August 20, 2005

• Now I lay me down not to sleep
  I just get tangled in the sheets
  I swim in sweat three inches deep
  I just lay back and claim defeat

  Chapter read and lesson learned
  I turned the lights off while she burned
  So while she’s three hundred degrees
  I throw the sheets off and I freeze

  My lids down, I count sheep, I count heartbeats
  The only thing that counts is that I won’t sleep, I count down, I look around

  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War
  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War

  My hands are locked up tight in fists
  My mind is racing, filled with lists
  Of things to do and things I’ve done
  Another sleepless night’s begun

  My lids down, I count sheep, I count heartbeats
  The only thing that counts is that I won’t sleep, I count down, I look around

  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War
  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War

  There’s so much joy in life, so many pleasures all around
  The pleasures of insomnia are ones I’ve never found
  With all life has to offer, there’s so much to be enjoyed
  The pleasures of insomnia are ones I can’t avoid

  My lids down, I count sheep, I count heartbeats
  The only thing that counts is that I won’t sleep, I count down, I look around

  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War
  Who needs sleep? Well, you’re never gonna get it
  Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for
  Who needs sleep? Be happy with what you’re gettin’
  There’s a guy who’s been awake since the Second World War
  
  Well, here it is, 5:30 in the morning and I’ve been up
  for an hour already. The Fun Fact is, I’m due to fire seven trips today
  and then do a dinner train in the evening. Who’s stopping for a really
  big cup of coffee on his way to work?

  Yeah, with circumstances like that, I ain’t going to work without a few drops of blood in my caffeine stream.

  Today’s going to be the big test – those seven trips I’m firing? The
  big man himself is the engineer today. I’ve found a firing pattern that
  works well with Bill and with a crusty old engineer who’s pretty hard
  to please – so today I get to see if it works with Big Boss Man.
  Somehow I’m doubtful, though. (Note to self: Keep an eye on him, he’ll
  be testing you by running the engine differently each trip and using
  steam faster than you can make it.)

  Oh man, but if that engine foams again today…heads will roll, my friends, heads will roll.

  Anyone who’s unfamiliar with steam power – boiler foaming happens when
  there’s a whole lot of solid crud collected at the top of the water
  level. One can eliminate this problem by blowing most of the steam out
  of the boiler and lowering the water level first thing in the morning,
  but there is the occasion when, for whatever reason, it doesn’t get
  blown down far enough. You open up your throttle and voila! The engine
  starts pretending that it’s Old Faithful. Foaming boiler = sucking all
  the water out = running the injector constantly all the way up the hill
  = Chris shoveling his ass off non-stop trying to keep the pressure up.
  Which is impossible anyway when all he’s got to shovel is worthless
  dirt wishing it was coal, which 1) doesn’t generate any heat
  whatsoever, 2) forms industrial-sized clinkers along the sides of the
  firebox, and 3) is largely composed of ash that obstructs any air from
  getting through the fire. So not only do you lose time because you’re
  losing pressure, you lose even more time when you have to run back to
  the ash pit three and four times during the day. That sound like fun to
  you? I thought so.

  But after having two near-perfect days earlier this week, all I can say
  is que sera, sera. Sun’s coming up – might as well grab a bite to eat.
  I’ve a sinking feeling that this’ll be an even longer day than
  necessary.
  

  • 5:46 am
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