Ann Arbor is a college town. Seemingly it always was and likely will ever remain so. The never aging procession of college students gives this town a timeless air about it. It is the home of the University of Michigan. It was supposedly named by the two gentlemen that founded the town for their two wives, who were both named Ann. I first came to A-squared, as it is colloquially known, in 1970. I was in-between my sophomore and junior years in high school. This move was just one more move in the seemingly never ending sequence of relocations that career military life brings with it. My Dad was a career Naval Officer and in 1970 he was retiring from the Navy. He was able to secure an NIH doctoral fellowship grant to Michigan and this brought us to Ann Arbor.

A year later I met Anne. I knew that she would be there, the movers told me so. Packing up all of our household belongings they could not but sense the gloom that pervaded our home. Moving from our nation’s capital to a small Midwestern town seemed like a step down and was not anticipated. Moving every four years gives you just enough time to grow attached to a place, before your newborn roots are ripped out and it is on to the next place. Those gentle movers must have sensed these feeling, because when they came to my room and found me moping in it, they knew just how to cheer me up. They spoke of girls, Michigan girls, who keep their boy friends warm on winter nights. Their cheering helped and a year later I met Anne. Ann Arbor has always held a warm spot in my heart.

On Wednesday Carl, Jay, Rey, Anne and I walked to downtown Ann Arbor. We walked to East University and then across the Diag, the logical center of town. In the center of the Diag is a brass M that is embedded into the walkway. Legend has it that if a student steps on the M, they will fail their next test. We continued walking and did some window shopping along the way at Robot Supply & Repair and Sam’s clothing store, before reaching our luncheon destination, the Blue Tractor Brewery. Lunch comprised sandwiches, burgers and beer. After lunch we stopped off at Kilwin’s candy store. We got there just in time to surprise Cousin Mouse when she showed-up for work there. We all trudged home, all the while facing a cold and freshening wind. Dave arrived safe and sound and reported having no problems with his flight or with the TSA.