Bethany pointed out that it's been a long time since I've done a blog entry, so I figure I'll take some ime and do one now.
A quick description of our train:
There are "sleeper" cars - these have three different size bedrooms for people who prefer to sleep laying down and not in a chair.
There are "coach" cars - this is where we're spending most of our journey. Picture a charter bus or an airplane. The seats are much more comfortable than that. They're in groups of two on each side of the car and a little bit wider than airplane seats (just enough to make a huge difference). The seats recline a good bit more than airline/bus seats. Now for the best part - You know the front seats when you first get on a plane? The ones with no one in front of them so they've got a lot of leg room? The train has more room than that at every seat!
The bulk of the train is two levels. For the coach cars, you come in on the ground level. There are bathrooms, some storage space for luggage, and the lower-level coach seating. I didn't understand the difference when we were buying our tickets, but upon boarding the train, it makes sense. The lower level seats are maybe 20 seats with a door to the seating area. The upper level seats are like on big plane where there are people walking up and down the aisle throughout the trip. (We're on the upper level for this trip).
There is a "lounge" car in front of the coach car we're in. The upper level of the lounge car is full of windows. There are large windows on the sides and dome-type windows on part of the ceiling. There are swivel chairs (I think they're the same size as our regular seats) and small tables on one side and booths with tables on the other side. Downstairs is the snack bar where you can get a cheeseburger, chicken sandwhich, french toast, or whatever else you'd like (they've got a reasonable variety). This hs more booth seating for the snack bar patrons.
After that (and as far forward as I think we're allowed to go) is the "dining" car. This is full of booth seating upstairs (and I don't know what's downstairs - maybe the kitchen?). They go through and ask if you'd like a reservation for whatever meal, then call everyone in 30-minute shifts to come and eat at their reservation time.
Now that you've got some background - here are my stories:
We watched some West Wing earlier tonight. We watched two episodes in our seats until Beth got fed up with the guy behind us who was watching "Live Free or Die Hard" on his portable DVD player without any headphones. The guy kept turning it up and Bethany got more and more aggrevated on behalf of the passengers who were napping. Besides the faux pas of watching a movie in a public area without headphones, it was especially inappropriate to be doing it in the coach car. It would have been much more tolerable had the guy gone up to the lounge or the snack bar and watched his movie.
So with Beth getting increasingly impatient with him, I figured maybe she and I should move to the lounge for a little change of scenery. We finished up the last episode of West Wing and came back to our seats. At this point, I felt like it must have been 10:00pm but was only about 8pm. The problem here is that it gets dark early outside. We've got reading lights and aisle lights but that doesn't do anything to offset the darkness outside.
I manage to doze off for a while and miss the purse-theivery saga that I'll let Beth tell you later.
We were in a spot where wireless coverage was very spotty so I decided I would wait for our arrival in Pittsburgh at midnight to check my email one last time before calling it a night. That plan didn't work out too well when I woke up at 2am!
My computer was handy so I checked my email (how great is EVDO internet access?) and started my blogging. It's now 2:35am and we're coming into what our time schedule says should be Cleveland, Ohio. Beth woke up just in time to see the skyline of the city before we got too far into it. We're stopping now (2:36am) which means we're only 5 minutes behind schedule. Hopefully that works out well for us getting into Chicago. Over the last 3 months, this train averages a 65 minute late arrival (only early twice and well over two hours on more than one occasion). We'll see what happens to us.
When we get in to Chicago, we'll take a commuter train (the Metra SouthWest Service) down to Orland Park where Molly will pick us up.
When the car is quiet, you hear the sounds of the wheels and feel the gentle bounce/sway of the train car. It's extremely relaxing.
Even though the sun goes down early in the evening, we learned last weekend that it doesn't stay down in the morning. I'm afraid for the busyness that is bound to come in a few hours. I hope I can get a few more hours sleep.
