Yes, you should be able to get Diet Coke both with each meal as well as between meals from the Cafe car (snack bar) during the hours it is open. The cabin attendant should be able to bring you cups of ice also if a stashed can gets tepid. They will also bring you your meals if FCD’s back is bothering him and he doesn’t want to make the trek to the dining car.
I napped. the appliance tech stopped by, burnt out heat element. Only $245, which still puts me money ahead for a free washer dryer combo. Dinner tonight is a mushroom Swiss burger with sauteed onions, fries, and an Old Fashioned.
What?
To be fair, I like beer, and there’s beers I won’t drink.
Sierra Nevada Celebration tastes like beer sucked through a pine tree trunk.
I went on a Russian river cruise once, which was nice, but the crew kept singing obscene shanties. When I complained to the captain, he just laughed and said, “That is just the song of the vulgar boatmen!” 
At !@#$ing Krystals?! Damn! They used to be the cheap place where unhoused folk got a slider and a coffee to get in from the cold.
That’s coming up for me. Thing is, I have to wait until BIL can lend a hand.
I the first layout of a baby book for my cousin’s first grandchild. She’s due in July and doesn’t have a name yet, but I’m enjoying getting my baby book mojo going again. In my small department at irk before I went into production, I made baby books for my cow-orkers who became new parents. All they had to do was add photos and journaling.
I love the look. I needs something larger not to be ill the whole voyage (or slow–a river cruise is great).
Late night final then off to bed. Have printed out a couple more documents and that’s about as constructive as I’ve been tonight. Laundry Day tomorrow starts about as soon as I get up, we’ll see how many loads I get done in a day.
BBBoo, if you need a roomie for the Glacier trip via Amtrak…
JtC, not so much dedication as I don’t care to repeat myself that often, plus all the places are within 3-4 miles of my house and most are closer than that.
FCM, a good choice. Might want to see if you can get a room on the lower level with the Southwest Chief, the steps upstairs are narrow and bendy (but if you’re used to getting around on the boat’s innards, you should be able to handle it.
red, surprised me too, I guess they price them like ‘regular’ burgers. Ah well, the frozen White Castles will serve…
High-Ho, High-Ho, It’s off to bed I go.
Thank you to everyone for your support. Even though my Vulcan part is not worried about tomorrow, the illogical part of me is convinced I will be blind in my right eye after panicking in the middle of the surgery. And I don’t panic.
I apologize for being a bit self indulgent, and usingyou all to journal. I’ve never acknowledged[1] this out loud or in writing before.
I am trans.
Holy shit. That was harder to write than I expected. I thought i was about to pass out for a second there.
I hope I will be able to stay with my favorite human.
Right - that’s enough whiskey for the night.
Next step is saying the above out loud.
especially because it took three troes for the spell checker to figure out what I was trying to spell. - wait a second, I 'm still stalling ↩︎
(((mollie)))
I am, and I don’t want to be.
There are days when this bullshit is easier than others. Today has not been that day. A fist full of Trazodone would fix that, but is not[1] an option, but boy does it sound tempting right now
and will never be ↩︎
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave. It’s currently 46 degrees Ferret Height(7.778 Centipedes)
{{{{{Mollie}}}}}
Morning, mumpers! It’s currently 11c/53f with a predicted high of 20c/67f and sunny. Weather app says “Oh, it’s just fucking beautiful outside. It could be fucking warmer, but it’s beautiful”. And it is, sunny and bright!
Been there, done that! It was definitely an experience but I found it marred by the photographers who work there and want everyone to pose for a pic in at least two parts of the bridge. They don’t understand the concept of “no, thank you” at all. The bridge itself was fun, the view straight down through the clear glass was amazing. We took our own pics from the bridge, and a year later we went on a white-water rafting trip so managed to get a pic from the canyon floor looking right up to the bridge.
{{{{{Mollie}}}}}
I didn’t start an MMP yesterday because I’m off work and forgot it was Monday 
I was up reasonably early, read interwebz stuff and drank tea, then went to the gym. Came home for some lunch, waited for ‘im indoors to get back from his gym and eat, then we went grocery shopping. Came back, I unpacked everything and put it where it lives until it gets used, then had enough time to make last night’s dinner (chicken and chorizo) and tend to the needs of cats before heading back to the gym for Amani’s spin class.
When I came back home again, I put water on to boil for pasta, emptied the bins and hauled the biiiiig bin out to the kerb for today’s collection. I was woken up by the sound of the dustcart coming round at 7am, then lazed for a while before I got up and fed the cats. Now I’m sitting here contemplating my day.
Gym this morning, then home to get cleaned up and have some lunch before I go into town to do some errands. I won’t have time to do anything over the weekend as it’s Mayor’s Fest from Friday to Sunday so I’ll be out and about watching bands again. Thus, erranding must be done beforehand, and I’m off work until Thursday so I’ve got two spare days to get that done. No other big plans for today, once I’ve done my stuff in town, I can do some slothing on the sofa with a good book.
