2009-05-04 So I rolled out of bed this morning and loaded my bike on a train. My job is yanking me from my semi-comfortable nonconformist lifestyle and thrusting me back into normalcy. After three days of hard travel I will spend the next week or so at the luxurious Pechanga Hotel and Casino in Temecula, California with room and meals covered. Normalcy. Life on the train is pretty nice. I plugged in my laptop and got quite a bit of work done as we trundled on across Texas, occasionally looking outside to see cows give way to corn and trees grow steadily smaller. Probably the best part of traveling by train are the characters. In front of me: Chuck rolls around in his seat like a flipped over turtle and continuously emits the noises of a small heard of horses. Occasionally, he'll open a package of corn nuts and start chewing away. Who does that in public? I sometimes overhear him: "yeaaah boooy, aaahmm onn the traaaan. Ima yam naaaah mimim na ham I thought he had a jab." Forward left: in San Antonio: "so I just asked a cabbie for directions to a convenience store. He said, 'go down three blocks to Crackville, then turn and go another ten blocks. You'll find a convenience store, but you won't have any money left.'" To my left is Mike. He is a total extrovert. He's on his way to LA to meet up with a girl (who supposedly will make 6 million pre-tax producing her current film) and get a job building movie sets. Mike is a little short on cash and borrows my phone a lot. What's more, Angela now calls me occasionally asking to speak with Mike and sends text messages. Behind me on phone: "Who are you on the phone with? I said who? You're lying. You're lying to me. I love you. I will always love you. Even though you don't love me I will always love you. You better pick up if I call."

all aboard Dallas