MMMIII

I initially thought I'd come out with these updates about once a month. A nice alternative to mass emails, from which I have some phobia. So now please lower your standards, and I'll commit to updating you at least once a year. (How's that for aiming high?)

Part of the reason for the halting of updates is that once my vacation time was used up midway through last year, I stopped taking off to exciting places. Though now that 2003 has rolled around, I'll use them up as quickly as possible again.

The most striking addition to my life since the last update, is my beard. I never liked facial hair much, but towards the end of the summer, I decided to give it a go. And now that I've got most people used to seeing me this way, I'll be shaving it off. All part of my constant metamorphosis. I figure an image change every eighteen months is good for the heart.

The last months of MMMII, though vacationless, were still quite enjoyable. I jetted off to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving, to NJ for Christmas, and though I planned to spend New Years Eve in Times Square, a traveling virus fated my evening to be atop a couch. Overall, it was a good time seeing the family, playing in the snow, and carrying numerous children on my back.

This month, I again joined my church's youth group on their winter weekend retreat to camp Son Rise. Located on picturesque Lake Schroon, this site offered ideal opportunities for snow boarding, snow tube jumps, and tons o' board game time by the wood burning stove. And with temperatures hugging zero Fahrenheit, the latter became most appealing.

Now as I press on towards the adventures of the new year I bid ye keep warm, and send me your updated wish lists.

Steve