I’m looking forward to updates on your trip! We haven’t got a lot planned yet, we’ve had a long weekend in Antwerp and ‘im indoors has had a couple of trips up to Scotland to look after his mum while his sister’s been away. We have a lot of weekend events booked at the moment so no room for a holiday until August/September. We had thought about having long weekends instead of a week or two somewhere because it breaks up the year for me quite nicely. Currently thinking about Copenhagen and Gibralter at the moment.
Good mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 50 Amurrkin out and cloudy with a predicted high of 75 and sunny. The big item on today’s agenda is laundry. I am overcome with joy. Other than that it’s the usual RDOS inactivities as is our wont. Sup will be leftovers from last night.
{{{Mollie}}}
Now I need caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward to the laundry room! Rah.
Happy Tuesday Y’all!
Maybe I should have added “for free” - our meals are included in the fare, but are snacks? If they’re going to charge us $3 per soda, I need to make sure we bring our own for between-meal times. (ETA - just checked and yes they are. We’re apparently traveling First Class! Be impressed!!)
One of my faves!! There was a place on NAS Jax that made a burger with sauteed onions and mushrooms, swiss cheese, and sour cream. It was my go-to any time I didn’t brown-bag it to work. Truly drool-worthy. Can’t remember what they called it, dammit.
When we were in Gatlinburg last year, I got carry out for supper at Krystals one night. I couldn’t believe how much it cost!! And, frankly, they didn’t taste all that good, either. Which explains why the place was nearly empty at suppertime in a tourist town.
Someone gave me a generic baby book when Daughter was born. I don’t know if I ever opened it. Between working full-time and caring for her, I didn’t have a lot of time to record anything. We have some pictures, but being old-school, we didn’t take a whole lot due to the cost of developing. They were lean days.
Daughter, on the other hand, has gazillions of pics of her spawn. < resists urge to share latest pics of grands… > And those kids not only like having their photos taken - they’ll bug me to do videos of them doing whatever. Luckily, they forget about them in short order, so I can delete the 400th episode of Jumping on the Mini-Trampoline.
Our rooms are assigned - how do I know if they’re upper or lower, short of calling Amtrak?
Let’s quit this apology crap before you get a virtual smack upside the head. If we can’t be self indulgent here, we’re all in trouble. And remember, no one is forced to read anyone else’s driveling. So take a deep breath and journal away. OK, so it might help if you bring snacks, but that’s optional.
Today starts with 42 stoopit, chilly Ferrets. What happened to spring?? And it’s only going to be in the 50s today, then drop to near freezing tonight. Guess I put the electric blanket away too soon. Weds and Thurs won’t be much better, but warmth returns for the weekend.
We’ll be heading to the boat to continue stuff. FCD will be working in the engine room, meaning the floor panels in the main salon will be removed, so I can’t work in there or in the V-berth. Which means I’ll be sanding in the aft berth, prepping for paint. I hate sanding. But at least we’ve got several power tools to do the worst of it. I also need to patch a couple of uneven spots. Then I need to get the paint and whiten the entire space. Well, except for the teak - that’s staying as is.
I ordered some clear, self-adhesive pulls for the sliding windows. They should be delivered tomorrow. I should probably give the windows a good cleaning before then. Yep, busy ahead. At least for the morning. My poor sweetie can’t take too many hours in the engine room - it’s kinda cramped, what with the big-ass engine sitting right in the middle of everything.
I walked thru the landscaping that we had installed last fall - there are buds on everything, so all the plants survived the winter. Unfortunately, there are also weeds poking thru the mulch. I should have a go at them before they get too comfortable in my garden. So there’s that. And I need to stop at the nursery near Food Lion - I want to extend the area a bit. I have 15 bags of mulch, but I’m not sure what I want to plant - maybe another crape myrtle? Or some hydrangeas? I need to decide soon.
Thus beginneth the day. Happy Tuesday!!
Well, no boat work after all today. So I’m going to take the last of the wisteria waste to the landfill, then run by Food Lion for some 'nanners, then to the nursery to look at plants.
Morning all. Second load of many laundry loads is washing away while the first load is in the dryer. Laundry will be my main concern today along with picking up odds and ends for the trip (need a USB wall charger, swore I had one but can’t find it). Weather is nice, 72F.
FCM, this has a pretty good diagram of the sleeper cars AMTRAK uses: Amtrak Car Diagrams @ CraigMashburn.com And I was wrong, the big ‘family’ room is lower, you’ll be climbing the stairs to your bedroom (and the showers are on the lower levels…). The Floridian uses the Viewliner II, which is single-level. Amtrak Floor Plans
Mollie, first {{{ }}}, then what FCM said.
And need to do a little browsing then dress for a quick Wal-mart run between washing/drying cycles. Take care all and have a good 2sDay.
All of us can (and will) tell you that that won’t happen, the surgery is quick, absolutely painless and nothing will go wrong. So much for logical. It will be ok but not all of your brain knows that and that is excruciating to live with.
