Well, I think this has officially been one of the worst train trips I’ve ever taken. I spent the weekend with the boyfriend and had a lot of fun, but the train trip home is another story.<\/p>\n
First, like always, I thought we might be late. I always seem to get there 5 minutes before the train leaves. I felt really carsick on the way to the station, and the feeling didn’t really pass once my feet were on the ground. Fighting the urge to be sick, we went into the station, got my ticket, said our goodbyes, and then I rushed off to get on the train.<\/p>\n
I found a seat next to a nice gentleman, and listened to the “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen” announcement, complete with “Please see the safety instructions manual located on the back pocket of the seat in front of you.” So in case of accident, what, we put our heads between our knees and kiss our asses goodbye?<\/p>\n
Time for everyone to get their tickets and IDs out, and as the woman came by to check, she’d hastily demand that luggage be under the seat or in the overhead bin. This is incredibly ironic, since there is so much space between the seat you’re in and the seat in front of you, that you can’t even reach the foot rest. It’s a joke. I was told I’d have to hold my big purse in my lap. Yes, let’s keep those incredibly big open spaces open. A single bag or two just will not do.<\/p>\n
You get one complimentary snack and beverage on this trip, so as soon as my ticket is checked, my neighbor and I head for the snack car. I get a head start so I can smuggle a water AND a Sprite (oh noes!). Yes, I said smuggle, because if they catch you with more than one snack or beverage, they will tell you you can only have of each. I need the water for hydration and the soda to keep me from being nauseous, but I doubt they would care.<\/p>\n
I’ve been on the train so many times now, that it’s a bit surprising how shaky the train is. The other train on the way here had been shaky but this is just ridiculous. I’m literally getting thrown about as I try to change cars.<\/p>\n
I wish the train had its own wireless. Then I wouldn’t be stuck with nothing to do but writing this.<\/p>\n
I realized I’d be better set up in the lounge car than in my seat, so I can be on my computer. I tell this to my neighbor, just so he doesn’t think I’m trying to ditch him, and he agrees–as the seats are so far apart, I’d have to practically squat on the floor to be anywhere near my computer on the food tray of the seat in front of me.<\/p>\n
There are tags where people set that let the staff know where the passengers are going. I noticed the one man in the lounge car had brought his. Seems like a good idea. I get back to my seat and they haven’t written anything on either tags, so there’s no point in taking one. I take my things and I try to survive the train’s movements to make it the snack car. I get there, sit down, get ready to plug my computer in–and find there are no outlets. The tables take up one half of the long car, and the outlet is at the farthest end, in the corner, where nobody can sit or be. Great.<\/p>\n
I remembered that there’s usually seats with tables near the front of every car. I move back to the front of the car I’d originally been in, and find one side occupied by two girls, and the other by an elderly couple. I don’t like sitting next to young girls, it makes me and my own appearance miserable by comparison. I jabber away in explanation about the lounge car and ask if I can sit there, and get stared at, until they must have translated my gibberish and agreed. I go back and get my stuff, come back, and they’ve moved to sit on the same side, which was very considerate of them. I gratefully sit down and get out my computer and set it up, while getting the occasional stare from one of them, and sometimes from one of the girls. I think it’s the sudden typing. I know I type fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone thought I was just bashing random keys in order to sound intelligent. Funny, really, because typing doesn’t make you intelligent, it’s only gives you something to do.<\/p>\n
Being hot, even my ability to not sweat couldn’t stop a thin layer of moisture from forming on my forehead and causing my hands to itch irritably from being unable to do the same. I reach into my big purse and root around until I find my deoderant. I turn the knob, and surprise surprise, it’s empty. I squeeze it and get a bit of results, but the only way I can apply it is up under my shirt, so I lean a bit and try, but fail since there wasn’t enough deoderant left, and resign to just tossing it back in my hand. I think one of the girls sitting across the way saw and began to giggle. I caught her looking at me and pinned the stare right back. It stops her from telling her friend and she averts her eyes. And when she looks at me again, I look right back. At this point I’m extremely embarrassed and just wish I was already home.<\/p>\n
As I begin to write, I almost feel the pressing need to look to one of the eldery people across from me and ask “How do you spell nauseous?” And then I think about it and then I smile.<\/p>\n
I’m wondering if the girls are from another country, because they are speaking a language I don’t recognize. I don’t know if they speak English, so it’s probably a good thing I didn’t ask to sit by them.<\/p>\n
I know at some point I’m going to be stopped by a train staff member, and I do. She asks me for my ticket and then pauses and asks, “Or did you just move?” I said I’d moved. She asked where and commented that there’s probably already someone else in my seat. I had to turn around and squint so that I could say that I was sitting next to the guy in the blue bandana with white details. “Yep, there’s already someone sitting there.” Not that I really care, but I sounded intrigued. “Oh really?” “Yep, some guy in a blue hat.” Well good for him, except if he’s trying to dodge being asked about having a ticket. So she goes off and I haven’t heard tale yet, but I put out my ticket stub in case she comes around again.<\/p>\n
