Details

We’ve chartered a boat to take us on a lunchtime cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington.

• Sunday June 29th, 2025
• Boarding at 11:30am
• Departure at Noon
• Return at 3:00pm

Refreshments: Buffet lunch and drinks will be provided.

• Waterways Cruises and Events Homeport
• 901 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
• Paid parking is available at several nearby lots, but please allow 10 minutes to walk back to the dock
• Map and directions:

RSVP

Please let us know whether you will be attending by June 1st:

RSVP Here

Contact rsvp@kubischta.com if you have questions.

Our Story

Over half a century ago, Kay was not thrilled with the prospect of becoming the “dutiful” Japanese wife. She decided to instead look at what the country of her citizenship could offer. She headed east and arrived in Seattle in the summer of 1973. In the fall, while visiting a childhood friend in eastern Washington, she came to the realization that her funds were not unlimited and she’d need to find a job if she wanted to remain in the United States.

Meanwhile, Raymond was about to finish college and was looking for employment that would provide a way out of the “icebox” that was, and is, winter in North Dakota. Employment prospects were not great at that time (are they ever?). [For the details, see “The 1973 Oil Crisis,” one of many examples where world events have effects on personal decisions.] He made the choice to accept what was available and moved to eastern Washington in January 1974.

So, as fate usually works, it put Kay and Raymond at the same, unlikely place - in the desert at an analytical chemistry laboratory on the Hanford Site north of Richland, Washington. In Raymond’s memory he doesn’t recall when he first noticed Kay. Mostly he was trying to figure out what his job was supposed to be. Kay’s recollection is more specific: she noticed his interesting non-conformities and wondered how could she get his attention. A few months later they were formally introduced. And the rest, as they say, is just history. They were married about a year later on April 12, 1975.

Despite their different backgrounds, a city girl army brat from the east and a farm kid from the prairie, they made a life together. Kay describes Raymond as her rock on whom she could always depend, while Raymond feels that Kay has smoothed the rough edges of that stone. With two smart, accomplished kids who now have well-chosen life partners and two maturing grandkids it seems to be a life well-lived.

Invitation

To our old and new family and friends we hope you will be able to join us in celebrating our fifty years together. Please join us on the 29th of June.

Postscript

Mount Rainier has always been a special place for us. In our first years it was a green oasis from the heat and dust of the eastern Washington summers. We would drive through Yakima in the early morning and follow the Naches and American rivers on old highway 410 up to Chinook Pass. The road makes a constant climb over 4000 feet, with a final push hugging the side of a steep canyon. The mountain is barely visible from the river valleys so the first clear view of Rainier at the pass was startling. Even more so for a flatlander from the midwest. Kay grew up in Japan with the sense that Mount Fuji was a special place and it seemed that Fuji had followed her here in the guise of Rainier. Even when we lived elsewhere we would try to visit to energize our spirits. Now, for thirty-nine years we have been fortunate to have our mountain in the backyard, visible whenever the sky would clear. We hope you too will be able to experience Rainier on your visit even if only from a distance.

Nearby Activities

Some other things to do nearby:

• MOHAI (Museum for History and Industry) is a quick walk from the Waterways Pier and a fun way to learn about the history of the Seattle area.
  mohai.org
• Center for Wooden Boats is also a quick walk from the Waterways Pier and has a small free museum/gallery and boats for rent (1 hour first come first serve boats are sometimes available for free!)
  www.cwb.org
• Seattle Center and the Space Needle are a short drive away. The Seattle Science Center is also here.
  www.seattlecenter.com
• Volunteer Park, the Conservatory, and the Asian Art Museum are a short drive up the hill for a nice park to walk around in.
  Volunteer Park

Example Styles

These styles can be used in your content. Delete this section before publishing.

i = 0;

while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
    print 'Iteration ' + i;
    deck.shuffle();
    i++;
}

print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';