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Greetings friends,

 I hope all are well this Saturday morning, wherever you call home. I myself am doing fine, other than some pre-cold or flu symtoms I've been feeling this past week. They say this flu season will be a servere one, but lets hope not.

 It was one year ago this week that I actually came down with the flu in Madison, Wisconsin, while on my adventure. You can't tell by the picture above that I was already feeling the same symtoms as I am today, but by the time I arrived in Minnesota, four days later, I was in a bad way! Especially since I didn't have the luxuary of just staying home and recovering. My Minnesota gig actually took me to Kansas City to liquidate furniture in a downtown hotel, and I was miserable. Ah the memories of my journey all come back to me with such vivid fondness!

 I also finally brought some running shoes, and began hitting the pavement, in an effort to lose some extra pounds, since dieting has had only minimal results. I suppose donuts and chips have something to do with that! Seriously, I want to be in better shape in 2018 and beyond, since I still harbor hopes of traveling the country again, this time on my book tour. So I want to be as fit as I can be for that upcoming stage in my life, but for now, every part of my body aches! It will take a few weeks for me to get into running shape, but once I do, I'm sure those extra pounds will be gone for good.

 I continue to write my second edtion, mostly from memory, since I lost one of my most important journal somewhere in Idaho, or Washington last January. It was a painful and tragic loss, which I still lament to this day. Nine months and and forty-five states worth of documentation gone forever! It was a good thing I posted all my stops on this website, cuz I use it now to reference my writings. The only bad thing is, as you diary writers know, it contained alot of my personal thoughts and feelings of the moments, places, and people I was dealing with at the time. Those emotions and thoughts are hard to recreate or relive, but I have no choice but to jar my memory; so far it's working okay I guess.

 Well friends, so long until next week. Be safe and warm as you go along your last week of shopping, and traveling. Thanks for checking in with me, and for your loyal support in this continuous journey.

Juanjohn