A Metro-Link Holiday

Saturday I needed a break from reality. The Schindler story was wearing me out. Besides, my car window had speckles of red over it. The allergy season had begun and the unrelenting winds made my head feel like it would explode any minute.
   In Oceanside I bought my ten-dollar-all-day ticket. One of the two ticket machines worked.  In front of me, one chap took too long. I became testy. Hell I needed a ticket before the train left the platform two.
   "You can judge a man's IQ by how long it extract a ticket from the machine." I told him you must handle the credit card gingerly when paying plastic."
   And that is how I met Kevin Milton. He was taking the train to Santa Ana where his Huntington Beach girl friend would pick him up. They were on their way for a Palm Springs concert.  He appeared like Santa Claus, with big cheeks and a bigger smile. I grabbed a seat in the row in front of him. And so began my friendship with the jolly one.  .
    "My family is from Louisiana. I have 23 brothers and sisters. I live in a condo in downtown San Diego. I am 56 and not married."
    May I ask what you do? "I am running for the California State Assembly. I am sick and tired of these boys making laws for me. When I sold my magazine, Seniors after 55 to Disney, I quit work and decided to run for office. I only lost by about a thousand votes last time. And I am sick and tired of our San Diego counsel for their redistricting.
    How often do you take the train?  "This is my first time on Metro-Link. It beats driving. In fact, I seldom drive in San Diego. By the way, if the Chargers leave for the Carson area, all you need to do is take Greyhound and a connecting bus and you'll be at the stadium." "Do you mind if I take a U-Tube of you?"  He he hemmed and hawed, but after a few minutes quipped that he was ready. (The Picture will be here.)
   I turned around and saw the candidate from San Diego. A hug smile covered his face and he had taken off his hat. "How long do I need to smile?"
    He got off at Santa Ana and I continued to read my Omar Bradly book. He was Eisenhower's right hand general during World War 11. With pure air, my head felt normal and I could smile. I had one hiccup when the train arrived at the Union Station. I had trouble buying a subway ticket to Pershing Square but a fine gentleman from Boston helped me. I just did not know how to tap my card.
   Inside the library I took pictures from the Chicago Tribune Wow how that paper's format excited me. In the month of August of 1940, the paper had something about the All Star troops and also the Green Bay packers. I took some good shots of Ambrose Schindler and also Nile Kinneck that will be shown in the book. Schindler outvoted the Heisman Award winner Kinneck during the 1940 Chicago All Star Game
   It excited me to see what Archie Ward, its sports editor and other writers wrote about the game. I returned to the Union Station and waited for the 4:40. It dawned on me what train travel is so invigorating. Besides drinking pure air, you can read while looking at the wonderful California scenery after a storm. But for me the highlight going south to Oceanside was two little kids. It occurred in Tustin. 
   A Mother was having some trouble with her four year old. He was jumping on the seats while she played with the baby of about two. She was large on top, no doubt, so as to  feed the baby. Her husband of ten years looked distraught. Like all fathers, he longed for attention, but got none
   "Mummy, but why should I be quiet. I want to play!" That is when I chirped up. Standing, i looked at the kid square in the face. "I am an Old Man, older than time. I need to take a nap. and besides this is the sleeping car."
   Well now that did it. He ambled over to me and wished to ask me questions.
   "Are you a grandfather...what is that yellow over your face?...Are those your teethe?
   Well for the next twenty minutes, I could not get the Curly hair away. His large blue eyes attacked me. Then the baby got into the action. She wished to be picked up..After a few minutes the one and a half year old gave me a look . She must have known I was not her Dad. She let out a cry that could be heard all the way to Lindbergh Field . They got off in Oceanside.

  Well now you know why I love traveling by train. I love to mix it up with the patrons and am never bored. And who could ever be bored playing on a train. And who could be bored playing on a train?who can be bored playing on a train. They got off in Oceanside. It made my day!