The Great Train Trip-part the nineteenth

Many of these blogs have been about my adventures in the past. It is that experience that gives rise to the up coming trips. As mentioned in the beginning, this time around is sort of a “hale and farewell” tour. I want to have one more good rail experience. Before this one, though, most of them were planned for me and I just enjoyed the trip. This time I am totally involved with planning and executing the whole shebang! In most cases I have been guilty of over-thinking the whole thing and have had to cut back on the planning and the paranoia involved. One thing is obvious, I have learned my lessons from other trips and advice I have received from others. There is a downside to experience as you know what can happen as it has happened before so you anticipate it will again. So you try to have all the bases covered and be prepared, which is ridiculous, but you try never the less.

So we are at the gateway to the latest adventure. Things still need to be done. Before I just depended on friends or relatives to take care of the mail and papers, this time I just stopped them. In other times I would just lock up the house and leave, now I need to slowly shut the place down. And make sure that all the internal systems are either shut off or reduced in consumption. Especially the “robo” things that suck electrical power all the time. Also there is the concept of “faking out” any potential “observers” to whether or not you are actually home by using the timed lights. Right now that device is being tested!  I suspect that once I have all this in hand it will be easier the next time I do this.

Being about 10 days away from lift-off, there is the final packing-re-packing of the luggage with a concern to not taking any thing not entirely necessary, this requires a heavy foot to push down a good dose of paranoia, and lots of “what if. . .” ( in the back of my mind there is always the Boy Scout in me who says, “Be Prepared!” For what. . . ?) So in that mind set, I have been watching the long range weather forecast, trying to scope out what the weather will be like and repack accordingly. “Layers” seem to be the solution and not worrying about re-wearing things too much.  All this is fine as I am on the move, I will not be seeing the same people all through the trip so I will be the only one to know and comfort is the important factor. ( One thing I did notice is about the time I am on the way, it will not be very warm out west especially along the Canadian border, which means I am not going to get away with shorts and flip-flops! Hench an order for a heavier jacket and gloves and the removal of a light jacket from the luggage.) Sigh!

( Plans in a cocked hat!)