It was packed, and I got the very worst seat possible, window on the sun side, bulkhead so no tray. And they put the guy in the trenchcoat next to me.
So I spent most of the sea view in the lounge car, chatting with some young woman from Marin.
I was back in my seat in time for SLO, and trenchcoat guy went out for a smoke and didn't come back for a couple of hours. Probably found a buddy.
Smokers are social. I don't know any smoker who started smoking because he liked what it tasted like, or how it felt. They all start because their friends smoke, or the people they want to be their friends smoke. And now that it's illegal, immoral and causes cancer, and they are forced to smoke outside in the snow, they huddle together for warmth and support. Worse than ever.
Because of the sun, we had to keep the curtains closed, and it never really left us till sundown, being a northbound train. And sundown was out by Soledad, nothing in the way of city lights for most of the ride.
We were late into every stop along the way, but made it up on the final stretch, 5 minutes early into San Jose.
Drove home, unpacked, mostly, started a load of laundry. I had seen Spook's damage in the webcams. Minor. She pulled the grid cover off one of the stereo speakers, and also had somehow knocked a holiday card off the kitchen island and was trying to pull it apart with her teeth. She got the shiny silver envelope flap off, but that was all.
And there were a lot of dead bugs in her water. Not her fault. I need to call an exterminator. I have no idea where they are coming from, or what they are. Larger than a flea, smaller than a tick, with a pointed nose.
Spook went crazy for a while, racing all over the house, jumping up on my leg as I was walking. She's splayed across the cat tree now, watching me.
Plans for tomorrow:
Work
BASFA, maybe