My best advice is to tell every nurse who does your prep about how anxious you are-they do not want you to be uncomfortable or distressed in any way and if they know about it they can get your IV in early and get an order from the surgeon or anesthesiologist for IV medication that will take the edge off. Plus they will explain things extra thoroughly and offer more reassurance along with ‘better living through chemistry’.
Don’t be the strong silent type, don’t guts it out. Just tell everyone who approaches you ‘hey, I’m really anxious, it’s making me very uncomfortable. What can we do about it?’ ‘I’m really worried I’m going to panic during the surgery and ruin my eye’. It will not be the first time they’ve heard that and they all want to help and they know how to if you let them know it’s needed. Especially tell the anesthetist/anesthesiologist about the panic/ruin my eye worry. They will be able to give you chapter and verse about how they are there to not let that happen and it won’t.
Tell every one first thing that you’re anxious and let them help with that in all the literal and figurative ways they have. Better living through chemistry, reassurance and unconditional support.
…. [image]
Amtrak bedrooms are located in the dedicated Sleeping Car on both Superliner (double-decker) and Viewliner (single-level) trains. On Superliner trains, bedrooms are primarily on the upper level, while accessible/family bedrooms are on the lower level. Viewliner trains, used on the East Coast, have all rooms on one level.
[image]Amtrak +4
Bedroom Locations by Train Type:
- Superliner Trains (Long-distance Western routes): Bedrooms (A-E) are on the upper level, offering better views.
- Viewliner Trains (East Coast routes): Single-level cars where all bedrooms are located.
- Family Bedrooms: Typically located on the lower level of Superliner cars.
- Accessible Bedrooms: Located on the entry level (lower level) of Superliner cars for easy access.
[image]Amtrak +4
Key Bedroom Features:
- Privacy: Each bedroom includes a private, enclosed toilet and shower, unlike roomettes which generally share showers.
- Capacity: Accommodates two passengers with a sofa and armchair by day, converting to bunk beds at night.
- Amenities: Features a large picture window, climate control, and a dedicated attendant.
Plus I sent a drawing/blueprint of the various bedrooms to your FB cause I can’t figure out how to post images here.
Your reservation may have your assigned bedroom on it by letter or number, check the drawing for the actual location but be aware that that is not written in stone, Amtrak may have to juggle assignments or substitute equipment/cars at the last minute but bedrooms are all on the upper level on the long distance western trains. Which is nice because the dining car and observation car are on the upper level too so you won’t have to mess with the twisty treacherous stairs several times a day. The cafe car for snacks is the only thing on the lower level. Only the family bedroom and the ADA accessible bedrooms are on the lower level.
Both your trains BTW will have the traditional menu, not the icky ‘flex’ menu.
But you did, and that’s what matters.
There are lots of invisible strangers out there who are very proud of you. I’m one of ‘em, but there’s more.
Besides all that, honey, it’s the MMP. The whole point is self-indulgent chatter. “I did laundry.” “I ate a cheeseburger and took a nap.” Who cares? But we say it anyway, and occasionally there’s harder hitting stuff (birth, illness, death … the ciiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiife) along with random weather updates and tails tales of kittehs and puppers.
We’re here to share what’s on our minds at the moment. Support, give somewhat unsolicited advice, gently admonish, be ignored, make jokes, it all happens. Such is human nature.
Amanda does some photography as a sideline, so this baby will have a gazillion pics on that count alone, never mind that she will be the first grandchild on both sides. I am going to change the lettering on the layout though. There’s not enough contrast with the backgrounds.
Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do KP. I have a bit of online irk (SSDI related) to do and need to do menus and the grocery list today. Other than that, I’ll play around in the studio with the baby book and read in between.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
They are going to strap your head in place. I tested it, the thick nylon strap doesn’t allow any movement at all.
Follow Boo’s advice and ask for the good drugs, but do know that you won’t be able to move until they unstrap you after the surgery is over.
I don’t know if this will be helpful, but reading that didn’t hurt me at all. Nothing has changed, you are the same person to me.
tuesday, and the pascal list is growing.
sophie the very good girl is a bulldog mix. she is a solid mid size dog, with a soft short brindle coat. she ran out when her person was taking laundry out to the laundry room. she really enjoyed “keep away from the humans”.
there are 3 dogs on the floor, sophie, jimothy, and rain. rain is a brown dog with longer hair and a bit smaller than sophie. jimothy is a white and orange dog who looks very like lager. about the same size as lager.
i have noticed that lager has some hearing loss and sleeps harder. he is heading into 18 and is starting to look it. poor dude. koritza will be 18 this weekend and doesn’t look her age. she is slowing up but that is the only sign of age.
on the amtrak front, my plan is at some point to take the lake shore to the empire builder to the coastal starlight to the sunset to the crescent home. that would knock 9 out of the 10 remaining states i need to cross off. no train to hawaii!
mollie, every time i go to the dentist i worry about power surges with the drill. plan for the worse hope for the best. it is nerve wracking amazing surgery. i still can’t believe i have the eyesight i have now.
on ward to tuesday!