2013 Christmas Letter

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Isaiah 7:14

Merry Christmas 2013!!  This year has involved a lot of change, but some things have remained the same.

January – yep, basketball season.  Teagan made the 8^th grade team and I love watching her play.  Brandon, Teagan and Erin were involved in the Orchestras at their respective schools and in LifeGroups at church.  I ran the Goofy Challenge at Disney World with my friend Sabrina.  That’s a half-marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday - 39.3 miles through all 4 parks and many places in between. It was AWESOME!!  Brandon turned 15 – only one more year until he can drive!  J

February – Erin played league volleyball to get ready for 7^th grade tryouts in the fall.  Everyone had weekly music lessons.  Brandon had a date to the Sadie Hawkins dance at school – seems like he ALWAYS has a date these days.  I’m trying to decide if I should be concerned or not!  Brandon and Teagan ran the Rhythm & Blues 5K while I ran the half-marathon - set a new Personal Record (PR)! 

March – Cullen turned 10!  Double Digits!  For Spring Break, Brandon got his wisdom teeth removed.  It was really the only downtime in his schedule! He lived on nutrition shakes for a week but recovered well.  Teagan started AAU basketball and Brandon did off-season football and worked on his bass solo for UIL (he got a “2”.)  I spent a week in L.A. for more job training.

April – AAU tournament games began, taking up a LOT of time on the weekends. Brandon and I started back into triathlon training and did the No Label triathlon.  We each won first place in our age divisions!  Erin turned 12 and started wearing contacts, which are safer for sports and helped a lot with her ability to see the ball in volleyball.  After having a lot of trouble getting along in school for the past several years, we finally took Cullen to a psychologist, who recommended a psychiatrist, who prescribed Ritalin and an anti-depressant.  I’ve fought against medication for many years, but decided to give it a try under the circumstances.  It has made a HUGE positive difference for him!  I really do wish I had pursued this course of action sooner for him!

May – Swim practice started the first week in May.  I went with Teagan on the Jr. High Orchestra Spring Trip to Fiesta Texas, where once again, Cinco Ranch JH bands and orchestras took home ALL the trophies!!  Erin, Teagan and I formed a relay team for the TriGirl Super-Sprint Triathlon and won first place!!  It was Erin’s first open water swim – 200m on a choppy lake and she swam it like a true competitor!  Teagan completed the 2mi. run at an impressive pace!  School ended with a flurry of concerts, tryouts, competitions, tournaments, auditions and the Behrens Bass Studio Recital, where the Settle Quartet made their debut with a piece arranged by Sabrina Behrens for bass, cello, viola and violin.  It’s on YouTube. J  The kids finished 9^th, 8^th, 6^th and 4^th grades. 

June – Swim meets and summer camps.   Brandon, Teagan and Erin swam at Meet of Champs, had a great time at Kamp Kingsland with the student ministry and attended sports camps to get ready for fall tryouts.  Cullen did tennis and golf camps.  I got laid off from L.A. Turbine at the end of June.  I was shocked, but was already looking for another job and ramped up my efforts to 100%.

July – Brandon went to Chicago, Teagan to Waco and Erin to Houston on mission trips with the student ministry and had wonderful experiences. Teagan still had ongoing weekend AAU tournaments.  Brandon competed at the Shadow Creek tri in Pearland and finished third in his age group at Jeff & Brede’s triathlon in Katy.  July is also where the wheels came off. For reasons I don’t want to share in a Christmas letter, and after much prayer and counseling, I filed for divorce on July 5^th.  Stressful summer – uh, YEAH!

August – Two good job offers came in and I started with Zurich on the 19^th with training in Schaumburg, IL.  I’m back to Risk Engineering consulting, which I love!  School started, Teagan was the last cut from volleyball tryouts and was the Freshman A-Team manager all season.  Brandon played sophomore football and his team went undefeated!!  In the average week, we have 3 music lessons, volleyball and football games, LifeGroups and church.  I now have two in high school, one in Jr. High and am in the LAST year of elementary at a school we opened just 10 years ago.  I cannot WAIT for next year when they’ll all be on ONE campus!! 

