#downeastern

[amtrak-official]

Nobody does it like these five, they're the baddest bitches in this system

#california zephyr #downeastern #acela #cascades #pacific surfliner

[weightofdreamz]

tagged by my dear, @mintysammykiszka

rules: make a new post and spell out your url with song titles, then tag as many people as there are letters in your url

why do you feel so down - Declan Mckenna

easily - Red Hot Chili Peppers

if you want to sing out, sing out - Cat Stevens

gangstas paradise - Coolio, L.V.

have mercy on the criminal - Elton John

this december- Ricky Montgomery

once i was - Tim Buckley

free bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

downeastern alexa - Billy Joel

rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

evil woman - Electric Light Orchestra

a change is gonna come - Sam Cooke

me and julio down by the schoolyard - Paul Simon

zanzibar- Billy Joel

@kdarling1 @welightthefire @slutforthejuck @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine @samsstinkyfeet @streamingcolors-gvf @gretagolden @tripthelight-fanfic @doodle417 @tlexx @obetrolncocktails @earthlysorrows @princereece @asparrowofthedawn (if you’ve already been tagged my bad my love)

#tag games

[the-firebird69]

Lockheed L-188 Electra - Wikipedia

and the downeastern elecra and macs say it this teh analogy. the wings tear off l188 as iln like not truly. and it is about teh clans and they fell. and they feel teh compuoter is bunk. and important to know if true or not. need it and seek it now.

no consensus yes. and we use it. and really if we took over we would use our real folk not demons or robots, and take it up ourseves and wih our computers and smaller a lot smaller from the get go. use solid state ok. and it is for the illusion yes.

but if so ok

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

this is a dark road we are on they are viscious people need to stop talking and take the children elsewhere now

mac daddy

we see it

macs

we prep. just put in three Mega bases, and began on the Mega mega base in canada. we placed the foundation all see it it is 100 by 200 miles. and four Mega bases three in south american 50x50 and ten very large five of them in russia two the usa. and one in south america and 200 large mostly in the usa yes hate these here they are horrid

we do this now and roll. tons say it these resist all. needed to see it and he an she pushed for it now we use it. all. we push for maine nh vt canada and more. it will be ours shortly we now place more bases as mentioned in the midwest and half are tehre force the evacuation and shortly too.need it now and we need this place cleared of shit and water. this is horrid but slow is safer for us. and all.

Thor Freya

we planned it ok and the space battle ensues, and tons of things heat. the empire is at 17 billin no about 25 billin still lost only five. and the forg at 8 morlock were at 5 as brougt more are at two. lost them an to a few parties. the psuedo empire sits. soon their turn they had about ten billion and now about 12 forg grew from 8 to 14 took themout of the ground all above onemile and more shorlty are here and scout and push ppl and move. are slow. tons see it. ok. and he needs it yes.

Olympus

[vertical-dreams]

5.30.23

All right. I  wrote this out once and accidentally erased it. Here was the gist of it, for more or less.

wow, here we are

back on my bullsh*t

I don’t think I would have imagined myself right here right now. 

But that’s okay.

I don’t know why I had a crush on the guy that I did (I didn’t even know him) but then again, we didn’t stray too far from the past.

I saw that guy the day before yesterday, and btw best friend, you absolutely could have. Please stop undervaluing yourself. Recognize your worth. Maybe, just maybe, go for it? (in the future, not that context! because honestly...)

So, dear friend. You’ve had a crush for about two years now on a man (... on the idea of a man. This is important.) you met twice in the late summer of 2020. It feels silly, I hope it hasn’t been a waste of time. But I guess nothing is a waste of time, it’s just shaping you into who you are (so use it wisely--or not; maybe just have fun with it). I saw him 3 days ago, on a Saturday. It was exciting. It was different than I imagined it would be. I have spent so long trying to remember what he sounded like, how tall he stood, how he acted, and when the moment came I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t notice much of it at all. He sounded more confident than when we last met, which I think was more intimidating. He said the word “porch” so oddly, in a downeastern accent (he is not from downeast). He lives in the neighboring town now, about 12 minutes away. I waved at him when he walked in the room, he waved back. My wave was eager and fast, his was slow, hesitant, awkward, in conjunction with a surprised yet mild “he-ey.” He knelt down beside his grandfather to speak to him, on one knee rather than the two I had been on in the same exact spot shortly before his arrival. I helped him move an exercise bike (well, he was helping me to move it/doing it all by himself). I got it stuck on the door and mumbled “sorry” and he said “it’s all right” or something to that effect. It was kind of awkward, and kind of sweet. I feel so far behind him. I feel like I’ve missed out on a chance for a sweet, awkward, naïve love. He turned on a light for me in a dark corner, mumbling something about “let me get that for ya.” And, as I so often do, I shied away, avoiding eye contact, not saying the thank you I had meant to. I don’t understand why I do that.

