Christmas 2008

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving in Yuma

This year, JC and I spent Thanksgiving in Yuma, Arizona with the Sandberg family! I had been looking forward to our visit having heard so much about Yuma over the past eight years. Most of JC's stories about Yuma are about how much trouble he and his best friend, Jon, would get themselves into. But I had also been hearing about a place called Chile Pepper, one of JC's favorite restaurants. If you know me, you know that I love food so Chile Pepper was high on my list. Now, I grew up in New England, so my idea of what constitutes Mexican food is a little different from my husband's who grew up about 15 miles from the border. I really don't make the distinction between Tex-Mex and Mexican, much to JC's chagrin. Let me tell you though, there is a difference, and that difference is called LARD. Yep, pig fat. At Chile Pepper they put pig fat in EVERYTHING, refried beans, tortillas, EVERYTHING. As we were driving to Chile Pepper, I asked JC what his favorite thing on the menu was, he answered a bean, rice and cheese burrito. That sounded good, I thought, does it come with any vegetables on it, like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, I asked? He laughed at me. No vegetables at Chile Pepper!

I only took a few pictures at Thanksgiving, unfortunately. They are all of JC and our nieces and nephews building a fort. Rule #1 for fort building, everyone must wear a hat. As you can see in the picture below, JC is wearing a special hat ... Alexis' tutu. Rule #2, no tooting.

Headline: Married Folks Become Uninteresting

JC and I have been terrible about posting on the blog lately. I'm gearing up to send our our Christmas cards and our blog web address is on the back of them so I thought I had better get some interesting stuff up here. Unfortunately, since we got married, we've become terribly uninteresting. We now spend our weekends doing stuff like picking out paint colors and raking leaves in our front yard!

Our move to the country has been a bit of a tough transition for JC. And if you saw his "Bachelor Pad" before we got married, you'd probably understand why. It was mouse free, bug free, raccoon free and didn't have a leaking roof. There is a bright side to all of this though, packing a pistol in public is perfectly legal in Virginia and JC is ready to protect the homestead.

And that has the potential to make our lives way more interesting!

More Wedding Photos

Our photographer Megan posted more pictures from the wedding this week! This is the last batch that I am going to post from our wedding. I think that Megan should be putting the online gallery up soon. If you are interested in seeing it, let us know and we'll give you the username and password.

Home Alone!

Tonight is my first night home alone as a married lady. How sweet it is! I’m sure that after about 2 hours I’ll wish JC was here with me, but in the meantime, I think that I’ll go get myself some crackers and eat them in bed while typing this out.

So, JC and I have had a busy first week back from the wedding/honeymoon (more on that later)! We’ve had to acclimate to sharing 800 square feet of living space, different sleeping schedules and vastly different television programming preferences. But we’ve also learned a lot about each other too …. apparently I kick in my sleep, who knew?

JC spent most of the week dealing with our new home. Today he did the final walkthrough and the closing, so we officially own the house. After the walk through was complete, he called to tell me that the sellers had left an ENORMOUS pile of trash outside of the house on the curb ... and you all know how JC is about trash. JC hates trash so much that he takes his out nightly. So he was less than impressed with that effort. Luckily the trash people don’t come until Wednesday so there is more than enough time for me to needle him by pointing it out daily, for our new neighbors to develop a bad opinion of us and for me to capture it on film so I can post a photo on the blog. Stay tuned!

Our Amazing Photographer .... Megan Holdsworth

For those of you who attended the wedding or the evening barbeque, you might have seen a beautiful blond lady with a huge smile on her face running around snapping photos. Hopefully some of you got a chance to talk with her, because she is a hoot. Not only is Megan beautiful and fun ... she is one of the most talented ladies I have ever met. I feel extremely lucky to have met Megan through my sister-in-law Nikki and I am so honored that she came all the way from Prescott, Arizona to capture our wedding. But I have to say that the thing I am most thankful for is that she actually got JC to smile like he meant it!!

Below are just a few of her amazing photos. I'm promised that there will be more to come on her blog this weekend and you can find that at www.megaphotoblog.blogspot.com. Maybe I'll even post some of JC too! In all seriousness, I wouldn't normally post pictures of myself but Megan has only posted my bridals so far and I just wanted you all to see what an amazing eye she has.

Thank you so much Megan!