We'll probably catch up with you again when we're in Chicago waiting for our Metra train. Goodnight until then.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Train Travel (part 1)
Today marks day 1 of our trip to Chicago on the Amtrak trains.
While I am sure some of you may be uninterested in the detail I will provide, it is my desire to paint an accurate and complete picture from our first waking moments of this day, until we close our eyes, side by side on the train.
This is why I will begin with my first waking thought:
"I am really tired and I don't want to get out of bed." A great attitude to start my day. :-)
Steve hopped in the shower while I lounged in bed, hoping to resurrect some latent energy. We had gone to bed late and just the thought of the laundry that still needed to be put away and the odds and ends I needed to get done before we left, slightly overwhelmed my sleepy head. I wandered aimlessly around the house for a few moments before getting a shower and packing my toiletries. Steve had the smart idea to hold our mail (you can do this online at usps.com) so we wouldn't have piles of it when we got back. He had to run to the church to drop something off and by the time he got back, I was ready to go and Ev arrived shortly after to take us to the train station.
Philadelphia 30th station was grand in its day. The ceilings were high and tiled with deep burgundy and gold colors. A little monument had been erected to outline the station's history. It was dreamed of in the 20's and built in the 30's. Perhaps my favorite part (other than the architecture) was the train information board. With every change or update of schedule, the letters would flip, creating a lovely clicking sound throughout the station.
30th St. Station ceiling with lamps:
Some of the people I observed:
Policeman with a beautiful German Shepard dog
Couple making-out on a bench
Red Caps- gentleman who take your luggage down to the train tracks for you (so named for the red caps they wear).
Crazy lady who spent the weekend in Atlantic City for her birthday (she was very friendly) :)
Me with all of our luggage:
Scenery rushing by:
Train stop
Beautiful!
The train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. was 1 story and ___ cars long. The seats were comfortable and there was plenty of luggage space. We settled down for a 2 hour trip. The time flew! Steve worked on his computer and I read a book. I did think that the train smelled a bit like the mouthpiece on a clarinet I used to play in elementary school. There were outlets and reading lights conveniently placed at every seat. Overall, a very pleasent ride.
We arrived in D.C. around 2:00 and for $3 found lockers to store our luggage in while we found a place to eat. The train station was BEAUTIFUL! There were so many stores and restaurants to choose from. The building itself was stunning and ornate, especially since it was decorated for Christmas. We settled on Johnny Rockets and enjoyed excellent burgars and fries. After wandering around a little while, we retrieved our luggage and checked it into our next Amtrack train.
Washington D.C. Union Station:
Now, the wonderful thing about my husband and I is that we have the ability to think and prepare for situations in advance. This does us little good, however, if we forget to actually follow through on these wonderful ideas. The train provides each passanger with a pillow to sleep with. These are the same pillows that they give you on airlines...basically useless. Steve purchased small pillows that we covered in our own pillowcases and packed those along with two fleece blankets for our 17 hour trip throughout the night. You guessed it...instead of switching them to our carry-on bags, we left them in our checked luggage. Now, we are reduced to be like the common folk and use the stupid pillows.
Our train!
The 2nd Amrack train we took (17 hours) would take us from D.C. straight to Chicago. We found a seat with an outlet and settled in. The leg room was great, the seats were comfortable and the wide windows had curtains. Lovely train. We also ended up having great train neighbors. One of them sang "How Great Thou Art". She had a beautifully, mellow voice.
WHAT A GREAT TRIP...other than the stupid pillows.
While I am sure some of you may be uninterested in the detail I will provide, it is my desire to paint an accurate and complete picture from our first waking moments of this day, until we close our eyes, side by side on the train.
