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Holiday Letter 1998

February 28, 1999

Dear Friends and Family,

Another February (March?), another holiday letter from George. How refreshingly distinctive...

We left off last year with a stolen truck; that week I bought Milo, a dark blue '86 Toyota 4-Runner that is so much like my old truck it would scare you. So far he’s been nothing but reliable and fun.

I did get to the Dominican Republic in March with friend Kasi Kiehlbaugh and had a fantastic time. She also came with me, friend Davi Paletz and friend/Kappa Sig brother Brad Tofel, over New Year’s 1999. As you may have guessed, my commitment to Orphanage Outreach, and the children in particular, has not waned. I’m going back for New Year’s 2000 if you’d care to join me. Whether or not you do want to come on a trip, I’ll definitely share with you some pictures and stories next time we’re together.

I spent a lot of 1998 diving, and even allowed myself to be dragged to Mexico in February to certify some friends. I probably won’t do much more cold water stuff anytime soon though. From May to October I made it to Mexico at least once a month, this year should match.

In July a 40 hour road trip to Magic Mountain with Kasi and roommate Aaron Young seemed necessary. We spent the night with the Gimple’s and saw the Shirk’s next morning for breakfast in Valencia, both Kappa Sig ties. An absolutely amazing weekend, more due to the hospitality we experienced than anything else. Congratulations to the Shirk’s, Jeff and Kim, for tying the knot last year!

One October weekend was spent with friend Christina Stewart and her daughter Danielle driving to Alamos, Mexico, and old colonial mining town in Southern Sonora. We spent two fantastic days there mostly relaxing and soaking in the area. Highly recommended.

In 1998 I traveled all over the US for business, fraternity, and pleasure, including Newark, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Knoxville, Dallas, Ohio, Southern California, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Utah, and Las Vegas. We moved FMG from Grandma's house into 2,500 square foot offices at Stone and University - a little elbow room and space to grow some more. Business just keeps getting better, sales broke $350k last year and should break $500k this year. An increasing amount of my fraternity travel has involved more speaking and group presentations, something I really love.

As you may have guessed from the enclosed picture, there is a new lady in my life. In August I bought Cathy, a two-seat aerobatic plane, and have been flying her a lot. Highlighted trips include a night flight to Vegas to hang out with a bunch of Kappa Sigs for a weekend (friends too numerous to list, epic fun), a flight to Flagstaff to ferry a car for Brother John and friends who hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim (I managed to get in a 5 mile hike at the North Rim), Sedona several times (the Christmas trip was highlighted by flights with brother John, my Dad, Sharon Beeler, Tracy Beeler, and Richard Holgate, the last three being family in every regard but blood), Ojai / Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving with Kappa Sig brother Tom Rooney, including a fantastic dinner with the Byers in Ojai, some flying at Santa Paula, and a super visit with Tracy and Richard in Santa Barbara, and Las Cruces for a weekend with Kappa Sig bro and fellow pilot Bob Zavala who’s getting his PhD at NMSU. I’m kinda liking owning a plane...

More congrats to Erik and TJ Kiernan, Randy and Amy Christensen, and just a couple of weeks ago, Socrates and Stephanie Papadopoulos. I am honored to have been at your weddings.

In family news, first the sadness of my Uncle Bill Nicholas’ passing. I loved him dearly and was fortunate to be able to visit him not long before he died. Brother John and Colleen are pregnant again, expecting this summer. Caroline Elizabeth is quite the young lady now, and still thinks the world of Uncle George. Mom and Dad are doing great - Dad and I really enjoyed flying together over Christmas and I expect to do much more of that. I just missed cousin Lisa Kestenbaum’s Bat Mitzvah due to severe plague, but am told it was wonderful. I saw the Kestenbaum’s briefly last year, and am due a real visit to see them in Westlake Village.

I’m still riding my motorcycle a bit, but never enough with all the other distractions. I have recently begun working out at a local gym and intend to do a great deal of hiking as it warms. I ended up keeping all of my rental property but have turned it over to a management company.

Mark, Aaron, and I did manage to throw the 2nd Annual Condo Christmas Cocktail Party on December 18. There were no arrests, I think we went through about 40 bottles of wine, the desserts were amazing, and the bathroom is now completely covered with graffiti. In short, a success.

Selected books discovered and rediscovered: West With the Night, Beryl Markham; Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis; The Rum Diary & The Proud Highway, Hunter Thompson; The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupery; and The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon..

Plans for the future include the CBBC extravaganza in March. Jim and Barb Eagan, major players in the Cholla Bay Blues Club, got married ten years ago in San Carlos and I was honored to perform the ceremony. In March they’re having a reunion and I get to ‘remarry’ them. I am giddy! As if that wasn’t enough for the year, I am taking a short drive (in Milo) to Panama with Kasi and Aaron for 45 days over the summer. We’re going to dive, surf, whitewater raft, lay on beaches, hike rainforests, see volcanoes, and generally ‘do’ Central America.

There’s also one more fundamentally important note to all of this; Jennifer Casteix. She’s really the new lady in my life, but wasn’t quite as willing to pose for a holiday card photo like my plane was. We’ve been dating since October and she’s still able to tolerate me. I trust you’ll get to meet her soon, if you haven’t already. She’s absolutely terrific!

Finally, some other, random moments to remember from last year: Bungee jumping on two separate occasions; first with roommates Mark and Aaron during an incredible day in Vegas, and second with Kappa Sig brothers Mark Speidel and Erik Kiernan as part of Erik’s bachelor party celebration in Vegas. Doing aerobatics off the coast of Santa Barbara with Tracy. Driving away from a fender-bender in the Dominican Republic "shaken, but not stirred." Having so many friends and family make it to our office warming party in October. Visiting Boston and the Whaley’s, and then Manhattan with Mike and Melissa Honigstein, and Jay Altschuler, including catching Cabaret on Broadway. Working with AmeriCorps in both Knoxville, TN, and Salt Lake City, UT, as part of Kappa Sigma’s Summer Leadership Conferences. First date with Jennifer seeing roommate Aaron cheering for the first time as a walk-on U of A varsity cheerleader. Kappa Sigma Homecoming 1998 - they just keep getting better. Jennifer and I spending a day with Reenie Keating at her quilting guild’s show at the TCC, and witnessing her triumph of successfully chairing the hanging committee. Joining Jay Freedman, his girlfriend Jennifer Gonzales, and Kappa Sig friends Doug Pollock, Doug’s fiancee Heidi Rider, Carter Crow, and Jeff Ross, all for Jay’s birthday party in Dallas. Seeing a double, full-circle rainbow from my plane off the coast of California. Buying the Pastor a new welder for the orphanage. Watching Evan Byers get engaged to Callen at Thanksgiving dinner in Ojai. Sipping flaming ‘Café Buffalo Bob’ with dear friends at La Puntilla Resort in Sosua, Dominican Republic, overlooking the ocean, while smoking an incredible cigar.

I remain convinced that the most important things in life aren’t things, they are the people with whom I share love and happiness. Thanks for being a part of my life!

Visit me, write me, call me, e-mail me...

Love,

George