July 25
I woke up in the middle of the night to thunderstorms and I got up and went outside to the porch and looked at the sky and the rain coming down and I tried to decide if I ought to put on my weather gear and go up there. I didn't know any stormwatchers in Lafayette, so I wasn't sure who I should call, and they looked like they were pretty light anyways.
But when I went back to the bedroom, I felt like I was avoiding my duty by not being flying, and I didn't fall asleep again until the storm had passed.
It was still kinda dark out when we got up and we didn't really have too much time to play in bed. He got dressed while I re-packed my saddlebags and he used the microwave to make us each a cup of coffee to help wake up.
When we got to the train station, he said he'd wait with me until I got on my train, and then he was going back home to get some more sleep. So we sat outside on one of the benches and he kind of dozed off—I guess the coffee didn't do the job—until a passing freight train with more boxes woke him up.
He was kind of jealous when my train arrived. He said that the locomotive was kind of ugly, and it looked like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a freight locomotive or a passenger locomotive and had tried being both, but he liked the rest of it, and he said that he hadn't known that Amtrak wasn't operating out of Lafayette.
We kissed on the platform and then I got on the train and went upstairs to the dome so that I could have breakfast. I waved at him from up there as we left the station, and it was a little while before the waiter came but I didn't mind at all—the longer my breakfast took, the longer I could sit at the table.
I ordered a breakfast burrito and we were all the way in Monon before I'd finished it. Even though I'd had a bunch of meals on trains before, it was still strange to start eating in one city and not be finished until I was in another city.
I probably could have spent a little bit longer finishing my coffee, but it would have been rude to be keeping someone else from my table, so I got up and went downstairs to the seat in my car and watched the fields go by.
When the train started getting into Chicago, I was disappointed, because the view wasn't as good anymore. We crossed lots of roads and when I'd look at the cars waiting to go by, I wondered where they were going and what they thought of the train and whether or not any of them noticed me. I think it would be really easy to get lost in a big city like Chicago, 'cause so much of it that I passed by looked alike.
We finally dipped down into the trainshed, and the conductor thanked everyone as they got off the train and he helped people with their suitcases, too. He didn't get to help me, 'cause my saddlebags were securely strapped on.
I had six hours before the Amtrak train would take me back to Kalamazoo, so I left the station and flew back to the parks and started walking around until I saw a big building that was called the Shedd Aquarium.
That sounded like it would be a fun place to visit, so I went inside and paid the woman at the kiosk and she gave me a little brochure which said where all the exhibits were.
Well, the first place I went to was an exhibit about fish that lived in the Great Lakes, and that was really interesting. Most of the fish were pretty dull colors, but some of them were really pretty just the same. They had lots of tanks against the wall, a couple of smaller ones that you could go all the way around, and a big open tank in the center like the one in Seattle where you could pet sea-life. This one had barriers around the edge, so we probably weren't supposed to pet the fish.
Then I went to see a northern exhibit and that had penguins which are black-and-white birds that can't fly. They'd waddle around on land and then flop into the water and swim around for a little bit then climb back out and waddle around some more. They looked like they were kind of dumb, but it was fun to watch them. And they were pretty good swimmers—a lot better than me.
I was kind of running late on time, so I thought I could only see one more exhibit before I had to leave. Since I wanted to get the most in, I visited something called Waters of the World, which had fish from all over. I liked those—there were a lot of really bright ones that lived in corals or in the Amazon River, and there were some really weird ones, too. They had seahorses, and octopuses, and they also had a fish called Granddad, who was the oldest fish in any aquarium. They had gotten him in 1933, and had had him ever since.
He was kind of ugly.
I went by a really big tank on the way out, which had lots of fish and even sharks swimming around in it. One of the sharks liked to swim really close to the glass, and I saw a couple of people jump back as he came by, 'cause maybe they thought he was going to get them.
I wished I could have stayed longer, but I couldn't miss my train, so I flew back to the station and stopped at Au Bon Pain and got another vegetarian wrap, then I went down to the trainshed and waited for my train.
It backed in, and I went to get on but the conductor said that I had to wait because it wasn't ready yet. So I waited while a bunch of people with yellow carts got aboard it, and after a while they left and the conductor told me that they had been cleaning it and now it was ready and I could get onboard if I wanted to.
