On My Way to Nowhere

It arrived today!

Around 8 a.m., a big truck pulled up in the driveway. I locked the dogs in the back yard and two Laurel-and-Hardy looking guys wheeled a big box into the house.

It took them no time to get it all set up, under Lizzie's diligent supervision.

After they left, Walt hopped on and took it for a spin.

And then I started learning the various properties of the machine. I set it for me being User 1 and set up the journal (which will hopefully keep track of a cumulative total).

That little wire at the very top attaches to my iPod and you an play music through the speakers on either side of it. Talk about high class!

Walt brought down a fan from upstairs to keep blowing cool air on me. I changed into shorts (which I would NEVER wear out in public going to the gym) and started my first session on the treadmill.

So here's the deal. In a year and 3 months, Jeri and I are going to France and Italy with some of our lifelong friends. There is no way I could do that trip now, or in June of this year. It's 5,504 miles from Davis to Paris and the deal is to see how far I can walk between now and then. My first goal is making it to Carson City (Nevada), which is 113 miles away. I suspect it's going to take a veeerrrryy long time to do this (but I have a long time) and I probably won't get more than a couple of states across the US, but at least I have a goal to aim for.

When/if I make it 100 miles, I'll award myself a little Eiffel Tower:

I can't believe how wonderfully generous my family has been in pooling their money and buying this machine. Thank you so much to all of you who contributed. I won't let you down. I promise!