September – Teagan turned 14!  Brandon, Teagan and I ran in the church’s Just Run for a Just Cause.  That race awoke my passion for running just four years ago and has a lot of meaning for me.  I went to Cranston, RI for training at Tyco’s fire lab – cool stuff!  Erin auditioned for the school musical and played one of Ariel’s sisters in The Little Mermaid.  Brandon, Teagan and Sabrina formed a relay team and I competed individually at the Katy Triathlon at Firethorne.  It was rainy, but we had fun!

October – Per the September mediation, Robert finally moved out.  It was rocky with everyone getting used to weekends at dad’s place.  Grades suffered and stress ran high.  Brandon earned first chair in the 2^nd group for Region Orchestra, made Area and recorded for All-State, where he ranked #100 bass state-wide.  Definite improvement over last year!  J  Brandon and I competed in the Oktoberfest duathlon (swim cancelled due to weather) – I placed second and Brandon first in our respective age groups!  YEAH!

November – Sabrina, Eileen (new tri friend!) and I formed a relay for the Oilman Texas 70.3 tri on Lake Conroe – we JUST missed the podium, placing 4^th, but each had a good race.  If that half-marathon were stand-alone, I would have had a PR!  Brandon played in the Region Orchestra concert and Cullen attended a fun robotics camp.  Teagan and Erin each made the school basketball teams (T plays guard and E plays post) and are having as much fun playing as I am, watching!  Thanksgiving was a little different – the kids were with their dad and I spent part of the day with my parents and the rest of the weekend just getting stuff done.  It was good and productive, just not as fun or restful as I would have liked.  But I’m learning how to be myself again, which is great.

December – Sabrina and I did our 4^th RunGirl 13.1.  It was a misty 37°F at the start!  I set a new PR at 2:05.  Still trying to break 2:00 this season with 2 (or maybe 3) races left.  We shall see! In general, life is good, the kids are doing well, my new job is great and I have the love and support of friends and family.  That brings us to present, meaning the Christmas letter will go out on time! 

Keep Christ first in your hearts, minds and actions this Christmas!

Love, Donna, Brandon, Teagan, Erin and Cullen

Tips for Strings Events - from a Bass Roadie

For the record, violin, viola, cello and bass are all well represented in my house.  I supposed if I'd take up harp, we'd be complete in the strings world.  But that's not going to happen!  I've been a bass mom for 4 years now and it's high time I share these tips to aid in the logistics of strings competitions and events.

1. Plan a drop-off lane for bass and cello ONLY.  There's nothing more frustrating when trying to unload your bass and gear than to have the drop-off area clogged with violins.  Event planners - consider a separate lane for bass and cello, and an outer lane or area for violin & viola.  Or perhaps a different parking lot altogether.
2. When you drop off your musician, DRIVE AWAY.  By the time your dear child is old enough to compete at the Jr. High and High School level, they are old enough to walk into the building without your watchful eye from the car blocking the driveway.  Remember:  Stop, Drop and Roll.
3. If you're carrying a smaller instrument, please be aware of the bass bearing down behind you.  If it was easy, everyone would do it!  But there are only a few basses entering the building, usually trying to do so quickly.  The lower bout makes a perfectly good plow when necessary, so walk quickly, or step aside.
4. Moving a bass is a two-handed operation, leaving no free hand to get the door.  So please, if you're carrying a one-handed instrument, be kind to your fellow musician and hold the door open.  Or at least don't allow it to slam in our faces.
5. Planners and directors - the bass and harp rooms do NOT have to be at the farthest point from the entrance to the building.  Really.  This concept also applies to practice and uncasing rooms.  There's nothing fun about navigating a bass through a sea of violinists spread out on the floor to uncase and tune.

