Connect How did your love story begin?

In '92, I was headed to grad school at NAU in Flagstaff. My dad went to a conference and met a man whose kids were at NAU. He got their numbers, and of course, I refused to call. 9 months later, I met Patrick at a little dive bar. We started dating. I called tell my parents about him: that he grew up in AZ, that his dad was a football player, etc. My dad went silent, then: “Is his name Patrick? And does he have a sister named Michelle? Because you were supposed to call him 9 months ago."

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

Our family has a rustic cabin on a pond in Vermont. For the last twenty years, we have spent our summers there. For the last fifteen, we have driven from San Diego to Vermont each year with kids and dogs in tow. Our fondest memories are not the road trips (those really stink) but the time spent together at "camp" – watching our daughters get to be country mice, to explore, to be feral. They are grown now, but they still join us every year from their respective homes in San Francisco and TX.

What would you do with $20,000?

With $20,000, we would love to build a little bunk house on our Vermont property so that when our kids start their own families we will have room for everyone. I am a novelist, and my husband runs the San Diego Public Library Foundation, so the bunkhouse would also be fully stocked with books. I've already started a library for our future grandchildren, but don't tell my daughters this ;)