How a train ride changed my life.

I was not at all thrilled about D's plan to take a historic train ride from Austin to Burnet (pronounced burnit in Texas speak). I had a day full of laundry, packing for our trip to Indiana, working in the garden, organizing, cleaning, etc. In typical Kate style I pouted appropriately and did my best to show that I wasn't happy.

I did manage to make some delicious bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos though. See, I do actually love D. A lot.


Oliver and I sat and counted the train cars while D went to get tickets...
There were uno, dos, tres, four, cigar, sinco, seven, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen! Then we had to have apple jacks and talk to every person that walked by.

As we boarded the train my lack of enthusiasim for this trip became increasily hard to conceal. Most of the people in our air conditioned car were at least 40 years older than us and I was carrying a two year old. ok, ok, D was carrying the kicking two year old. details. details. sheesh. Anway, Oliver did fairly well. He loved looking out the window and showed everyone his shoes about a hundred times, ate a banana smoothie, said choo choo train about a hundred times, and the three of us snuggled as we chugged towards Hill Country. I was secretly beginning to have fun... sshh! Don't tell.

We decided to walk through the other cars and stop in the snack car. Oliver got a coupon for being a birthday boy and he picked out a pair of snazzy train socks. Ok, ok, I picked out a pair of snazzy train socks. Sheesh, quit calling me out already. I then started having a LOT of fun. The back cars were much older and open air. I could just imagine all the people dressed in their finest, the wind tearing through the cars, the sound of the squealing wheels. It was very romantic and would've been more so if Little O wasn't running like a madman (and I don't mean the cocktail, dapper, TV type of madman). We stood in the caboose watching the tracks disappear as we rolled into the sleepy town of Burnet.

Once in Burnet we meandered around the downtown square towards a restaurant called the Hillside. It was a hot, hot day (and we forgot the stroller. Yep, totally forgot the stroller. Can you say "DUH"!). We looked in shop windows but didn't go in. An effort to save money for our upcoming vacation. The last stretch of the walk Little O discovered the joys of a piggy back ride and D discovered the joy of carrying a purse and a diaper bag. The restaurant turned out to be a really nasty buffet homestyle restaurant. D was craving calamari and the closest they had was fried okra, soggy previously frozen green beans, and that nasty huge pile of mashed potatoes. I guess I know now that we'll never be able to live in a small town.

We turned right around and piggy backed down the river walk, across the bridge, and into a Mexican cantina with about 20 Harley's in the parking lot. You know that's a good sign.

And it was! I had a frozen raspberry margarita (not my drink of choice but I was SO SO SO SO HOT. Did I mention that I was hot? Cause I was.) D had a mexican margatita that was pretty lame but still refreshing and we had queso, bean dip, and chips and salsa. Little O made short work of the table with his "cranks", otherwise known as crayons, and ate yummy beans (this was a bad decision I realized at subsequent diaper changes).

Then it was a hot but satisfying walk back to the train...






Back on the train I wanted to sit in the caboose (and not with the old, mc oldies). Not that I don't adore old people but the open air was much more fun.

We watched the train tracks disappear, we ran into each and every seat of the empty car, we stuck our heads out the window, and said "choo choo train"! Then Oliver took off a show and

chucked it right out the open window. I mean full force chucked and then CRACKED up laughing. Nothing to do but laugh I guess so we took off his other show and chucked that one out too.











D and I were hanging our heads out the train window into the breeze watching the engine turn round a corner and he said "lean closer". "

"I can't reach you for a kiss from here", I replied.

" No, lean closer", he said again.

I did and he said' Will you marry me".

"What"?

"Will you marry me?"

"Are you kidding?"

"No. Will you marry me?"

He pulls a little black box out of his pocket.

"Of course I'll marry you! I'm in love with you ya know!"
Yes, I know what a romantic thing to say.
Not.

I then cried, kissed him about a hundred times, said "I can't believe it" another hundred times, and as we sat and just enjoyed the moment Little O fell asleep standing up.
No joke.
Standing up.




The proposal was perfect. The ring is perfect. Our life is perfect.
I'm happy.
and in love.
and happy.
and in love.
oh, and happy.








On the way off the train a little old lady who sat across the aisle from us grabbed my hand and wished us the greatest happiness in life. I take that as a wonderful omen of happiness to come. Saving and planning for the wedding will probably take two years but D has promised me a fall wedding and to be honest I'd have eloped with him right then. :)

I spent the rest of the day saying:

"I'm so happy"
"I can't believe it"
"Oh my gosh"


I still can't stop smiling...