It’s about 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon and I’m presently sitting in a very comfy seat aboard the Coast Starlight Amtrak train headed home. I’ve spent a majority of the day with my little netbook working on some process documentation for my job. Periodically taking breaks to look out the window and the rapidly greening spring or to write. I needed to sync a version of a file I had saved on Mesh earlier this week so, as I’ve done periodically since I started this particular venture two weeks ago, I hooked up my phone and got on the network. The Internets must love me.

While I’ve got it all set up and running and we’re running between metropolitan areas of northern Oregon (3G, yeah baby!) I figured I’d update this here blog with a few thoughts regarding this trip.

Bus Travel

Busses are not designed for tall people. This becomes immediately apparent to you if you happen to be one of these people. Leaving from Ellensburg late at night the bus was not very full of people. I started the 1,100 mile journey to Grand Junction seated near the front of the bus heading south through the wet darkness of south central Washington, but I could, because of the lack of riders spread out. All that changed when I changed busses in Oregon. The next leg of the ride was jam packed with people and while the seats are comfortable, I’m much too tall to realize this potential comfort.

It didn’t matter how I sat in my seat, my knees knocked against the seat in front of me. By Idaho my knees were bruised. Utah there was some swelling. And by Colorado, my arrival was at 2:00 AM, I was stiff and having trouble sleeping. Other than that however, the bus was a real bargain and an adventure to boot.

I made new friends and had a great time. There were, from time to time, some creepy folks who tended to the rear of the coach, but mostly everyone was just like you or me … only on the bus.

Connectivity was great! Mostly 3G with periods of EDGE and only a very few outages which meant that while I was getting my butt carted through various and sundry states I was also able to get plenty of work done.

Train Travel

Shortly after I arrived in Colorado the knee thing had me looking for an alternative for the return trip. At least, I figured, I can get up and walk around if the seats are crammed one against the other on Amtrak. Lucky me, they’re not. There’s like a soccer field separating the seat rows on the big western train coaches. That black clad knob on the left is my knee, I could almost lift up my booted feet and stretch them straight before me while seated and not touch the seat ahead of me. This is coach mind you!

Even better the seats really recline. Sleeping was not a problem either night.

Connectivity hasn’t been an issue either. The train coaches are wired for 120 Volt AC (two sockets per row) and I’ve only been in the dark twice that I know of since leaving Grand Junction Friday afternoon. Maybe a little more EDGE than 3G, but all in all I’m getting what I need to get my work and recreation done.

The train takes a little longer to get me where I’m going, but it does so in a style that I couldn’t achieve any other way. Plus the ratio of creepy people to folks-you-wouldn’t-mind-talking-to has been much improved. If Microsoft, Acer, AT&T or Samsung wanted to improve their image on the national theater they would send out more people like me to simply ride around on the train demonstrating these great technologies in action. They’ve gotten this one on the house I suppose.

Getting Sick

Pretty much sucks where ever you happen to be or whatever you happen to be up to. I got sick on this trip and it, somewhat predictably, sucked. First, huge thanks to my parents who took care of me during the 48 hour fever like I was still a child. Being sick would have sucked even more had they not helped me out. I felt like hell for a considerably annoying period of time and I was angry at myself for coming down with the bug right in the middle of when I should have been having a ball. Hell the party was scheduled after all.

Working from Main Street Bagels

Alright, it wasn’t the only place I worked from while I was in the Grand Valley, but it was where I went to most often. I met other tele-workers while I was there and these were people who also tended to frequent the place if that’s any indication of the quality of service which has been achieved at Main Street Bagels. Thanks in particular to Adrian who made me feel like a “regular” right from the start.

So summary, bus is ok, train is way better. Eat bagels and drink coffee at Main Street Bagels if you can. And above all, avoid getting sick. If you can’t, realize that it’s nice to have parents that will take care of your graying, sad, and sorry case despite all the boogers and phlem.

Sunday, April 5th, 2009 @ 2:56 pm Animal, Mechanical
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