Editor’s Note: This letter didn’t actually go out in 2024. We decided, for a variety of reasons, to do something different. But, since I wrote it, and I like it, I’ve included it here for historical purposes. This may in fact, be the last one.
It seems like the last few years when I’ve sat down to write our holiday newsletter, my first thought has been, well, this is the last one of these since the world is coming to an end. I’d like to say I feel differently this year, but… nope. Thinking that way though, does give me a certain amount of motivation to make that ‘last diary entry’ as it were. And, being newly retired (more on that later) I’m trying to focus on the positives and finding those moments of joy or meaning amidst all the gloom and doom that is my daily news feed. (Must. Put. Phone. Down.)
Once again, our great joy this year has been visiting with the grand boys. And will continue to be until they become teenagers and are too cool to be seen with us. Tucker is in constant motion. Both Marion and I have noticed that we don’t get as many pictures of him as we do of Jasper. It’s because he never is still long enough. It’s like trying to photograph hummingbirds. And he’s way too smart to be a four-year-old. For example, he can name all the planets, in order, *and* sort them by size. Can you? 😊
And Jasper is constantly exploring. In fact, you have to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t head out the door and down the street. He’s gotten ‘spicy’ as his parents say. His latest thing is to point an accusing finger at you and say No, No Way! Which is adorable, if it’s not you trying to get him to do or eat something yourself, in which case you want to hang him upside down by his feet. But there’s nothing better than getting Jasper to laugh.
Despite being about half Tucker’s size, Jasper takes no guff from him. At Thanksgiving Tucker was running through the kitchen and bumped Jasper on his way by. Jasper turned around and tackled him. Don’t mess with Jasper. Tucker is learning Jiu Jitsu so it may get interesting. But it’s never mean. They really do get along very well.
We spent a really fun 4 days with Daniel, Rebecca and the grandboys at a condo in Suncadia, a mountain resort community in Washington. They had a great pool which the boys loved and lots of trails to wander. And we really enjoyed spending the time with them. The only hiccup was when Marion and I attempted to follow a big loop trail and failed to loop (thanks to my uncanny sense of direction and map reading skills), ending up a good 30-minute walk from our place, after already walking close to an hour. We had to call Daniel to come rescue us in the car (it was getting dark)! I’m sure he’s already picked out the home he will put us in.
In September we spent a long weekend in the Redmond/Bend area and a wonderful day hiking around Smith Rocks State Park. We’d been to the area many times and driven by the park but never bothered to check it out. It’s a big rock-climbing site and since we don’t rock climb or drink Mountain Dew… But it turns out it’s also just a beautiful spot with lots of hiking trails. Who knew? Apart from whoever designated it a State Park I mean.
So retirement. Bet you didn’t know I was retiring. Yeah, me neither 😊. My (now former) company, Icon, bought my previous former company, PRA, a couple of years ago and never quite figured out what they wanted to do with me. My job consisted of either tedious boredom with nothing to do, or onerous tasks I didn’t want to do. But I was nearing retirement, so I just motored on. The problem was the product I was supposed to be supporting was late (by a lot), so there was nothing to support. But, we finally got our first customers around June and things were starting to pick up (as were the number of problems). So it was the perfect time to lay off half the support staff for the simple reason they are US-based, with no consideration for what they did or knew, and re-hire the positions with people from Eastern Europe or Asia who have never heard of the product, in order to save money. This is the same sort of strategy that causes Boeing planes to keep falling apart.
My separation agreement specifically states I can’t bad-mouth them in public so I definitely would NOT say that while many of the front-line people are good, conscientious, hard-working sorts, the senior management (and there’s PLENTY of them) couldn’t care less about the worker bees other than how good they can make them look to *their* management. I also would NEVER mention that the 15 people from 4 different groups telling 2 people what to do management style might be a contributing factor to the product delay as well. I have not missed it even a little.
But anyway, with 9 days’ notice they laid me off on November 1st. Which was great. (I actually shouted with joy, luckily I was on mute.) A nice severance package, a months earlier retirement, and I didn’t have to make the decision for myself when to stop getting paid. I feel a little bad for front line folks who were going to be screwed by this. But as for the corporate bigwigs, as we like to say around here, Vaya con Dios mother f*ckers!
Marion is volunteering at a number of places, and making the world better through her reuse and recycling efforts and generally being really amazing and giving, and the community is lucky to have her. And as I sit back in my chair doing nothing, I don’t feel any guilt whatsoever about my contribution to society. “While you’re up can you make me a sandwich?”
Actually, I don’t sit around doing nothing (at least any more than I did while working). I have started the process of becoming a ‘reader’ for a local elementary school where you go in and read to them for an hour every week. But first, forms, fingerprints and a background check, so still waiting on that. I don’t *think* I have any serious issues in my past… But so far, after the initial ‘we’re so happy you volunteered’ emails, there’s been nothing but stunned silence. So who knows?
I’ve also been working with a non-profit called S.A.F.E (Saving Animals From Extinction) whose leader is a friend of my younger sister. They wanted to create a program to help kids understand about vanishing species by writing some books with some animal characters talking about the issues. My sister convinced them that I could write that for them (she’s good). Based on that recommendation and the fact that I work for free, they said yes, and I’ve written what is hopefully the first of 5 or 6 books and it’s been published! Well, ‘printed’ more than ‘published’ but close enough. It was quite the challenge to describe the plight of the Javanese Rhino in only 10 pages (with illustrations, that thankfully I didn’t have to create), in a rhyming scheme no less, *and* without using any gender terms. I love a word challenge.
And speaking of challenges, I’ve also been hooked by the New York Times game site where my Wordle streak sadly ended recently at 242 days. Ironically on the word ‘relax’. But that takes the pressure off. I’ve also gotten hooked on Strands, Connections (although I can’t seem to maintain a streak of more than 20 days on it) and the Mini Crossword too (it’s timed and anything over a minute I consider a ‘loss’), and of course the daily New York Times crossword in the paper that I’ve been doing for 30+ years. I’ve explained to Marion that this is why I can’t get another job.
We are down to zero cats from a high of three. While we miss Tyke very much (really), we do NOT miss being awakened 3 times a night to turn on the bathtub faucet for him to drink from, while trying not to trip over the kitty water fountain bubbling away right next to it. Or throwing away 3 cans of cat food a day that he decided he doesn’t like, despite gobbling it up two days before. The savings on cat food alone will fund a good portion of retirement. We have had at least one cat longer than we have had a child (who is now 37!). But we are holding off getting any more until we figure out if maybe we wouldn’t like spending a month or two somewhere sunnier every winter without having to worry about pet care. But I think Marion is wavering.
Well, that’s about it. As always, to all our Christian friends, Merry Christmas. To all our Jewish friends, Happy Hanukkah. To all our grinchy and scroogy friends, Bah Humbug. To all our pagan, druid and wiccan friends, Happy Solstice. To all our atheist friends, Happy Day Off. And to everyone else, happy whatever it is you believe or do. We don’t judge.
Peace, love, and joy everyone and here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025!
Bart