The Valentine's stories have left me almost speechless; they are wonderful. When we married in 1967, Susan and I were (almost) the proverbial starving students. She got no diamond -- but a lovely all Columbus Atala, with Campy this-and-that, and Magistroni cranks. Used, of course.
We still have the Town & Country (Schwinn, chrome-moly) tandem we bought a couple of years later, and the pictures of Bill and Edith Lovely, the original owners. They put over 30,000 mi. on it (stripes on the Veeder cyclometer), including a double century in some unbelievable time when she was 59 and he was 61 -- with a 3-speed derailleur.
Our son joined us for an 840 mile bike-camping trip from Cleveland (OH) to Atlanta (GA) in 1975. Through the Appalachians. At least two days of hundred mile days in succession. She rode her (slightly-too-big) OTB (Only the Best; see Sheldon's site for more info). Of course, we weren't certain about our son yet; he was born the next winter... His revenge is fast motorcycles.
Time as been good; I'm grateful for so many things.
harvey sachs mcLean VA, but we've lived in Houston, Providence, Corvallis, Cleveland, Princeton, and Cosmopolitan Cranbury, NJ (pop 2000)