Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas 1997. This year has been a busy year with all the activity around the world and keeping busy following it on the internet. I sometimes wish I had time to sit down and read a good book like I use to in the old days, "prePC", "pre Personal Computing". Since a number of folks in the area seem to derive their livelihoods off information technology, we all seem to have swept fast into the information age. The old days of driving down to the train station at 5:00 AM to buy the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Greenwich Times have been replaced by all night marathons on the internet reading the news from around the world up to the minute and timely. I suppose we are saving a bit of newsprint also. I enjoy reading the British press on the internet, since I am limited to English as my natural language. I suppose the grass is always greener as we always see many visitors here from the Eastern Hemisphere.

In news closer to home, I am still spending most of my free time away from my apartment and off the net at the Greenwich Library reading computer technical information. The library is busy with construction of the new wing. My family members are busy in their respective domiciles and probably think I spend too much time fiddling with computers. All members are healthy and doing well, although we infrequently see each other. I sometimes think it would be great to move back down south for the winter, but I have become use to my winter time routines. I do however spend a great deal of time outside during the warmer months, and enjoy seeing the large cross section of visitors that travel through our community. I have not traveled into Manhattan in close to five years, but I hear tell that the city is much improved. I certainly see enough visitors from there out here, so I have a good perspective while maintaining my slower pace of life. I hardly have time to watch the television anymore, except a few news programs; so my perspective is limited to the news stories I read off the internet. My internet sites are enjoying modest success providing mostly technical directory information. I sometimes think it would be more interesting to go into the field and take up oceanography, but I suppose my days in the sun are over for now. I hope to quit smoking cigarettes this coming year and possibly lose a little weight. I am keeping up the fitness walking during the warmer days. Once again I wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.