Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Hobo soundtrack

I've been on this train for almost nine hours now. When the train starts going really fast, like 50 or 60 miles an hour, the shifting of weight and the wheel imperfections start playing a song. On this spot of this train, the song is something like Dick Dale meets African drumming. It's kinda like on Space Mountain, how they have speakers right in your ears, blasting, coincidentally, Dick Dale. At least that's what they played last time I rode it, which was eleven years ago. This is better, though, because this whole monster is the speakers. It's a rush that, unlike Space Mountain, doesn't end after a minute or two. This is the American Dream and you can thank people like me for keeping it alive. You're welcome.

What a ride! I took that pic a few minutes ago, somewhere east of Yuma, Arizona. I don't know where this train is going, but it won't be going where I meant to go. Looks like Tucson probably; perhaps Phoenix first. Beautiful day for a train ride. And the only reason I'm riding it is because it stopped beside me when I had almost finished walking to the truck stop in Palm Springs.

Does this work?

There should be a short video of me, a freight train, a mouthful of sunflower seeds, and a big desert in this post. Did it work?

I'm riding the rails again,

I'm riding the rails again, baby. Eastbound Union Pacific out of Palm Springs at 10:00 sharp.