Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Train Trip
Tonight, for my birthday celebration, I took the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Train out of Blissfield, MI. This was yet one more experience on my "Things I've Always Wanted to Do" list. When I reserved my spot, I was asked if this was a special occasion and I acknowledged that it was to celebrate my birthday.
I thought the trip to Blissfield would take four hours--it took me two. I walked around town a bit, had coffee and pie (I've always wanted to do that!) in the busiest restaurant in town, and read my latest book, another by Donna Kauffman "The Legend MacKinnon."
At 6, I and my fellow travelers boarded the train. It holds about 64 passengers and we were nearly full--I think three empty seats. I was seated at a table with a young couple, engaged, I believe. My seat had not only the place card with my surname, but also a three-balloon bouquet and a coffee cup filled with candy and a pen labeled "The Old Road."
The tracks were laid in 1836 and the conductor shared a history of bankruptcy and mergers that led to the short-line operation of today with both passenger and freight moving along the rails.
I watched the food being loaded--from the Legacy golf club down the road, and it turned out to be very very good.
The mystery was fun--the actors seemed to enjoy themselves and had an excellent knack for knowing which folks would handle "interacting" and which to leave alone.
The couple with whom I shared the three-hour meal seemed to be struggling to maintain pleasantries. taciturn is one word I thought might describe the woman. Her one statement/question to me the entire time was "You're here alone?" I thought the absence of a body in the chair next to me for the first 30 minutes of the trip was probably sufficient information.
I was delighted to give eye contact to our actors, use the servers' names when they served us, to laugh, clap, and sing along whenever the opportunity arose, to truly enjoy the song sung just for me (Summertime Blues) by one of the actor/entertainers, to revel in 60-some people singing Happy Birthday to me and to the 90-year-old Ruth, also celebrating her birthday, and to make a wish and blow out the candle on the dessert delivered while I was waiting for the restroom, the candle of which was relit for me by a young woman at a neighboring table.
If I were to do this again, I think the one thing I might do differently would be to assure myself a full table of three more folks I know...
Tonight I learned there are worse things than being as shy as I am such as being unpleasant instead. I learned, or rather remembered, that being in a relationship that is full of negativity and strain is worse than being alone. I was reminded, again, that there is someone for everyone--short men with tall women, ebullient, wise-cracking men with sweet kindly women, 30- and 35-year anniversaries in couples that don't seem to match in so many ways yet seem to have magic glue. And, perhaps, some of the best birthday gifts we receive are the ones we give ourselves--another year with the willingness and open-mindedness to learn, forgiveness for our own mistakes, allowing ourselves to receive kindnesses from strangers with grace, and recognition of the blessings, material and spiritual, that come in odd little packages.
like an "Old Road" coffee cup with candy and a pen inside and three balloons tied on.
I thought the trip to Blissfield would take four hours--it took me two. I walked around town a bit, had coffee and pie (I've always wanted to do that!) in the busiest restaurant in town, and read my latest book, another by Donna Kauffman "The Legend MacKinnon."
At 6, I and my fellow travelers boarded the train. It holds about 64 passengers and we were nearly full--I think three empty seats. I was seated at a table with a young couple, engaged, I believe. My seat had not only the place card with my surname, but also a three-balloon bouquet and a coffee cup filled with candy and a pen labeled "The Old Road."
The tracks were laid in 1836 and the conductor shared a history of bankruptcy and mergers that led to the short-line operation of today with both passenger and freight moving along the rails.
I watched the food being loaded--from the Legacy golf club down the road, and it turned out to be very very good.
The mystery was fun--the actors seemed to enjoy themselves and had an excellent knack for knowing which folks would handle "interacting" and which to leave alone.
The couple with whom I shared the three-hour meal seemed to be struggling to maintain pleasantries. taciturn is one word I thought might describe the woman. Her one statement/question to me the entire time was "You're here alone?" I thought the absence of a body in the chair next to me for the first 30 minutes of the trip was probably sufficient information.
I was delighted to give eye contact to our actors, use the servers' names when they served us, to laugh, clap, and sing along whenever the opportunity arose, to truly enjoy the song sung just for me (Summertime Blues) by one of the actor/entertainers, to revel in 60-some people singing Happy Birthday to me and to the 90-year-old Ruth, also celebrating her birthday, and to make a wish and blow out the candle on the dessert delivered while I was waiting for the restroom, the candle of which was relit for me by a young woman at a neighboring table.
If I were to do this again, I think the one thing I might do differently would be to assure myself a full table of three more folks I know...
Tonight I learned there are worse things than being as shy as I am such as being unpleasant instead. I learned, or rather remembered, that being in a relationship that is full of negativity and strain is worse than being alone. I was reminded, again, that there is someone for everyone--short men with tall women, ebullient, wise-cracking men with sweet kindly women, 30- and 35-year anniversaries in couples that don't seem to match in so many ways yet seem to have magic glue. And, perhaps, some of the best birthday gifts we receive are the ones we give ourselves--another year with the willingness and open-mindedness to learn, forgiveness for our own mistakes, allowing ourselves to receive kindnesses from strangers with grace, and recognition of the blessings, material and spiritual, that come in odd little packages.
like an "Old Road" coffee cup with candy and a pen inside and three balloons tied on.
posted by Cecilia Ann | 10:22 PM
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