This is why I will begin with my first waking thought:
"I am really tired and I don't want to get out of bed." A great attitude to start my day. :-)
Steve hopped in the shower while I lounged in bed, hoping to resurrect some latent energy. We had gone to bed late and just the thought of the laundry that still needed to be put away and the odds and ends I needed to get done before we left, slightly overwhelmed my sleepy head. I wandered aimlessly around the house for a few moments before getting a shower and packing my toiletries. Steve had the smart idea to hold our mail (you can do this online at usps.com) so we wouldn't have piles of it when we got back. He had to run to the church to drop something off and by the time he got back, I was ready to go and Ev arrived shortly after to take us to the train station.
Philadelphia 30th station was grand in its day. The ceilings were high and tiled with deep burgundy and gold colors. A little monument had been erected to outline the station's history. It was dreamed of in the 20's and built in the 30's. Perhaps my favorite part (other than the architecture) was the train information board. With every change or update of schedule, the letters would flip, creating a lovely clicking sound throughout the station.
30th St. Station ceiling with lamps:
Some of the people I observed:
Policeman with a beautiful German Shepard dog
Couple making-out on a bench
Red Caps- gentleman who take your luggage down to the train tracks for you (so named for the red caps they wear).
Crazy lady who spent the weekend in Atlantic City for her birthday (she was very friendly) :)
Me with all of our luggage:
Scenery rushing by:
Train stop
Beautiful!
The train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. was 1 story and ___ cars long. The seats were comfortable and there was plenty of luggage space. We settled down for a 2 hour trip. The time flew! Steve worked on his computer and I read a book. I did think that the train smelled a bit like the mouthpiece on a clarinet I used to play in elementary school. There were outlets and reading lights conveniently placed at every seat. Overall, a very pleasent ride.
We arrived in D.C. around 2:00 and for $3 found lockers to store our luggage in while we found a place to eat. The train station was BEAUTIFUL! There were so many stores and restaurants to choose from. The building itself was stunning and ornate, especially since it was decorated for Christmas. We settled on Johnny Rockets and enjoyed excellent burgars and fries. After wandering around a little while, we retrieved our luggage and checked it into our next Amtrack train.
Washington D.C. Union Station:
Now, the wonderful thing about my husband and I is that we have the ability to think and prepare for situations in advance. This does us little good, however, if we forget to actually follow through on these wonderful ideas. The train provides each passanger with a pillow to sleep with. These are the same pillows that they give you on airlines...basically useless. Steve purchased small pillows that we covered in our own pillowcases and packed those along with two fleece blankets for our 17 hour trip throughout the night. You guessed it...instead of switching them to our carry-on bags, we left them in our checked luggage. Now, we are reduced to be like the common folk and use the stupid pillows.
Our train!
The 2nd Amrack train we took (17 hours) would take us from D.C. straight to Chicago. We found a seat with an outlet and settled in. The leg room was great, the seats were comfortable and the wide windows had curtains. Lovely train. We also ended up having great train neighbors. One of them sang "How Great Thou Art". She had a beautifully, mellow voice.
WHAT A GREAT TRIP...other than the stupid pillows.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
As Steve would say, "Boo-frickity-hoo!"
Tomorrow morning we are leaving on a train for Chicago. We'll be away for a week relaxing and visiting with friends. We've been looking forward to this trip for quite a while (myself in particular).
I was running around this morning, trying to clean up, pack, and run last minute errands. Isn't it funny how in the middle of such a crazy day, there is always opportunity for frustration or laughter? I hope I choose the latter more frequently than the former.
Here is my story:
So I was taking some soda out of the pantry in the bathroom (because I am such a good wife) this morning to refill the fridge. I was trying to carry more than was probably smart and I dropped a Pepsi on the floor, which then started to hiss and spew soda everywhere. I stood there, shocked for a little while before I realized it was flooding the floor, the walls and my pants. Soaked and sticky, I threw the can in the sink and made my way into the kitchen to clean up. (Grumble, grumble, grumble.)
I came back and noticed that the soda had made it's way onto the counters and mirror as well.
(A sideways glance at the culprit)
If I had a superpower, it would be levitation, so I could carry as many things as I wanted to.
