12/12/03
10:22 am: On the lirr. Bags are off. Dad woke me up with less than a start this am as I was roughly tossing through the night. 2 hours later mom woke me up again. Again with less than a start. Fitted with a cough, mom's not been feeling too well. A cranky shower and last minute ends tying later, I was on my way. Dad brought me to the train station, buying me both my ticket and breakfast from Strawberry Fields. Oh and Susan and I scrabbled to a draw last night - punctuated by talk of love, loneliness, eloping and other brother/sister things.
Now, on the lirr and ready for quite the adventure. 37 days of travelling, sipping coffee, reading, meditating, farming, snowmobiling, punkrocking and . . .? Who knows? These next 37 days will be full of trains, meeting people, growing facial hair and man this woman in front of me is considerately yelling at her significant other into her cell phone as if she were his/her mother - admonishing like a child, demanding apologies. Anyway, seems like he/she just hung up on her.
Planning this trip for a couple of months now, I can't believe it's actually arrived. Actually, I can. It's been quite a long couple of months, finishing up with work at the I Board and friends from Boston. My I loved my time in Boston.
Packing for the trip: in Ziplock bags. I read of this trick on the web - seems like it saved space and wrinkle time.
Lirr is coming to punch my ticket.
Mom took me to Trader Joe's food shop yesterday and loaded me up with nuts, dried fruit, water, Goobers (pb&j in one jar!), fruit snacks, granola, apples etc. I packed pretty light on the food side, thinking that I'll be able to refresh my reserves in Fargo, SF and Austin - no sense carrying it around.
I spoke with Reynaldo last night and apparently I may be joining him on a Zen retreat for six days. Full with farming and meditation. Now this will be interesting.
Beau and I spoke the other day and I may push back my leg to SF, for he has a party planned for at the end of the week. He has two snowmobiles! And he's trying to plan a trip with a couple buddies down to Montana - oh man, now that would be fun. Roar rah Roar men stuff - love it!
My reading list is a bit optimistic - Fulkner, Nabaakov, Whitman, Richard Yates and a few others. I started Absalom, Absalom! the other day - a tough read - I'll save that for ND - CA.
For now, I'm off to start Lolita or one of the others I brought.
Oh! I may get a chance to have brunch with Julie Hodek in Chicago tomorrow.

12:36pm - Penn Station. My packs are a bit heavier than I thought them to be. A bit worried about a posting regading weight limits - apparently 50lbs each - yikes. I asked a porter if it would be a problem. He said no. Currently I sitting in the waiting area - just over 2hrs before my 2nd leg begins.
Daniel called me while I was on LIRR. Apparently he'd just come from an evening with one of his friends turned lover. He's glowing over the phone.
I'm wearing my Merrels, tan cargo pants, brown long sleeved shirt and red flannel. Packed away my hat, gloves and scarf along with my red coat - quite warm, the wait. I've been donning my brown golfer's cap lately and thinking that I kind of like it.
So far, I've only had a few sips of water from my 3.76L handled jug of Poland Spring. This, according to a man who pulled up alongside dad and I at the Stony Brook station, I would be bettr off drinking the water from West Meadow Beach. For another time.

2:51pm: I just boarded the train - number 49. The seats are spacious with enough leg room that I'm able to stretch them out without touching the one in front. 'All Aboard!!' Well, that was strange - for roughly 20 minutes the portable keyboard that I just bought was on the fritz - jeez. I would have to have used paper. The horror. Well, about the train. Again, it's very spacious. The heat is on full blast and I'm going to have to change soon if it doesn't change soon.
My journey has begun. I am facing forward and have the barren trees to my right and the Hudson - I believe it's the Hudson on my left. I've forgotten hand lotion. My shoes are off and about to be less socks soon too.
There is a young man sitting to my front left who is watching a dvd on a portable telvision - it's black and white - quite the juxtaposition.
I'm on a train! A bridge. Hiss of the wheels. Steady tun tun tun tun tun tun tun of the rail. Gentle sway - not so gentle sway.
543pm: in albany, ny. The power's been shut off for the time in the station. Roughly 10 minutes so far. And once again, the wireless keyboard I'm now using was on the fritz for a while. It's dark. People are whispering and I'm feeling secure enough to wander without my valuables. Good idea or no?
I've just changed into my pajama bottoms - much more comfortable than the cargo pants I was wearing a minute or two ago.
I've been reading 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' by Hemmingway - I'm finding it hard to read through all of the bouncing. I'll get used to it or suck it up, for I cannot stomach the thought of not entertaining my brain for the next so many days on the rail. O.K., I feel as if my key clicking is getting annoying to others - a sign to sign off. I wonder what the delay is? Hopefully it's the a/c handyman/woman. Soon.
9:23pm: Having just finished brushing my teeth and doing my stretches in the over-sized handicapped bathroom, I'm about to settle in with the nyts and a bit more of Hemmingway.
Mom, having said that she was unable to place her expected notes in my baggage, due to her being sick and not wanting me to catch anything, managed to slip in a bit of chocolate gelt. Yummy.
The seats in coach are really comfortable. They lean back to a very nice reclining position and have extentions for the back of your calves. I feel pampered.
We're probably coming up on Buffalo quite soon - a 6 or 7 minute visit that I will truly cherish, only wishing it to be during daylight.
On sights: I have learned that the side of the train you're on greatly matters. During all of the daylight, I was watching those on the leftmost side in awe - their having the views of the Hudson and I only of newly built condominiums and carved hillsides. On the next leg - Chicago - Fargo - I'll ask one of the Amtrak workers.
I am now fully aware of how much Teryaki beef jerky I had this afternoon. 4oz is quite a lot. I also downed 2 granola bars, 1 fruit chew, a number of handfulls of mixed nuts and one or two more of fruit. I will try and temper myself in the morrow by only eating during meal time - if not, I know that I'd snack as I have this evening.

705am: After what was most likely the most fitful night's sleep - puntuated by limbs going numb and the snores of a fellow a number of rows back - I've made it and soon will enjoy the light beyond the window, which I so much desire.
I believe I'm in Ohio - last train stop was Toledo. And if we're no longer EST, my guess is that we'll be in Chicago in just over 3 hours.
I don't understand it. Everyone is fast asleep. It seems as though those sitting upright in one chair, due to a passenger beside themselves, are the most peacful. I, having the 'luck' not to have someone to share my double seat tried, unsuccessfully, but with fever, to lie down in a fetal position. I think my left leg is regaining consciousness now.
I have a scheme. Tonight, I may try and sleep above the chairs where the luggage lies. The space is long enough for a man and deep enough for me to saddle into it, in order not to be seen. The train personnel only make it through the cabin a couple of times through the night and did not count seat by seat. I'm going to do a bit of research, trying to find a penalty written of some sort, though I'm probably going to come empty handed.
The hum of the train is a memory I myself do not hold. It is of a helicopters' propellor. It may be a bit fast - but steady. Quite steady. Drolling up and down in pitch like a drum that is tightened.
I am so tired. I fear that I will fall asleep during the day's hours. I cannot do this.
O.K., one moreattempt at slumber. An hour. I hope for an hour.

718am: Before I try to retire, I must relate the sun's rising behind us. The yellow orange white sky streaked with black clouds - gray clouds almost. The train is heading almost due west, tying its darndest to out run the yet to be seen sun. The sun, however, is quick and persistent. And it seems as though we're slowing - possibly for a stop, possibly to play a little temptation tag with the rising sun.
A young man in a golfer's cap, not quite as coolish as mine, sits in the direct path between myself and the rising sun of which I am trying to describe. Each turn of my gaze, over my left shoulder, brings a puzzled, tired and annoyed stare. O.k., I think he's just shut his eyes. Well, other than the yellow, orange, white sky expanding to the sun's right and left, ther'e not much to tell other than that my beard is coming in quite nicely and the snow here, further west than Toledo, is constant, and brownish. It suggests a light ground cover and fields of wheat. A windswept field of wheat.
Now on to that sleep.

The rush of an anonnymous and oncoming train.
12:31pm, coffee with Hodek
2:38pm: On the Empire Builder. Having just spent much of the afternoon with Julie, I'm now on my way to Fargo. The car is great - though, not too many outlets and i've planted my cell phone in a conspicuous place in the Vista Car. J
Julie and I walked around a bit and went for an early lunch at one of the biggest department stores I've ever been to. A food court full with waitresses who refilled our soft drinks. Julie and I talked of our work, Cornell stuff, relationship issues and general life issues. I really cherish Julie. She's one of the good eggs I like to keep close to my heart.
She's been working on the Cintas campaign for UNITE since Cornell and is doing some good corporate campaign work. I related to her my confusion about where to go and what to do with my life after school. She said 'fuck it' and I just may. I don't know. What am I to do? I know my level of drive coupled with my procrastination is not conducive for office work. I have learned that I thrive on immediate return. She mentioned D.C.. Or something international. We talked a bit about the future of the Labor Movement in China. There are possibilities. Maybe I could hookup with the Chinese Institute at Cornell and teach English over in China while learning Mandarin or Cantonize and making contacts with the Movement over there. So many choices. And of course there is Aunt Annette's tour guide fantasy job and back at the Board. Oy Vey. And I still have two incompletes left over from a year ago this past fall.
9:17pm: Somewhere between Chicago and Fargo. There are about 40 kids and their parents who just boarded a stop or two ago - apparently we're now on the 'polar bear express'. The kids are thinking that they're going to go see Santa now. During the ride, the organizers of the kids' trip had an actress read a book to the kids over the loudspeaker. At first I was feeling a bit annoyed at the distubance. But that was fleeting as I had just awoken from a nap and had to use the little boys room as they were boarding.
And now, having had dinner - Goobers and oatmeal, a second dinner - Teryaki beef jerky, I'm sitting in a puddle of transferred water. I was transferring the water I bought while in Chicago with Julie, into the screw top bottle Mom bought me and, quite predictably, I spilled about a tenth of it on my crotch. It wouldn't have been too bad if I wasn't wearing my blue pajama pants - and it is so noticeably around my crotch area. And it's wet, and cold and quite uncomfortable.
Apparently the North Pole is in Winona, WI. I always knew that the Artic Circle was tooo far away for Santa to bring all those presents. Of Course! He has a central distribution center much like UPS. Maybe Santa and UPS have a deal of some sort. Is UPS in Winona? I guess that would be important to figure out before spreading around any conspiracy theories.
Eddie, an Asian-American fellow I met when I first boarded this leg for we were both in search of an outlet to charge our respective appliances. He's visiting family all over the U.S. via train - and seemingly, like myself, on the train for the first time. He had just came back from dinner up front when I asked him how it was. He was like a little boy going out to a restaurant for the first time. It was so cute! He said it was worth it. I may just try it sometime during my trip. Though I don't think that I'm going to get sick of Goobers and oatmeal.