I will have you all know that the above picture was JC's idea. The one below was his idea too, though.

My eyes aren't really that color, but I love Megan's "enhancements."

11 Days to Go ... and Homeless

It is hard to believe that the wedding is only 11 days away! Equally troubling (due solely to the multitude of tasks not yet accomplished) is the fact that at 2 p.m. tomorrow, I am officially homeless. What's more, is that a mere 10 days after returning from our honeymoon, we will both be homeless! I’m certain this is what every parent dreams of for his or her child ... that they fall in love, get married and move into the nearest homeless shelter.

Tonight, with the aid of my trusty Zipcar, I will be moving my stuff into JC's condo (or rather, the condo that he used to own and is renting). I made sure to pack all of the essential female items for his post-honeymoon induction into the "Lauren Jones Club." Among the items packed are:

• A lovely set of decorative pillows for his bed,


• The Notebook and Pride and Prejudice DVDs (blu-ray of course),


• My TIVO box programmed to record all Barefoot Contessa episodes on the Food Network Channel, and,


• A stowaway cat (or two).

I'm looking forward to spending the next 7 days staying at the home of one of my very best friends, Jeanne Haggerty. She and I will be crocheting tissue box covers for JC and my new home while watching HGTV.

The Point of No Return, Part II

Well, it is official, the invitations are out! For those of you that read the last two posts, you know that we have entered the realm of "The Point of No Return, Part II."

JC and I made our second wedding related trip to Vermont last weekend. On the agenda were various appointments ... hair and makeup (for Lauren), our tasting at the Equinox Hotel, a visit to the rehearsal dinner venue, etc. My Dad had called me earlier in the week, because he wanted to spend some one on one time with his future son-in-law and needed some recommendations on possible activities. JC suggested that they go and get their hair and makeup done as well. Dad opted instead for either a hike or target practice.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon when the boys, Monnie (the dog) and I set off for a hike on a piece of property my Dad owns in Pawlet, Vermont. The first five minutes of the hike was great ... then the flies came out. I don't know if any of you have ever experienced Vermont deer flies, but they are deadly (Note - fly swatters are an important item to put on your packing list for the wedding). Further complicating the situation was the fact that JC, former Eagle Scout, has an allergy to GRASS. So we are hiking along (swatting flies, itching legs) and Dad is showing us the various building sites when we come to the edge of a cow pasture. Noticing that we would need to climb over an electric fence I decided to test it to see if it was on (standard Eagle Scout training) ... it wasn't. So Dad and I both climb over and continue on when we hear a yelp from behind. Yep, JC had been electrocuted and was clutching his arm, trying to regain feeling. Dad got a good laugh out of that one, he called us "city folk" for the rest of the day.

I distinctly remember the last time I was electrocuted by a cow fence. It was Prom Night 1996 and I has just gotten my car stuck in 2 feet of mud in a cow pasture behind Wilcox Dairy. So, I set off (in my white prom dress) into the pastures to find Adam Wilcox who would help me pull the car out with his tractor. While walking back to the farm, I had my run in with said electric fence. It isn't a pleasant experience, but you haven't really "experienced" Vermont until you've been electrocuted.

Stay tuned, because I think JC is going to post his version of this story ... should be rather entertaining.

It was an eventful weekend to say the least. Below are some pictures we took on the trip.

JC and I visited the rehearsal dinner venue, Mio Bistro

The wedding site, Equinox Pond Pavilion

Fourth of July at the Beach!

JC and I haven't been tending the blog much recently. Between finishing graduate school, planning the wedding, selling houses, looking for a new house, work and travel ... we haven't had much time. But my future sister-in-law's blog inspired me. I figure that if she has three wild and crazy kids and still finds time to post new entries on her blog, so can I!

JC and I were in San Diego with the Sandberg family for the Fourth of July. JC had flown out a few days before me. While left to his own devices, he and his nephew, Ryland, hatched a little "Welcome to San Diego" surprise for me. I started getting nervous when Ryland told me repeatedly while waiting for my baggage in the airport that he and Uncle J. had a surprise, but that I had to be in my bathing suit to get it! The next day I came out of the bathroom, swimsuit clad, to a spray of super-soakers. Welcome to the family Aunt Lauren!

