Here is my annual Christmas message to friends around the world. Again it is rather long but email is cheap!

It has been a very busy year for me and a banner one at that. The big news is that I retired from Ontario Power Generation on February 28 after twenty-four and a half years in the Simulation department. I was 58 years old. You will have to consider that I also did research at Queens, taught at Lakehead University and did two post graduate degrees so I was basically working for 36 years. I figured I could live on the pension although it seems like I have over spent on it this year!

As you may recall, I had foot a reconstruction operation a year ago last November. My big cast came off last December and I was off to Cayo Largo with my friend Johnson who helped me get around. Johnson actually helped me out a lot during my convalescence and I appreciate it very much. I had been going to Cuba with my other travel friends, Dawn and Roger, so it was a big surprise on Christmas day that we showed up to see them in Cuba. I had a walking cast at that time.

In early February I didn’t need a cast any more so Roger and I spent a week in Cayo Largo. I also invited my Myrtle Beach golf buddies and wives to come as well. So that was Marty and Wendy, Mickey and Pen, and Jim and Eileen. It was warm there at Christmas but we had a couple of very cool days. Otherwise, everyone had fun.

Also in February, my grand nephew Turner came down with his mother Kathy to have a hernia operation at the Shouldice Clinic in Toronto. He is only 9 years old. They stayed at my place for a few days as he recovered. We went to the CN tower, Hardrock café and the interesting Human Bodywork’s exhibit at the Ontario Science Center.

In April I went back to Thunder Bay to finally consider whether or not to build a retirement home at Two Island Lake. It was sort of a life long dream to do this and, now being retired, I was seriously considering it. I interviewed three builders there and asked them to quote on the plans that I had provided to each of them. Only one of the three bothered to bid and his bid was way over my budget. Therefore, I shelved that idea.

At least I had a nice Easter up there and then had the moose story to tell. You can find that on my MSN blog whose link is provided below.

To save face, I bought at Hobie Cat Wave catamaran sailboat and invested with my brother David in getting a new sewer system at the camp that we have been sharing.

Johnson works for the high quality hotel chain called Fairmont (e.g. the Royal York). As an employee he is able to get good deals on hotel rooms in interesting places. We went to Ottawa in May for a few days and stayed at the Chateau Laurier right beside the parliament buildings. Ottawa is a nice place to walk so we did a lot of that; it was good exercise for my foot.

In May, I did a nice golf trip to Bigwin Island in the Muskokas. Marty, Jim, their wives and I stayed at Mickey’s place in Gravenhurst and had a good time. We all like the Bigwin golf resort, as it is one of the best golf courses in Canada.

In early July Johnson and I went to Quebec City and stayed in the glorious Chateau Frontenac that is right down by the St Lawrence River. We really liked the city as it has a definite European flavor and is great to walk around to take pictures. There are some great waterfalls nearby as well. In the hotel, we stayed in a Gold Room that is on a special high-class floor in the Frontenac. What a luxury!

Later in July, Johnson and I went up to Gravenhurst to visit Mickey and Pen and to borrow his trailer so I could transport my new sailboat to Thunder Bay. While we were there we visited the Norman Bethune home. He was a Canadian doctor who is idolized by the Chinese because of all the work he did in China. Not many Canadians know of him and that the Chinese think of him as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. I think that schools should teach this fact; I am somewhat ashamed that I had been to Gravenhurst many times and not gone to the family home even though it is right near the curling club.

I spent a few weeks at camp at Two Island Lake with my brother David. It was a particularly good visit and it might be because of my being retired. We had fun with the sailboat and I actually turtled it once. Well, it is all a learning experience and tipping over is a part of sailing. It was good to see everyone and I am glad that they are all healthy.

My only surviving uncle died this year; he lived in California. Nic was the last family relative who was older than my brothers. This year marked the 30^th year since my Father passed away.

As I have been doing for the last few years, I went to Gravenhurst on the way back from my vacation in Thunder Bay. We had a pleasant time with Mickey, Pen, Marty and Wendy doing golf, dinners and cruising on Gull Lake.

The biggest trip of the year was going to China for 25 days with Johnson. I have a big pictorial web site whose link is also below. We flew from Toronto to Chicago to Shanghai. We stayed there a few days in a hotel and shopped, walked and saw the sights of huge buildings. We also went to a town that has canals. We then flew to Xian on China Eastern Airlines.