Again, I have my own double seat, now on the left hand side of the car and more towards the front than the NYC - Chicago leg. I like the left side - much more comfortable. Also, the rush of an unsuspected oncoming train, literally a foot or two beyond the glass to my left outside the glass is beyond thrilling. Rwooooooosh. Then another Rwooooosh. And punctuated Rwoooooshes if a car is missing. One of many eyes of the train's storm. Rwooooosh. Rwooooooooooosh. . .. . .. . . Rwoosh. Rwooooosh. .. . . .. .
My wetspot now is really bugging me. I hate having wet clothing touching my skin. To change or not to change, that is the question.
3:39am: coming into Fargo: Flat. It's all just flat with a few lights here annd there. Cold. The flatness looks and suggests cold. Looking forward to seeing Beau.

4:40am: Stranded in Fargo. Called Beau's house at roughly 4:35am, no answer after three rings. Man. O.k. it's not too bad - Fargo is not too cold. But I'm tired and worried that Beau is in some snowy ditch somewhere. More so, I'm worried that Beau will feel terribly about being late to pick me up.
So far, from what I've seen, Fargo is a city. There are cars and trains and working street lights - though I've only seen blinking yellow ones so far, I have a feeling there are real red/yellow/green ones come the day. Another train passes, hoarsely making it's presence known. Beau where are you?!
Stranded in Fargo. I couldn't find Beau's listing in the white pages. What to do. What to do . ... I guess I just sit and wait. I'll call again around 6 or 7 am. I'm just afraid of waking up the kids. I need sleep. And the flourescent lighting in the station is not really helping. I think I'm going to get a Pepsi. Of course, as soon as I put my money in, Beau's going to walk through the door.

12/14/03
12:16pm: I was not stranded for long. Adrianne pulled up at around 5am or so. Apparently Beau had had quite a rough night at a Christmas party. Adrianne said that when I rang the phone just before she had left to pick me up, Beau had picked up a bottle of lotion as it was the phone.
I couldn't have been more comfortable last night. I have a room in their basement and slept on a fold-out couch. Slept like a log for 3 hours or so before Beau came in and said 'good mornin' Diamond Davd'. He came over, looking exactly as he had 5 years ago, and gave me a big hug. We chatted for 10 minutes or so and his two daughters Alyssa, 6, and Madison 3 came in and introduced themselves. I told them that I had a present for them and would give it to them after breakfast. They were really excited.
A few minutes later, I followed Beau up to the Kitchen for a pancake breakfast, full with peanut butter (on the pancakes - yum) and venicen sausage - quite spicy.
One of Beau's colleauges, Matt, had slept over from the night of partying and he had joined us too. We ate - I drank 3 or 4 cups of coffee, for I was tired tired tired (as an aside, I still am tired and am looking forward to one good night sleep this evening).
After breakfast, I gave the two precious little girls their presents and they were thrilled with the cameras Mom and I bought them the other day. They've been running around the house taking pictures pictures pictures.
As Matt was leaving, his wife and 15month old son Cameron having come to pick him up, Beau told him to keep Monday night and Tuesday night open for a pool night and cigar bar night respectively.
Soon after Matt had left, Adrianne and the girls left for Sunday school choir practice. That gave Beau and I a real chance to catch up. He took me on a tour of his house, in South Fargo, and showed me all of the renovations that he had done - the basement, laundry room and bar area. As he showed me the bar, I scooted off upstairs, forgetting that I was on the floor of my room, to get the Captain Morgans Rum that I had saved from our last night together in Delaware. On the bottle it says 'Flom's skippy - stay cool Dave'. Now it rests on his bar and I'm guessing we'll open it tonight or someother.
After the tour, we went to my room, where all of his albums are kept, and thumbed through three of them. The first one was of Beau as a teenager, his buddys, cars, his truck of trucks and his high school flame Adrianne. So beautiful that they're high school sweathearts. We then looked through another album of a year or two into their engagement and then early on into their marraige. The third album . .. . the one with me running naked in was great. He had a number of pages of the crew team, various races and practices. Beau and I were always arm and arm in the photos. Brought back some great memories. Right outside Beau and Adrianne's bedroom are two photo collages. One of the photos are of Beau, I and the crew team.
Hearing Beau speak of his last year at Delaware, how much fun he had with the team and how important we were to him really made me feel special. Having relatively few memories of my time there it's really nice to hear that I was alive, a good person and a friend.
Todd Gray just left me a message telling me that Saddam Hussein was just captured in Iraq - haaving been hiding under a barn. I'm not sure I am fully grasping the gravity of this yet - I really need to get my hands on a NYTs or the internet soon.
Later, we're all going to their church to hear the girls sing christmas songs. Yay!
9:04pm. My goodness. I am so wiped out. Beau's off playing basketball with a couple of his buddies and Adrianne and the kids are off to shuffy land. Adrianne'll be out of town for the next couple of days at school and the kids have school. What'll Beau and I do tomorrow? I guess we'll see.
O.k., so we went to the church to listen to the christmas songs by the children. God this and God that. Really enough said other than Alyssa and Madison were really cute, as were a few of the other kids there and most of the women wore too much make-up and there was a climbing wall inside the church - literally right behind us during the concert. INSIDE! A climbing wall inside the church.
Before this, Beau brought me to a hardware store because he needed a new laundry room door on account of Madison tying Penny, the dog, to the previous door and it having fallen and broken. Fargo is developed. I took a couple of pictures of the Fargo water tower and of Beau when he was driving his cherry red '74 pickup truck. He said that he was going to crash if I kept taking pictures and before we knew it the two cars in front of us had a minor collision. It wasn't my fault.
After church, the one with the climbing wall, we left for home. Did a couple of fishtails in Beau's new Buick and saw some million dollar homes. In Fargo - million dollar homes. We came home and unwound, watched a bit of the news and caught up on the Saddam issue. He's been caught. What happens next? We then ate some white chili prepared by Adrianne and watched a bit more of t.v.. The girls were either watching a movie or running around screaming. Or they were doing both. Kids. Played a game of checkers with Allysa and beat her rotten. The kids also were allowed to open one Christmas present tonight. They both received pyjamas. It was really cute. Allysa said that she would wait till her mommy was home so she could watch her open presents because she knew that her mom loved to watch them open them. Madison was hyper and had to be put to bed. Kids. It's 9:15pm and I'm zonked. I've brushed my teeth, talked to my parents and am about to crawl into bed right after I plug in my chargeables.
This wireless keyboard is working out real well. Snore. Snorrrrrre. Bed. Wait for me. Night for now.
Tomorrow I must remember to pick up post cards.

12/15/03
2:17pm.
I just finished wrapping a stereo system for Alyssa. The dimensions of the box were probably 2.5' x 2.5' x 4'. I've never wrapped such big box, but I think that I did a pretty good job.
Today, Beau and Madison woke me up at around 10am. I had slept for a good 13 hours. I really needed that big time. Took a quick shower - shaved the parts of my beard that I'd missed the day before and ate some berry cherrios for break-fast.
We dropped Madison off at her pre-school and did some re-con photocopying. Then off for snowy tour of Fargo - we should be getting close to 8" today.
Right now Beau's upstairs in the garage filling up the snow-mobiles with gas.
For lunch Beau and I went to Hooters. 10 wings each. Waitress had a huge chest. And we think it was real.
I think we're about to go snow-mobiling so I'm going to sign off for now.
5:29
hi-from Madison
12/16/03
12:21pm
Just finished quite the day. After lunch at Hooters, Beau and I did a bit of Snowmoblling. We took Penny along - boy can that girl run!!! It was great - what a rush. Lots of snow, riding up the banks and, well, almost making it to the top. We were out for just about an hour - my goggles all fogged up and the dog tired, Beau decided to call it a day.
We went off to pick up the girls from babysitting and from daycare and came on home. Ate some dinne - I helped myself to another round of Adriannes white chili and a couple handfuls of chocolate covered raisins and peanut m&ms.
After dinner we hit the driveway. -Oh before that and just after snowmobiling I tried to tackle Beau in the snow - the short of it is is that he had me on my back in under 10 seconds. Anyway, oh, and we armwrestled too - he beat me three times in a row. I'm thinking that I'll take him in tomorrow. He's got a golfball in his forearm when he flexes it so I don't feel too badly losing to him.
Right, hitting the driveway - we brought out the snowblower - which I manned and Beau, and for a little while Madison, was on the shovels. Not the easiest thing to do - snowblow a big driveway, even with power wheels and chains on them too.
After that we watched a bit of t.v., FearFactor - the contestants had to ride a scooter on a beam high up and well, they dropped the scooter and it broke. But they also had to eat deer testicles. Yuck.
The girls went to sleep and the boys came over. Ken, a big man - tall dark and handsom - sells insurance and real nice fella. Jeff, stock trader and a pretty boy - finalist on 'hunky husbands' from the Regis and Kelly show, quick wit and funny as heck. And Paul, Beau's neighbor - cracked me up - sells tires and reaffirmed my thoughts that I put the new tires on the back was a bad idea.
We played a couple of rounds of pool, had a few beers and mixed drinks. Learned a new game where you place two balls right on each pocked and three in a triangle on one of the dots. Key is to get as many in in without scratching. Eh, I played alright. Paul was great - told a story about how his pop, when he'd lose to him when he was a kid, would take out the level and say that the table was off. A riot.
Plans are to snowmobile all day - the conditions are supposed to be great for there were high winds and they'll create some nice bluffs to run up. Should be a good time. Hope I don't die. Eh, if I do? Had a good life. Indeed. Definitely a good life.

12/16/03
8:00pm. Beau's out getting Scarface, the movie - we're going to watch it because we couldn't get a babysitter for the girls. We were supposed to go to the cigar bar, but to tell the truth, we're both worn out.
We went snowmobiling again today. As predicted, the drifts were really high and the snowmobiling was great. Well, it was fun for me, that is when I wasn't stuck in 4' of snow and having to dig myself out. Actually, what would really happen was that I would try and ride up the sides of the ditches we were in, and in a few I was o.k., but more often than not, I'd get stuck stuck stuck and Beau would have to come back after, i guess, realizing that I was no longer behind him, and lift my machine out of the snow. He must have dug me out 5 or 6 times today. He's real beat up.
After playing with the snowmobiles, I went to take a shower but couldn't get myself off the bathroom floor - all carpeted - I was so sore. I then shaved and showered. Then I made myself a pancake, peanut butter, butter and sausage sandwich. Beau went to pick up the girls and I fell asleep real fast.
Talked to Reynaldo before about my coming out to SF. I was going to try to stay here in Fargo for a little while longer, but Amtrak was all sold out. I'll get there around the 20th.
CorrieDarling E-mailed me and we're going to try and get together while I'm out in SF.
Looks like I'm going to go to this Zen Buddhist retreat - if someone's reading this and this thing turns out to be a cult, get me out, if i'm still in after a week, I must have been brainwashed - where we're going to farm and meditate - $15/day includes food.
Off to call mom and dad.
11:38pm.
Beau and I just finished watching 'Scarface' with Al Pacino. What a movie. I'm sore as hell and am going to get ready for bed. Ouch.
