Amy J. Bennett

My family will tell you I was on a train ride when I was 8ish?  I don’t recall it.  So I’m calling this train ride the first one [that I recall].  On one of our two full days in Maryland last weekend we decided to take a train ride from Cumberland, MD to Frostburg, MD with my parents, aunt and uncle and grandmother.  It’s an hour ride each way with a 90 minute layover in Frostburg.

It was a real passenger train.  Like, on real tracks and an engine and passenger cars and a conductor and fire and steam OH MY!  We traveled mostly through mountains so a good percentage of our trip was spent staring at the side of a mountain.  Although I did enjoy when they came over the speakers and gave historical facts about the area.  At one point we passed a cave where when discovered they found many animal remains including a saber tooth tiger.  They also talked about Lover’s Leap which I wrote about here.  And apparently we didn’t have the story quite right.  In fact, after he recited the story, we were still trying to figure out what he said.  It’s still unclear whether the guy also did or her father had killed him first.  I think her father killed his father and then they both jumped. All I know for sure is the girl jumped off the cliff.

The train drifted left and right much more than I expected but was very smooth and eventually calming.  One of the cars was a snack bar so of course the girls had to have Grandma buy them some candy.

Once we got there, we got to see the engine turn around at the end of the tracks.  I know there is a fancy name for this but I don’t recall it–do you see a pattern here of how much I recall?  This is why I shouldn’t take such long blog breaks.

In Frostburg, we ate at a place called Fat Boys with great pizza and Fat Boys and Fat Girls written on their bathroom doors that made us laugh.  The girls also got ice cream at a little parlor right by the tracks.

All around a fantastic family outing that hopefully I will recall for a long time!

You know those mirrors I really wanted for my bathroom??  The ones that were going to cost me an arm and leg?  Those mirrors that I wasn’t going to get because they were going to cost me and arm and a leg??  Through my very good friend (not sure I should share her work info) I’m getting them for FREE.  Wheeee!!  She works for a glass company and I took a shot in the dark at asking if they even sold mirror and she came back and said the company was letting her have them for free.  Wheeee!!

Now I just need to have a local company cut the holes for the light fixtures, outlets and switches and I get my bathroom!!!

Ahhh…God is so good!

It’s totally snuck up on me.  Somehow today is July 15 and we leave for vacation TOMORROW.  I haven’t packed anything.  I haven’t washed anything to pack anything.  I haven’t even thought about packing or washing anything.

I guess with all the redecorating from the weekend and the party yesterday my brain put everything on back burner because I also woke up this morning only minutes before our cleaning lady rang the doorbell.  Thank goodness the house was in half-decent condition after the party last night.

So tonight I will be packing.  Tomorrow after Scott gets out of court he has at 3 we’ll be going to Maryland.  Mom and Dad sold their vacation house we stay at up there and we’re spending the weekend packing it up and having one last visit.  On Sunday we’ll drive home and then make the drive to Myrtle Beach to spend (almost) the week with Scott’s family.  Scott has to work next weekend so we’ll have to come home a bit early.

In any case, starting oh about, right now, vacation planning has been put on the front-burner!