The Lewin Family Virtual, Interactive, Year-end, Letter - 2008 ©
{If you don't have a computer to view
this holiday letter and the embedded links,
you must find someone who does. If you are unable to find someone with that,
all important computer,
click on my E-mail link below and let me know, I'll send you a written version....via
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This has been a very difficult year for everyone financially, the pensions funds are drying up, 60 is the new 50 (work-wise) and I am humored by a cartoon in this morning's paper where the husband says to the wife..."Our broker just informed me that we have to die in two years."
As usual, Carol has been doing the traveling around here....She and her friends Suzan and Evelyn went to Ruidoso, New Mexico for a week, she went back to New York with her friend, Leslie and Leslie's mother, Janet. Being a Master Gardener, Carol had the opportunity to visit some gorgeous gardens in Philadelphia.
If that wasn't enough racking up the frequent flyer miles, Carol ventured overseas to Morocco. Going with a group of people, she was able to get copies of everyone's pictures. Here are just a few. Sleeping in a tent in the Sahara Desert, taking a camel ride, visiting the locals, she said it was absolutely fantastic. She said the food was great and didn't suffer too much from any Moroccan Maladies.
Only because a vacation take precedence over the penning of this Letter, we are getting ready to jet away to Portland and the coast of Oregon. The weather is a bit harsh this time of year so I am looking forward to seeing some snow and rugged coastline. We plan to spend some time with a very dear high school friend, Mark Leavitt, and his wife, Carolyn. They live outside of Portland. Mark was a ham radio operator before I was and he became my mentor. When I still had some hair on the top of my head, we looked very similar and I remember that people used to ask us if we were brothers. Mark looked them straight in the eye and said no, we are sisters. You can see his picture on his website. As you can see, he is much better looking.
This will be my first vacation in quite a while and will be Carol's first vacation since.....ah, let me see, what time is it??
And what about Anthony? When we left him last, he was gainfully employed by the fifth largest accounting firm in the country. With the downturn in the economy, he was laid off after about a year of employment. On September second, he interviewed with the operators of the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany, located in the Bavarian Alps. He was hired on the spot, packed his bags and left for Germany on October 5th. The Lodge is operated by the United States Department of Defense for military personnel and he has found a home in their accounting department. Being the recipient of constant nagging from his father, he has finally sent some pictures.
Carol's mother celebrated her 94th birthday this year and is still going strong. Here are a few pictures from this past Thanksgiving. We are very fortunate that she is under excellent care and lives just a few miles from us.
Yes, Carol is still landscaping, her company was briefly called: Ants in your Pants, but that sent the wrong message. Here are a few pictures of something potted other than this writer.
I was most fortunate to be selected to work on a special project for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. It was an exercise of a simulation 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault, starting on the east end of the Salton Sea. I've met and worked with wonderful people and have had a great time. One of the best jobs I have ever had. The simulation was on November 13 and our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, stopped by our Regional Emergency Operations Center in Los Alamitos (Orange County) to visit. That's one of my supervisors, Mark Bassett, with him. The public version of this exercise is called Operation Shakeout, the governmental version is Golden Guardian.
I want to get get this Letter uploaded to the Internet as soon as possible, so check back in mid January (2009) to see what has been added.
With great sadness I must relay that my cousin Richard passed away. Please see last year's Letter.
A wonderful Holiday season to all and to all a happy and healthy New Year.
Write us if you dare....Carol, Anthony, or Arnie.
Bye Bye and Buy Bonds.
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