Were they fired? Luckily, no… Our patriotic heroes continued to work for a not-to-be-identified Department of Defense agency. Their feint hopes for early retirement continued to be dashed by the current economic situation (but realistically they were simply grateful to be employed at all). Angela moved “up’ to a new position in her current organization. She has a spiffy new title but Angela says it basically means she has more work to do…

Did they stop traveling for work? Sadly, no… Angela got to stay at home but John took work trips out to Texas, Colorado, and the Ohio State University. John also spent a lot of time attending an assortment of simply fascinating inter-agency working group meetings in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia.

Did they stop traveling for fun? Luckily, no... Our adventurous heroes went to crazy Kansas and merry Michigan to visit relatives and friends. They also treated themselves to a little vacation in Las Vegas where they saw three great shows and spent a lot of time dining and shopping indoors at the amazing Palazzo / Venetian complex (because it was a mere 113º outside).

Did they stop their string of home improvement projects? Oh no! On the outside, they put up a new split rail fence (a “pre-canine” preparatory action). On the inside, they completely renovated their master bedroom and “library”; this included new paint, lights, ceiling fans, drapes, carpets, and lots of new furniture. They also had new hardwood floors installed in the foyer and 2nd floor hallway as well as matching railings, balusters, and stair treads. Whew! See all the pretty pictures on our website.

Did they stop their various and sundry extracurricular activities? No way! Our fine arts enjoying heroes continued to attend a string of wonderful ballet, theatric, and concert events. Angela continued to take, teach and perform ballet. John valiantly tried to continue to take Tai Chi classes but was restricted by increasingly painful arthritis in both his hips…

Speaking of which… After several unsuccessful medical mitigations, John was pretty much compelled to undergo (left) hip replacement surgery in mid-November. Everything went as planned and John is now re-hipped. The very good news is that the procedure itself and material options have improved dramatically since Angela went through the very same surgery four years ago --- only one small incision, minimal post-surgery restrictions, and in and out of the hospital in two days! What has not changed, however, is the post-surgery recovery period which is still in the 6-8 week range. Angela took two weeks off immediately after the surgery to help in John’s speedy recovery. Time off at the holiday is great, although how this time off was acquired was perhaps a bit drastic. In any case it is the true reason our bionic heroes had the time to prepare their annual holiday missive a bit earlier than normal… But, to paraphrase Huey Newton “it’s hip to have a hip…”

Our hope is that all of you had another great year too, that you have time to be with and enjoy your families during the holidays, and that 2010 will find you happy, healthy, and enjoying life!