Christmas2008

Hello,

Our favorite time of the year once again! We love reflecting on the many joyous times of Christmases past and enjoying the blessings of the present. We hope that your blessings approach or exceed ours.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Here's what we've been up to in 2008:

Eric's company, Altruist Financial Advisors LLC, continues to do well. As of the end of 2008, he has about $60 million in assets under management.

Melissa continues as a part-time nurse at Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.
Winter Vacations: Eric went on a "trip of a lifetime" to Antarctica with his father and brother. The rest of the family enjoyed a few days of skiing at Telluride, CO.
Summer Vacations: We spent two weeks at our family's cottage in NW Michigan on beautiful Crystal Lake (where we were glad to be joined by our friends, the Evans family). We also spent a week at our favorite summer camp, Camp Michigania.
Toys: Eric got a Hennessy Hammock. It is a replacement for a tent, fully topped with mosquito netting and with a rain fly. He uses it when camping and it is so comfortable that he has slept in it while at home as well (i.e., in the backyard).

Eric replaced the SPD pedals on his bicycle with SpeedPlay pedals. They have dramatically more float, which should help Eric's sore knees. This is the third type of clipless pedals he has used, since first going clipless in the mid-90s (the first being OnZa).

Melissa got a nice Cannondale bicycle, but has not yet ridden it.

We upgraded our satellite TV service to start receiving High Definition programming — a dramatic improvement!
Cars: Eric replaced his (wrecked) 2006 Scion xB with a 2008 Toyota Prius, which our daughter has named, "Lightning Flash." In the winter, it gets about 46-47 mpg on average. In the spring, summer, and fall, it gets about 56-57 mpg on average. The best tank so far was 62 mpg. The longest between fillups was about 724 miles.
Athletics: Our son Morgan participated in soccer (as a starter on varsity as a sophomore), basketball, and tennis. His soccer team won the district championship (the first ever district championship in any sport for his school). Individually (in soccer), he was named to the All-District team and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Our daughter Lisette played soccer and swam "competitively."

Eric once again participated in the 210-mile two-day bike ride called TOSRV. He averaged 16.2 mph, which is pretty good, especially when considering that his pre-event training time on the road was zero. The zero training time showed up by his having an extremely sore "saddle area". This was his ninth year of participation in the event since 1978.

Eric participated in the 440-mile seven-day bike ride called TRIRI (motto: "Burn Carbohydrates, Not Hydrocarbons"). It was hot, humid, and all hills, but it was fun, not the least because he did it with his friends of thirty years, Jim Campbell and family.

Our daughter has named Eric's recumbent exercise bike, "E.B.", which is short for Exercise Bike. He uses it occasionally in the winter.

Eric and Melissa joined a local weightlifting gym and go there not enough. Eric's been having some particularly good workouts in December with his friend Charles. We also retain our long-standing membership at the local aquatic center.

Eric and Lisette attended the NCAA Women's Basketball Division III National Championship game (Howard Payne College beat Messiah College).

Eric sailed for about 31 hours on three different lakes (Walloon Lake, Crystal Lake, Duck Lake).

Eric kayaked for 9.5 hours on two different lakes (Walloon Lake & Lake Michigan).

Eric bicycled just over 1,000 miles, which is pretty good.

Eric became a wrestling official for the first time. He wrestled in high school and is thrilled to be involved in the sport again. Initially, he is starting out officiating High School Junior Varsity matches.
Scouting: Eric continues as an extremely enthusiastic and active Assistant Scoutmaster. He attended the troop's week-long summer camp for the fifth consecutive year, as well as most of the monthly outings. He remains webmaster of his troop's (award-winning) web site. Eric also serves as Assistant Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner for his district. As a merit badge counselor for ten merit badges, he has now served as counselor for 37 successful merit badge completions over the past five years. Eric recently became a Unit Commissioner as well. Eric completed the six-day Powderhorn high-adventure training course. Eric served on the staff of a six-day National Youth Leader Training course. Attending three one-week scout outings, in addition to numerous weekend outings (plus weekly troop meetings, monthly district roundtable meetings, monthly troop scoutmaster meetings, monthly patrol leader's council meetings, monthly troop committee meetings, monthly commissioner meetings, etc.) is quite a time commitment, but Eric really enjoys it.
Good movies seen: Death at a Funeral, National Treasure, Dan in Real Life, March of the Penguins, Shallow Hal, Wall-E, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Coach Carter, Miracle on Ice.
Current Favorite TV shows: Eric is addicted to The Office (NBC), Desperate Housewives (ABC), The Outer Limits (Science Fiction Channel), and Star Trek: Enterprise (Science Fiction Channel). By using a DVR, he is able to watch his chosen shows independent of their scheduling, and commercial free.
Good books read: This year Eric read (I read a few of these to our children -- most of the rest were read in my car via "books on tape/CD"): These Happy Golden Years (Laura Ingalls Wilder), Bo (Schembechler/Album), Foundation (Isaac Asimov), Capital Ideas Evolving (Bernstein), Where the Red Fern Grows (Rawls), The Golden Compass (Pullman), Foundation and Empire (Isaac Asimov), Trail and Campfire Stories (Ernest Thompson Seton), The Dilbert Principle (Scott Adams), Shiloh* (Naylor), Missing May* (Rylant), Gilead+ (Robinson), Maniac Magee* (Spinelli), Rifles for Watie* (Kieth), Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment with History (Cannon), Great Ideas of Philosophy (Robinson), Great Moments in Pro Football (Hollander), The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (Richard Feynman), The Joy of Science (Hazen), Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History (Bumbaugh), The First Four Years (Laura Ingalls Wilder), Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine (Calvert), Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry* (Taylor), Einstein: His Life and Universe (Isaacson), The Summer of the Swans* (Byars), Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (Isaacson), Call it Courage* (Sperry), My Side of the Mountain (George), The Witch of Blackbird Pond* (Speare), Bud, Not Buddy* (Curtis), Number the Stars* (Lowry), Darwin's Radio (Bear), Jacob Have I Loved* (Paterson), Nobody's Fool (Russo), Alone at Sea (Lindemann), Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village* (Schlitz).
* Newberry Medal Winner
+ Pulitzer Prize Winner
Genealogy: Eric co-organized a family reunion for relatives of his father. It was a great success, as he met several second and third cousins whom he'd never met before.
Critters: Eric held a Red-Tailed Hawk on his arm and came face-to-face (i.e., within a foot) with both an adult bald eagle and a great horned owl. Eric saw three sandhill cranes (never saw one before).
Milestone: Eric got his first pair of bifocals. He now officially considers himself to be "middle aged".

Smile & Be Happy!

Eric & Melissa Haas

Eric's personal Home Page
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This page last updated 12/26/08