Greetings Everyone! I hope this holiday season finds you happy, healthy, and filled with joy. For those of you who enjoy reading about my yearly escapades, thank you very much for your positive feedback. For those of you who aren't that interested, you can toss this now I'll still wish you a wonderful holiday.

1995 was kind of quiet for me, barring a few unique occurrences. I'm enjoying the quiet times more each year. Don't get me wrong...I still love the fun, but the need to "go out" has waned a bit. I even started painting again; something I haven't done in 15 years. Anyway, I'll continue on and we'll see whether or not things have really slowed down or if it's just my imagination.

The two most notable changes occurred in February, two weeks apart. On February 1st, I was laid off from my job at the telecommunications company. I decided to have a little fun with my severance before reality hit and played around for a few weeks. I did everything from visiting the Zoo and the Denver Mint to going to museums and "doing the spa" in Vail.

After two weeks of fun, I topped it off with a ski day at Copper Mountain. Well, I "blew my knee out" as they say...totally severed my ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament.) At least I did it on an expert mogul run called "Revenge". It didn't hurt much and I skied down. Next thing I knew I was scheduled for surgery on March 9th. I was panic stricken! I had never had stitches, teeth pulled, anesthesia, nothing...and never spent more than a few hours in a hospital. I begged friends and family to come out for a few weeks post surgery to keep me sane.

Believe it or not, the experience wasn't bad at all.

I had reconstructive surgery at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic at Vail Hospital. These guys are known as the "Gods of Knees" and work on everyone you can think of including the Broncos, the US Ski team, Monika Selles, Dan Marino & President Reagan. I had a view of the slopes, gourmet food, wonderful nurses, and best of all, my insurance paid 100%!

There was minimal discomfort, during or after surgery, and I recovered very quickly (off crutches and driving my clutch in 7 days.) This was due to the fact that Dr. Hawkins used a brand new surgical procedure. Physical therapy was rigorous, but luckily I was out of work and had the time. After a couple of months, By the end of April, I began to look for a job.

In July, I was hired as Marketing Manager for a company in the natural products industry (health foods, vitamins, etc.). They're a publisher and put on the two largest trade shows in the industry each year. I'm finally in the food industry! And I'm finally doing more of the creative stuff that I went to school for...producing ads, brochures, promotions etc.

Although I love what I'm doing, it is the most stressful job I've had yet. Without going into detail, 2 months after I was hired, my boss was let go and I'm picking up the pieces. Things should be settling down soon.

Now for the rest of the details that have filled up the last 12 months.

No long vacations this year other than my trip back home for Christmas last winter. But I did have a short, special vacation...a five day road trip around Colorado. A friend and I drove South to Great Sand Dunes National Monument (39 square miles of Sahara-like sand dunes at the base of a snowy mountain range.) We stayed at the same wonderful hot springs resort I went to last year. Then we drove West to Mesa Verde National Park (Ancient Indian cliff dwellings.) We stayed an extra day in Durango, because it was such a wonderful town! Next, we headed North to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which was the most beautiful thing I've seen in this state yet. It's kind of like a micro Grand Canyon with slick black & green rock cliffs. Then we continued North to Colorado National Monument. Although it welcomed us with magnificent monoliths, arches and panoramic views, it was anticlimactic after the Black Canyon.

I spent five days in Baltimore for my company's East coast trade show. While there, I went to an Orioles game and watched Cal Ripkin play, one week after he broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive plays.

I also did a few long weekends this year and a couple more business trips to DC in late winter to tie up loose ends with the telecommunications company. Again this year, I did Ray's raft trip/gourmet camping weekend. A few friends flew out from DC & FL this time and I invited another five of my Boulder friends along. With one friend, I spent the first day/night in Aspen before the weekend on the river (The Roaring Fork into The Colorado). On the way home a bunch of us four-wheeled to one of the most photographed spots in CO, Crystal Mill. Then my DC friend, Georgina, and I stopped in Grand Lake on the way home.

