Sunday, July 3, 2022

Another Year Around The Sun

 



Here it is, another year 'round the sun and I've cheated the prophets so far, "Try and make it to 40, fella," said a friend in a Bayswater pub in the '90s, over cold-as-you-like lager. Lo and behold, against the odds, Force LSP fought through that objective and set up Ops in the New Country. And I can't complain, Texas, especially, has been good. All hail country life, to say nothing of God and Guns.




To mark this achievement, the Specialist came home with totally unaffordable steaks. We'll grill those in a bit and celebrate, asparagus wrapped in bacon and baby potatoes alongside. So there it is. But speaking of celebration, I've got a good mind to take a train journey.




You know, for several days, with a Pullman, Diner and all the rest. Traverse this land by rail, as a kind of recce perhaps. But witch way? Maybe the Dallas-Chicago-Detroit run or go West, up to Montana and then Alberta? Then again, perhaps something more... specialized?




All advice welcome and in the meanwhile, one song to rule them all.

DFTR,

LSP

22 comments:

  1. Dallas to Alberta sounds great. Around 1950 or so we would travel between Boise to D.C. each summer and thence to W. Va. by bus. "What do you mean I cant ride in the back of the bus?". A different world.

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  2. I've always liked the part in North by Northwest where Eva Marie Saint is in Union Station waiting for Cary Grant and you hear in the background the announcer listing the destinations on the way to Detroit. Kalamazoo, Jackson, Ann Arbor and my hometown, Ypsilanti.
    You could do that.

    Happy return from your trip around the sun. We were all here waiting for you.

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    1. Good NxNW call, Ed! And thanks for waiting.

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  3. Glad you made it. Whatever would we do without you?

    Mrs. and I went to Spain a few years ago and got around by high-speed train, 300 KPH. Wowzer. Every-so-often, a cart came around with wine and sammiches. Pretty neat. Go and do thou likewise!

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  4. Happy birthday indeed! You've probably seen by now that LL ratted you out over at his place.

    Trains. I have been a train nut for as long as I can remember, especially live steam. A train trip sounds marvelous, but I wonder if any such as you describe still run in this country. As a young lad, I rode with my mother on the Shasta Daylight from Klamath Falls, OR to Sacramento CA around 1961 or so. The passing country side in this video brings back memories of my youth in the California Gold Rush country.

    https://vimeo.com/240878623

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    1. Thanks, RHT! Viz. Trains... I think it can still be done. Let's find out.

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  5. "witch way", Parson? Freudian slip?
    Happy Birthday, Parson! You all be safe and God bless.

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  6. Happy Birthday to my "unofficial" spiritual advisor. The world is a better place with you in it.

    I get the whole train thing since I love trains, too. However, you may have to search for some specialized train service since Amtrak is not like it used to be. North Idaho to St. Paul was none too pleasant. I guess this is still Amtrak, but take a look anyway: https://www.vacationsbyrail.com/destinations/united-states/coast-to-coast/

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    1. Thanks, Adrienne, keep the Faith!

      And I've looked at that link. Hmmmm.

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  7. Parents when both retired first trip they took was the East to West train across Canada. I inherited 5 photo albums of Canadian Fir trees. Very few pictures of anything else but they absolutely loved the trip. Day late but hope you had a very good birthday.

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    1. It was fun, glasslass. Thanks! We ate delicious steaks...

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  8. Happy Happy LSP. Nice looking train you have there.

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    1. Kid, I think there's a great future in rolling stock. Glad you like the train. Turned out well, eh?

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  9. The Earth is set sinning in its orbit…all we can do is hang on and hope and plan for the best.

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    1. Hope, Paul, is most definitely a virtue.

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  10. Happy birthday and many more!!!

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  11. Freudian typo there “sinning” instead of “spinning”…heh. Maybe both. Regardless, hope does require engagement.

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  12. Paul, it springs eternal :)

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