Let’s see, where were we… Oh yes. I remember. Our websites were not quite two months old and we were preparing to “celebrate” the second Christmas with no job. What’s happened since then?

Ray and Carol’s younger daughter Rebecca became engaged and we were invited to attend her bridal shower. Here she is with proud mother Carol and older sister Theresa. We have known the Hernandez family since our son Jason was in the 4th grade, in the same classroom with Theresa.
My childhood best buddy Jim and his wife Judy took a short vacation, and some respite from the cold, at Disneyland. Pat and I joined them for a day. We don’t get to see them very often since they live near Carson City, Nevada. We were all delighted to spend a warm December day in the Happiest Place on Earth.

Once again we were very grateful to enjoy a fabulous Christmas dinner with the Castle’s: the best prime rib, bar none. Greg can be seen here carving one of two, just minutes out of the oven.

February was a turning point. I was angry, frustrated, and depressed after a year and a half without a job. Unemployment checks were history, most of the severance pay had been spent, and it was painfully clear that income from the websites would be just enough to pay the hosting fees and not much more. The morning after a spat with my most excellent spouse Patricia, I awoke feeling…just awful. She certainly did not deserve the angry words I had heaped on her. I started crying (very out of character!) and realized that something had to change. She made an appointment for me to see the doctor.

In the same week, I got a call asking me to come in for an interview! I had responded to an ad in Monster.com, just the latest of hundreds over the previous 18 months. Also that week, I had a permanent crown installed on one of my top right molars. I guess I tend to chew mostly on that side and that tooth had literally cracked under the pressure.

The interview was on Friday February 22. I didn’t think it had gone particularly well, and so was quite surprised when I was asked to come back in on Monday. It was mostly a get-acquainted session with the two other engineers in the company and to make me an offer! I started as a probationary employee on March 3.
In April we were invited to a Casino Night and wedding reception for Theresa and Jeremy Horde, where our very own Matthew was the official photographer. There were loads of food, an open bar, a roulette wheel, crap table, and two black jack dealers. All in all, a fun time for everyone.

The rest of April and all of May were filled with work for me. Pat, on the other hand, made several more mid-week visits to Disneyland, as well as doctor appointments with her rheumatologist, physical therapist, and MD. She even found time to sew new cushions for a friend’s backyard patio furniture. My middle brother Hal had his 53rd birthday and baby brother Ted turned 50!

Speaking of Hal, we were pleased to have him overnight on June 16. He has the craziest commute you can imagine. His home and family are in Indiana, just outside Indianapolis. He works for United Airlines in San Francisco! He rents a room about an hour’s drive from there during the week and flies home for his days off. Since he works for the airline he can fly free, but always on standby. Something went wrong this particular day and he couldn’t get a flight home. So he stayed with us for a day. A month or two later he gave as a scare. Seems he missed the first step when backing out of an airplane cabin onto the 19′ ladder at the door. That is a long way to fall, particularly onto a concrete hangar floor! He banged is head and broke his glasses, but amazingly, there was no lasting injury. After a few days off, he was back to that crazy commute again. Also in June, my probationary period at Versadial was up and…I become regular full-time! Yay!

July was fairly uneventful until the last weekend when we received word that John Laxalt succumbed to cancer. “Why is this in the Fuller Times”, you ask? John was married to Candy, formerly, Fountain. My father, Vern, was married to Jackie, formerly, Fountain, who was Candy’s mother. So that makes Candy a step-sister and John a…step-brother-in-law, I think. Hal attended John’s memorial in the Sacramento area and said that it was very memorable, actually “Great!”

Saturday August 9 was the beginning of a weekend to remember. The eucalyptus trees in the neighbor’s yard fell, persuaded by ropes and chain saws.
The following week, at work, the company President himself delivered two brand new Samsung 22″ LCD monitors to my work station. The picture on the screens is this one, taken just a couple of blocks away on one of my lunch time walks.

Saturday September 27 my Mazda 6 was 5 years old…and out of warranty. So of course we had to take a trip. We went to the El Capitan Theater at Hollywood and Highland to see the “Tinkerbell Movie.” The organ pre-show and the freak show outside the Chinese theater were actually more entertaining. And the car was, and so far always has been, completely reliable.

Christmas came for me on October 11. Once again, my most excellent spouse, Patricia, and youngest son Matthew, joined forces to acquire a new camera on my behalf.

November brought us a house guest. Valerie Marincic lived in Orange County with her family, just a few blocks away from us about 10 years ago. She recently came back to do an internship in L.A. county. She fell victim to the economy and needed a place to stay.

Once again this year, we were guests of the Bennett’s for a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Jill made the best mashed potatos, with sour cream and blue cheese…um, um, um! Anna King was not to be distracted as she watched me carve the turkey. Later on, she snagged some dessert. We were all sitting in the family room having some cake. Valerie was sitting on the floor with her piece of cake on a plate beside her. Anna King slowly and casually walked up to her and just stopped for a few seconds…then SNARF! Half the frosting and a chunk of cake disappeared!

That brings us almost up to date. So a lttle bit about how we are doing (as opposed to what we’re doing). Going to see the doctor and getting those little white pills has made a huge difference in my outlook. (Getting a job didn’t hurt either.) I can see the good in situations again and it’s not outweighed by the bad. I have my self-confidence back and new situations no longer make me feel like crawling into a hole and hoping it will go away.

Pat’s health remains challenging. She tires easily and is in near constant pain in one or more places. But she never gives up and worries about everyone else before thinking of herself. She keeps busy taking pictures, making cards, staying in touch with friends and relatives, a little less gardening, housekeeping, grocery shopping, laundry, and blogging, not necessarily in that order. And oh yes, she is still my most excellent spouse.

Jason, by all accounts, thoroughly enjoys living in Arcata, where the beach and the woods are equally accessible. I think he likes his job too. Here is an except from his Thanksgiving day email:

Work was crazy busy this week as you could imagine, but I got a handshake and commendation from the store manager Wednesday for working so hard and setting an example for the rest of the store – he came up to me mid-shift, said “Thank you” and extended his hand, I was just like “what’d I do?” We went through 150 pounds of bulk sugar in 3 days, at least as much flour, probably close to 100 pounds of pecans…I know we brought in 700 turkeys.It boggles the mind, the amount of logistics involved in holidays, everyone trying to do the same thing at the same time.

Matthew wishes he could afford a place with a working kitchen. But it’s close to his new job at Nissan, where he is in charge of scheduling training classes for the western region. He occasionally picks up the odd photography gig. He was the official photographer for a new bridge dedication at UCI. A couple of weeks ago he assisted with a wedding shoot. You can see some of his photos at his website CreativeRampancy.