I left the house at about 4 in the morning, hoping to beat the early traffic bastards heading to work and congestions on the major hubs I’d be crossing later. Flying by, I realized that half the time I was doing at least five miles over the speed limit.

I didn’t think anything of it at first because I was getting passed left and right. Truck here. Car there. Cop. Everyone had a place to be and apparently going 65 was too slow for them.

Admittedly, I too had to be somewhere, but time was on my side.

Finally, I make it to my destination. Reading my instructions, I walk in and head to the ticket counter.

Me: “Hi, I’m here to claim my ticket and reservation.”
Ticket Agent: “Did you already pay for your ticket?”
Me: “No.”
Ticket Agent: “Then you’ll have to wait at least two hours. We don’t have electricity.”

We don’t have electricity.

I figure maybe I should get something to eat. I have two hours to kill, so I leave and head to the gas station across the street.

No electricity. Not only that, but apparently they are so inept they can’t count actual math without their precious computerized cash register.

I was without my Combos (cheddar cheese crackers or pretzels please!) until I went to another gas station. Or so I thought.

Again, no electricity!

I gave up. Went back to the train depot, pulled out a magazine, and started to read. Eventually I went inside, 2 hours later, and was surprised to see…

“No Electricity”

Right there on the counter, in a sign made just for me I gather. The ticket agent that helped me before wasn’t there, so I asked if we’d have any power soon, and if not then how do we go about getting reservations claimed and our tickets paid for.

He looked on a list, found my name, and gave me a stub so I can get my car aboard the train. A half hour later, after they took my car from me, they started actually dealing with people. One of the engineers hooked up some kind of generator system to power the place, and I ended up paying for my ticket.

And for the next two hours, I waited.

It wasn’t so bad. I had no one to talk to, nothing to do, and a magazine I read thrice over. The bag with my books was in the car, and that was already aboard. Bored silly, I just watched people until it was time to board the train. Where I sat again for another two hours, waiting for us to actually leave.

I was afraid to fall asleep; I didn’t want to miss my dinner. So I stayed up, watched “Friends” (The One Where Joey Speaks French), and ate complimentary chips.

Before I fell asleep. What can I say? All that waiting around got me tired…