Forty-three years ago today, on June 24, 1974, I arrived at 575 Madison Avenue for the first day of my new job at Marvel Comics, looking something like this …

… and that was the end of that!

Back when Bon Appétit named Rose’s Luxury the Best New Restaurant in America 2014, the writer of the piece stated that “Rose’s isn’t just in the restaurant business; it’s in the making-people-happy business,” while Chef and owner Aaron Silverman was quoted as saying, “I just want to make people happy.”

Last night, when Irene and I dropped by to celebrate our 39th anniversary, Silverman and his staff met and exceeded that goal.

That isn’t the easiest of feats for a place that takes no reservations, yet remains so popular most customers wait at least a couple of hours to be seated. We’d arrived at 3:05 to make sure we could be part of the first seating at 5:00, and by the time the doors opened, the line stretched behind us down the block, took a right turn, and then vanished into an alley.

But people are willing to put up with it because the food and the service are that good. Whatever weariness we felt from our long wait vanished before the smiles of the enthusiastic staff, and from what we found waiting for us when we got to our table. (more…)

I’d like to start your day with a fairy tale about a double anniversary.

Once upon a time—actually forty years ago today, on September 4, 1975—this lad took a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula …

… along with this lass … (more…)

On September 4, 1978, Irene and I celebrated our second anniversary by having lunch at Windows on the World restaurant. It was part of an anniversary weekend that included a rented Rolls Royce, orchestra tickets to the then-hit Broadway show On the Twentieth Century, dinner at the reopened Stork Club, and a suite at the Plaza Hotel overlooking Central Park. (No, we weren’t rich … but I’d just gotten paid for The Captain Midnight Book of Sports, Health and Nutrition and decided to blow most of the proceeds celebrating.)

For those who don’t remember … Windows on the World was on top of the north tower of the World Trade Center.

The original to this photo is displayed to the right of my desk, which means I see it and think about that lunch and that venue every day.

I sure wish we lived in a world in which we could go back there again for some future anniversary …

As we rode the Spaceship Earth attraction at Walt Disney World during our 35th anniversary weekend, our pictures were snapped and dropped into a personalized video showing our future, which was screened for us as the ride was ending … and then emailed so it would be waiting for us when we arrived home.

So here’s what Irene and I will be doing in the world of tomorrow!

We giggled when this unexpected video popped up.

We did a LOT of giggling at Disney World …

When Irene and I decided we would replicate our honeymoon on our 35th anniversary by returning to Walt Disney World and staying in the same hotel we stayed in back then—the Contemporary (the one that has the monorail going through the building)—we had no idea of the sort of celebration Disney had in store for us. Because over the course of the weekend, we were wished a happy anniversary by hundreds of people each day!

I’d mentioned while making the reservations that we’d been at Disney World back in 1976, and that information made it into our profile, which meant that it all started when the driver of the Magical Express bus announced over his loudspeaker as we were being driven from the Orlando Airport to our hotel that there were two very special guests aboard celebrating an anniversary—us!

And when we checked in at the Contemporary, we were each given one of the buttons below to wear, resulting in us getting a cheery “Happy anniversary!” from every employee and many of the regular folks as well, which gave the weekend a party atmosphere.

We were far from the only ones there celebrating an anniversary—we chatted briefly with another couple who were celebrating their 67th (yes, 67th!) anniversary. So now we’ve got something to aim for! (more…)

… that two were made one.

Just in case yesterday’s pics weren’t enough for you to figure out where Irene and I spent our honeymoon and where we returned to celebrate our 35th anniversary, here are two more which should definitely give it away.

And if those don’t help you, all I can say is … what planet are you from, anyway?

Irene and I will be heading off shortly to celebrate our 35th anniversary—which is officially the day after tomorrow—in the same location we spent our honeymoon in 1976. We’ll even be staying in the same hotel!

Where are we going? For now, my only answer will be to share these photos from that long-ago honeymoon.

Some of you will immediately be able to ID the background and guess where we’re going. As for the rest of you, you’ll just have to wait until tomorrow morning for some honeymoon pics which will DEFINITELY give it all away.

Irene and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary the day after tomorrow after tomorrow, on September 4th. Here’s a photo from the day before yesterday before yesterday before a whole lot of other yesterdays, taken early on during our courtship.

Two questions.

Does anybody still use the word “courtship” anymore?

And—how is it that I’ve gotten older and she hasn’t changed a bit?