Daytime training from August

I've been meaning to get the train ride out here since we've been back. It just never seemed quite done. It must be all the time I've spent at the dentist and with Gus at the vet's office. So without further ado our first day of training.

The first leg of our train journey was mostly during the day. As I mentioned before we boarded the train a bit after 5 am and promptly fell back asleep. Well except for the bit where the guy across the way from us pulled off his head phones and all I could hear was Mexicali horns. Grrr 

We woke to the lovely green farm land of Iowa. I do so love to pass through farm land. 

One car back from us was a windowed dining car. D had a bit of fun making shadows. Many of the passengers here stayed here during the day. It was reasonably comfortable and the windows were great to look out. We played a game of cribbage here, which I think D won. But the call of my knitting and book was not to be denied, as was an afternoon nap.

We had bagels for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch here. Good basic food nothing special. The high class food happened the next day. But my bagel came with a tiny plastic spoon that I hid away in my purse. I think this makes me an official collector of tiny plastic eating utensils. I have a silver fork from a fancy party and a wee white spoon from Amtrak. It is the little things that amuse me so.

Maybe if I find a tiny knife I will show my eclectic family to you. What did you not know I was this weird?

One of the stops in Iowa was Ottumwa, which made me giggle. It is a real place! Any takers on why it is famous?

It is Radar O'Reilly's hometown in MASH.

I really loved this portion of the train ride. I found it to be relaxing and exciting at the same time. I enjoyed it so much that it seemed to be a much shorter trip than it actually was. You know how that six hour car ride that you find just the right audio book turns into a pleasant journey. It was like that.

Dreaming

You know those repetitive task days where your mind just wanders but your hands are busy? Today was one of those days at work. So all day at work I wrote this blog post in my mind, but now I've got nothing. So go make yourself a cup of tea and I will try to get to the point eventually.

I'm dreaming of some travel. Not really travel for travel's sake but doing the traveling differently. We will be going back to SD this year again and I want to try taking the train instead of flying. But I have so many train travel questions that are currently unsolvable.

My Mother always said I was in love with love. This would be the wordy and most accurate way to say I am a romantic. Romantic is how I am feeling about train travel right now. I am in love with my version of train travel. I want it to be a fun and relaxing way to get from A to B. I want to say I've slept on a train. I have rode the rails. I think of all the knitting and reading I can do. How D and I can sit in the dining car drinking a glass of wine gazing into each other's eyes. How we can play endless games of cribbage and I may even win a few. How we can travel together without the distractions of traveling. No paying attention to the road all day or rushing to catch a plane.

Now you see why my Mother was worried when I talked about marriage. She thought maybe, my glasses were a bit too rose colored and I would have a hard time accepting the realities of marriage. (Like socks on the floor and the cap left off the toothpaste.) (Marriage tip number one: if the toothpaste thing bothers you that much you can just buy two tubes. It really does help!)

I think I just choose to see the world through the glass half full perspective. But since I am an introvert I  also know I need time away from people. 20+ hours on a train full of strangers may not be the most ideal situation for my personality.

I do think many situations are made better with a good attitude. The train may just be a longer version of a plane ride but why not give it a go? I mean other than the trip home, if I really hate it I never have to do it again, right?