Implementing even some of these tips will greatly speed the process of loading, unloading and navigating with strings.  Enjoy your next performance or competition!

Weekend Cycling ADVENTURE!

Sabrina and I had a real adventure this weekend.  Our plan was to drive out to Sealy, TX and ride up TX-36 to Brenham for some hill training.  These aren't BIG hills, but hills nonetheless.  My assignment was to plan the route and stops.  This was pretty easy - a straight shot up TX-36 with stops at 15 miles in Bellville (for more kolaches at Newman's Bakery!) and then on to Brenham for lunch and come home by the same route.  The total route was about 60 miles.

This plan was working really well.  I went to #2 child's basketball game at 8am, then met Sabrina to pick up my bike and drove out to Sealy (about 30 min. from home.)  We parked at the Whataburger on the south side of I-10 at TX-36 and we were on our way, after a brief pause to put the chain back on my bike as it had slipped off in transit.  Sabrina was then coated in chain grease, but she's a trooper (and a good friend!!)  The ride was great through Sealy, and then reality struck.  The next 13 miles to Bellville was a CONSTRUCTION ZONE!  I guess my route planning omitted the step where I checked TxDOT Expressway for roadway construction projects on my route.  OOPS!  A few seconds on this pavement and we could tell WHY it was under construction.  I'm not sure how old that asphalt was, but there was NO tar left in the gravel and that was the ROUGHEST road we'd ever been on.  After the first 5 minutes, we were wishing for mountain bikes!

We agreed to press on to Bellville, ask about conditions on the road to Brenham and then pick an alternate route back to Sealy to avoid the construction.  Other than the rough conditions, the rest of the ride to Bellville was relatively uneventful.  We can always count on getting a few honks and cat-calls.  On this trip, we were honked at by cars, trucks, and a BNSF locomotive! And we did get cat-called by the same truck in Bellville TWICE (creep!)  A man at the bakery said the road to Brenham was much better and the construction "was already done."  So we decided to continue our plan.  The man was wrong.  Once out of Bellville, it was the same rough asphalt.  We were happy to see the county line (in Texas, that is often where the pavement changes) and we could see a different color of asphalt ahead.  Oh happy day!  Sadly, it was a different color of the same surface.  We jittered on to Brenham.  After a few miles, it doesn't matter because you can no longer feel your feet, rear, or hands.  But it IS enough to give your back a spasm!  Fortunately, the road widened to 4 lanes, giving us better clearance from passing vehicles.  Unfortunately, passing motorists didn't always see fit to use the left lane while passing us.

Joyously, we pulled into Brenham and stopped at the Whataburger on TX-36 just south of US-290 for lunch.  There was a table in a back corner, so we pulled our bikes in and stepped to the counter to order.  We were met there by a round manager who informed us that our bikes were "a health hazard" and needed to be removed immediately.  No, we could NOT order first.  We took our bikes and went a little further up the hill to Sonic, where we found a nice outside table and ordered some burgers.  Sabrina ordered hers with bacon!  I did not know before this that Sonic has public restrooms - I guess I always thought it was just a drive-in.  This was a welcome discovery!

After lunch, we turned our bikes south on TX-36 and began our jarring ride back to Bellville.  It was then that the headwind kicked up!  Our motto is to ride into the wind on the FIRST half of the ride, because a headwind is a bad thing when you're already tired.  But we're tough girls, so we fought our way back to Bellville.  We stopped at Dairy Queen to discuss our route changes back to Sealy.  We turned south off TX-36 onto Coshatte Rd.  AH - we found smooth asphalt!!  And HILLS!  And DOGS!  Those little Jack Russel Terriers are mighty fast when you're sprinting up a steep grade.  I think Sabrina rubbed my back tire with the bacon from her burger at lunch!  We escaped dog #1 unscathed.  A little further up the hill, we met dog #2.  He was about 3 times the size of dog #1, but responded better to my stern "NO, BAD DOG, GO HOME."  I used my "coach voice."  He only chased us a little while after that.

