May 31, 2005 12:37 AM - Pittsburgh, PA

They stopped just long enough for us to have one cigarette, tHen "ALL ABOARD" ... one smoking break on this 17:30 journey ... I figger the 2nd leg will be just as bad, if not worse ... but I can deal wit it.

I watched "Mountains of the Moon" on Orion ... unplugged the headphones for the second half so that my seat-mate could hear what was going on, then showed her an episode of "Family Guy" ("Lethal Weapons", of course :-), then it was lights out ... I seem to have a drool problem sleeping in a sitting position with my dentures.

Some guys are discussing how Area 51 is just a bunch of "crackpot" stuff... must remember to avoid them ... had to change the AA batteries on this Sharp palm-top, and realized that I forgot to pack more. <sigh!> Well, that's why God created Radio Shack and put one on nearly every corner ... I've got 7 hours to kill in Chicago, so I think I can find more batteries ... it's the dearth of electrical outlets that has me pissed ... Amtrak has gone Way Down Hill since 9/11.

6:37 AM - somewhere in Ohio

Had a good night's sleep on the floor in the spot for the wheelchair ... came to the dining car for breakfast ... decided to take the pancakes ... nice couple and a lady they met on the trip ... think I'll tell them about my mother, the international drug smuggler. :-)

7:11 AM - The pancakes were surprisingly good ... the others have returned to their seats, but I've stayed behind for a second cuppa ... the Real Thing this time (all they had was decaf when I first sat down) ... I'm getting good reception from Sprint PCS ... I can surf the Web with the phone, and the cable works Just Fine on Orion ... it's hard drive is at flood stage, so I have to make some room ... I haven't tried to FTP yet, but there's plenty of time for that.

Lord, I could *kill* for a cigarette, but I'll just have to wait until we get to Chicago ... my cell phone thinks we're in Central Time already ... who am I to complain?

8:24 AM - Sitting in the lounge car, listening to a Billy Joel CD on Orion while I use it as a desk to type on the Sharp ... called Phynque to say "Good morning" ... she talked to Howard last night ... I still haven't spoken to him since Saturday, but I sent him my itinerary by e-mail.

We should arrive in Chicago in a little over an hour ... time to get all my gear returned to its proper stowage ... I've got 7 hours to kill. <sigh!>

2:28 PM - Adler Planetarium, Chicago

Waiting for Fred, my cabdriver ... spent over 80 bucks in the gift shop ... resisted the temptation to get a real brass astrolabe for $130 - bought a book about their collection for $40 instead. :-)

Paul, the guy in the gift shop, was very helpful ... one of the guys liked my spiel and comped me a ticket for the planetarium show, "Stars of the Pharos" ... I fell asleep and missed most of it!! After I came out, I realized that I had left my jacket on the back of the chair in the cafe, but it was still there an hour later.

Fred is 20 minutes late ... I called the cab company, and they'll try to reach him ... after 30 minutes, I'll take the next cab that comes by ... they're more frequent out here than I thought they'd be ... lots of school buses with rowdy teens ... met some nice folks and dragged them around on my quest to find the astrolabes, the reason for this visit ... bought a planetarium key chain that has the name "Jason" for my teddy bear's collection ... got a few purple knick-knacks like the kind of thing I would have gotten for Mom ... I'll give one of them to Phyllisolive.

4:02 PM - Somewhere west of Chicago

The train left at 15:15, right on schedule ... I got back to Union Station just as they were calling for seniors and people with disabilities and small children ... they started to hassle me about the "strict 2 bag carry-on limit", and I said, "Well, when I checked my bags in DC I *thought* they were checked through to New Mexico!"

At least the pack and the suitcase are on the lower level, and I've called dibs on the wheelchair space ... might even use my sleeping bag tonight.

Tried to call Howard, but someone was using the PC ... I'll try again in a half-hour ... my assigned seat buddy is only going to Kansas City, and with luck, he'll have both seats for sleeping.

Never did get the AA batteries (although the cabbie had to stop at a filling station so that I could break a $50 bill

Just had our cigarette break ... might get another one in Lawrence, KS ... hooked up with the family I shared seats and a DVD with on the first leg ... they're headed for California.

Bought an Apple Spice Muffin and a cranberry juice ... first solid food I've had all day ... have to decide what movie to watch next.