We’re Having an Adventure

     We should have gotten to Lexington yesterday, but if you read yesterday's blog, you know that we were stuck in Philadelphia for the night. We had to go out in a horrendous storm, and after we got back to the hotel we basically just hung out for the night. 

      This morning, after we checked out of the hotel, we had some time before we needed to go to the airport so we went to the visitors center near Independence Hall. This mural was outside (but also inside) the parking garage. 

    They had a squished penny machine, and I happen to love squished pennies. It also is incredibly simple to swipe your card and get all 4 coins, without having to search for any coins at all. 

     We got this picture because it was fun. 

      And we saw these very old things on the way to see the Liberty Bell. I was so focused on the bell I didn't even check to see what these old things were. But I liked them. 

     And then we got to see the bell! The guard (guide? Not sure who he was) near the bell said there are no lines for the bell, just move up. So people moved up near it, on all sides, and got photos or selfies. Lots of selfies. 

     I did get in to get this quick photo of the crack in the bell. Maybe another time we will spend more time looking around. There was a lot to see once you got through security. Not just the bell (we skipped pretty much everything because I had a goal and limited time). 

     We also saw Independence Hall. There were no more tickets for tours so we didn't get to go inside. I did catch a video of the bell tolling at noon. It was really cool to see it, even if just from the outside. 

     And because we were in Philadelphia, we got Philly cheesesteaks. From a food cart that was basically a tiny food truck. It was really good and we fed some really brave little birds that came to hang out with us where we ate in a shady spot in the park. 

    We were running short on time so we headed back to the visitor's center. I got this cool picture of Travis. 

     And this one, because my friend said I needed a picture of Travis getting a hug from the Green Monster. So I did. 

     We headed back to Hertz to drop the car off and got the shuttle back to the airport. We almost made it through security, but Travis got another pat down (almost always now) which he was cool with. One of my bags was also flagged again. The TSA agent asked if I had anything fragile in it and I said yes, a model horse. He said he would be really careful and he was. Though when he took her out, both her ears were broken (crap!). He said it looked like that was the only damage and he said he just had to test her (OMG!) but he didn't do anything that would mess up the model so that was fine. He has to do his job after all. I asked if I could repack her and he said yes, absolutely, and let me come around to his desk. So I got to see the x-ray pic too. 

     So as is typical for us these days, we got flagged at security. But we weren't doing anything wrong so I had no concerns. The agent was very pleasant and seemed happy that we were nice and cooperative. But why not? He's just doing his job and we had so much time before the flight. Clearly, since I am currently sitting at the gate waiting for boarding. We didn't have a whole lot of time in Philadelphia, but we got to spend a bit of time there. I am already planning another trip there at some point, so I will see the things we didn't get a chance to see when we go again. Travis said he's still having fun. And he's still saying he wants to go to a horse show. He will get his wish tomorrow. 
 

Missed Connection

      Sometimes everything goes right with a flight. It's on time, smooth, and you have plenty of time to catch your connecting flight. And then sometimes things don't go right. We are dealing with one of those situations right now. Things started off mostly OK. We got to the airport, Travis got a pat down, and our carry on luggage got flagged (twice) going through security. They had to test my protein bars. That was a new one on me. But since they were in fact real protein bars, they were fine. They also flagged the bin with the carry on full of dolls and Travis's backpack. But they didn't open either, so I don't know what that was about. And we didn't have to take our shoes off. That was cool. 

     We got to the gate and had more than enough time. The boarding time came, but there was no plane. We waited some more. And then a bit more. Finally, there was a plane at the gate. Eventually, they even let us get on it. It was a little plane. They had everyone valet check their roller bags, because they don't fit in the overhead bins. OK. 

     So we found our seats and we waited. And then waited some more. Apparently, another flight to Philadelphia had been canceled and they were trying to get as many people as they could from that flight onto our flight. But then, they decided the flight was overweight because the wind had shifted and the long runway was closed. So then they needed a bunch of people to volunteer to get off the plane and book a different flight. That took over an hour. People would ask for more information, people got off the plane and back on it again. Eventually, we took off. 