One more day in Fargo, ND. I'm going to do some laundry, read a bit and take Beau's family out for dinner. Still sore. Ouch.

12/17/03
10:33am. Beau woke me up this morning at around 8. Ate breakfast and watched a video that Beau shot during first year of crew down in Delaware. My goodness. First off, what shape I was in!!! O.k., now's the time. I'm going to get back into shape. Anway, Beau filmed us rowing at the Schukyll river down in Philadelphia, at the UD boathouse down in Wilmington, at Maria's (our coxwain) house - pool party, I got naked. We apparently did erg peices when we were really drunk. Josh Franzel, Deva Ramanan, Beau Flom, Maria, Joel, Phil Fritz were all there. Phil was walking around with a bandage on his upper right thigh for getting gored by a stern of another crew's boat while playing frisbee. Beau, walking around with a bandaged knee - we were a fine bunch.
Beau caught a lot of that year - our last practice, carving the dock with FLOM, practicing starts with the crew, the women's crew drinking champaign and eating strawberries. Beau was really the leader of that year - such a role model in my life. Still is.
I've just put a load of laundry in the washer and Beau's off to work for a couple of hours. Just me and Penny.
10:47pm
What a long day. My final day here in Fargo, ND - for now anyway. Let's see, what happened since Beau left this am? Hmmm . .. . Well, we toured around Fargo some more with Madison in the backseat. He took me to the plot of land that he'd like to build his dream house on. Oh yeah! Before he left for work he showed me his plans for this house. Details as only Beau could have, down to the flickering lights in the wine cellar. After the tour de Fargo we met up with Adrianne and Alyssa for dinner at Pizzeria Unos. Yummy. After that we went to go home but stopped by the liquor store and as Beau was picking out a bottle a the manager comes over and recognizes Beau. As it turns out, Beau had operated on this man a while back - very close case, Beau later related to me - and bought a bottle for him. Then we stopped at the grocery and I picked up a couple of Benadryl for the train ride - must must must sleep this time.
Came home and the girls opended their presents - Madison, a polar bear book, Alyssa, her stereo. A little less than excited, Alyssa was, having wanted a tool box.
After that I wrote a bunch of postcards and had Alyssa write hi_____ for me on them. Really cute. Later Beau and I played some pool and threw some darts.
Then we had the crazy idea to look up and call Phil Fritz. Beau had his parent's number and we ended up getting a hold of him! He's now in Washington state and will be, get this, passing through Fargo in a couple days - he'll get a chance to see Beau. He's now married to a military officer and will be attending maritime graduate school in nyc over the next 2.5yrs. Looks like we'll be seeing a bit of Phil soon - apparently he's had a t-shirt of mine since 97/98 and'll give it on back to me next time we get together.
Then I packed and I now have just about 4hrs to sleep before I must rise for the train. Argh.
Oh! And while playing pool, Beau poured us both a shot of our Skippy - half a shot actually, as we're going to sip it for years to come. He's going to ship it out to home for I'm afraid of breaking it during the trip. Plus it's bulky and weighs a bit;) Good night!
Great trip so far. Great trip indeed.
12/18/03
11:17am. On the train - Williston, ND. I got on the train and the terrain was flat. I slept for 3hrs and the trerrain was flat. I went to the vista car and the terrain was a little bumpy, but flat nonetheless. Now, after a 2hr nap, in Williston, the terrain, again, is flat. And the snow. The snow is consistent with bare patches and snow drifts due to high winds. Through the night I was able to see out a few feet from the window and the loose snow was wisping past the windows from the train's motion.
I'm a bit thirsty and the water I bought in Chicago tastes a bit foul. The train is about 85% full and my seat buddy just moved to an empty two with an outlet. So, now I have an empty two seats. Oh and there's the man that keeps walking up and down with his ass-crack peeking out. Not an attractive sight. Here he comes . . . I'll let you know the status . . .. Yessiri Bob, it's plain as day. I just saw a young man walking with an Amtrak blanket - Wondering if they're for the taking. I'm going to go take a looksee.
6:44pm. The young man behind me is on the phone with his mother and just said that it was so cool, a guy was kicked off the train and sheriffs came on and everything - then he said that he needed new ballet slippers. Quite a juxtaposition. Anyway.
Yes there was a man who was kicked off the train earlier today. He was really drunk and apparently the Amtrak workers warned him to stop drinking, but he continued. The sheriffs came on and took him off peacefully. I was really perturbed by this because I had not heard or witnessed the man being warned and it seemed as though they were taking him off the train for other reasons - he was Hispanic. Also, it was the lounge attendant, Amtrak personnel, who sold him the beer in the first place. He wasn't being violent, only a little loud, but he was in the lounge car. I asked the conductor about it but he put it formulaicly - he was drunk, he was warned, he continued to drink. I said o.k. because we were in nowhereville Montana and I was in my pyjamas.
Later, after a nap or two and a bunch of Hemmingway, I went down to the lounge car to eat my tunafish. I ended up meeting a fascinating woman, Clemine McCarthy, 83 year old, and we talked for a bit. We spoked of the dying domestic production and how everything is being shipped abroad. She said that she would never buy anything from Asia because of the labor standards. Rock on. And she still downhill skis and speedskates. Lives in the Twin Cities in MN. There were these two guys who were playing cards for cigarrettes and one of them was a magician and did some really neat tricks with cards.
After some time, Clemine came looking for me and gave me the rest of her chicken dinner - full with fruit, cake and a roll. We spoke of some of her family - her brothers and sisters are still alive - she's the middle child. The only one who's passed is one of her sisters who was a smoker - 3 packs a day. I asked if she was on E-mail - she's not. But said that I could giver her mine and that she'd get an account. I ended up filling out a postcard with her address and will send it to her when I get a chance.
I just heard a man say, on the train everything slows down, nobody on the train is in a hurry. Yes!
12/19/03
3:07am. Slept for a bit. Woke up in Spokane, WA for the train swap - the Seattle train broke off the Portland train. Now awake, I belive I'll read some Faulkner - As I Lay Dying. Finished For Whom the Bell Tolls - brought a tear, a few, what description of death and life and life in death and death in life.
12/17/03
7:35am. Just met this woman down in the lounge car - who just made a a comment that I called her on. She's staying in the sleeper car and said that the people are more interesting, I said in what way, and she said they were more educated, but what she really was saying is that they are cleaner and had m ore money. I know she felt my disgust with the comment.
This morning, when we came into Spokane, WA, a delightful woman sat next to me. We talked of politics and trade etc. She's visiting her daughter in SF. Her husband recently died and she's trying to figure out where she want's to live.
We're now riding parallel to the Columbia River - everything is a shade of brown, a few lights here and there. Just ate an oatmeal raisin cookie and drank a nice cup of coffee. I think it's time for some Faulkner.
We should be in Portland in a couple of hours and I'm hoping that I'll get the chance to walk around the city a bit. I hear i'ts only a 5 or 6 block walk to the center, and since I have about 3 hours - must make sure of this - I'll be able to grab a nice lunch and see a bit of town. WIll there be Yellow Bikes?
The landscape about the river remind me of my time on the Isle of Mull. Rocks of deep brown and land of expired green grass. I can really see where the glaciers of time past ripped through here creating all sorts of wild rock and land formations.
Do you think there are refills on coffee? Let's go and see.
8:48pm. Now on the Portland - SF leg of my trip. Earplugs in. Stuffy nose. Drunk woman to my rear left. Once crying baby one seat in front. Read the NYTs. Started Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying', a bit confusing for all the interruptions of the train that are inevitable. The croak of the calf rest, the cry of a baby, the 'scuse me' down the aisle, the sway of the car, giggles, numbness in one or more of my limbs, stuffy noses, adjusting passengers, slightly above whispering whisperers, talkers, cell-phone talkers, baby talkers, earphones loud enough to feed the ears of three around, rwooooshing of trains passing, need to use the restroom, wedgies, loudspeaker announcements so repetitive and unnecessary - the dining car is now closed i repeat the dining car is now closed. So, I've started Lolita, by Nabakov.
I started this book while talking with Dan - the bearded 21 yr old who had an anecdote for all the ills of society. Granted, he's done a great deal of cool stuff in his day - hoboing on rail cars, eurailing in Europe, squating, boat-building etc.
We met at Union station in Portland when we were about to board, getting our boarding passes - which turn out to be slips of white paper with your destination's initials written in marker. We talked about Socialism, Democracy, the state of affairs and Libertarians etc. He said, to my social democratic views, that the Nazis had great health care. Again, a pointed anecdote, but lacking in generalizability. He was using the connotation of Nazi to say that all welfare-states are doomed for dictatorship.
O.K., must charge - wouldn't want to lose this log.
9:44pm. Charged a bit - at 64%. Still have a stuffy nose and the drunk girl to my back left has fallen asleep, after professing her desire for the young man she was set next to.
Today in Portland I started out my journey toward the center of town with Joanne from Union Station. With close to 4 hours to see the city, I chose to do just that. As we walked up 5th Ave, past the bus stops which all had t.v. screens showing the status of the busses, we reached the Court house square. We broke rank at the front of Nordstroms - Joanne to windowshop, me to coffee/tea. I bought the NYTs in a Starbucks and drank some passion tea. Left after a breif while, realizing that I had been sitting for the most part of a week and could use the exercise. So I walked around some more and stopped for a burrito at a great mexican place just around the block. After eating, I realized that I had left my gloves in the Starbucks, so I tried to retrace my steps. . .. A half an hour later the young man behind the Starbucks counter asked me what color they were as held them gamishly behind his back. After that hike, I decided to walk some more but was lured into a Peets Coffee - had some Earl Grey coffee and some quality people watching. 20 minutes later I was on my way back to Union Station where I was flagged down by Joanne who had been sitting there since an hour after our split for her back was hurting her.
Now I sit, (my seat buddy listening to his cd player in the lounge car), right leg up with its foot on my left leg's ankle - making a quarter cube with my legs. Ear plugs are still in and I haven't heard from Reynaldo's roomate Karen. Granted my phone is not getting reception. There could be worse places in the world to be stranded in at 9am than San Francisco. The drunk girl is still sleeping, the baby is not crying, the leg rests are not croaking. I am growing tired. Just as tired as I was 10 hours ago in Portland, but now with the luxury of sleep at a tilt of my head.
Tomorrow will be.
12/21/03
8:07am. Witht a quick glance, I think that in my daze of Amtrak, the dates above might have been a little off. To refresh - I left Fargo, ND on the 18th am and reached San Francisco on the 20th am. Today is one day later.
Yesterday I awoke around 7am on the train of trains going south from Portland to Emryville. The stop or two before I got off, Robert and I chatted for quite a bit. I wish I took his information, I would have liked to stay in touch. He really wasn't too enthralled with the train and is inclined to take the bus next holiday season. It's the rolling factor that he can't read or sleep. On his way out he called for me to have a great trip. That of course is inevitable.