I picked a seat on the left side of the train, 'cause that side had the best overall view. Then I dozed off a little bit, until the train started to move.
We bumped and banged through all the tracks in the station and crept along the tracks, past all the sidings full of railcars. I looked out at them as we went by and wondered if maybe the train that I'd seen going north last night was here—there were lots of the railroad cars with the container-boxes on them, but they all looked kinda the same.
I couldn't imagine how humans managed to sort them all out. The railcars had numbers on them, and a lot of the boxes did, too, so I guess they must have just walked around until they found the one they wanted. If they'd been smart, they could have put numbers on the top and then somebody could just sit in a watch-tower and find them that way.
When we finally got through all the outskirts of Chicago, the train started to pick up speed. I think the engine driver was impatient, 'cause it actually pushed me back in my seat a little bit when he started to accelerate. And before too long, we were flying through the countryside.
Before, the cars I'd seen on the highway were going faster than us, but now we just rushed right past them.
I didn't know that we were in Kalamazoo until the train started slowing down by Western Michigan's campus, and then we went by Kalamazoo College and curved into downtown.
I waited my turn before I got off the train, and then took off from the train station to go to Meghan's apartment.
She was really happy to see me back, and she asked me how my weekend had been, so I told her all about it, and I was yawning before I was done, ‘cause I hadn’t slept very much last night. So Meghan insisted that I ought to lie down and get some sleep, and I kinda didn’t want to go to bed before she was ready, but I was almost asleep on her lap.
Meghan said that she wouldn’t be up much later, but she had some things that she had to finish before she could go to bed—she had some laundry downstairs I think she said—and so I got in bed and I told myself I was only going to doze, but I fell all the way asleep and I woke up a little bit when she got in bed and put her arm around me, and then I fell back asleep again.
Sorry, Silver Glow. The fish at Shedd Aquarium are not for eating.
That last scene is too adorable for words.
And Granddad is pretty ugly looking:
chicagotonight.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/article/image-non-gallery/Grandad2.jpg
Ooh! Ooh! I found a thing! Horses can learn to use symbols to communicate their preferences
Science! Exhaustively documenting things you kinda figured on all along?
Railways.
The Origional Packet Switched Internet.
Silver really likes to get around, and so far, the train can take the strain.
Slow day... I wonder, was it a coincidence?
When the last dingdong of doom has sounded, I take comfort that we will be outlived by an ugly fish in Michigan named Granddad, among other things
I was thinking that Silver would end up on Jerry Springer. Cheating Pony Partners
But, it seems like Gusty might be on a local talk show. She is still one or two TV shows from being on a national talk show.
Man, SG has so much more self control than I would. I'd totally be riding on top of the trains when I got the chance.
7598416 She does plenty of riding on top, to be fair.
What else was on silver's bucket list?
Though the magic of ISO standard 6346!
An uneventful day of travel is a good one. Well, uneventful in the sense of everything going according to plan. I know I've had uneventful days of travel that were supposed to be a few uneventful hours.
And I do love how duty-driven Silver is. It's a very admirable trait. One I could stand to adopt myself...
I wonder if they had any lamprey eels as part of the exhibits, just to be complete?
Meghan is in for a surprise flavor next time they make love.
Before long, the staff at that Au Bon Pain is going to start treating Silver like a regular customer. She's getting to be almost as addicted to the veggie wraps there as she is addicted to
Taco BellToxic Smell.7598452
This story has done more to make me interested in the Michigan and Chicago area then talking with friends who live there. :)
Aquariums are great. Unfortunately I had to break mine down when I went to college. Can't wait to get one set up again.
The one at Monterey bay in California is amazing. Silver should go there the next time she's in California.
The studend that went to Equestria for the exchange probably saw Manticores, Griffons, Minotaurs, Hydras and more...
Silver Glow discovered penguins.
On the other side, which world has the cutest creatures now eh?
Let a pegasus to think in three dimensions.
I think this little details are one of the reasons this fic is so inmmersive.
Also, I know this is super old, but, the Austreaoh saga is mega-super-duper reccomended. The first book is very good, though is a little "isolated" of the rest (In fact, it's even a good place to try, cause you can easily stop reading after it if it isn't your cup of tea) while after the second SS&E created a incredibled saga that I think is one of the best things in this site. :)
You know I'm banned from SeaWorld. Apparently they have a policy about people entering the property with 55 gallon drums of tartar sauce. Just kidding.
