Jeremy's "in transition" which is a nice way of saying "All Hell had broken lose" but it was a wonderful loving, family way to bring in the New Year.
The girls dote on the brother they never had until now and he gives it back in kind.
A month later we're on a cruise ship with stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Coco Cay and Honduras.
With our friends Tim and Jesse, we did crazy stuff ... but the definite highlight is Sarah and Jesse getting photographed playing in the aqua-blue water for a British Naturalist Magazine!
Who gets to do that in life?
Later Sarah and I are in Ireland with a couple of old friends and a bus load of new ones!
It was an incredible experience ... well except for the one day I insist we sit on the front row of the bus to see everything ... because we're really back row people ... but Sarah fixed that the next day and we never did it again.
What we did do was ... stand on the perch of a Lighthouse 40 above the waves crashing into cliffs, feeling more alive than ever ... with every fiber of our body exploding in LIFE!
Later in a Pub, I got to play with Band as people hit on Sarah sitting at the bar!
They are highlight experiences of life ... and I never would have chosen to go Ireland ... it was Sarah's dream ... and I'd go back with her anytime.
Then Sarah came up with an excuse to go to Key West, FL. Claiming it was for the Hemingway Race we actually wanted to hang around Joey Finch and Bill Bray ... well ... when we weren't at "Irish Kevin's.
PLUS... Martha Cetti and Joe, who went to Ireland with us there, so we had to go and meet them in "Sloppy Joe's" ... and then go hang out with Billy and Joey again.
San Salvador, Bahamas has been a dream destination since I was a little kid ... where Columbus first ran into the Americas ... the outermost island with hardly anything on it ... an a food boat scheduled to arrive weekly though that doesn't always happen.
From a tiny house we climb down rocks to a private beach and on the first day the girls saw a Manta Ray ... later five large sharks swam pass in formation ... crazy trips to the grocery (the food boat arrived the day after we did) ... and because there's no television or Internet, the girls learn how to play "Spades" ... which is now a weekend activity.
They're pretty good and can deal from the bottom ... cheat ... mix the cards ... and reach the ruthlessness necessary for a good game of cards.
We all want to go back to San Sal.
During College football season ... occasionally referred to as Autumn ... Maddie, the 13 year old, and I went to Jacksonville, FL and all of us went to Athens, GA to root for the Beloved DAWGS ... who lost both games ... but we had a Hell of a good time.
Ah ... but what a year we've had!
Sarah got a job ... Laurel, the 10 year old, got into the Savannah Children's Choir ... Chelsea and Sam have kicked ass through their first year of marriage ... Kristen's made straight "A's" for the first time in her life ... and Cassidy, the 8 year old, has numerous "American Girl Dolls" which obviously outshine anything.
It's been a crazy, wonderful, satisfying, frustrating, year.
To bring in the New Year, Sarah and I are going on the Gambling Boat.
And we're already making plans for where to go next year.
Because ... to quote "The Atlanta Rhythm Section" ... Do it or die.
We obviously prefer to do it.
And put off the dying.