Super-soakers aside, we had a great time in San Diego! JC thought it would be fun to bury Ryland while were at the beach one day. I think Ryland thought it was pretty fun too! Here he is completely buried ...

The Point of No Return, Part I

I’m a firm believer in pacing myself, but Lauren has informed me in her kind and loving way (translated - threatened with a large stick) that blogging once a month is not acceptable.

Much has happened since I last put my long digits to the keyboard. On June 21, 2008, our dear friends hosted an incredible engagement party for us. Lauren and I fondly refer to this event as the "Point of No Return, Part I." According to Lauren, we are now "really committed" to getting married. The "Point of No Return, Part II" is the day the wedding invitations go in the mail (this happened last Tuesday), followed closely by the "Point of No Return, Part III," the actual wedding day (remember to stand with knees bent to avoid fainting).

As we've observed our married friends, we've also become aware of another momentous day in a couple's journey together known as the "Day You Completely Lose Your Mind" or "Serenity Now!" more commonly referred to as the day child number one arrives.

We are grateful to our families and friends, some of whom traveled a long way to attend, for celebrating this special occasion with us. I'm especially grateful my other girlfriend Lady Jane (aka the Bronze Goddess) came. Here she is with Lauren ...

It was a wonderful evening, creating memories for a lifetime. And best of all, no one fell in the pool. Special thanks to Tom and Linda for hosting the event.

Our "Invitation Situation"

JC and I have worked with quite a few wedding vendors over the past four months. Some of them have been good (our cake lady) and some have been not so good (I'll dish on that offline). There are a few, though, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and Megan Bailey with Pink Piggy Design is one of them.

Let me preface this post by admitting to you all that I have a full-blown obsession with stationery. Card stock, monograms, envelope liners … I LOVE IT! In fact, a few years ago, I gave personalized stationery to the members of my association’s political action committee as their annual gift. I’m quite certain that they all (especially those old-school railroad guys who work in Safety and Operations) rank it among the greatest of gifts ever received! So, knowing all this, you can only imagine what a painstaking process the wedding invitations were for me (and JC too).

"Pre-Piggy," we combed through book after book of invitations, dealt with more than a few snobby salesladies and stared in disbelief at the estimates they provided. Finally, JC, my wonderful down-to-earth fiancé, suggested that an evite might be the way to go!

By the beginning of April I was starting to get really nervous and I could tell that JC's patience was thinning. My future sister-in-law, Nikki, and our wedding photographer, her friend Megan Holdsworth, got wind of our situation and suggested that I check out Pink Piggy Designs. Owner Megan Bailey is the sole designer for Pink Piggy. You can check out her fun and creative designs online at www.pinkpiggydesign.com. I was pretty smitten after looking at Megan's gallery, so I called her and she assured me that we could do all of the designs for the save the date annoucements and the invitations via e-mail. The added bonus ... she said it would take her only THREE WEEKS from start to finish! I'll admit, I was pretty skeptical after being told by countless invitation people that it would take them six to eight weeks! But, true to her word, she delivered the save the dates in three weeks and the invitations in two!

I want to thank Megan for working so tirelessly on the save the dates and invitations for our wedding. She is a very talented (and patient) lady. For all those that are interested, Megan has a wonderful blog, www.pinkpiggydesign.blogspot.com, that has all sorts of great ideas for brides. Here is a little preview of the invitation she created for us. They should be in your mailboxes by mid-July!

Paper, what paper?

JC can attest that this semester, my final one, has been all about procrastination for me. It has gotten to the point where I call him on Friday afternoon and he refuses to make plans until he knows how much of Monday’s paper I’ve finished … overachiever. In fact, while reading this blog post, he actually looked up the word "overachiever" in his trusty Merriam-Webster's dictionary (that he never leaves home without) then called to tell me that there is no hyphen in the word which I had originally hyphenated. He then read the definition aloud. I’ve tried to co-opt Mr. Smarty-Pants into “helping” me write these short 15 page papers I have due every week, but I think he can see through that guise (I may or may not have had my swimsuit on when I asked the question).

Tonight is another evening of the same … paper due tomorrow (currently almost/somewhat/more than half written) and no sense of urgency on my end. I think part of the problem is that my graduate program doesn’t offer any “last semester” type classes. I’m imagining something along the lines of Underwater Basketweaving, Shuffleboard with Dean Arterton, or maybe even Wedding Planning for Political Managers.

