My favorite month

The great thing about October is that it ends with one of my favorite holidays. It's Logan's first Halloween and she's going as a ladybug. Unfortunately, I haven't done as much decorating as I would've liked. I enjoy getting creative but I just haven't had any time this year it seems. Next year, I have vowed to do better.

Whenever October comes around, I immediately feel the need for a trip up to the mountains. In fact, my husband asked me to marry him while we were in the mountains in October. One of my favorite places, one I've visited since I was young, is the Peaks of Otter. It had been a few years since I've been up there and I really wanted to take Logan up there. There's this great lodge that we normally eat dinner after a day of driving on the parkway and some light hiking. I'll get to that in a bit.

My parents decided they wanted to join us, so they picked us up on Saturday the 16th and we headed up 52 until we hit the parkway. It was a nice drive and we drove past a lot of produce stands as we got into Virginia. One of my missions was to get some apples and a pumpkin but that didn't end up happening. There were plenty of places to stop along the way and I would love to do it next time we drive up that way. The leaves along the parkway were pretty but despite what the weather guys were saying, I think they were past peak. We passed some pumpkin patches and beautiful homes. Around lunch time we stopped for a picnic at a scenic overlook that was supposed to "overlook" Pilot Mountain. Unfortunately, the trees had grown up so much you couldn't see much of anything. Groundhog Mountain was just up the road and little did we know, there were a bunch of picnic tables. Next time we'll stop there.



We also planned on stopping at Mabry Mill but it was packed. I guess everyone else decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and head up there. So, we passed up the photo op at the mill and continued down the parkway. We stopped at another overlook that had a trail you could hike down to the Roanoke river. We didn't go down the trail but we walked around a little bit before we continued on our way to Peaks of Otter. When we got there it was around 4:30 and people were already getting in line for dinner which began seating at 5pm. We walked around the large pond that sits behind the lodge, checked out the fish and the beautiful view of the mountain. Logan was entertained by a couple of little boys, much to her daddy's dismay. Quite a few people were out enjoying the view or picnicing by the water. It was pretty chilly with the wind whipping through, though. We had to buy Logan some ear warmers, which she kept on for a little bit, then proceeded to remove it like she does with all of her hats. After milling around for a bit, we made our way back to the Lodge to get a seat for dinner.



We look forward to dinner there because it's always so good. This time, however, it left a little to be desired. First, the service was pretty slow. It took a good while for my mom to get her wine, my dad never got his water and we didn't get our bread until we asked for some. I order something new they were offering that I was pretty excited about. It was a sesame tofu stir fry with veggies and rice. Unfortunately, the veggies tasted like the frozen Asian style vegetables you get at the grocery store. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the amount they charged for it. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal but felt the service left something to be desired. Logan enjoyed her mashed potatoes, fried apples and bread. I guess management or whoever runs the kitchen changed. Either way, we decided to check out some other places to eat next time we go up there.



All in all it was a wonderful day and I can't wait to make it a yearly adventure with Logan. It really feels like fall when you're enjoying the beautiful colors of the leaves on the Blueridge Parkway.

I'm never joining a gym again...this time I mean it.

I'm all about having a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise. Even though, the latter is not my most favorite thing but I still do it. However, since joining the gym-that-shall-not-be-named(hint: it rhymes with the Rush), I have acquired a bad taste in my mouth.

When I first joined, it looked like it would be fun and different from other gyms. They had a pool, rock climbing wall, simulated boxing ring, a separate women's gym and a basketball court. It looked like it could be fun because I'm one of those people who likes to get their exercise by doing things that don't seem like exercise. The getting in shape part is just an added bonus. I went pretty regularly, even tried out a trainer for a while. Then I got pregnant and I went less and less. I did more walking in the neighborhood during that time. Now, they offered the option of deferring your payments, for instances like pregnancy, while you weren't able to workout. Then I decided to quit work to be a stay-at-home mommy. Well, $50 a month wasn't something I wanted to pay while we were relying on one income. So I called them up to see if I could cancel the membership and pay an early termination fee or whatever. Well, I was informed much to my astonishment that I would have to pay the rest of what I owed for the remaining 3 years of the contract or show proof that I either a.) moved b.) had a doctor's note that I was disabled and couldn't work out or c.) was active military and was being sent out of the country. Really?! So, I guess if you were laid off or even dead you are SOL in getting out of the contract. I guess they'd just tell you "sorry" if you'd been laid off but you still gotta pay. That also goes for the surviving members of a family when they let them know the gym member is no longer with us. What a crock!

So, reluctantly, I just downgraded my membership. But guess what? It was like re-enrolling so I had to pay another deposit and basically sign up again for two years. Freaking A! Now, if that isn't enough, they draft my checking account for the fee. That was going along fine for a couple of months, then all of the sudden I get a letter saying I owe them double the amount I pay a month because they weren't able to draft my account. Uhhh, okaaay. I call them, they have no idea why there was a problem but wanted to say it was our fault and we still have to pay the fee. No, I'm sorry I don't. I gave you the account number and you drafted it for a few months with no problems AND there was money in the account so it must be something on your end, slick. Gotta love that customer service. They waived the fee after some convincing and things went back to normal. Then this week I see a charge come out of my account for a different amount and on a different date than the fee normally drafts. So I call and find out it's an enhancement fee that comes out every year so they can upgrade their equipment. Well what the frick are the membership dues for?!

To say they've soured my gym membership experience would be an understatement. However, I want to thank them for making me see the error of my ways. I will reluctantly go to your gym while I still pay you money but when I'm done, it's all about jogging and working on the Wii Fit.