To add to my customer complaints: one of the Amtrak workers here came over to ask where we were going and when. Explaining to her that we were waiting, she said we needed to take another train to LA since this station will be closed from midnight until 4am and the LA station is opened 24 hours. However, that train goes through the Valley to transfer at Bakersfield onto a bus.The point of doing our trip this way is to go down the Coastline, which J. has not seen yet. We could have left tomorrow otherwise from where we started.
In addition, the 24 hour Denny's that used to be across the street is closed. When I asked her about it, she said ALL the Denny's were closed in Sacramento.
I called Amtrak's customer service to see if we could at least wait outside. They said we could, as we were customers with tickets waiting for a train. I checked online for other 24 hour restaurants and the hours/cost of the light rails just outside of the door here.
Josh is very easy-going about it. We played an hour and thirty minute card game. These games usually only last about 20 minutes. He has a red and blue Izzit deck; mine pure white angelic deck. We start the game off with 20 health. Throughout the game, J. was getting up to 36+ health points, and I stayed around 10. The game is over when one person has zero life or runs out of cards termed the "library." We kept at it like this for most of the game, and it looked like J. had me beat. Then the tables turned a little bit, and I had him down to 4 life and he had me down to 5. It was a toss up now. It was at this point the Amtrak worker came over and said something to us. J. won.
6 hours or so has passed by quickly so far.
J. has discovered he doesn't like baked beans. He has started writing a story, and then worked on drawing until the fans here blew his pages too much. Now he is reading a novel. Perhaps I am the only one who appreciates how forced boredom will trigger the right-brain activity. This is one of my complaints about education now. Adults want kids to stay busy as much as possible, thinking this will keep them out of trouble. Staying busy like that also interferes with the ability to think, contemplate, and use the creative mind. I think there needs to be a balance. J. was telling me about a teacher he had who was a video game tester before he decided to teach. I remember him being very focused on mathematics, and he taught his class to appreciate country music as a form of poetry. He had said that by teaching them to memorize the lyrics, it helped to give the students confidence that they would be capable to memorize and recite text in the future, if necessary.
As we played the game, several people needed help with figuring out how to use the electronic vending machines. One man dropped his $1 coin, which was miraculously caught before disappearing under one of the machines. Josh retrieved it for the gentleman, who called him an "angel." I told him that if he receives a third message like that it is considered to be a message from God. I tease him about such things. I tend to be very spiritual...in probably a weird way...and he finds it all illogical and boring. I am totally okay with that, because he has a good heart, he helps people, and he is very tolerant of others not like himself. He will automatically help a mother with small children, or help the elderly with assistance. He opens the door for strangers before he enters a building. I think he tries to convince people he isn't such a good kid, since his tone may seem disrespectful at times. I know people listening to us do not understand why I find it humorous, and that it may bother them, how we fuss at one another, yet there is no malice or anger between us in our banter. He has always tended to be moody and a little mischievous, even as an infant. And he may be just a wee bit spoiled...
A subconscious part of myself hears the calls for buses and trains going north. My brain tells me to "pick up your things and hurry outside!" automatically, even when I am not paying attention to the announcements.
The trip won't be truly exciting until we start to head east. I know Sacramento's station like it was home to me. I even know many of those who work here by name. I am a little familiar with LA's Union Station; we traveled there last year. The station there is a lot larger than this one.
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