Timeline
Some key dates in the Anna & Chris chronology — pay attention because there will be a quiz.
- September 20, 1998
- On Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, hundreds of accordionists gather and play “Lady of Spain” in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book as the largest accordion band on record. The participants include a fetching lass from Rohnert Park and a handsome publishing assistant from Menlo Park. An evening news clip shows them standing within a few feet of each other, but they won’t meet for another five years.
- April 10, 2003
- Out of the blue, Chris receives a Friendster message from a cute accordion player in Oakland named Anna. Over the next few days, they discuss their mutual love of the squeezebox, “Malcolm in the Middle,” and the work of J. Otto Seibold. A first date is planned.
- April 15, 2003
- Anna and Chris meet face-to-face for the first time at the Borders on University Avenue in Palo Alto, right in front of the They Might Be Giants CDs. Their evening includes dinner at a Thai restaurant across the street, a display of Anna’s incredible accordion skills, and some quality time watching “Married by America.” A second date is planned.
- May 28, 2003
- Establishing a precedent for unique birthday gifts, Chris gives Anna an official Charlie Blacklock 26” musical saw for her birthday. They attend a musical saw festival in Felton, CA, together a few weeks later.
- August 27, 2003
- Upping the ante in the birthday gift department, Anna presents Chris with a ukulele-shaped box on his birthday. Inside, however, Chris doesn’t find a ukulele. His disappointment is immediately erased when he discovers two tickets to a Red Sox-Yankees game that Saturday in Boston (with Pedro Martinez scheduled to pitch).
- November 4, 2003
- Anna and Chris attend a performance and book signing by their idols, They Might Be Giants, at a Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books in San Francisco. When Chris has a book signed for his future child, Huckleberry Saccheri, John Flansburgh of TMBG tells him, “Good luck getting your future wife to go along with that.”
- February 7, 2004
- Anna and Chris make their semi-professional accordion duo debut as the featured entertainment at the Executive Ranch’s “Febtoberfest” party. Decked out in lederhosen (Chris) and a dirndl (Anna), and with a packed house cheering, they squeeze their way through such hits as “Beer Barrel Polka" and “Freut Euch Des Lebens.”
- October 27, 2004
- With a full moon in the sky and a Dominican flag on the wall, Anna and Chris celebrate the first Red Sox world championship in 86 years. Three days later, they fly to Boston to celebrate and attend the victory parade with three million other fans.
- February 5, 2005
- Tired of making the two-block trip between their respective homes in Mountain View, Anna and Chris finally move in together in Palo Alto. Anna plants a vegetable garden and Chris buys a Weber grill.
- May 23, 2005
- Facing a beautiful Maui sunset on Kaanapali Beach, Chris gets down on one knee and asks Anna to marry him. Much to his relief, Anna says yes. Chris seals the deal by placing a Funyun (onion-ring snack treat) on Anna’s finger. She eats it a few minutes later.
- April 15, 2006
- Viva Las Vegas!
