2010: The Year that Was

I'll start with the biggest news of the past year. After 10 years of marriage, Mecca and I split up. We are still good friends and socialize with each other, so just in case you're debating whether or not to invite us both to the same party - don't worry about it.

(smile)

Of course, it is a big change for me. I am slowly re-learning bachelorhood. I'm sharing my new apartment with two furry roommates - Baci and Moshi.

The year was full of travel. I probably logged more than 5,000 miles by air and by land.

2010 brought some other significant milestones.

My baby niece Chela turned 1.

My nephew Jett turned 6; my first niece Allie turned 20. Wow. My dad turned 70. And my only grandparent - my grandma Alice - turned 90. I flew down to Florida in order to wish her Happy Birthday in person. It was one of the highlights of my year.

I spent Christmas with my folks in Denver. They are doing great. Under doctors orders, my dad has adopted a near-vegan diet. So we had to-furkey for Xmas dinner. It didn't taste too bad. It was about 95% brown rice and veggie stuffing and 5% tofu. For the first time in my life I beat both parents at Scrabble. Here's a tip, 'qi' - another spelling for 'chi' is a great word. So is 'qat' - another spelling for the leafy opiate 'khat.' Unfortunately, the mountains clogged with snow, preventing my big bro and his family from driving in from California.

2011 promises to be an exciting year. I will be doing a lot of traveling for work and play. And, Zeus-willing, I look forward to turning 44 this fall.

I wish everybody peace, prosperity and good health in 2011.

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy Birthday Grandma

The woman my Aunt Gerry (pictured in the middle) affectionately described as "too ornery to die" turned 90 last week. In fact, this is a rare photo because grandma is actually smiling. Usually, grandma sports kind of a scowl or deadpan.

My grandmother has outlived her husband by 15 years, and her youngest daughter. She's lost a leg to diabetes and has developed a cancer on one of her eyelids. She recently had a bout with a bladder infection that almost killed her. Grandma didn't think she'd make it, so she wrote a letter to her children to tell them that she loves them, even though she doesn't always show it.

Grandma loves to gamble - whether it's bingo, scratch-off cards, lotto, slot machines. But she has a special soft spot for her grandchildren and great-grand children.

It was great to be able to hang out with her in Florida for a few days. We surprised her with our visit. One day we took her to the casino. I helped her feed $10 and $20 bills into the slot machines. And I cashed nearly $300 worth of tickets for her. It was great to listen to her cuss in her Cruzan accent and reminisce with my mom and my aunt and uncle about life back on St. Croix, U.S.V.I. Of course, the conversations inevitably turned to talk about neighbors, friends and family members who'd died.

Happy B-Day grandma, may you have many more.