MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 1999

Welcome to the last edition this Millenium of the Janz's "Ten times a decade Christmas Letter". We're willing to bet you've waited all year for this. We started with Stanford, expeditioned to Europe, contemplated career courses, threw in the random revelry, accentuated our abode, and frolicked with our ferociously friendly, furry felines.

At the beginning of '99 Mike was getting ready to go to Stanford ... not as a Graduate Student, but as a patient. On January 12th he was admitted to begin the truly unique experience of a Stem Cell Transplant. (Not recommended for everyone.) The doctors and nurses were great, but we wish we never met any of them. Surprisingly, this procedure, for the most part, was not nearly as bad as expected, and we were rapidly on the road to recovery. We thank God for the many minor miracles bestowed upon us. To date all indications are for a full recovery with no sign of further Cancer.

Since we had already completed our kitchen remodel as part of Mike's previous recovery "therapy" in 96, we had to find something else to do. This time he planned the Princess cruise particulars for our penta anniversary exploration of Europe. We can't let a little Cancer cause consternation. We traveled to Turkey, adventured in Athens, browsed Barcelona, monsooned in Monte Carlo, and investigated Italy. Communicating and wandering was much easier than China! Something about using the Arabic alphabet and speaking English! We enjoyed Istanbul and Venice immensely, but Rome won't be on our list for another Millenium.. It was a wonderful 3 week vacation, and it was great forgetting the rigors of life. We are already looking for to the next one (trip that is)!

This year both of us had a few career changes, some planned, some not. Lori moved from management to consulting for Visa, which lasted an entire 2 1/2 months before Visa ran out of money. She then moved to the Advanced Programs group as a project manager. By the time Mike managed to recover enough to return to work, his salesman had quit, and shortly thereafter experienced excess employeeism. He sees this as a GREAT opportunity to avoid Y2K support! Come January, he expects to start working for his new company, fill in name here.

This year we had a few small shindigs. In May, we had Lori's surprise 30th birthday party. Not to be outdone, we had Mike's 6-Month "Birthday" which was attended by 104 of our closest family and friends. If you didn't make it... Three days before we jetted off to Europe, we held a x0th Birthday party for Lori's mom. For the main course we served ... Chicken (NOT!) We only have three parties left until the end of the year. To make it less stressful, they will all occur within four days.

Holding to the home enhancement habit, we completed a couple of puny projects. This spring we built a wall beyond our Rose bushes and moved quarried dirt from the side of the house. Sounds simple, huh? Guess who was the person out there with the mattox digging away (defying his doctor's demands)??? Our big project for the year was to move the furnace and water heater out of the house. In a fit of lunacy, we contracted the furnace relocation and added an air conditioner (for those HOT CA summer hours), however, managed to restrain ourselves and moved the water heater on our own. We are desperately fighting the deep desire to demolish the closets fake facades prior to our Christmas festivities.

Magic and Cleo are still catting around. Magic gave us a scare when she dislocated her zyphoid! A half million Lira later, we were assured she would not be a feline outcast and would be fitfully frolicking following five refreshing days indoors. Cleo has been her usual "leave me inside" self, and the girls have yet to bring Puff a new friend. (Thank God.)

Next year we plan on getting in all that snow skiing we missed last year. We also have a few projects in mind (surprise, surprise), Mike will start his new job (somewhere), we'll go to Hawaii, and build a new wine closet. Feel free to email us at , or visit us at http://www.mljanz.com/.

We hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday, and the coming year finds you in good health.

Love,

Mike, Lori, Cleo, Magic, & Puff,