Kurt Schlatzer

Elizabeth and I just returned from 8 days on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. We were married on July 18th at sunset. Anne Marie Porter was our officiant, and Michelle of Blue Glass Photography expertly captured the moments. Anne Marie provided a wonderful ceremony. Thank you, Anne Marie, for making us both feel so relaxed and for making sure we took the time to soak up the island vibes while we said our vows. Michelle was a pleasure to work with as well. We hit it off immediately, making this photographer comfortable on the other side of the lens for a change!

While we were on St. John, we stayed at an incredible villa called "The Castle" on top of a mountain on the east, and less settled, end of the island. The view was magnificent.

Watch the slide show of our trip and wedding photos...

I served actively in the US Navy from 1985 to 1989. On Friday, June 22, I attended my former submarine's inactivation ceremony in Norfolk, VA. The Minneapolis-St. Paul SSN-708 is being retired this year after two decades of continuous service. It was a well attended event, with more former shipmates in attendance than I had anticipated.

I really enjoyed seeing the men that I shared some of the hardest, craziest, and most incredible times of my life with once again. I hadn't seen any of them since I left the Navy in 1989. We caught up, swapped stories, drank beer like we were still in our twenties, and reflected on the highs and lows of our experience. All it took was a smile, a handshake or a hug to bring back memories and names that hadn't been spoken of in almost two decades.

After the pier-side ceremony, attendees were permitted to tour the submarine. Elizabeth and I carefully descended through the hatch and dropped into a world of tight space, cold metal, strange smells and the sound of humming electronic equipment. She couldn't believe that 120+ guys spent months at a time underwater in such an environment. As we followed our group and guide, a current crew member, I filled in some details, adding commentary and stories as we went along. It felt as if I had left the boat only yesterday. It looked the same, it smelled the same and it sounded the same. Memories came flooding back--most good, some bad. As I gripped the handles of the periscope for the last time, I felt like I should slip into my uniform and get back to work plotting the ship's course, updating the charts...

I didn't think seeing my old shipmates, attending the ceremony and taking that final tour aboard would have had the emotional impact that it did. I really felt my heart sink as I walked down the pier for the last time.

Link: The local news coverage of the ceremony.

Spyder is just a bit over 6 months old and he continues to amaze us with his rapid growth, intelligence and dynamic personality. He's getting along with all the other cats as well.