It’s true! Grams and Pops hit the jackpot on this trip, much to their delight. They have been making the pilgrimage down 95 South from Boston every six months or so since Sam was born almost three years ago. If you are not familiar with this masochistic drive which includes some of the worst driving in the Northeast — Boston, Manhattan, DC, and the New Jersey Turnpike — consider yourself one lucky soul because you are just that, one lucky soul. I still have the NJ Turnpike exits burned on my brain from driving that stretch during college and law school so many times. Vince Lombardi is the first one, I think, when starting from the New York side.
OK, back to the grandparents reaping the benefits of their dedication. Miraculously, the Saminator now completely understands who they are and, better yet, thinks they are rock stars! As my mother commented, “At least someone is excited to see us!” Hey, who doesn’t love a big payback on an investment, especially when it involves their first-born grandchild?
Looking for fun one day, we took Sam Macky to the Amtrack station at Staples Mill. Who knew that an amusement park lay beyond the parking lot arm? And, better yet, who knew that the first three hours of parking there are complimentary? Free, I tell you! We arrived at around 10/10:30, and it was jackpot time again! A passenger train was boarding for about ten minutes, and then a freight train passed through the station. This was the longest train I have ever seen — it went on and on and on for a good ten minutes.
Needless to say, Sam was thrilled to pieces to be part of it all, and we were even more thrilled to see him so thrilled. He was also a bit scared of all of the noise, commotion, and the loud horns. And who did he grab onto for reassurance? No, not me — Grams to the rescue! I suspect that alone made the arduous trip worthwhile for her. God, I can’t wait to be a grandparent!
At that point we couldn’t have wished for anything more, but there was more in store for us. As my good friend Mary would say, “All that and a bag of chips!” The frosting on the cake was the commercial bus parked in front of the station, complete with a motorized lift for handicapped passengers.
And the crazy, wonderful thing was that whole deal was free! That is, of course, if you don’t include the price of gas to get there, which makes that and everything else one pricey venture. Let’s not think about that right now. Let’s focus on the fine-dining we did at the McDonald’s next door. Watching trains with Grams and Pops sure can make a boy (and his mother) crave some deep-fried chicken nuggets — and riding the train all the way to Boston. That’s one way to beat the traffic.
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