Christmas Letter

Last year I decided to do a Christmas letter for all of my friends and family. I realized it might be easier for me to catch up with folks since I always get behind because I’m a busy guy. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

We rang in 2014 like we normally do by watching the ball drop in New York City at 9:00 p.m. PST. That way I can get to bed at a reasonable hour so that I can rise and shine to start watching the early New Year’s Day bowl games.

January also marked the first anniversary of my wife’s retirement. We didn’t celebrate that particular day since she kind of celebrates being retired each day. I know our dogs are much happier too since they can spend quality time with her in the house or going for a walk. She also takes a day to be with friends sewing, talking and laughing. It is a pretty good gig if you ask me.

She also volunteered with several other great people on the Ritz Theater project. The upholstered walls look great and the seats are awesome.

For everyone that loves the Seattle Seahawks like I do can appreciate the great playoff run they had in January and the February Super Bowl was as good as it gets. For all of the Denver Bronco fans out there I can only say sarcastically, “That’s too bad!”

There are folks that have been Seahawk fans since the early 2000s when Seattle finally made their first Super Bowl appearance. For fans like me that remember Jack Patera, Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, Sherman Smith, Michael Jackson (Pasco High and UW alum), Kenny Easley, Cortez Kennedy, Curt Warner and Dan Doornink I can only say yes, you are a true Seahawk fan.

March was a busy month with high school basketball tournaments. The LRS girls’ team lost out in the first round to the eventual 2B State Champion Colfax Bulldogs. The girls found out one thing, they could play with the best and were better than several teams that made the tournament in Spokane.

The boys’ team made it to Spokane and would lose to eventual state champion Morton-White Pass on day one but would rally in the next two games to come home with the 4th place trophy. So I enjoyed watching 2 out of 3 of those games.

Also in March my brother Larry and I once again traveled to Arizona to visit family and Coach McLean, my HS basketball coach. We watched a couple of Mariner Cactus League games, and saw some beautiful parts of Arizona north of Phoenix. Oh yeah, the weather was quite pleasant.

My cousin Henry Vostral passed away in May. Henry was a member of the 1953 Bronco football team that went undefeated. This was definitely the first great Bronco football team. Henry will be greatly missed.

I was the Toastmaster for the RHS/LRHS alumni in May. It was an honor to be asked and it is always fun to see old classmates and friends at this great annual event. If you were there I hope you had a great time.

In June my wife and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. We didn’t do anything special other than maybe dinner and a movie. But that is how we roll.

In July brother Don and Larry and I went to the Seattle-Everett area for the Anderson family reunion. We saw a Mariner game in which King Felix pitched. Baltimore won the game 2-1 in 10 innings which was a bummer but the fireworks show afterwards was very impressive.

In August the EWU Eagles played the very first game of the year that was broadcast on ESPN against Sam Houston State. Brother Larry and I were there on a beautiful sunny Saturday. EWU wins!

Bronco football got underway in September and my chain gang mates and I were there witnessing a great winning streak continue until a semi-final loss ended it at 38 games. We saw some great football from the sidelines again this year.

I started my second season as assistant football coach for the Lind-Ritzville/Lamont middle school team. Our team improved a lot by the end of the season and I’m looking forward to next year’s season.

In November, my Aunt Ethel Anderson passed away at the age of 98. She lived a great life and she touched a lot of lives. I really miss the Divinity candy she made each Christmas, the batch without nuts.

In December, EWU was eliminated from the NCAA FCS playoffs. They had another great season and I plan to be in Cheney again next fall with high hopes of another championship year.

This winter you can catch me at the high school basketball games sitting next to my cousin Tony running the shot clock. I’m having too much fun sitting that close to the action. It can be a bit addictive to a basketball junky, I guarantee that!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas from the Worst Seat in the House!