OMG OMG OMG!

Oh my Goodness! I can't even begin to explain how awful Sunday was!!!

BTW . . . We had a great couple of days in Niagra Falls. We did Maid of the Mist, the Cave of the Winds, and the Whirlpool. The girls really thought it was pretty - though I don't think they got the whole "gist" of it.

We took a tour -- quite an expensive tour I might say -- but it lasted 5 hours! When we booked they said 3 hours (the famous 3 - hour tour). Well we had a "truant" group who did not like to be with the others, and so our tour was extended by 2 hours. It was really great -- even when Tao fell asleep during the Cave of the Winds and Rich had to carry him.

So, anyway, back to the OMG! We got up yesterday morning, went to the "carb breakfast" (doughnuts, waffles, toast, danish, cereal) sponsored by our hotel -- dealt with the very rude group of individuals that now (in our opinion) almost run the town of Niagra Falls, and then off to pack.

Our rental car had to be back to the airport by 2 p.m. (or it'd be another $129), and our flight didn't leave until 11:56 at night (more about that approximation later!). We stopped at Smoky Ribs (the highlight of the day) for lunch, then got our rental car back with 24 minutes to spare.

The airport did not offer a shuttle to Amtrak or a nearby hotel, so we took a 10 minute cab ride -- $20. They dropped us off at a mall about 2 1/2 hours from the Amtrak station. Rich was in his glory (NOT AT ALL) for about 4 hours -- the mall closed, so we had to leave.

Well, because of our expensive cab experience, we thought "we can walk to the station". (We'd already checked two bags before dropping off the car!) Here we come -- three kids in a stroller, four carry on bags (BIG carry on bags) walking down one of the main thorough fares in Buffalo, New York. What a sight we were -- we looked like a homeless family that would work for food. (In fact, Rich said he'd make up a sign "Will work for Reese's cups!")

We get to the station (after a 2 1/2 mile journey) at around 7:30 p.m. -- There was no where else to go! So we knew we'd have about 5 hours there with the kids BEFORE the train even came. The kids were very good watching movies and playing -- but heck 5 hours is a LONG time!

Around 10 p.m. they make an announcement that the train is running an hour late -- they won't be there until 1:00 p.m. So we decide to go ahead and get the kids to sleep so that their clocks won't be that off.

Around 12:30 p.m. (the train is already 1/2 late) Rich goes to ask, and now the train won't be there until 1:30 p.m. -- so 1 1/2 hours late.

Finally, we hear the train is 12 minutes out, so we go outside to the platform. When we get there, one of the conductors is saying that when a train is 15 minutes late it is considered on time. Rich said, "So, does that mean this is a LATE train?" The man then goes into an explanation about how it is not Amtrak's fault BUT the train is late because one of the passengers took a cat on board, and the cat got loose. So they had to stop the train to find the cat. (Couldn't they look while it was going?)

Rich asks about getting seating together for the family since our kids are so young, and the man says, "We'll do what we can, BUT there are 300 seats on this train and 298 are booked." Rich asked him, "So would you put your 7-year old daughter alone beside someone you don't know for an overnight trip?" The man totally dismissed his comment.

The train approaches, and they tell us to "go to the front of the line so they can accomodate your request". Okay -- picture this again -- three sleeping kids by now, 1:45 a.m., on the cold platform, with a stroller for two, and four carry on bags. Rich takes the bags and poor Alyssa by the hand to get to the front of the line. I follow closely with another bag and the two kids in a broken stroller (the stroller got broken when our original Amtrak was cancelled and we had to catch a bus because of a "mudslide").

We go to the conductor and ask, "Are there seats together". Their response, "You'll have to walk through the train and see." I was so MAD, I told Rich, you stay here with the Alyssa and the bags, I'll go look. I walked through the entire car -- there were a total of 5 seats (maybe) and none of them -- NONE -- were even near each other. I went back -- where Rich was struggling with the bags -- because no one would even help, and said, "There are no seats together -- we are NOT going on this train."

None of the conductors even blinked an EYE!!! We said, "Where do we get our checked bags?" We then had to track down the baggage guy and have him rift through the luggage to get our bags. The baggage guy found the stuff, then threw it into the terminal. Not one offer of assistance, not one apology -- NOTHING!

Luckily there was a taxi outside, with a very nice guy -- he helped us load our stuff, find a hotel, and all for a mere $20!

We got on line and Rich decided maybe a greyhound bus was the way to go -- let me think, another 2 days on a vehicle. NO! I got on line this morning, and for a mere $1,300 we will be home by 9:30 tonight -well to Denver. It's called flying! A step below heaven!

If anyone asks, AMTRAK BAD! AMTRAK BAD!

It's Almost Over

I can't believe that we will be on a train on our way home in just two days!!! (SOB!)

We got to Niagra Falls today. Alyssa wants to shoot me. I picked another hotel without a pool. (I'll be wrinkled up by the time I take her swimming as many times as I've promised when we get home!)

We just walked across to the falls today, ate at Hard Rock Cafe, and now the boys are napping. It's time to get to dinner. Tomorrow we're going on a tour with Maid of the Mist, the observation tower, and an up close look at a few of the falls (the whirlpool, rainbow falls, etc.).

It's off to the post office now, so we can ship stuff home - so we don't have to fight it on the train.

Sesame Place, Hershey Park, and the Baseball Hall of Fame

Man, we've been busy!

Tuesday we headed to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. What a great place. It was bigger than Elitches and so much fun! Loads of rides for the kids, and tons of water stuff. We got to eat with Big Bird, and Mikaela and Tao loved it. Alyssa got to go down "big" water slides with Bobo, and she was so psyched. The only thing I'd have done differently is to make sure we go for two days -- one day was way too crammed!

