paris : paris : paris

. . . . . . .

firenze : aosta : milano

drivin' that train

Put my money in your meter,
so it won't run down.
But you caught me in the squeeze play
on the cheesy side of town.
Throw me a dime, throw me a line -
'cause there's a fat man in the bathtub with the blues.

Fat Man in the Bathtub
Little Feat

Was it Casey Jones or Casey at the bat
Who died out of pride and got famous for that?
Killed by a swerve, laid low by the curve -
Do you ever think they ever thought
they got what they deserved?

To the Dogs or Whoever
Josh Ritter

on trains and lazy blogging

"The sound of an approaching train awoke him, and he started to his feet, remembering only his resolution, and afraid lest he should be too late. He stood watching the approaching locomotive, his teeth chattering, his lips drawn away from them in a frightened smile; once or twice he glanced nervously sidewise, as though he were being watched. When the right moment came, he jumped. As he fell, the folly of his haste occurred to him with merciless clearness, the vastness of what he had left undone. There flashed through his brain, clearer than ever before, the blue of Adriatic water, the yellow of Algerian sands....and Paul dropped back into the immense design of things."

from "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament" by Willa Cather, one of my favorite short stories. Are short stories more effective as literature than novels? They are for me - due primarily to a deficit of reading persistence.

This one's a half-hour read, click above if so inclined.

I dig the last phrase: back into the immense design of things.

"What is that, some sort of Eastern thing?" - The Dude

No difference between who I am and who I could be.

Realization that you already know this: a
Stealth train, relentlessly crushing my mind.

Abandonment and acceptance: not a destination,
Only a deserted track with no end.

Hope? All I can achieve is to forget.

Power to become more than I can be
Does not come from me.

It comes from you.

ups/downs

I have a recurring dream where I'm in a moving vehicle (definitely a convertible) that goes over a series of ups/downs in the road. Each time a peak is reached I levitate a little bit and then plunk back into the car. The dream feels just like the hollowness I've experienced in my waking life when driving over a rise, that lifting/dropping sensation. In the dream I hold on so I won't drift up (no seatbelts on this ride). Eventually I hit the big bump, and I can't hold on, my seat escapes below me, and I'm floating up and over the road... distinctly aware of the eminent impact.

One variation: being in a train that goes through the same process – lifting off the rails at the top of a big rise and floating upward and out of control. Free from the tracks for a moment, but ultimately under the influence of gravity.

It's numbingly terrifying. Speaking of dropping... Jerrrrrsey!

On the plus side, there's Duckman:



"And a pedigreed golden retriever. Because pedigreed is good."
Check out the full episodes on YouTube, this show rocks.

NYC Delivery

4:45PM - Parcels parking lot, Wilmington. "Hey, Pete, how about New York?"
4:52PM - Young Conaway, Brandywine Bldg. "The box is in the mailroom."
5:07PM - Wilmington Trainstation. "You're on Track 2." Ticket: $135
5:12PM - Onboard Amtrack Acela express train for New York City, carrying a single box.
7:03PM - Penn Station, NYC. Get into cab and out of rain, trying to keep box dry. Cab: $12
7:19PM - Cab drops me off at corner of 51st West and 6th avenue, three blocks from the hotel.
7:40PM - Michelangelo Hotel, 4th floor. Addressee signs for damp box. No tip.
8:02PM - Long wait for a cab outside the hotel, finally get one. Back to Penn Station, $7.
8:15PM - Purchase return ticket ($71) for next train (9:05PM).
9:08PM - Train is rolling, Wilmington bound.
11:00PM - Back at Parcels, get ride to parking lot and drive to Newark. Home by midnight.