Hi everyone,

It’s that time of year again, when there’s no possibility of getting everything done. So if you receive this late, or electronically, please accept it in the spirit in which it is offered – better late than not at all.

This has been a very busy year for all of us. It’s been Bill’s first entire year working at TRW, and he has survived it admirably. The frustration of working at a big company ("a massively huge thing with a brain the size of a walnut") is sometimes balanced out by the stability, and the ability to telecommute two days a week. Bill and his Jeep are still together, having celebrated their first anniversary this year. Bill also discovered his hidden talent for cake decorating this year, making him even more the renaissance man. Billy’s R2D2 birthday cake brought about the epiphany, and now he knows that should he decide to quit technical work, he can still get work wherever people eat cake.

Helen has been busy too. Interop figured significantly on her to-do list, as she tried to bring DSL to the InteropNet in a useful manner. In related news, she’s been looking for a new job, and examining the offers very carefully for the frying pan/fire potential. Billy has suggested BlockBuster, and occasionally that idea gets some consideration. Work ramped down from a mandatory 60-hour week in the beginning of the year to a kinder, more nebulous "however long it takes" kind of schedule. Just for the record, if Accelerated Networks goes big, Helen’s considering slowing down a bit.

Billy turned 8 this month, and is growing fast. He hit the 50/50 mark recently (50 pounds and 50 inches tall), and has 4 permanent front teeth in working condition. Billy traded in karate this year for rock climbing, and Bill has been teaching him to rappel and Billy has done some belayed top-roped climbing. He is still wild about Star Wars and James Bond, and he liked Flik in A Bug’s Life because Flik was an inventor. His spelling skills are exceptional, and his grasp of mathematics continues to surpass his second-grade homework. Earlier this month, Billy went to the range with Bill and Jordan and shot a real gun for the first time. Armed with the proper respect and a touch of genuine fear, he did well.

Ashley turned 6 last month, and has been holding steady just below the carseat minimum weight (40 pounds). She’s 47 inches tall now, which is tall enough for a lot more rides at Disneyland. Her hair has reached an astonishing length, as has her name… Ashley Rae Binky Boo Bob Brain Delilah Agnes Buttercup Burge. She’s also becoming our resident artist. Her coloring and drawing skills are pretty advanced for her age, and she enjoys it. Her favorite friends are still the furry kind – Elmo, Wikket, and Dad.

We had some notable trips and events this year. February brought Bill and Helen’s annual trip to Vegas to see Chicago play at Caesar’s Palace, and they’re still great! In March, we all went to Bishop to play in the snow, and everyone had a great time. At the end of May, Bill and Helen went skiing at Mammoth for Bill’s birthday. Skiing on his birthday was a first for Bill. In August, Bill and Helen spent the weekend in the lovely Turret Room in Heritage Park in San Diego. Halloween brought Billy’s debut as a toxic waste avenger, complete with biohazard stickers and caution tape, and Ashley’s debut as Binky Bunny. In November, Bill took us all up to Vasquez Rocks (where the Flintstones movie was filmed) for some fun hiking and climbing. Also in November, Bill and Helen returned to Mammoth for the beginning of the ski season, less than 6 months from the spring before. Ashley chose a trip to Disneyland for her birthday, and Billy chose a trip to the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood to see A Bug’s Life for his. Both were great fun!

Other notable events include the birth in February of Grant David Brown, Kim and Jordan’s first child. Helen’s nephew DJ (Danny’s first child) was born in May. Kathy Hoban announced her engagement to Rick Moore, with a planned wedding date of April 10, 1999.

For those of you with access to the Internet, be warned that Santa is rumored to be bringing us a digital camera. Some pictures will probably end up on Helen’s old Web site at http://www.afn.org/~htg, and others will wind up at Bill’s site at http://www.mindspring.com/~b.burge, where there is more space available. In case you were wondering, Billy’s e-mail address is billy.burge@mindspring.com and Ashley’s is ashley.burge@mindspring.com. Bill prefers personal e-mail to go to b.burge@mindspring.com, and Helen still swears by htg@afn.org (although hg@mindspring.com is also valid).

May your holiday be filled with joy, and may the new year bring health, happiness, and prosperity!