Vacation - Part 1

Ok guys, I got home late Monday night and have kind of been putting off the writing of this post (and I will warn you now, it's going to be long). Al and I had such a great time on our vacation to Lancaster, PA (Amish country) and The Big Apple. He spent a lot of his time inside my suitcase and/or purse so that I wouldn't lose him. I was seriously scared the entire time that I would lose Al; I told my friend, Erin, that if that were to happen I would definitely be kicked out of the MWP. But, the crisis was averted and a ton of fun was had. Here is a look at what we did the week after the SI ...

Day 1- Monday, July 27, 2009
We left Bangor at around 8am to embark on a car ride that would last more than 12 hours. Al spent the day in a suitcase, and I'm not sure he was entirely happy about that. I gave him a pocket with plenty of room, but still ... he was cramped.


We drove for a while, but stopped in Ogunquit to visit a family that my friend, and our travel partner - Erin - used to Nanny for. Their 4 boys were adorable, but we didn't stay too long because we had also planned a stop in Poughkeepsie, NY. You see, the day we left also happened to be the day of Erin's older brother's birthday. However, as soon as we got in the car to depart Maine, Erin's phone rang and we got news that there would be no other stop; her brother had gone to NYC with his wife to celebrate. Al was pumped that our drive wouldn't be interrupted anymore.

Aside from some traffic, things did go smoothly ... Al completely approved of our dinner that day. We went to Chick-Fil-A. My first time there, and WHOA was it good! Al was just happy that no pork products were on the menu.

We got to Lancaster at around 9, and went to bed quickly. That suitcase didn't provide a comfortable napping spot for our little mascot.

Day 2 - Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Today, Al met his first giant, Sofi. He was nervous at first ...


After a while, though, they were great friends.

It's a good thing, they were friends too, because poor Al was left home with Sofi all day while Erin and I went shopping. Later the same night, we went to a minor league baseball game played by the Lancaster Barn Stormers, and to my dismay I left Al at home. He missed out on a prime photo op with Cylo, the mascot. I'm not sure WHAT Cylo was, but it would have been good. Instead of the game, Al enjoyed a reprieve from the heat with the central air at the Boley house.

Day 3 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Nothing exciting to report today. More heat outside, but it was lovely inside. Erin was at a class all day, so I went to a HUGE craft warehouse with her Mom where I purchased Wizard of Oz scrapbooking paper and stickers.

Day 4 - Thursday, July 30, 2009
Today, we had a late start. Erin didn't shower until noon because she spent the morning packing for our time in the city. Al waiting patiently inside his pocket of the suitcase for the 3 1/2 hour ride to Erin's brother's house in Poughkeepsie. You see, we spent two nights there, riding the train to the city in order to save a little money.

We went to Chick-Fil-A again, and Al was excited again. So far the trip had been PORK free. He also made friends with the Chick-Fil-A cows, but with so many patrons around we couldn't snap a picture of them all. Here are the cows, though. It's clear why Al liked them so much.

When we got to Poughkeepsie, Al met another canine friend. Snoopy, this adorable beagle, is a rescued dog who became our new best friend. He slept with us that first night, and it was awesome!


This brings an end to the first leg of our trip, but there is soooooooo much more to tell you about. For now, though, I need to go to school and do some work in my classroom. Al will be with me, since he hasn't left the little pocket of my purse in over a week. We miss you all, and will write again ASAP!