Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
My Yearly Holiday Letter
Every year I write a holiday letter which I send out to all of my friends and family. I've decided to post the letter here this year even though I know it's a little long for an entry. Enjoy!
First things first, I’d like to wish all of my friends and family a very warm, safe and joyous holiday season. As always, you are all in my thoughts at this time of year.
Justin and I are doing very well, this December marks four years together for us. We’re both still working for Bank of America, Justin as a Loan Officer for the Consumer Real Estate division and I as a Software Engineer for the Credit Card Operations division. In February, Justin’s team will be relocating from an office just up the street from our house over to my campus in Central Phoenix. We’re looking forward to being able to carpool and have the occasional lunch together.
This year was the first full year in our house and brought with it the reality of how truly time consuming and expensive it is to own your own home. We don’t regret any of our decisions and are very happy with both our house and our neighborhood. We started this year off with the removal of some old wallpaper, the painting of several rooms and the repair of a few broken sprinkler lines. We’re far from being done but I’m very proud of all the work we been able to complete. We have plans next year to finish the rest of the rooms and hopefully replace all the carpet with wood flooring. It has really started to feel very much like our home now.
Berg, our white German Shepherd puppy, is getting so big. He’s going to be 2 years old in May and is now pushing 90 pounds at his last weigh in. Berg can almost put his paws on my shoulders when he jumps up to say hello. He’s such a sweet and gentle dog, and really enjoys all of the affection he gets.
My Mom was out in April to visit for two weeks. This was her first visit since we bought the house and picked up Berg. She really enjoyed helping us around the house and spending time with Berg. They even shared a bag of potato chips together; it was truly a bonding experience for them both.
In July, Justin and I trekked back to San Francisco and the Bay Area for 10 days. We spent 5 days in the city with our friends Philip and Bernard and then went down to Salinas to spend 5 days with Justin’s family. It was a nice trip for us and got us out of the summer heat of Phoenix.
We also took a few short trips this year as well. In February we spent a few days with Justin’s parents in Las Vegas. In October we drove out to Los Angeles and then down to San Diego to spend a few days with Justin’s sister Sarah, whose husband Jed is stationed at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. In November, we took a road trip with Mark and Andrea to Los Angeles and up to San Francisco. It was a very long drive, 19 hours up and 12 hours back, but we all had a great time for the 4 days we spent together.
My Mom was back out for a week during Thanksgiving and Justin’s Parents and Brother, Ryan, will be coming out to stay with us for the week after Christmas. It’s been great that we can spend the holidays together with our families this year.
On a more solemn note, this year has seen the passing of my Aunt Marcella Brown, my Grandmother Marie Brown and also the passing of my Uncle’s Father, Mr. Watterson, a good friend to all our families. As this holiday draws near they will all be missed and in our fondest memories.
This time of years always reminds us that we’ve grown a little older, a little busier and have settled very comfortably into the lives, new circles of friends, and families we’ve created for ourselves. But as I suspect, in the back of all our minds is the desire to maintain that fragile thread of the distant family tie and old friendships that still bring smiles and memories of times past spent together.
I know I don’t speak too many of you as often as I’d like, and as the years pass us by, the times when we see each other become even less frequent. Time constraints and personal commitments don’t usually lend well to keeping in touch or corresponding but deep down I know that the memories always persist and will bind us together over time and across the miles.
With this New Year coming up I would like to challenge and encourage each of you to take hold of the present, reach a little into the past and remember those people in your lives that will always hold a special place in your heart. Please make an effort to contact an old friend, and also take the time to sit and listen to a story from an elderly family member. Both represent our past, our history and small part of each of us which are unfortunately lost forever when gone. Life is just too short for us not to embrace these small opportunities.
Wherever this letter may find you, in a far away place, or with friends and family, please be safe and have a wonderful holiday. I wish all of you my best wishes and very prosperous New Year! Cheers! Rich
