Minnesota Ex-Expatriate Mark Rikess brought his betrothed to Minneapolis for the Fourth weekend and met up with old friends at 43rd and Nicollet in South Minneapolis today. Over omelets and toast at the Anodyne, the group reminisced about old times and adventures.
Mark left Minnesota for LA in 1985, establishing a base for a variety of auto after-market businesses. Before leaving Minneapolis, he had established himself as an unrepentant party animal, a distinction not lost on Stan and Kathleen's fun-loving teenager, Marcelline. The 80s party pair were reunited today and Marcy also got to meet Mark's future wife. They were recently engaged in Egypt, in the shadow of the Great Pyramid, moments after the Call to Prayer. Mark, 61 and never married, presented Julia with a jumbo Rikess heirloom for her ring finger. Today Mark presented Stan with a CD of classic summer-time hits, pulling an instant gift from his trunk, after discovering that tomorrow was Stan's Big Day. Marcy's carefully-thought-out be-ribboned gift came in a plain wrapper (below).
Mark has converted Julia to Twins fandom and the pair has attended the past two games in the new ball park -- both losing efforts, but enjoyable nonetheless. After seeing Mark's family, the couple will return to LA tomorrow.