Xian is the former capital of China and has lots of old things to see. It is also a walled city and one can go for long walks on the wall. The web site has more pictures. This area is where the famous terra-cotta soldiers are located. It is a massive site. The city is very busy as there is no subway and there is lots of pollution. There are Islamic markets, temples and lots of places to shop.

We took a train to Johnson’s hometown of Bautou in Inner Mongolia. We stayed at his parent’s place that is a nice condo similar to what you’d find in Canada. We met lots of Johnson’s old school friends and people he taught with at the University. We also had fun with his relatives so there were many dinners and lunches to go to.

I especially liked going to the desert that is just outside of Bautou. We had a camel ride that was a riot.

We then went to Tianjin by train. Again we met a lot of Johnson’s school friends and had more dinners!

Lastly we went to Beijing. We stayed at a couple of University hotels; we weren’t supposed to as I am a foreigner but Johnson had some pull from some influential friends. The city is wonderful and there are many things to see like Tian’amen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, 798 Art Area and the wonderful Great Wall of China at Badaling. It was pretty fantastic and you can see the pictures on my web site.

In September my friend Jonathan needed someone to go to his time-share in Atlantic City as his wife had just changed jobs so I agreed to go. We had fun gambling, deep see fishing, golfing and visiting with his sister and husband. We also visited Princeton University to try to visit Cal’s daughter who is taking her Ph.D. there. The campus is beautiful and, since I had done some relativity, it was inspiring to be there where Einstein used to be.

In October Johnson and I went to yet again another Fairmont property under the Delta flag. We went to Halliburton to stay at the Delta Pinestone Resort. Johnson likes to take beautiful pictures so we were there to see the fall colors. We went up the fire tower in Dorset and went through Algonquin Park although the colors had left early there.

At Thanksgiving I went up to Collingwood with Cal to his mother’s place for a delicious turkey dinner. The Blue Mountain area is very much a tourist area now. We went out for the traditional apple gathering.

In mid October Mickey, Marty, Jim and I went again to Myrtle Beach for golf. The Atlantic Ocean was very nice this year and we swam more than ever before. We had great four-bedroom accommodation and I think it was one of the better trips there in spite of only the four of us going. Everyone thought that my golf would be a lot better this year because I was retired and theoretically had lots of time. Well, I was so busy travelling that my golf suffered and it was only so-so golf in Myrtle Beach.

It reminds me of one golf story that happened at the Lindsay Golf Club. Again this year Casey, Mike and I relied on golf coupons to do our golf trips and Lindsay is always a good deal. This time only Mike was there. On the first nine we were with a couple of fellows who were driving a golf cart; after the 10^th hole they sped off because they were in a hurry. My first nine was not interesting but I did get a birdie. On the 12^th hole that is a par 3 I landed close to the pin and made the putt for a birdie. On the 13^th that is a par 5 I landed a wedge close to the pin on the back shelf and made another birdie. Reality struck on the next hole as I triple bogeyed it. The 15^th hole is par 3 and I landed in the front bunker and miraculously sunk the blast out of the sand trap for another birdie. The 16^th hole is a very long par 4 (416 yards) and I hit a monster drive and stuck a 9 iron above the hole. I birdied that hole as well so I had four birdies in five holes – what a streak of luck. The 18^th hole is a short par 5 and I was on the fringe in two so I hoped for another easy birdie but I three putted! I shouldn’t complain after having 5 birdies for the day.

In November I went to Santa Lucia in Cuba for a two-week vacation alone. I had been laying new flooring in my place and screwed up my back so it was time for some R&R. Although I went there alone there was no single supplement and the whole all inclusive hotel and air flight was only $750! The weather was the pits but enjoyed it all the same. There are some pictures on the blog as well. I traveled with Cubana Airlines for the first time and they were very good.

So here we are in early December. I am not going to Cuba at Christmas as I used to do because I am retired and am not forced to use that holiday period. At any event, we have other plans for January but will save that story for next year’s message. It will be strange to have Christmas in Canada after spending so many away with Dawn and Roger.

As you can see, it was a very busy year and next year is stacking up to be busy as well. I never got a call for more work so it appears that I will be retired forever. Got to keep busy! I joined the South Pickering Senior’s club to play Ping-Pong, pool, etc, am still a member of the Durham Outdoors Club and the Ajax Power Squadron.

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.

Best wishes,

Tim