Anyway, this blog is providing a nice distraction for the moment. Poor JC sat trapped in a 5 hour ethics class today that was required for all those admitted to the DC Bar. I imagine that his demeanor was much like that of a caged animal awaiting his eventual release while attempting to conduct business via blackberry.

On another note, we are looking forward to having both the Sandberg and Jones families in town for our engagement party this weekend. I’m sure we’ll have some great stories and photos to share next week. In the meantime, I thought I would post the picture below for your amusement. JC and I went to a baseball game a couple of weeks ago with my very good friends Brooke and Brandon Oak. During the game Brooke was able to capture this little gem which is fairly representative of every picture that JC and I take together.

I hope and pray that our wedding photographer, Megan, can get him to do something other than this in our wedding pictures!

The Vermontster Challenge

For all of our prospective wedding guests who are faced with traveling long distances to foreign lands for this once-in-a-lifetime event, I’m feeling the need to boost your spirits. So, I thought that I would share a few fun facts about The Green Mountain State to keep your level of enthusiasm high for the arduous journey that lies ahead.

Facts about Vermont, the unpublicized version ...

• Vermont has a cows-to-people ratio of 10 to 1;
• The National Rotten Sneaker Competition is held in Montpelier, Vermont;
• Vermont's Lake Champlain is rumored to be home to a sea monster named Champ;
• Killington, Vermont has twice voted to secede from Vermont and join New Hampshire; and
• Remember Howard Dean? He was our governor for 12 years.

Now, if you were on the fence about coming to the wedding before reading this … I’m certain that you are online buying your ticket as we speak!

In all sincerity, Vermont does have some wonderful and unique attributes we hope you will all take time to enjoy. At the very least, you should know that Vermont is home to both Ben & Jerry’s and Cabot Creamery, so you will find no shortage of low-fat treats during your visit. Your Vermont experience really won't be complete without a Ben & Jerry's Vermonster Sundae ... 20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, a banana, cookies, brownies and all your favorite toppings served up family-style in a bucket! For those of you who are lactose-inally challenged, here are some slightly less daunting recommendations for the weekend.

Manchester, Vermont
Nestled at the foot of 3,816-foot Mount Equinox, Manchester, Vermont is a shopper's paradise (you think I'm kidding, but I'm not). A trip to Vermont is never complete without our requisite stop at the outlets!

Hildene
Manchester, Vermont is home to Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln's 412-acre summer estate. Robert, the son of President and Mrs. Lincoln, first visited Manchester as a young man in the summers of 1863 and 1864 when he came to the Equinox Hotel with his mother and his brother Tad. He was so taken by the beauty of Vermont that some forty years later he returned to purchase 500 acres of land to build what he would call his ancestral home. Make sure you plan a visit to the property which has one of President Lincoln's Stove Pipe Hats on display and great views of the entire Equinox Valley.

The Orvis Company
For those fishing and hunting enthusiasts among us, make sure you stop by Orvis' new retail store. Charles Orvis founded the Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont in 1856. The Orvis’ flagship retail store is still located here and offers a huge array the finest fly fishing equipment as well as fly fishing classes.

The Southern Vermont Arts Center
Located in Manchester, Vermont is the Southern Vermont Arts Center, a non-profit art center for visual and performing arts. The Arts Center, which exhibits both classic and contemporary art, is housed in a beautiful National Historic Trust Mansion on the slopes of Mount Equinox. A traveling exhibition featuring the work of Time Magazine photojournalist Diana Walker will be on display during the September 6th weekend. SVAC's Garden Café serves wonderful lunches as well.

Dorset, Vermont
Approximately five miles north of Manchester is the town of Dorset, a well-preserved community with a charming town green bordered by painted white-clapboard houses with green shutters. Home to the first Vermont convention in 1776, Dorset now draws visitors with its much-respected Dorset Theatre Festival, swimming areas and deluxe gourmet fare restaurants. Should you be looking for some bedtime reading visit the website of the Dorset Historical Society at www.dorsethistory.com for a nailbiting history of the Town of Dorset.

J.K Adams and Company
J.K. Adams has been designing, manufacturing and distributing wood products from Dorset, Vermont since 1944. My sister and I will attest that we never leave home without a visit to the Kitchen Store! Located on three floors, the store has a huge variety of kitchen gadgets, gourmet foods and J.K. Adams signature products.

