Yesterday evening we met Chad and his family for pizza. This spot features an outdoor deck allowing its discerning diners an opportunity to enjoy the loud traffic and their exhaust fumes intertwined with the pizza aromas. This affair continued the celebration of my and Jane's 36th. wedding anniversary. After Ted and Vicki's 39th, congratulations by the way, it's not much of an achievement for our family's generation. I almost forgot, are we counting common-in-law marriages? Of course we are. By my calculations this fall will mark Lindley and Sonja's 41st. Getting back to our evening, I was looking at Chad and felt there was something different with his appearance. It looked as though he was starting to grow a beard, probably displaying a week's worth of stubble. Somehow it slipped my mind that the last time I saw him he already sported a full beard. Almost through our meal he asked his mother if she saw any difference in his looks. It took her some time but she finally saw that his hair was more than a foot shorter, to the top of his ears, She had to be told about his missing beard. Honestly, I love her dearly but I will say her observations skills are lacking.