The plan was to take Coshatte to FM-331 to Peters San Felipe, back to TX-36.  Coshatte was pretty good road.  FM-331 was a little more rough, and we also found a group of guys out enjoying target practice on their land.  Fortunately, we didn't hear any bullets zing by our heads!  Everything went fairly well until we got on Peters San Felipe.  We intended to take that to Maler Rd, but it went to dirt after Junica.  And so we took Junica.  Oh look!  More bad asphalt!  By this time, we were just numb to our environment and looking to get home by any means necessary.  Alien abduction wouldn't have been out of the question!  We made it down Junica without further incident, then sprinted across TX-36 and on into Sealy.  We were never so glad to be back in a town with smooth streets!

As we pulled into the Whataburger and reloaded the bikes, we congratulated ourselves on surviving this latest adventure.  I think we're fully prepared for whatever the MS 150 has to offer!

MS 150 Training Update

The Short Version:I've ridden over 400 miles.  I fell once and it hurt.  I learned to change my own tires.  I've reached 25% of my fundraising goal.

The INTERESTING Version:Training is going very well.  When I bought my bike, it had less than 500 miles on it.  This weekend, the odo clicked past 900 miles.  In that time, I've ridden short routes and long routes, depending on how much time I had.  Sabrina, my friend and riding buddy, rode with me from Katy to Bellville to have kolaches and coffee at Newman's Bakery.  Between the 15 mph headwind all the way there, and the hills (on which I was alternately praying and chanting, "Kolaches and Coffee!"), it was a challenging ride in.  I do believe those were the best kolaches I've ever tasted, too!  Naturally, the coffee kicked in about 10 miles away from the nearest public restroom.  We thank Waller County for having well-designed bridges to hide under.  Riding home in a tail-wind is a beautiful thing!!

I had my first clip-out fail, thankfully while stationary.  It was a total rookie mistake, and all the other cyclists laugh because apparently everyone has done it.  For those not in the know, road bikes do not have traditional pedals, but clips attached to the pegs on the crank.  Cycling shoes are very stiff, to protect the foot from the pegs, and have a receptacle on the ball of the foot that attaches to the clips on the bike.  This is efficient because the cyclist can benefit from pulling up on the pedals as well as pushing down.  It's all good until you fail to get unclipped properly!  A couple of weeks ago Sabrina was riding about 100 yards back and when I looked back to check on her, I saw she was stopped and off her bike.  I unclipped my right shoe (which is my habit) and stopped.  I planned to double back and see if she needed help.  That U-turn to the LEFT was my fatal error, as my LEFT shoe was still clipped to the bike.  Over I went, skinning my knee and elbow and bruising my hip, hand and ankle.  I was wearing a long-sleeve jersey, a jacket and knee covers, which protected me a little.  Thankfully, my clothes and bike were fine, I wasn't injured, and the bruises are healing.

It has occurred to me that my road bike is not like the 10-speed I had as a youth and tore down and rebuilt one summer for fun.  It's a bit more complex and the tires are completely different.  For starters, road bike tires are very narrow and are inflated to a much higher pressure than a kid's bike or a mountain bike.  A special pump is required to inflate them, which I didn't even have yet.  So I went down to Bike Barn, where my friend Ty gave me a crash course in changing a tire.  We changed the front tube, and I got the hang of it very quickly.  I also took home a CO2 cartridge and valve connection for emergency re-inflation, a tube for the rear tire and a new pump.  Being the engineer I am, I figured the rear would only take slightly longer due to the gears and chain.  It took me about 30 minutes, which is FAR longer than I anticipated.  Mostly due to uncertainty, pensiveness, slowness and compulsive hand-washing!  But I got the job done and now my bike is sporting LONG valve stems because I learned quickly that a 133 lb girl has a VERY hard time inflating a tube to 120 psi with one hand while holding the connection on the SHORT valve stem with the other.

