“Everybody! Michael’s a stinky poopy head!”
Welcome to the Lakeshore Limited. “You’ll travel along the south shore of Lake Michigan, the Mohawk River, and the Erie Canal, following a famous Native American Highway. In New York State, you’ll pass through the Finger Lakes region to Albany, capital of the Empire State.” The trip can also be described as 19 hours of lessons learned too late. Lesson number one? When stinky-poopy-head Michael, his sister, and his over-worked mom take seats behind yours, find another seat. Immediately.
Incomprehensibly, the other passengers adore the two young travelers. The man sitting across the aisle from Michael strikes up a conversation, mostly about Angry Birds. Michael teaches him how to play.
“Have you ever rode on a train? Have you ever rode on an airplane?” Michael asks the stranger.
Sitting in front of Angry-Birds-man is a man with a backpack larger than Bif’s. He has ridden this route before, because as we go along one of many lakes he turns behind him and tells the kids that in thirty seconds we’ll be able to see a castle. A very old castle that people haven’t lived in for eighty years because it was all blown up with gunpowder.
But Angry Birds and ancient castles can only entertain for so long.
“But he’s sitting in my seat!”
Despite their mother sternly reprimanding them for acting “like brats,” stinky-poopy-head Michael and his sister will remain settled for only so long. Later in the night, a conductor returns Michael, who’d been running up and down the compartment. He says something like, “He cannot do this,” as he hands him over to his mother. At least they weren’t going all the way to Chicago.
The other lessons learned too late:
- Not until I was thirsty and headache-y did I discover notice the water dispenser next to the restroom, with an open bag of Dixie cups on a shelf next to it.
- Not until I’d spent a sleepless night shifting uncomfortably in my seat did I learn the black lever on the side of my seat will cause a leg rest to extend, allowing me the space to stretch out while sleeping
- Not until my arms were cramped and my back ached from hunching over did I notice that the seat tray could extend forward to allow me to type on my laptop in comfort.
Grandma is probably waiting for me to write about our dining car experience. We sat alone because apparently 5:30 is not a popular dinner time. Bif was especially disappointed that we didn’t have the opportunity to chat with fellow passengers. I didn’t mind so much. Anyway, a woman several tables up had a loud voice, so it was almost like she was sitting next to us. She kept telling the waiter/everyone-in-the-dining-car, that those crab cakes really were the best crab cakes she’d ever had, and she’d eaten some good crab cakes.
I didn’t order the crab cakes because I knew what I wanted as soon as I opened the menu: pesto. Just the day before I’d been subbing and one of the teacher’s had brought in pesto for lunch and was explaining it to a group of students who had come to chat. The students were divided as to whether pesto was delicious or disgusting. Listening to a conversation about pesto made me want some, badly.
And now writing about pesto makes me want some, badly. It’s just so delicious!
Now, pretend that I’m dashing out to Price Chopper right now to buy handfuls of basil. The truth is, I’ve run out of things to say.
Sonja's Blogg 