Lauren and I met and started dating on October 25th of 1995. Shortly after we got together, Lauren entered a degree program at The Accupressure Institute in Berkeley. After completing the program, she added massage to her eclectic list of day jobs, working independently and through Whole Foods Markets. In 1997, Lauren completed her first EP, a self-titled three song demo CD that she used to book a solo U.S. concert tour the following year. At the same time, Lauren was developing her own jewelry company. Called "Lady Fingers: Modern Jewelry," it featured experimental designs made from non-traditional materials - combining silver and gems with cloth, fur, and found objects. She began selling her designs at art shows and in boutiques in Austin and San Francisco. She spent 1998 and 1999 pursuing music and jewelry design while living in Austin with brief stints in New York and the Bay Area, eventually moving back to Berkeley in the fall of 2000.

Lauren and I were engaged in the spring of 2001 and after a little more wandering (Amherst, MA and Stony Brook, NY), settled in Portland, Oregon. We were married at The Inn Above Onion Creek in Kyle, Texas on June 22nd, 2002 and honeymooned all over Italy. Back in Portland, Lauren continued with "Ladyfingers" and began work on a new(unfinished) CD. She also worked part-time at The Portland Alliance newspaper writing music reviews. She remained active in her outdoor pursuits, hiking, biking, and back-country camping. She was training as a (calm water) kayaking guide on the Willamette River in Portland. Always looking for an excuse to be out in nature, she had decided to become a white water rafting guide as well.