My wife and I decided to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary (today, Oct 17 2005) by going on a LA Metrolink ride to Lancaster and back. We would board Metrolink at Fullerton and go via LA Union Station. On the way back we had a couple of free hours in LA, so we would go get some Dim Sum in nearby Chinatown.
Well, a minute or so after our train left Union Station (one half hour late), a bomb threat to the Sylmar/San Fernando station was called to police. So our train never got past Sun Valley and, after more than an hour’s wait, went back to LA.
So we went to lunch early. Except it was raining hard and we took a cab. *** these new car cabs! My wife could barely fit her feet in and was almost trapped in the seat. I’ve got bigger feet and it was even worse for me. I liked the old Checker cabs so much better.
The lunch at the Empress Pavilion was excellent, but then we faced the torment of another cab ride, aggravated by a 45 minute wait in the rain after having been promised only a 10 minute wait.
The ride back to Fullerton was on time and comfortable but we got home exhausted.
This experience continues a pattern. Last year for our anniversary (40th) we spent the weekend in Julian, CA, a nice little tourist town in the mountains east of San Diego. The whole weekend was a gale strength rainstorm. At least we had a cozy warm room in a nice B & B.
In 1989, for our 25th anniversary, we took the Starlight to San Francisco (actually Oakland and a bus ride), planning to stay several days in a Mission District hotel. The day of our anniversary, while we were touring the Marine Museum, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. Our anniversary dinner was corn chips and water and the next morning we escaped back to LA by Greyhound, which was our only way out of SF.
We’re getting afraid of anniversary celebrations. I’m worried that, if we stay home, the house will burn down.
Jack