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Greetings from wet Seattle. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a
wonderful New Year!
I'm still living in laid-back, rainy Seattle in a cute
little house with
my brilliant and kind boyfriend Alex. In our garden this summer,
leeks were a disappointment, but kale, arugula, tomatoes and
strawberries were prolific. The kitty that comes by the
house (D.K.) got really sick in the fall and after nursing her back to
health, we officially adopted her. I've been playing volleyball with
friends from work in a little 4 team league. We went from last place
in the spring, to first place in the
fall!
My parents moved to Anacortes
over a year ago. Anacortes is about one
and a half hours north of Seattle on the cusp of the San Juan Islands.
It's a cute little town on the Puget Sound. Mom and dad see bald
eagles and herons in their backyard. They have been finishing out the
lower level of their beautiful house for the past
year. It's been a project and a half, and it's almost done. Mom has
put her heart into it, and it's looking great! My brother Owen is still
in Seattle. He's recently moved in with his kind-hearted,
belly-dancing girlfriend Amy. In a bizarre
twist of fate, Amy's parents have also recently moved from Illinois to the Puget Sound area.
There have been changes in Jordan-land this year. I got a new car in August.
After quite a bit of research, I decided to buy the Honda
Civic Hybrid. It's got both an electric and a gas engine. After
spending the past year applying to Econ Grad School, I had a change of
heart. I realized that I'm not well suited for the combination of 99%
math and isolated study. I am now without a future plan. If you have
suggestions, email me. :) I
changed jobs at Amazon. I'm now the "2
pizza team leader" for Product Merchandising. That's Amazon-speak
saying that I run a lean team (unable to eat more than 2 pizzas) that
owns both the technology and the business of displaying products on
our website. It's an exciting job because I get to own the full
package (including the decisions about what we work on). If you have
opinions about pricing, rebates, comparing tech specs, or comparison
shopping, send them my way. I'm obsessed.
There are lots of exciting changes for those that I love. My cousin
Kerry married Graham
Sinclair last July in South Africa. Right before that wedding,
her brother Kevin announced his engagement to
Rachel Frank. I was a co-Maid of Honor at the
wedding of my
close friends and former roommate Cathy Polinsky and Russell Belfer.
In another great Amazon match, Amy Arnold and Allen Murray were married while
Rebecca Staffel presided. Some of my close friends from Amazon are
starting to have children. Meg Halverson and Bill Hummel are the
proud parents of baby Carmen. My former boss and close friends Lauri
and Greg Nakamoto, are expecting in February. Finally, Alex's mother
Babette is now
engaged to Terry Bowen.
I've spent a lot of time with my friends and family who live outside
of seattle. I got a chance to go to the Brown family
reunion again this summer. My Uncle Don and his fine clan were up in
Anacortes to celebrate father's day this
spring. My little cousin Zoe is now talking
and walking. Now that my parents are settled into their house in
Anacortes, we've gotten regular visits from family. Jill & Tim, Kevin & Rachel, Kerry & Graham and
Stephanie
Wetzel all swung through the Pacific Northwest in the Fall. I
attended my 5 year
college reunion this summer. It was bizarre. Every one was
exactly the same. And we related in the same ways. It's amazing how
seeing old friends helps you remember who you are. Finally, we had a
big family Thanksgiving with Mom, Dad, Owen, Amy, Alex, Amy's parents
Stan and Nancy and Alex's Mom Babette with her fiance Terry.
Alex and I had a great year traveling. Late last year, we went to
Japan. Then we went to
South Africa with the whole Hay family for Kerry and Graham's wedding
in January. The wedding was in the wine country outside of Cape Town.
After that, the Hay family retired to Sabi Sands for family
safari. I got about 20 ft
from an elephant! Alex and I are starting to get excited for our trip
to the Yucatan Peninsula in January. Here fishy, fishy, fishy...
I wish you a very merry Christmas, happy holidays, and
a wonderful new year.
Yours,
jordan
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