667 Euclid Ave, Toronto ON M6G 2T8
December 2008
The Christmas tree is up and decorated and glowing nicely in the living room by the fire a good time to think about the year we've had. We are all very well and looking forward to the festivities of the year end.
Eve (sometimes still Vee) is properly launched into her International Baccalaureate program Grade 11 after her prep year in 07-08. One of her two part-time jobs is serving as a sales clerk in a groovy shop of miscellany called Tintaj.
Liam is taking a 'gap year' after finishing his high school. He has been looking for work in the computer business, but not finding much. The exception is in reconditioning donated computers for Canada Geeks , a fun occupation that unfortunately offers moral rewards only. He put in some time working on the federal election in October. (He voted for the first time!) .
Lynn continues to mind the home fires and keeps the rest of us functional, while attending to her own writing and editing projects as well.
In July Lynn ad I took a three-week trip to England, where
we spent a week in a 
country house in the Lake District, hiking daily with
guided groups in various 
scenic bits of 
that region. After several weeks of
getting fit before the trip, and taking some introductory hikes into the Bruce
Trail region in Ontario, we managed very respectably when we got to the Real
Thing
Other highlights of the trip included scenic London, a most
enjoyable tour of the Peaks District (Derbyshire, including visits to
Chatsworth
and 
Haddon Hall to see how the other 0.001% live), medieval 
religious plays in
Chester, and a lovely stay with a long-time friend and experienced hiker
near 
Cambridge. The first couple of weeks gave us a 
rainy demonstration of why
the country is so green, then sunshine in the final week showed us the better
half of England's 
green and pleasant land.
August found me in New York for the American Bar Association annual meeting then in Quebec City for the Uniform Law Conference. Most federal-provincial meetings in Canada in 2008 were in Quebec, to profit from the celebrations of its 400th anniversary. It is nearly 40 years since I got my certificate as a tourist guide for the City of Quebec. Fortunately the historical parts haven't changed much, except to be restored and animated for the party. Nice to be back.
Other business took me to Minneapolis in January (putting the winter back in the Winter Working Meeting of the Cyberspace Law Committee. Enough of that! Next month's meeting is back in California!), Dallas in April, and Montreal and Ottawa twice each. Having a reliable small airline flying out of downtown is a big convenience for the short hops.
I have also been appointed Conference Chair of the Couchiching Conference for 2009. The topic is the Global Politics of Food a topic about which I have known next to nothing. I am of course not alone to prepare. There is an experienced program committee meeting monthly, and a number of people on board who actually know something about the topic. I was an officer and director of Couch for five years before Liam was born; I am reminded why I liked it the variety of smart engaged people whom I would never meet without this project. I'm hoping that not all of what I learn about food will ruin my appetite for good!
I got rather hooked this autumn on reporting about the US presidential election, being particularly distressed with the ravages that Bush has inflicted on the rule of law in his country, among other problems. I ended up addicted to a polling site and a comment site . Since the election I've managed to cut down to daily visits, or less. I am happy with the results, anyway, and as optimistic about President Obama as my years of experience in government and the prospects for the world economy permit.
Once again the coming year offers no prospects of retirement, but the work and the travel are what I want to be doing anyway. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
P.S. some more pictures of the English trip are online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/euclidca/sets/72157611311595058/
(I will put this letter on the home page at www.euclid.ca and link the pics more directly, just in case you want the illustrated version.)