Amtrak Made Me Cool

Posted on March 21, 2013June 26, 2016 by Mama

Two of our nieces spent a couple of their spring break days with us this week, and I frantically searched for something new and exciting for our little crew to do. My husband informed me not too long ago that I had become somewhat boring since I became a mom, but just how does one entertain a tweener, a teener and a two-year-old (still taking mid-day naps) all at the same time?

This is where Amtrak enters the picture, and when I become the “cool” aunt again (if only for a day). I booked four seats on the afternoon rail and we took a short trip just beyond the city limits. It wasn’t a huge endeavor, we didn’t have to back our bags, and the cost was minimal for an experience that was new to all of us.

Part of the fun was experiencing the grand old train station before boarding, so we arrived early to look at the exhibits, architecture and historical photos. Our destination was a cute rejuvenated business district, where we walked to a small family-owned restaurant for dinner. The ride home didn’t fit our schedule, so my husband drove over after work, met us for dinner and drove us all back home.

The trip was a hit for all ages, and I highly recommend this outing if you are lucky enough to live near a passenger rail system. I enjoyed it so much, my husband and I are planning an anniversary trip via rail half-way across the state.

Running Like Forrest

Posted on March 11, 2013March 29, 2016 by Mama

I’ve heard of this thing called a” Runner’s High” but what I really want to know is if there is such a thing as a “Runner’s Low,” because, if there is, I just know I’ve got it.

After a few days out of town, helping my husband recover from surgery, two snow storms and a long bout of the crud, I’m just not sure how and where to renew my training for this summer’s 3.1 mile race (a.k.a. – 5k). I had been following my training schedule closely until my two-week hiatus, and now I’m actually afraid to start running — okay, as my husband points out, “running” is a term used loosely here. My gait feels more like Forrest Gump (the young version still in braces); but none the less, it’s still a step up from walking. I don’t know if I should continue where I left off or back up a week or two on my schedule. I’m mostly afraid that my legs, shins and lungs will object to having their vacation cut short so abruptly.

As we all know, things turned out well for Forrest on the running front and he’s probably the only person I know of (yes, I realize he’s fictional) who actually experienced the elusive Runner’s High. . . and boy, wasn’t that a trip. While that high may not actually exist here in the non-Hollywood world because I can’t name a single real person who claims to have experienced it, I can tell you the opposite is a reality and it has knocked on my door.

So here’s to the Runner’s Low, there’s nowhere to go but up from here. . . unless I bite it on the treadmill today.

Who Knew PBS Rocks

Posted on February 16, 2013January 3, 2016 by Mama

I visited my Mom several days this week, and she is one of those people in this world who refuses to pay for television (what we fondly call an Amish TV watcher – I mean no disrespect). While I believe her ideas are founded, I’m not sure I can do without Project Runway, House Hunters and Design Star in my life. As for me and my house, we shall watch cable.

Well, you can imagine just how far my eyes rolled when Mom got excited Sunday evening the moment she realized it was Downton Abbey night. I’ve been reading all the hype and hearing about this riveting program for a while now but figured it was just for those stuffy intellectual types, people with a British accent or people who have no other choice because they refuse to subscribe to cable — i.e., my Mom (no, she’s neither stuffy nor British). I even learned one important thing before the show even began – it’s Downton Abbey (one “w”), not Dowtown Abbey (Oops, my bad. But sounds the same when you have Southern roots). To my surprise, it was a quick moving and interesting show about a used-to-be rich family struggling to keep the manor afloat, the soap operaish lives of their house staff and the day-to-day life of the surrounding community. In a word, it was “good.” Drats, now I may have to rent seasons one and two just to catch up with these crazy folks and see where it all began.

So Monday night rolled around, and Mom got really excited because apparently this is, as she put it, her favorite night of TV. Yes, you guessed it, more public broadcasting, this time filled with new episodes of Antiques Roadshow and Market Warriors. Again, a very good night of television — one that HGTV might find hard to beat.

Who knew PBS rocks? Maybe it was because I didn’t have much of a choice, or perhaps I was trying to humor my mother, or dare I say, it was just good entertainment. . . I’ll let you know when I figure it out, but right now I need to set my DVR to PBS.

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