7598678 Here you go.
7598988 I know someone who, when asks how his flight was, responds "Uneventful, thank god."
7600648
You can buy pickle relish in 55 gallon drums. (Not sure if they sell direct.)
Penguins are best birds!
7598264 The Shedd's in Chicago.
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"It's like being at a buffet but all you can do is look at the food."
7598224
He's aged well, though--I think he looked like that back in '33 as well.
That doesn't surprise me at all. Horses are really social, and they have feelings, so it would stand to reason that they would try to communicate their feelings to others. I think that the most interesting part is where once the horses had learned that they could 'talk,' they'd try to do it even when they weren't participating in the experiment.
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Riding on trains on Earth has become kind of familiar for Silver Glow.
(Also IRL, I worked over 20 hours of overtime last week)
7598264
(He's in Illinois right now, although I suppose that if the aquarium flooded, swimming to Michigan wouldn't be out of the question.)
The most interesting thing about the fish is that my Grandpa would have seen him when he was at the World's Fair back in '33.
7598315
I was thinking that Silver would end up on Jerry Springer. Cheating Pony Partners
Odds are very good she'll get a TV interview after Stratford.
7598416
Silver Glow, train surfer.
I'm not sure I'd want to ride on top, but I have thought about jumping a freight train, just to have done it. I have a friend who did when he worked out in Colorado--he road a freight across a mountain pass, and had someone pick him up on the other side.
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7598812
ISO Standards are Magic doesn't quite have the same ring to it. . . .
7598988
It's always nice to get where you're going when you expected to get there with no major fuckups on the way. Which has only happened to me once when flying, BTW. Usually because security pulls me aside for a 'special' interview.
You and me both.
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I would think so. I haven't been there for a while, so I can't say for sure, but it's not like it would be hard to find one. Zebra Mussels would be a good thing to put in the display, too.
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It was more a lack of other good options at the train station. I don't see Silver Glow being terribly interested in the Coney Dog restaurant.
Love your current avatar, BTW. Vermin Supreme would approve of it.
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It's a great place. Well, Michigan is. Chicago's okay, I guess.
7599588
I've been thinking of starting another one. Fish are a lot of fun to watch, that's for sure. And as long as you don't want something too complicated, they're not that hard to care for, either.
7600153
As long as no exchange students in Equestria are trying to make pets out of parasprites. . . .
Penguins are silly birds.
That's always the thing that you find with cultural exchanges--someone else sometimes finds a creative way to solve your problem, one that you never would have thought of.
(Incidentally, these days most railroad cars have RFID chips on them, and a trackside detector tracks them as they pass. A colored barcode system was tried in the 70s, and it worked, except when the barcode got dirty.)
The challenge with longfics (and this might wind up being the fate of SGJ when it's complete) is that it's pretty daunting to look at the total wordcount and then get started on it . . . not that that's a good excuse; if it's a great book, it's worth the investment in time.
I doubt I'd have the time to get started on it now, but it is one of the things that's on my 'I ought to read this sometime' list.
7600740
All my flights thus far have been, as well. It's more the airport experience that's been a problem. LIke having a drug-sniffing dog single me out of the lineup. Or almost getting deported from Canada last time I visited there.
7603871
Are they really birds, though? I mean, it wouldn't be entirely incorrect to call them winged land-fish.
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Umm, thanks, I think?
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Believe me, it's a compliment. Ponies and tooth-brushing are two of his four platforms, you know.
Meghan, I'm going to need you to put on your scientist hat, because I just realized there's an experiment we must run. If you lay out a pile of fresh laundry to cool down, will it acquire snoozing ponies the same way such piles of warm floofyness often acquire snoozing cats? The world must know!
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If I were American I'd totally have voted for Vernon.
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I would assume that it does.
derpicdn.net/img/2013/11/3/463553/full.jpeg
Ponies are naturally attracted to sunbeams, hugs, ear-scratches, and warm laundry.
8000723
If I were American I'd totally have voted for Vermin.