Thanks for continuing to follow my blog.  I'm enjoying the riding and the fundraising is going very well.  I'm nearly to the 25% point, which is great for the first month.  The ride is now 2 months away, so I need to ramp things up.  Sabrina and I are planning a garage sale and a few other ideas to help raise money and support.  I hope you will forward my link to your friends because the more people who support the ride, the more money we raise for MS research.  Even a new therapy or drug is a huge improvement!  Every little bit helps!!

Link to my page:  http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?px=6533020&pg=personal&fr_id=15941

"Keep Moving Forward!"

Becoming a Stay At Home Mom - #1

Whether to continue employment after having children is a decision that rests between a woman and her husband. A wise woman will give herself the choice.

You're an employed mom, and you've had enough of being stretched too thin. Meeting the demands of an employer AND a family is no longer your heart's desire. You've gotten used to the two-income lifestyle and you're worried that you HAVE to keep working. Deep down, what you REALLY want is to be at home with your children while they are still small. Is it even possible?

This has often been asked and I've wanted to write about it for years. I've made the transition now in both directions at least once. What worked for me might not work for everyone, but I've found that each of us can usually do whatever we WANT to do.

ASSUMPTIONS:

I have to make a few assumptions about your family make-up before delving into the details. First off, I'll assume you are in a committed marriage or rock-solid, stable relationship with your child's father. Second, I'll assume your spouse is earning as much or more than you are, or at least enough to support a family. I'll get to the details on that later.

STEP 1 - PLAN:

In a perfect world, you would know if you wanted to be an employed mom or a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) before you got married, or at least before you decided to have children.  You would live on one income from the beginning.  Your housing choices, grocery budget and personal spending would be based on your husband's income.  Your income could be saved to make the down payment on a house, replace a vehicle or take a vacation.

If you're not in that perfect world, it's not too late!  You can begin with planning the moment you decide that you really want to stay home. 

1. Where Does The Money Go?  Before you can manage your money, you have to know how much you earn and where you spend it. This can be done on a sheet of paper, a spreadsheet, or a money management software program like Quicken or MS Money. Decide together how you want to categorize your spending.  Auto, Home, Utilities, Groceries, Medical, Property Taxes and Debts are all things that must be paid every month.  Dining Out, Entertainment, Club Memberships and Subscription Services are examples of optional expenditures that are easily reduced to bring your spending in line with your income.
2. Develop a Budget.  Now that you know how much money is coming in and how much is going out, it's time to figure out how to balance the expenses with ONE income instead of TWO.  This probably won't happen overnight and it may take several weeks to come up with a plan, but work on it a little each week and it will begin to take shape. 
3. Cut Spending.  Don't be afraid to make changes if you see that your spending doesn't match your budget.  There are ways to trim nearly every category of your budget!  What are your largest expenditures each month?  Can these be reduced?  Don't be afraid to make radical changes if they allow you to meet your goal.  If your mortgage payment is killing your budget, consider downsizing to something more affordable.  If your car payment is too high, trade for a more economical used vehicle.  The money you save can be used for an extended warranty if that's important to you.  You can find ways to reduce everything from your grocery bill to your utility bills.  If you're having a hard time with self-discipline, give yourself a cash allowance each pay day, knowing that when it's gone, you have to wait until the next pay day to get more.  Pack a lunch, brew your own coffee, cut out services you don't really use or can live without.  You'll be amazed at how the little things can quickly add up.
4. Reduce Debt!  Depending on your current debt load, this process may be quick and painless, or it may take considerable time.  Regardless of your current situation, resolve to pay off all debts other than your mortgage if you have one.  I can discuss this in greater detail in the future, but here are the basics:  (1) STOP getting IN debt.  Yes, that sounds simple, but sometimes it's easier to just swipe that credit card!  You know if you have the discipline to pay your bill in full each month.  If you don't, then put those cards away in your lock box and use them only in a dire emergency.  (2) Take the debt with the smallest monthly payment and increase that payment by as much as you can afford.  If you can double or triple the payment, do it.  If all you can spare is an extra $5, do it.  Decide on a reasonable reward for paying off that first debt and celebrate your success!  (3) Once the first debt is paid off, take the entire amount you were using to pay that bill each month and ADD it to the next smallest debt. Repeat the process until you are left with only a mortgage.  If you don't own a home yet, you'll be able to save the down payment quickly by being debt-free, and you'll be in a much better financial position when you decide to buy.  If your budget allows for a car loan, you can still pay that vehicle off and then save the money for the next vehicle.  You'll be paying YOURSELF instead of the bank!