Joanne and I left the train together and foun the bus to San Francisco. I carried her bag for her and she offered her daughter to take me to Reyn's house. On the bus, Joanne and I met these two attractive and young women who were Amtraking the West coast. Their home base was New Mexico and at least one of them was really religious - the one with the lipstick, curly pulled back black hair - the one I though was cute until she mentioned her beliefs. Anyway, called Reyn three times before he called me to come meet him at his place.
When he called me, Joanne, Christina, Joanne's daughter, and I walked around the farmer's market at the Ferry port. We grabbed breakfast tamales. Mine pumkin. Yum. We left our standing table under an awning outside hiding from the rain. It took us a good 2 times as long as a cab would have to get me to Reyn's house for we got lost a few times. Well, I got to appreciaite the steepness of the city's hills. My goodness - we're talking 20-30% grades. Maybe more. Well, we made it to Reyn's house - exchanged information and a possible get together sometime this week.
Reyn's house - a yellow split level - he has the bottom - filled with funky furniture and hightech music equipment. Hardwood floors. Black upright piano. Paintings by his roomate Karen - an architect, spunky, cooler than I'll ever be. The kitchen is her studio - easle. Paintings. Paint. Backyard. Three cats - all fat or big or big and fat. Fish - such you'd see in a sushi restaurant. Constant ripple of water. Pleasant. Living room. Red painted on bottom half of walls. Salmon painted above. It works. Books. Travel books. Hiking books. Art books. A western civ book. And books with smaller titles I can't make out fron the longer couch facing the fish in the foyer.
Reyn, I, Karen and Reyn's sometime lover, friend and full time music engineer and part time rockstar, Andrew go off to brunch. Avoided the first of two results of a non-curbed dog yesterday and had brunch - the tables, strips of colord and fancied wood - laquered and apparently not very hard to make. We ate. Dropped off Karen and scrambled Reyn to the airport for his flight to JFK. Did so and on time despite my falling asleep in the back. Andrew then dropped me off and talked about his industry, his relation to Reyn, though he didn't mention the lover part, gave a little, from-highway, tour of the city. I ate around 22 sprees.
Came home and read a bit of Lolita. Forgetting that Nabokov is writing of a young girl, I find myself getting excited, then remembering it's about a little girl, quickly unexciting myself - ick. Fell asleep for about a half an hour in Reyn's room - a pad, much more comfortable than mine in Boston. Used Daniel's blue sleeping bag.
Awoke and went in search of food and coffee. Found food, no coffee. The corner of Folsom and 13th - about a 25minute walk from 942 York st a store, organic of course, under Reyn's suggestion. Got some stuff - minimal - yogurt, pita bread. 2 bannanas, 2 apples, soup mix, and a tomatoe. It came to $10 even. Walked home, in search of the coffee shop Karen recommended, didn't find it. Came home, made the soup for today, ate some yogurt - strawberry - granola, mesculin mixed salad (i bought this too) and green tea. Read some more of Nabokov's Lolita and went to bed after some cuddling time with the gray cat. The big gray cat.
Now awake, about to have breakfast and then off the the Golden Gate bridge. Yes.
12/22/03
9:10am. Sitting in Ja'Valencia for the 2nd time in as many days. Just having surfed the Net for a half an hour, I settle to write up yesterday's happenings.
Woke up relatively early yesterday morning and wrote the previous day's happenings. After that hopped on Reyn's bike and took a cycle over the Golden Gate Bridg. From Reyn's house in the Mission to the Bridge was quite a trip. I really had no clue how far it was going to be. Anyway, I made it, having taken plenty of pictures to document - most striking was the view of the GGbridge from right below it with the ARMY vehicle in protection.
The bridge is long - I asked someon who mentioned that it was a mile and a half long. It sure seemed longer due to the wind and the uphillness toward Marin Countty. I spent the morning and into the early afternoon in Presido. Double latte. Veggie pizza. Window shopping. Public restroom. Crabs on rocks. Expensive bicycles. Beautiful weather. Lolita. The ride back.
Having worn cargo pants a 3/4 sleeve shirt and a backpack, I was hardly prepared for this trek. From start to finish, my day on the bike was about 6 or 7 hours.
Phoned Sara from Botson and decided to get together here at Ja'Valencia for coffee at around 4. Turned out to be 5 after the ride home. Shower. Meeting Julius and Noah from 3degreesglobal.com., friends of Karen. Rode the bike here. Met up with Sara and friends. Angel. Ellie. Angel is this adorably sexy woman. Hair short. Body. Smile. Ended up sitting on my lap on the way to their house for dinner, which we never ate because of ex-boyfriend drama.
Called Sara last night after she dropped my bike and I off on some random, albeit level with the Mission, street. Thanked her for meeting me - she's off to Virginia this am and then off to Madasgar with Kelly come the 1st of Jan. Asked her to pass along my number to her roomies - Angel. We'll see. In all likelihood, this is a no.
While feeling a bit out of place at Sara's, and completely faintingly famished, I walked to Trader Joes and tried to whip up something for everyone back at Sara's. Turned out we had less time than we thought so I just opened up the chocolate rasberry covered sticks and shared. Brought the pasta, broccoli and etc back to Reyn's place. Cooked for till 1030 or so. Spilled my green tea 2 or three times and pissed off Karen's gray cat. Went to bed and woke up with the bluish grey light of the morning.
Plans for today include cycling as little as possible. Calling Syed. Possibly writing a letter. Lolita. Possibly Walden. Plan something for this evening. Plan a hike or Berkely for tomorrow. Eat some fruit. And possibly some veggies.
10:59am. Peet's Coffee in Castro - the gay neighborhood Reynaldo had told me about the other day. It is quite gay. I love it. I cannot be sure why I do. Getting hit on is always a plus in my book. As I am at this time - he seems like a nice man - a little man. Talking to my about my little computer - people, surprisingly, are still wowed by technology. Not that I'm not doing this for attention - I'm quite liking the attention people give me. I always have. I think I always have. Actually, I remember, when a child, that in the same kind as I would crave the attention, I was frightened by it three-fold. Attention and lipstick.
11:47am. Still at the coffee shop. Still reading Lolita. Still watching the men watching the men watching the men and possibly me. Wearing Reynaldo's light brown military sweater. A bit hungry. Thinking of a fixed sandwich.
Dad just called a few minutes ago. He's in New Haven getting a part for his plane. It occured to me that I am less than pleasant with him while on the phone. I really want to make an effort to be nicer from now on. Maybe nice is the wrong word. I'd like to ask him how he's doing. What he's thinking. What he's about. Till now, with a few abberations, it's been about me with him. Does he crave to talk about his life? Who does he talk to about his fears and aspirations? Mom? I'm sure he does. Mom has Miriam and her sisters. Dad has Mom. He has a few other friends, Steve Lieter - but is he a close friend or just an old one? I'm going to call him now.
11:59am. Just called him. He's doing well. Small strokes. Talked about the terror situation. About Saddam. About his trip to Buffalo yesterday. Etc. Very pronounced 'I love you' at the end of our conversation as if to make sure I knew it in case something were to happen. Something can happen. What if something happened? We would be ultimately depressed. Man, I don't want to think about it. I do. But not now. Soon maybe. Men here are very good dressers.
12/23/03
11:09am. Sitting in Ja'Valencia again, having just inhaled a garlic bagel and cream cheese and about to refill my coffee. $.50 a cup.
Yesterday after Castro - I did do a bit more wandering around, some more tea in other tea houses, bought a yellow t-shirt. Went for home, almost completely tired, took a nap. Slept for an hour and a half, awoke, read, wandered around town, grabbed a burger at the burger joint, bought two guinnesses, went home, drank one. Fell asleep after playing Reyn's piano - trying to recall Moonlight Sonata - and his guitar, paying a bit of what I only know. I must, if I'm to continue playing, learn some new stuff.
Awoke this morning to the low humming of my cell phone atop Reyn's black piano. I was Joanne - from Amtrak - we made plans to get together for breakfast tomorrow in the am.
For today I'll be meeting up with Corrie from Oxford and her mother at the SFMOMA. There are so many attractive people in SF. There are so many poor and homeless people here - mostly Anglo-Americans.
Now I'm going to use the internet - $2 for 30minutes - to check if anyone replied to my Craigslist ad for coffee and a walk in the strictly plutonic category.
12/24/03
11:55am. Slowly, my wake uptime is extending to the later part of the am. This is unfortunate as there's much more to see during the day!
Yesterday, I went downtown to meet up with Corrie and Mother. Did. Met , as well, Corrie's spelling be buddy from way back, William - Harvard grad and not pretentious in the least bit. I waited for thm for a while, read, ate, talked with todd on the phone. They came and we went into the SFMOMA. What a place! The architecture had me at hello. Really, it was sleek, minimal, black, white, steel. And I didn't even mind checking my blue bag.
I snuck a few pictures. A few goffy ones an a couple of paintings/sculptures I enjoyed.
After we left, I said goodbye and bought a couple of cookies and a bit of milk from Mrs. Fields. Yum. I've been eating junkfood like it's my job.
Took a rail car - not a fancy one - but electric nonetheless - to Castro to meet with craigslisters. They dissed me. Well, one did. But before that I had a really good slice of Hawaiian pizza. Went to the movie - Vertigo, Hitchcock - and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Laughing out loud during some parts. Before the movie, which was shown in this 1922 movie theather, there was an organist playing. The best organist I've ever heard. It was a big deal. Spotlights and everything. As he finished, he sunk into the front of the stage with applause , bowed, and the movie started.
After a late start to my day, I'v come to a really interesting coffee shop on 16th street. Good music, soft voices and cheap coffee. Trying to figure out what I'll do tonight and tomorrow during the Christmasing. A SF weekly shipment just came in. I'll check it out.
12/25/03
12:38pm. Coffee shop. Christmas. New age music. Man with worn blue nailpolish, khaki Scottsman skirt on. Beautiful day. Thinking of going to the Golden Gate Park. Only a bit away according to the map, but not elevation wise. Maybe, but for now I'll recount yesterday's happenings.
After the 16th street coffee shop I headed out, yet again, to Castro. Thinking that I would go to the SF Gay Mens chorus at the Castro theater. First I stopped off at Peet's coffee because I was well, looking to sit. Earl Gray - free, tips go to charity. What an idea! Sat. Recognized the man to my left. Memories of Ward Melville. Friends of the Feldmans or such others from then.
Read a bit of Lolita. This book is going quite slow. Hoping to finish it today and get on to Walden. The man next to me, wearing a red, black and white scarf, tall and black - must be a professor. His friend left, I asked what college his scarf belonged. Davenport of Yale. Ahh. He's a lawyer, not an interesting field, but makes plenty of money. We talked for a bit about NY and the feel of SF. He left.
I interrupted the man I had recognized and his three friends sitting to my left. He did go to WM. His name, Gabriel. Apparently I am not the only one to conveniently forget my highshool years. He keeps in touch with Kerri Willa - my class's valedictorian. Anyway, he's a nice guy and I gave him my contact info if he'd like to stay in touch.
