Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Train Stop

I'm looking at this red sign on a plain, tan, train car. It says:

DO NOT HAMMER ON CAR

Funny...how does it know that I want to do that right now?

I have been sitting at this jucture for at least 20 minutes, not counting the 10 minutes I sat one mile from where I am now. For a while, I was looking at "Used Oil" tanks and wondering how and where the oil was used. But then, finally, the train started to slooowwwlly move and I got excited that progress was being made!

ASIDE: About a year or three ago, Sage and I came upon the very same railroad track, heading the opposite direction. A train was in progress before us, and it was SLOW. I said, out loud (my bad) "COULD THIS TRAIN GO ANY SLOWER??!!??" Well, yes. It could. It stopped. Then, after stopping, it started rolling backwards and stopped again. Sage has never let me live that down.

Then...my train stopped again and I find myself looking at this "Do Not Hammer On Car" sign more than a normal cursory glance would suffice. I find myself regretful that I left my phone at home. That sign would make a great addition to my online "random signs" collection. Thank God I don't have a hammer. because at this point I just want to know...does someone sleep in there? Will it blow up if I hit it with a hammer? Is it really such a problem that they had to paint that sign on the side of that one car?

The other car that I'm looking at just has graffiti tags on it. It's that dark red color, with a sign that says, in small, white letters : DO NOT RUN CAR WITH HATCHES OPEN. Well...that makes sense.

I'm a little thankful for this time. Other cars and trucks are scurrying around, turning about to find their way around the train/obstacle. I know the only way is 6 miles west of me, and with my luck the train will have moved by then...like grocery store or bank lines.

The railroad crossing lights are flashing in time to the song from my ipod. Yeah, I have my ipod...just not my phone.

There's an old black man in his car, next to mine. He has been here as long as me. We are the two holding our place, making our stand. He isn't phased anymore than me. He's reading his newspaper while I'm reading my book, listening to my music, and writing. The woman behind me is drinking her coffee...slowly...like she knows it doesn't matter if the train shoots by now, or not.

I'm thinking of pulling into the feed store that is just to my right. They have pretty hummingbird feeders in the window, and a cool dog on the porch who is watching the cars stop, wait, and then leave.

I wonder if they have crickets? ...