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05-09-10 We have been retired since February 2008 and it has been quite a ride so far. We traveled for about 6 months and then each went back to work to enable us to help our son go to a school he had always wanted to attend in Orlando, FL. Full Sail is a multimedia school and one of the top rated such schools in the business. As I said, we (Dawn and I) retired 02-08 but we went back to part-time work around August of 08 to help our son go back to school. He spent 7.5 years in the Army in Preventive Health and was deployed a lot.

Miguel (Gil) was in the Army (actually only 7.5 years) and got out finally June 2008. He spent a tours traveling abroad to Kosovo then a tour to Afghanistan and two tours to Iraq (the last one being 15 months long). He felt that that was enough and since he had always wanted to study Media Arts and go to a school in Orlando (Full Sail University) he would go back to Iraq as a contractor to make the money to attend the very expensive school. Dawn and I made a deal with him to finance the school if he would stay here and begin right away. Of course, it was his dream come true and took us up on the deal. He just graduated in Recording Arts there at the end of October 2009. His curriculum was intense in that he went six days a week and that is for 12 months (no breaks). The classes go around the clock so it may be with a classes that is in session at midnight. Usually the classes were during the daytime but historically were scattered from mornings to late evenings (depending on the class). Full Sail has 150 acres of recording studios and about 50K students going at any given time (and growing). They have a graduation class and a new group beginning each month. Placement is very active and like any other school it depends on the grades as to the marketability and opportunities. The school is very well affiliated with alumni blended around the world in various Hollywood, Nashville, Vegas, New York and points in between. It could be with movie production, music production or just private recording art studios. There is a constant demand for high tech recording arts graduates and some have been very well placed. He is actually beginning with a friend to open their own business to work on computers, process video and mix sound. There are many possibilities for him now and hopefully it will open the door to a rewarding career.

Gil started a business with a colleague working on computer and security systems but have just received a job offer out of Maryland at Ft. Mead training troops to do what he use to do...Preventive Health. He actually was considered with many others (one was even a Major) and they decided on him due to his experience and deployment history. His job will carry him all around the US but is not supposed to take him out of the states. It is a good fit so far and he seems to be enjoying the work since he was so intimate with it for seven years or so.

The oldest is married to a high school sweetheart. Eric and Sarah just had our first granddaughter December 28, 2008. Her name is Marlee Wren Ballmer. Eric finished school in Civil Engineering from UNF May 2009. Sarah is also a Civil Engineer from Baton Rouge and she got her degree several years ago at LSU. Oh yea, they thought having our first grandchild was important enough to have her just before graduation…I think that is what they said. They both seem to be doing fine and happy in the life they are sharing together. That is the most important thing to us. Eric graduated Cum Laude but was had problems getting a job in Florida (a difficult time for Florida and some other areas also) so he checked out Baton Rouge to find a job with LA DOTD. His wife and daughter moved home and they reunited in Kenner, LA to procured a very good job there. So far so good and they should be in good shape from now on and we are happy for them.

This brings me to another segue…both of us have gone back to work partially to help us pay for the school and his place to live while going to school and to finance our expensive habits. We drink/collect wine, and went on a wine cruise in June ’09 out of Seattle to Alaska with our favorite vintners in Sonoma. We do like to travel around to new places and go visit our kids in Florida (lately). You can see some of our travels through slideshows and stories here on our website. You may notice we like to snow ski and take cruises around the country and Canada is one of our favorite places. We have been lucky with our careers (but worked hard for that luck) and with our health, so traveling has been one of our indulgences and is great. I went back to work at a calibration lab as a Metrology Engineer and Dawn took an internal auditor job with the AG’s office and we both are enjoying the jobs very much…and they pay us! I am not sure how long we will continue to do this but it is fun and we both can take off for extended periods when we want to…no problem (that was part of the deal about when we accepted each job). I go marsh fishing with a friend, a week at a time in south Louisiana (around Thanksgiving each year). We went to Park City, UT to ski the slopes in December 2009 and had a great time. We also went to Vegas, Phoenix and Houston 2010 on the way back and will be going on a cruise off the Florida Keys and Bahamas soon on the Carnival Triumph. Off to Europe for three weeks if the volcano does not spoil the trip. We did not want to go to Europe for just one week so we are planning a two week guided tour of London, Paris, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Venice, Florence and Rome. All just before the country-slide Villa experience in Tuscany, Italy at a Villa (Montaione, Villa La Cascina) with our own chef. We will be with our favorite vintner from Sonoma (Thumbprint Cellars) and about 25 friends from around the US. Later in the year we are going to Hilton Head and maybe down to Daytona for a couple of weeks. We also expect to go to Pattaya, Thailand towards the end of the year since my wife's sister has been there for two years with her husband that works for Dow... My 40th reunion is October 1st& 2nd but there is nothing going on for us in August. It seems if you want to do something you have to schedule it. This is turning out to be a very busy year traveling for us.

We just went on an extended trip to Europe from May 29 to June 19. It was very nice with a sample of foreign cultures. Anyway, we struggled through the 22 days and took lots of pictures which are posted on this site. See Europe Thumbprint and Road to Rome...This fall we are planning another trip to Hilton Head, SC and a week to Pattaya, Thailand and perhaps Koh Phi Phi island for a week to visit my wife's sister and brother-in-law. That should also be a nice trip. Travel as often as we can and enjoy life while we are still in the mood. Perhaps it will last for a long long time.

In my spare time I have some volunteer work around the community also. I have been active in our Sherwood Forest Citizens’ Association the past several years and they have even made me the president last year (which I am now just the webmaster again). I also wrote and maintain the website for the association http://www.sfcabr.org . What began as acting as a representative of our association in the Federation of Greater Baton Rouge Civic Associations, turned into another position also. I wrote and maintain their website as well http://www.fgbrca.org and was elected to the board as webmaster, public relations and now1^st Vice-president. It fills a void that was probably already filled… but what the heck! It definitely keeps things interesting. I also work on many computers belonging to my relatives and friends in my spare time. And I thought we might be bored in the later years...HA!

Just enter your zip code in the site below, and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) in that zip code area. It's updated every evening.

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The "Plain Slideshow" is a process that takes less resources to view
(No sound and much easier to start-stop-reverse-copy)

Our Vacation Trips	Dallas' Resume 2010	Lori & Grady's Home Plain Slideshow	Matthew's Birthday Plain Slideshow	Mom's Memorial
Holidays	Our Morgan Spa Plain Slideshow	Our Sunroom Plain Slideshow	Brou Movie	Dad's Memorial
Rhonda's Wedding and Shower 2006	Calendars to Print	Gatherings of Families & Friends	Brou Family Information	TAXES Read this...sad but true
The Brown Recluse	Why schools require shirts to be tucked in...	Innocence is Priceless	Eric and Sarah's Wedding Plain Slideshow	SFCA Gardens 2008
		Charlotte's Mandolin		Email Me