Hope you have a great day, with far less stickiness than mine has had so far. :-)
I was running around this morning, trying to clean up, pack, and run last minute errands. Isn't it funny how in the middle of such a crazy day, there is always opportunity for frustration or laughter? I hope I choose the latter more frequently than the former.
Here is my story:
So I was taking some soda out of the pantry in the bathroom (because I am such a good wife) this morning to refill the fridge. I was trying to carry more than was probably smart and I dropped a Pepsi on the floor, which then started to hiss and spew soda everywhere. I stood there, shocked for a little while before I realized it was flooding the floor, the walls and my pants. Soaked and sticky, I threw the can in the sink and made my way into the kitchen to clean up. (Grumble, grumble, grumble.)
I came back and noticed that the soda had made it's way onto the counters and mirror as well.
(A sideways glance at the culprit)
If I had a superpower, it would be levitation, so I could carry as many things as I wanted to.
Hope you have a great day, with far less stickiness than mine has had so far. :-)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Day 2 at the shore
Steve and I had a lovely room in at the beach house. Unfortunately, it had two sky lights and 3 sliding glass doors. Talk about a bright awakening!
I went downstairs around 9:30 to socialize with mom and dad in my Pirates of the Caribbean pjs while Steve hopped in the shower. Unfortunately, there was no hot water! Dad had taken a shower earlier and had little warm water, so by the time Steve, my mom and I had taken a shower, it was like bathing in ice. My mom and I couldn't even wash our face and hair in the shower, we had to improvise in the sink. Here to find out, the hot water heater was turned off. Boooo! Emily and Scott (her boyfriend) lucked out. They each had a nice, hot shower to start their day.
After lounging a bit, dad, mom, Steve and I started to make preparations for the chili. Mom and I both have a serious case of "onion eyes". Dad and Steve got the fun job of chopping up all the onions and garlic, while mom and I made frequent trips outside in the bitter cold to relieve our red eyes, streaming with tears. We did make a quick trip to the Acme because we used all of our chili powder and needed to replenish. (This was the same Acme that Steve used to get a toothbrush for the weekend since he didn't have his suitcase. Unfortunately for him, they didn't sell underwear. It was a good thing the beach house had a washer and dryer!!!!)
Cutting up onions and garlic
Adding the spices
Looking good! (made 20 servings!)
The chili had to simmer for a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes. To bide our time, we all played Cranium (boys vs. girls). It was a LOT of fun! The house was filled with spicy, sweet chili aroma, the sun filtered through the windows, and the fireplace crackled with warmth....a perfect afternoon!
Steve drawing his clues for dad to guess
CRANIUM!
Mom trying to act our a mermaid (Emily and I were impressed)
Beach house living room
Emily and I
We finished our Cranium game while we ate a late lunch of chili, sourdough bread, and salsa with chips. Then, it was time to clean up around the house, so we spent the next hour sweeping floors, washing sheets and packing. We wrapped up our beach trip with quick family pictures.
Family picture
(L-R)
Dad, Emily, Mom, me and Steve
Emily and Scott
Dad and Mom
My silly parents and I
Steve and I in a tree
Steve and I got home around 6:30, ate cheesecake and watched a few episodes of Heroes before falling, exhausted into bed. What a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
I went downstairs around 9:30 to socialize with mom and dad in my Pirates of the Caribbean pjs while Steve hopped in the shower. Unfortunately, there was no hot water! Dad had taken a shower earlier and had little warm water, so by the time Steve, my mom and I had taken a shower, it was like bathing in ice. My mom and I couldn't even wash our face and hair in the shower, we had to improvise in the sink. Here to find out, the hot water heater was turned off. Boooo! Emily and Scott (her boyfriend) lucked out. They each had a nice, hot shower to start their day.
