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Page 2 of 2 Remember that gentle rocking motion that is part of a train's charm? Well it turns from charm to bothersome when you lay down in the bunk comprised of seats folded together. At first, it seems adequate. I toss and turn a lot in bed and a 24-inch wide mattress does not allow much tossing let alone turning. Coupled with the rocking motion of the train, flopping you from one side to the other, not a whole lot of sleeping goes on. Oh, did I mention the train whistle? I was three cars back from the engine whose whistle blew at every, and I mean every, intersection between Florida and Virginia. There are virtually hundreds of them spaced what seemed like three feet apart. I managed some cat naps and actually found myself waking to the still silence of a stopped train as we changed crews. The stillness was almost unnerving. Before I knew it, dawn was breaking and breakfast was served.  I hopped out of bed and tried to maneuver about the roomette with the bed still in the down position. I'm not sure how I undressed last night, but I found putting my pants on to be a bit of a chore. I decided to open my door and step in the passageway to put them on. After a quick glance to the east and west, I stepped into the hall and started one leg in when I heard the sliding of not one but two doors. Oh well, too late now. I continued and to my surprise, two more people stepped into the hall and proceeded to step into their pants too. We nodded a good morning to each other and went about our business.
The shower was down stairs from my luxury suite, so I grabbed my morning kit from my bag and went to find it. The door read, “Shower.” I tested the door and it was unlocked. To my surprise, the woman from my dinner table was brushing her tooth. Just kidding. The shower, while not expansive, is adequate. After several years of living aboard a 30-foot sailboat, I was used to small showers and since you don't often entertain in there, size doesn't really matter. You go in, and then get out. Finished with that I went to the dining car for a continental breakfast. Cold cereal, fresh fruit and juices, bagels and muffins and, most importantly, java. I was a bit more cautious in choosing my seating arrangements this morning. A young couple and another single girl who, by the way, ended up having a V-Rod she was taking to see her boyfriend in Virginia before his deployment to Iraq. That sparked some pleasant breakfast conversation and all went well. It was 7 a.m. and we were due in at 9:30 a.m. and we would be on time. All in all, it was a great experience since, and fortunately, nothing went too horribly wrong with the rest of the morning. We got into the station and it took about an hour and a half to get the bikes unloaded and by 11:05 a.m. I was headed north to Pennsylvania to see my old friends. Oh yeah, I told you about my old friends. “Hey, did I tell you about the time I wore the Gettysburg Harley Davidson shirt into a bar in South Carolina?” Well, maybe another time.
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