Knute got to O's in Concord a bit early (which may never, ever have happened for any reason prior and will likely never happen again) to be sure we had a good table. Colin arrived right on time and sat down. We talked and talked. It was a great first date.

Colin will be very quick to admit that it was he who pursued Knute. For purposes related to a wedding website, that should suffice regarding "first move" information. ; )

Colin is more likely than Knute to pay attention to when chores have to get done. That said, so far we've ended up doing almost all the stuff that needs doing together. Working in the yard, folding the laundry, going through drawers & closets & the garage, clearing snow, raking leaves, cleaning the cars, clipping the dogs nails ...

It's nice to do things together.

Colin shares this:

"It's hard to pick my most memorable date with Knute. They are all so unique and unexpected. That is one thing I absolutely love about Knute, I never know what's going to happen next! I like order so I tend to (over)plan things. But Knute has this contagious spontaneity that helps me relax and go with the flow. Whenever we do things together, I have learned to expect the unexpected. With the help of his witty catch-phrases, devilish charm, and never-ending desire to talk to strangers, every moment is special with Knute, from walks with the dogs to romantic dinners, and everything in between. Speaking of talking to strangers, before I met Knute I did not realize how connected we are to the 'strangers' around us. Over the past 5 years, we have met countless strangers from all over the world who are connected to one or both of us in a peculiar way. Meeting these 'strangers' has added an extra, unexpected layer of richness to our journey. I can go on about the joys of spending time with Knute, but I think you get the idea... I love him through and through, and cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together!"

Knute shares this:

"For me, I would have to say it was when I got dragged to a cabin in the northern New Hampshire woods with the Dartmouth crew. No water, no electricity, no bathroom, no cell service, no heat other than from a wood stove ... with snow on the ground and a seriously long driveway -- like, miles -- from anything. For three days and two nights. "It'll be fun," he said. Let's just say that nothing about it sounded fun. Nothing. But I wanted to be a good sport.

And let me be clear right at the start. I was not alone in feeling rather unenthusiastic. Oskar the Great Dane was not at all thrilled about what Colin was telling us to expect.

But ... I must admit (and Oskar agrees) -- it was surprisingly good. Good people. Good food. Good times walking outside and listening to silence and seeing wilderness. It was fun then, and continues to be fun, to watch Colin interact with his dear Dartmouth peeps (who are now my peeps, too). As with everything we do, Colin made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy ourselves for those couple of days away in the woods. He's a planner and likes to be prepared. We've had many memorable "dates" -- but this is one that I think tells something special about Colin."

Maybe it will get some eyerolls, but the truth is that we just like being together and having the dogs by our side. We have our routines when it comes to waking up at 7 AM and going to bed at 9 PM. We like eating out so that Colin has the chance to eat proper vegetables. We like exploring cities and towns. Colin finds places for us to sip beer wherever we go (and helping Knute expand his palate) and Knute always finds a reason to talk to whomever it is sitting/standing/breathing nearby (and expanding Colin's patience).

We expect to head to Aruba shortly after the last wedding guest(s) depart from Calumet. Colin has a lot of wonderful memories from family visits there when he was younger and Knute looks forward to finding out what all the fuss is about. Ha!

There's that place in Nob Hill in San Fransisco that served excellent Italian food ... and the spot in Denver that served such a memorable breakfast that we went there twice in four days ... we have very good feelings about the Sunday Morning "Brunch in our Kitchen" during the pandemic ... and we know we'll have great food at our local favorite spots: Krista's in Cornish and Snow Village Inn in Eaton.

Colin is more a traveler than Knute, but we have enjoyed visits to Florida, Hawaii, the Bay Area, Denver, Nashville, and more local spots here in the northeast.

... nearly everything -- eventually. We talk things through and give each other time to think. We do a good job at compromise.

... is occasionally stay up past 9 PM. Does that count?

... that we go to bed every night at 9 PM.

... is the rights of historically marginalized people. More than a "cause," we are trying really hard to steer clear of remaining silent about challenges in the world. Too much of what is hurting our neighbors in need is rooted in the silence on the part of the general public. Most people are on the side of good. But too many of those good people tend to keep their heads down more often than not.

... (for dinner) Krista's Restaurant in Cornish, ME & Snow Village Inn in Eaton, NH. Both spots are simply fantastic. We aren't strangers at all when we walk into Ebenezer's in Lovell, ME for excellent beer and fantastic food.

... our dear pooches who are the kindest and most steadfast companions. We don't expect that they'll be able to join us on the big day. However sweet, they will be totally unable to simply relax.

... whether we will have planned well enough that you and all the ones we love will be happy to have joined us. The location -- Calumet (where Knute works) -- is special and unique. It's a place where people of all ages have felt "at home" since it opened way back in 1960. We hope that you will experience something special, too.

The answer depends on when guests decide to arrive for the festivities. It's our plan to have Oskar and Arnold hang out with guests on Friday night while we're at lakeside in Luther Hall. Sadly, we don't expect that the boys will make it over to Calumet on Saturday. That said, we can tell that they are thrilled for the big day ahead and are hoping to see anyone who is able to arrive in time for Friday night!