Murder on the Express

The 5:30 train is the express train, which means that it takes only 40 minutes when it normally takes 50 to reach the last station. Yesterday, however, on a nice and clear day free of precipitation, the express train slowed to a halt. A tree had apparently fallen and though no one was there to witness it, we did feel its impact. Five minutes out of the station, we came to a halt and stayed that way for nearly an hour as we waited for tracks to be cleared and other trains to pass us. What kind of weak a$s tree falls on a perfectly sunny, windless day and ruins the express train?

I suppose I wouldn't know what kind of tree. Now that I've started working, I feel rather removed from nature (not because I hug so many trees at home, but because sitting in the air-conditioned living room, I get a great view of our leafy back yard). Just today, when the research assistants all grabbed ice cream, I suggested we all grab a table to sit (because sometimes we just bring our ice cream upstairs, right back to work, which defeats the whole time-killing purpose of these trips). Caitlin suggested we go outside instead and I looked at her as if she told me that there was no B3 bomber. I had actually forgotten that we were steps from outside. That we could go outside. That there was an outside.

Caitlin: You know, outside? Natural sunlight? There's a whole new world out there.