The "Chug Chug Chugging Along", edition.

iPad shuffled to Heatwave, "Mind Blowing Decisions" ...."causes head on collisions".  Well, we're back from Champaign. We took Amtrak.  Left on Saturday morning and returned Tuesday evening (early Wednesday morning). I wanted to leave Thursday , but Illinois high schools wrestling finals deterred our plans. When we checked in, the clerk had had enough of the kids.  Heh, when we returned to the hotel  Saturday night, short boys were strutting around topless, there were cases of Bud Light on the tables in the eating area, kids in the meeting room eating pizza and the pool area was party central.  In addition, as I was getting on the elevator, somes dad was carrying a case of beer and a bottle of vodka. :-/.  Our room was out of the area of activity (read - noise) and nowhere near the students, but other guests were complaining at breakfast the next morning.  Anyway, thewrestlers and families all left on Sunday. 

Back to the train. It's approximately 5.5 hours from Detroit to Chicago (we left from Dearborn...parking lot is right behind Dearborn Police Headquarters). I enjoyed the ride.  I'd never taken the train to Chicago. We passed casinos in ugly industrial areas in Indiana. On Lake Michigan. Ugh. We made good time until we ran into a train traffic jam in Indiana. Did I say it was a massive, ugly industrial area? 

Average White Band, "A Love of Your Own". U-Mich memories. We finally pull into Union Station 45 minutes late. No big deal, we have a 4 hour layover. I was hoping to step outside of the station and walk to a restaurant but it was cold and we just didn't feel like it. We ate lunch inside Union Station, then sat in the waiting lounge and people watched.  I noticed the Mennonites.  And there were a lot of them and many different sects.  Brian was watching the predators, looking to help themselves to Un watched items. On the way back I spotted them also.  

Chicago to Champaign was a 2 hour ride.  But.  Just outside of Champaign we had to wait on a freight train. ;-(  Didn't they know my daughter was waiting to pick us up?  I hadn't seen her in 6 weeks. This was urgent!!!!   Oh yeah, we had just waited for a freight train just north of the previous shop. Sigh.  45 minutes late again.  By the time we got there, we were tired. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel, went to dinner, and back to the hotel to sleep. We'd have to meet our grandcat the next day.  

I'm signing off.  I'm still sleepy. We got to our house around 12:30 AM this morning. Got to bed at 1:00 AM and woke up at 5:00AM to be at dialysis at 6:15. And yes, I dialyzed in Champaign on Monday. And yes, they remembered me. The Stylistics, "Stop, Look and Listen". Close your eyes and get lost in Russell's voice. Stay warm. And can someone just kick winter's butt out of here?  Please?