*edit: I saw him, once, twice, since then. Maybe the last I ever will. :-/ Once, in early July, on a Monday afternoon at the local grocery store (I think. Judging by the beans sticker, which was alongside a darth vader sticker and another odd symbol I could not place with multiple lines that created a triangle shape). He was carrying a brown bag out to his silver canyon. The most recent, on the fourth of August, at his grandfather’s service. I released soooo many fluids from my face holeeessss. Was in desperate need of a tissue. Could not obtain. Anywho, he had the bottom half of his head shaved. Inch-resting choice, he seemed sweet like before. I took peeks at him, seeing him wipe is eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose from above his glasses. He was wearing a blue shirt and bean boots (??? in the middle of summer). I overheard bits and pieces of his conversation with a cousin (not intentionally! I think) about his work schedule affecting throwing his sleeping schedule out of whack and about his roommate letting him... ??? maybe play in his band I couldn’t hear (not that I was trying, obviously! :-) .) He walked up beside me later on to join his sisters and my family. I smiled and he smiled back. He thanked my grandfather for being such a good friend to “Grampy,” to which my Grampy responded with a light chuckle and “my pleasure”. My grandfather mentioned the cat and our dogs being put down, and he said something to the effect of “I’m sorry” and “what happened? why did you have to put them down?” I kinda zoned out but also zoned in. idk! Before that I had also said a comment about “If you move into [his grandfather’s] house (which was supposed to be a thing!), I hope you like cats.” with a smile and he smiled and said he does. and then something about how he thought all of his grandparents cats just seemed to stumble on into that house. I smiled and the subject moved on to Buddy, but that was all that I had said. except for something about my grandfather eating too much corn, that it couldn’t be healthy for a human (but I wasn’t the one who brought that up!). He picked up flowers from the grave and brought them back to his truck (?) to go to the house. I would like greatly to see him again, many times again. Lord, may I have that chance. *

*edit no. 2* coming in hot on december 12, 2023 baby! ok so. feels weird writing this but hey it’s not like i have a ton of friends to tell so i will tell it to my empty blog instead. that was not him at the grocery store, my man drives a chevy (just a boy in a chevy truck, had a tendency of getting stuck on back roads at night) ok ok i am here. i guess a lot of guys just look like that (good for me, hello options)! sooooo i embarrassingly told his FATHER that i wanted to be his FRIEND in september and asked about him moving in. I talked about a lot of stuff, practically pulled a punisher on the guy (according to ms brittany broski--like when you corner someone at a party talking about something). so that was mighty embarrassing and I shudder at the thought that THAT is how that man will remember me by (because I might not see him again! life is strange) (but also he is just a man. so is his son. everyone is just some guy. huh). anywhooooo, i was proud of myself for doing ~something~ even if that thing was. hey. so embarrassing. that guy did move in next door btw, in like early november. annnnnnnnnd on Friday the 8th? of December, you did go talk to him. On thursday the 7th, however, you made cookies, checked to see that he was there, hyped yourself up for like 10 minutes, and went over and he was GONE but fear not, your footprints around the house stayed ❤️ but on friday you went over and knocked 4 times and said hi (hi) and asked if this was a bad time (no) and are you sure and can i *points in house* (yeah) and the house was messy and that kind of make me feel better and this man was in a gray ROBE over like some PJs and he had shaved MORE of his head so he just has like. a short little ponytail in the middle of his head? told him i had a few questions mostly about the cat -- do you know where he went to the vet? i think he said he needed shots this month but don’t know where or which ones. (no i don’t know) also do you still have the cat carrier (yes, right here and this is how it works and this one is broken but it still works etc. etc.) do you mind if i take it (no) and about the vet thing, i wasn’t sure if there was an appt set up for this month (let me check, can’t find anything) sorry for just barging in and if you find out can i just give you my number so you can text me and i don’t have to barge in again (sure, i know i have paper, here’s paper, and let me get) oh from his cup of pens (yeah haha oeeeee *bc he dropped something and squee’d*) here annnd this one is embarrassing but i’ll regret if i don’t ask... do you or your dad or your uncle have the bean soup recipe (no, that was one thing that i forgot to ask him before he left, idk i can ask uncle eddie on fb. i think it’s pretty simple) yeah but idk what the base is (i know it’s a matter of soaking the beans overnight and i think he was planning on making it again bc he had this *got into freezer and pulled out* salt pork) oh that might have been me because i was talking to him about it, but i wouldn’t have known that was in there. (yeah and there’s ham, my dad doesn’t like this so he added ham to it, too)

