More Tales of Cheap Travel

I went to New York recently. I was all set with my reservations on Amtrak. Then my neighbor asked if I had heard about Bolt Bus Line. They have a $15 or $20 one way fare.

I know what it was like the last time my friend and I were in Manhattan together. We did fabulous things, ate a wonderful restaurants and spent oodles of money.

So I checked out Bolt on the web. Bolt wasn't available, but the Fung Wah bus was. It's $15 one-way from Chinatown to Chinatown. This was good and they are very flexible about reservations.

I didn't sleep well the night before I left. I stayed at my daughter's new apartment -- on a camping mat on the floor. It could have been the "bed," the unfamiliar surrounding or the worry I would miss my bus, but I was awake the next morning at 5 am.

I arrived at the bus terminal at 6:25 and they asked if I wanted to get on the 6:30 bus. Sure, why not? Perhaps I should have asked how many seats were still available.

Turns out 1 seat was available.

In the back row.

Between 2 really large men. They both probably played football in high school.

They were pleasant enough. The guy on the left slept the whole way, while being blasted by music on his iPod. I'm sure it was blasting his eardrums since I could hear it. The guy on the right didn't speak to me either. I sat upright, read a magazine, and vowed to get there early for the return trip.

Besides the obvious financial benefit of this mode of transportation, the 6:30 am bus to NY took only 3 1/2 hours to get there.

I was early for the return trip. Didn't matter. I got a window seat. Ooh, maybe I would have the whole seat to myself? Nah, to make any money Fung Wah has to fill every seat! A woman, not particularly large, sat down next to me and proceeded to take up all her seat and part of mine.

Earlier in the summer I camped at a KOA after dropping my daughter at summer camp. Again, I chose these acomodations for the savings. The camp site was pretty. It included water, electricity, and wireless internet. There was a swimming pool and showers and a bathroom (tho not near my tent site). I slept in the van and it wasn't uncomfortable.

Tent camping was ok, the bus was ok. I don't know if I'll do either again. I think the train is an easier trip. I know a motel is an easier night. It was fun starting out on both these adventures! They reminded me of some of the crazy travel I did in college. Maybe its time for traveling in style to be my next adventure.

Songs To Make You Smile

I have On Demand on the tv and they're previewing Joe Cocker. What is it about his voice that is so wonderful? What is it about songs from my youth that are so compelling? Is it that they remind me of the hopeful future? Or it is just they made me smile then and they still make me smile?

Joe Cocker has nothing to do with what I came over here to write about, but who can ignore him? I'm not sure anyone before or after has taken a Beatles tune and made it so very much their own.

I'm rather glad to have been distracted by "A little help from my friends," cuz I came over here to kvetch. I have this great shop. Today two ladies commented on how peaceful it felt, how much they liked it. But they didn't buy anything. And I'm not selling a lot of stuff. Over in the pretty pink blog world, friends are posting pictures of things they have bought or gotten in swaps that they love. And guess what? That's the kind of stuff I have for sale in my shop.

I was just feeling sad that the people who would probably love my shop (and buy stuff) just don't live or vacation here to take advantage of it. And I'm probably not going to sell where they live. And I'm tired a lot from the long days.

And now Joe Cocker is back and who can be upset when he sings? And maybe I'll get by with a little help from my friends . . .

The Glass is Half Full!

A little past noon my company called to say he had a better offer! Well, no not really. He had an appointment he had forgotten (did he make this up to save face?) and a friend of his was in town and wanted to hang out (this I believe).

Could he visit in a week when my daughter is home? Sure, that makes sense! He and my daughter have known each other since infancy (we have great videos of them at Sea World in their strollers) and they went to the same small boarding school in the Midwest.

Was I upset, getting up early and cleaning for someone who didn't show? Absolutely NOT! I'm thrilled I started the cleaning process, it really needed doing and I sure wasn't motivating myself! Now I'm on a roll, I'll keep going til the place is habitable again. And it doesn't matter when he shows up!

It was a good day and I will definitely sleep well.

Getting Stuff Done

I am taking advantage of one of the ways I get my house clean -- invite company!

Actually a young man we have known since birth had his mom call me last week and ask if it was ok if he came to visit. So I didn't plan to clean. But he loves the beaches here, his family rented a cottage near our rental a couple summers, and it's hard for me to say no to company.

I think my son may be disgusted with me. The house has been a disaster area since he returned home for the summer. In order to get my shop open I had to move things out and the house was the cheapest option. But that made the house cluttered. Plus the boxes of Christmas decorations had not been put back into the attic. Most of them were in the guest room.

Now that company is coming, I'm cleaning. My son kindly took those big plastic tubs up into the attic. And this company is a young man who used to bug my son with his hyperactivity when they were kids! Hardly seems fair to my son, I'm sure!
(completely unrelated, click here to see what my son is going to do for the final camp banquet, where he's cooking this summer).

The other way to get my house clean is to get up at 6:30 am and start working. What a novel concept! I would rather stay in bed reading the novel until 10, wander downstairs, check my email, putter about for a while, go out to lunch at 11 or so, come home and putter about for another couple of hours, play spider solitaire til I win or give up, plop myself down on the couch to eat dinner and watch tv in the evening, then back to bed, the novel, and sleep. You can see why that model does not get the house clean, neat, or anything close!

Dang! I start a business that means I now have to be somewhere most days. Then I discover to get the house clean I actually have to get up early and work! Whatever happened to a life of leisure, soap operas and bon-bons? Not that I ever really liked soap operas or bon-bons, but still!

I love Laggin's pictures of houses!
Here is my attempt to find a tiny dancer-related pic!

Work boots for a cleaning dancer.
Hope you all have a productive day.

When All Else Fails, Move Furniture.

I can't say it's been a bad week, just a very exhausting one.

I had to go to the city to sign a lease for my daughter's new apartment. As long as I was going, I decided to bring things she would want or need. It took a day to find stuff, also to buy cleaning supplies. Being out in this heat wasn't fun. Then up to the 4th floor walk-up 6 or more times and I was ready for a nap!

I've been worried about my business, It's a bit slow and I'm not sure there's anything I can really do to bring more people in. I hope it will pick up. I still have so many things to do each day and the worry I am experiencing has also gotten to me a bit.

And then my husband did not take the microwave to the dump today. I should be nicer. I should be kinder, I shouldn't pout or say how disappointed I am, (at least according to the voice in my head that sounds just like my mother), but that damn thing is big and took up almost all our kitchen counter space, the inside paint is flaking so it can't be used anymore, and he promised he would get rid of it. whew! run-on and whine-y.

So, I moved furniture. Bookcases to be exact. I do not know what it is about rearranging books and bookcases that soothes. But I notice in times of stress I turn to books anyway. I didn't have the peace to sit still and read, but I could re-assembled an IKEA bookcase and put it where it would be useful. I've put so many of those bookcases together, I actually could assemble it without instructions.

I have to find the shelves, but I'm done for the day. I'm glad tomorrow starts another week. I'd like it to be better somehow.