I was reminded of Elizabeth’s fear of the train whistle when I took Mimi out to potty tonight. We don’t live nearly as close to the tracks now as we did then, but the train was very loud. Elizabeth had (undiagnosed) selective mutism as a little girl. She would speak to family, but no one else. The vocabulary that she used with us was very limited when she was a toddler and pre-schooler. Much more limited that the normally developing toddler. She had the words. Her receptive vocabulary was excellent. She just didn’t use most of the words. One of the handful that she did use was “choo” for train. We lived NEXT TO the train tracks. And the tornado siren, but that’s another story. For several months, whenever the train went by during the night or early morning, Elizabeth would come running into our bedroom crying, “The choo! The choo!”
June 11, 2008
June 1, 2008
Saturday, 1:45 pm
I hate it when people talk loudly on their cell phones. They may as well be yelling at an invisible friend. It’s rude and it’s ridiculous.
So here I sit on the train listening to some chick informing us all about her personal life.
I will not yell ’shut up’.
I will not yell ’shut up’.
I will not yell ’shut up’.
Saturday
In the case of this train ride, an aisle seat is ideal. I would have hated the feeling of being fenced in by a less than pleasant smelling man.
Saturday, 12:15 pm
I moved up to the observation car. For one thing, I enjoy the sunlight and great view of the passing landscape. But I also wanted to get away from my seat mate. He was noisily eating some kind of bar-b-que cheet-o’s. So I left. The observation car smells of oranges. You’ve gotta love that. 
I was enjoying the train’s sway awhile ago and thought of how I would have loved riding in a stagecoach. When I was going downstairs to use the restroom, I wondered what a woman traveling alone by stagecoach would do when she needed to use the restroom.
Hmm.
Saturday, 10 am
I have an aisle seat on the train. I hate aisle seats, except in movie theatres. I want the window! I’ve been trying to fall asleep for the past hour, but can’t get the least bit comfortable. That would be okay if I weren’t exhausted.
On a brighter note, my seat companion has not shown his/her face as of yet and I have a clear view out the window. I do love the Midwest with its long expanses of farmland. But I’m too tired to go into that right now.
Good night (day).
