Day Twenty-Five, Eight Twenty-Three PM

IN HONESTY, THIS is written from the future. So jump into the way back machine, as we travel back, back, all the way back to mother's day, May 11th, 2008.

On time arrival for the Southwest Chief. 8:29PM on the dot!

After packing all night I staggered out of the house one hour late and proceeded to hammer thru LA getting all the last of my stuff done. You see, after properly celebrating mother's day, I start a big adventure of my own: a road trip with John and Scott around New Mexico and Colorado.

Loaded and ready to go.

In deference of gas prices, and of boredom of driving that far, we decided to ride Amtrak to Albuquerque (via the Southwest Chief) and then off to Colorado, etc, by rental car. So at eight PM on Sunday night, John and I stood on the platform at San Bernardino waiting for the evening's train. Like clockwork it arrived, and we climbed on.

Pulling out of Needles, CA, 2:00 AM.

Two things became readily apparent: 1) Amtrak might as well not have a website. Other than to hold a spot on a train, the train crew has no idea if you'd paid or not. There's a distinct possibility I may have paid for 4 tickets, not 2. Clever. And 2) the railroad is a bit of a freak freighter. But in the end, John and I survived the drunk guy (who was so wasted on the train we both thought he was mentally retarded) and the pretzel guy (The what? Imagine snacking on a back of pretzels in a room full of sleeping people. Like thunder.) and jumped off in Albuquerque. Delirious from not enough sleep we set out on our adventure.

Looking a little groggy, near Gallup NM.

-F