The misadventures of Dale and Heidi

It was COLD!!

*270*

  I am finally coherant enough to tell you all about my trip. I was on the train for 4 and half hours on Saturday and another four and half hours on Sunday. So my ass was beat down to the ground. Then yesterday at 9am, I had a shrink appointment. OMG! I promised myself that I would cook a nice meal of tacos for the kids and carne asada for Fred and I. I even did pico de gallo and guacamole. I took like 3 hour nap, woke up, cooked, ate, ate, ate, and then went to bed. It has been grazing on food and sleep to get back to myself. Almost there! Maybe tomorrow I will be back to my old self. That pic up top is when we all went outside to wait for the train. It was so damn cold. I was not dressed correctly. But Heidi would rather be cold then hot. That is my rule.

Young Love in Newark

  I had never traveled on an Amtrak train before. I have gone on the Metro into NYC but never Amtrak and never far away from home. This was an adventure and I was all by myself. For the first leg of my journey, I sat with a lovely woman from New Zealand who was traveling from Boston to NYC. We talked. It was nice. Then I was alone for the next two hours. I saw many cool things outside that train. We were going to fast that I could not get them all. I saw the NYC skyline..Empire State and Chrysler building. Very cool. I have seen them before but not like from a distance like that. I have to tell you. Four and half hours is mega grueling on the ass cheeks. LOL Plus you have to use Amtrak bathrooms and that is just a hover situation right there!

 

 

Reading Terminal Market

  I have decided I am going to protect Dale`s face identity, where she lives, and stuff like that. Facebook friends are one thing..the entire world is clearly another. I met up with another mini friend Dianne and her two travel companions. We went outside and after a bit of strife, Dale found us. She and I screamed like little girls and were hugging in the middle of a busy street. That is a friend, I tell you. She drove us around Philly to get to our destination of Reading Terminal Market. I saw City Hall and William Penn, I saw Occupy tent city, I saw people jumping out in front of cars like they did not give a shit. It reminds me of New York City but different. We park, we walked to the market and it was wonderful. I have always wanted to go there. That picture is a place called Dinic`s. Fred wanted me to get a sliced italian pork sandwich but that is the line...going all around the stall. There was no way on this Earth that I was going to wait for a sandwich. Sorry Fred. We settled on a gyro place and we had falafel. Grape leaves were soooo goood! The food was so good that I picked up some pastry to bring home. I  think it is actually all gone. I am happy that Dale indulged me and let me see this place for myself. Thanks Dale!

 

 

 

  From there we went over a big bridge into Jersey and off to the Philadelphia Miniaturia and I got to meet Dale`s sister April. Very nice and super cool in my book.  The show was in  a large venue. Many rooms. It was really overwhelming to me and to others in our group. I have been to mini shows before but not like this. I had decided that I was going to do a turn around the rooms, make some decisions and on Sunday do some purchasing. I got to meet Bridget McCarty in person. She makes lifelike miniature animals. And I met Rik Pierce and his wife. He is the one that built that dollhouse in the picture above. I was also happy to finally meet Sherri Colvin. She was part of Greenleaf forums back in the day. She makes dollhouse dolls. We just gabbed and gabbed for a good 20 minutes and the show was ending for the day. I am glad I saw her. . My freaking leg starting to kill me. You know me and my bump fucking leg. So I sat down in the hotel lobby. I did get up and walk over to a guy that was selling miniature frames. Nice gilt ones. I am planning on trying to do some oil painting and I wanted some frames for the finished product. We were done for the day with miniatures. There was always Sunday anyhoo.
 We drop off Dianne and her crew at the bus depot and then it was off to Dale`s house.

