The Year Recapped

Procrastinating again; so here are some recollections of highlights for the latter part of the year. As we wound into summer Patrick and Nathan did their usual three-week trip to Camp Highlands. It was Patrick's last year as a camper. In 2015 he'll be a counselor in training. Chris, of course, couldn't do camp since he now has a full-time job.

After they got back from Camp we did our usual drive out to Castle Park - again without Chris, who had to stay home and work. We were joined there by Jamie who we had fly out for a break. He was able to play golf and tennis with Patrick and Nate and visit with his grandmother and Uncle Da-Da.

While I was in Castle Park I set up Nathan's electronic drum kit in Ernie Kelly's garage and went over to practice the 'picnic tunes' each day. It was quite a nice part of a routine that included jogging, swimming and bike-riding with Marth. After we got back it was a brief three weeks before I drove back to Chicago for the annual picnic routine - this time in my car rather than the van. It turned out I had a business event (with FARE) in the days before the picnic gig. So I went out earlier and first stayed out at Hyatt Rosemont and then moved to a hotel off Michigan Avenue downtown where we had the conference. And then stayed at Dan's for the weekend. The 9th Annual Neighborhood Picnic was another success, thanks to everyone who pitches in for it. I contributed the video cameras -- one of which was toppled by some over-hyper little urchin. With a few exceptions, my songs and performances came off relatively well. I'm coming to gauge both the selections and scripting better each year -- and balancing out literal and spontaneous interpretations. And so I'm also enjoying it more.

Shortly after returning, I switched jobs; leaving FARE and starting with the National Patient Advocate Foundation. In many respects it's a bigger job with a bigger organization (on paper). But even though it was smaller, FARE was a much more professional organization. NPAF is racked by an institutional structure and personal legacy issues that have stifled it's growth, professionalism and even competence. And it's much too dependent on drug company money. On the boys; Nathan was selected to be in The Immortals - the Loudoun Music Instruction's top band made up of the most dedicated and talented students. We had to debate some time whether to pursue sports or make this very sizable commitment. Nate essentially made it himself, realizing that now in high school he'll have limited ability to make it in the sports teams. And he can still pursue tennis and do some intrumural basketball. He was also selected by Loudoun Valley Jazz Band, which means that both he and Patrick are in it. We are extremely proud. As part of his drama class, Patrick and the other students competed in the Virginia Theater Association against 50 other Virginia high schools with an original play called "The Trial of Ygor".....and won first place!! They are now going to Chattanooga in March to compete in nationals -- though we have to find ways to raise quite a bit of money to support it. Otherwise, Patrick decided against doing the big fall drama production at school -- which was the Addams Family. He felt it was a little too 'cartoonish' and hasn't been getting along with the drama director (and neither have many of the other kids and their parents). So he decided to do community theater, in a production of Oliver. He played the Artful Dodger and did a marvelous job (see video). His grandmother and Uncle Dave came out to see it and were justly impressed.

Patrick also loved the directer, Karla Louis, who runs a theater production company. So when she asked him to be part of a Christmas Pageant, he jumped at it - performing "Let It Snow" as part of a large and touching production. For Christmas we had Jamie come out for about a week and it was nice to have him here for the holidays.