I Took a Trip on a Train
And I did, I thought about you
For the uninitiated, and the YOUNG, that’s Frank Sinatra.
Yes, the photo AND the song.
I’m currently 3/4 of the way through my first trip on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle train. I’m headed to Austin for a work conference that I didn’t register or pay for, but will probably attend because my girlfriends are attending it and they have an extra ticket. I’m on vacation, so my choice is to hang out with them or hang out by/in the hotel pool. It’s currently 104 degrees in Austin, with a “feels like” of 110. Yeah, screw the pool.
I’ve been warned about this train. It has the dubious distinction of having Amtrak’s worst on-time performance, and it’s lived up to the record. We left Dallas an hour late and then spent another hour sitting in Fort Worth.
Right now, we’re at the station in Temple, Texas, with another delay on tap. This station was supposed to be a “cigarette break” stop. That’s how we characterize time in Texas: by how long it takes to smoke a cancer stick.
I originally booked myself in coach for this trip. A few days ago, Amtrak emailed me with the opportunity to bid to upgrade my seat to either a private room or a roomette, which from what I can tell, is half the size of a bedroom. I’ve got two reclining seats facing each…
