints Around Here?; Who Knew Missouri Was All Up In The Business of The Civil War?; Mississippi River: Round 2; The Alpha Of The Omega