Train Time

In my on going effort to break out of ruts, I decided to try Happyone's recipe for Spicy Chicken Cakes last night. It's an easy recipe and turned out great. It's also one of those that I think would be easy to tinker with and take different 'slants' on it. Jay's requested that next time I make it to take it toward the Mexican side. He's not a big fan of horseradish sauce that was in the Aloi sauce. He's picky that way. Cousin Alice thought it was great. Just as dinner was about ready the Early Warning Doggie Device went off alerting us to someone pulling into the drive. Jay's sister and brother in law had stopped by. At dinner time. Hmmm. There seems to be a pattern. Really I don't mind, the more the merrier. Happyones recipe stretched easily for two more servings.

A bit of background on cousin Alice. Alice was born with some physical challenges due to a drug that my Aunt was given during pregnancy. Alice's fingers and face didn't form completely or as most of ours did. She's never let that stop her from anything. As an adult she's undergone numerous surgeries to deal with some of the issues and she's lived with chronic pain most of her life. She's dependant on the state for medical and living expenses.

So, now that you have the back story I'll tell you about last night dinner conversation. During dinner the subject turned to politics. No surprise in my house. The rub is Sis & BIL are both Republicans, we of course are Dem's so there's always a good bit of razzing going on over it. Anyway, at one point Sis decided to put it to her brother that we 'liberals' were ruining the economy with our spend thrift ways and went so far as to say that if we would "throw the riff-raff off the public dole the country would be in a better state." To which Jay replied: "Well who is it that chooses who's riff-raff and who's not" (Yeah Jay!) Not exactly the dinner conversation I'd have preferred in front of my cousin. But maybe I'm being overly sensitive. I suppose it's no harm/no foul, Alice is a smart lady and I'm sure she's heard it all before.

(Edit: I have no idea how the story above ties to the rest of this post. I doesn't. I'm scattered that way,

This morning I took Alice down to the train station to make the next leg of her trip home. The train station reminds me of growing up and 'getting to go' (when I was good) or being 'sent to' (when I was bad) the farm. Alice is from the same side of the family and is another 'heir' to Waconda Road. The train station was always the start of the adventure as I got to go alone. I felt pretty grown up riding all by myself.

My shot of the stations clock tower from this morning.

The old King street Station is being renovated. It was built as the grand terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1901.

Stolen Web Pics

It was modeled after St Mark's Campanile, Venice. Hopefully the exterior will scrub up well and look more like this when it's done:



The station was very ornate when it was built. The city has started to restoring it to it's 'original glory'. I wanted to take pictures, which probably would have got me arrested but the work still ongoing and you can't access those areas. Here's a bit of an idea of what's to come. The 1st picture is the entrance lobby as it is today. The 2nd is the ceiling hidden above the 1960's drop ceiling that will be removed. Lastly the clock tower that may or may not be open to the public. So far it's undecided.







The best part of the trip was the view. Amtrak doesn't run down the I5 corridor and the views are great. You go through sleepy little farm towns with their old train depots down the Green River Valley. Then out toward the Puget Sound through the Nisqually Valley & Delta.







The train then turns south to Olympia and the capital.


Not that you can see this view from the train but...

And on to Portland:


Finally ending in Salem OR and 20 minutes to Waconda Road.



Which apparently doesn't warrant any good pictures on Google Images. I'm just impressed I could find one of the actual train station. Looking just like I remember it. I'm going to have to make this trip again soon. I've made myself homesick again.

I'm not sure if this is a blog post, a travelogue or what. It was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon at work after getting all nostalgic this morning. I do seem to ramble...

So Cousins off headed towards home. Lolli's coming tonight to see us and go to band rehearsal. I'm off to the store to figure out dinner.

I wonder who will show up tonight?