HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
12/3/93

Holiday Greetings for 1993! I hope all is well with you and your year was a special one.

I didn't organize as many events this year as last, but instead I organized the best vacation of my life. I took my first vacation alone...to Alaska. I can't say enough about the beauty of the state, nor the fun I had. I don't know whether it was the people, the atmosphere or the fact that I was traveling alone, but I still think about it today and hope to return next year or sometime thereafter.

I can't make this long story too short, but here's a synopsis: I landed in Anchorage, rented a car and drove around for 2 weeks. I went down to the Kenai Peninsula and then up to Denali National Park. Anchorage was just another small city, but the people were wonderful and the surroundings were marvelous. I went to Seward for the Fourth of July and met another friend from Boulder who was traveling around Alaska also. I took a day cruise into Resurrection Bay, which was beautiful...even in the rain. On the Fourth, she and I watched the famous Mt. Marathon Race, where crazy people run up and down this VERY steep, muddy, snowy mountain. They come back pretty beat up...only in Alaska. We also toured around the area to a beach and funky campground called Millers Landing. Later we walked along the Iditarod trail, where they have the world renowned dog sled races. That evening we watched the Boat parade and the fireworks at midnight. It never gets completely dark at that time of year which makes for very long days and an extra long 2 weeks.

In Homer, I caught some BIG fish. I went on a charter around the tip of the Peninsula and caught a 35 lb and a 55 lb Halibut! That was the highlight of my vacation. I was so sure that I'd catch "the big one", that I bought a second refrigerator/freezer for my garage before I left. The freezer is full now! I went on another day cruise to see the bird rookeries on Gull Island. The next night, a local fisherman I met took a bunch of us back out there for a midnight cruise. Homer's an artsy and fun town and the thought of living there is somewhat intriguing.

Then I headed north to Denali National Park. I was SO lucky, because most people never get a chance to see Mt. McKinley (largest Mt. in North America-20,320 ft) as it sits in clouds most of the time. But I saw it 3 days in a row! What a sight! On the drive up, I took a fly-over in a 6 seater plane. It was so un-real. The snow covered mountain was perfectly clear and like nothing I've ever seen. We went around and around and over the top. We even had to wear oxygen masks, we were so high up. The next day, I took the 8 hour tour of the park. Gorgeous and lots of animals (re-cap later). Still the mountain was visible for most of the day. The bus driver said it was the first day he'd seen it in 2 weeks. The following day, I drove south back to Anchorage...and again the mountain was clear! A friend of mine (from Boulder) who lived in the park that summer told me about a long dirt road south of the park called Petersville Road and insisted I check it out on my way home. I was hesitant, but am sure glad I did. This is where I saw the most beauty of all...and the very best views of the mountain.

A few last notes...The animals I saw: mountain goats, puffins (and lots of other sea birds), sea otters, sea lions, golden & bald eagles, sled-dog puppies (I almost took one home), grizzly & brown bears, manta ray, fox, ptarmigan, peregrine falcon, marmot, porcupine, and lots of moose and caribou. I also met 3 really nice men (had a mad crush on the "unavailable" one...just my luck), and was taken out to dinner a few times and on a tour around Seward.

Other trips/long weekends: I went to visit my good friend Barbara in Salt Lake in January and skied even better snow than in Colorado (Alta & Brighton). I'm going again this Christmas. I went to Estes Park (Rocky Mt. National Park) for Memorial Day. We went to catch fish...but no luck. Had a good time anyway and hiked a bit and rode horses. I went on a rafting/gourmet camping weekend with 30 people and had fun on the Colorado River, in the hot springs and vapor caves near Glenwood Springs.

I only had a few visitors this year. Barbara (from Salt Lake) came out in the fall and my Dad came out earlier this month. Both visits were wonderful though.

Of course, there's the concerts...Paul McCartney was a very pleasant surprise! I only wanted to go so I could say I saw a Beatle, but it was fantastic. It was outdoors and they even had fireworks during "Live and Let Die"...spectacular. Acoustic Alchemy was the best concert I've ever been to. They are a jazz guitar duo and they're magical and intense. They played at the zoo and I sat right up front. This year I made it to the Winter Park Jazz festival and stayed 2 days. It was really fun, and I spent most of the time up front at the stage with some friends who were filming the show. Had 4th row seats for Santana & Dylan which was just great too. A guy I dated for a while won tickets (air, land, hotel etc) to go to Jacksonville FL to see Tom Petty. Although I was not really a fan, it was a fantastic concert and experience (2nd row, center). He also gave me tickets to see Al Jareau & David Sanborn which was great music. Two weeks ago, I went to a smaller venue and saw Jackson Brown...that man doesn't age!

And the parties: One friend had a pajama birthday party (quite amusing). Another friend had a hot-tub birthday party. I had a Wizard of Oz party. Two different friends had Limo parties, one took us around the Denver clubs and the other around Boulder. Some friends who bought what I'd call a mansion, had a housewarming (I'd kill for their kitchen! It's bigger than my condo). Passover and Rosh Hashana dinners were with friends and Thanksgiving was with friends too at the home of the Food Editor of the Boulder paper. I went to a few slide shows put on by a friend whose a local photographer. My friend Mike, had his annual black tie party again. The very best party was the "Erotica Ball" at Halloween. It's a benefit for the local arts center. With a name like that, and 300 creative guests, you can imagine for yourself! The costumes were fantastic, creative and many very minimalistic (if you know what I mean). It was held at an incredible home...I felt like I was in L.A.

And then the etc...Several of us won tickets to a local comedy club, which was fun. I took some yoga classes and loved it. Hope to do more soon. I went to a chocolate class at the local cooking school and I have 3 other classes scheduled for this winter. Went to a few Rockies games for their opening season (against the Cubs & the Braves). The annual Renaissance Festival was a really entertaining event. A bunch of us went to the Cardboard Downhill Derby at Arapahoe Basin ski area (cardboard floats manned by costumed crazies racing down the slope) then stayed over in a cabin in Evergreen, CO. And of course I went to the biggest Boulder party of all, the annual Kinetic Conveyance Race at our reservoir (like the derby, but on water). I skied a fair amount early in the year, and plan to start again this weekend. Went to one wedding. I golfed a few times, and am enjoying that new sport. I even played tennis a few times. I also walked in the Boulder Boulder again (10K race). This year I said good-bye to a friend who moved to Hawaii, and hello to another who moved back from Japan.

I decided not to get involved in the Ski Ball this year, but instead got involved with another fund raiser called the "Taste of the Nation". Maybe you have one in your town? It's organized by the national group called Share Our Strength, and it raises money to feed hungry people in each community. We put on a large food event where local "better" restaurants serve their specialties along with wine & beverage merchants. The event is in the spring, I'll tell more next year.

I am still working in telecommunications. We should be bought out by a much stronger company in a few weeks. We are just waiting for the papers to be signed. As far as we know, most of us will stay in Boulder and keep our jobs. Mine in particular seems very safe, as a matter of fact, the plans say I will be hiring someone to work for me. However, I've learned not to hold my breath and we'll see what time will bring.

Well, its time to go. It has been another good year filled with fun and adventure and I hope yours was too!

Warmest Wishes and the Best of Holidays!