After this, I made my way to the Castro theater and bought a ticket from a man in front of the theater. The 1000 capacity theater was packed. The chorus was probably 80 men. One on piano. A Female, apparently celebrated, conductor. Reindeer hasts and bells and lights. They were fantastic. A few skits throughout and a guest star who they could have done without.
I am typing on my wireless minicomputer and there is a man rumaging through the garbage outside looking for what I presume to be food. I am full.
A man, during an auction to conduct a one Fa la la song, bid $750. He got to keep the baton.
After the show, I went to another coffee shop by Reyn's in the Mission. Went home and veged out to the t.v. until I was quite tired enough to read one chapter of Lolita and fall asleep.
12/26/03
12:55pm. Once again Santa missed my chim(i)ney. No worries - I really have no need for anything.
Sitting here on another side of the Mission that I was not aware existed - 24th street. The only reason I came here in the first place is because yesterday, when asking for directions from a fellow on the street back to here from the GG park, he said you'll pass 16th and then 24th as if they were the important streets and the others were just in between. So this morning after doing eating yogurt and granola, some chips and soda, shaving, showering, laundry and falafel, I'm in a coffee shop called Muddy's - not Muddy Waters down Valencia street, another coffee shop. I know, confusing. . . vibration. . . left pocket. Suuasanstolz. . .. Asking me to be careful about the possible cult I may be going to tomorrow - the Green Gulch center. She wants me to watch my protein intake. She's also wondering if a 38 yr old is too old for her. I was quite indifferent wanting to get back to my medium coffee, which is actually a small.
So yesterday after the coffee shop, I decided to take a ride to the GG park. Glad I did. Glad I didn't have Reyn's hill-map of SF. Ended up climbing most of the way there, only to realize that there was a quicker, flatter route a couple of blocks away. It felt good though, to climb the hills that is. Just crossed my legs into indian style.
I feel a bit out of it today. Today is the brightest blue it's been since coming here. I'm surrounded by brown. The coffee shop is quite brown - the same walls as Muddy Waters down the street actually - brown stained floors, tables, benches - on which I am sitting - donned in my brown cords, brown long sleeved shirt and my ever browning hair.
So, yes, yesterday, I rode to the GG park, rode around above 'no bicycles' painted sidewalks, thinking that that meant days other than slow ones such as yesterday, being christmas and all. It was quite uncrowded. I sat and watched a soccer game, peered in the windows of the botanical gardens and rode past drummers and hackey sack players.
Yes, I am quite out of it. I feel as if I had just smoked some weed. I have not, yet the same cloud seems to be constricting my eyes, my forhead and my sense of balance and space seem as it had during my Delaware days.
Someday I hope to put my Delaware feelings on paper. I think it would be good for me.
But for today, with a full stomach and Thoreau's Walden within my reach, nothing much troubles me here on 24th street and Valencia.
12/27/03.
10:04am. It is the day Reynaldo and I go off to Green Gulch - I think Mom thinks this place is a cult too. She needed the exact spelling of it last night, where I slowly released 'Jones Town', Dad laughed as he was on the line as well.
I heard Reyn come in last night around 3ish this am. My back is again quite sore from sleeping on my tummy last night - I start off so well! With a folded blanket beneath my knees and all. Anyway, I can stretch.
So yesterday, after Muddys coffee shop - incidentally where I am at this very moment - I strolled a bit up and down Valencia. I stopped in one of the bike shops and got the bug for Mountain biking again. I'll probably get the bug real bad, buy another etc. What about my unicycle???? I still want to learn that.
Afterward I went home and read a bit, ate some icecream and ordered chinese - the special was A:'i don't want to cook'. !They just turned off Gwen Stefani!!!!!! I can't believe they, the baristas, just did that!!! So yes, I just went home and read, did some e-mailing etc and went to bed. I wish I was brought up in SF and not in suburban LI. But I guess I can do that for my children. Someday I'll explore my childhood. That'd be good for me.
1/2/04
5:29pm. Sitting in Reyn's house, listening to a cd of Karen's - spoken word house music. Reyn is shaving his head in the bathroom.
The past six days have been some of the best of my life. I spent, with Reynaldo and myself, 5 days at Green Gulch Zen Buddhist Monestary. Hold - I need to touch up Reyn's hair . . . done. Looks good. Reyn asked what this little computer was - I said I kept my journal on it. . . and that he was in it. We laughed - he was like . . . Yeah, journal, I went to SF it was cool. Anyway.
I'm not sure if I have the time right now to put into words my experience at Green Gulch. So for now I'm going to make a list to spark my memory:
Guest Student
Sweeping the road
Dishes
Cleaning
Cloud hall
Bathrooms
Bedroom - sheets in cloud hall basement
Zendo
Zazen
Jane - our leader
Dolly, Rinda, Shannon, Katie, Sandra, Mark, Reynaldo, Jennifer
Zafu
Kneeling
New Years Eve/day
Ocean
Horses
Taking pictures
Hike up mountain
Lynn
Noah - 23yr old aspiring priest
Chess
Gruel
Food
Morning Soji
No shoes
'Ring the Bell'!
Chanting
Diasho
Acirya
Wake-up bell
Chopping Jalapenos
Mindfullness
Counting breaths
Mark - Berkley, american studies
Sandra - PhD Pepperdine - org.beh.
Numbness
Sake - new years day
Ringing the gong
Pun pun pun pun pun
1 shower
Lavender
Bowing
Silence - 10mins after meal starts
Tea and lots of it
Avocado salad dressing - yogurt base yum yum yum
Bon fire
Sitting zazen 5:40am, 5:15pm - darkness
Rainstorm during Zazen
Monks/priests
Shaved heads
Square cloth around neck and chest for monks
Incense
Dark staircase to Zendo
Step over door way with leg closest to the hinge of door
Being tired
Gratefulness
Dogma/Dogen
WPA - work practice assistant
Rhinda - travelling the world - small towns, for two years - she's 30! Looks 17
Dolly teaching Mark Reyn and I how to make a crane and a lotus boat out of oragami - my giving the crane I made to Daniel, a resident at GG - unshaven black beard, slight, cook.
Dreads and lots of them
Sitting zazen on the floor - mat, kneeling bench - residents on holy platform in front of guest students
Hike up the hill with reyn - jennifer, shannon and mark stayed on the beach
Taking pictures of kungfu
Reaching the top, seeing SF, taking pictures, realizing we had only 20+ mins to get back for zazen and running/skipping/walking back - fast - making it with little to no time to spare
Ryo - WPA - from Japan, little English - will travel U.S. Via Amtrak after his assistantship
607pm. About to sit zazen with Reyn in his apt.
Today, again not to forget - a list:
Woke up late, around 11am - Reyn's room, the one with the bed, gets literally no sunlight
Rode bikes to Rainbow to shop
Stopped for indian buffet - poor service
I rode Karen's orange bike - with the steel frame made by her x-boyfriend
Shopped
Rode home
Did laundry
Talked with Becca
Left a message for both Megan in Austin and brian swerdloff in NY - haven't talked to him in a good year or two
Shaved, showered
Put on house music
About to sit.

1/5/04
9:57am. On the train. Right hand side. Sunny. Comfortable. Relatively uncrowded, with predictions of crowds in the near future. The schedule suggests that we'll have daylight for most of the way through Nevada. We'll sleep through part of Nevada and Utah, and have daylight for some of Utah and Colorado until just before Denver. Nebraska will pass without light, but Iowa looks promising the whole way through. Then on in to Galesburg, Illinois in the daylight on through to Springfield where I'll catch the southern route to Austin.
Everyone I've told this itinerary to has seemed confused. Why would you go all the way to Chicago? They would ask. And simply it's because I want to see the country. And i will.
Well, once again, I seem to be on the wrong side of the train - the water being on the left and I on the right with blinding sun. I squint as I type. The conductor said to trust him that the landscape will be great on both sides in no time. He's been working on the train for 5 years. I don't know his name.
The past two days, I haven't written in this journal/trip log. Partly because Reynaldo and I have been together night and day for the past while and partly because it's hard to suspend your day to sit and write. So the detail of yesterday and the day before will be lost somewhat as I try to recall them on the California Zephyr.
On the third, Reyn and I went to sit zazen at the SF city center. We met up with Lantz - 35 yr old monk, rockstar, singer etc. I don't know what it is about SF, but the middle aged don't seem middle aged. At all. Well, we went to sit zazen, riding there we worked up a bit of a heavy breath so it was nice to relax. Our shoes off, a wooden kneeler in my arm, we entered. It was not silent. In Green Gulch, you could literally hear a pin drop when sitting. Here in the city center, the streets were ful with motors rumbling, kids screaming, planes soaring etc. It was very difficult to concentrate on not cocentrating. The sun! In my eyes! Anyway, we made it for the 40 minutes, albeit my left leg fully asleep and went with Lantz out to breakfast. We ate at the, where did we eat, oh, the squat and gobble. Great food. I'll never be as cool as some of the people in there.
We sat and ate for a good while, talked about all sorts of stuff I'm forgetting about - mostly sexuality, buddhism, child hood, rearing etc. Then Lantz left for the city center where he's a resident.
So Reyn and I cycled to Upper Haight and walked around a bit. I scraped my leg on Karen's orange and steel wire bike. We talked with Derek Rider on the phone and checked out a couple of electric pianos in a great music shop.
At around 2:15pm we headed back to the city center to watch the Jukai ceremony - where people take/give precepts, accept the way of life. Rwoooooooosh. It was both an intense and lighthearted ceremony, with laughter and ritual. Lots of incense and mantra. After the hour long ceremony, we stayed for the tea and cookies.
Later that day, though I could be forgetting something (like how I cooked my 1st date meal of balsamic vinegrette portabello mushrooms etc for Reyn and I for dinner), Karen, Reyn and I went to go see big fish. (Oh and the night before, we went to see it and it was sold out, so we ate at the theater and rented Norfolk). The movie made me cry. The young woman next to me and I went through a number of tissues each. What a beautiful story about a man's stories.
Then we went to sleep.
Yesterday, the fourth, Reyn, Karen and I had a really late start. Reyn and I woke up at around 11am and hung around after my making us breakfast - scrambled eggs, vegetables and chocolate chips. After this we were trying to figure out how to get to see the Red Woods in Muir Woods, but settled for China town. We ate at this great restaurant called . . .? But it was definately chinese. We then walked around for quite a bit, I bought 7 post cards for a dollar - later, down the same block, seeing 10 for a dollar!!! I also bought Reyn and Karen a little cat with it's right paw up - it supposedly means good fortune or something else like that. After walking around we went for coffee at Cafe Greco - had pleasant converration, revolving around Amelie the movie, not-for-profits and labor issues. After coffee, we stopped in a bookstore called City Lights - apparently the publisher for Jack Keruac. What a store - full with signs that said, sit and read a book. So cool. Lots of alternative media and progressive publications.
