Choo-Choo All-Aboard!!!

Just one more day and I will be off on the Amtrak Rail Trip with my fellow crazies ummmm hobby enthusiasts from Where's George!

Some of you know I register all my paper money, mark it with various stamps then spend it and wait to hear about the adventures my money goes on without me ... I haven't figured out why everyone doesn't do it -- you don't have to stamp the money, many folks just write the web site on them, and some just register and spend -- stealth Georging can be fun too. But I digress!!

I am only a small part of this trip ... it began in Emeryville, CA, went south and across country to Louisiana, then north to New York. The folks that are on the train are on their way to Chicago now ... I will be joining them Saturday night in Omaha and we will be picking up more along the way.

We have amazing folks in our group who designed T-shirts, Where'sGeorge Passports to be signed, postcards to sign and mail to those who couldn't come, postage stamps to use on the postcards, acrylic stamps to use on our bills for the trip and just so much craziness to look forward to it is hard to tell it all at once.

I know a couple of the people who will join the train but am excited about meeting the others -- plus at any stop that is longer than a couple of minutes, local folks will be coming by to greet us and say hello. Most of us have been talking on forums for a long time, some have met in person but many have not ... The youngest WG? member who is traveling with us is 16 and we go up from there .. I know I'm not the oldest at 61, so its quite a diverse group! It will be fun, regardless!

I am going to Sacramento and staying there for a week to go visit my son. Will try to get back here and tell about the trip, may even have some photos to share.

Spring is still lost!

My word ... most of my friends have lost the urge to write at the same time I did! Well, I see some are moving (although they are going places I knew nothing of) and others are traveling for work or just working or vacationing ... guess we all got busy as Winter began to give way to Spring. I think I fell out of the loop during my last trip.

I was truly planning to do some blogging and catch up with everyone when I was in CA for a month, however I had the flu for almost two weeks and was completely alone so beyond dragging myself from bed to shower I didn't do much at all. Luckily my church has live streaming of all their services and I was able to be fed the Word even though I had no eating food, help or medicine and all turned out well. It was not a fun experience, I can tell you that. Am still rather weak around the edges.

Heading out Morel hunting tomorrow ... I will be slow on the hills for sure but am looking forward to some fresh mushrooms! Still have a few dried ones from last year, but fresh just taste so much better.

Mother's Day we are heading to Boone, IA to ride their excursion train and have dinner. I am so delighted to have this opportunity -- I do love the train!

Of course, next week I will join a group of unknown friends (well, I have met two of them) on the Amtrak for a trip to CA ... I am only on from Omaha to Sacramento, but there are folks that are doing Emeryville CA to NY and back ... and many embarking and disembarking all along the way. Will be an interesting and fun trip. We plan to meet folks at some of the stops along the way to say hello, play poker and LCR on board and just have fun! I think the youngest person going (other than with parents) is 16 and the oldest has a few years on me! Will be a hoot!

Days are flying by, spring wants to be in the air, but just hasn't shown up here yet - maybe when I hit California Wednesday it will be more noticeable. I know when I am out with Scruffy each evening it is C-O-L-D to the point of wind going through my down parka and hood even with a sweatshirt and hoodie under it, I am chilled pretty darn good - not that it bothers him, he loves it!

I am in my crazy mode --working as many hours as they give me, entering and marking money to trade with other crazed folks in CA for our www.wheresgeorge.com hobby and when I am not working I am driving around to area cemeteries taking photograph's of headstones for people I don't know on www.findagrave.com ... yeah yeah I know ... ghoulish, crazy ... what can I say. I know it sounds strange, but genealogy is one of the biggest hobbies out there and these photo's do help in many cases. I will continue to do both while I spend 28 days in CA during April ... long trip.

I guess I am doing these things to keep busy and not think about all the stuff going on around me. So much that I cannot help with or do anything about for both friends and family -- guess I need to stop trying to 'be there' for everyone and just pray for His best in everything.