After lounging a bit, dad, mom, Steve and I started to make preparations for the chili. Mom and I both have a serious case of "onion eyes". Dad and Steve got the fun job of chopping up all the onions and garlic, while mom and I made frequent trips outside in the bitter cold to relieve our red eyes, streaming with tears. We did make a quick trip to the Acme because we used all of our chili powder and needed to replenish. (This was the same Acme that Steve used to get a toothbrush for the weekend since he didn't have his suitcase. Unfortunately for him, they didn't sell underwear. It was a good thing the beach house had a washer and dryer!!!!)
Cutting up onions and garlic
Adding the spices
Looking good! (made 20 servings!)
The chili had to simmer for a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes. To bide our time, we all played Cranium (boys vs. girls). It was a LOT of fun! The house was filled with spicy, sweet chili aroma, the sun filtered through the windows, and the fireplace crackled with warmth....a perfect afternoon!
Steve drawing his clues for dad to guess
CRANIUM!
Mom trying to act our a mermaid (Emily and I were impressed)
Beach house living room
Emily and I
We finished our Cranium game while we ate a late lunch of chili, sourdough bread, and salsa with chips. Then, it was time to clean up around the house, so we spent the next hour sweeping floors, washing sheets and packing. We wrapped up our beach trip with quick family pictures.
Family picture
(L-R)
Dad, Emily, Mom, me and Steve
Emily and Scott
Dad and Mom
My silly parents and I
Steve and I in a tree
Steve and I got home around 6:30, ate cheesecake and watched a few episodes of Heroes before falling, exhausted into bed. What a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Sun, shore and shivers
Yesterday my parents and Emily (along with her new boyfriend from ENC) met us at our house for a weekend trip to Long Beach Island. You may be asking yourself why we would choose to spend a weekend at the beach in November. Well, I was a little unsure of it myself, but my mom loves the shore and it was an opportunity to step away and relax.
It was beautiful there! The water was crystal clear and the sky was bright and blue. Although it was soooo cold, we all took a long walk along the beach and through the neighborhoods. It was fun to spook the seagulls and dream of living in big houses where we could lay in the sun all day.
Steve and I on a cold walk!
Beautiful ocean
My silly parents
Old, married couple that we are...freezing on the beach
Dad trying out his karate kid skills
Dad and I :)
Chasing seagulls
About 5 years ago, my dad found a recipe on consumer reports for salsa. Soon after he lost it. It was a seriously sad moment. A few months ago, after much internet research, he found it. In a similar situation, a few years ago I made great chili. I hadn't made it since. It's a little complicated and takes a lot of ingredients. This weekend we spent some quality time in the kitchen and made both the salsa and the chili. Steve accidentally rubbed some jalapeño juice on his lip as he was cutting them up for the salsa. He said that it burned soooo bad! It was a little swollen and chapped after that, but there was nothing he could do except wait it off. (If you want either recipe, let me know, I can publish it.)
Emily and I trying the salsa out!
The proud chef
We stayed up late with Emily and her boyfriend playing Phase 10, a great game if you actually get dealt great cards. I lost, and lost, and lost, but finally managed some luck and came out alright in the end.
It depends on who you actually hear the story from, but regardless, Steve's bag with everything he packed in it was left at home. We had to improvise and wash all his clothes right before we went to bed (around 3am). For some reason, it got so hot in our room and we both woke up around 6am...just in time to watch the sun rise. It was beautiful over the ocean. What a gorgeous way to start the day.
It was beautiful there! The water was crystal clear and the sky was bright and blue. Although it was soooo cold, we all took a long walk along the beach and through the neighborhoods. It was fun to spook the seagulls and dream of living in big houses where we could lay in the sun all day.
Steve and I on a cold walk!
