[Rhodes22-list] Happy New Year

[Saroj]

Roger,

So amazing to think that there are two teenagers in the U.S. today who chose
to spend NYE camping out in the freezing cold.  You and Deb have done an
incredible job raising your two boys.  Please give yourselves a HUGE pat on
the back since I'm not there to do it.

I was thinking about you today as I was hearing back from various folks and
wishing I had an update on your job situation.  I know just how devistated
you were at being laid off and just how incredulous it seemed to those of us
who have come to know you through the list.  We are so aware of the quality
and precision you bring to your sailing/boating, scouting and childraising
endeavors.  What a loss to Dow (if I'm remembering the co. correctly).

Please give me a brief update or refer me to a post you've already made.

2002 was very tough for me as well as I tried to find myself after a very
difficult, upsetting divorce along with other nasty family situations.  I'm
STILL trying to find myself actually, but life is looking much better today
than a year ago.

May 2003 bring us all the good fortune and happiness we deserve.

Saroj

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Pihlaja" <cen09402@centurytel.net>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 5:28 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Happy New Year


Deb & I celebrated NYE with some good friends from high school.  We went to
a Temptations concert at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI.
After the concert, we had a late dinner at a fancy restaurant in Mt.
Pleasant called the Embers.  Very pleasant.

Daniel & Gary decided to ring in the new year with a camping trip.  The
southern trailhead to a famous long backpacking trail called the
Midland/Mackinac Trail is only a few miles from our house.  The trail begins
at the headwaters of the Kawkawlin River.  The US Army Corps of Engineers &
the MDNR have built a small earthen dam & spillway which creates a 200 acre
shallow pond for wildlife habitat.  The trail actually crosses the pond on
top of this earthern dam.  The boys & their friends camped near the pond.
To help them celebrate the New Year, I gave them several expired distress
flares off the boat, which they fired off at midnight out over the pond.
They didn't bother anyone except perhaps a few Canada geese.  Daniel said it
got down to about 11 deg F this morning!  They got back about 3:00 PM today,
unpacked, took a shower, got something to eat, & promptly went to sleep.  I
don't think there was much sleeping last night.

2002 was a pretty tough year for my family.  I, for one, am not sorry to see
it pass into history.  I hope your 2002 was a good one & wish everyone a
happy & prosperous 2003.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
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