Somewhere along the line, even before a certain ex put my name on a missive about Maria Bartiromo and maybe even before Dan first complained about Christmas lights at the toll booths, I decided to become a Christmas card iconoclast. Yes, the office calendars go out every year (thanks Josh), but that’s business, and even those stopped going out to family members long ago.
But this year, considering how we will not be with family on December 25, it is time to put the Scrooginess aside. Kirsten, Andrew and I are looking forward to a Christmas Eve service at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral and Christmas Day in Chinatown, but our hearts, as always, will be with you.
A lot happened in 2012. Then again, a lot happened last year, too, and the year before, so I’ll forego the urge to catch you up on everything. Let me just recall and update something I mentioned at Thanksgiving: when we went around the table, I said I was thankful for reaching the point where I was about to enter my first 5K run the following weekend. Well, not only did I run that race, I won! True, the victory was for the 50 and over category, and yes, of the 150 total runners there were only four of us, one of whom walked the course, and maybe a 27 minute time is not a big deal, but I still have the medal proudly hanging from my rear-view mirror now. In a year of elections, heart palpitations, economic belt-tightening and fusses over child support, this is what will carry me into 2013.
With that, Merry Christmas, folks and siblings, and Peace to you wherever you may be on Christmas Day. We look forward to many more family gatherings in 2013, including those that overcome ocean distances but even these where we can get together on this here Stillwater blog!
Anyway, here's a picture from 2011. And now, maybe I’ll even think about putting up some Christmas lights. Then again, I wouldn’t want to shock the neighbors.
27 (beyond being my favorite number) is an outstanding time for any age--take that from a proud cross country coach! Congratulations and never stop! And in that consciousness, how did Yoshi manage to run out of the family portrait? Glad to see the happy humans at any rate.
ReplyDeleteOur own Yoshi (we're mulling the name Bronko) is arriving this Saturday: a flathair retriever with a bit of border collie, now almost 8 weeks old. We have the front fence now, and I have a gut I need to get rid of, and the kids have a craving to demonstrate responsibility and Katerina has... a generous amount of trust! Details soon.
Enjoy SF and a warm Christmas. Thanks much for this Christmas letter, inspiring perhaps a return to my erstwhile tradition of an Epiphany letter!