HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY DOCTOR WHO Yeah. Had to do it. Ten years from now I'll be reading this scrawl, formed from banishment to the lower reaches of Amtrak, and laughing ... 'cause it would be 40 years. (2003 note: reading again at 40 years and there's going to be a new Doctor Who series! Yay! Check out the Sylvester McCoy website for more info.) On the train to Chicago. Not sure how long. 8:20am Tues to 4:30pm Wed. But we cross a timeline so is it 32 hours, 31 hours or 30 hours? Either way it's a bloody long time!

The observation carriage has been taken over by smokers. I'm not impressed. I'm in the snack area downstairs. The camera is set on interval recording to save tape.

Had to write this down - A stationary (abandoned) Sante Fe carriage had written on its end "Do not hump". Poor Thomas the Tank Engine. Also an amusing sign with a tragic 'stick' drawing of a train with a 'stick' rock about to fall on it and the legend "Falling Rocks" ('99 note: 'Stick' was the well known art period of the early creative years of every individual)

Well...later we stopped at Albuquerque and I raced to the corner of Gold & Fifth Street for stamps. Bought some postcards too (And postal postcards) Spent $20.00 on stamps. Gaah. I don't think I'll be sending 50 postcards!

Recorded a lot on video. An Indian Guy gave a talk on the tribes and legends of the area as well as playing some music. Very interesting. Then we watched a movie 'Dave'. It was a 'feelgood' movie. (Yes, this is all in the train!)

Jaw still kills. Talked to the lady next to me. She's from Ann Arbor. Another person who likes Disneyland. Hope I can afford it.

Some additions. The AVA? that striked? Some were sacked.
Ute told me yesterday that the Bronx is dangerous for whites. Joggers jogging in a race through there recently were confronted with blacks holding signs saying "You're OK today, but any other time we'd kill you'
(Sounds like a hot tourist stop)

They also played on the train - Dennis the Menace (a kiddies movie. Poor Walter Mathau. Has he reallly come to this?)
They're now playing The Firm. Didn't bother to tune in. Don't think I couldn've handled it.

The woman next to me has a copy of the magazine by the Official Star Trek fan club in the storage pocket. I'll comment on it tomorrow if she doesn't notice first that I've put in my chair pocket a copy of Doctor Who - Power of the Daleks. ('99 note. I never finished the book. I can't handle John Peel's writing. So terminally boring. Might also have something to do with the fact that I'd listened to the audio tape, read the transcription and seen the reconstruction. Even so, I sold it, along with Evil of the Daleks as soon as I got back to Australia.) Haven't seen a bookshop selling Doctor Who yet.

May buy a pack of Amtrak playing cards if they have lots of pictures of trains. May get two. One for Matthew? I'll see what happens. I'm low on cash though and I may need it tomorrow.

Well, spent the rest of the night playing patience in the snackbar room. At about 12:00 Arizona time, 1:00am Kansas City time, Marlon came down and showed me a couple of card games.
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