[stylist] November 2009 the ShellBell report

[Shelley J. Alongi]

Good morning colleagues and bells, 

Oh my! You may know it has been a while since I put together an official update on what's going on around here. I know you've been getting my links to my adventures at the Fullerton train station. Whether you've been reading them or not is up to you, but they have constituted the bulk of my new experiences and so I've relied on them to keep you informed. 

Now that I've gotten a few minutes to myself, after sharing all my minutes with engineers and the like, I will give you a general update on what's going on besides me droooling over locomotives and their operators. I still have to do my engineer homework and check EMD for specs. Ok I'll do that today. I'm putting together my list of questions for the engineer who has graciously, so far, offered to help me. I'm not quite sure how I found him. I tripped over him in the dark, I like to say; woke him up, wrestled him out of his lair. Oh what a wrestling! He can always change his mind. I don't know when we'll get to sit down but I've got plans in the works. If I don't get any days off between now and December 21, and if work grants me that day off and he can meet me in L.A., we'll get together then. In the meantime, God willing, there will be countless two minute interactions at the station as he waits for his signal to run along. Glen does not know this yet, but he never made anyone happier in his life, ever. Chuckles. You can follow all my adventures on my storymania site.

There are other things to let you know about. Financial necessity, perhaps on both parts, has led to me getting a room mate, not something I considered, but somethin that happened. So far it is working out great! She works at Round Table Pizza, she's always bringing food home and she cleans the house, too. I've known her for several years and never thought we'd be room mates, but for here and for now it works God is good.

That's probably the biggest change so far. I think she's here more than I am, lately. She uses the refrigerator more than I do. We cancelled the tv portion of our cable because I'm never home to watch it and she doesn't watch it. We kept the online and phone part and I don't miss the tv at all. I'll add it back later, but for now it's helping me put those funds somewhere else and I'm gone sometimes fifteen hours a day. I was supposed to be gone today but I overslept, had an emergency I had to deal with last night, and was generally feeling weary since Thursday, just like Glen. Read my story online for that part of the puzzle. I woke up, Brandy was cuddling, and I said, no way am I getting up this early today! Did I go back to sleep? No. I've made some phone calls and am spending today just getting caught up around the place and doing personal business. 

So far so good! I'm sure my financial world will collapse in a minute, but we'll manage. We always do. I did work overtime yesterday, no way was I giving that up. I had to give up Glen for overtime, haha I think we both understand that since he may have family obligations of his own. I think he does. 

OH and the latest and greatest! I just upgraded my phone and now I'll be able to text message! I refuse to go online with my phone. Text messaging will be my big concession to keeping in touch with those who refuse to call me. It will all be good. And my one rule...I won't text message at the train station. Take naps when I get off early, talk to engineers (there are two of them), endure merciless teasing from the train station faithful, and keep tabs on the construction of a new siding for Metrolink service to occur hopefully in ayear, sure, but no text messaging! Hold me to it!

So for here and now, do have a lovely day, and till we meet in person or online, keep dreaming!

Shelley J. Alongi 
Home Office: (714)869-3207
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NFBWD "Slate and Style" editor 
http://www.nfb-writers-division.org

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"What sparked your interest in trains?"
"The face of an engineer who knew he was going to get killed by a freight train."
---SJA for anyone who wants to know
To read essays on my journey through the Chatsworth train accident, train travel, and now meeting the engineers, Metrolink 111 or other interests click on http://www.storymania.com/cgibin/sm2/smshowauthorbox.cgi?page=&author=AlongiSJ&alpha=A

updated November 1, 2009