It's pouring in Chicago. We arrived early this morning at the end of Phase One of our Great Adventure. So you don't feel uninformed, here's the story:
- Our son is getting married next Sunday in San Francisco.
- My husband has a (we hope recently repaired) detached retina and can't fly until we know the repair worked.
- If we had waited until we were sure the surgery was successful, it would have been too late to drive if we had had to.
- We are already fairly broke from tuition and the slow economy so why not spend even more money and take the train?
- (really 4b) it turns out that the train is very expensive.
- We don't have a choice so why fret about 4a?
- There were no seats on the train until Chicago.
- I drove 700 miles yesterday to get us from DC to Chicago to get on the train (retina detachment makes it hard to split the driving.)
- Our family doesn't know we took the train because the groom was worried about his dad's eye so our early arrival will be stealthy. (don''t tell)
- At least all this is distracting me from the sentimental squishiness that keeps sneaking up on me.
- You are now ready to return to the present where
Rick and I are in the Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station in Chicago waiting for the Southwest Chief. You can see the route above. Actually I'm more excited than annoyed – it is something we would have never done if we didn't need to. I can't picture the accommodations – I'm betting on a cross between all those black and white thrillers where people were always chasing each other up and down the aisles and flirting in the bed-sitting rooms and who knows what. We'll see. Meanwhile we're in the lounge with about a billion people on an "America by Train" group, with some smoker's coughs, name tags for all, and a pretty friendly environment. I'm too tired to be friendly though. Unusual for me.