Marcus is a small manufacturer based in Wales, UK. They make hybrid instruments: concertina action, accordion reeds.
I now also have a Dipper GD Anglo, amboyna wood ends and ebony keys hand turned from reclaimed piano keys.
In 2009 I was chosen to be the associate director of my lab. In 2011, Karen and I determined we could easily retire in 2014 at age 62 and still travel internationally once a year. Of those two, the second is better by far.
In 2011 our son, Zach, took a super sweet position as a teacher in Bogata, Colombia. He receives two salaries, actual raises, a generous housing stipend, and a free master’s degree program. It allowed Karen and me to add South America to the list of continents we’ve visited.
In 2012 our daughter, Sarah, became the manager of one of the restaurants in the company for which she works and turned it around. It’s close by and we get to see her frequently. That and lots of comped chow makes for a pretty sweet deal for Karen and me.