Grandma P and Preschool Teaching pays??? (AM commute posted earlier today)

Well after such a wonderful morning and a pretty good day at work. The ride home started to look bleak when I heard on the internet radio that there is a pretty big fire on Camp Pendleton. Why? The Amtrak train goes through this area. Mostly the northbound more than the southbound, but there as still concern. I got the the train station and found out that the train from San Diego that does the turn around trip was not able to come get us. However, the train headed northbound from Chatsworth could not go any further north because of the fires up there, so it because the southbound to us to take home. I asked the conductor what were the chances we were not going to be able to make it all the way home and he could not answer me. So I made a call to my Mom and Dad to let them know I just might need them to pick me up some where on the route if we got stuck. Needless to say, I made it all the way home.

My trip home was pretty calm. I got some work done and watched a close eye on the fires and I sent a couple text to my friend who lives by base. She's OK as of now. I was pretty much just working the whole way home. Then when we were almost to Oceanside the coolest thing happened. This older lady came walking by me and was about to go down the stairs (which is very hard for me when the train is moving) so I asked her if she's like any help. She looked at me and smiled and said she was just gonna head downstairs before we get to Oceanside. Then she looked back at me and said, well maybe I'll just sit here for a bit if you don't mind. Did you know that tomorrow is my Grandma Perkins's birthday? Did you know that the lady sitting next to me looked like my Grandma? Yes...not 100% but very close. She talked to me about spending time with her son on Chatsworth and that the fires were very close to the house. She said the actually put the firefighter lines in front of their property. When they asked if they could leave to take their mother to the train station, they said if you leave you wont be let back in. So they walked to the end of their road and asked one of the news reporters if they would drop her off...and they did. How sweet is that. She said she brought a book on board but had so much fun talking to people she never read it. She said she doesn't know why but when she packed she forgot to pack a sweater. He son gave her an very large flannel shirt to wear but after a day or two wearing it she told her daughter in law that she needed to get something that looked nicer. She said the mall they went to was the biggest mall she had ever seen. She also said that she told her daughter in law that if they had an earthquake right now no one would ever find their bodies (it was an underground mall). She asked me about my commute and told me that I need to be careful. She was so sweet and cute. Then we heard a child crying a lot downstairs and I said oh that child is not happy. She said no not at all, and she was glad she sat with me instead of going down there. HAHA We pulled up into the station and we said our goodbyes, and with a beautiful smile Grandma P's look a like walked away.


We had a brief stop at Oceanside so I got up and walked around. The child downstairs was crying so much. Then I heard a baby cry. I just kept thinking oh that poor mom, they must have been traveling for hours. Those children sound so sad. Went back upstairs and finished a few more pages in my book, but I just could not help but listen to that poor child cry. I also heard the mom say she had to wait till they got home. So of course the preschool teacher in my starts to think that maybe I could help this lady who is stuck on a train with two little ones. So I reached into my travel bag and pulled out a pink highlighter and some lined paper that I had with my work stuff. I walked downstairs to find the crying child. I walked up to the mom and said would it be ok if I gave her this to keep her entertained, she looked so sad? The mom just smiled and looked very surprised, like what the heck is going on. I got down on the little girls level and asked her if she'd like to draw. Her face light up like a candle. She quickly grabbed the paper and pen and started drawing. She was smiling and talking up a storm. The mom just seemed like she had no idea what to say. I said I used to teach preschool, I come prepared for everything. I even had a snack pack of cookies for her in case the drawing did not work. I sat with the little one for about 5 minutes then I told the mom she could keep the pen and paper and to have a pleasant rest of her trip. She said thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I just smiled and said your welcome. From that point on the child seemed very content...no more crying fits. See all things past and present happen for a reason.

Who would have ever know that when I woke up this morning I would have such an AWESOME day.

p.s. I also saw one of the guys from my first friday in the cafe car. :-) I think his name is Dan or maybe Dave. He lives in PB and his girlfriend lives in Poway. Pretty much all I remember him saying.

p.s.s I saw some girl REALY sleeping on the train tonight and let's just say WOW! I truly hope I don't look like that. (I felt to ashamed to take the picture...sorry) I am 100% sure I do but OMG. I wonder how many people have taken pictures of me? Am I an ugly sleeper? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?