We've used the Amtrak Auto-Train a few times for our trips north and back. A great thing for MrsO because she can bring a lot more clothes with her. Also kind of nice to have our own car to visit friends and relatives. Flying up and renting a car of course is a lot faster.
I didn't have much money back then and my Mother gave me a nice blue sapphire ring to use for an engagement ring. I barely had enough for the gold wedding band when MrsO and I were married some 53 years ago. Since then, the sapphire ring was stolen, and I got MrsO a 3 diamond (past, present, future) ring.
Kind of reminds me of the time, I might have been 19 (drinking age in NY was 18) and I took a couple of beers to my Grandmother's house across the street from us. We sat at her kitchen table and drank them. She started telling me how she met my Grandfather and other interesting things. Funny memory of her. She passed away about a year later. Best cook ever.
My favorite is the Montreal games when the Olympic flame went out during a rain storm. A worker went up and relit it with his BIC lighter. After that it was relit with an "official back up flame" or so they said.
Having shared a bed with Mrs.O for almost 53 years, I can relate to some of this. When she was away for a month to help our daughter with new twin babies, I realized how really big our king size bed is.
I wrote up a contract with my younger son when he wanted to buy a dog from the local pet shop. The usual caveats like training and care. Of course eventually the care moved on to us, especially MrsO. In the dog's last years he was insulin dependent diabetic. We never got another dog, but recently my son adopted one.
Why are manhole covers round? (hint: think applied geometry)