Where I's at and how I's got here

I am in Seattle on a surprise visit. I've been here since Sunday, and only my two best friends and mother knew I was coming (ok, a couple I know knew, too, but that's just because they're very busy people and I wanted to be sure I could see them). The Brooklyn comment was just a red herring...

I haven't said anything until now, because the friend that I think reads my blog most frequently, well, reads the blog frequently. There was a group event that I went to last night, and I wanted to surprise everyone there and I knew I would see her there. And boy was she surprised! It was rather fun, because noone there would've dreamed I was going to be there.

I'm gradually telling a few people that I'm here. I thought it would be so cool to see everyone, and it really is, though, it's hard. While I'm staying with one of my best friends, I've only been able to spend a few hours with my other best friend (watching dvds with a group of five others last night doesn't really count), and it was hard to look him in the eye when I was leaving his house last night.

I've missed my best friends a great, great deal, and it's such a treat to see them. However, it's difficult because I will be leaving on Tuesday. It's also difficult because hours and days here and there just isn't enough time to really catch up with them. I just want to pack them up and take them to Europe, but they have mortgages, so...

So. I took the train from NYC to Seattle. In all, about three days. It was a nice trip, although if you ride Amtrak at night, I recommend bringing an extra sweater or blanket, because the heat is pretty low then. I was able to see a little bit of states I've never been to, and I also saw things like frozen lakes/ponds/rivers -- which I'd never actually seen before.

The only thing I hadn't taken into consideration, is that going through Middle America would mean there were Middle Americans on board. I heard a couple political I Support Bush conversations going on, and I just plugged in my CD walkman and turned up the volume. Thank you Keane and Narcotango and Tanghetto for saving me.

However, music wasn't able to save me at the dining car breakfast I had. A standard Middle America family sat down in my booth. From the not-so-witty repartee (father: "You didn't wait for us." Me: [pained, trying-to-be-polite smile]), to the food choices. To wit:

Waiter: Sir, would you like a croissant or biscuit with your breakfast?
Father: I dun't eat French food.
Waiter: OK.
Father: I'll have a biscuit.

Fine. No skin off my back. Though, you have to wonder that he didn't say anything when his wife ordered an omelette and his son French Toast. Now, I've never actually seen French Toast on a menu in France, though I suppose it's possible.

I almost spoke to him in French (well, told him off with the first French insult I learned in high school), just for the bullying fun of it. Though, I've lost a lot of my French since I took Spanish classes, so I wouldn't have been able to keep the French bit up for very long. I could've talked to him in Spanish, but the effect surely wouldn't have been the same.

While not because of this family, that breakfast was the first and last I had in the dining car. Simply, it was the most awful omelette I've ever had. So I stuck with turkey sandwiches and pretzels and chocolate chip cookies from the snack car.

Coming through the Cascade mountains on Sunday morning, just past dawn, was spectacular. There was quite a bit of fresh snow on the ground, and much more coming down. Absolutely breathtaking and exceptionally beautiful.

While three days without a shower was a little much for me, the train ride itself was really quite nice. There weren't too many people on the train, so everyone that wanted two seats to themselves were able to have one. I enjoyed the rest of not being able to do anything (except read, write, listen to music, eat and sleep), and being able to rest my ankle some more (the ankle is still tender, stiff and sore and I can't walk great distances or walk very quickly).

And in other, funny news: a friend in Seattle sent me a package of chocolate back in mid-November. To save money, she sent it via boat and was told it would take about 4-6 or 6-8 weeks (I don't remember which) to arrive in Buenos Aires. I just received an email from the family I stayed with, and the chocolate has just arrived. Three months.

Though, the CD of glacier photos still hasn't arrived at the residence. Which means it probably won't, which is very sad. And which also means I will just have to return to El Calafate and take more photos!

I miss warm weather and especially Buenos Aires.