Yup – we just celebrated our 30^th wedding anniversary!  Truth be told, more often than not we have forgotten our anniversary over the years.  That is cool, but only if you both forget it.

I have known Karen since 1^stgrade, and we graduated high school together.  But we traveled in different orbits.  She would have you believe that she was in the “good girls” group, and I was in the “bad boys” group.   How could anyone possibly believe I was in the bad boys group?  Impossible; I was an angel.

I reached my mental zenith around 14 years old, and I was quite sure based on my lifestyle that I would never see my 30^th birthday.  Fortunately, I am a bad prognosticator.

Karen and I met (again) at our 15th year high school reunion.  The rest, as they say, is history.  And of course we dated.

And yet, here we are, celebrating our 30^thanniversary!

I asked Karen to marry me, and against all her better instincts, she said yes!

Well, we have had a huge amount of fun along the way, of which these few photos capture a smidgeon.

Suddenly it was time to get married and go on our honeymoon (to Australia and New Zealand)!

For you lucky ones who have been fortunate to have raised kids, you think you put your “stamp” on their lives in some small way; apparently it is true.

And if you have had kids, you know they are inseparable from your lives.

Even so, we have enjoyed our lives as empty nesters!

Some of you have been married much longer, some shorter, some never married.  And some of you haven’t even taken air as long as we have been married; I know of two of you in particular.  Regardless, we recognize we are very fortunate.  May your lives enjoy even a fraction of our love, friendship, and fun.

Final note:  For those of you dying to know what we did to celebrate our 30^th, quite naturally we went to dinner at Applebee’s – you know, for the free 30^thanniversary salad.  And people wonder why she loves me – jeesh.