Alexis avoids her homework, hour seven

[alexiscartwheel]

Strangely, sitting here in front of two laptops does not make me accomplish twice as much work. (Although it does make me look like a nerd. My old PowerBook seems huge now.) I'm supposed to be writing a paper for my archives class--the prof calls it a lit review, but three articles does not a lit review make--and I've been avoiding it all day. I spent five hours cleaning the house (the kitchen was disgusting, and apparently no one else that lives here cares), and now I'm just dawdling and periodically making snacks. I do at least have one of the articles open now (on the other computer) so I can learn all about archiving blogs.

And now for something completely different... Everyone go read this article about train travel from tomorrow's New York Times. (Tomorrow's paper! It's magic!) It really makes me want to go on a cross-country train trip. Plus, I'd just like to go to San Francisco and New York anyway, so it'd be a good excuse. :)

Comments

[kit-the-brave.livejournal.com]

I don't want to harsh your mellow. But HtB and I rode the Coast Starlight once from Emeryville to Portland, and it was so bad that we canceled the second half of our ticket and flew home. You might like it better than I did; just keep in mind:

1. Bathrooms. Imagine how hard it is going to the bathroom in an airplane, and then picture trying to go to the bathroom on a moving train that's going around a bend. HtB said the men's bathroom was even worse than the women's, and he was probably right.

2. Claustrophobia. The windows don't open, and it feels really weird to be locked into this tiny space for so long.

3. Delays. HUGE delays. You will not get where you are going remotely on time. We called Amtrack just to find out how late our return train was, and it was almost 24 hours behind schedule.

I think the best thing to do is go on a train trip in another country with better trains, like Japan. *sigh*

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

LOL at your icon! :D

The delays wouldn't be an issue if you planned not to be in a hurry. I think that'd be key--leisurely road trip pace. And it'd be an adventure! Can't be worse than some of the primitive camping trips I've been on.

Japan would be very cool too. I'd love to go there sometime!

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

That sounds like top notch procrastination right there!

[lib-chick42.livejournal.com]

even with one computer, nothing gets done (especially since I don't have anywhere to watch the non-work related stuff)

And true- Europe does have way better trains than North America (I can't say for Japan, but it wouldn't surprise me). That being said, I still think that taking the train home from here (so about halfway across the country, but not actually starting/finishing at either end) would be neat. I'd probably only want to do it once, though.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

The theory was a would have articles open on one screen and type my paper on the other... not so much.

Europe does have better trains, or so I've heard... I'm sure it helps that there cities are closer together, but still, we could do better. I'd love to go to Europe period. Fun train adventures would be a bonus!

[lib-chick42.livejournal.com]

train adventures are fun, mostly... did I ever tell you about the time I got woken up in the middle of the night by the butt of a rifle in my side?

I was crossing the border from Austria into Germany, they were checking people's ID and tickets- going from Vienna to Strasbourg, France in early January. Also, fyi, if you are traveling in January, it is best to make sure that the train you're booked on is heated. Because even in Europe, unheated trains are cold in January.