Pragmatik » train http://www.pragmatik.org/blog Being of use to the world since 1979. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:51:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Off to Philly for V Day. http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2009/02/off-to-philly-for-v-day/ http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2009/02/off-to-philly-for-v-day/#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:34:56 +0000 Johnny http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/?p=1747 philvday1
I’m off on a 6am train for Philly today.  We’re spending the day in the city of brotherly love, going book shopping and drinking a lot of coffee. Between being excited and my neighbor’s early Valentine’s Day…banging around under my bedroom, I’ve been up since 2:30.

Happy V Day, if you’re the sort to like that.
(Yes, that’s a Moleskine City Notebook for Philly.)
philvday2

]]> http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2009/02/off-to-philly-for-v-day/feed/ 0 I’m back, early August edition. http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/im-back-early-august-edition/ http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/im-back-early-august-edition/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:42:13 +0000 Johnny http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/?p=1434
Got back home last night/this morning at about 2:30am.  Took a nice cab back from Penn Station from Amtrak from Penn Station (NYC) from the Acela from South Station (Boston) from MBTA Commuter Rail to and from Concord from North Station (Boston) from Amtrak from Penn Station (Baltimore) from a late cab from my home from a cab that night from a concert at Pier Six.  I slept like a rock that drank a case of beer last night.  Seven and a half hours of the closest sleep to death I might ever have slept.  That’s overly dramatic.  But, seriously, that was good sleep.

We walked everywhere this week.  All over the Inner Harbor/downtown Baltimore Tuesday.  We walked to Walden Pond.  Walked all around Boston, only taking the subway when rivers were involved (Quincy and Cambridge) and the train to Concord.  Walked so much all over New York for two days that I should get to be on TV.  We only got on the MTA subway once, to go from the garment district to the Natural History museum to save energy.  Then from there through the park, through midtown, all the way to the village.  Then back to midtown for our late train.  That was after two walks from midtown to and around and through the village the day before.

Only one twisted ankle, one twisted foot (on the way out of the apartment and to the train station) and one broken/bleeding toenail.  Not bad.  I did a much better job of staying hydrated than I usually do when I travel, too, which is good.  I’m not sitting here suffering through a mock hangover.

And we were smart enough to mail home the books we bought in Cambridge, dirty clothes and Walden Pond goodies/gifts from the post office right near South Station, since we literally carried everything for four days.  We scored a lot of good reading, including two by my favorite other worshipper at the altar of the god of walkers.  I’m stocked up until the cold comes, I think.

I hope I get time to post some photos soon.  We had a great time, and I’m outta here again from Tuesday until Friday for “business” in Philly.  I think I’ll get some freetime while I’m there, though, to explore a place I’ve really been wanting to go for a while.

]]> http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/im-back-early-august-edition/feed/ 1 Shipping up to Boston. http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/shipping-up-to-boston/ http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/shipping-up-to-boston/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:49:12 +0000 Johnny http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/?p=1431
Tomorrow, I go to a few meetings that are work-related. Then a concert at Pier Six at night. Then a 3:55am train to Boston! We’ll be in Beantown Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, I’ll be making my pilgrimage to Walden Pond, but I don’t think I’ll have time to take the long B Train out to where I went to school. We’re staying at the Adams Inn in North Quincy, right near where I lived for two years in North Quincy, a block from the beach.

Then we are taking the Acela Express to New York early Friday Morning, staying at The New Yorker and returning home to Baltimore late Saturday night. Two days at home, and then I’m off to Philly from the 12th to the 15th for some training. Then I officially start my new job on the 18th.

Awesome all around, though it means most of two weeks away from my beloved bike.

To amuse yourself, check out the video to the awesome song by the Dropkick Murphys — who are from Quincy, where I actually lived.

]]> http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/08/shipping-up-to-boston/feed/ 3 Johnny McC not into Amtrak. http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/07/johnny-mcc-not-into-amtrak/ http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/2008/07/johnny-mcc-not-into-amtrak/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:59:20 +0000 Johnny http://www.pragmatik.org/blog/?p=1412
I am honestly trying to not so negative about McCain.  Really.  There is so much that Obama has going for him that it’s not as “necessary” as when we had Lurch running against Stupid Monkey Face last time.  At least, that’s how I feel now.  (Remind I said that in the fall.)

But McCain does a lot of crazy stuff that people ignore because he’s a war hero, because he has “experience,” because he’s a Republican, because he’s old/from another era. While I don’t think too much bashing will accomplish anything, it’s important to realize what the hell this guy really stands for and to understand some of the other-worldly things he’s said and done. Mobtown Shank does a cool comic series on some of these wacky McCain-isms which you should check out.

Grist reported [via General Carlessness] how Johnny M.C. wants to kill the train in America.  Never mind that flying is becoming and bigger and bigger pain in the ass.  Nevermind how expensive taking your own car is.  Never mind how big our frikkin country is.  (And we should definitely not consider the environment!)  Let’s cripple the train, rather than developing it.  Good idea.

Another reason to vote for Obama.

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