Then we came home. I scooted off the Rainbow grocery store to pack a bit of food for the trip. Then came back to pack and relax. I did. I packed - seems like less than the last two times I did - and Lantz and Andrew came over for Scrabble. I packed during the big game - Reyn won by a landslide apparently.
On my right, I'm on a bridge, I see probably 50 or so battleships all lined up next to one another in the bay.
I finished up packing and headed to be social. I was. Then Lantz and Andrew left - hugs all around. I like Lantz a-lot. Yes I do.
After they left, Reyn, Karen and I played a game. Reyn won by a landslide, followed by Karen and, well, after a rockin start, I lost by a bunch.
OK, there must be 100 battleships. Wow.
After the game, I fell asleep after hugging Karen.
This morning! Phew! I woke up at 6:25am, woke up Reyn by the bell he bougt for Karen, took a shower and ate a wonderful breakfast, by Reyn . .. Whoa, shaky train. O.k, no more water, mostly flat, with hilly/mountainous terrain. I'd call them hills. Reyn made me tofu with beets and miso soup. So good. Hearty. And! He borrowed Karen's flowered car and drove me to the bus. Big hug. A picture of him by the flowered car. And he was off.
Now I'm on the train.
2:50pm. Still on the train. But now, instead of plains and hills, we're in the Sierras, on our way through Lake Tahoe in a little while. There is snow. And lot's of it. Evergreens lightly salted with it on one or more sides, covered roughly a quarter of the way from the bottom - depending on the height of the tree.
I gave in about 20 minutes ago. I didn't even have a strong craving, but thought it would be nice to have a snickers bar and a soda. I did. A king sized one with a pepsi. Now all I have is a sugar rush/headache and $3.25 less to my name.
We've been sitting still since before I went to get the snack, waiting for another train to pass us. It is as I type. I'ts quite long. Still going.
The snow is white. The train just passed us, we shuld be going shortly. The snow is white. The trees are green. There is a roadway up and to our left. A highway. The snow for 30 or 40 feet on either direction, up or down the burm, is brown to black with soot from the roadway. So in the distance, the roadway looks, as it snakes through the pristine snowy sides, looks wider than it actually is. Isn't that always how it is though? Our attention is always on motion.
This guy, to my front left, just came and sat down, quite apparently from the smoking car - he absolutely stinks of smoke. Not the fresh kind, but the stale ashtray kind. The old ashtray kind. The wet stale and old ashtray kind.
We're still sitting in the same spot. Time, though is really of no consequence to me, the ride is so long, and so beautiful that I'm content to not know or speak of time, but to just live. To live, for I've reserved this time on the train to be away from it all, but really to be a part of it all. A part of it all.
5:47pm.
Reno, NV. The train has poetically pulled and stopped right besides the JQ Men's Club. I guess Reno is a mini Las Vegas. Well, then, I want to see Las Vegas. There are so many lights here. It's pretty beautiful.
The ride from SF, CA to here was quite wonderful. Aside from the scenery of the Sierras, there was this charming man that spoke of the history of our passings. I'm pretty sure he said that he worked at the Sacramento Railroad Museum. A curator or historian of sorts. He spoke of old mill towns, floods, formations, rivers and their routes, new towns, random facts, etc. He was not constantly on the loud speaker, actually, the speaker system was not in great repair, it was in and out. The historian would be just about to finish a story or fact, and cutting out before the name of the lake or before telling us where to look for this or that town or formation etc. He just got off here at Reno. He didn't seem like a betting man. Can a historian be a betting person? Wouldn't the lessons of history shy them away?
Well it's dark and we'll be travelling through NV and on into UT this night. I intend to read a bit more of Walden then off to shuffy land, for I'd like to be up during the morning hours to catch as much of Utah as possible.
1/6/03
8:31MST. Rolling, slowly, through Provo, UT. O.K., speeding up now. Last night was quite long, though my sleep was good. I think I slept close to 8 hours or more. There were probably only 4 or 5 shifts throughout the night and one bathroom break. The best night's sleep yet on this here railway.
The sun is creeping over the mountains blanketed in snow here just outside of Provo. The mountain ranges are many, but separated from eachother with great plains in between.
The young man in the seats across the aisle from me has been sleeping for close to 24 hours straight. I can't remember him being conscious for more than 20 or 30 minutes throughout the ride this far from CA.
About every 7 or 10 minutes there are announcements over the loudspeaker. They 8 times out of 10 center on the closing, opening, about to close and about to open cafe or dining car. They run through the menus and prices. Angus beef burger, $7.25, add cheese for $7.75, add bacon and cheese for $9.00. Seafood salad, $15. Macaroni and cheese for kids, $5 oh, and it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. All meals in the dining car come with bread and butter, water, coffee or tea. Bottled water is $1.75, soda, $1.50. The tables seat four passengers, so if your party contains less than four people, you will be sitting with others in the dining car. If you are paying with a credit card, make sure you bring your ticket stub with you. Sleeping car passengers, alcoholic beverages are not included with your meals, I repeat, alcoholic beverages are not included with your meals.
9:42(I think, we may have reached Central time). But time on the train, with no destination, has no importance. There is dark and there is light. There are sleeping people at all hours. The train rocks and rolls to its own tick and tock. Just got some tea, $1.50, though, as I usually do, I'll squeeze two cups of tea out of the bag. The man who sold this to me has been working for this railroad for over 25 years.
This afternoon I came down to the cafe car that I'm in right now and sat with a woman, I'm forgetting the name, but she was black, in her late 40s or early 50s and wearing a gold and black dressy shirt. Her husband works for the train and she travels with him a couple of times a week. We talked all about her travels on the train and her time, with her first husband who was in the military, in Japan and Italy, her 16days on the battleship from Japan, through Okinawa and Hawaii to the U.S..
After that I met a really great young man, His name is Clayton, I have his contact info, he goes to Boulder University - an environmental science major. He grew up in San Jose California and RV'd all over the U.S., and hiked and camped with his father. He plans on sailing around the world with his family in the future. Anyway, we played a bunch of chess, I'm pretty sure I beat him 2.5 times. The missing .5 is due to the rocking of the ship we're on. We talked mostly in the Vista car above the cafe and there was a woman, with broken leg, sitting to my right. She was a bit lit on alcohol and was in and out of our conversation. I'm pretty sure she's a truck driver, adamantly non-union (I didn't feel the urge to give her my two cents, afterall, we're in the middle of the U.S. and the train is a strange beast).
Clayton and played our first .5 game in the vista car and were interrupted by a town that we got off to stretch and all. I bought two candies, $.50!!! so cheap and 2 sodas, cheap as well. After a bit Clayton and I played a bit more chess down in the cafe car. The cafe bar man, had a bone to pick with Clayton. Something about our playing a long game of chess and how he could beat us with no problem, and Clayton said something, including a curse, and the man gave Clayton a stern warning for cause of the lady in the car.
Then Rodney came, a ponytailed Oregoner. He was a bit pretentious about his chess playing, before we played, but I beat him quite easily.
Then I talked to the young man whos' seat is in front of mine in the coach car. I believe his name is spelled Neemal. He's from Nepal and is going for his masters degree at Western Illinois University in GIS - Geographical Information Systems. He was a fascinating man. I'm sure we'll talk more with the coming day.
Before coming to Illinois - oh, by the way, he's been travelling the states on Amtrak as well for quite a while - he took his undergraduate degree back in Nepal in Forestry. After completing his degree he worked for a National park in Nepal. He told me of a story when he was traking deer - he had previously tagged them with transmitters - in the jungle with his antannea and traking machine and earphones, he knew he was real close to a deer because the beeping was indicating so. He looked up to adjust or to fix or to free his antannea from a branch and right there by his arm and antannea was a python in a striking pose!!! Apparently the Python had eaten the deer and the transmitter along with it. So he dropped his stuff and ran and ran back to the base camp or office through the jungle!!! A PYTHON!!! His leader of the project was at first, well, glad that he didn't die, but worried about the project itself. But then they added another project which followed the python!!!
After this I went down the stairs, went to the bathroom and did my stretching and excercises that I've just started doing with relative regularity.
Then talked a bit more with Naamel. After that I went off to write what I'm writing now and ran into Clayton who was talking to a young, too young - 17 - woman named Ashley. Striking. Crunchy - skirt over jeansish. We talked a bit about her highschool, it being an alternative one, which has an incredible outdoors education program - hiking, self-contained camping etc.
And now, I'm writing, drinking my tea and am flirting with the idea of sleep. It looks as if I may miss my connection to the Texas Eagle on down to Austin, because the train I'm on, the California Zephyr, is running quite late, lots of hours, like five or so. But . . .
1/7/03
11:38am. . . Cafe Car. Omaha Nebraska. Cold.
The but above was interupted by Ashley. Not that I minded th interruption in the least bit. Actually, we talked for a couple of hours down here in the Cafe car. Long past most of the the others were gone - aside from a few rummy cube players. It was night and our conversation revolved around goodness and justice and the lives we want and the lives we've had. We exchanged addresses - snail mail, for she doesn't have an E-mail address. My goodness.
She left due to a cigarrette break, though I was growing quite tired and was about to excuse myself anyway. She recommended a couple of books I might be interested in - 'The Last American Man' and . . . 'Our Town' and 'Price of Peace'.
Though I don't blame it, the sun is in my eyes. So I moved to the other side of the table in the Cafe car - much easier for me to move than for the sun.
So last night after Ms. Ashley and I left our conversation I went to try and sleep the night. It was a rough night. After about an hour or so of fidgiting around - using both seats because I had them - trying to find the least painful way to sleep, when when we hit Denver, CO, a man by the name of Daryl was seated next to me.
After a brief cordial of hello, I'm sorry for waking you, I only paid for one seat, my name is David, David, Daryl, I witnessed a bit of strangeness from the man now to share my bed.
He offered me candy sour worms. I accepted. I asked him where he was travelling to - Dallas - and he continued to talk to, supposedly, me, but just rambled on and on telling me what he did for a living - something to do with design from what I can tell. Then he offered me some more worms after about a half of an hour, I'm trying to sleep, I said and thank you for the offer, but no.
THEN!!! He sat there with his seat upright - this is 1am or so - his foot rest resting, his briefcase before his feet on the floor and his open apple - one of those new grey ones - on the tray table, though only at much less than a right angle. It was off. But he was typing and looking at the screen as if it were on. The whole night! And he would make these motions with his hands like he was building something over the keys all night! And he would type! I would open my eyes during the night and he would be doing the same things repeatedly. And finally, at mornings light he put his computer away, apparently never turning it on, and went to sleep.
At around 9am, or earlier, I awoke, ate my breakfast of trailmix, dried fruit and my pb&j granola surprise, in that order, and straddled over him without his awakening. YES!
Then off to brush my teeth and off to read and relax in the Vista car. I did so. Then we stopped back in Omaha, NE which we just left and now we're hurling through space at, I'd say, 45mph, North East toward Chicago.
There is a lot of industry here, mostly grain storage, rail cars, farms and others I'm not able to make out and etc..
