Mandolin Cafe circa 1996
Six months prior to launch my wife Annie and I--typical computer nerd couple, me a techie, she's a graphic artist--attended a MacWorld conference in Boston. There was but one book at the show on how to build a web site. I brought it home, read it twice and never looked back.
21 years later to the date I'm busy at my computer working hard to ensure the success of the Mandolin Cafe... OK, not really.
At the moment, if all has gone as planned, I'm breaking camp on Day 3 with a one-man tent in Big Bend National Park (Texas) on their signature Outer Mountain Loop through the Chisos Mountain and across the daunting Dodson Trail. A wireless signal out there is but a dream.
This is my idea of fun.
Being off the grid is exhilarating, something I don't often do but relish. I pressed the publish button on this article a week ago. The hike ends this afternoon and if you're in the vicinity of Marathon, Texas tonight you can join me in celebration of 21 years of mandolin nuttiness at the historic Gage Hotel's White Buffalo bar. I'm buying. Big Bend Brewing Company's Oktoberfest is sublime and I'm hoping there's one on tap like last year.
I keep thinking I'm going to make a big deal out of these anniversaries, but I never do.
Some very good friends help run this site and deserve our collective gratitude. It's for them this article is meant.
My thanks to Ted Eschliman for leading the forum and for being a friend and mentor. Dan Beimborn for his expertise as a system administrator and programmer, allowing us to have features and the kind of speed and reliability that most large corporations can only dream of. Forum moderators Jamie Stanek and Charlie Jones for their valuable input and support of our members. Forum moderator Mike Edgerton who handles registration requests, a 24/7 job, and other various technical duties while I'm off the grid. Annie Tichenor for being my best friend, graphic artist and all-purpose business partner. If there's something that looks bad on the site, I'm responsible. If it looks good, she did it. And to Shannon Skye Tichenor, our musically talented college attending daughter who was not yet born when the site launched. She brought incredible new music into our house we never would have dreamed of hearing.
In 1996 I wrote words that still appear on our About page, and yes, still apply today more than ever:
We hope you enjoy your visit and find our site a welcome relief from the stress of life. Thank you for allowing us to indulge in this bit of fun.
Thanks for visiting. Here's to the next 21 years.
Scott, Annie & Shannon Tichenor and Mandolin Cafe staff
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