Thursday, June 6, 2013

Goodbye Caboose!

This is the last of this four part story.  
 
If you missed part three, just click here.
 
We slept.
 
It was an uneasy sleep.
 
At least mine was.
 
I kept having dreams about zombies chasing me.

 
I think it was from the wind making scary noises through the caboose.

Or perhaps it was from being incredibly thirsty.
 
I finally startled awake.
 
It was pitch black.
 
And dead silent in the caboose.
 
I reached out and touched the metal wall close beside the bed.
 
It was freezing cold.
 
I couldn't hear Mr. Jenny breathing...

What a dilemma.
 
If he was in a sound sleep (lucky guy!) I didn't want to wake him.
 
On the other hand, if he was dead (not so lucky guy!) it would be good to know before too much more time elasped.
 
In a tiny, little voice I said, "Steve?  Steve?   Are you awake?"
 
His voice boomed out of the darkness.   "Thank God you're awake.   THANK GOD!  Can we go now?"
 
Obviously, he wasn't dead. 
 
The poor guy was just waiting for ME to wake up!
 
"I'm glad you're not dead," I said, "Are you freezing and all crinkled up from the bed being so short?"
 
He didn't answer for a moment and then he replied, and quite testily I might add, "Technically we slept in the caboose.  Let's just go."
 
"Okay, what time is it?   And not to be a whiner here, I really have to pee."
 
He fumbled in the darkness and a tiny ray of light from his watch illuminated the refrigerated depths of the caboose's dark interior.
 
"It's 3 am.   I have to pee, too.   Let's go!!!!"
 
We jumped out of bed.
 
Okay.
 
That's not totally true.
 
We got up slowly out of our indvidual beds.
 
Mr. Jenny turned the powerful beam of our teensy/weensy flashlight on.



(slight exaggeration here!)

Since we had slept in our clothes, it didn't take long to throw our few items into the duffle bag.

I did it ultra-fast even though I was doing the "I have to pee badly!" dance.

"I don't think I can make it across the tracks!" I whined to Mr. Jenny.

"Just hurry," he said, 'I'm freezing."
 
I did hurry.
 
But.
 
There is no way I was going to be able to make it to the bunkhouse and the bathroom.
 
Ummmm...
 
Let me just say that it's hard enough peeing outside when you're a girl...
 
...but just add howling wind, freezing cold, lumpy gravel to that equation.
 
Yeah.
 
It doesn't add up to anything very fun.
 
But!
 
I did it!
 
Then...
 
We threw everything in the truck!
 
We were both shivering like crazy.
 
Mr. Jenny started the truck while I grabbed a blanket out of the backseat.
 
D'oh.
 
Why didn't I take that blanket into the caboose to start with?
 
D'oh.
 
It was cold.
 
We were stinky from not taking a shower.
 
Our joints and muscles were totally crinked up.
 
Yeah.
 
"Let's go!" we shouted.   "Goodbye caboose!"
 
And we were off!
 
It was 3 am.
 
3 am.
 
So, technically, we actually did sleep in the caboose.
 
Just not very long.
 
And not very well.
 
We found a gas station after a few miles driving!
 
It had a bathroom.
 
And coffee.
 
Hot, steamy, caffeinated, yummy coffee.
 
And then we drove.
 
And drove.
 
The top picture was taken 137 miles away from the caboose!
 
Goodbye!
 
Goodbye Caboose!
 
The bottom picture is when the sun finally came up around 5:45 am!
 
Goodbye Caboose!
 
Hello sunrise!
So.
 
Yeah.
 
We stayed in the caboose.
 
We didn't have too many regrets!
 
Would we do it again?
 
Ummm...
 
Probably not!
 
But it was an experience.
 
And please don't tell Mr. Jenny, but I have my eye on a hotel shaped like a teepee that we're going to stay in next.
 
It looks really cool.
 
AND...
 
It has an indoor bathroom!
 
And then, of course, there's the yurts that look interesting...
 
AND...
 
Well.
 
For now never mind.
 
