Christmas98

Hello,

As 1998 transmigrates into 1999, I am again desirous of renewing old acquaintances and solidifying new ones. While I try to express my appreciation and goodwill towards my friends, family, and colleagues on an ongoing basis, I may not be as rigorous at doing so as I'd like. Please accept this as an acknowledgment of the high esteem I hold you in year-round. Additionally, in the spirit of the season, please have a

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Here's what I've been up to in 1998:

I rolled out my very own personal web site. There is a great deal of content, pictures, original thought, etc. Please check it out in detail and give me some feedback: http://www.geocities.com/altruistguy.geo
Vacations: The highlight was a two week working vacation in Hawaii with my mother. It had been almost exactly ten years since I lived there. For the 17th year, I went to a favorite summer camp with my father, sister, and niece. I again joined most of my family and my best friend at my grandmother's cottage in NW Michigan.
Athletics: I didn't do as much bicycling or skiing this year as I had hoped (only got in 280 miles and 1.5 days, respectively). I switched gyms, which allowed me to start playing racquetball fairly regularly (after about a five year hiatus). I swam about 20-30 miles in the summer.
Charity: I'm still volunteering four hours per week at the crisis hotline. I surpassed the 15 and 16 gallon thresholds for lifetime blood donations (I gave two more pints than last year).
Sports: My Michigan Wolverines football team won the Big Ten championship, won ten games, and won its bowl game, all for the second consecutive season. My Duke basketball team won the ACC regular season championship for the second year in a row (with a record number of conference victories) and made a great run in the NCAA tourney. As they were at this time last year, they are favored by many to win the national championship.
Romance: I'm happy to report that I'm presently "attached" to an excellent candidate for spousehood.
Good first run movies seen: As Good as it Gets, Good Will Hunting.
Genealogy: I made a breakthrough tracing the ancestry of my mother's paternal grandfather. While reading his (unpublished) autobiography, I learned the name of the church in Danzig (then in West Prussia, now Gdansk Poland) where he was baptized. This allowed me to study (microfilm of) that church's baptism and wedding records, which yielded significantly more information about his relatives and ancestors (going back to his great great grandfather).
I ate an ostrichburger. It tasted like a very lean beef hamburger.

Smile & Be Happy!

Eric E. Haas

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This page last updated 08/06/02