Tiny Bubbles

This is my baby. The one that for nine months in utero made my ribs ache and my stomach nauseous.

This is my baby getting all grown up, which makes the heart under my ribs ache.

This is my baby, learning to scuba dive. The only one in class too young too drive. The thought of her driving makes nauseous too.

This is my baby, who is a certified Jr. Open Water Diver now. The one who can't wait to go to Mexico with her sister and dive way down into the deep blue sea. The one, who in spite of all my efforts, is going to grow up and leave me. 

Her new name is "She Who Swims with Snakes". More on that adventure later. If you'll excuse me, I'll be in the back bawling my eyes out. And bragging about my girls to anyone who'll listen.

Trains on the plains

As part of "summer school," whereby I expose the Whee to as many non-harmful new experiences as I can, she and I took a train to Ft. Worth, because she'd never been on a train before.

Just let me pause a moment to say how much I LOVE trains. The roominess to stretch out, roam around, the nice people, the lack of seatbelts and uptight flight attendants. All the fun of a plane without the TSA pain. The seats are sets of two, not three, so you're never, ever, stuck between that businessman who falls asleep and drools on your shoulder and the lady who gives you seven recaps of her toe fungus treatments.

Yes I know. I am happy being a misanthrope- my luggage tag reads "doesn't travel well with others".

Back to the Whee- she was most enamored of the fact that our train had a cafe car. She could walk around and get snacks without anyone ever turning on a light that said 'fasten seatbelts'.

She pretty much depleted their Dr. Pepper supply. And none of the food was, in her words, "that gross health food stuff."

There's no turbulence on trains. Just a gentle rocking that lulls you to sleep. That's why I like trains. I can sleep while I travel. I have slept while I was driving, but I don't recommend it-I was the driver.

It's also a little nostalgic, gliding into station after station, seeing the inner parts of small towns as you coast by, rather than a blur as you exceed the speed limit on the interstate.

Kudos to the folks at Amtrak, for an excellent way to make a day trip. A-a-a--a-a-ll aboard!

Catching up

I'll get a new post up in a day or two. The last few days have been a whirlwind of snakes, bubbles, tanks, trains, critters, painting and packing. Don't you hate it when people say enigmatic garbage like that?

Here's some idea of my week:

Right now The Whee and I are on an Amtrak train- the Heartland Flyer- to Ft. Worth, where we will eat, make fun of the monkeys in the zoo, climb in the fountains at the Water Garden, hope to not get arrested, and be back for band practice tomorrow!

Summers are for doing things you don't normally do, for new experiences, and for sleeping in. The Whee will say we're two for three.