actually what am i doing right now i am so smart and accomplished and funny and beautiful and i am writing a blog post? all forlorn like? ridiculous. kinda sweet. but still!! anyway might as well finish because here we are

yadda yadda do you like pumpkin? (my voice was like at a whisper here, couldn’t help it, it was quivering when i was trying to talk louder) and he leans his head down, eyes up at me and says in a whisper to match mine “yes, i love pumpkin” and so i asked ‘do you want these? they are pumpkin chocolate chip’ and he said ‘yes, i would’ or something like that. then i said also another thing is you might be fine here but if you ever want to hang out sometime i am like. 30 feet that way. and i am in need of friends who still live in the state. (btw you know what response i got to that? not a ‘yeah, for sure, sounds good, etc. i got a “yeah, it’s nice to have friends so close” ... damn okay? wtf did i do to hurt you?? like seems like he might as well have said no. maybe he is just as painfully awkward as i am. or maybe i am just naïve. anyway i am like ‘okay i think that’s it’ and grab the cat carrier and head out the door. and while i’m stepping over the threshold he goes ‘oh hey, nice boots’ and i go ‘thanks! the color surprised your grandpa, he said i thought they only made those in brown, and i was like ... surprise’ (i think it was something to that effect idk) and he goes ‘yeah they make them in a lot of colors. i saw a pair that had like a teal stripe and a white like base’ and i said ‘awww, cute!!’ (thinking what a weird thing to be talking about in the doorway?) and he goes ‘do you want them? they are like a 9, 9 and a half. do you think they’d fit?’ and i go ‘probably not. i got big ol’ feet cuz i’m a big ol’ girl’ (hey love. checking in. why did you say that? whatever, it was kinda cute in a very you way) and he laughed with his nose scrunched and his head turned to the left and then i said ‘bye!’ and he said bye and that was it. and just as when i was walking in, as i was walking out the wind blew and a light dusting of snow fell from the tree near the staircase and i paused and looked up and admired it for a second as it fell on my face and all around me and then i went on my way. and he texted about the vet and i said sweet, thank you! and i have already made it embarrassingly clear twice that i want to hang out with him so i think i have done my part, and whatever happens happens. i know i will find what is meant for me.*

*edit no. who cares: 12/17/23 hey, checking in just to say that this has all been fine and lovely and whatever it has been. but you do not want to be with somebody who does not want to be with you. you do not want to be with somebody who does not want to be friends with you. (also he didn’t even say anything about the cookies 🍪 wtf! girl you put in werk. and they were yummy!) if he is not interested in being your friend, you are not interested in being his lover. your sweet, beautiful soulmate is out there. maybe it will take some trial and error to find them. that is perfectly okay. but they will know enough kindness to befriend you, and you should not have to worry about seeming desperate or lame, because you are so many beautiful, lovely things and *I* love you for all of those things, little dove. someone else will too and they will make that clear. it will all be okay, my love.*

Maybe one day I will have that love. For now, my own will do just fine.

You are so kind, smart, beautiful, funny, and loving, you sweet, sweet girl.

[pencil-free]

The Making of Red Velvet Cupcakes (1)

Galina’s/Raya’s Cafe

The cafe Raya owns and works is a family business, opened by her mother after she divorced her father. A small business operating on a busy street of downeastern Maine, it is a mix of contradictions. Old woodwork is covered in a rainbow of new paint and trendy flavor names describe old fashion recipes upon a blackboard behind the showcase of sweets and treats displayed. New friends are made on the refurbished furniture and old friends meet over new silverware. 

