2021

I REALLY wish that I could have attended our 50th class reunion to celebrate and catch up with everybody, but there was a little schedule conflict: just a few days later, I flew to Hawaii with my bride-to-be Samy, for our wedding on Shipwreck Beach in Kauai. Hey, priorities.

Like most everybody else I guess, Samy and I have been hunkered down for the past year, doing our best to play it safe during COVID. Being retired for several years now, the frustrations of endless Zoom meetings was not an issue for either of us, thank goodness. In late 2013, I retired from my position after a 20-year stint at Tektronix, capping a career in high tech product development and management.

During 2020 we made the most of lockdown time at home to complete various projects, escaping a few times for backpacking and other outdoor activities. Once winter arrived and the snow began to fall on Mount Hood, we were set free to escape to the mountain for frequent ski trips, our winter sport passion. A side benefit is that it’s usually much sunnier at 7,000 feet than down near sea level in the Portland winter grey.

Another silver lining from COVID for me was plenty of time to devote to another lifelong passion, music. Unable to gather and play with local friends, I took advantage of some wonderful new technology that enabled me to jam in real time with musician friends 3,000 miles away. Think Zoom for musicians. This resulted in a renewal of some old friendships going all the way back to college days at Bucknell.

Now that we’re fully vaccinated, Samy and I are looking forward to travel again, first within the U.S. and then exploring Europe some more when restrictions are lifted. Vaccination has enabled us to finally lift our own self-imposed restrictions and spend quality time with the “kids.” My two daughters live nearby in Portland, the elder of the two in her third year of medical school. The youngest is in real estate development. My son, Jeremy, just recently accepted a new position as chief technology officer at a profitable startup in San Francisco, near his home there. It is such a continuing joy to see them all flourish and succeed in following their own paths.