To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories and play our songs again.
– Ricky Nelson, American actor, musician, singer-songwriter

Susan’s graduation day, June 1986. Timeless cotton dresses. Number 1 song at the time: Madonna’s “Live to Tell.”

After getting together for dinner this past Sunday evening with my college roommates, Susan Rusconi and Susie Merrill, I thought it would be fun to stroll down memory lane with a pictorial tribute to 31 years of fashion, fun, and friendship. We met in the fall of 1982 at the University of California at Davis. Mostly everyone on the second floor of the Struve II dorm were transfer students from two-year community colleges, except for Susan, who was a freshman. Susie lived across from my dorm room, and Susan lived with her roommate Reeva a few doors down. After our dorm year, Susie, Susan, and Betsy, my dorm roommate, and I moved into an apartment on Adams Street. We were roommates for two years in our two-bedroom apartment. After Betsy graduated, got married, and moved back to her hometown of San Diego, Susie and I remained – we both worked on campus – while Susan finished up her senior year, and we replaced Betsy with a graduate student roommate.

July 1986: A 100-plus day in Davis on campus, saying goodbye before we move on to the next phase of our lives. Timeless tanks and shorts. Blue is one of our favorite colors. Number 1 song at the time: Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.”

After Susan graduated, Susie went to Yale for graduate school in epidemiology, I did two years of volunteer work in Alaska and San Francisco for the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. and then attended the creative writing program at Syracuse University, and Susan plunged into the burgeoning world of high-tech in Silicon Valley and eventually got her MBA from Santa Clara University. Through the years, we have kept our friendship alive and gotten together, thanks to all three of us living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Here is to 31 years and more of friendship, with a fun look at fashion and hairstyles of the 1980s, 1990s, up to the present.

July 1986: Cookies and cream drinks, TGIFriday in Sacramento, and another photo with a waiter. Our line to waiters: “You have expressive hands.” It works every time for a reaction. Pastels, blues, florals. and stripes. Popular song in July: Genesis’s “Invisible Touch.”

Summer 1987 at Susie’s parents’ home in Santa Rosa. Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” was a top hit at this time.

Christmas 1987: Jewel-tone or colorful sweaters. My uni: cardigans, soft blouses, and floral skirts. George Michaels’ “Faith” is top of the charts.

Circa 1990 at El Torito with our token waiter.

Summer 1990 in San Francisco: Belts, bold prints, and fun masks. Wilson Philips’ “Hold On” was hot in June.

October 1991 in San Francisco: Bridesmaids’ dresses are shimmery burgundy, earrings and dresses by Susie, seamstress extraordinaire.

1992 in San Francisco: Graduate school sweatshirts. My weekend uni in XL. Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” was tops.

Reprisal at Susie’s parents’ porch, 1993: pastels and scarves.

A tradition of Christmas high tea at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, 1996. More scarves, blue, and black.

September 1998: Simple yet elegant navy bridesmaid dresses by Susie.

October 2001, Palace Hotel high tea birthday celebration for Susie: Black and blue wardrobe again against a beautiful autumn bouquet.

October 2013: The secret to staying young at heart: family, friends, and boundless love and joy to share.

October 2013: Timeless and ageless, thanks to 31 years of friendship. Here’s to the next half….

 Nurture your friendships and be thankful.