    I remembered we needed an airplane selfie. The flight was pretty quick, only about 45 minutes, and I took a nap for most of it. When we landed, it was 7 minutes after our connecting flight had taken off. Crap. So we went to the gate to talk to an agent and see what could be done. Apparently nothing could be done until tomorrow. We are rebooked on a flight to Lexington tomorrow afternoon. And the airline won't pay for a hotel because they say they only do that if the delay was for mechanical issues. Well, I didn't cause us to miss our connection so I will have to call and get them to pay for my hotel here in Philadelphia. But that is a problem for a different day. 

      Since the airline still has our luggage we are missing some essential items so we had to run out to Walmart. We also needed to get something to eat. So we went out in a horrendous storm. If the need for certain items hadn't been an immediate need we might have waited. There was a lot of road flooding, but we made it safely. It was not a big Walmart so they had some food, but not a ton of options. When we got out of the store the rain had slowed to a drizzle. And we had an uneventful trip back to the hotel. 

     I said to Travis that we are having an adventure and I asked him if it was good or bad. He said it was good. So that's something. He also said he wanted to go to a horse show. He needs to wait, I don't show until Thursday. 

      So we don't need to be to the airport until about 1:30 so maybe tomorrow morning we can find something to do in Philadelphia. Tomorrow we were going to go out to Mammoth Cave and to the dollhouse museum. But now we won't get to Lexington until those are closed. I am not sure if we will have time to go out and do those things on Monday. I am vaguely annoyed to miss out on those things. But we're having an adventure. And I guess we're just going to roll with it. 

Texas- The Japanese Tea Gardens

     Tuesday morning of our Texas, trip we went to the Japanese Tea Garden, in San Antonio. Not only was it beautiful, it was free, which was really helpful. It also turns out to be one of Victoria's favorite places. When we were all planning the trip I looked up things to do in San Antonio, and the tea garden was on the list. Victoria also recommended them. Which turned out to be perfect. 

Peter, Jazzmyne, Travis, Elecktra, Aiden, Victoria

Travis

        While we were still planning the trip, we had a big group text going. Victoria was not on it, and we didn't add her to it. Aiden decided he was going to propose to Victoria and that he wanted to do it when his friends were there. And he was trying to figure out where and when to do it. I suggested the Japanese Tea Garden because they are beautiful and because Victoria also suggested we go to them. So that became part of the plan. And there was a lot of secret planning that went on, right in front of Victoria.

     The first day of the trip we went to The Shops at La Cantera and Elecktra helped Aiden subtly figure out what size ring  would fit Victoria. When we went to the River Walk, he found a ring that he was sure Victoria would like, and bought it, with a birthday necklace for Elecktra, so he could give the bag to Elecktra without it looking suspicious.

    Aiden wanted to talk to Victoria's mother, in person, and get her blessing to propose. Part of the original plan for the trip was to have dinner at Victoria's house. That would have been a great time to ask. But we cut the trip short by a day and couldn't squeeze it in. So Peter, Elecktra, and Aiden, came to our (mine and Travis's) room to talk about food. I did tell them when the food I was cooking would be ready, but I also gave Aiden a pep-talk and said to call Victoria's mother. So he did. He said he would rather it be in person, but he wanted to propose the next day but he wouldn't without her blessing. Which she gave. She also asked if one of his friends could add her on Instagram or Facebook so she could get a video or a FaceTime call so she could see it. Which I gladly did. 

     

Victoria and Aiden

     Jazzmyne went into the gift shop when we first got to the gardens and found these beautiful parasols. She was also looking for water, which is why she went in in the first place. She and Peter then distracted Victoria in the gift shop while Aiden and Elecktra scouted out where I good spot to propose would be so it wouldn't get interrupted. 

Jazzmyne

Victoria

    And then we took our time. No rushing around, just looking at the beautiful gardens and taking photos of each other and of the views. It was a really nice day. 