1/8/03.
12:10pm. Chicago, IL. Briggs diner. Smoky as Heck and hopefully the right place I'm supposed to meet Laura Kaell for lunch.
Why Chicago. Why not. Well, since Denver, CO, our rail car was roughly 4 hours late, which later turned into a 7 hour delay due to: freezing of the signals, must defreeze to avoid head on collisions; a frozen water system on the train; one of the mail car's wheels fell off, nothing serious; and other various delays due to other trains coming or going ahead of ours. But as I've held throughout the trip, time is of no issue. There's light and dark and hunger and non-hunger.
Last night we arrived in Chicago, past my origional destination of Galesburg, IL for my connection to Springfield, IL down to Austin, TX., They put us up in a hotel - the Rodeway Inn. After an amazing series of lines and waits, we made it to the hotel by taxi by 11:30pm.
I didn't take a shower right away as I was anxious to use the mon (Laura came and briefly tok me away)
1:57pm . . .ey that Amtrak gave me. Actually they gave me $33 and I'll only use $15 for Laura paid for my lunch and I didn't eat breakfast.
Now I'm in a Starbucks around the corner from Briggs the diner where Laura and I just ate and talked. I like her a lot - so glad we get along and have a chance to see eachother quite frequently. The barista - if that's the word for the coffee person - just called to me and said, 'dude, your one passion is ready.' yeah, that was funy the way t sounded.
Anyway, Laura and I talked about what we usually talked about: happiness, unhappiness, dating, sex, johanna (who just moved in with her boyfriend Chris in the city), family, future, work, school and etc. There are a lot of smokers in this city.
When we were waiting, the mood was, overall, quite happy-go-lucky. But! There was this older man, probably only 60 years old and he was such a pisser! On our first of a few lines he was standing on my bag so I said, sir you're on my bag - in my usual nice way - I really have no other way, for I'm overall a courteous person. He didn't respond or move so I repeated. He turns around like a man in a circus, foam-mouthed and ready to kill me. He said, o.k. Sir in a way to mock the way he had interpreted my first sir. So I probed. I said that I was merely stating a fact and had no ill intention with my request for him to move. He was beside himself, couldn't form a sentence. My goodness. Anyway, I was standing on another line and he passed me and kept my eye as he did so. He stopped in front of me and stared right into my eyes. So I said, if you have a problem with me we can talk about it or do you have a problem with me or something like that. He said, you bother me. he said this in such a child-like mocking way, still spitting at the mouth. Later, he was still staring at me and so I said tsomething to the effect that if he was pissed about the late train, not to take it out on others and that we're all late and delayed. So he scruffed and spit some more. Actually it was quite entertaining. Not his anger and the state he was in for I wouldn't wish that state of mind on anyone but the way he acted - like a child! Maybe he was a bit disturbed.
After a good two hours I got in the taxi - I may be repeating myself from before Laura - and went to the hotel, stripped my bags and walked down the street to get some food. I did. Had a grilled chicken gyro, fries and a diet pepsi. In the restaurant I ran into the four European young men from the train, who sat a few rows behind me. We said hello and I left. I handed my extra fries to the man who asked for change on my entering the greek place, then turned into an Irish pub, had a guinness and a bit of popcorn - yes I ate it messily as I did when at the movies with Karen and Reyn the other night seeing Big fish. There was a man I had recognized from the train station, another stranded I presumed, but I was tired and didn't say hello. He looked like the guy from UB, Matt, psychology student, beard, long hair. But it wasn't him. For sure. Watched a bit of championship poker on the t.v.s in the bar.
Left the bar and bought a gallon of water at Walgreens for my trip today. Ran into the pilot with the $45M plan and the cb wave walkietalkie radio. A couple of sentences a joke or two and I was back to the hotel. It's cold in here - putting on my jacket, the red one with the rip in the arm zipper portion. Ahhh, better.
Yesterday on the train was delightful. I met this older woman down in the cafe. 85. Margaret Judd. We talked for quite a bit. Mostly about the state of the government, her children - 5 - her late husband who collected everything - namely toys, and that now they're worth lot's of money - and how I shouldn't be in a rush to get married. We talked a bunch more and she mentioned that she was sitting next to a woman that I might like and that she was very pretty, went to SUNY Albany etc. Upon meeting her later, at Margaret's seat, she was exactly who I thought she was going to be - the only really attractive - bubbily attractive, bleach blone hair and all, a Susie-kind, but not as grounded and outwardly bright as suzy. Anyway, after Margaret left I ate a pizza - plain - and read a bit.
About reading. I've read a bunch since the start of the tri, though much less than I thought I would. I'm getting into all of these conversations and watching the country roll by and listening to people from all over the place - lot's of middle America. So I've been getting through my books a bit slowly. So far I think I've read 2.5. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Lolita and about halfway through Walden.
So, of course, I stop by Margaret's seat and meet Emily. Very attractive. Too bubbily and had fresh make-up on. On the train! My goodness. But she was really bright - studying philosophy and business and graduating this spring. We talked about her trip, coming from, in Omaha and her school, family and politics a bit. A good conversation, but not going anywhere romantically, where as we were talking, Margaret conspicuously left the seat and to our own, or love's own devices. I'm sure that Margaret mentioned to Emily me in the same light that she mentioned Emily to me. Kind of a set up, kind of silly, but we were in the middle of Illinois or still in Iowa. It wasn't uncomfortable. But I excused myself. Later running into her at the train station, fantasizing that we'd get together at the hotel for drinks and one night - but of course, this did not occur. Great and relaxing evening all the same.
I'm giong to go catch the train.
1/9/03
10:26. Longview Texas. But there are trees!!! I thought it was all farmland and desert.
Well I caught the train. The Texas Eagle. It was right on time and I found a double seat all to my self. And though its the car behind the smoking car and we get a lot of the wet ashtray stank, it's not too bad of a car. Problems - cellphone users and kids screaming all day and night. But, put into perspective, I'm alive and so I'm all right. It's enough to be alive. It really is. A perk was the vista car, but a cafe guy with a thing for movies has been playing them with some regularity and the conversations which usually occur in there are not occuring, at least not for me for the t.v. is so loud and all.
I hope I get to see some oil drillers. Is that what they're called?
Yesterday in Chicago I bought four candy bars - already ate three of them - and a box of tea bags. The cafe car has no hot water heater. Ooooooooh! I just saw an oil drill - two small ones. And another! Just right there in the middle of the trees to the right of the right ide of the train where I'm sitting. O.K., just saw a medium one and a lake - again, do they have lakes in Texas? Crazy.
I bought a NYTs in Starbucks and read that and Walden a bit yesterday and Walden into the night. Put it down at around midnight and, again, tried fitfully to fall asleep. This time I actually tried to sleep in the Vista car. First on the set of three seats with one angled on the other side of a pied table and then on the floor, but I was too nervous of getting woken up with a start by a conductor. I didn't want a heart attack, not just then anyway. So I came back and fell asleep in the most comfortable position, which is sitting up and not trying to fetal my way in these two seats. Actually I did fetal it for a bit, having put a few items - folded newspaper and my slippers under the bar, which holds up the calf rest to make it a bit more flat.
Then I awoke, too tired to comprehend anything, so checking out the window to get a glimpse of Arkansas I was satisfied that I wasn't missinng more than the sleep to trade with it, so I slept.
Yesterday, there was this young black woman sitting behind me and a young black man sitting across from her and to my back left. Well, apparently he liked her and was trying to court her. It was remarkable how quickly their friendship moved, for by the end of her - she got off in Longview, TX - trip they were, well, by the end of last night they had a date for breakfast in the morning, this morning, and between last night's making plans and this morning when she left, they weren't talking. I kind of feel bad for the guy. But it was funny. They were talking about relationships and all the trust that goes with them. Her, looking for a trustworthy man; Him, wanting to change from his ways of cheating to a trustworthy man. I don't know why I'm putting this in here, other than it was the closest to a courtship I've ever been - well, at least one that lasted five hours.
In the Times there was a full two pages dedicated to Bush's new proposal to give work permits for immigrants from central and south america and Mexico - actually, it could be from all over, but the tone was hovering illegal immigrants from the South. At first glance I was excited. At second and third, the problems of a permanent underclass, non-citizen, pool of labor would be de jure and not merely de facto. Government sanctioned exploitation. Well, I guess the inaction of the Fed. Gov't is sanction enough for businesses to have undocumented workers. Basically, Bush and his team want to be re-elected, fine. But he's suckering in the centrist middle class that would tend to vote Democrat and the documented Latino community into thinking that this is a step to Amnesty or citizenship for their relatives and friends. As one man put it, yes, after the three year work period, some of the top dogs will get citizenship - for the proposal states that as a goal - but not the dishwashers. There are roughly 2-3 million undocumented workers from the South. Our economy, well certain sectors, would not survive without them.
I just saw another lake/swamp.
8:41pm. Austin, TX. Starbucks - about to sip a passion tea, venti.
Today was quite a day. I met the man - Samuel - who sat across from me. He was rarely in his seat, but we ran into one another in the cafe car this afternoon. He's from Ghana and recently enrolled in the University of Oklahoma - MBA program. We talked all about how he got to where he is today, which, by now he's probably in Oklahoma and about Ghana. When he purchased his ticket to the states, he figured that Oklahoma wasn't too far from NY. So he landed in NY!!! And figured that he'd take short train ride over to his school. Well, $199 later - half of the money he brought with him - he has a whole new appreciation for how big the U.S. is.
We talked about currency - the Cebas (sp?); 10,000Cebas = $1. I got the sense that he was astounded by the prices of things here in the states and asked him if he's eaten. Immediately he said to me that the prices were so high here and that he's only had a pepsi - I believe from NY! So I told him that I would buy him some food. Fortuitously we stopped in Dallas for about an hour or so and had an opportunity to grab lunch.
Jerry, the young - senior in high school - man who was courting the woman behind me yesterday - joined Samuel for our walk to lunch and the meal. Turns out that Jerry is coming down to TX to live with an older sister of his that he' never met and finish up the year of high school to graduate. He had to leave Chicago, IL, because he beat up his other sister's husband because he was slapping her around and his sister kicked him out of the house. He didn't end up getting the number of the girl, but said that if it were meant to be he'd run into her again sometime down the line - I held my anti-fatist schtick.
We went to a Subway around a few corners from Dallas' Union station. I bought Samuel a 12" sub with chips and soda. He was very grateful and saved around 4/5 of it for the remainder of his trip.
We exchanged E-mail addresses and I sincerely want to keep in touch with him. He said that I was a good man and was good with people. I guess I am. I returned the compliment. I noticed that he was reading a couple of books along the lines of 'how to make friends' etc. I wanted to say something but felt that he's come this far without my help and didn't need me to but in now.
