XLIII

10 years ago, during Thanksgiving week of 1999, I went on a lunch date. It went pretty well; we said goodbye at 1:30… AM. I lived upstate in Rochester at the time and she was in Queens, so by June of 2000 I was back home in Westchester to be closer to her. In December of 2000 we were engaged, and on September 29, 2001 Ann Lee became Ann Lee Faranda. 

Luke arrived 9 months and 2 weeks later; After a miscarriage, Catherine came to us in January of 2004. In December of 2004 Gregory completed our “Korean Twins,” and Mark was born in March of 2007. 

In the midst of all this production, Ann got her real estate license and started to help me build the company. With her help (and belief in me), the company went from a part-time venture out of a bedroom in mid-2005 to a dozen agent operation and growing, with multiple offices as I type this. Her strengths made up for my weaknesses, and we have made a great team. 

So today, 43 year years to the day after she was born and 10 years and a few days after we first met I have to say that I’m glad I took her to lunch. She didn’t look her age when we met and like most “cougars,” she sure doesn’t look her age now. That is saying a great deal for a self employed mom of 4, all under the age of 8…and who has to deal with ME every day. 

A few things you don’t know about Ann, the silent partner who is not silent when we’re alone:

• After a 3-day ordeal giving birth to Luke and an Emergency C-Section, the first time she held her son she buried her face in his hair and said we should have 10 more. If we met at 23 instead of 33 we might have. 
• When she was in labor, she’s talk about what we needed to do differently next pregnancy/delivery.
• She speaks 5 languages.
• She plays piano, guitar and cello
• She OK’d a dog in our wedding party
• She is the company webmaster/webmistress (oh, the imagery) 
• She went to Columbia as an undergrad and has an MBA as well, but she is most proud of being a Stuyvesant alum
• She’s on only child who revels in our children’s relationships with each other
• She makes better lasagna than my mother
• If you can think of it, she can make an excel spreadsheet on it
• She types almost 200 wpm
• She still has the legs of a Rockette!
• In spite of the above facts, she still married ME.

So, lucky me, and happy birthday to Ann/Mommy/Mrs. Faranda, and at least 43 more (please).