Just let me repeat one last time...with great gusto and enthusiasm...
 
Goodbye!
 
Goodbye Caboose!
post signature

25 comments:

Melinda said...

There is always the after thought...
You guys were so brave! Glad you made it through the experience!
Teeppees and yurts?? You better wait awhile before mentioning this to Mr. Jenny!

:)

Ms. A said...

Perhaps Mr. Jenny should get to pick the next accommodations. I think he's earned it for being a good sport.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Truly Jenny you stayed there longer then I would have! I'm a wimp and don't like the cold. I do understand when a gal has to pee a gal HAS TO PEE!

Simone said...

I'll just live that experience vicariously through you. Sounds like an experience that I would probably die from just from being cold.

Eden House News and views said...

sounds like you had fun. Yurts sound good

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

off to Google "yurt" as I have no clue....:)

Tatiana said...

hahaha XD too bad you didn't get a great sleep, but at least you can say you did it?

Theresa said...

Happy to hear you two made it out of the Caboose alive:) Have a blessed and restful day! HUGS!

Jeanie said...

It sounds like a couple of nights at the Hyatt (or at least the Holiday Inn) are in order before you try any more "adventure sleeping".

Rita said...

LOL! What an experience, though! What an adventure! You did it!! Even if you had to pee outside in the wind. ;)

Naperville Now said...

you kids! great story. look forward very much to the teepee installment.

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

There was a time when that would have appealed to me immensely! A time when all of my joints worked properly and I was brave...

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Jenny, Mr. Magpie wants to know if there is sect of people out there who sleep in cabooses, a caboose sleeping cult of sorts??? LOL

I am crying.

Love you and the caboose story. I needed this laugh. You just have no idea how much.

XO,

Sheila

pasqueflower said...

What an adventure! LOL!

I'm pretty sure Mr. Jenny will opt for indoor plumbing on your next adventure.

Unknown said...

Sorry to break it to you, but the next camping trip is going to be a Hyatt Regency or a Four Seasons, preferably in Hawaii. Sincerely, Mr. Jenny.

GranthamLynn said...

What a crazy "C" is experience. I enjoyed your Caboose posts! Can't wait to see the TeePee stories!
I read your post about the painting this week and noticed the Etsy shop banner. Was wondering if you would be interested in trading ad space on each others blogs? No pressure just wondering. Let me know.
Making plans for "D" Duh comes to mind but don't know how to photo!
Have a good week,
Sherry

Janie Junebug said...

Well, you did it. Good for you. Now you never need to do it again.

Love,
Janie

Susan Anderson said...

....and sanity returns.

Or not.

;)

Anonymous said...

You lasted until 3:00 a.m., the witching hour. You are both entitled to a gold star for valour above and beyond heroic for sleeping in a cold caboose.

Jo said...

hialrious Jenny< you are so much braver than I ... and you tried something new >>> one more thing off the bucket list!

Stef said...

Goodbye, indeed. And I have slept in those teepees....if they are in Holbrook AZ. They are warm....and there aren't zombies chasing you.

Sue said...

You write about it in a way that almost sounds fun, but I can't eve imagine doing this or anything like it. I'm glad you got that train thing out of your system and survived!

Pat Tillett said...

It may not have been exactly the way you wanted it to be, but it was still an awesome adventure! In fact, you will laugh about that night for years.

Anita said...

I finally made it back here for the conclusion of the Caboose story. What an adventure! And yes, you (somewhat) slept in the Caboose so you can check it off your list. You and Mr. Jenny are quite a pair. :) I could hardly sleep in the sleeper car on the Amtrak Autotrain from Virginia to Florida, however, it was an experience, too.

TeePees? Reminds me of an Oprah show where she and best friend Gayle were supposed to sleep in them on their road trip.

It wasn't successful, though, I know you and Mr. Jenny can handle it.

Pat Tillett said...

Hey Jenny!
I recently read something about a place with a haunted caboose in Williams AZ. This wouldn't be the caboose they were talking about, would it?