Beautiful ocean
My silly parents
Old, married couple that we are...freezing on the beach
Dad trying out his karate kid skills
Dad and I :)
Chasing seagulls
About 5 years ago, my dad found a recipe on consumer reports for salsa. Soon after he lost it. It was a seriously sad moment. A few months ago, after much internet research, he found it. In a similar situation, a few years ago I made great chili. I hadn't made it since. It's a little complicated and takes a lot of ingredients. This weekend we spent some quality time in the kitchen and made both the salsa and the chili. Steve accidentally rubbed some jalapeño juice on his lip as he was cutting them up for the salsa. He said that it burned soooo bad! It was a little swollen and chapped after that, but there was nothing he could do except wait it off. (If you want either recipe, let me know, I can publish it.)
Emily and I trying the salsa out!
The proud chef
We stayed up late with Emily and her boyfriend playing Phase 10, a great game if you actually get dealt great cards. I lost, and lost, and lost, but finally managed some luck and came out alright in the end.
It depends on who you actually hear the story from, but regardless, Steve's bag with everything he packed in it was left at home. We had to improvise and wash all his clothes right before we went to bed (around 3am). For some reason, it got so hot in our room and we both woke up around 6am...just in time to watch the sun rise. It was beautiful over the ocean. What a gorgeous way to start the day.
and so the holidays begin...
Steve and I have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving afternoon his family came over for dinner and we spent some time resting, talking, and (mostly) eating our way toward relaxation.
We had Steve's family over our house for Thanksgiving. It was my first attempt at any holiday meal, and although I wasn't entirely impressed with any one single dish I made, I can think of a hundred things that could have gone wrong, that didn't. For that I am truly grateful. We had tons of food...I think we'll be eating Thanksgiving dinner for weeks to come. Steve's mom made a great apple pie and Steve made a pumpkin roll. He never cooks, but he's pretty good at it.
The NY Jet and Cowboys game was disappointing. We watched that and then put on Elf. Every time I see that movie, I laugh. :) I recommend it for an early Christmas movie. I fell asleep on the couch while people watched t.v. and Steve did the dishes. (Anybody have a husband this good???)
We had Steve's family over our house for Thanksgiving. It was my first attempt at any holiday meal, and although I wasn't entirely impressed with any one single dish I made, I can think of a hundred things that could have gone wrong, that didn't. For that I am truly grateful. We had tons of food...I think we'll be eating Thanksgiving dinner for weeks to come. Steve's mom made a great apple pie and Steve made a pumpkin roll. He never cooks, but he's pretty good at it.
The NY Jet and Cowboys game was disappointing. We watched that and then put on Elf. Every time I see that movie, I laugh. :) I recommend it for an early Christmas movie. I fell asleep on the couch while people watched t.v. and Steve did the dishes. (Anybody have a husband this good???)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Home, sweet home
I am not working today, so here I sit at 11 am, in the quiet of my house. The fireplace is on and my candles fill the air with a pine smell. I've settled down to write out my Thanksgiving menu and shopping list, relishing the idea that I am enjoying my wifely role as entertainer in our home for our first married holiday.
We finally got our wedding pictures in the mail and spent the whole weekend putting them in frames and hanging them up around the house. Pictures make a huge difference in a living space! I love seeing them all around us. Who wouldn't want to be reminded of such a perfect day? Steve worked hard to get the fireplace up and running these last couple days. Finally at 12:30 am Saturday morning, it worked. We've had it running all weekend. :)
Here is a picture of the fireplace:
After today, the weeks will fly by until Christmas. Our calendars are packed with personal and holiday activities. I want to make sure, before even entering this season, that my priorities are in order. Whether the house is clean, or the food tastes delicious, I want to enjoy being with those around me, realizing that every memory is a gift.
Here are some pictures from our time in Indiana:
Steve and I at the wedding
Beautiful tree by his grandparent's house
Grampy and Grammy's house
Steve playing with Uncle Tommy and Aunt Millie's cat
Driving to Indiana (12 long hours!)
