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rear end-penny posted:actually bad news for you my orb, the current Congress is immortal and will be serving their terms indefinitely to rule over the hellish parking lot that they turn this country into forever and ever 
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May 12, 2023 23:31
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cruft posted:If you were wondering whether it is possible to be in a train, and in Wisconsin, at the same time, the answer is YES, MOTHERFUCKER. I want to be eating wisconsin cheese while in wisconsin, even if it's just on a train passing through it. Getting some authentic wisconsin curds is on my short bucket list.
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May 12, 2023 23:32
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Okay, pulling into Chicago now. Doot de do. I was unable to get a stable connection to Office 365 on the train, so I guess I'll be doing a bit of work tomorrow in order to get ahead of the poo poo storm coming up next week. |
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May 13, 2023 03:41
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If you ever find yourself needing some good looking clothing suitable for a middle-aged American, but which can also line dry in 6 hours in Chicago, I can't recommend Ex Officio enough. |
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May 13, 2023 13:23
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I'm back in the Chicago station. Met a colleague for brunch, so now I can expense the outrageous hotel, since I did business here. I'm kind of running out of things to post, so if anyone has questions, please ask. |
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May 13, 2023 19:46
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The Southwest Chief doesn't do seating assignments in Chicago. I guess that's just the Empire Builder. I hope I can get a window. |
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May 13, 2023 19:49
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Boy, the boarding process in pretty chaotic and long, compared to the Empire Builder. Hot take: seat assignments make a lot of sense in a busy town like Chicago. |
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May 13, 2023 20:40
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Cripes! Where did I put my friggin' earbuds! That's two electronics items lost on this trip, ugh. I think things are falling out of the top compartment of this backpack. Either that or, because the backpack is new to me, I don't yet have a system for where stuff goes, and I'm putting it in my shirt pocket, where it falls out? Seems unlikely but I have no other idea. They put me at the very front of the car, by the observation car. So there's a ton of traffic in and out. I've been scrambling trying to find the friggin' earbuds for the last half-hour but now I guess I need to just chill out and watch a movie or something. I really hate losing stuff. |
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May 13, 2023 21:51
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 you are lost things cruft. my heart goes out to you, goon.
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May 13, 2023 22:41
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I don't know if it was here, but I was saying earlier that these $9 Panasonic wired earbuds are actually more comfortable than my wireless things. Battery lasts forever, and I bet I can even sleep with 'em in. And then I go and lose the wireless things. Maybe it's a sign. Train news: should I have crackers and guacamole, or a microwave grilled cheese sandwich from the shop under the observation area? |
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May 13, 2023 23:28
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Train just stopped. Was it for a freight train? We'll see! Expect some righteous posting if so! |
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May 13, 2023 23:47
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It was freight, but it didn't slow us down for very long. |
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May 14, 2023 00:09
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cruft posted:Cripes! Where did I put my friggin' earbuds! I, too, hate losing stuff. I need to put more of those bluetooth trackers on my small things like keys, usb sticks, and my mind. At least then I'll know if it's in my bag or if it's at the restaurant where I last noticed them
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May 14, 2023 00:14
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cruft posted:I don't know if it was here, but I was saying earlier that these $9 Panasonic wired earbuds are actually more comfortable than my wireless things. Battery lasts forever, and I bet I can even sleep with 'em in. And then I go and lose the wireless things. Maybe it's a sign. I vote for grilled cheese if you didn't get anything yet. If you get the guacamole, please let us know how it was.
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May 14, 2023 00:16
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sb hermit posted:I vote for grilled cheese if you didn't get anything yet. I had the guac. I brought it with me from Target. It was pretty good, but I might go get the Mac & Cheese anyway. I might buy a tiny bottle of wine too, who can predict? |
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May 14, 2023 00:34
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cruft posted:I had the guac. I brought it with me from Target. It was pretty good, but I might go get the Mac & Cheese anyway. I might buy a tiny bottle of wine too, who can predict? Ah. I thought it was like something they made fresh on the train so I was morbidly curious. cruft posted:I'm back in the Chicago station. Met a colleague for brunch, so now I can expense the outrageous hotel, since I did business here. Assuming that you've generally been taking long haul passenger trains and very few commuter trains, has the conductor ever tried to direct the passengers' attention to something regionally cool like a landmark, or spouted random facts about a destination, or anything else touristy over the PA system? "over on the north side, you can see the third biggest ball of twine in Kansas, as well as the top rated bed and breakfast in Sedgwick County. Next stop, Wichita."
