Natalis Invicti Solis MCMXCV

Greetings and benedictions,

December 11, 1995

It's dreary and it's raining and it's Seattle. Last night some 50 mph gusts blew some shingles off the roof and I have a minor leak to contend with. Then again, it's in a house that I now own, so in the long term, things seem to look up. I've also just had a relaxing massage. I've needed it, it's been a stressful year, and even those things that bode well for the future have stress associated to them. Boeing is on strike, and the chills spread to those of us not in the bargaining unit. Corporate anything sucks!

Let's look at the bright side, though: home ownership (this time one I live in) in a West Seattle neighborhood next to public housing. Seems to be on the upswing, and about half the neighbors are lesbigay. A 50 foot square back yard, flat, with room for a garden, and some nice architectural touches, brick built 1929, in the style of the Anhalt buildings of that era in Seattle. In a week, I will even have heat upstairs, what a concept! And the very best news, a new boyfriend. Watch this space again next year! (And he's a good cook). I got to take a stimulating trip to Europe during the month of September, thanks to an invitation from my de facto thesis advisor in Cologne. The accompanying two pages are a shorter version of my travel diary, so that you can share at least some of my experiences. I also got in a visit to RPI for 25th reunion (they spent most of the time telling us how they treat students better now. Uh huh) and Manhattan, twelve day trip reacquainting with friends in Atlanta, seeing sister, niece and nephew in Asheville NC, and visiting the Virtual Reality "CAVE" at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications in Illinois.

My political commentary for the year mostly takes the form of the cartoon on the reverse side, borrowed from "Wild Oregon" published by the Oregon Natural Resources Council, a feisty defender of the environment. Clinton continues to disappoint: he caved in on the forests. Congress passed a "logging without laws" bill that set aside every environmental protection we've been able to muster. He promised to veto, then failed to do so. I will vote for Bill next November, but may have to wear double noseplugs for this anti-labor, anti-environment wannabe Nixon Republican. The alternatives are even more ghastly, and as always one has to vote for the lesser evil.

Lamentable losses. State Senator Cal Anderson, and Singer-avatar Jerry Garcia the same week last August. Sweet fiend Kevin Ritchie, of AIDS November 6th. Still no cure for AIDS in sight, as the number of new heterosexual cases overtakes those among gays. A real, continuing (this means money) program of education, beginning from kindergarten is needed, so said Koop and Elders, so say I. Let's see, maybe some awards:

Meanwhile, all the best for another year, and a Holiday season full of refreshment and grace, from your itinerant impudent snob, effete, and proud of it!

GDK