We finally got our wedding pictures in the mail and spent the whole weekend putting them in frames and hanging them up around the house. Pictures make a huge difference in a living space! I love seeing them all around us. Who wouldn't want to be reminded of such a perfect day? Steve worked hard to get the fireplace up and running these last couple days. Finally at 12:30 am Saturday morning, it worked. We've had it running all weekend. :)
Here is a picture of the fireplace:
After today, the weeks will fly by until Christmas. Our calendars are packed with personal and holiday activities. I want to make sure, before even entering this season, that my priorities are in order. Whether the house is clean, or the food tastes delicious, I want to enjoy being with those around me, realizing that every memory is a gift.
Here are some pictures from our time in Indiana:
Steve and I at the wedding
Beautiful tree by his grandparent's house
Grampy and Grammy's house
Steve playing with Uncle Tommy and Aunt Millie's cat
Driving to Indiana (12 long hours!)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
To Indiana, the trip from ....(well, you can fill this in)
This weekend we traveled to Indiana for Steve's cousin's wedding. After a hectic morning of packing, cleaning and general "getting ready" (by the way, how do people with children arrive anywhere without a headache, let alone on time?) we headed out.
We immediately hit traffic due to a police officer's funeral procession. It took us more than an hour to detour and return to our origional route. Now an hour and a half behind schedule (our estimated arrival time in Indiana was already 2 am.) we continued our trip west, late and aggrivated.
As much as you want to take something as long and drawn out as a 12 hour car ride and make it positive and fun, it can be really hard!!!
About four hours in, we saw the sad red and white lights of a police officer. I won't tell you who was driving or how far over the speed limit he was going, but we ended up with a large-size speeding ticket. The police officer was a great guy though, really friendly. In Steve's defense, we had just come down a hill, and he thought the speed limit was 65, instead of a measly 55. Silly PA laws... :)
Half way through, we switched drivers. There were two seperate times when truck drivers drifted into my lane as I was passing them. Then there was the huge chunks of wood in the road that I couldn't see until I drove over them. I thought I punctured the tires. The last hour of the trip, I became a little loopy. Everything was funny! Needless to say, I was ready to get out of the car.
We arrived in Indiana at 2:35 am. Despite our harrowing trip, we had made excellent time.
Next on the agenda, meeting the extended family at 9am. :)
We immediately hit traffic due to a police officer's funeral procession. It took us more than an hour to detour and return to our origional route. Now an hour and a half behind schedule (our estimated arrival time in Indiana was already 2 am.) we continued our trip west, late and aggrivated.
As much as you want to take something as long and drawn out as a 12 hour car ride and make it positive and fun, it can be really hard!!!
About four hours in, we saw the sad red and white lights of a police officer. I won't tell you who was driving or how far over the speed limit he was going, but we ended up with a large-size speeding ticket. The police officer was a great guy though, really friendly. In Steve's defense, we had just come down a hill, and he thought the speed limit was 65, instead of a measly 55. Silly PA laws... :)
Half way through, we switched drivers. There were two seperate times when truck drivers drifted into my lane as I was passing them. Then there was the huge chunks of wood in the road that I couldn't see until I drove over them. I thought I punctured the tires. The last hour of the trip, I became a little loopy. Everything was funny! Needless to say, I was ready to get out of the car.
We arrived in Indiana at 2:35 am. Despite our harrowing trip, we had made excellent time.
Next on the agenda, meeting the extended family at 9am. :)
Monday, November 05, 2007
Shop to the death....
This weekend we went to Kohls for our first official clothes shopping trip. Upon arriving, we headed for the men's section to get Steve some things for the cold weather. Most of the things we agreed on...I think we have similar style preferences. There were, however, things that I suggested that were immediately vetoed, and items that he liked that I wouldn't LET him wear.
As he was trying some things on, I thought that it was going rather well. He had already selected a few things to purchase and we were still affable with each other. Little did I know, that the battle over jeans would push my loving, gentle, never say an unkind word spirit to a limit. (ahem, ok- I may have exaggerated my generosity a little bit.)