I had a couple "micro-vacations" this year as well. A day and night in Fort Collins and a nearby canyon and another over-nighter in Evergreen for a music festival.

I did a few hikes and had a couple other mountain adventures too.

Thanksgiving was spent in Breckenridge at a friend's house with ten other people. It was lots of fun. I tried out my new knee on the slopes and everything worked fine.

This was definitely a year for renewing old friendships! My skiing accident brought me together with an old work buddy, Ann, when I called to inquire about her knee surgery experience. She's the one I traveled around the state with this summer, and we still get together often. My friend Annie and I now have our Macintosh computers in common and are getting together more often than before for software exchanges and other fun stuff.

My long-time good friend, Bret, who I know from my summers in Rangeley, Maine, got married in September near Denver, where he lives now. It was at his wedding that I saw some old Rangeley friends, Colby & Timmy, who I hadn't seen in at least 15 years...what fun! And through that event, word that I lived here got back to another Rangeley friend, Corky, who called and will be probably be coming out to visit soon. I also renewed a friendship my friend, Jerome, who left town after a divorce several years ago and moved back recently...I heard he was in town, but it took me a while to find him, but I'm glad that I did.

It was a good year for concerts. I saw more small concerts than big ones, because I was doing a monthly mailing for a friend who produces an MTV-type Jazz show and he gave me tickets in return. Some of them were: Lou Rawls, Karla Bonnoff, Rare Silk, Los Lobo, Blues on the Green (Etta James, BB King etc.), and a gospel extravaganza. He also gave me tickets for a New Orleans music festival, but I left the tickets in Boulder and didn't realize it until we were almost in Denver...oops! Judy Collins played at our Baltimore trade show, which was nice because it was a small intimate setting.

Otherwise, on my own dollar, I went to Santana, Jeff Beck and Seal (which was my favorite concert of the season!) As far as festivals go, I made it to Winter Park for the American Music Festival one weekend (Freddy Jones Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, etc.) and to Denver for the Lodo Festival with Marshall Tucker. I even got a free ticket for a goofy oldies concert with the Kingsmen and Three Dog Night...that was a trip!

Once again, there were lots of parties. Last December, and again this month, the standard rash of holiday parties. In February, I had a combination lay-off party and wine tasting which was quite the evening. My friend Mike had his annual Spaghetti Bowl (a contest for the best spaghetti sauce and an excuse to watch the Super Bowl). As well, he had his Black Tie party again. There was no missing the annual Kinetic Conveyance Race with all the wacky human-powered water/land/mud vehicles and the thousands of spectators. I did Passover and Rosh Hashana with friends and had a few dinner parties of my own. There were various barbeques and birthday parties as well as a few Halloween parties.

I didn't have my campout at the lake this year, with the new job and all, but instead opted to organize a barbeque at a local park. Last month I went to a friend's "housewarming" party...only to find out it was a surprise wedding reception. She and her boyfriend (of a few months) got secretly married and announced it that night.

Other Stuff: There were a few local plays that were enjoyable. Two Shakespeare Festival evenings under the stars; As You Like It and Hamlet, as well as a local one-man production called "The Male Intellect, An Oxymoron"...boy wasn't that funny!

A summer wouldn't be complete without a few visits to the local amusement park...I love rollercoasters! I joined a health club, and have actually been going somewhat regularly. Still involved with the Taste of the Nation Event to raise money for the hungry. Last spring I put together the fundraising cookbook and this year I am working on the committee organizing the restaurants that will be cooking for the event. I did my good samaritan duty this year when I caught, and turned in, a hit & run driver. A bunch of us went to a Cognac tasting and of course there were many nights out dancing, even when I had the knee brace.

There were some sad moments too when my friend Tim, from Alaska, died of a heart attack (at 34) last month and when my friend Paul died of AIDS this summer (and I just found out another friend has the disease.) It really does reach into a lot of lives.

So that's it for this year. I wish I could hear all about your year too. I've learned that old friends are priceless, and would like to stay in touch with each and every one of you.

Warmest Wishes and the Best of Holidays!