That should be plenty to get you started on the path to the lifestyle you seek. I have much to write on this subject. Check back for new posts!

WHY am I going to ride a bicycle 150 miles??

Tue, Jan 11, 2011:

Why on earth am I doing this?

I know, it sounds crazy! I'm 39 and have spent the better part of the last 13 years doing whatever the kids want to do, leaving very little time for personal fitness or a hobby of any kind. So why on earth AM I doing this?

I've wanted to ride the MS 150 ever since I first heard about it. I thought, "If anyone should do this, *I* should." I've admired and supported lots of friends who have participated in the past. I was happy to be part of their support team, but I've always wanted to ride this ride myself. But WHY do I want to do this?

It's really about my mom. She was diagnosed when she was younger than I am now. She was always fit and active before that. I know that if she didn't have MS, she would probably have done the MS 150 herself. I want to honor the mental strength my mom has shown, especially in the last 20 years, as MS has slowly chipped away at her abilities and her independence.

When I was in college, my mom tried so hard to keep working. I had scholarships to pay for my tuition and dorms, but we still had to pay for books, supplies, and living expenses. There came a time when her supervisors at work began to doubt her abilities, then changed her job duties several times in short succession, and then dismissed her from her job as a medical assistant. It was such an insult! She was so capable and had always done an excellent job. But she came to see that it might be best for her health, so she began the process of filing for Social Security Disability. If you've never gone through the process, it's lengthy and only the persistent are successful. I think it took over a year before the first SSI check came.

When my husband and I got married in 1993, my mom could still walk (not very well, but she did her best.) We would joke, "She doesn't drink, she just walks that way." It was a weak effort to try to give a little levity to the truth. When our first child was born in 1998, my mom could get around in her house with a walker. I remember a couple of times when she fell at my house - it always scared me to death because there was no way I could pick her up and I was afraid she would be hurt.

By the time our second child was born in 1999, mom was using a manual wheelchair most of the time. She would have loved to be the grandma that could come get the kids and take them all kinds of places, but that just wasn't possible. By 2000, she was convinced that she should not be driving anymore. More independence lost.

Our third child was born in 2001 and mom was still struggling around their house. My dad had the entire house tiled to make it easier for her to get the wheelchair around. But their house was not wheelchair accessible. In 2002, we moved to the west side of Houston, leaving my parents in the Clear Lake area south of Houston. That was very hard for my mom because she didn't get to see the kids as much. We tried to make our new house more wheelchair friendly, with a ramp to the front porch. But the only bathroom downstairs is still rather inadequate.

Our fourth (and last!) child was born in 2003. That year we decided to take my parents to Disney World. This crazy notion prompted my dad to finally get my mom a power wheelchair. That made a big difference for her in the house, but she couldn't take it anywhere! So they had to buy a van that had room for a lift. It was a cheap lift, but the best they could afford at the time. It did a great job of physically lifting the chair off the ground, but you still had to manually maneuver it into and out of the van. If it was parked on a grade of any kind, the chair either slammed into the back bumper as soon as it was off the ground, or swung back to meet you and then had to be wrangled into the van. We did find Disney to be rather wheelchair friendly, but when you introduce a wheelchair, everything takes a lot more time. Unless she had it on top speed on flat ground, and then you'd better jog to keep up!

