Monday, June 8, 2009

A plane ride is to a train ride as a Red Bull is to a:

A. Spoonful of peanut butter

B. Handful of moist bread

C. Power Sized Jamba Juice with 3 G boost

D. Can of Spruce Beer

E. Jar of almonds


Take your time. It might be tough for those who have lack experience and insight. Let me make some distinction which we observed to assist you in this singular multiple choice question. I will use the compare and contrast method of analysis (thanks Mrs. Pavlika).

As you probably remember from the post prior to the one you currently enjoy, the last plane we were on was pretty cramped. (If bald midgets don’t come to mind, you are reading these posts out of ordre) Sleep seemed to be the only real activity option for that travel segment seeing as it was only an hour and even if we could get games, computers, puzzles or books out of our crammed-forcefully stowed luggage, I personally like to devote myself a chapter at a time to a novel and don’t like to rush it. However, even that activity was poorly achieved. So, basically, we accomplished nothing except arriving at our destination.

Training, in comparison, has the same set up as a plane: seats all facing the same direction, overhead storage with reading lights, windows you can’t open, tray tables and reclining chairs. In contrast, on the contrary, these are all way better. The seats are bigger and have legroom enough to incorporate two types of lower limb support. Overhead storage accommodates practically everything (you could even sleep up there without anyone knowing). The windows are huge and with a change of scenery every few minutes, so you gotta take those pictures while you can.

“Dude, snap this! Hold up. Tree, tree, tree, post, tree, tree NOW!”

“Missed it.”

“Tree tree tree NOW!”

“ Got it.”

“Word. That’ll look great on our blog.”

“I know, right.”


With a push of a button, your chair drifts you back to an angle much greater than the airlines’ 9.7 degrees. This increase still does not interfere with the person behind enjoying the only drop down slab that Taggart has been able to use since his mom let him operate one by his big boy himself. Sleeping, you wonder, is it better? Better? Maybe not, but you definitely are able to sleep longer, which helps. Train people, are the best people. Plane people think that they can act like jerks because they know people can’t carry weapons or their favorite tooth paste. Train people know that just because they don’t have a bandana covering their face does not mean they aren’t packing.

Even with Harold’s council and meticulous care of our rail passes, there was still quite a significant mix up with our tickets. Our dutiful early arrival was completely taken up in the reparations of this debacle.

I was fretfully waiting for this conscientious agent to print my ticket as the train horn blared to clear the track for departure. Our tickets torn, Taggart lead the way down the long stretch to the platform, and boarding our first train was a blend of confusion and exhilaration. Except for the hurry to get on the train before it pulls, disregarding latecomers or lagging smokers, people welcome and love to talk to you. Like Danielle

(only photo available, we were in a tunnel, and my flash didn't go off), whom we met in the Lounge car. So, I wrote a haiku about it:

Cutie caught my eye

Tried to work it in the dark

Missed my chance thrice

While Taggart caught some extra Z(ed)s, I explored the locomotive from front to back. Looking out the rear window is what I like to call the Ruminating Spot.

Just standing here watching the tracks roll from beneath the “caboose” off into the distant vanishing point calls to mind a reflection of life, love, responsibility, worries and whimsy. Between pondering, reading (good for some, slow going for others), blogging, saving penguins, chatting, designing fashion shows, sleeping, song writing, and kicking trash at Family Feud, we stop at two of the sweetest downtowns this country has to offer.





Chicago













The Capital




This is Becky (served in Montreal with Brandon) doing her best impression of Mary Wells, airline hostess. "End of the Plain Plane"






Please submit answers as well as justification to the above question in the comment section below (don't get lost now). Your answer may be incorrect but your reasoning may be hilarious. Display the abilities within.

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