Same trip, different vibe

August 11, 2023

     I know the trip now, traveled it a couple of times on Amtrak last year. Will be shuttled by bus to the city Maxwell Klinger on M.A.S.H. called home and the very same where the Detroit Tigers AAA Affiliate, Mud Hens play. Last trip started off rather uniquely. The bus broke down before it could pick me up. It was still kind of cool. The ticket agent called, not Ghostbusters, but UBER. I can see Amtrak’s accountants and board members spinning their heads. Hell, my roundtrip ticket had cost a mere $102. UBER, was, probably paid double that getting me the hour and a half down the freeway to the Ohio town. I still laugh. 

    I have been to Fifth Third Field on one occasion to see a Mud Hens game back in ’19, I believe it was. And the Mighty Casey, as the story goes, struck out. 

     However, in this game it really wasn’t the ‘Mighty Casey’ that k’d. It was Mikie Mahtook, who had been up and down between the Tigers and Mud Hens throughout the season. 

     I had captured Mahtook’s ‘Wiff’ with ease. It should be noted he later homered in the game. So ‘mighty’ he was that day. 

     I begin the new day awaking aboard an Amtrak Train headed east. I am on my way, finally. That four-hour layover in Toledo, after arriving from Detroit, has always been troublesome to me as arrival time is around 10:30 PM while departure is 3:15 AM. The station sits a long ‘foul out’ from the town and the only attraction, a Subway Restaurant, is always closed by the time our shuttle arrives. 

     I was really tired when I boarded, as I had been up since 5 AM Tuesday morning. Remember making fun of your parents or grandparents about getting up early? Yeah, me too. Now karma pays us back by allowing the same things to happen to us. I say this yawningly. 

     A few weeks back, I thought I would I indulge myself in a wee bit more pleasure on this journey. Make it a little more interesting than those past. And relaxing for that matter, I had upgraded my outgoing coach seat to a ‘roomette,’ while keeping the return trip as it was. I knew I’d want sleep after last year’s trips and was excited to give a bed on a train a try. 

     Not any bigger than maybe 4 ft x 6 ft after the bed is folded up and tuned into an extremely tight room for two. Even with one. like in my case, I was snug as a bug in rug. 

     In fairness I ought to base my evaluation on benefit value, but it doesn’t matter. I would not upgrade again. The added cost for the three hours I did nod off just aren’t worth it. And it’s just too tightly cramped. Sure, it’s quiet, but I’d risk being with the kids anytime in coach, vs overpaying what they’re asking for this. Give me the ‘Snowpiercer’ section of the train any day. 

     A YouTube Short of the ‘roomette’ below with me in it.

     I must have forgotten where I had come from to desire sitting this far up the line. A rude awakening as I recall ‘The Little Things’ not long ago written with my remarks ‘I’m not going to be like that.’ I had just tried to be better, for comfort’s sake, forgetting I had survived quite well on my own in coach before this fancy ass attempt at self-gratification.

     A lesson in humbleness well received and learned, would say ‘Grogu,’ who’s also along for his first ride.

     As I’m nearly caught up through this stage of the journey, here’s a little not so humorous adventure of trying to get a video of my train during a brief stop in Syracuse, New York moments ago. 

     ‘All not aboard’ was quite zanier than I had wanted it to be. 

      Rushing me aboard in Syracuse was Hemanthi. As you can tell, we joked about my tardiness and nearly being left behind over a video for this blog. She graciously agreed to the photo op. A very nice woman who’s only goal was to get me on board. Thank you, my new friend.

     Leaving Albany now, where for the better part of my life I’ve known is the State Capitol of New York. I have family here and in summers past, as a small child, my grandparents would bring me to visit. Very fond memories of sliding down waterfalls and gathering chicken eggs from the hens’ nests. 

     Much like pulling those eggs from underneath the hems, they’re pulling cars from our train to create another to send on its way to The Big Apple, New York City. While the half I’m on will finish the journey to Boston.

     Although I’m sitting in the private confines of this roomette, there were hundreds of other travelers in the cars carrying coach passages. Most headed in another direction to NYC.

     Pittsfield, Massachusetts has come and gone. It’s the first stop entering the state for Amtrak. About 135 miles east still to go. Before I knew it, we were in Worcester, roughly 50 miles out. But it had started to rain.

     I wasn’t overly thrilled about the possibility of it raining upon my arrival in Back Bay, a suburb of Boston, where I’d be staying. I knew I had a three or four block walk to the hotel where I’d booked my room. And I wasn’t going call an UBER or cab for such a short ride. My fingers stayed crossed the rest of the way.  Luckily for both my laptop and Grogu, it had stopped shortly after my deboarding the train. 

     And there it was, the ‘Hilton’ sign, where I had stayed during ‘Birthday Month’ 2022, the first recognizable landmark drawing me closer, as the ‘Sheraton’ sign wasn’t lit, Hilton’s was. I was HOME again and immediately thought ‘Fuck You Cancer’ and all the other medical and emotional problems I faced throughout year, I still made it back! 

     I had remembered my way. But not my way here, I knew that way. My way back to where I’m the happiest. 

     Check-in was a few clicks and off to my room with Grogu in tote we went.

     Nothing overly fancy, just what one needs. 

     The journey here has concluded. Tomorrow the adventures begin. Hope you stick around as there’s going to be plenty of entertainment, fun and just stuff coming up! 

Why Not Smile

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