Victoria and Jazzmyne

Victoria (I like this one a lot)

Jazzmyne, Elecktra, Aiden, Victoria

     Elecktra even got a picture of me. I may be bringing this parasol to Breyerfest. And the Brimfield Flea Market. Though the July flea market is usually right in the middle of Breyerfest. 

Me! (photo by Elecktra)

      After a casual stroll through the gardens, and Peter and I flat out refusing to climb the steep path to the top of the cliff, we made it to the spot where Aiden was going to propose. And we all sort of hung out near them, but trying not to make it obvious anything was going on. They had a nice spot to stand and hug, overlooking the whole of the gardens, we had some shady spots with places to sit. I tried to figure out how to get Victoria's mom on FaceTime without making it super obvious. I settled on a video. I could tell how nervous Aiden was, and it was a good minute and a half of hugging and quiet talking before he came around to starting the proposal. He got down on one knee and everything (I have a video, but no photo of it). It was really beautiful and one of the others said that after she said yes there was some clapping from below. 

Aiden and Victoria

     

Aiden and Victoria

     It was a really beautiful day, with a lot of emotions. Aiden was happy to have his two best friends there with him, supporting him. I said to Aiden and Victoria, since it's unlikely I will be at their wedding, that they need to make sure they eat on their wedding day (a friend gave me that advice and it was very helpful) and after the ceremony to go and take a few minutes alone. They will need that. 

      We are coming to the end of our Texas trip, but there is still a bit more to come. I am trying to remember to write the posts before I forget the details. And before it's time to write about Horsefest!

Texas-National Museum of Funeral History

    Easter Sunday we spent on the USS Lexington, in Corpus Christi. The day after we drove to Houston. One of the places we went was the National Museum of Funeral History. It was a super interesting place. There were tons of different vehicles that have been used over the years for funerals, a lot about presidential and military funerals, a very large exhibit about papal funerals (which was especially interesting since that was the day the pope died) and many other things as well. 

     This was an exhibit of Victorian hair art. There was another exhibit about death photography.

      This exhibit showed what old embalming rooms looked like.

     This was showing what a house typically looks like decorated for día de los muertos. It showed two rooms of a house, with the ofrenda as well as the outside of the house with decorations. 

     The entire museum was really cool and I am glad we went to it. Houston was a very long drive from San Antonio, but this was a good day.

Texas- Escape Rooms

     The original reason I decided to go to Texas was I found out I could do an escape room on the USS Lexington. I think some people think I am joking when I say I went to Texas because I found out I can do an escape room on a ship, but it's true. There were 3 different rooms to choose from, all of them sounded intense in one way or another, but we ended up choosing the haunted escape room. The list of potential things that could happen, including death, listed on the releases was a little bit off-putting. Though we decided to do it anyway. 

    It turns out the release was extreme CYA (which stands for cover your a$$) because the only way you might even get hurt is by doing something really stupid that you were told not to do. The door was even unlocked the whole time and we could have left whenever we wanted. Though we wanted to get through it and solve it, which is what we did. They took a before photo and the after photo when we finished. In case you can't read it, Travis's sign says "it was all me" which I thought was funny (Travis just hung out with us, he didn't help). 

     I had so much fun in the escape room on the Lexington that I wanted to do another one before we left. And I wanted Peter to do one with us, since he didn't do the one on the Lexington. I really do get a kick out of locking a bunch of smart people in a room together and figuring out how to get out. 

     The second room we did was a Harry Potter themed room in San Antonio. Unlike every other escape room I have been in, this one had no problem with us keeping our phones and taking pictures. So we took lots of pictures. 

     Travis being awesome and clearly, solving everything on his own. 

     The shop windows in Diagon Alley were all color coded and part of the clues we needed to figure out some puzzles It was the beginning and the end of the escape room. I really enjoy multi-room escape rooms. I don't know how we didn't get a picture of Reggie, our owl that would help us out if we got a bit stuck, or with time checks. 

    As a bonus, here is a herd of parking lot deer. They were at the hotel one night when we got back. 

    I think Peter said he counted about 15 of them in total! Adults and babies both. 

     There was a lot that happened when we took our trip to Texas and I am trying to find time to write the posts before I forget the details. More to come!