Monday, September 19, 2011

Blank Pages

Sorry I couldn't post anything yesterday, apparently there were problems in Mountain View, where the remaining engineers and programmers at Google HQ are holed up. They've been nothing short of amazing in their efforts to keep lines of communication up, but even their dedication can't keep everything running smoothly at all times. It was kind of frightening to me not to be able to post a blog, but Blogger was down and there was nothing I could do about it.

I'm not used to that sort of helplessness. Cell service was also out of commission, so we had no way of letting the folks back home know we were okay. It's a scary look at how things would be if the folks at Google weren't doing their thing day after day.

I'm really hoping we can make it all the way to California to visit the place, but I don't know if that will be possible. None of us have any idea how bad the zombie swarms between here and there would be, or if we'd be able to secure enough fuel to make the trip. As of right now there are at least ten stops we're planning to make in communities that will be able to refuel us with the mix of ethanol and gas we need to keep on going. For the moment we're doing fine, but the future is a fuzzy, vengeful bitch.

Our night in Long Town was fun. That group, relatively small though it is, know how to treat guests. They couldn't share food with us, but they did entertain. A few of them put on a small stage show, an act from Romeo and Juliet, a few others had worked up a new and interesting game that combined basketball, short-distance track and field, and target practice. It was neat to watch but the rules were so complex that I couldn't even follow how the scores were kept. All in all they seemed like a happy group. I've given them all the relevant contact info for New Haven. The people of Long Town know they'll eventually have to deal with human threats, not just zombies, and they know their home can't hold up to an assault. Maybe my people can work something out with them.

We're gonna be on the road a few days yet. Everywhere we go it looks like massive storms have laid waste to the roads, but the truth is much simpler: no road crews. It's something I've noted before, and recently, but it still bears repeating to anyone out there who is thinking about traveling any significant distance. Close to home, we've made a point to police our own roadways and make sure they're clear. Most of the major roads and highways in Kentucky had treelines set far enough back from the roads that downed trees aren't that much of a problem. The same is true of the interstates we use to maintain trade with North Jackson--they're designed for minimal maintenance after storms.

The back roads and byways are another story, an obvious one I don't have to spell out. All I'll add here is that we did manage to locate some chainsaws, and even some premixed fuel for them. Don't know how long that will hold out, but it'll do for the near future.

Wow, look at that. One day of being cut off from communication and there I go blathering for several paragraphs about to most everyday, inane things. I'll be honest--it feels good. I can't see my wife, who is the usual victim for the boring minutiae I find so endlessly fascinating. Out here on the road, seeing how America has evolved over the last year and a half, I can't help but move that burden onto you. I hope you don't mind.

Fair warning: I've been told that communications could go down again. The engineers said that it may get patchy, and some of us may be able to communicate when others can't. If that happens, and New Haven can still access the internet, I may have friends from home send out updates from there. We'll be safe and careful, so if you don't hear from me, don't worry. We'll be fine.

Holy shit, did I really just type that? It's just a bad idea to hand the universe a line like that. At least I didn't say "What's the worst that could happen?". That would have been an invitation for disaster.

1 comment:

  1. Dodger just mentioned something else for the grocery list: shark suits. Designed for resisting bites. Good stuff, talk later, cuz.

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