I thought I'd put some comments down as to what the past year meant to me. Some items are purely personal, others are varying degrees of global.

• I was laid off from my job, as TradeMark Computers is in the process of trying to cut costs. Hopefully the move will work out to be the best for both them and me personally. After being there for almost four years, I will miss many good friends.
• My new job is at a brokerage firm in Boston. Needless to say, being a computer guy, any advice I might be construed to give about investments should be completely ignored, as it certainly wouldn't be that of the brokerage firm I work for. I'm working the night shift (7-7:30), and I'll let you know what I think about that as time passes.
• Karen started a new job at Abbott Valley Veterinary Clinic, in Cumberland, RI. Unfortunately, in July she was laid off (not enough work). She was fond of the shorter/easier commute and the friendlier hours (no emergency!).
• Karen now is doing relief work, which involves a lot more hassle arranging the work, and has no benefits, but pays better. She is working at places like Dr Dan's Vet Clinic in Everett and Boston Road Animal Hospital in Sutton. For now, she is very happy.
• Karen was elected president of the Massachussets Association of Ferret Friends (MAFF).
• John Frederick Parslow, my paternal grandfather, died on 6/29/99. He would have been 96 the following Monday. He left a legacy including 7 surviving children, 17 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandson (!). He was also mentally sharp until the end.
• Tim Klink, who as I note below had a child (Aidan) 6 weeks earlier, died of an odd heart condition on 11/3/99. He will be greatly missed by a wide range of people whose life he touched.
• Conan, one of our ferrets, and the first ferret I used the first person pronouns with, died (in my arms) on 5/10/99. We will miss him a great deal.
• Lacy, one of my Christmas present ferrets, died early 2/24. The poor thing was a delight, but wasn't with us anywhere near long enough.
• Bandito, the other of my Christmas ferrets, died on 6/7, after surgery for adrenal cancer. The surgery had seemed to go well, but he never woke up. Bandito's biggest point was his interaction with (read "torture of"?) the other animals, who didn't seem to know what to make of his curiosity.
• We adopted Paco, a huge panda male, so our ferret household isn't empty. This is the biggest, plushest ferret I have ever seen!
• Later in the year (July), we adopted two more ferrets: Magic and Dozer. Magic is white, and Dozer is an albino.
• I won the Highlander (CCG) New England Regional Sealed Deck Championship, bringing with it a very nice Duncan replica Sword. Joe Estee, another of our group, won the New England Regional Constructed Deck Championship (with a sweet Connor deck), winning (fittingly) a Connor replica sword.
• I quit my role as New England Convention Coordinator for The Nexus (the palyer's organization of Thunder Castle Games, the maker of Highander CCG) since the company failed to keep a couple commitments to me personally. The National and New England Regional Coordinators also quit at approximately the same time, so it clearly wasn't merely miscommunication. I still love the game, which will hopefully survive the current stretch of bad times.
• I started helping out Massachussets Ferret Friends (MaFF) with their web site. So far I am just trying to see that their information is published and current. We may do more with it as time passes though.
• Friends? Well, Scott and Susan Thibault, Paul and Jenny Kraus, Tim and Laura Klink, Will and Rae Colleda each had children this year, all seemingly healthy and without complications. I was the best man at the marraige of Eric Roode and Cheryl Ann Brown, a truly beautiful event.
• President Clinton was aquitted from an Impeachment that probably shouldn't have happened. We shall see what progress the President and Congress can make in the rest of their time together.
• NASA was forced to recall Shuttle museum exhibits due to lack of funding and parts.
• "Joltin'" Joe DiMaggio, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, died at the age of 84 (after at least one incorrect report) - DiMaggio will be remembered for, among other things, his record 56-game hitting streak which has held for over 40 years so far, and being part of yet another Yankee Dynasty; Stanley Kubrik, director of movies including 2001: A Space Oddessey; DeForrest Kelly, "Bones" on the Original Star Trek. For a Science Fiction fan, enough cannot be said for the influence that show had on me. Walter Payton, one of the greatest football players of my time, died. This was one of those who gave back to the community, and stayed with his team and community his entire (long) career; Mario Puzo, author of the Godfather; Yehudi Menuhin was one of the four greatest violinists of the century. He spent much of his career promoting music as both therapy and an international language, as a way to bring people together. At the age of 82, he had also spent a tremendous amount of his life helping younger musicians; Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the moon (Apollo 12), died in a motorcycle accident; Wilt Chamberlain, one of the best basketball players of all time; Hall-of-Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter died of ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease"); Science Fiction / Fantasy writer Marion Zimmer Bradley; Cal Ripken Sr., father of Cal Ripken Jr, and longtime coach in the Orioles system passed away of cancer during spring training - he will be missed; Brooklyn Dodger great PeeWee Reese; Hall of Fame pitcher Early Winn; Desmond Lleweyln, Bond's Q; George C Scott (Patton, Dr. Strangelove); Hsing Hsing, the Giant Panda whose gifting to the Washington Zoo symbolized the reopening of US-China relationships; Calvin Griffith, former owner of the Washington Senators, who moved the team to Minnesota, where they led the league in attendance for their first 10 years; former Dallas Cowboy Mark Tuinei; Pam Slack, founder of the American Ferret Association (in a private plane accident); John Ehrlichman, one of the main players in the Watergate scandal, died at the age of 73; Gene Siskel (one of the two thumbs, as it were); Dusty Springfield ("Son of a Preacher Man"); actress Madeline Khan, Match Game Host Gene Rayburn, actor David Strickland (of Suddenly Susan); Harry Anderson (Night Court)'s favorite Mel Torme; actress Peggy Cass; Joseph Heller, writer of Catch-22; Lee Falk, creator of The Phantom; Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger), actor David Strickland; singer Boxcar Willie; children's author Shel Silverstein; , Jean Vander Pyl, the voice of Wilma Flintstone and Rosie the Robot (from The Jetsons); John F Kennedy Jr.; actor Victor Mature (Samson in Samson & Delilah); actor Brion James (Bladerunner, etc.); Allen Funt (Candid Camera); golfet Payne Stewart (in a mysterious small plane crash); Akio Morita, the founder of electronics giant Sony; Blues Traveller bassist Bobby Sheehan; Mary Kay Bergman, voice over actress of South Park, SW:TPM, and the voice of Mrs. Butterworth; Grover Washington Jr. (saxist);
• Some funkiness from the sports world. I noticed a Cubs game where the other guys scored in every inning. Interesting, but not that notable...until I heard that such a thing hadn't happened in the majors since 1964. Nomar Garciaparra hit two grand slams in one game - but was less notable than Fernando Tatis's feat of two in one inning (!) against the same pitcher (?!?!). Someone went 7-7 with 6 home runs in a NCAA game!
• Tiger Stadium saw its last game. While a treasure of many great games and memories, I personally felt that it had aged in ways that the old Comiskey Park hadn't, yet that was replaced several years ago. I don't feel at all as sad as I will when Fenway and/or Wrigley Fields pass on. Also noteworthy, although not as earthshaking (1989 playoffs notwithstanding), Candlestick had its last baseball game as well. Somehow, the Mariners moving out of the Kingdome into Safeco Field just doesn't compare.
• Two excellent movies - The Matrix and The Sixth Sense.