It has been too long... I am behind

January, 2008... Last post was in July. Well, time goes so fast! Ok, where to begin... End of July...Trip to the U.S. began... I was able to go to California and attend the Kelly Family reunion at Russian River. It was great and little did we know that it would be the last one Aunt Lori would attend. She looked great and no one had any idea that she would be gone by Thanksgiving. May she rest in peace.

We all enjoyed being together, David my nephew played the bag pipes and we played a dice game. Steve and Chris and I rented a cabin on the river and I got to swim in the river without stopping which was awesome. My kids canoed, we had a lot of fun. I had to leave early to catch a plane to Chicago for my company sales meeting but the short trip was worthwhile.

Chicago was great! So much has changed from the last time I was there about ten years ago... Sailed on the Lake in the afternoon and then watched fireworks from another boat later on in the evening... danced at a blues club until 3am....(yes, still recovering)... also did a little work...

After four days, back to California where I caught a plane to Cabo San Lucas to meet up with my son Nick, his girlfriend Ashley and my brother Brian's family. We stayed at a great resort... and, as you do, I bought a time share so that my family would go on vacation with me (even if I am old!) Anyway, it is a gorgeous place overlooking the Pacific Ocean...

I returned to California for another week and then back to the U.K.... Since that time the traveling has not stopped... Paris, Dubai,Istanbul, Munich, Nice, Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, Geneva, Paris... One airplane after another... except, I try to always take the train to Paris... a much better way to travel.

july 28 Chicago
sept 2 Paris
sept 6 Dubai
sep t 16 Istanbul
sept 25 Munich
oct 10 Nice
oct 22 Amsterdam
nov 4 Monte Carlo
nov 8 Geneva
nov 11 Paris
nov 17 SF

Significantly, Dubai - Disneyland vs New York!, Istanbul so old, so much history, Nice - truly a well named place...Monte Carlo - incredible, cleaner than Disneyland, Geneva - beautiful, Swiss... Paris - still my favorite... no, home is my favorite place... we take so much for granted living in California.

Unfortunately, just before the Thanksgiving my wonderful Aunt Lori who was married to my Uncle Tom something like 46 years passed after a short time in the hospital with a brain tumor that she didn't even know she had. Timing is everything because I had scheduled a trip home for a meeting that was right around Thanksgiving. I was able to get home in time for the wake and funeral. She was buried in the cemetary on the hill down the road from their cabin. It was a beautiful day, sad but a lovely ceremony. I felt blessed that I was able to be there. My aunt and uncle are very special people. She was smart, funny and never afraid to say what she thought! I learned from her... she was a great mother and grandmother as well as my Uncle's best friend... she is missed.

Anyway, then we had Thanksgiving. My sister Ce-ce and her husband Jeff hosted us this year. They rented a tent for the back yard. It was a lovely day, great food, great setting, great people... Fun times.

I returned to the U.K. after my meeting in San Jose the first week of December. This was the beginning of the holiday season for me... First, a nice dinner at a trendy restaurant just off Piccadilly Circus with one of our advertising agencys, the following week same place for dinner and then off to see Hairspray the play...fun, fun, fun... The following week my staff and our event team celebrated with a forty-five minute ride on the London Eye, overlooking all the lights of London in our private pod, complete with champage and picture ops... then dinner and gift exchange.. of course singing! Numerous lunches, meetings and dinners followed concluding with a wonderful dinner for our entire office at an elegant old manor house, complete with black tie attire, an Elvis impersonator, gift exchange and of course singing... (45 people singing the twelve days of christmas... you had to be there!) And then, home again, home again... my holiday vacation began!

Adriana had "grandma days"... whistling, talking and singing all the time. We don't need the background music played everywhere during the holidays because she can sing every song... over, and over again!

I got to spend time with friends and family, saw a couple movies, did some shopping and of course ate and drank too much... also got some exercise in! Had two Pilate's classes, walked in the woods, walked on West Cliff... all the things I like to do.

The highlight of the party season was my mother's 80th birthday party... She is such a beautiful person, loved, revered and yet humble. A true role model. The family organized a lunch on her birthday, Dec 30th. 140 family and friends showed up. She was walked into the room with her grandson David, in full dress attire playing the bag pipes. Her husband, her sister, her children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and many friends got up and spoke about her and what she has done for them over the years. Of course, one of her four great grandchilden...Adriana, took the microphone and a capella sang Happy Birthday to "GGM"... My niece Megan prepared a fantastic slide show/video capturing her life. It was great!

While in the U.S. I traveled to Las Vegas week of Jan 6 to the Consumer Electronics Show... Large TV's - small phones.. It was for work. I got to stay at Bellagio and catch up with old friends.. not bad for a work week.

The Noce family is going strong. We are looking forward to a new member. Tony and Kelly are expecting a baby boy the first of June. Adriana who now is four was at first upset when she was told it was going to be a boy. She wanted a sister... now she is very happy that she is going to be a big sister and looking forward to having a little brother. Oh, this is going to be fun.

This January we have everyone but me in school. Tony and Kelly are registered for classes at Cabrillo. Tony will be taking EMT courses which should provide him the final classes he needs combined with Air Force training to complete his AS in Fire Science. Kelly is taking courses in accounting and will get another Associates degree... Steph will be continuing her classes at CSU Monterey towards her teaching degree, Joe is beginning classes at USF towards a Masters in Teaching and Nick begins the Fire Academy in San Mateo and will continue his courses in Fire Science to get his AS by summer... Very busy family! Oh, Adriana will be starting dance classes this month too!