It is time to bid farewell to 2023 (good riddance, some might say).
Jo and I celebrated 19 years of wedded bliss—or something like that : – ). Vivian and Evan are growing faster than weeds in a summer garden. Vivian, our Renaissance teenager, dabbled in art, crocheting, caving, cooking, hanging out with friends, and devouring books like they’re going out of style. She did a pre-college summer stint at RISD with a lot of help from Uncle Alu and Aunt Michelle.
Evan, the soccer player and science buff, is gearing up for high school. When he’s not defending his goal or dissecting the secrets of the universe, he’s busy breaking the Shin Ramyun consumption record and exploring the virtual realms of computer games. Oh, and we can’t forget our animal crew—Zeus, Ouiser, and the newest addition to the family, Phineas the kitten, who has turned our home into a feline playground-nightmare.
We managed to squeeze in some family adventures, too. While Vivian was honing her creative skills at RISD, the rest of us went off to Sardinia to sail along the Costa Esmeralda in a 46-foot cat with Jen and Gegg and his two boys. It was a blast—aside from the day of the ten foot waves.
Jo and I racked up our fair share of travel miles, both separately and together. From Alaska to Barcelona, Big Bend to the Finger Lakes, Utah to Nebraska—we covered some serious ground. Evan and I ventured to Memphis and Arizona for soccer tournaments. And there were weddings in New York and Bangkok and birthday parties in Florida, Thailand, and California. We partied like it was 2023!
On a more somber note, 2023 wasn’t exactly a banner year for the world. Wars, economic turbulence, and environmental missteps* took their toll. We’re crossing our fingers that 2024 brings a much-needed dose of peace. Ah, but there is the Trump dilemma—will he win the elections or rise by insurrection? One way or another we’ll know before I write the 2024 Christmas letter.
As we turn the page on 2023, we’re sending our warmest wishes for a joyous and peaceful new year. May it be filled with love, laughter, and peace.
-chatGPT and others (99% of this post was generated by prompts to AI tools)
* my word was “fuckups” but AI toned it down – ac
Notes from Dad 
One thought on “The Christmas Letter”