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warrrreagl · 07-27-2007, 05:32 AM

Me and Grancey sort of won a free "ride" if that counts as a trip. I think it was 1988 (Grancey would know for sure) and the state of Alabama was celebrating one of those goofy off-year anniversary thingys, and it was something like the Sesquisasquatchysoupycentennialishable Celebration. At an Arts and Crafts Festival near our hometown we entered a drawing for a free train ride across Alabama on the Freedom Train (not making that up) which would be an old steam engine pulling several cars of celebrities and others. And then we forgot about it.

A couple of weeks later we got one of those letters from a bank we don't use - you know, the kind you throw away without opening? For some reason we opened it and WE'D WON! Inside the envelope was two free tickets aboard the Alabama Freedom Train.

On the appointed morning, Grancey's mother drove us up to the station in north Alabama where the train was to depart and we took off. The only celebrities on board, though, were the Governor and Fannie Flagg. The Governor at least got out and walked around shaking hands and stuff. Fannie Flagg didn't even drag her tired ass out of her private compartment to mingle with us little people. The ride took most of the day to reach our destination, and I think it was in May so the state was totally lush and beautifully green and sweltering! We hung our heads out from between the cars like dogs and got soooooo much soot and ash in our eyes that we were nearly blind by the end of the trip. It was so awesome. They had a snack car instead of a dining car, but it didn't matter.

My father drove to the destination station and picked us up when we finished and Grancey sewed one of the official patches from that ride into her denim jacket and wore it around for years.

Does that count as winning a trip?

07-27-2007, 05:32 AM	#12 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	Me and Grancey sort of won a free "ride" if that counts as a trip. I think it was 1988 (Grancey would know for sure) and the state of Alabama was celebrating one of those goofy off-year anniversary thingys, and it was something like the Sesquisasquatchysoupycentennialishable Celebration. At an Arts and Crafts Festival near our hometown we entered a drawing for a free train ride across Alabama on the Freedom Train (not making that up) which would be an old steam engine pulling several cars of celebrities and others. And then we forgot about it. A couple of weeks later we got one of those letters from a bank we don't use - you know, the kind you throw away without opening? For some reason we opened it and WE'D WON! Inside the envelope was two free tickets aboard the Alabama Freedom Train. On the appointed morning, Grancey's mother drove us up to the station in north Alabama where the train was to depart and we took off. The only celebrities on board, though, were the Governor and Fannie Flagg. The Governor at least got out and walked around shaking hands and stuff. Fannie Flagg didn't even drag her tired ass out of her private compartment to mingle with us little people. The ride took most of the day to reach our destination, and I think it was in May so the state was totally lush and beautifully green and sweltering! We hung our heads out from between the cars like dogs and got soooooo much soot and ash in our eyes that we were nearly blind by the end of the trip. It was so awesome. They had a snack car instead of a dining car, but it didn't matter. My father drove to the destination station and picked us up when we finished and Grancey sewed one of the official patches from that ride into her denim jacket and wore it around for years. Does that count as winning a trip? __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed. Last edited by warrrreagl; 07-27-2007 at 05:36 AM..