2002

                                         

                          December 1, 2002

Dear Family & Friends,

It is Halftime of the Bears – Packers game and so I thought I should try to write this letter now – while the Bears are winning and I am still in a good mood. I was going to use the time to organize the family for our annual picture, but that has proven too much of challenge even for a skilled manager like myself. If this letter comes without a picture it will be because we failed to find a time when all five of us were together and feeling good enough about our appearance to allow a photo opportunity.

We will soon have three teenagers; later this month Stephen turns 18, Nicole 15 and Christie 13. They each have their own style and approach to life’s challenges. For example, as we were getting ready for Thanksgiving Dinner I asked Stephen to run to the store for some last minute supplies; he quickly agreed and was out the door before we could think of anything more for him to do. I asked Nicole to help out in the kitchen and she debated, negotiated, and made sounds that a less politic person might describe as whining, before she set to work and spent two hours making a cherry pie and a great cheesecake (which she ate most of). And finally, I found Christie playing video games in the basement and I asked her to pick up the living room. She said sure she would get to it “in a minute” and that was the last I saw of her until dinner.

Stephen is “perfect” according to his sisters, but I don’t think they mean that in the best sense of the word. He has been busy completing applications for college. All of his choices are in the Midwest and East – he eliminated large sections of the country because they were “too hot”. He is definitely a Midwestern kid. He is a good student, but it doesn’t look like he is going to snare a scholarship for Ultimate Frisbee or Gymnastics so Suzanne and I are planning to continue working. Stephen helps with the Girls Swimming and Girls Gymnastics teams (of which his girlfriend Ali coincidentally belongs). We are looking forward to his final year on the Gymnastics team. Since he started gymnastics he has gone from 175 pounds to 148 pounds; he can actually do flips and other gravity-defying activities.

Nicole now shares Evanston High School with her brother; (it is probably a good thing that there are nearly four thousand kids at the school). She made the Freshmen Volleyball team and also played Club Soccer. This winter she is playing club Volleyball and then in the spring she is planning to go out for the Freshmen Soccer team.

Nicole is not a classic student seeking knowledge for its own sake – at least not yet. But she is really competitive and she seems to work as hard at her schoolwork as at her sports activities. She has had a good start to her first year of High School and we are proud of her effort.

Christie is in 7th grade and has done a good job of establishing with her teachers that she is not Stephen or Nicole. I think she might be more of a pure student than either of them – as she seems to do her homework for her own enlightenment and amusement and often times does not seem inclined to share it with her teachers.

I never get Christie right in these letters. She has a certain kind of affecting, bemused attitude about life that is both endearing and frustrating. Sometimes one of her parents will speak in a really loud voice to her and she seems to be able to deflect or absorb the anger with a hug or a pat on the back – like we are the ones with the problem... She loves to draw – especially detailed cartoon figures (animes). She likes to spend time with her friends, but also seems to be comfortable spending hours lost in her own world.

Sammy, our dog, is the one member of the family that really seems happy to see me when I return from traveling – perhaps that is because I am the only one who remembers to feed him and take him out for walks in the morning. Not true, according to Nicole who swears that he does get fed when I am gone.

My engine remanufacturing business has been reborn as Sequel Ltd. We now have locations in Phoenix, Willow Springs, Missouri, and Richmond, Virginia and a strong financial partner, Stonehenge Capital in Columbus, Ohio. I don’t travel any more than I used too (no less either according to Suzanne) but to more locations. We have had a really busy year and are excited about our opportunities in 2003.

Suzanne has become very interested in her family’s fitness and has devoted much of her QVC time to seeing to it that we have every fitness device sold on that channel; recent acquisitions include the Torso Trak; a Pilates gym (with video tapes); gigantic plastic balls (with video tapes); Abroller and Abercizer (each with tapes); “Walk your Abs Flat” (which was just tapes since they could not figure out how to sell a device to help you walk); She and Christie even impulsively bought that belt that delivers an electric shock to your midsection – I think the concept was that it convinces you to do sit-ups to avoid further shocks.

Suzanne continues to enjoy the challenge of her legal career with BP (and she says I can’t be diplomatic), but is not looking forward to their planned move to the Western suburbs – a seventy minute drive instead of a twenty minute train ride into the Loop. Suzanne said I always write about how hard she works and that it makes her sound boring. She said I should write about something else; she suggested the plan she has launched to clean our basement; I think we need to get out more.

Suzanne’s father, Fred Sawada died in January. He was a gifted engineer, a war hero, a devout Christian, a friend to many, many people and a wonderful husband and father. We miss him. Suzanne and her brother, Stephen, moved their Mom to Indianapolis from Upstate New York to be closer to both our families.

Another year has passed. We cherish this time of year with our family and friends. The time passes too quickly. We wish you all a safe and Joyful Holiday Season.

Len, Suzanne, Stephen, Nicole & Christie

*******************************************************************