Wrapping up his weekend and moving on, or maybe not
- Arin Blackwood
- Feb 23, 2022
- 3 min read
Poor Julius seems quite bored in St. Louis right now. I mean, he does say regularly that he’s bored; reminds me of my journals as a teenager…
Writing again!
This week I managed to write over 3000 words in my novel manuscript, which is huge for me since COVID-19 shut the country down in March of 2020. What an intense few years it has been! I found it incredibly hard to accomplish anything between managing my own class going remote and then hybrid and then back in-person with time restrictions, as well as, having four children under the age of 10 at home attending virtual school and then hybrid school. The stresses of adjusting to life in a pandemic and the anxiety and worry about keeping the family safe, while trying to maintain as normal a life as we could (the new normal anyway) was simply exhausting and completely killed my creative mind. My only creativity left was funneled into how to create more happy memories for the children during this time, so in their future they remembered the fun times rather than the dreary aspect of a pandemic. It’s been hard and I was too hard on myself.
I am proud to say that this project did have one of the affects I desired and got my writing juices flowing again! Huzzah!
Two-in-one
After the intense flow of research and information in the first three entries, the fourth was much more, thankfully, mundane. I say thankfully as this project is not intended to absorb my mind entirely and it was starting to do so! Being that it was short, as was entry five, and relatively easy to translate, I decided to translated two this week so we could move on to the fourth page of the first book. And already my mind goes to the far off ending and wishing Julian had written more…
Entry Four
Fontag den 14 tau August 1864 Heute war ein langweiliger Tag. Morgens ging ich nach den Torig, u Nachmittags beruhte ich meinen Bruder bei Bohlingers. Bei Ankunft des Abend Zuges der P.R.R. traf ich den Heinke, Wutherich u jungen Nape van Hermann, nicht welchen Herren ich ins Theater ging. Nach den Theater Tranken wir ein Tivoli nach einige Glas Leinr worauf ich heim ging u wein Wangen oparlier aufsuchte. JULIUS HUNDHAUSEN, August 14th 1864
Sunday the 14th of August 1864 Today was a boring day. In the morning I went to the Torig, and in the afternoon I visited my brother at the Bohlingers. Upon arrival of the evening train of the P.R.R. I met Heinke, Wutherich and young Nape from Hermann, with which gentlemen I went to the theater. After the theater, we drank a few glasses of wine, after which I went home and my cheeks were a little puffed up. Arin Blackwood translation of the journal of JULIUS HUNDHAUSEN August 14th 1864
One mystery that was solved by this entry was the P.R.R. he referenced in the very first entry. Now with the mention of the train, I know that P.R.R. is not an obscure military acronym, but stands for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
I also learned that I apparently earned my sensitivity to wine from my mother’s side of the family…
I do believe that I might start a map where I highlight the places he visited while in St. Louis while he stayed there. If I can track down the places he mentions, like I tracked down the location of the Tivoli, perhaps I can one day “walk” in his shoes.
Entry 5
Montag den 15 hau August 1864 Ich verglich langweilig u waren. Ich Kaufte den Tag über einige Sachen, Hemden u jej fur da Reihe, und der Abend verstrich wie gewoulich ein Tivoli. Auch traf ich am Selben Abend Fl_rian Yust aus der Nähe var Hermann. JULIUS HUNDHAUSEN August 15th 1864
Monday the 15th of August 1864 I played at being bored and stayed that way. During the day I bought some jackets, shirts and things for the boat, and in the evening it was the Tivoli as usual. I also met Florian? Yust from near Hermann, on the same evening. Arin Blackwood translation of the journal of JULIUS HUNDHAUSEN August 15th 1864.
The name at the end of this entry eludes me. I’m just not quite sure what he wrote. I’m getting the feeling he’s not one to be idle and this wait for the steamer to get ready is driving him mad. I eagerly anticipate his departure from St. Louis as well, because I too am a little bored. LOL
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