#the cat meows #writeblr #red velvet cakes talk

[theradioghost]

If we're talking potential space shanties might I recommend Downeastern Alexa by Billy Joel, which (aside from dropping like fifty specific references to the northeast coast) is basically about trying to find work out there in the great wide galaxy to send whatever credits you can back home

OH SHIT YOU’RE SO RIGHT

listen we just need to bring back filk as aggressively as possible and especially nautically-derived scifi filk

#dorknewton #asks #my posts

[missrandomdreamer]

I got tagged by @americankittyg6 : come up with a song for every letter of my username :3

M-My Skin-Natalie Merchant

I-I’m So Afraid-Fleetwood Mac

S-Someone Will-Dawes

S-Someday-Steve Earle

R-Rain -Priscilla Ahn

A-Autumn Leaves-Eva Cassidy

N-Not Like Other Girls -Rasmus

D-Downeastern Alexa-Billy Joel

O Over The Hills and Far Away-Garry Moore

M-Money =Mystery Skulls

D-Desperado -Eagles

R-Reaper Man- Mother Mother

E-Echo- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

A-A Little Bit of everything-Dawes

M-Me and Mr. Wolf-The Real Tuesday Weld

E-Eleanor Rigby-The Beatles

R-Rainbow Connection-Sarah Mclanahan

I tag! @sinish-tem @ilyssak64 @scolipeedle @leona-kaiba

if yall want to do it :3

[themirthfulroadrunners]

Wish List, Untitled Dreams… Bucket List

           What do you call the set of dreams that you wish to do, or see, before your final croak? Well, we just knocked off a major one. While Debbie has always wanted to go to Maine, Wayne’s list contained New England in general. There remains, for both of us, places to go, things to do and see, but … this was a nice one.

           The drive up was long and arduous. We’d traveled I-40 through Tennessee enough to be inured to its beauty. This trip, we opted for a different route getting to our destination, cutting left at Nashville and heading up through Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Albany, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire. We were able to skirt some of them, but Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Cleveland definitely get added to the cities we never want to see again – TOO MANY PEOPLE, TOO MANY VEHICLES!

           The corner of Pennsylvania we saw in between heavy rain showers was packed with vineyards, all loaded with grapes this September day. Upstate New York offered us a few viewings of the Erie Canal, more interesting to Wayne than Debbie. It turned really pretty once we hit the Catskills. They reminded us a lot of the most rugged of our Ozarks.

           On our second day we stopped early enough to hike the trail to Bash Bish Falls, a very nice break from 20 hours in the car. On the third travel day we went through parts of Massachusetts and Vermont, extending the trip with a little trekking through the lush green back roads of Vermont, and then into New Hampshire – they were delightful. We were both surprised at the undeveloped regions of Massachusetts, having stereotyped the area as mostly urban. Vermont and New Hampshire did not disappoint. The region is really quite mountainous -- well, okay -- hillyous.

           The Maine coast is spectacular – way better in person, of course, than our photos represent. It seems strange that not too long ago we watched waves crashing on very different types of rocks onto America’s west coast, and now …. And you wouldn’t believe the history in this state! 300 and 400 year-old buildings abound. Old, tiny graveyards on every other hill. One-room schools everywhere. Most are converted to modern use, or left somewhat intact for curious looky-loos like ourselves.

One thing we noticed about old farm houses, which were by far and away larger than all the old Arkansas homesteads, was the propensity to connect the house and barn, not with breezeways, but with entire houses – two-story outfits with gables, dormers … the works, all trimmed out like the original home. Depending on the setting, they connected in every geometric fashion feasible, some additions were beside the house, others behind.

We walked over the shortest suspension bridge in the world! Wiggly Bridge in York. Majestic old churches in abundance, some of them with marquee slogans and sayings to make a modern fundamentalist heart leap with joy. In fact, there are so many really quaint and cute churches, seemingly all built on the same theme (salt box?) but with varying degrees of trim and garnishment, that we had to stop taking pictures of every one we liked. We like ‘em all. With the number of churches we see, it puts us in mind of Mountain Home – five super-churches holding over a thousand each, and dozens of smaller ones, but only enough seats for half the population. The old Portland edifices are truly grand, as is the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Lewiston, but no matter how tall, you can only put so many pews. We are wowed-out on the really cool churches, there are so many. In days past we’d photograph all of them, but in Maine, that’s all we’d be doing, and as Debbie continually cracks herself up by commenting – my iPhone might run out of film!