Her family was the nicest. From Dale and her husband, her sister, April, her daughter and friend, all the way down to Sissy the dog and her pretty cats. Tommy Boy IS a holy terror but he is cute as hell. I would have kept him too. I kept asking Sissy if she wanted to take a train ride. :)
 See those boxes there? Those are crack in an orange box. It is a seasonal treat in her area and it only comes out for a couple months this time of year. She gave me one box to bring home. Later on Sunday, we went to the market to get snacks for train and ketchup for dinner and I saw these on display. I bought another box. And it is a good thing I did. Everyone in the house, including Raymond, LOVES THEM! FUCK! I should have bought two boxes! LOL
 We talked and talked and talked until i had to tap out and go to bed on Saturday night. Sunday morning was lots of good strong coffee. Dale says..do you want to go to the show and when? I said, I do not really care if we go back. So we didnt. We hung out in her third floor studio and she showed me her treasures. Jealous! All that room! All those minis! All that discipline and motivation! I need to get me some of that! I think I did not need to buy anything to become inspired. I think Dale herself did it for me. Thanks again Dale!
My main objective was to go mini shopping. The trip morphed into me becoming really close with my far away friend. It was lovely and I did not miss that show one dang bit. Oh and Dan (dale`s hubby) made cheese steaks for dinner on Sunday. OMG! Really good. He made one for Fred and I insisted his ass had to share with me. He would not. sniff sniff.
 I didnt want to but it was time for me to go home...

 

 

Angel at Philly station

I figured out by reading the NY Post on Saturday that there was a reason I had to take a late assed train home on Sunday, 7:19pm-11:30pm plus factor in the time change. Amtrak was replacing a bridge in Stonington (not far from New London) and there was no service all day.
Dale and her daughter Grace gave me a ride home to the station because Grace had to go back to college anyway. They have a great Mom/Kid relationship. Plus Dale likes to sing Black eyed Peas. damn camera was already packed away. hehehehe We hugged outside the station and I was off on the second leg of my weekend. The travel home. I was a tad worried about what the station was going to be like at night. It wasnt bad at all. Amtrak dude told me where to wait for my train, lots of cops and security and people coming and going. I had no worries. But shit, it was warm.

waiting to go home

  I was looking cute in my black sweater, black leggings, and black boots. Until I got on the train. It was mad spicy on there! *that is hot as hell in kid speak*.
And I was sitting in front of a woman and her 20 something son. They argued all the way to the NYC station. It was that whisper fight. Trying to be fucking quiet but actually everyone can hear you. They got off at NYC so that the Lord for that one. I was able to move to a seat by myself. Then I got the hippy chic and her boyfriend with the mile high JewFro in front of me. Get a comb dude! He kept putting his seat back and then up. I could never use the tray table cause I would have been cut in two. Fucker! Another person came on the train in NYC and he intrigued me....

He was wearing a medal around his neck. It did say 2011 on it but I could not tell about anything else. What if he was a weirdo freak and I ask him about his medal? I was too tired for any bullshit. So I just ignored it. I was informed the next day by some Facebook friends, that the NYC marathon happened on Sunday. He was not one of the men`s winners. But if you can complete the race in the time alloted, you get a medal. Pretty cool.
 The first two hours of the train ride I can tolerate. That is from Philly to just past NYC. After that I was itching to get this shit done. Once we were in CT, I felt better but we had to stop at Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Old Saybrook, and then New London. I was never so happy to see the shoreline as I did that night.
Fred was waiting for me when the train stopped. He and I went to get burgers and breakfast at 24 hour diner in Groton. He watched me inhale a tossed salad, pickle, cole slaw, large cheese burger, and fries. INHALED! I was starving like marvin, I tell you. I had food in my bag from the trip but I did not want to dig into the chips. I picked up a brand called Herr`s chips that we do not have here. The flavor was Cheddar and Horseradish. SO Good. I even looked online and they will deliver! I am seriously thinking about having them delivered to my house. Is that sad?
 I came home with three gold picture frames, an oriental rug that Dale made, some miniature shells that she collected, food from her region and a great friendship that will last for a long time.
 The eight hours on the train were definitely worth it!