Wednesday we headed to Hershey Park. Talk about a blast! There were miniature rides of all the big people rides -- roller coasters, scramblers, and lots of others. The little ones loved the rides, and Alyssa was in absolute heaven. She got to go on all the big kids stuff. When the kids were going in, we measured them against these poles to see what candy they were. Tao was a miniature kiss, Mikaela was a Hershey's kiss, and Alyssa was a Hershey bar (almost a Reese's cup). Outside all the rides were poles that showed how "big" you had to be to go on the rides.

Alyssa got to go on everything -- even the big roller coaster. Dad was a little apprehensive, but she went with Bobo and had an absolute blast. We didn't even get to the water park -- except for one ride. (Tao had been running a temp, so we thought is best to keep him dry!)

Today, we've been driving most of the day. My mom and brother got a car rental and headed for their "vacation", and we headed up to New York. After we drove through Binghamton (where Rich was born), we went on into Cooperstown and saw the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tao kept looking at the baseballs going "baseball, baseball". It was cute. We're on our way to Niagra Falls, but are staying in Syracuse tonight. The kids are already out for the count -- Alyssa's not feeling well.

Tomorrow into Niagra Falls for a couple days -- then back for another train experience. I've already starting saying my prayers.

Ready to see Elmo!

Wow! It's hard to believe the reunion is over. We had a good time. Lots of stuff to see, lots of money spent, and even some swimming! The best part was reconnecting with those friends that we had in China, seeing how families had grown, and just getting back in touch. The best part was when I asked Alyssa, "What was your favorite part of the weekend?" She said, "Seeing my Chinese sisters and spending time with them." I guess that's what it is all about.

After the reunion ended -- with a gigantic feast at Maggianos, we left yesterday morning and traveled to the Crayola factory. It was very cool! We saw how crayons were made, there were tons of crafts, and the kids loved the store -- they even got school supplies for next year!

Today we're off to Sesame Place -- a kid-themed amusement park with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and we get to eat dinner with Big Bird.

We drive to Hershey tonight so we can do Hershey Park tomorrow.

We're Here (and full of Chinese food!)

Well, we had a tour of Gettysburg yesterday morning. We hired a guide to drive us around all the landmarks in the battlefield. Rich really enjoyed it, and the kids even got to climb a "Castle" (really a stone building of some sort).

We got to Philly around 3:30 p.m. After getting settled in our room (and finding out that this hotel doesn't have a swimming pool!), we met up with our group and had an awesome 8-course Chinese meal -- egg drop soup, two kinds of dumplings, hot and sour soup, egg rolls, beef and brocoli, beef noodles, mayonaise shrimp, combination rice, general tsao's chicken, and more that I can't remember. We then walked back to our hotel (or should I say waddled?). By then it was 9 p.m., so it was time for bed.

Today we're headed to some Philadelphia sight seeing. I'll write more tomorrow.

Can you say NEVER AGAIN?

Okay, so I was totally surprised on the way from Denver on Amtrak! Our first clue should have been the way the agent was yelling at everyone in Chicago. But we got on the train anyway. Then we had assigned seats -- upstairs, although we'd been promised downstairs seats -- far, far away from Nana and Bobo.

Then we get to Cleveland (yes! Cleveland!), and guess what? They tell us there is a mudslide up the tracks, and we get to enjoy a 2 hour bus ride into Pittsburgh -- Oh joy! Especially when you're given the news at 4 in the morning - after no sleep because you're freezing to death, because they sit you right by a door that is open and closed all night, and because you're just miserable.

After the 2 hour busride -- where no one got to sit together, we finally made it to Pittsburgh where we then got to enjoy another 5 hour train ride and a $21 breakfast (1 bagel, 2 hot dogs, and a soda) because we didn't have time to grab a bite on our layover -- because we didn't have one. . .

We are here in Gettysburgh -- 2 hours late, a very bad dinner suggestion later, and a toxic chlorine pool experience later. Tomorrow we'll do some touring of Gettysburg and then drive on into Philadelphia.

I'm going to download pictures now, so will post a couple tomorrow.

We're not quite half way there!

WOW! We've made it to Chicago, and are sitting on the train tracks as we speak! Once we got to Denver -- quite a tight ride in the minivan for 8 people (us and the driver), I checked in at Amtrak only to discover that they'd cancelled all our reservations.

The lady at the ticket counter couldn't do anything about it, the 2nd lady on the phone said "that's not our policy". After a very terse "I don't care what your policy is, we are in Denver, we've been dropped off, and we have hotel reservations in Philadelphia at the end of the week, you gotta do something to fix this. I've already paid!; our reservations were reinstated -- which took all of an hour! Then we were off to the train. Mom and Bobo had lower level seating for handicapped, and we just hung out -- how lucky for us, we got the entire handicap car all to ourselves, since no one else was on the train disabled. Talk about spoiled.

Now we've changed trains in Chicago, and we are upstairs, at the front of the "caboose" and mom and Bobo (along with Tao) are downstairs with strangers, while we're up here right by a door that opens constantly. Looks to be a great night!

We enjoyed a $39 breakfast on the train -- three bowls of cereal, an omelette, and 3 - 1/2 grapefruits. WOW!

More tomorrow. . .

One more night!

We leave tomorrow night via Amtrak for our 2009 trip to Philadelphia. Two nights on a train -- wow what an adventure. We're all packed and ready to go! Just a few more hours of work, a speech therapy appointment, some lawn mowing, and a drive to Denver. . .

The girls are very excited! They have all their activities packed (crayons, color books, game boys, IPODs, DVD player, card games) -- what more could you ask for???