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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"
RRCHINA Member # 1514
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And to you and all of yours, sojourner. Your contributions here are much appreciated.
rrchina from AZ
train lady Member # 3920
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A wonderful holiday season to all and a healthy, happy and PEACEFUL New year,
DesertSpirit Member # 3848
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Merry Christmas to all..
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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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
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Rightbackatcha, Sojourner, as we say in Chicago.
tarheelman Member # 6095
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Season's greetings to you, too, sojourner.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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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.
MDRR Member # 2992
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My Holiday greetings to everyone as well.
Mr Toy, loved your Christmas carol!
MDRR
RRRICH Member # 1418
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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
sbalax Member # 2801
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Add my good wishes to each and everyone for a very Happy Holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2008!
Frank in sublimely sunny SBA!
Railroad Bill Member # 5097
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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
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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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".
Rick Morris Member # 5347
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You too, sojourner. And a Happy Holidays to all else.
20th Century Member # 2196
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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.!
notelvis Member # 3071
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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
mr williams Member # 1928
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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
palmland Member # 4344
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Sojourner - Merry Christmas to you and thanks for all your inspiring tales that keep the wanderlust alive in all of us.
Happy Holidays to all on this forum and thanks for the many great rail travel insights.
We are ready for Santa's Polar Express to arrive at our house.
Mike and Mary
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
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Happy Holidays to everyone!
sojourner Member # 3134
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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.
Dixie Flyer Member # 4640
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you from a cold and very dry Northwest Georgia.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum.
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
tarheelman Member # 6095
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Thanks for sharing the poem, Richard. I enjoyed it a lot!
John Hull Member # 4465
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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
amtraxmaniac Member # 2251
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Merry Belated Christmas to All....except #@!?#$!! Norman Minetta!
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