Too bad Fred didn't wear a fedora.

Here's our excitement that we had getting on the train: Well, we missed the first train in Anaheim. We (I) read the first schedule wrong. No problem, we'll just take the second train in time to get to Union Station from Anaheim, right? Second train delayed helping another train that had broken down in Irvine. Bastards. They said we could take a taxi to L.A. but not to the train. At Union Station they put you on a bus to Bakersfield, then another bus to San Joaquin Valley something or other, missing the whole ocean view and A BUS. So Fred called KT back to Anaheim Station (she'd just dropped us off), which is right next to Angel stadium. She came back (of course she'd switched from our dorky Excursion to her cool pickup truck to go back to work) and got us. Fred drove us from Anaheim to Union @#$%! Station in downtown Los Angeles at breakneck speeds just in time to miss our Amtrak Coast Starlight train to Seattle. Give up? Please, we're McMilons. We just kept on going until we got to the Van Nuys station on Van Nuys Blvd. between Roscoe Blvd. and Sherman Way. Mind you, this drive would have killed some of you dead. DEAD. You would have jumped from the vehicle. We are racing an Amtrak train that doesn't make stops, not the Metro train that stops a lot. And we are driving through traffic on the freeway and on surface streets. Deadly. We came flying into the Van Nuys Amtrak station just as the train pulls in from Union Station. Fred ran our bags (just one bag plus coats, laptop case, etc) to the train car as I ran into the train station. I dramatically (kind of) yelled, "My husband and I are supposed to be on that train!" The crowd (five people) backed up and let me go first to the window. Remember, gentle readers, Jodie was born without a spine and does not cut in line nor speak to anyone that is in front of her in line even if her child is wetting her pants or her own hair is on fire. The lady took my ticket and my ID and said, "Run!!" I ran. Fred had us loaded and we kissed Katie and hoped on the train. Apparently Katie had followed me into the station and saw that happen. She called us after we were on the train and said when she was walking back to the car she was overcome with emotion because it looked like a movie and it was so thrilling (even after the scary scary freeway driving) to see the people help us get onto the car. The porter took our bags and put us (almost literally, we were a little shook) into our compartment.