In 2005, after much pestering, we got my parents to move to the west side of town, less than 2 miles from our house. My dad and I went on several house-hunting trips to find the most accessible plan, and then I contracted to have any additional changes made. This included ramps to the garage and back porch, changing some doors, and adding a flip-down seat and grab bars to their shower. This has worked fairly well so far, but no house is perfect.

In the last year, my parents were able to replace their old van with a newer model. They got a better lift and a seat that swivels and comes down out of the van. Mom is able to make a sideways transfer from her chair into the seat, then it scoops her up and into the van. If the door opening was just a bit wider, her long legs would fit into the van more easily! But this is a HUGE improvement over the previous van! A month ago, her first chair finally died. It had a very long life and my dad made plenty of repairs to it, but it was time. The new chair is fantastic and is just a bit narrower, giving my mom access to the front bedroom in their home for the first time. Can you imagine living in a house for 5 years, never able to enter 2 or 3 of the rooms?

I really wanted everyone to understand the depth of my motivation to ride the MS 150. 150 miles over 2 days doesn't even hold a candle to my mom's daily struggle to do basic things that the rest of us take for granted. Even after 150 miles on a bike, I will be able to walk better than she can (perhaps not MUCH better, but at least under my own power!) Just thinking about seeing her at the finish line brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. I'll have to think of other things at that point so I don't cause a pile up at the finish.

I hope this opens some eyes to what life is like with MS. You haven't even heard my mom's side of the story. But MS doesn't affect just 1 person. Or 400,000 people in the US. It affects the parents, spouses, siblings, children and grandchildren of the people it affects. Living with MS is not a fun ride, so the MS 150 is the very least I can do to raise awareness and research money, in hopes of finding a cure, or at least some better treatments for people in the later stages of MS. Many hands make light work. Many dollars make thousands to fund vital research. There is no gift too small to gain my gratitude! I hope you'll help, and get your friends to help. Remember, you can donate as often as you like!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?px=6533020&pg=personal&fr_id=15941

Why I AVOID Houston Public Transportation

July 20, 2007:

I took a couple of days off work this week - we have no sitter this week and I needed a couple of days off anyway. We had free museum passes from the doctor's office because the kids got their wellness exams a few weeks ago. My neighbor (a senior citizen) had taken #3 to the museum earlier this summer with her granddaughter and they took the Park & Ride from our suburb and then rode the train in town. She talked about how cheap, easy and fun it was, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I got on Houston Metro's website and printed out two sets of route plans coming and going, just so we had options if one didn't work out. Printed directions, map of downtown to make sure I went the right way once on the ground (why I can drive without ever getting lost but can't walk to save my life is a mystery!!) Had a route map for the train, I thought I had it all!

Of course, it's Monday. So our day started EARLY - we dropped #4 off at his preschool at 6:30 a.m., then I had to stop by my office to leave something for the office manager to finish in my absence and we were back on the road by 7:05 and headed to the Park & Ride. We arrived around 7:15, went in the wrong way, got stuck behind a bus who wouldn't MOVE and then had to back all the way out of an oval driveway and turn around (at which point the bus in the front of the line honked at me!) and then drive out and back in the right gate. Then I had to find a parking place. There were two buses, but the first one wasn't going to the exact same place as the second (like Downtown and DT/Houston Center are so different???). We got ON the right bus but then found there was no way to buy a day pass which is what we really needed. I had to stuff my last $5 into the machine on the bus and it thankfully spit out 4 transfer vouchers so we could get on the train. The bus ride went okay, but maybe the first bus would have been better (it was full anyway, so it didn't matter.) A nice man on the bus gave us a route schedule, which was very helpful on the way in. We stopped at the Addicks Park & Ride, the Northwest Transit Center and then into downtown where I think we stopped at EVERY corner.

