since it's slow...vacation stories/observations

GBCK

-Amtrack has promise but they're organized by nematoads or something.  We're waiting at the station in NearbyCity and the station isn't open yet at o-dark-thirty. 
Trian pulls up, conductor points people in directions and says "okay, it's sold out, so get yourself a seat somewhere"  Then just start a free-for-all.  helpful, no?

-On that topic, I gave up on polite.  -I handed baby to BigSis and send mom and dad on  to save us seats--figuring that I'll let the people in front of me go and then I'll wrestle the stroller on. 

People in front of me went.  More people pushed in front.  No biggie--  then a whole SLEW of peopl didn't fit on the car they had fit and surged in front...I realized BigSis and I would be the last 2 people on the platform and would be SCREWED.  Since I was clearly in line for the door to the train and was next to get on but these people were  going to surge ahead of me, I just decided...No. I was the azz who bulldozed the stroller into the thick of  things and didn't let them in front of me and parked myself in front  of the door to the train until I got on.

30 or so people looked on in annoyance as I didn't let them go in front of me, threw my bags on, and attempted (badly) to wrestle a stroller on by myself.

Finally one dude helped me get the stroller on. and we travelled in peace. 

-we did get compliments for managing to have Buffy be quiet and happy during the trip, both ways.  But it was luck.  Especially since she was teething.

-the hotel-room next to ours caught on fire and the sprinklers  flooded the hallway.  so we got stranded in our room while they  cleaned.  Cue taglines we overhead that we applied to all sorts of  things the next week "well, just suck that up out of the rug" and  "HEY, CANCEL THAT FIRETRUCK"

(to be continued)

6fsn

How did the fire start?

GBCK

-I had been trying DESPERATELY to get people to plan this vacation to things before
we went down.  i sent e-mails.  I sent links.  I sent vague  itineraries.  I sent specific itineraries.  Basically was told "oh,  we'll figure it out then" (please note, some of these things are stuff  you need TICKETS FOR but heaven forbid we actually plan enough for me  to even make phone calls to inquire.  *stabby*--I'm not talking about 'hard and fast' plans (DIRTY), I'm talking "so zoo on monday, ball game  tuesday, then wed & thurs we can do the aquarium and shopping?" type  vauge plans were vetoed as to restrictive.  Which is extra stabby  because we're notorious for "what do you want to do?"  "I dunno, what  do you want to do?" debacles.)

.  When we had down-time, I swear EVERYTHING I suggested = shot down.  Only to have them think it was a GREAT idea the next day.  Sunday was this:
How about Chinatown?  no, don't want to shop  w/ parent (but it was fun on Tuesday?).  Shopping?  see no shopping w/ parents.  Mani/Ped?  No, that's like shopping w/ parents.  Call second city about their walking  tour?  No, it'll be sold out already (yet I couldn't get tickets ahead of time?).  music at the park?  no,
boring.  Museum?  no, boring.  *stab stab stab stab stab*

-My sisters ditched out, they said "oh, we didn't realize it was the  WHOLE family for breakfast/this event/whatever--we just wanted to ditch mom and dad for a while"
^REALLY sisters?  this whole vacation is mom's "yay, not dying of  cancer" and dad's "enjoy family for what little time we have together"  trip and breakfast w/ us is a HARDSHIP?
(I would be understanding if it was "I"m an introvert and need down  time" or even "I need downtime" or "I want to play on the computer for  a while" or what-not but it was handled continually as "go ahead, we'll catch up" and then they'd ditch us).
And in all of my video there's the background noise of baby sister's phone/texts/facebook because she was like an obnoxious kid on vacation.  Nevermind she's past the magical cortex age of 25.

-I had the BEST breakfast.AHHHMAZING.
We went to Yolk.   And they have 'red velvet french toast'
Think red-velvet cake-roll (so w/ cream-cheese frosting) made into  french toast, topped w/ whipped cream.  zomgs.
I can't even put into words the tastyness.

GBCK

apparently it was an electrical fire.  That's what it smelled like.

GBCK

-Baseball game = giant cluster. 
we were late because sisters and mom were gettig mani/pedis (it wasn't a 'good enough' idea on Sunday but on Monday, when I'm dealing w/ a screaming teething baby who wants to nurse so I can't go, it was acceptable, apaprently.)  Baby Sis was insisting "oh, we can just go in there", and I pointed out "look,  big sign that says this entrance is ONLY for box seats& season packets"  She choose that moment to turn on  the HS mimicry of "well blah blah whine whine meh meh meh meh"
I almost stabbed her

That is one of my buttons.
I grabbed the Mr. and said if he didn't stay between us, there would  be blood, I made him sit next to her for the remainder.

We got to our seats by the 2nd inning.  Which was irritatingly late.  Game started off and EVERY time the crowd cheered?  child started  SCREAMING.
Now, it was loud enough it didn't bother other people much but she just  melted down.  I'd get her calm and she'd melt down AGAIN.  repeat a  gazillion more times.  so the Mr. and I left w/ Buffy and went to  bed.

_Buffy is VERy pale and blonde and this was amazing to people who hadn't been around many white people, apparently.  We had to explain to this guy (he wasn't tryng to be weird but...cultural boundries) that he can NOT pick up stranger's babies out of strollers.  Then all 20 of the people w/ him (talked to their American guides--they were Indian artists visiting the US for the first time, experiencing culture shock in lots of ways.  I didn't get creepy vibes, just awkward ones wanted their picture w/ Buffy because she was being a ham and they wanted a picture w/ their skin next to hers for contrast.
So Buffy is a celebrity, yes, I did let them take some pictures.

GBCK

-Chinatown was also exciting, got stopped a gazillion times so people could see the baby.  She thought it was great. 

-Baby had her first chocolate in a Ghirdelli store.