On the rails.

Yesterday was ok. Today was straight drama. I've ridden the train quite a few times and I've never once experienced the drama. Amtrak Chicago, you get a ef minus for your ability to be flexible at all.

I could go on about it but I wouldn't want to waste the bandwidth. For the next six weeks or so, I will be posting primarily from my mobile phone. As such, I will waste less time on photos and more time writing, which is what I love to do. Please read with with relish and delight.

I am currently on the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland, OR. One of the most lovely things about taking the train is the quiet and the speed of it. Its slow but it leaves behind the noise and bustle of faster modes in favor of scenic routes and some of the oldest byways in the country. You also get to meet some the most interesting people. That can be an adventure in and of itself.

I'm having a minor concern about my front wheel. Its a bit out of true and started making a bit of noise when I put a load on it. I sincerely hope I don't need a new wheel before this is over. On the other hand, my Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires are performing perfectly.

Addendum: To everyone that helped me out the door recently, thank you and I love you more than I can say with simple words on the screen.

Hot tip: if you want to ship your bike, be at the station an hour early. Just do it. Save yourself the headache. I was forced to ship my bike a day later than today because I was two minutes late. So I will be in Portland for a whole day without my ride. That's a hard spot to be in one of the bikiest cities in the US.