Carla flew the coop for good this spring. She completed her degree in April, promptly leased a new Pontiac Sunfire, and left for Ottawa to begin working for Nortel Networks on May 1. She works in verification testing where they design test programs for new products to make sure they do what they are supposed to do. She didn’t care for her first accommodation, so she found a new place over the summer and is now resettled. During the summer she took a bus trip to New York for a long weekend with a number of co-workers. She enjoys Ottawa and has made many new friends.
Darren is still in Vancouver. He traveled to Thailand in April with two friends. They backpacked around the country, then settled on a beach for a week. He had a great time and many interesting experiences. When he returned, his roommates had moved, so he caught up with them and moved in on an interim basis. His official bedroom was the furnace room (we like to tease him about that), but he slept on the couch unless there was company. He worked as an engineer’s assistant at the Vancouver Aquarium for the summer. After his experience with pumps and filters at Cominco, this one was child’s play. In late summer he moved into another new place with two other friends. He started mechanical engineering at UBC in September. He is working hard and doing well, or so he tells us.Laura enjoyed a being back at school after last year’s correspondence experience. Her grades were excellent. She has worked part-time in a young ladies clothing store since early summer. She enjoys the spending money, responsibility, and achievement, but it sure keeps her busy. She attended a modeling convention in Vancouver in November to gauge the opportunities after graduation. There was some interest in her, but the jury is still out. She is pondering life after high school, assessing where her interests and talents lie, and trying to decide on a career path.
Glenn and Celeste spent the summer visiting their far flung children. They drove to Vancouver in early June to deliver Glenn’s old motorcycle to Darren. It hadn’t been on the road in about 15 years, so it needed some work, but when it was done, it was almost like new. Darren quite enjoys riding it and has had several comments about driving a "classic" bike. About 10 days after returning from Vancouver, they were off again to Ottawa delivering personal possessions that Carla couldn’t squeeze into her car. Laura and their niece, Shauna, went along for the ride. In Ottawa they took in the Canada Day festivities and enjoyed a visit with Celeste’s sister Angie and her family.
In September it was automobile assessment time. Would the 1986 Olds 98 make it through another winter? There were signs that it might need some major work. Was it wiser to sink a bunch of money into an old car that would need replacement soon anyway, or replace it now? We decided to bite the bullet, and we’re glad we did. Celeste is now driving a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. She likes it very much and we both enjoy the peace of mind of knowing it is not likely to break down in the near future.
The subject of retirement is coming up more and more frequently. Although it is not imminent, it is near enough that we are starting to think about it and consider when our finances will allow us to be free to do what we want every day.
Best wishes to all for Christmas and in the New Year,
Glenn, Celeste, Carla, Darren, and Laura
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