Connecting Dots & Connecting Stripes

Big 25th Anniversary plans?  Well, as it turns out we had plans on March 29th, 2011 to connect not only dots, but begin connecting stripes too, those would be Tiger Stripes as in the Mizzou Tigers (University of Missouri at Columbia) .

March 29, 1986 - 25 Years Ago

The memories are warm and vivid from a cool day that was wrapped in soft tones of Seattle Spring grays.

Having just taken a wife and lots of photos, we hung around with family and friends at University Presbyterian Church eating crab quiche, and wedding cake waiting for my groomsmen and other conspirators to finish decorating my pickup truck, known as Dorothy (or Dot Sune-son) - and yes, it was a Datsun.  We waved our good byes and made tracks north to the border.  The Canadian officer at the crossing asked the purpose of our visit to British Columbia and we cheerfully answered, "It's our honeymoon! And we've got a ferry to catch to Victoria."  He waved us through and soon we were cued up in Tswassen awaiting the arrival of the boat that would provide passage and land us near the Empress Hotel on Vancouver Island.

I do not remember thinking then, "I wonder where we will be 25 years from tonight?"

But 25 years later, to the night, it is with some fun and great marvel that we look over our shoulder to trace the twists and turns that have brought us to where we are on March 29, 2011.  It is a pleasure to sit with my wife and enjoy reminiscing about the journey filled with life's little discussions, choices, ups, downs and surprises.  Look where we came from, look where we've been; and now her we are, let's have fun and connect the dots.  Who would have guessed that by connecting all of the dots, we would end up a quarter of a century later connecting to stripes?

We spent our 25th anniversary with our son Grant, attending an introduction for Mizzou incoming Freshman at the Marriott Hotel.  We dressed in black and gold and helped ourselves to brochures listing deadlines for housing, financial aid, course enrollment, placement exams, Freshman tours and major selection.  After a few speakers we felt that we were well connect with Mizzou Tiger stripes.

While in that part of town, we rolled on over to Mi Piacci for an anniversary dinner celebration that came with a gratis bottle of (inexpensive) bubbly.  Grant observed, "This is a swanky place, good for a date."  The three of us ordered a late meal, me and my bride sipped champagne and then handed Grant the keys to go with his freshly minted drivers license, while the happy couple crawled into the back seat.  We kept the canoodling to minimum out of deference to the chauffeur who was new to this sort of gig.

Later, while Grant is out of town for an Orchestra Festival in Florida, we will celebrate 25 years with a grand style.