He's a candidate you can trust!
i.ytimg.com/vi/vo5mPr-mA1E/0.jpg
8005291
Now I'm debating whether I can include a scene where Alex is sitting in on a meeting. It's in front of a large window and all the ponies start on pillows in the sunbeam. Every time a pony gets up for a drink, potty break, or to just confide something to someone else, if their pillow isn't in the sun when they get back, they move it around to the other side of the group and back into the warmth. So, similar to but much more sedate than your pegasi-pidgeons comparison, the herd slowly meanders around the room with the sunbeam.
8006728
Oh, yes, you need to do that. Plus, it totally fits in with canon; NMM says something about the ponies being sun-loving in the very first episode.
I've been to both the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum and they were without a doubt the highlights of my trip.
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As have I, and I think it was on the same trip. The stained glass exhibit at Navy Pier is also worth visiting.
Also also, one of my friends works at the Field Museum, IIRC.
That should be 'spent'.
An 80 year old fish? Dayum.
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Correction made; thank you!
Yup! And here's a fun story about it: my grandpa saw that fish at the Shedd Aquarium at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair, and I saw it in the early 2000s--I can't remember the exact year. It's entirely possible that my maternal grandmother saw it, too, since she used to live in Chicago, back in the day.
8134351
RIP Granddad, euthanized on February 5, 2017, seven months from Silver Glow's visit.
Aric knows the Pony tells, those ears are a dead giveaway.
"My ears move when I sleep, also I talk in my sleep explaining that my ears move in my sleep."
Hyper pony can't just sit still in the morning. Something is triggering her 'fuck of flight' response.
Sadly, it's not IHOP anymore.... for some stupid reason. No one is going to not call it IHOP.
Butterfly hatchery.... yes please! Such a cutedorable silly pone!
Eh, it's more grass doesn't like cars. What cars hate is the mud.
"I came for pancakes, so I will have pancakes!" A very single minded pony.
Of course it wasn't as fun as she thinks, you didn't have a pony with you at the time.
She must give in to the allure of bacon once more!
Pegasi fights a thunderstorm.... EPIC movie time!
He is going to be getting ALL the 'horse fucker' jokes after she leaves, isn't he.
She is getting used to the fact that going anywhere new in public means being a magnet for nearby kids that want to pet the pony.
He just said dont fall, not don't jump off them.
Easily moving through spaces humans made too small for themselves, #ponyperks
Yeah, can bet smearing finger grease all over a stage light wouldbe bad.
Look at Silver, trying to be all responsible and mature about talking things out. She may not really get human relationship rules, but those she knows she will follow!
And of course it's fine in her case, she's a pony, everything a pony does is fine becuase Pony.
Well, if the bar for the wrap party won't let he kids in, go to Hooters. Because there are apparently little league clubs and other such things that actually do that after games.
And Aric takes thing well, and again, just makes clear this really isn't some long term, serious thing, just a bit of freindly fun while they can, but he's still sweet enough for her.
Pony no like frosted flakes? Okay, not EVERYTHING pony feels is smart and good.
Mario Party! YES! That is simple enough Pony should be able to do decent enough with a bit of luck. As to the 'it ends friendships' discussion, none of those come even CLOSE to the anti-friendship incarnate that is Monopoly!
Silver making more notes for the 'Pony Overlord List" 'All plays re required to have at least three musical numbers.
Well, she's not fully wrong about the cars and trains.
Suuuure Silver, nice save on the 'we're not playing, we'r training! Excuse...
1. You see Pony doing silly, physics breaking pony stuff, are you sure you want to know what is going on?
2. Screw you kill joy! Silver could have Federal agencies that he'd never even heard of crawling up his ass with a single phone call, and her personal agents would bring the funnel. Too bad she doesn't quite realize that power or that she should have used it here. "Hold on, let me make a phone call.... He wants to talk to you."
You know, if Silver ever really figured out just how much Mister Salvatore loved flexing his muscles at people giving her trouble, she might go out and start getting into trouble, just to be a good friend and give him a chance to do something he liked.
Pegasus delivery pony.....this will so be a thing soon. It's another of those perfect ideas. Especially in a city. Delivery right to your window! You can even tip in carrots.
Pony super hearing FTW! Literally in this case.
Super sad pony all unsettled by not being out there flying....... again, running out of ways to say how awesome her dedication is.