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May 14, 2023 00:53
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after careful thought, I have come to the conclusion that you do not need to refrigerate any ingredients necessary for guacamole before you make it. But you should be very careful about how you store your avocados.
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May 14, 2023 00:56
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sb hermit posted:Assuming that you've generally been taking long haul passenger trains and very few commuter trains, has the conductor ever tried to direct the passengers' attention to something regionally cool like a landmark, or spouted random facts about a destination, or anything else touristy over the PA system? No, not on any of the routes I've ever traveled. The Amtrak Cascades has, I think, some monitors that point stuff out, including the Mysterious Mima Mounds. I do remember going past them several times. sb hermit posted:you should be very careful about how you store your avocados. Truth |
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May 14, 2023 01:05
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You mentioned that the internet was spotty. Is it provided by amtrak? Is it normally fast enough to stream movies? And how often does it cut out?
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May 14, 2023 01:05
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cruft posted:No, not on any of the routes I've ever traveled. The Amtrak Cascades has, I think, some monitors that point stuff out, including the Mysterious Mima Mounds. I do remember going past them several times. Dang. It would be nice to have an observation car with something plugged into chatgpt that can softly tell you about local communities, distinctive traits about them, the most popular item on the breakfast menus of the nearby cafes that aren't available elsewhere, and other endless minutiae. Like a wiki walk to fall sleep to.
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May 14, 2023 01:09
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Like, one of my most favorite dishes is Utica greens, which is a dish primarily served in upstate new york. I really can't find it anywhere else.
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May 14, 2023 01:10
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the chatgpt bot should also speak in the local accent and dialect
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May 14, 2023 01:11
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sb hermit posted:Like, one of my most favorite dishes is Utica greens, which is a dish primarily served in upstate new york. I really can't find it anywhere else. yeah I've never heard of Utica greens but it sounds good. who doesn't like escarole
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May 14, 2023 01:45
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sb hermit posted:You mentioned that the internet was spotty. Is it provided by amtrak? Is it normally fast enough to stream movies? And how often does it cut out? They are rolling out Internet access to all trains, but for now, neither the Empire Builder nor the Southwest Chief have it. I'm tethering to my cell phone. I learned today that the Northwest Corridor is the only region where Amtrak is profitable. Lame. |
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May 14, 2023 02:32
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The car just lost power. Okay, and now it's back. |
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May 14, 2023 02:33
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cruft posted:They are rolling out Internet access to all trains, but for now, neither the Empire Builder nor the Southwest Chief have it. I'm tethering to my cell phone. must be the mysterious mima mounds
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May 14, 2023 02:58
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The rail in Colorado and Kansas is just awful. People are bouncing all over the place. Anyway, good morning. I slept way better last night, and I don't know why. Oh, wait, maybe it was the Benadryl. I'm at the very front of the car, right next to the door between cars, so people are constantly opening the door, which makes it loud. Did I mention the rail is incredibly rough in Colorado? Holy crap. |
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May 14, 2023 13:30
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This old lady with some sort of British accent was talking to a conductor about how she could get from Lamy to Santa Fe. She said the shuttle was full, or something. I told her we'd give her a ride, and now she wants to give me money. #whitepeople |
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May 14, 2023 17:40
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1h40m to Lamy. I found my earbuds! Put 'em in my coat pocket before I folded my coat up and attached io to my backpack. So that's good. |
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May 14, 2023 19:20
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This train ride is long, yo. And when I go to Washington DC it's gonna be 10 hours longer. This is the pace of travel for me now. Hopefully I'll get used to it. |
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May 14, 2023 19:23
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cruft posted:1h40m to Lamy. 
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May 14, 2023 20:24
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cruft posted:This train ride is long, yo. Is it still bumpy? Is it possible to do anything except hold onto your lunch?
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May 14, 2023 20:25
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It's not *that* bumpy. Just, like, this is why the train can't go 120MPH bumpy. I'm in a car with my wife now, so trip over! |
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May 14, 2023 21:44
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cruft posted:It's not *that* bumpy. Just, like, this is why the train can't go 120MPH bumpy.
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May 14, 2023 22:13
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cruft posted:This train ride is long, yo. If I had to travel, I would welcome this pace.
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May 15, 2023 00:44
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