We FINALLY got to our stop downtown and got off the bus to catch the train. We couldn't tell from where we stood which way to go for the SOUTH-bound train. Naturally, we picked the wrong one. We got back across 2 streets in downtown traffic to the right stop...just as the train pulled away. We waited for the next train while an OVERLY-friendly man chatted with us. He continued to be "helpful" until we got off the train, one stop past where we intended. So we hiked halfway through Hermann Park back to the Museum of Natural Sciences. By then I really had to PEE! The employees at the Museum were nice enough to let us in since they were about to open anyway. It was the highlight of my day!!! Thankfully the Museum takes credit cards since the bus got the last of my cash. They also had an ATM - highway robbery on the fees, but I didn't care!! We had a wonderful day at the museum and even ran into a lady who frequently babysits for us. We hadn't seen her in a while, so we had a nice time catching up.

When it was time to leave the museum, I checked the time and the two sets of plans to get home. It wasn't TOO far or TOO hot, so instead of paying for the train (because there's no way to get a transfer for the bus if you get on the train FIRST...) we decided to walk to the bus stop. It was a little hike from the Museum down to Hermann Hospital - basically the width of Hermann park down Fannin. We made it in plenty of time and even called the Metro number on the sign for our bus home to check the time. The automated voice of "Silicone Sally" said the bus would arrive in about 40 minutes. We went inside the Hermann clinic building, used the restroom, got a drink & a little snack, and then waited outside. There were TWO signs for our bus, caddy-corner from each other across the intersection. The sign on the OTHER corner said "Inbound" - well, we were going OUTbound from the city center, so we waited at the other corner. And we saw our bus come and leave from the INBOUND side. THAT was a bummer! I called the Metro number back - it turns out the OTHER stop was the right stop, but the next bus wasn't coming for another 30 minutes. So we used the restroom again, then crossed to the other bus stop and WAITED...

Our bus finally arrived, and it was FUUULLLLL. We got the last 3 seats (for the 4 of us) so I crammed the 3 kids into two seats and I took the other. On the way, we stopped at the bus stop across the street from the museum. THAT would have been nice to know an hour earlier! We arrived at the Northwest Transit Center about the time my tiny bladder decided it was full again. No time to get off, of course - onward to the Addicks Park & Ride - faster, please! And then to our Park & Ride with me doing the "pee-pee dance" in my seat and trying to think about the desert. I got to the front (really regretting being the LAST people on the bus, sitting way in the back!) and ask the driver if there was any restroom at this stop. He pointed to the guard shack and said, "There's one in there." So we got off and RAN to the shack - it was LOCKED and EMPTY and I'm pretty sure there was no restroom in there anyway. GRRRRRRR. By now I was doing the knee-clench waddle as we sprinted (yeah, right, with my knees clenched together!) for the car. About halfway there, I KNEW I was not going to make it. I yelled to the kids, "I'm not gonna make it, kids! SHIELDS!" Thank GOD they knew what to do as I ducked between two parked cars and dropped my britches just in time, my little human shields hiding my shame. SWEET RELIEF, even without the privacy of a door, walls, or TOILET PAPER. 

Okay, now I was feeling like a vagrant and perhaps beginning to smell like one, too. I hiked my shorts back up and march on to the car, pretending like nothing was wrong. Thankfully we got a plastic bag with our purchases at the museum - one should always keep one in the car for emergencies (like sick kids or not being if full control of your own bodily functions!) The rest of the day was kind of blah-blah-blah after that.

Hopefully you haven't laughed so hard you lost control of YOUR bodily functions! I just had to share one of the most humiliating moment in my life. I hope some of you will understand (and have maybe even had enough babies to be able to FULLY relate to my story!)