I'm on an Acela Express to Boston. The overhead power line was struck by lightening rendering the

[ohiosmith]

train immobile. We are south of Mystic. We passengers in first class have barricaded the doors to protect us from business class. It is becoming crazy surly as the temperature rises and ice for mixed cocktails returns to a liquid state. Fortunately I will take my bourbon neat. This may not end well as the watercress sandwiches and creme brûlée are being hoarded. Factions are forming pitting bankers against brokers and ad men. I will provide periodic updates as time and auxiliary power permits.

Heat is claiming my senses so a certain amount of incoherence should be expected. 

[In_The_Wind]

1. OMG

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. Creme brulee causes gas.

And civilization is but a thin veneer . . . It was good knowin' ya.

[ohiosmith]

3. Two hours in and madness claimed the crew in our car. They have stripped from the waist down

and are singing show tunes as they march up and down the aisle. It is disturbing with the exception of Jesus who does a credible impersonation of Ethel Merman.

A group of tourists, Flemish I think, have seized control of the one and only washroom. Before they closed the door, I caught a glimpse if them dowsing one of their own with the contents of single serve coffee creamers purloined from the galley. I am unfamiliar with this rite but am hopeful the exercise will bring us relief.

[In_The_Wind]

5. !

[redwitch]

28. If Jesus is on your train couldn't he fix the problem?

Also if the loaves and fishes thing worked why not do the same for the creme brulee and sammiches?

[rug]

4. Watch out for the marauders from Fairfield County.

When they smell blood they will descend upon you in waves of golf carts.

[Ptah]

6. Agatha, call Hercule stat!

[Chan790]

7. Really?

In all likelihood you'll get towed through to New Haven and they'll swap the locomotive with a diesel and send you over the inland (ie. via Berlin, Meriden, Hartford, Bradley Intl. Airpt. and Springfield then across MA.) connector assuming the strike was north of New Haven...if it struck between you and New Haven...you may end up on a bus. Your Acela just became a regular train and your arrival time just jumped at least 90 minutes. I know, that sucks. It's happened to me before.

[ohiosmith]

8. Hell can be no more cruel than this. The bourbon is nearly gone and we will soon be reduced

to drinking domestic beer.

A saving grace was the discovery of several accountants hiding in the overhead compartments. Should the need arise, they will make a hearty but boring stew.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

10. a ragout of accountants... the benefits are innumerable....

[Chan790]

11. Not if you itemize those benefits. n/t

[Sekhmets Daughter]

13. or lord...another tax expert!

[Ikonoklast]

30. On what line would one enter, "Eating accountant stew gave me gas so bad it made mules faint."

Is that considered a medical expense, or does that go under business entertainment?

[Chan790]

31. The second because it's a public place and thus there is an audience. n/t

[Ikonoklast]

32. Line 56a, got it.

Thnx.

[ohiosmith]

12. Go figure!

[Sekhmets Daughter]

14. No thanks...there is nothing to figure.... I would have chosen to drive!

Amtrak is always an adventure!

[In_The_Wind]

15. That is a long drive.

[Moondog]

16. It still beats hell out of entrusting your person and

your schedule to Amtrak. The thing is, the air shuttles are every bit as unreliable.

I am so glad I retired and moved out of the DC - Boston corridor.

[In_The_Wind]

17. I prefer to drive everywhere.

I never tried Amtrak.

[Moondog]

23. You probably should at least once.

If for no other reason than to find out why, unless you have no other viable option, you'd be better off doing something else.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

18. 3 to 3.5 hours...drive

the layover has been 3... I like the drive myself...

[In_The_Wind]

20. I misunderstood. I thought you were talking about driving from your home now

to Boston.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

21. Yeah...that's a schlepp!

But Nelson and I drove from here to San Diego... 2 nights on the road... I-10 is like a beautiful dream if you like to drive, which I do... 95 to 105 mph across Texas!

I take Amtrak down to Miami to see my son, but if the damned train breaks down I can call him to come and get me!

[In_The_Wind]

22. The drive from northern Maine to New Orleans was great.

Montana to New York was my last extra long drive.

My next long drive will be south ... somewhere.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

24. There was a time when I think I knew every curve in the road,

every crack in the paving of I-95 between here and northern NJ... When we took the kids to Cedar Point, in Sandusky, OH we went up I-75... I enjoyed that trip.

The train I want to take is the one across Canada... I will do that someday...it's on my bucket list!

[In_The_Wind]

25. I drove a bit (twice) in Canada. DU's billyskank was with me visiting DUers one time.

From here ... north, west and south to Tennessee.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

26. Cool!

[Sekhmets Daughter]

9. Think of it as an exercise in character building!

[NewJeffCT]

19. you're not far from where I live, believe it or not

you would have passed my town minutes before your train stopped.

[nolabear]

29. Time to get out your Twain and hold an election.

Stay strong, Bro'. Stay strong. And drunk.

[ohiosmith]

33. We were rescued, but not until serious squabbles erupted among the bankers. Several

suffered deap facial lacerations and hair loss. One, from Chase I believe, lost an eye to gouging by the EVP from Wells Fargo.

Finger pointing and lawsuits will now ensue.