Roll with the Punches – #SoCS

I’m out of beer

It’s not just Saturday at the bar, it’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Linda G. Hill has given us one of her famous ‘use one or both’ – wait, I don’t see an offer of bonus points – oh well, it looks like a fun prompt:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘roll/role.’ Use one, use both, it’s entirely up to you. Enjoy!”

If we were having a beer, you would be confused, and I would need a beer.

“I thought you said that when you got your cars in the garage, your wife’s car would be first.”

“It will be.”

“Will be? What about Thursday?”

“What about Thursday?”

“I drove by and your wife’s car was out in the snow.”

“Unless you drove by after 11:30, mine was at the train station.”

“Speaking of trains, the café car is open for business.”

“Hi Cheryl. If the train I was on Thursday night had had a café car, I would not have been fit to drive home from the station.”

“Sounds like there’s a story here, but we all know that stories go better with adult beverages. What are you drinking?”

“I’ll have a Corona.”

“I want to sip some bourbon as this story unfolds.”

“OK, but don’t start without me – it’s a slow day and I want to hear this.”

“While we wait for those drinks, how were you able to clear your driveway with the cars outside and that dumpster?”

“It took a lot longer than it normally does.”

“I’ll bet.”

“OK, one Corona has found her lime, and one splash of bourbon has found its snifter of seltzer and glass of ice.”

“Cheers! Now, why did you roll in so late? Did you stay in New York to do some shopping?”

“No, no shopping.”

“Were you cheating on me at The Molly Wee?”

“I did go to The Molly Wee, Cheryl, but I was at Penn Station for a three-thirty train.”

“Three-thirty to eleven-thirty…did you get lost?”

“Nope. The train was an hour late coming into New York.”

“Still, it’s only a three-hour ride.”

“Normally, yes, but by the time we got to New Haven, the Shuttle had left and was rolling north.”

“Then what?”

“They put us on the seven-thirty-five shuttle.”

“What time did you roll into New Haven?”

“Six-forty.”

“OK, that’s not such a bad wait.”

“Listen to you. You get angry when Dan shows up at three-o-five.”

“It would be an awful wait for me, Cheryl, but Dan likes trains and he likes being in train stations.”

“This is true, but you can have too much of a good thing.”

“What time did the seven-thirty-five train get there?”

“Seven-thirty-five.”

Well, what time did it leave? It’s only an hour from New Haven to Windsor Locks.”

“It never left. It broke. I’m sorry, it suffered ‘mechanical difficulties’ and was removed from service.”

“So, they put you on another shuttle?”

“Yes, the eight-fifty-one.”

“Why do they do that?”

“Well, by then, there were over a hundred and fifty of us. We had to have a train.”

“No, why do they have trains leave at eight-fifty-one?”

“Trains are competing for a limited amount of track. The schedules have to be precise.”

“OK smart guy, so what time did you board the eight-fifty-one?”

“They called for general boarding at eight-forty. Then they made the last call for boarding at eight-fifty-one.”

“I’m guessing you boarded at eight-forty, right?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“There was no train.”

“Did you get off at Willoughby? Cause this sounds like a Twilight Zone episode.”

“Nope, we were in New Haven. Standing on the platform, in the snow, along with the AMTRAK crew, for a train that just wasn’t there.”

“I assume it got there at some point.”

“Nine-forty. We rolled out of New Haven at nine-fifty and got to Windsor Locks at about eleven o’clock.”

“So, it took you half an hour to clean your car?”

“No, some poor slob spun out and got stuck in the dirt, blocking the entrance. We had to wait for a plow.”

“Why did you take AMTRAK in the first place?”

“I didn’t want to roll the dice with CT-Rail at that time – the time I was scheduled to arrive in New Haven.”

“Why not?”

“The trains at that time are actually AMTRAK trains. They’ve been crowded, and they’ve had to bump some people off. AMTRAK gives preference to their own passengers if that happens.”

“Their own passengers? Like you, stuck in Penn Station. You rolled the dice but threw craps.”

“I did.”

“What I was actually asking, is why didn’t you drive to New Haven?”

“I hate driving home from New Haven. I have friends who did, and it took two and a half hours in that storm.”

“Still, they got home before you did.”

“You win some, you lose some – you have to roll with the punches.”

“We don’t have punch, but can I get you boys another round?”

“After that trip, I think he deserves one, Cheryl, and put this on my tab.”

“Coming right up.”

“Thank you. Why so generous.”

“The holidays are coming. I can play the role of Scrooge, The Grinch or George Bailey. I figure I’ll be the nice guy.”

“Can we get some wings?”

“Only if your name is Clarence.”

Thanks for joining us at the bar. I’m updating this since Cheryl joined the #SoCS crew – Check it out!

Later this night, I would really appreciate this escalator down to the subway platform in NYC.

The E-train is arriving. From 3rd and Lexington to Penn Station will be about 20 minutes.

This guy was so cute. That suit has legs and a hood!

My train is the 3:30 N.E. Regional that’s leaving at 4:35.

“I don’t think that’s a four-wheel drive suitcase, buddy.”

As close to the Twilight Zone as I’ve been. The train moved for about 8 minutes than returned to the station.

No escalators in New Haven.

Train 494, the 7:35 that’s showing as ‘On Time’ will never leave the station tonight.

I’ve never seen a black New Haven Railroad train like this in real life.

I guess we need the cleaning crew again.

They kept coming by. It kept snowing. The train was MIA.

At least I’m on a good looking train.

That’s my ride – AMTRAK 412 to Springfield.

Connecticut’s Capitol was a welcome sight near the end of this long day.

Waiting for the snow plow to clear a path around the sad sack that got stuck.

The driveway is normally empty when I’m snow-blowing.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had to clean this much snow of The Editor’s car. It’s usually in the garage by now.

I think she knows that I’m tired.

Surveying the aftermath.