Looking Back
There is nothing like the sound of the Salvation Army bells to put you in the Christmas mood, that or a lawsuit from Jerry Falwell for not saying Merry Christmas! What with world poverty, wars, terrorism and all the other minor issues in the world, I am a little mystified that the people who brought us the “What Would Jesus Do” bumper stickers for their SUVs really believe that lawsuits would help spread the love of Jesus at this time of year. I guess it really sucks to be a Jewish bakery in America!
2005 has been a good year and I can easily count my blessings. Frank and I are looking to our fourth anniversary this year and he says MERRY CHRISTMAS too! We were able to witness the wedding of good friends, enjoy multiple visits from my entire family and had the opportunity to visit Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Russia, and Mexico.
Work is still challenging and many of you will be surprised by the fact that this is going to be my 12th year in San Francisco and my 5th at Franklin Templeton Investments. I guess living in the city isn’t just a phase, though it definitely challenges the buying-a-house milestone … shouldn’t I be up for a mid-life crisis in the near future? How will it ever happen if I don’t have something to pressure me toward freedom? Anyway, I intended to look back reflectively and I’m happy to say that last year’s resolution of spending time with friends over a home-cooked meal was enriching and is something I plan to continue in 2006.
Miss Kitty
The old girl is skipping into her golden years with a brand new body thanks to a Sr. Cat diet and basic running, and jumping at 4:00 in the morning.
Miss Kitty is pushing 17 years old and has taken up singing. Yes, I said singing! I’m not sure if she is practicing for singing with the angels but her favorite location to practice scales is in the bathroom, the one spot where the neighbors can enjoy her songs too!
Life on the Wicked Stage
As a “C” list subscriber to the 42nd Moon Theater season and now Berkeley Repertory Theater, I’ve kept abreast of monthly live events New Year’s Resolution. And while some images, such as the ghost of a murdered brother exacting revenge on the grandson of the murderer by reenacting a scarfing scene (you can Google it), are not performances that I would take my mother to see, it has been an interesting and challenging year of live performances.
The most amusing show was Hairspray in Finnish and Monty Python’s Spamalot on Broadway. Our Stephen Sondheim show of the year was Sweeny Todd, set in an insane asylum where the inmates enacted the story and played all of the instruments. The Light in the Piazza wins the most romantic show and the one that moved me to tears (I’m a sucker for a mother-figure crying within ten feet of me).
I’ve been informed that 2006 is going to be a tighten-the-belt year, so the quantity of live events will diminish.
NetFlix Recommendations
- The Constant Gardner
- Crash
- Downfall
- Heights
- Walk on Water
Looking to 2006
The LiFe To Do List
I’d love to report that we rented a villa in Italy this year or shot the flumes in Hawaii but it didn’t happen and that’s alright by me … it gives me something to do in 2006!This could also be the year that we begin planning a family reunion, paying off my student loans and maybe even taking a cooking class. Or it may be a year to plan for bigger adventures in 2007. For now, I’ve decided to leave it to the fates.
Random Quotes
- The best way to die is with a bullet from a jealous husband at age 90.
-Bob, Denver Resident - When I hear a screaming baby, I have just two words to say, “Birth Control.”
- Antti, Finland - Just think about carrying a baby around on your hip and then say, Hell no!
-Pamala, SFR Team Member - Freedom for me means curbing you.
- Jeannette Winterson, Weight - May the love and peace of my Lord Jesus be with all mankind this Christmas -- even unsaved trash like you, who run about spewing pagan incantations of jollity! Merry Christmas!
- Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian
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Happy Holidays!