Pony Logic is again sound, longer you take to eat, more time you enjoy the view.
The Shedd Aquarium...... Well now. Let's hope they rebuilt from that time a bunch of people either possessed by, or working alongside Demonic Fallen Angels blasted a large chunk of it apart with little Hellfire while setting a trap to capture a single little girl who also happened to be the mystical repository of all human knowledge. And yes, another Dresden Files reference. You cn't do anything in Chicago without running into those things. Like I'm guessing the train station she's in is a major one, so likely the one that got torn up while Harry was fighting a twelve foot tall Goatman Fae that was actually one of the Billy Goats Gruff. Oddly enough, in the same book.
Of course pony goes to see local fishies. Trying to see which ones look tastiest?
And yes she should have stayed longer, see more adorable fishies! She didn't even see any otters!
Of course Meghan was happy to see pony, any time not seeing pony is sad times!
Ugggh I hate that,try to just take a quick nap, and end up passing right the fuck out for hours.
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They are indeed.
Mostly just her desire to not laze around all day--to get out and do some stuff.
I thought it was back to being IHOP again, that they did the IHOB just as a stunt to show that they were selling burgers now.
We need more butterfly hatcheries.
Even without mud, wet grass isn’t very good for traction. It’s also not overly durable, and quickly turns to mud when there are a lot of cars on it.
Hey, when she knows she wants something, she then goes and gets that thing.
Ponies make everything better. That’s a fact.
How long before Hormel figures this out and starts trying to import bacon to Equestria. Maybe with the tagline “It’s okay, it’s not someone you know.”
I’m trying to imagine how disorienting that would be to watch. Like, I’ve never really liked FPV games becuase they give me a bit of motion sickness, and now imagine that with everything moving in three dimensions all the time.
Probably. Mostly from Chris, I think.
She can’t help it; she’s just that cute.
That would be the kind of thing that would give the stage manager a heart attack, when she sees something big falling out of the catwalks right before the show.
Seriously, all theatre catwalks ever.
It is--really shortens the life of the bulb. Also, from personal experience, having a 1000w bulb turn on when you’re holding it sucks. It gets real hot real fast.
She’s been told that that’s important, so of course she has to do it.
#ponyperks
I’m a pretty liberal guy, and I don’t think that Hooters is the most appropriate place to take a little league club, honestly.
Yeah, he knows that this can’t last, especially since he doesn’t have any intention of going to Equestria long-term. Just have fun during the year and then after that he knows she’ll find someone else back in Equestria.
Too much sugar for birdpone.
Monopoly doesn’t destroy friendships like Mario Kart, IMHO. And yeah, she’d probably do all right at most of the minigames.
It’s just not a proper pony play if there isn’t singing.
She’s not entirely wrong on that.
Smart cop probably would just watch from a nice, safe distance. Maybe call his supervisor.
Oh, yeah, she totally could. Mr. Salvatore might actually even be in Lafayette (she did tell them she was going there), just in case he’s needed. So she could potentially get some pretty instant satisfaction if she called him.
Man, that’s a grey area of whether that’s a good thing to be doing or not. On the one hoof, it makes him happy; on the other hoof, it causes trouble for someone else. I’m sure that Cayenne’s agents aren’t having as much fun putting out all the proverbial fires she starts.
It’s also a reference to Totally Not a Brony’s The Roommate, where Rainbow Dash is going to college at Purdue (in West Lafayette), and works as a deliverypony for Jimmy John’s. But yeah, they’d be great for making deliveries.
Little radar dishes, that’s what pony ears are.
Smart pony is smart.
Actually, that’s one thing that the Dresden Files and this presumably have in common--everything is based around stuff that’s actually there. It’s kind of weird, in some ways.
That is part of her motivation.
Do they have otters at the Shedd aquarium? I honestly don’t know.
Agreed--she’s having pony snuggle withdrawl.
That happened to me yesterday, and then I was also kind of out of it for the rest of the day. Grr.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/07/grandad-the-lungfish-the-oldest-fish-in-captivity-euthanised-by-chicago-aquarium
It was cool to learn that that actually existed.
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Practically everything in this story does. Except Silver Glow, unfortunately.
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I agree with the Admiral. They're adorable and hilarious, but they only qualify as birds on a technicality.