Stay tuned for more information on great restaurants in the area and a rundown of the weekend's events. For more information on things to do during your stay, please visit www.manchestervermont.net.

Grandpa Howard, Knee Pads and a Mean Air Guitar

This past weekend Lauren and I traveled to Utah to visit my 100 year- old grandfather, Howard Sandberg. Born in 1907, Grandpa Howard still enjoys reading the newspaper and eating. A little disconcerting to Lauren was the color of Howard’s feet when he walked into the family room (using his trusty walker). At 100 years of age, his circulatory system isn’t what it used to be. To Lauren’s relief, after a few minutes with his feet elevated they returned to a normal color. But ask yourself, is there a normal anything when you’ve inhabited this planet for a century?

Grandpa Howard is a wealth of family history, and if asked to regale with family stories, he will oblige—of special interest are stories of my father.

We had a very pleasant visit, and I am grateful Lauren had the chance to meet Grandpa Howard.

We also paid a visit to my friend Josh on Saturday morning. We had some tasty bagels and watched his son's soccer game. At the game, the intense Utah sun quickly roasted the top of JC's bald head, but Lauren's quick thinking and some sunscreen averted a major disaster. Editorial Note inserted by Lauren - The sunscreen may or may not have had some sort of self tanning element to it.

The rest of the weekend we spent with my cousin Scott and his family. A brief editorial note on Scott...To the consternation of many, Scott didn’t marry until he was 35. No one in the Sandberg family thought breaking Scott’s family record was possible—until I took up the challenge. With Lauren’s help, I will beat Scott’s record by a few months. Scott has looked down on my accomplishment with no small measure of disdain because of my insignificant margin of victory— part of Scott’s “Go Big or Go Home” philosophy (more on that momentarily). A win is a win is a win—but I digress.

Editorial Note inserted by Lauren - The following picture is not for the faint of heart ...

Eight weeks ago, Scott suffered an unfortunate snow skiing injury. While setting out on what he thought was his last run of the day and the season (a truly prophetic thought), Scott hit an icy jump, went way too “big”, missed the landing zone, and landed in the flat breaking both heels (calcaneus bones for you medical wunderkind). I’m wincing as I type this. Needless to say, Scott has not walked since the accident two months ago. His current mobility choices consist of a wheelchair and a set of kneepads.

I don’t think there’s anyway to adequately paint a picture of Scott crawling around on all fours up and down stairs, into his kids’ room, or mowing the lawn (don’t ask). But I can safely say no one has a better attitude while recovering from a serious injury. And there is no more attentive caregiver than his saintly wife. Editorial Note inserted by Lauren - This saintly wife not only runs a marathon in 3 hours and 15 minutes, but also makes this transcendental banana cake that I will forever crave.

Cousin Scott has two sons. Son #1, age 7, is an accomplished Guitar Hero player (his mother is world class). Son #2, age 4, aspires to someday play Guitar Hero. In the meantime, Son #2 is a precocious, make that prodigious, air guitarist. When I visited last year, he played his battle axe. This trip he transcended the battle axe and graduated to the pantheon of air guitar immortals. He didn’t just play the air guitar, he was swept up in the moment, feeling every note— floppy curly hair covering his eyes, head gyrating, sound effects emanating, fretting, strumming—the complete package. He paid homage to the great rock guitar gods—picture Eddie Van Halen meets Nigel Tufnel.

Thanks to Scott and family for a wonderful weekend of great memories. We look forward to seeing Scott and his wife at the wedding...without the wheelchair or the kneepads.

Accommodations in Manchester and Dorset

During our trip to Vermont we also looked into accommodations for our guests. This proved to be more difficult than either one of us had ever imagined. With the exception of the Equinox, there are no large hotels in the Manchester/Dorset area. Lodging is comprised mainly of small to medium sized family owned inns. Some of these places we consider to be very “country” and some of them are a little more contemporary. We suggest that you visit the websites of these inns or call Lauren to figure out which style you would prefer most. Also, September is prime time for tourism … so remember to book early!

The Equinox Hotel (Manchester, VT)
www.equinoxresort.com
Rates from $399 plus a $25 resort fee per night

The Dorset Inn (Dorset, VT)
www.dorsetinn.com
Rates from $350 per night

* Both the Equinox Hotel and the Dorset Inn have undergone major renovations in the last year.