Even though my body has calmed down from the anxiety, it’s still a little hot on the train. I want to get up and wash my hands before I eat the fries I brought on board, but washing your hands on a train seems pointless. There’s probably germs everywhere. Touching the sink, the soap dispenser, the door, bah.<\/p>\n
I wish I had headphones, so I could listen to my music, but I was thick and forgot them. I do have to admit, it can be a little amusing to see the younger folk clinging for dear life as they move from car to car and down the aisle.<\/p>\n
I don’t usually write journal entries this long, but I have plenty of time. Even still, I don’t want to spend the entire time writing this, so I think I’ll just add bits here and there if I have to. There must be something more interesting to do.<\/p>\n
In other news, I can’t wait for Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. Actually, it’s probably the only holiday I really like. I can take the time to don a scary costume and I won’t be taken to the psych ward. Like last year, this year I am going as the Grim Reaper. It’s been my best and most vivid costume yet.<\/p>\n
The station we just stopped at has thick and dark clouds overhead, like a huge wool blanket covering the entire town. The storm hasn’t seemed to start yet, surprisingly, but it no doubt will soon. A strange little brown bug landed on the sill outside my window, a kind I’ve never seen before. He shifted about to try and hold on as the train started, and then flew off.<\/p>\n
The same staff woman came by to tell the girls to put up their stuff in case someone sits down. Now I’m holding a satchel and a purse in my lap; there’s no way either is going in an overhead bin, and there’s no room to put them under the table because this eldery couple likes to have their leg room. I can’t stretch out my own legs as a result and my knees are feeling weary, but I’ll live. I just wish home wasn’t much farther away.<\/p>\n
I feel a little fuzzy in the head. I think the jerking about of the train is hurting my eyes. I wouldn’t mind a nap, but it’s easier on a plane than a train. I’ve never been able to get comfortable and sleep on one of these. That’s apparently not the case for the elderly couple. Meanwhile the two girls are conversing away in another tongue. I think their accent might be German or Russian.<\/p>\n
I’m so tired.<\/p>\n
Now I’m thinking it may be Dutch. And my fries have gone cold. I feel nasty eating fries with unwashed hands, perhaps a bit nastier eating cold fries. At least I scored a complimentary snack.<\/p>\n
The elderly woman doesn’t want to sleep. She keeps trying to keep herself awake, and occasionally glances at me. I used to think I looked pretty trustworthy, but I’m wondering if the eyebrow piercing is making her think I’m a ‘hoodlum’ or something.<\/p>\n
It’s starting to rain now, but it doesn’t last long. The man in the meantime has resumed snoring. We left the dark blanket of clouds behind, but there’s still a few stragglers, not as pregnant as the ones before. I’m wondering if the sky will clear up as we travel. It’s currently a dirty white, with some slightly darker clouds. Looking out the window on the other side shows a sky that makes you wonder if the sky is dark with low white clouds or if it’s white with high dark clouds. It’s really hard to tell, the darkness seems to take up most everything except the very horizon.<\/p>\n
We’re passing another town, but it looks small; I don’t think we stop here. There’s a small grocery store, a church, some small family-owned business, a gas station, and a lot of little houses, all mixed in. The buildings grow bigger as we go on. A factory, some old corporate buildings, another factory even bigger than the first. Lots of old decrepit buildings with broken window panes. Now small houses, on the edge of the wilderness. The rain has started up again. The buildings then changed briefly to the other side of the tracks, and now there is only trees again.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I check up to see what wireless networks are available. They come and go as we pass the towns. It’s not possible to actually connect to the Internet with them, but I try anyway. I always wonder about whatever network seems to stay with the train as we travel. No matter the level of bars, even if you connect, there’s an access to the Internet. I don’t know much about networks, but I wonder how someone can perhaps bring their own on the train. It’s beyond me.<\/p>\n
I managed to get some sleep, but now my arm’s hurting too much to continue.<\/p>\n
Early evening has become a late one. There’s only one more station after this one we’ve stopped at, and it’s mine. The elderly couple got off, so now I have leg room; my bad knee is thankful. I’ve been working on formatting some Javascript scripts in the meantime.<\/p>\n
The train’s running a little late. First to stop for something, then to stop again because of trouble with a sign ahead working.<\/p>\n
There’s a strange sound coming from ahead. It almost sounds like a welder’s torch. It passed after a moment. The train is jerking about more wildly than before. I think they’re trying to make up for lost time. The sound started up again and stopped, but I don’t know what it was. I don’t mind train rides so much during the day, but during night, with nothing better to do and only darkness outside your window, with the occasional pinpoint lights of passing towns, it’s easy to let your imagination wander. “What’s that sound? Are we going to derail? Is the car going to disconnect?” These aren’t exactly thought with outright anxiety, but idly wondered. Something to pass the time, I suppose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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