Looking BackFor our friends with short attention spans, here’s how our year played out. We bought a flat, missed our 20th and 30th high-school reunions, moved in together, said goodbye to Miss Kitty, went on a cruise to Alaska, met Douglas’ sister Julie and her family at Disneyland and spent Thanksgiving in Walla Walla, where Douglas decided to return home to SF with a minor fracture to his right arm.
Our New Home
When we fell in love with a Victorian flat (13’ ceilings, original details, updated kitchen, on a tree-lined street), we hesitated to get our hopes up. The stars aligned and we now call it home.
We met Faye, a real estate agent, the first Sunday in January, attended a first time buyer’s seminar, reviewed the disclosures five days later, and three hours in to the review, we made an offer. The owners made a counter-offer, which we countered and they accepted. In March we signed the final papers, got the keys and spent two days painting the lavender-colored bedrooms to an acceptable coffee color.
We’re spending our first Christmas in our new home. It’s been a lot of fun going through our combined decorations, and we’re looking forward to new traditions.
Miss Kitty
Always the lady, Kitty shared her life with us and added more to our home than we can admit. At 18, time caught up with her. She had kidney disease and thyroid issues. Medical care (such as sub-Q fluids and pills) extended her time, but in September we had to make the decision to put her to sleep and she went quietly with the two us petting her. We still catch a glimpse of her wandering the house.
Travel
Douglas had one state left visit to finish his tour of the 50 states and in September, we took a cruise to Alaska, canoed among the icebergs, flew in a float plane, and observed a few bears in their natural habitat. We had a family holiday in Walla Walla. Aside from the big dinner, we spent time playing games, watching movies and tasting some of the local wines.
Work
Douglas spent the past year developing training products. It has been a busy year and he’s still inspired by the people he works with and daunted by the fact that the products he has worked on will be viewed by over 150,000 people in 2008.
Frank took a job at the Federal Reserve Bank in January of this year (his first full-time job in over eight years, though he would claim that taking care of Douglas is a full time job.). If you are in SF and want to see the dollar bill signed by Benjamin Franklin or big bins of cash, let him know and he’ll hook you up with a tour.
Book Recommendations
Douglas is still the reader in the house (at least in the traditional sense of the word) and recommends the following:
· Children of Eve – Angela Carter
· Tanglewreck – Jeanette Winterson
· His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
Frank recommends faster reading options, such as TMZ.com to get your celebrity fix.
NetFlix Recommendations
For Bollywood to independent films, Netflix continues to be our favorite resource for seeing films (the 46” flat screen TV doesn’t hurt!). Here are few films we really enjoyed this year.
· Hot Fuzz (comedy)
· Paradise Now (political drama)
· Across the Universe (acid trip)
· Notes on a Scandal (drama)
· Water (Indian drama)
Looking to 2008
2007 was a year of change. We had new jobs, a new home, and we were living together for the first time. So looking to 2008, we are planning to continue with our current employers, adopt two kittens, continue to work on our home and we have two vacations planned.
Kittens – We plan on adopting from the SPCA and plan on getting two little girls (please feel free to suggest names, though Betsy already has dibbs on Laverne and Shirley).
Home – We need to build shelves in the laundry area, get curtains for the dining room and, of course, create a welcoming space for both guests and the girls.
Travel – February is our date with nature, specifically the volcano on the big island of Hawaii. We’re looking forward to some beach time, hiking, and kayaking down the old sugar cane canals.
Six months later we’ll celebrate Douglas’ 40th birthday in Italy. Frank spent a year in Italy, so he will provide a more “local” experience to the trip, though Douglas wants to join the tourists to see the David in person, walk the streets of Pompeii, and if possible, stand on a hilltop and cry out, “Beauty” (ala “A Room with a View”).
We’re also committed to making time to visit New York City this year since we were unable to do so in 2007. If the stars align, we look forward to crossing paths with you in 2008.
“I spoke with God the other day. She said it is not her place to interfere with politics and she doesn’t care whether a Democrat or a Republican wins the presidential race in 2008, as long as it is a woman. Vote accordingly.”- Anonymous
