We met online and our first date was lunch in Boulder in January 2016. We can't remember the actual date. I was training for a race in Leadville and was sharing that I was tired and a little nervous for the Heavy and he said Half? He was wearing a finisher's shirt that he hadn't worn in a couple of years. The date lasted about 6 hours. Six months later, we were in Leadville. I finished the race with him cheering me on.

Picture it...Christmas tree lit, dogs playing, the finest boxed wine and Christmas Vacation on TV. We had decided to exchange Christmas presents before going to Michigan for the holiday. My present to Scott was first and he revealed a most epic thrift store find...a penny farthing lamp for his night stand. It was my turn to unwrap my gift. I unwrapped one box to find another wrapped box, unwrapped that box to find a small ring box taped to the bottom, when I looked up Scott was on his knee with a ring in hand.

The wedding and reception to follow at the same location.

Scott’s maternal great grandparents lived in Scranton , PA from about 1899 to 1957. Alexander Gulbin and Elizabeth Quinn Gulbin married 1/28/22 eventually having a family of two boys and two girls. Scott’s grandmother, Dorothy, was their youngest, born in 1926. Alex, a truck driver and laborer, started working in the coal mines in the late 30’s. During the same timeframe... Karen's paternal grandparents Frank Randinitis and Adela Verbus were born in Scranton, PA in 1910 and 1912. They lived down the street from each other and married in 1932. Frank Randinitis worked in the coal mines in the 30s and moved his family to Detroit, Michigan in 1941 as coal mining work was drying up. Frank's brother, Joe Redman, was killed in the mines in 1939 and that was the only day Frank didn't go to work. We continue to wonder if over the 30 years of overlap, if their paths ever crossed. The family story suggests that after several years underground (eventually losing sight in one eye, hearing in one ear and developing black lung) he became fond of alcohol , particularly on payday. This fondness lead to frequent over indulgence and the need to be escorted home by a friend, a recipient of his generous round buying or by the local police. When Elizabeth needed most of the paycheck the only person who could get him to come home was his baby, Dottie, as she was called. Money was tight always. About 1957 when Alex and Elizabeth needed a safe landing and distance from bad habits and Dottie needed some help with her family, they moved to Syracuse, New York. Dottie’s husband Bill (Scott’s grandfather) was all for a new start for them. He warned Alex that Syracuse was a busy industrial city where the locals and police would not be friendly to a drunk needing to get home.

All was well for awhile. Alex was setting print for the Syracuse PostStandard, the morning paper. Better working conditions and pay. The lure of the drink and probably loneliness brought back old habits and eventually Bill got a called from the jail to come bail out his father-in-law. He would not. At Alex’s court appearance the Judge asked who was there for Alex. Bill told the judge, he wasn't here for Alex but for my wife, Dorothy. Bill told Dottie this is my one and only time. The judge had words for Alex that made an impact and Alex never drank again for the rest of his life. Bill showed Alex how to open a savings account and pay yourself first as well as the magic of compounding interest. Alex had a new addiction, saving money and getting his savings pass book stamped the first of the month so the bank couldn’t forget! A few years later he had more money saved than he had ever seen in one place. He surprised his wife Elizabeth in 1966 with a 2+ carat diamond ring that she cherished and was overwhelmed by. Alex told Elizabeth he couldn’t make up to all the family for what he had done. At her death, Dorothy got and wore the ring until her death when it passed to Scott’s mom who before her death passed it to her sister, Donna, to wear with the understanding if Scott ever had a use for it the ring would be his. His Aunt Donna brought the ring to Estes in the summer of 2018 anticipating the wedding we will soon all witness.