’ve got a trip to make this weekend, a flight across the country to San Diego to run prototype operations at the La Mesa club, a sprawling layout with dozens of guys that work twelve hour shifts to completely model the workings of an actual railroad (here, between Mojave and Bakersfield in the 1950s) all the way down to the terminology and carbon paper. It’s a fun time travel game where you’ll stand around doing nothing (the railroad way) and grab food on the run.

And why am I noting this on my writing blog? Did I select the wrong checkbox when I created this?

Documenting the facts of what happened each day doesn’t work so well a week later. My thoughts (acidic or otherwise) just aren’t as sharp days after events occurred. Getting stuck on a siding or nearly getting killed by another oblivious crew is not as good reheated. I’d prefer to document these events as they happen (or in the hotel room that night, once we’re off duty).

Since space is tight (I have a single carrybag, just like a railroad crew) I pulled my tinytop computer (HP 1010) out of the closet. I used this thing for long years while employed, writing pretty much every day down at the café at the base of my office tower. Since my retyrement (I can’t get enough of that joke) it hasn’t been used. I’ve two other laptops that fill the functions in my life. Having a tiny computer with a 90% keyboard just doesn’t make it anymore. I got home, pulled it out of my get-out-of-here cardboard box and stuck it up in the closet.

Didn’t think about it until now.

Yeah, I’m going to need a computer.

So it’s sitting under my desk plugged in, electrons pouring into it as I charge it up. Once it’s ready, I’ll give it a test boot and toss it into the kit bag. This should make my accounts sharper and my blame-throwing more extensive.

And it will be fun to get my little plastic friend (whom I spent so many lunches with) back into operation.

See you on the other side of this trip!

>>>IN CASE I DIE ON THE PLANE, DON’T SEND FLOWERS – BUY A BOOK. DOWN THIS LINK!<<<