Thursday, March 12, 2009

Spring Break

Ahhh, Spring Break.



Ours begins tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Right now it's cold and rainy outside so it doesn't seem very Spring-like. But by this time next week I'll be in Phoenix, AZ, where the weather's always perfect. Will and I are going to visit Jordan. Chuck has to stay behind because he's afraid the world will stop turning if he doesn't go to work. And really that works for me because we don't have to board the dogs and I will be free to spend all of his hard earned money.










(Are you reading this Chuck? Chuck? Are you having a stroke? )







We've taken some fun trips over Spring Break.......
camping, California, NYC, and even a couple of cruises.







New York City....Times Square





Laguna Beach, California




Key West, Florida...Margaritaville




Cozumel, Mexico





But there were many, many years where we did nothing.



One year I decided to plan a couple of days of outings. At the time, my kids were all in elementary school and they rode the school bus. They would see the big Metro buses on the freeway and ask about them. I decided that would make a great day trip. We would ride the Metro downtown, have lunch with Chuck, then head back. What an adventure it would be.

(uh, not so much...)


We got up, got dressed and headed to the nearest Park and Ride. We got on the bus heading downtown....only this was the bus that didn't take the freeway.......it took Bissonnet all the way in. For those reading this that don't live in Houston, let me explain that this bus took the long road to China....then turned and went to downtown Houston....stopping every 5 minutes to pick up more commuters. And by commuters, I don't mean nice looking businessmen in their gray pinstriped suits reading their WallStreet Journal.

When we got on, there were only a few people, but with each stop we picked up more and more...undesirables....addicts?.... thugs....serial killers. The ride got creepier and creepier and bumpier and bumpier. The excitement wore off fast. I was thinking "what was I thinking?" And then we had another hour to get to our destination. Alrighty then.
I should probably remind you that this was before cell phones...well, before I had a cell phone. So I wasn't sure how I was going to let Chuck know that we were going to be murdered so would definitely be late for lunch.

Well, we made it safely downtown.......finally........had lunch with "Daddy" and then walked the tunnel system under the buildings. Good times! We're getting tired by now and it's time to head back home. Oh, @#$%, we have to take the bus........








This was probably one of the worst ideas I ever came up with in the "entertain my children cheap" department. I still laugh about this one.......and the kids remember it, so hey....I made a memory. For those of you with no big plans this Spring Break, consider yourself lucky. Take it easy. Sleep in. Watch Ellen and laugh. Take a nap. Eat some bon-bons.



Whatever you do........take a break. And don't ride Metro for fun.

8 comments:

  1. great... so i was scarred twice by the metro system.

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  2. Umm, I think that's an adventure I might skip! No big plans here. We will go to Chicago for a quick trip and even stay in a hotel for one night. We usually just make it a day trip so that is new. Other than that I think we will just have friends over to play, go to the museum and the zoo. We're all easy to please around here.

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  3. Hope you get to see Mark's play before you go ... wish I was going with you and Will, but also glad I'm staying close to home. My spring break may come in early May ... Kim is going to Venice (Italy!), and I may join him!

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  4. We don't have little ones, so Spring Break is pretty non-existant for us. I spent some time in Arizona for work a few years ago. Take lots of pictures!!

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  5. Julia, so funny. I swear I think I remember that. Think of you so often. Up almost every night and my favorite (still) show - so clever - Roseanne. I'll never forget when I told you how much I liked it years ago and you didn't - and I quote - "my mother's Roseanne". I bet you still kind of cringe. I still think her sense of humor is so honest and quick. Unfortunately for you, now you're Roseanne. I can tell by your awesome blog. It's a good thing.

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  6. Ah, Bissonet. How I miss living in West Houston. I would have never jumped a Metro bus though as I lived off Chimney Rock and Airport and most definitely would have been dead.

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  7. Sound a little like riding the underground Metro here around DC except on inauguration day when there are no strangers and everyone is happy and it's one big party. Otherwise, here we mix the crack hoes with the pinstripers. I know that commute-I used to make it everyday. There are 97 lights on Bissonette and those were in the days when you scrunched low in your seat at red lights-yikes!

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  8. Oh, and the snorkling photo...one of many I'm fittin' to comment on..LOVE it!

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