In addition to joyously sharing my life with Jo, I cherish the relationships with my two sons (ages 25 and 28). No grandchildren yet, but the joy I have interacting with Jo’s grandchildren makes me look forward to being able to share my sons’ children with her.

OK, now for the more traditional bio. After graduation in 1964, the Navy sent me out to Kansas University as a condition for receiving a Navy ROTC scholarship. I got married the summer before my senior year in college—a marriage that lasted 35 years and had many good years before it fell apart. Following graduation from KU with degrees in math and electrical engineering, I spent four years in the Navy, principally in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the conclusion of my term in the Navy, my wife and I spent six months traveling around Europe in a VW camper, a wonderful experience that ignited my love of travel. In subsequent years, we traveled to many countries, culminating in a three month round-the-world trip in 1997 that included visiting inter alia the beautiful island of Bali and the remote inland areas of the Tibetan plateau—to say nothing of a barge cruise in southern France and driving all around Australia and New Zealand.

But back to the chronology of the bio. The six months traveling around Europe was followed by a move to San Francisco (I love that city) and law school at the University of California campus in Berkeley. After getting my law degree from Cal, I went to work for a Washington D.C. law firm, one of those big (as in over 1000 lawyers) law firms that give D.C. a bad name!!! I’m a senior partner in the litigation group at the firm specializing in intellectual property litigation. But enough of that boring stuff.

Jo and I are living together in a condo in Alexandria, Virginia with a lovely view of the DC skyline—as I’m typing this, I’m looking out on the setting sun and the city lights coming to life. We love to sit out on the balcony and look at the city in the distance—we dine virtually every evening on the balcony and never eat in the dining room except when entertaining company. And do we have a beautiful view of the July 4 fireworks at the National Mall as well as fireworks displays in dozens of Virginia and Maryland suburbs. And condo life beats the hell out of all the yard work I used to do when I owned one of those big houses in Arlington, Virginia for so many years.

Jo and I are looking forward to enjoying retirement in six years by buying an RV and traveling full-time around the US. We plan to take advantage of the experience of our friend and classmate Rick Alden who plans to start RVing full time this fall. I’m sure at some point we’ll want to plant new roots somewhere and cut back on the RVing—but we’ll want to find someplace with winters warmer than those here in Virginia. To get a taste of the RVing lifestyle, Jo and I rented an RV last month and visited several national parks in the Southwest—the Grand Canyon and Bryce National Park were very nice, but Zion National Park was absolutely wonderful. Lying on the sofa in the RV, watching the clouds wrap around the canyon walls while listening to great music, enjoying a glass of wine in the candlelight and holding hands. God but that’s what life should be about.

Well, Jo and I look forward to greeting everyone at the next reunion as husband and wife. Until then, may you all fare thee well.