We haggled over color, cut, style and length for quite a while. He insisted, I pushed, we misunderstood. In the end, we only walked away with one pair- one pair! They did turn out to be the best choice, but after all that, I wanted 100 pairs so we'd never had to buy them again.
Next we were on to shoes. I decided to leave him to his fate, while I tackled the women's department. I was looking for something to wear to a wedding we will be going to. As a recent college grad, I have about a million pairs of black pants, but no shirts for them. (I could wear a t-shirt, but thought that would be slightly inappropriate.) Steve found me wandering glassy-eyed through the isles. I get overwhelmed when things aren't in order, and that day Kohls was definitely out of order!
He found an outfit on a mannequin that he thought I might like. He was right! I loved it! The only problem was that we couldn't find the shirt anywhere in the store...
I tried to take it off the mannequin (she's plastic, and wouldn't mind if she were naked) but couldn't separate her head from the thing that was holding her upright.
Finally, I tracked down a sales lady and started hunt #2 for the mysterious shirt. It's only a long sleeve shirt, so you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to find, but it was. We found it, but it wasn't in the color I had originally liked. I did see another color that was great, so I snatched it and we headed over to shoes again with my well-deserved victory.
I love shoes. I love shoes. I love shoes. They're great! They never tell you you're fat. They can make or break an outfit. They can make you taller and give you an immense amount of comfort. Shoe shopping is a great way to end any shopping trip. I found a perfect pair of black heels and Steve found nice sneakers and boots.
Needless to say, we walked to the cash register hand in hand, happy with our decisions. As the items were rung up, I thought of the battle waged behind each piece and concluded that our first shopping trip together was a success. It certainly teaches you about communication!
We were in happy bliss until I got home and washed Steve's things and inadvertently shrunk a shirt. Ah well, bliss can't last forever...
As he was trying some things on, I thought that it was going rather well. He had already selected a few things to purchase and we were still affable with each other. Little did I know, that the battle over jeans would push my loving, gentle, never say an unkind word spirit to a limit. (ahem, ok- I may have exaggerated my generosity a little bit.)
We haggled over color, cut, style and length for quite a while. He insisted, I pushed, we misunderstood. In the end, we only walked away with one pair- one pair! They did turn out to be the best choice, but after all that, I wanted 100 pairs so we'd never had to buy them again.
Next we were on to shoes. I decided to leave him to his fate, while I tackled the women's department. I was looking for something to wear to a wedding we will be going to. As a recent college grad, I have about a million pairs of black pants, but no shirts for them. (I could wear a t-shirt, but thought that would be slightly inappropriate.) Steve found me wandering glassy-eyed through the isles. I get overwhelmed when things aren't in order, and that day Kohls was definitely out of order!
He found an outfit on a mannequin that he thought I might like. He was right! I loved it! The only problem was that we couldn't find the shirt anywhere in the store...
I tried to take it off the mannequin (she's plastic, and wouldn't mind if she were naked) but couldn't separate her head from the thing that was holding her upright.
Finally, I tracked down a sales lady and started hunt #2 for the mysterious shirt. It's only a long sleeve shirt, so you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to find, but it was. We found it, but it wasn't in the color I had originally liked. I did see another color that was great, so I snatched it and we headed over to shoes again with my well-deserved victory.
I love shoes. I love shoes. I love shoes. They're great! They never tell you you're fat. They can make or break an outfit. They can make you taller and give you an immense amount of comfort. Shoe shopping is a great way to end any shopping trip. I found a perfect pair of black heels and Steve found nice sneakers and boots.
Needless to say, we walked to the cash register hand in hand, happy with our decisions. As the items were rung up, I thought of the battle waged behind each piece and concluded that our first shopping trip together was a success. It certainly teaches you about communication!
We were in happy bliss until I got home and washed Steve's things and inadvertently shrunk a shirt. Ah well, bliss can't last forever...
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