The Barnstead Inn (Manchester, VT)
www.barnsteadinn.com
Rates from $110 per night

The Inn at Willow Pond (Manchester, VT)
www.innatwillowpond.com
Rates from $198 per night

The Manchester View Motel (Manchester, VT)
www.manchesterview.com
Rates from $115 per night

The Wilburton Inn (Manchester, VT)
www.wilburtoninn.com
Rates from $150 a night

The Inn at West View Farm (Dorset, VT)
www.innatwestviewfarm.com
Rates from $110 per night

The Barrows House (Dorset, VT)
www.barrowshouse.com
Rates from $145 per night

The Dovetail Inn (Dorset, VT)
www.dovetailinn.com
Rates from $85 per night

The Marble West Inn (Dorset, VT)
www.marblewestinn.com
Rates from $125 per night

Wedding Planning ... JC and Lauren Style

JC and I visited Vermont in April to kick off the wedding planning with my parents, Steve and Lee Jones. We met with our florist, had our cake tasting and my Dad treated us both to a special Steve Jones' mud-season off-roading adventure (please keep at least one eye on the road at all times Dad).

JC has been really involved in the whole wedding planning process. Here we are looking at flowers and linens with our florist Nancy ...

Hmm, I'm sure he was just using that computer to get ideas for floral arrangements.

Actually, I have to give credit where credit is due, JC has been very involved in the whole wedding planning process. He picked out those pink "Save the Date" notices you all received and is looking forward to never living it down with his best friend, Jon.

Getting to Vermont ... Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Getting to Manchester, Vermont is no easy task. It often involves multiples modes of transportation and deft driving abilities. For those traveling by plane, the recommended airport is Albany International Airport (ALB), New York. After reading this some of you might be wondering why you are flying into an airport in another state. Take my word for it, Albany, New York is the closest airport to Manchester, Vermont. The drive from Albany to Manchester is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

From Albany Airport to Manchester, Vermont

Leave the airport and take I-87 North (2.8 mi);
Merge onto NY-7 E via EXIT 7 toward TROY/ COHOES (29.1 mi);
Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto the BENNINGTON BYPASS (Crossing into VERMONT) (1.2 mi);
The BENNINGTON BYPASS becomes VT-279 E (4.6 mi);
Stay STRAIGHT to go onto US-7 N (20.9 mi);
Take the VT-11 W/ VT-30 N exit, EXIT 4, toward HISTORIC VT-7A (0.3 mi);
Turn LEFT onto VT-11/ VT-30/ DEPOT ST (1.5 mi);
End at Manchester Center, Vermont

From Manchester to Dorset, Vermont
Continue on VT-30 N (6 mi)
End at Dorset, Vermont

Curly Hair and a Red Sweater (but not Mr. Rogers' sweater)

Every story has a beginning, and the best stories we hope never end. So the story of Lauren and JC (the Seven Year Itch) begins in the summer of 2001 with curly hair and a red sweater. Summer 2001 was an interesting political time in Washington, DC. Throughout early 2001, a moderate Republican Senator from Vermont was growing more and more disillusioned with the direction the newly-elected President was taking the Republican party. On May 24, 2001, that growing discontent boiled over and Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican party, giving Democrats control of the United States Senate.

This event became an important footnote in our personal history. Lost in the political earthquake that day in May was a newly-minted counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Jeffords assumed the leadership of that committee from Harry Reid and, given the opportunity, I decided to stay on the committee staff and work with the new Chairman and committee Democrats.

The day after the switch, Lauren, fresh out of college, joined Senator Jeffords' personal office as a staff assistant. For some reason, I have never forgotten the first time I saw Lauren. It wasn’t that sparks flew, because they didn’t (that would come years later), but I distinctly remember her curly hair and red sweater sitting behind a desk in the Jeffords’ reception area answering phones. We wouldn’t begin dating for several years, but that first introduction began our story. And seven years later, after many twists and turns, a profound friendship, and a little cajoling, our story, like the best stories, has no end in sight.

So, I thank Jim Jeffords for many things, but most of all, I thank him for Lauren.

Put simply—no Jeffords’ switch, no Lauren and JC.