Christmas 2019
Greetings to All This Holiday Season!
Early this year, Cathy decided that our family room needed redecorating. On
her dime, the walls were repainted, and the fireplace was replaced with a
new surround, insert, and an 82-inch TV above it (my contribution). The sofa
and chairs went bye-bye, and in its place are now leather sofas. Push a
button and a footrest extends and the seat reclines. Why an 82-inch TV?
Simple, because Dave’s TV is 75 inches.
Cathy and Tori
Cathy, now a
25-year LAPD veteran, is midway through an online master’s degree in
Forensic Psychology, gaining skills she might use in a future phase of
life. On the job, she is in charge of her training unit, but
she and her team visit schools, assisting them in preparing for an
active shooter incident that they hope will never occur. She has also
authored
web articles about surviving an active shooter event.
In February, Cathy hosted a 50th birthday party at the house, a party
facilitated by long-time friends Kelly and Steve Place.
Cathy is secretary of the PTA at
Sequoia Middle School and does the techie stuff for the annual talent
show and its numerous tryouts and rehearsals. She also serves as my sounding
board and therapist.
Tori is now a 7th grader, a time of life when kids transition to teenagers—Tori turns 13 on January 18. I sighed as I decorated our Christmas tree on December 1, hanging numerous flat coaster-like ornaments adorned with Tori’s face, showing her evolution from a baby to a near young adult.
My Changing Life—Susie and I Break Up
In June, my lady friend Susie Wilson and I broke up. Susie had been the wife
of my officemate Taylor at JPL in
Pasadena and the four of us had gone to England together when Taylor and I
took new jobs with
ICL
(International Computers Ltd) in 1976. In July 2018, Susie had sent me a
message regarding Taylor, who had passed away in 2017. She had not known of
Mary’s passing. She and I got together subsequently, and a relationship
blossomed.
Initially we were in frequent contact, even traveling together around California, but her life was centered in Santa Maria, two hours away, and mine was centered here. We remain good friends.
I Meet Cheryl
Some time after the breakup, I connected with Cheryl Garfield through
Match.com. We met on a Saturday morning
at
Starbucks and talked for 2½ hours. In the afternoon, we shared popcorn
at the movies, watching
Downton Abbey.
That evening, we dined out.
For months, I had been hoping to travel to New England to see Fall Foliage there. Cheryl and I quickly became good friends and before long I popped the question, “Will you go to New England with me?”
There was hesitation initially, but she finally said, “OK,” and on October 3, we were off to Boston.
Cheryl and I See New England Fall Colors
Cheryl was born in Rhode Island, moved to Connecticut as a child, and came
to California as a young adult. Her two siblings remain in New England, as
does her heart, and to her, this trip was like going home. She stays in
California because that’s where her three daughters and three (soon to be
five) grandsons live. I asked her at some point, “If during the trip, you
had decided this was a huge mistake, did you have a getaway plan?”
She replied, “I would have just called my sister in Connecticut, and said, ‘Jackie, come and get me!’”
We spent three days in Boston, a week driving New England roads, and three
days in New York City, without a single disagreement! We saw great sights
and had visits with 19 people: 4 friends of mine, and 15 friends and
relatives of Cheryl. It was a remarkable trip and I expect there’ll be more
travel for us in the new year.
Jenny
Jenny has worked at
Meyers Nave
for about five years, and in early December was one of three lawyers
selected to be elevated to principal there in January 2020. She's delighted
to "have the opportunity for more responsibility and to help guide the firm
going forward," she says, and our family is very proud of her achievement.
On the side, this 1999 graduate of Northwestern Law School has become a foster mom for cats, taking homeless cats into her home and caring for and loving them until the cat is adopted.
Brian and Marion
Brian’s Adobe work on managing teams
for their numerous subscription plans continues. Likewise,
Marion’s work on graphic design
projects keeps her busy. This summer their family of five flew to Rome,
in response to the kids’ desire to see
Pompeii. From Rome they
took a train to Munich and stayed with Marion’s parents for the rest of
their vacation.
The twins turned 10 in September and Lucie becomes a teenager on January 1. The three decided they needed more mature names and Lucie, Jamie, and Nicky are now Lucia, James, and Nicholas.
Dave and Jen
Dave and Jen have moved to
Mar Vista, just south of Santa Monica. Lucas
turned 2 on December 1 and sometime in May will become a Big Brother, a role
he’ll savor. Jen and Dave work mostly from home, and Jen’s role as
Director of Sales at
Maven Clinic now affords her a chance to use the benefits she sells.
Dave’s role in acquiring
new users for internet-based companies continues to be profitable, but
being the risk-taker he is, he and a friend have founded
Split, a ride sharing service like Uber or Lyft that uses lane-splitting
three-wheeled motorcycles. You don’t drive but simply ride. He expects big
growth in the new year.
Our family and Jen’s family got together at Thanksgiving at their home and
had a wonderful time, with Teresa (Mary’s sister) and John, the expert
turkey barbecuer, joining us. My sister Sue flew out from Chicago. Last year
we celebrated in Paso Robles, in deference to Teresa and Mary’s dad, a World
War II veteran who had led a remarkable life, but who
passed away on June 10 at the age of 98.
Volker and Marion
My German son Volker, wife Marion, and my 8-year old grandson Alexander
visited us in the summer after a trip to Arizona and Utah. They, Cathy, and
I cycled from the famed Santa Monica pier to
Muscle Beach and back.
The trip gave Alexander an opportunity to practice his English. He learned
the expression “But it’s a dry heat!” to explain the frequent 100-degree
plus temperatures they had encountered.
Year End Celebrations
For me, Thanksgiving is now the focal point among year-end celebrations. Christmas gift-giving among us adults has devolved into just an opportunity to treat the grandkids.
I continue to help others with computer issues, setting up Windows 10
machines and typically spending a few hours each day in front of one. At the
same time, I’ve averaged over 100,000 steps per week on my Fitbit.
If you need a new computer, simply invite me to your house. I’ll help you
buy it, set it up, and regale you with stories that will amaze and entertain
you. Any takers?
We wish you a wonderful new year. May you prosper and maintain good health.