Learning A Lesson

It was my second day at work, and everyone had to be at the office at 7am for the conference call. A few people had to stay for the safety meeting before going to work. I don't know what Phil had planned for that day, and I wasn't sure if I stayed for the safety meeting. "All track supervisors will meet in the bay area for the safety meeting, everyone else go about your daily tasks," Phil said. We went through a slide show about doing our job efficiently and be safe doing it. I knew a lot about safety, but safety on the railroad is much different than safe anywhere else. Before you get out of the company truck to do anything on the track, you have to put on your hard hat, I have a white one, vest, and gloves. The one who has the white hardhat is the foreman, or leader. Second, you have to make sure the train dispatcher knows you are working on the track. You can fill out a track warrant, track and time, or Form B, this helps you stay safe. What I didn't know was, if another track employee has track authority at the place you are working, you can use their authority to do what you have to do. I always go a track warrant either way, but now I don't have to, now that I know. If you don't take anything from this, take this with you. Don't race a train to the crossing, even if you tie, you lose.

Figurative language

figure of speech-a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage.

figurative-departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical.


The thing these 2 words have in common is that, they are formed from non-literal means.

10 Nouns-
5 adjectives-
3 adverbs
2 conjunctions
3 verbs-
2 prepositions
1 interjection
2 pronouns



Here I am, at the Conference call on a chilly Sunday morning. 3 out of 5 track supervisors show up for this conference call. We have our safety briefing about what needs to be done on the Red River Valley Subdivision today. Our Roadmaster tells all of us to be on our guard for broke rails, and look for any broke rails as we inspect our track. After the briefing, I print out my TIMS (Track Inspector Management System) to see how much train traffic there will be, and what time to expect all of them. I get to where I normally start my track inspection. I called the dispatcher to get my track warrant, but he didn't answer right away, I had to sit and wait for him to reply.....30 minutes has passed. The dispatcher answers me..finally. As I was getting my track warrant I hear something break. After I got my track warrant. I get my safety vest, and hard hat, and set my hi-rail wheels on the track and began my inspection. And then...that break I heard earlier I just ran over it. "This isn't good" I said to myself. I got out of truck, and yes a broke rail, but in a rare place. I called the dispatcher and had him stop all train traffic, and called my boss, so he can get someone on the way to fix this. I inspected on into Memphis, and put the boards up. By at the time I was putting the red boards up, the welders call me, and tell me about a broke rail at milepost 284.7 just outside of Clarendon. "Okay, what to do?" I said to myself. The Section truck gets into Memphis, and I point out the broken rail. Afterwards, I continued with my inspection. "Uh oh","This is not good." One of my switches will not move, or can't the thrown, that's what us railroaders say. I knew what do, but I didn't have the equipment, nor the time to fix it. So I called the dispatcher back...again. And called the Section to come unfreeze this switch...and there is another broke rail I have to see about to, and it's 20 miles away. My boss drives up, unexpectedly. He said "I'll stay here with it go ahead and inspect to Clarendon, and then go get the Ford Dooley and do the rest, make sure you have the switch heater fuel with you." I continued my way into Clarendon, and right when I get in sight of the Clarendon siding, the dispatcher has me wait on 2 stack trains. 6 long hours later, I am doing my paper work about today's cold weather inspection. As I was leaving the office, the Maintenance Desk calls me, and they tell me there is a broke rail at Claude,"here we go again."

My Bucket List

1.Be called on to help fight a California wildfire.
2. I would like to go see the Amazon Rain Forest.
3. I would like to go white water rafting.

4.I would like to learn archery.

5.I would like to go kayaking
6.I would like to go to Mexico City.
7.I want to go to Glacier National Park.
8.Be a volunteers firefighter for 20 more years.
9. I would like to learn how to ski.
10.Smoke jumping on a wildfire.


I have started by Bucket List, and well, I don't have many things to do. Somethings on my list might be completed in a few short years. Other people might have different things other theirs, just because my list is very small doesn't mean, my list will benefit others. Because I know...very soon all of this on Earth will go up in smoke. I don't know when that will be, but that is what I'm waiting on. I want to go Home, and see all my loved ones, who have already passed. I want to go see them again, more than the bucket list.

Shakespeare language

We did property a cooler and a rubber hose to make something reliable. We didn't have a Motive for what we were doing. We were all over-scutched

Thou sanctimonious plume-plucked death-token!

Remembering 9/11

I was at church helping with our "Prophet's Quarters", I don't remember what class I was in. I heard about it a lot when I got home, and also at my church. I do think 20 years from now we will still remember 9/11 because it's a day where a lot of our public service men and women died to keep people safe. I believe the reason why they attacked us, is because we are in Afghanistan, and they were not happy with us being there. One of the firefighters' I work with, his cousin was there, and was helping with the rescuing of people after the damage was already done. If I was to write a story about 9/11, it would be in my point of view because my point of view if different from everyone else, and would be about the the grief and the crying, but even though they had loved ones that gave their lives for other people, God was in control, and he still is to this day. He is always there, even when we don't think He is. He hears our faintest cry. Other people might forget this day, but as a public serviceman myself, I will never forget 9/11. God Bless those who gave their lives so others may live.

Yesterday's almost catastrophe

2 young boys were pique toward me after I told them twice to not play in the flowing flooded street, and the consequence of that was, one of them would've swept away if I didn't rescue him in time.