Back to Reality...

7/8/2011

The Niagara Falls 2011 Family Vacation is officially over.  I am sitting in my living room about to dive into the mountains of laundry that need folding, but wanted to write a few lines since I was negligent while on vacation.  I will admit that I wasn't as dilligent on the diet front as I could have/should have been, but I did exercise each day so it's a trade off.  I will get on the scale tomorrow morning with fingers crossed that I haven't gained any weigh this past week.  Afterall, gaining weight is my special talent in life.

A few observations: 

1.  We did all of the tourisy things at Niagara Falls, most of which with little to no lines.  I highly recommend the Discovery Pass that gets you into 5 attractions and a day on the trolley!  However, when we were in the only line that we encountered, for the Cave of the Winds, there was a very heavy woman a few people back from us who was laughing and joking and seemed to be having a ball.  I caught several people giving her dirty looks and one young, rude woman rolled her eyes and asked her friends "What's she so happy about, did the buffet just open up?" which was met with chuckles from her equally young and rude friends.  I took a closer look at the laughing woman and noticed that all of the people around her -- her companions, and the folks in front of them -- were also smiling and laughing.  Then I looked at the rude woman and noticed that she and all of her friends looked fairly miserable, arms folded and many heavy sighs about having to wait in line.  I wonder what happened in these young, pretty women's day that would make them so rude to someone they don't know and who isn't bothering anyone?  Is laughing and joking with your companions and folks in line so obnoxious a behavior that a stranger should feel free to say hurtful things about you? 

2.  When did it become okay to have a school-aged kid in a stroller?  We were walking the trails another day in Niagara Falls State Park and I noticed a set of parents pushing two strollers of kids who looked to be school aged -- I'd estimate between 5 - 8.  I thought that the kids must have some sort of handicap.  My daugher, who was carping about being tired and her feet hurting, looked at the kids and immediatley howled about how unfair it was that THEY DON'T HAVE TO WALK!  I pulled her aside and began the lecture about being more sensistive and that sometimes people have handicaps that require special assitance, etc.  The next thing I know, the Stroller Kids leap out of the strollers and run over to the ice cream stand to get some Dippin' Dots while their parents set up a blanket and settle in for the fireworks.  Gulp!  My daughter looked up at me with her arms crossed over her chest and all I could do was start digging in my wallet for ice cream.  Hey, I get that dealing with slower, lagging, complaining kids is no fun -- trust me! -- but, stollers?  Really? 

3.  While on the beach at Lake Ontario, I was sitting on a towel to dry off when I noticed a mom and a baby walking along to join their family consisting of a dad and two other young kids who were already frolicking in the shallows.  When she walked past me, I was greeted by a full-on view of about 3" of butt-crack.  I wasn't even looking for it, so anyone who was behind her must have had quite a show for, at least, a couple minutes.  She seemed nonplussed, walking along with her son with nary a tug at the shorts.  I looked over at my husband to see if he was enjoying the view but he was laying down with his eyes closed and missed it.  The woman plopped down on their beach blanket and began to change the little guy into a swim diaper and I started to scold myself for being such a prude.  Then she stood up and, I swear, her entire bare butt was hanging out of her shorts.  No undies, no thong, no bikini bottom, nothing.  She carried the baby down to her hubby, handed him over, and THEN noticed that she was mooning the whole beach.  Hey, I have a gaggle of kids myself, so I understand being distracted but how overwhelmed must one be to walk around without noticing that your ass is hanging out in broad daylight?  Weird!

All in all, it was a great week.  Some scolding and threatening of the kids for acting like wild animals, a bunch of sight-seeing and tons of smiles, laughter and fun memories!