Sarnia

I'll be leaving for work in a few minutes. At work, I'll climb into a shuttle bus and head downtown to Union Station where I'll find my train. After the requisite checks and pre-departure tests, we'll proceed west to Sarnia. Again.

Our journey will take us through Georgetown. And I'll think of my kids as we depart the station there. Both Dan and Meagan live fairly close to the station. I think about them a lot, Ms J. And I worry. A lot.

I'm tired of going to Sarnia. I'd had enough after my first trip there. Between Georgetown and London, we'll travel across some of the roughest and most under-maintained track in the VIA system. Not surprisingly, this ninety mile stretch was sold to an American short line railway a few years ago. It's in dreadful shape.

I'm nearly finished my training at VIA. I still have a couple of trips to make to Niagara Falls, but it's not far really - less than a hundred miles - and fairly flat and straight. I'm nearing the finish line. I want to be done with this. I'm sick of training. I'm tired of being the third man in the locomotive cab. I want to take a job that I can work regularly, a job I enjoy. And I do not enjoy anything about this Sarnia corridor. The hours are awful. Rest time away from home is minimal. The journey is long. The scenery is boring. And Sarnia is ...

Unimpressive.

I'm tired of Sarnia. And I'm tired of training.

Til next time, Ms J.

Toot toot. Ding ding.

***