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Happy Christmas & Merry New Year to everyone here--and thanks for all your helpful travel advice throughout the year. I hope 2008 is a great year for traveling for all of us, and a great year for Amtrak improvement and smooth running too.
--"Sojourner"
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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A wonderful holiday season to all and a healthy, happy and PEACEFUL New year,
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Ms. Sojourner, even if travel is not exactly an avocation of mine but rather is something I must do if I am to stay in touch with my immediate family that reside in the New York area (Sister in Greenwich; Niece and Nephews in Brooklyn), I certainly respect your "gumption", as an elderly person (like myself), who is willing to "get out there' and see the world (unlike myself). That you choose to use rail travel is all the benefit for "us" here as your trip reports have proven most informative to many who participate at this forum.
Happy holidays, my dear.
GBN
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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And a happy merriment season to you all, too.
This topic seems like a good enough excuse to revive a little thing I wrote a few years ago, sung to the tune of a popular Christmas carol.
Let It Rain (Sing to the tune of Let It Snow)
Oh the weather outside is frightening, And the sky is full of lightning, But as long as we're on this train, Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
In the Parlor Car folks are singin’, And the crossing bells are ringin’, Things are rockin’ here on this train, Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
Making friends here as we head home, To spend Christmas with those that we love, But we don't care if we're delayed, We're a diesel powered steel parade!
In our Superliner bunk we're cozy, And my dear, your cheeks are rosy, So as long as we're on this train, Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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And a ho-ho-ho-happy holiday to all from Mr. & Mrs. "Railroad Rich" in Florida (aka Rich & Jan)!!!!! May your dreams be filled with sugarplums, on-time AMTRAK trains, new AMTRAK equipment, and Parlour Cars throughout the land!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!
Railroad & Mrs. Rich
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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A Very Merry Christmas to you as well and to all the Amtrak forum members who have made our first Amtrak trips this past year a success. What a great group of people. Thanks and have a Happy New Year. Railroad Bill; in very snowy northern Ohio
Posts: 87 | From: Ohio | Registered: Apr 2007
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Mr Toy - loved your song! Although we hope more for snow than rain on our trip next week to Montana, it did bring a smile. Can't wait to get into that "diesel-powered steel parade".
-------------------- My new "default" station (EKH) has no baggage service or QuikTrak machine, but the parking is free! And the NY Central RR Museum is just across the tracks (but not open at Amtrak train times. . ..) Posts: 337 | From: Goshen, IN | Registered: Jun 2006
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So happy we have this forum! Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings to all of you. Now I have to go play with my Lionel Broadway Ltd.!
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Gotta go plan my next train trip now.
Ho, ho, ho
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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And the same Seasonal Greetings from those of us across the pond who have a long way to go to get to our nearest Amtrak station! (which is the nearest to England? Something in Rhode Island or Mass I'd imagine?)
For the first time in my life I'm spending Xmas out of the UK and will be travelling across The Netherlands by train to spend Xmas in Nijmegen which is in the east of the country near the Dutch-German border.
See you all after Xmas, I'll be back over the pond at some time in 2008 so Happy Amtraking until then!
David R Williams
Posts: 395 | From: england | Registered: Sep 2002
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Thank you all for your kind holiday wishes. And Mr Toy, I loved the song!!! And Mr Williams: I think the closest Amtrak station to you is probably the one in Portland Maine, but it could be Boston--I'm too lazy to do any research right now.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I thought you might enjoy the "politically correct" rendition of "The Night Before Christmas".
The Politically Correct Night Before Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck How to live in a world that's politically correct? His workers no longer would answer to "Elves," "Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul. Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety, Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear That Santa had better not use just reindeer. So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid, Were replaced with four pigs! (and you know that looked stupid!)
The runners had been removed from his sleigh; The ruts were termed dangerous by the EPA. And people had started to call for the cops When they heard sled noises on their rooftops. Second-hand smoke from his pipe Had his workers quite frightened. His fur-trimmed red suit Was called "unenlightened." And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows, Rudolph was suing over unauthorized use of his nose And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation, Demanding millions in overdue compensation. So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife, Who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life, Joined a self-help group, packed and left in a whiz, Demanding from now on her title was Ms. And as for the fits, why, he'd ne'er had a notion That making a choice could cause such a commotion. Nothing of leather, nothing of fur, Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her. Nothing that might be construed to pollute. Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot. Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise. Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys. Nothing that claimed to be gender specific. Nothing that's warlike or nonpacific. No candy or sweets ... they were bad for the tooth. Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden, Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden. For they raised the hackles of those psychological Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological!
No baseball, no football ... someone could get hurt; Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt. Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe; And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed; He could not figure out what to do next. He tried to be merry, tried to be gay, But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground; Nothing fully acceptable was to be found. Something special was needed, a gift that he might Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision. Each group of people, every religion; Every ethnicity, every hue, Everyone, everywhere, yes... even you!
So here is that gift, its price beyond worth ... "May you and your loved ones enjoy Peace on Earth."
This poem is copyrighted 1996 by Harvey Ehrlich. It is free to distribute, without changes, as long as this notice remains intact.
*************************** Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. I've just come away from a day on my local heritage railway, operating the level (grade)crossing gates for the three return 'Santa Specials'. It's great to see the kids enjoying themselves so much. Thanks for all the interesting information and discussion over the past year. It's good to keep in touch with what is happening on Amtrak. I'm looking forward to trying out the new menus on my next visit. John, in a cold and damp UK
Posts: 41 | From: Yaxham, Norfolk, UK | Registered: Jul 2006
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