Leaving Texas
On August 23, 2009, I left Fort Worth, Texas to start my journey home. I was a little sad, because I was having fun here in Texas, but it was time to go home. My train was scheduled to leave at 2:20 pm. The car rental place was right next to the train station. For me, this was very convenient. It meant I could drop off my rental car and go right to the train. I made sure to get there early. That's always a good idea when you're catching a train or plane.
But I hadn't counted on the car rental place being closed on Sunday. You'd think they'd be open seven days a week, especially being right next to the train station and catching the tourist trade like they do. Why, they practically share the same building with the train station. Don't they know people travel seven days a week? To make matters worse, they don't have an after hours key drop or any other clue about how to turn the car in today. My train leaves in an hour and a half. That's how much time I have to figure out how to solve this problem.
I went into the train station to look for the information desk. Maybe they would have some clue about this predicament. Surely I wasn't the first person this had happened to. I was dismayed to discover the information desk is also closed on Sundays. Now what?
Ohhhhh, I wish I had scheduled my leaving for a weekday. Next time I come, I'll have to remember that. Not only give myself time to comfortably finish whatever might be happening for me at the Refreshing Times Conference, but also plan to leave on a weekday, so that if I need services or help on my last day in Texas, it will be open and available.
I went over to the ticket window to talk to the train employees. But they had a weekend skeleton crew that was very busy, and they didn't want the extra bother of my crisis. However, I keep pestering them and they finally give me a toll free number to call the car rental company's national customer service. I pull out my cell phone, dial the number, and pray it isn't closed on Sundays.
A woman answers the phone. I explain the situation and she helps me. Thank goodness. After explaining that there's no key drop or anything like that, she tells me that I can leave the keys in the glove compartment and call the car rental office from the train tomorrow when they're open. I thank her, and get busy removing my stuff from the car, so I can be ready for the train.
Then I wait around for a short time until my train comes. This gives me time to calm down a bit. Once I'm on the train, I feel better. Things are back on schedule for me.
I settle into my roomette, and enjoy looking out the window. I've lost hope of seeing a bigfoot out the train window. Bigfoots don't like trains I'm told. The noise trains make bothers their ears, especially the sound of the whistle. Oh well, there's lots of other things to see out the window. It'll be a long time before we get to the mountainous wilderness places anyway, but I'm already thinking of it. There is a feeling of peace. A new crisis is awaiting me in Chicago. But for now, I'm relaxing.
Later that evening, after dinner, the train crosses the border into Arkansas. I am really leaving Texas now.
Goodbye Texas,
I'll see you again.
I don't know when.
Oh, my gosh, I never thought that leaving Texas would make me feel poetic.
But I hadn't counted on the car rental place being closed on Sunday. You'd think they'd be open seven days a week, especially being right next to the train station and catching the tourist trade like they do. Why, they practically share the same building with the train station. Don't they know people travel seven days a week? To make matters worse, they don't have an after hours key drop or any other clue about how to turn the car in today. My train leaves in an hour and a half. That's how much time I have to figure out how to solve this problem.
I went into the train station to look for the information desk. Maybe they would have some clue about this predicament. Surely I wasn't the first person this had happened to. I was dismayed to discover the information desk is also closed on Sundays. Now what?
Ohhhhh, I wish I had scheduled my leaving for a weekday. Next time I come, I'll have to remember that. Not only give myself time to comfortably finish whatever might be happening for me at the Refreshing Times Conference, but also plan to leave on a weekday, so that if I need services or help on my last day in Texas, it will be open and available.
I went over to the ticket window to talk to the train employees. But they had a weekend skeleton crew that was very busy, and they didn't want the extra bother of my crisis. However, I keep pestering them and they finally give me a toll free number to call the car rental company's national customer service. I pull out my cell phone, dial the number, and pray it isn't closed on Sundays.
A woman answers the phone. I explain the situation and she helps me. Thank goodness. After explaining that there's no key drop or anything like that, she tells me that I can leave the keys in the glove compartment and call the car rental office from the train tomorrow when they're open. I thank her, and get busy removing my stuff from the car, so I can be ready for the train.
Then I wait around for a short time until my train comes. This gives me time to calm down a bit. Once I'm on the train, I feel better. Things are back on schedule for me.
I settle into my roomette, and enjoy looking out the window. I've lost hope of seeing a bigfoot out the train window. Bigfoots don't like trains I'm told. The noise trains make bothers their ears, especially the sound of the whistle. Oh well, there's lots of other things to see out the window. It'll be a long time before we get to the mountainous wilderness places anyway, but I'm already thinking of it. There is a feeling of peace. A new crisis is awaiting me in Chicago. But for now, I'm relaxing.
Later that evening, after dinner, the train crosses the border into Arkansas. I am really leaving Texas now.
Goodbye Texas,
I'll see you again.
I don't know when.
Oh, my gosh, I never thought that leaving Texas would make me feel poetic.
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