2006/2007

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Okay, so we promised a letter last year and didn’t deliver.  Somehow stuff kept getting in the way.  So here it is December 2007 and we will now attempt to fill you in on what’s been going on for the past two years.

Well, of course the big news in 2006 was that we finally sold our flat in London, and then proceeded to buy a flat here in San Francisco…and then we spent most of 2007 renovating.  Hence why there has been a lack of an update till now.  If you recall, when we bought our flat in London we decided that we wouldn’t pay extra for a view of the Thames.  Well, when we went to sell, the comment most often heard was ‘such a nice flat…too bad you don’t have a view of the river’.  We decided that we wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, so after a few months of looking and losing out to higher bidders we finally found the flat of our dreams…at the top of Russian Hill with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Treasure Island…and even a glimpse of the Bay Bridge.  Views just don’t get better than this!  The flat is in a three story 1940’s building.  We have the top floor and exclusive use of the roof.  We just love it…have a look at the views for yourselves.  1038 Chestnut

What else has been going on?  Let’s see, after three and a half years, Susan finally finished her training at the Asian Art Museum, graduating in May 2007 and she is now a full-fledged docent.  So when you come to visit, she will happily give you a personalized tour.  Kevin continues to work hard and enjoy his time with Wells Fargo.  He also was asked to join the San Francisco Opera Board, which is great as we both enjoy opera and this is getting us a bit more involved. 

And of course our life would not be complete without some travel.  Going back to 2006, we initially decided that we would spend the year seeing the USA…well, we almost did this.  We took a road trip in the summer of 2006 and drove to Minneapolis for a Wells Fargo Board meeting. We stopped along the way…most memorable was Grand Teton National Park, and Mt Rushmore.  After the meeting we headed for Oshkosh, Wisconsin and the EAA Air Show.  On the way back to San Francisco, we stopped at Yellowstone, and also visited our friend Will in Boise, Idaho.  Here are some pics from the trip.  2006 Road Trip 

Prior to the road trip We found out that we had a buyer for our flat in London, so we decided to make a trip to see the flat one last time. Our friends, Shelley and Giorgio, joined us and we all camped out in the empty flat for two weeks in June…a lot cheaper than paying for a hotel room although with slightly less amenities…like a bed (we did have air mattresses though), TV, phone…but we had the most important amenity...air conditioning!  We managed to visit in what was probably the hottest two weeks of 2006.  We had a great time catching up with friends, going to theater and museums, and having some fabulous meals. Sorry, no photos from this trip.

In October we bought the flat on Chestnut and Susan also made a visit to North Carolina to surprise her dad on his 80th birthday.  November rolled around and we moved into the new flat the weekend before Thanksgiving…Susan’s parents arrived just before the move so they were our first houseguests in our new home. 

At the last minute we decided to head to the warmth and sun of the Caribbean for Christmas…it was very relaxing as these photos can attest to.  2006 Christmas cruise

As we mentioned earlier, 2007 started with the renovation of the flat…it was scheduled to take six months, which it did and with the exception of a few items, which had to wait for 2008 for reasons we won't go into, we are complete. See the end result.  1038 renovation

One of the important events of 2007 was our 30th wedding anniversary.  To celebrate we did two things.  First, we took a trip to China with our friends, Hunter and Nancy, who would also celebrate their 30th one-week before ours.  Here are some photos from the trip.  China Silk Road 2007 Secondly, we took a cruise on the Mediterranean…from Monte Carlo to Venice…with our Australian, American and British friends.  Here are a few photos.  2007 Mediterranean cruise

We will spend the holidays at home this year, enjoying our new home.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Love,

Kevin and Susan