Only in York County

Those of you who have read Only in York County for a while, and those who know me in real life, are aware that personal finance, getting rid of stuff, organization, productivity and travel are among my major interests.

You shouldn’t be surprised, then, that one of my favorite blogs combines pretty much all those, plus an amazing “design your own life” philosophy.

So when my husband and I got a chance this weekend to meet up with that blog’s author – here in York County – you can guess we were there, right??

My real-life heroes are the Baker family – Adam; his wife, Courtney; and their 2-year-old daughter, Milli – and their blog is Man vs. Debt. They’re from Indiana, at least sort of, but they’ve just started what will potentially become a multi-year trip around the U.S. in which they’re living in an RV and visiting readers and friends.

I knew they’d be coming to Baltimore, so I begged/pleaded/commented/Facebooked to ask for a meeting in the York area.

Well, yesterday, Chris and I met up with all the Bakers at the Round the Clock Diner!

Many thanks to Chris for snapping this photo of Adam, Milligan and Courtney Baker and me at the Round the Clock Diner on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, aka one of the best days of my life.

So did I use this chance to talk about anything earth-shattering with Baker – as Adam is known – and his family? Did I ask for his top piece of financial or lifestyle-design advice? Could I even give him a good answer when he asked me what my major goals were?

Nope. Mostly, we chatted about life with kids, travel, what it’s like in the midwest (and in central Pennsylvania) vs. what it’s like it cities like New York and Pittsburgh. We chatted a little about the newspaper industry, too, and about some of Baker’s future plans. And it was super-fun. Sometimes, when you meet your “heroes,” they’re not what you expect, but honestly, I liked all the Bakers even more after meeting them. (Especially Courtney, who I learned is a fellow scrapbooker!)

I do have one funny story that readers of this blog will, I think, really appreciate. The adult Bakers are practitioners of The 4-Hour Body eating regimen, so for six days of the week, they avoid white carbs. Now, if you’ve eaten at Round the Clock, you know this is… interesting, at best.

Baker ordered the turkey breast (served with its wonderful yellow York County gravy), and it said it was served over filling. Once our super-nice waitress clarified that it meant stuffing, Baker asked if he could just skip it. So the waitress says, “Well, would you want it over toast?” He says, “No, that’s what I’m trying to avoid.”

“Well,” says the waitress, “Do you want a basket of rolls?”

I knew you guys would appreciate that! We do love our carbs! (Though hopefully that’s not what the Bakers remember about us.)