Autotrain

Yesterday we had a great time at shul and a great time visiting Rudy and Georganne.  Jen and baby Cadence even joined us for lunch.  I loved cuddling five-month-old Cadence for a few minutes.  What a cutie!

As we were driving home, we started to add up the costs.  The price of gas is getting higher, so filling the tank is close to or just over $40.  It takes almost four tanks to do the two day drive.  We eat lunch and dinner on the road, which usually comes to about $100.  LOL!  We don't eat at fast food places for dinner.  We like to splurge a bit, even in Florence, SC.  Then there's the price of the hotel.  The total came to about $300 for a one way trip.

Hm...my brain started clicking, and I asked Mark to check the price of the autotrain.  Today it's $390.  (I say today because Amtrak changes its prices on the atuotrain FREQUENTLY! If I had booked this a few months ago, it was only $320.)  So I offered to kick in $100 to the nearly $300 Mark was already planning to spend if he would book that train!  He did!  Meals are included on the train, too, plus unlimited free coffee, fruit, cookies, and even a movie onboard tonight.  Sweet.

YAY!!  I absolutely LOVE train rides.  Of course, this is sitting up in coach, but that doesn't matter.  For one night, that's not hard.  We will also be home by noon on Thursday instead of 8 p.m.  Less wear and tear on the car AND less wear and tear on me!  I'm planning to read a lot on my Kindle, which I never even turned on for this entire trip.

We finally had the chance to enjoy the sumptuous breakfast this hotel puts out every morning.  I am always surprised that an extended stay type hotel like this puts out any breakfast at all.  They are providing a kitchen for you. Isn't that why you're here?  Well, whatever!  We enjoyed the scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, and yogurt this morning.  Yummy!  It was the only morning we could eat it because of Passover.  They also give you a free dinner Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings.  Crazy!  Of course, we couldn't have that either because of Passover, plus mostly it was meat dinners.  One night it was veggies, salad, and mac and cheese.  We would have been all over that if it hadn't been Passover.  LOL!

I'm starting the train ride this morning at 251.7 pounds.  I'm attributing the gain of nearly two and a half pounds since Monday morning to sodium in the meals the last few days.  Last night, to end Passover, we had flat bread pizzas, cheesy biscuits, and salad bar at Rudy Tuesday after 8:30 p.m.  Oh, yeah, I almost forgot to mention the big bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce and a shot of whiskey for dinner!  LOL! I also finished off the 5 ounce bag of Passover potato chips that I bought, but forgot about.  I ate half the bag Monday night and half the bag Tuesday afternoon with lunch.  Lots of sodium in that, for sure.

This is a horrible weight, and it's the highest I have been since last spring when we came home on the train.  I was hitting the low 270s that day, I think.  Last year when I got home, I started the morning walking routine and started really watching the calories.  I dropped nearly 40 pounds fairly quickly doing that.  By early December I had hit 232.  Well, clearly it's time to do that again.  We are heading back up here on June 12 for a two month stay.  The wedding is on July 12.  I would really like to be in the 230s for that, if not lower.  Well, lower probably isn't possible now, but I'm sure I can be in the mid 230s by July 12.

That's my new goal.  It won't be easy.  I have many challenges to face during the next two months: vacation at Vero Beach, NARFE convention in Orlando, a week's convention in the Poconos, a Fourth of July weekend that will include at least three days of festivities!  All of that is before the wedding. 

Wish me luck!