Just talked to mom - now back in Starbucks - she's doing well and we talked about the offer I just received from the the Gov't. I have much to think about. And Katy Hall, Becca Wiley and etc, have nothing to do with my decision - they shouldn't have anything to do with my decision! I have to see when I can postpone my decision till - they're still under the assumption that I'm out of touch from society on my cross-country trip. I also have to see when I'll have to start work - a letter that Dad had opended stated that I can start after May 26th of this year. But I really want the first two months off to ride with Amanda. To ride!
O.K., I've all but sufficiently described the past day and have relaxed a bit and now can continue my trek from the Train station to Megan C's place of employment - some bar a few blocks down. It's going to be a long night - she works until - so, really, I'm in no rush.
I was supposed to take a cab, but I asked a fellow - Terrence - who seemed to know where he was and we walked to here together. About a 20 minute walk. Not too bad. He's going to make his first rap video this coming weekend with his brother.
O.K., I'm ready to go. Breath.
1/11/04
2:21am. Megan and Duff's house. Having just shaved my head and talked for an hour or so with Duff, I'm about to head on off to bed. But first a bit about last last night and today.
After Starbucks I walked a few more blocks and came to 517 E.6th st. - Casino El Camino, where Megan works. As I approached the sign I had my camera out to take a picture of it, but stopped because, not recognizing her at first, Megan was out front eating a slice of pizza - apparently wondering who is this dork with the camera. I dropped my stuff off in her trunk and we got me a great chicken taco - I had another tonight.
O.K., I'm tired, so a list it is.
Inside of bar
Free Guinness
Bartender with Carabeners for earings - who apparently is mr. Stretch, known in the sm world
The Ritz
Air Hockey
X Air Hockey
Jason - geology g.student
Hass
Hanging out with these guys and girl the whole night
Dos Equis
Tecante
Cigarretts
Shaved head
Trivia - flat screen game back at Megan's work
My buying a round - discounted to $3
From 2-3am going to the top level to be out of the way of clean up - sitting with the guy from alice and chains, the carabener guy, the guy with quintuplets for siblings, the guy with the german patch on his army jacket
Them doing coke
The guy from the beatles
The head honcho - not saying anything but being revered
Today:
Breakfast with Megan and Billy - rocker chick - gorgeous
Shopping for a couch at literally 5 or 6 thrift stores
Making dinner for Megan and I - pasta, egg yolk, with butter, garlic and mushrooms
Hanging out by myself on 6th street tonight:
Spilling the bum's beer
Getting the septum ring put in
the workers at the peircing place and their piercings and tattoos
Hailey - Megan and Duff's laborador
The billiards place with the foosball tournament
A couple of other bars
The cab ride home - guy couldn't find the place - I and he were looking at the map. Made it home - $10 for literally 45 minutes
Bed time
1/12/04
1:47pm
University of Texas, Austin Campus. Just got off the phone with Megan and she'll be coming on by to pick me up in about an hour - we'll go out to lunch.
It's a bit chilly and not too sunny here. The campus is huge and from Megan's house, not too close.
This morning I woke up at a reasonable hour - 9am - took a shower and headed out for my trek to the UT austin campus. On the map it's not too far. On foot, it is. I guess I arrived just about 2hrs after I embarked on this journey. Everyone wears something with the longhorns logo on it. Actually, I bought a t-shirt a bit ago.
Yesterday, Megan and I went for a hike/walk with Hailey, her dog, somewhere about 20 minutes from her house. A 4+ mile walk, very nice. The first part of our hike was on this huge huge rock! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the hike because I left the camera in the car - fell out of my pocket. Though I do, however, have a picture of the place where I found the camera under the passenger's seat. A close second.
There was a bit of a creek/raging river that we were trying to navigae across during the first part of our journey, which I, ever-so-gracefully, fell into. Nothing serious - only up to the knees - but enough for my feet to go squish squish for a couple of hours.
And last night, after Megan making Duff and I a great mexican-make-shift meal and her going on off to work, I went to bed. Woke up this morning - having a fitful rest - with quite the sore back.
I like this city.
List:-
Monroe ng - Rotterdam, Netherlands
exchange sttudent applied financial mathematics.
1/14/03
12:42pm. Einstein bagels on Guadalupe street just on the UT campus. Again. But this time I took the bus.
I woke up late today, and had a tough time getting out of bed - finally inching out the house and towards the bus stop at around 11:30am. As for the bulk of yesterday, last night and the one before last, I'll try and recount now.
After Megan and I hung out and had a bit of lunch at a Thai place just down the street from where I am now, we left for home - I think. There was something else in there - or possibly we just, yes - we grabbed acup of coffee at a great place and sat outside and talked a bit. Then we went home and I read a bit and Megan went to pick up Duff. A few hours and then Megan had to run to work so Duff and I ordered a bunch of Dominos and Coke. Yum. Then Megan came home, because another waitress came in for the shift and Megan came home and made delicious cookies while Duff and I finished watching the movie with Colombo - the woman who dances or something like that. But it was quite intense - the swithback of mental illness between the husband and wife. The lack of simple 'reality' with not knowing the time.
The next day Megan had off from work, so after we took Duff back to work after lunch, we went to MoJos - a 24hr coffee shop and chatted, read the paper and talked to a friend of Megans who just had a baby - so cute.
We went home and started cooking soonthereafter - after a bit of Poe and NYTs - for a potluck at Megan's friend Billy and Ryan's house. She made a pasta salad with sundried tomatoes, garlic, fresh spinach, tofu, onions, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes . . . ., I made my asparagus and apple cider dish. Duff slept through the potluck.
The potluck was for a bunch of BMX riders. These guys and girls - about 20 in all - were some of the best in the world. They were pretty cool, even thoughI really had no knowledge of bmxing - I enjoyed just listening to the chatting and eating the food. Oh my goodness, the food was soooo good. The desserts even better. This chocolaete, but ont fully chocolate, rice crispy treat - quite dense - not dense enough to have 2 servings. And Billy's faux ricotta balls. Yum. We left. Oh, but we saw a picture of Ryan's penis after he got stitches and the bruise from a fall he had on his bike - it was framed. And then there was this guy, Dave, who was talking about this extra-money gig he has where he masturbates while an artist films him or takes pictures or something. We went home.
I read, drank more tea, and went to bed - listening to Megan and Duff argue/discuss Megan and her stressing out about the math course she's taking.
1/17/04
2:30pm. Birmingham, Alabama. Lounge car on the way up to NYC. It's been 3 days since my last confession. Really, so so much has happened. First, I'm going to relay location then, if I feel so inspired, I'll jump into specifics. Here we go.
The last day, if I remember correctly, Megan and I went to MoJos for coffee again. We sat with a friend of her's Mark - a Sanskritologist I believe, and his new girlfriend. After coffee we went to the Hobby Lobby and walked around - Megan bought a three-D motorcycle picture frame and some hypoxy equiptment for her pin making.
After the Hobby Lobby, we went to pick up mr. duff - apparently his name is Ryan and we went and got some pulled pork from his favorite pulled pork - 24hr - joint.
Oh! I'm missing a night. The night before the Hobby Lobby, Duff and I went with Megan out to her work - we got loaded. It's been a long time since I've drank so much - and effectively, spent so little. We met up with a few of his friends. Most memorable was Fredo - the man with the new $1000 gator skin boots with his initials on the side. They were real nice boots.
Duff was really loaded - he talked and talked and talked, butt in on conversations and talked some more. He knew what he was talking about - politics mostly and literature to an extent. He told me of Cornell's Pichon special collections - and how to get there and read the book at the bottom of Uris library up on campus.
And . .. . Well, after Megan dropped me off at the train station - after a bit of packing and saying good bye to Duff, Haily etc, I was on my way to San Antonio, which was only a few hours away. But my connection was at six the next morning - so I slept, in between snores of Tony, the truck driver I met and had a few conversations with, on the floor on my - Daniel's - sleeping bag.
When I awoke, I only had an hour or two until the late train took off. This leg was to New Orleans, which took the bulk of the day and into the late evening. The train ride was pretty solitary, only talking to a few people - a man named Yce who invited me out, but I declined. And two young women, Sara - a firecracker, really attractive, a fan of Yates, a political person - passionate, quick and determined to make this guy Matt, whom I met earlier, talked to about Wal*Mart with and went out with us for the evening, care about his country and vote and get informed, Megan, Sara's friend, less interesting, but apparently Matt's missed opportunity.
When we were about to get off the train in New Orleans, I made little conversation with Sara and she offered me a ride to the French Quarter, I said O.K.. Got off the train, got the address for where Yce would be and then left with Matt, Megan and Sara, and one other tall girl, not too interesting, but ditsy and southern sounding, unattractive with an interesting figure. We stopped off at the girls' place and walked to get some duck quasadias (sp?). We did and met the bartended named Dude - verified by his SS card. He bought me a shot because I went to Cornell and apparently that's where his boss went to school.
They took me to the oldest bar in New Orleans - a great grand piano bar. Stayed a few minutes and rolled on off to the most wild fraternity party called Bourbon Street. It was quite the spectacle. Everyone was drunk. I mean really drunk and we walked around with open containers. I didn't drink much at all - one for the money, two for missing the show - 7:20am train.
I made it back, via cab - $12 - to the train station and met up with Tony again. He made sure to get this across to me - get your education, there's no place for unskilled labor anymore, get your education. Well I washed up and changed my clothing in the handicapped stall. Tried to sleep in the station and was successful, on the floor, for a good two hours, but was awoke by the cleaning man and a police officer and spent the rest of the evening sitting upright in a chair, feet up, feet down, head down, reading, walking etc until seven am. So from 3am through 5am I slept, 230am - 3am I washed, 5-7am I read and waited - quite fitfully at that.
Now, just rolling through the hills of Alabama, really slow in the head from lack of sleep, missing details and writing like a 12 year old, I'm about to go back to sleep or read or something, because, well I'm tired, but also because the stench of smoke from beyond the cafe car is carrying in to my space. Yuck. Yuck yuck.

1/18/04. 1:26am. Supposedly the day that I reach home! Not that I'm excited to finish my journey around the U.S., but I'm a bit tired of the train. Looking forward to sleeping in my biggidy bedd.
A few hours ago I went into the Cafe car and this British man, Glenn, said hello, remarking on the very device that I am on now. We chatted it up over tea/coffee and two king sized m&m candies. He's from London and has been travelling the world for about a year now. He's on this flight plan where for roughly $2K he's able to visit four continents, with up to 5 or 6 domestic flights in each within a year. What a deal! He's been through Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., and I'm not sure of where else, possibly Australia.
I figure that he's probably 35 or 40 by the way he talks about the events in his life - a relationship of 12 years etc. He was talking about his career as a sound or camera man for a bunch of different shows, for a while working for, Reuters. He's interested in recording a bunch of latin music throughout South, Central and Northern America and possibly selling it to an NPR or BBC.
We were talking about poverty in Brazil and poverty in other places in the world. Also talking about the concept of family social democratic states vs. a place like here in the U.S. Also talking about his and mine travels - his in Las Vegas, and mine at the monestary.
We have a bit of time in D.C. before our leg on to NYC - I think we're getting together for lunch or something.