On to lighthouses (that Maine calls lights or light stations). There are at least 67 lights out there that either do, or did, direct ships. Some are dilapidated, others are converted to private residences – all are pretty cool to landlocked Arkansas people. (Although we did hike previous beachfront land in south central Arkansas.) Speaking of people, Wayne continues to use the old, somewhat archaic term Arkansawyer, while modern newscasters have managed to persuade the country of Arkansans. Uppidity, Wayne decrees. For Maine, Debbie coined Mainiacs while Wayne prefers Mainards. He would. We haven’t found many very rich in the Downeastern brogue, but of course all of them talk funny to some degree.

Bath Iron Works was impressive, as was the really cool town of Bath – but nobody was (taking a). We had pizza for lunch here, mostly because pizza seems to be the native favorite food if one judges by the high number of dining establishments with pizza in the title. The wood-fired variety we lunched on was superb. Wayne got a look from the waitress who asked how we liked it. “It was good but I like Pizza Hut better.” He got a similar look from his wife, too.

Boothbay Harbor is a tourist town to beat all. We only ran over 20 slow people and side-swiped 8-10 cars. Here’s a sign just outside town that help set the tone.

We got a treat in that leaves were turning a little early this year – Yay bang! We were also treated with roadside waterways all around this very moist state.

While we hiked some: parts of the Appalachian Trail, a steep mountain climb on a granite slope, and some beach walks, Debbie’s sprained ankle hampered her more than she liked. You can bounce off a rock, but bouncing off a hole in the trail isn’t quite the same. Wayne is just glad that Debbie isn’t a horse and that her leg didn’t break!

We experienced what we refer to as a Nor’easter with rain that lasted an hour, or so. The next day we saw its contribution … many trees had peaked up in the mountains and we were the benefactors.

Some years ago, we collected a lot of American town names (photos of their city signs) of foreign cities and nations: Paris, Moscow, Sweden, etc. We also garnished a buncha Bible names: Palmyra, Hebron, Bethlehem, and etc. We could add to both lists by the scores here in Maine and its environs.

           The last few days of our stay in Maine we travelled into the mountains. Yes mountains, since they project skyward with sudden thousands of feet elevation. Going west, you have to get to the Rockies to get higher. Eastward … Norway? We’re too early for the best leaf colors, but we were impressed with the offerings, nonetheless. Oh, and more Appalachian Trail and more waterfalls!

           Rangely boasts of being halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. With their lake and their fabulous mountain views, they deserve bragging rights on a number of levels, as does most of Maine. And speaking of lakes, Maine has ‘em. And ponds. And rivers. And a very jagged coastline. We’d wager that per acre of dry land, Maine has as much, or more coast, beach, and bank than any state in the Union (except maybe Hawaii).

           Why does Maine need the silent e anyway? But that’s the subject of another blog.

A pleasant, but impractical thought, is that we are halfway through our bucket list. Here’s some pictures.

[amtrak-official]

The state of Maine is continuing to work on the extension of the Downeastern to Bangor

#train news #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

hi, i was just wondering if there is a train that runs from burlington up to maine

I am thinking about visiting friends there in the summer and don't want to drive (gas money, eck).

It is possible to get from Burlington to Maine, but you need to transfer in New York and Boston. The route would be: Ethan Allen Express to NYC then Northeast Regional to Boston then take the T (Boston Metro) from the South Station to North Station where you can take the Downeastern to Portland Maine

#asks #downeastern #northeast regional #ethan allen express

[amtrak-official]

I got the gift of train!

Oh, the downeastern, that's exciting, I hope you enjoy Maine

#asks #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

was just blessed with the presence of the downeaster

This is something everyone deserves to happen to them

#asks #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

Which of the Current Suggested but Unfunded Routes seems the best for all of us.

#trains #polls #3c+d #pioneer #north coast hiawatha #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

downeaster (northeast) corridor (boston mass to brunswick maine) is currently washed out :D the trains cannot come home to maine at this time and the tracks need to be repaired before they can heehee

That is not good, we should fix that as soon as possible.

#asks #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

More downeaster representation pls

Okay here you go sweet Maineite, look upon the beaste and smile

#ask #downeastern

[amtrak-official]

#polls #trains #amtrak #route bracket #downeastern #hartford line #Berkshire Flyer #valley flyer #vermonter #Ethan Allen Express