It is better to travel well than to arrive.


~The Buddha

Well, yesterday we travelled well.  We left the house around 7:30 and had a quick breakfast at McDonald's (they do great pancakes) and caught the commuter train we usually take and got into Philadelphia around 8:45.  It was raining and cold.  Pk hailed us a cab to take us to 30th St Station. (He's such a gentleman.  He let me stand under an overhang while he stood in the rain and got the taxi)  It's an old station and built to be beautiful as well as functional.  You can see on the digital clock that we got there at 9:02.  This was the time they suggested we arrive so that everyone could be boarded in time for a 10:00 departure.  I'm glad we paid attention because the line stretched out and wound around collumns and seemed to go on forever.  We found the end and got in line and soon there were lots of people behind us. (We learned later that there were over 800 people on this trip)

  We got to stand under sculptures (wall friezes?) like this one, The Spirit of Transportation.  I was musing that they don't decorate public buildings like this anymore.  When we finally got down to the train tracks (the line moved quickly despite it's length) we got a few minutes to look at the engine and were disappointed to find that although we were riding in the promised Road Warrior cars, they were the modern versions.  I suppose we should be thankful because this version has comfortable seats!  (Unless you're short.  Then the headrest hits the back of your head and makes your head tilt forward.  I wish I had thought to bring a small pillow). 

This is Pk in front of the PRR sign on the side of the train. 

We got seated and found we didn't have a window view and had to use the windows in the seats in front or in back of us.  It was ok.  We could still see what was going by.  Taking photos was another matter.  There was the plexiglass window, the moving train and the raindrops on the windows.  All three making for some blurry, grey shots.

What did we do for 8 hrs?  Well, they fed us lunch at 10:45 (a sandwich, chips, soda and cookie) and we  watched out the window a lot.  Pk used the GPS app on his iphone and kept track of where we were (when he wasn't whacking people in imobsters) and I kept myself busy with my mp3 player and my sock. 

 I knitted and dozed.  Trying to sleep on Pk's shoulder was a challenge since he kept turning toward the window to take another photo!

At Harrisburg, they let us get out of the train on the platform for about 10 minutes.  We took advantage of this to stretch our legs and to get a breath of fresh air. The train car was rather warm all day.  I had on a t-shirt and a sweater along with my heavy coat and had taken off all but the tee. This also gave us a chance to see the engine in the light.  It was pretty.  There were people all along the route taking photos and watching us go by. 

After Harrisburg, we got on the express tracks and got back into Philadelphia at 5:30.  Imagine that, it was still raining!  We got home and picked up El and went to our favorite Chinese resturant for dinner.

And then it was all I could do to keep my eyes open!  For someone who sat on her butt all day, I was tired!  I ripped out the Wildflowers shawl and used that yarn to start some monkey socks.  I wasn't going to have enough to finish the shawl and couldn't find it online to order more so I decided it should be socks.  I cast on, did the ribbing and fell asleep with the needles in my hands. 

Today, we had breakfast and now I'm in the middle of laundry.  The dinner is going into the crock pot and the rest of the day will be knitting and probably sleeping.  I don't know why I'm so sleepy, must be the rain.  Yes, it's raining again.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and all week will be nice.  Just in time to go back to work......