Only a fortnight ago...

Tonight my sweetheart treated me to dinner and a movie - and I even got to pick the movie! The wind has finally died down and the sky is crystal clear (which also means it's #*^% cold! Brrr!). We walked to the theater and on the trek home I thought back to the walk we took just two weeks ago tonight in downtown Indianapolis.

The sky was clear then too - and the moon was full and we walked hand-in-hand down one street and up another, choosing right or left at each corner and letting the sidewalks take us where they may. We were full of vim and vigor. It was wonderful. Made me feel darn young and fancy free without a care in the world.

We left our hotel and walked under the Crowne Plaza Hotel where several train cars sit on rails and can be rented as hotel rooms, and past the Lucas Oil Stadium. We laughed at how small the stadium looked until we were at the bottom steps of the front entry and had to crane our necks to see the sign way above our heads. Suddenly it was bigger than huge and we weren't laughing. Amazing how a change in perspective changes everything.

North of the hotel we came to a beautiful open circle where the buildings fell away and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument stood tall at attention in the center of Monument Circle.

We walked all around the monument, looking this way and that. On the west side, we looked down Market Street and saw the Indiana State Capitol lit up and standing proudly.

Only a few hours earlier we'd walked up the steps of the Capitol to have a look around inside. We met a friendly Hoosier who taught us a fun way to remember the year Indiana became a state.

"What age is it that we can begin to vote for our nation's leaders? (18) And what age is it that we can't wait to begin driving? (16) Put those two favorite birthdays together and you have the year Indiana attained statehood, 1816!"

After traipsing around the circle, up and down the monument's steps, we stopped to stand still for a few moments and really soak in the night. The clip clop of the carriage horses pulling tourists echoed off the buildings around the circle and the chatter of the other night strollers kept us company. We just stood there, still hand in hand, and enjoyed simply being with each other. I love date nights like this!