Xmas 2022

2022-xmas-letter-scan

For those of you who are not into PDF’s, here is a text version you can scroll thru. Enjoy the family. Or not.

  Greetings:

Well, the holiday season the is among us, and it’s time to take the year in review. And what a year it’s been! Yeah, who would ever think Russia would be at war? Or that inflation would be as high as when I was a mere teenager? Or that the landmark Roe versus Wade would have be overturned? The crypto market would collapse taking billions and billions of dollars with it. Or the fact that Elon Musk is… just being Elon Musk. There is so much fodder here for future Netflix documentaries it just blows my mind.  And I think I’ll let them have it.  Because this is the Wing Annual Christmas letter, and it’s all about us us us us. The one time of year world events take a second chair.  Let us begin.

In 2022 there was lots and lots of travel.  Well, at least for Nancy. COVID travel restrictions loosened around the world, so Nancy started booking trips while Dave remained home working.  Winning the hearts of minds of tomorrows great leaders every day, on a school bus with almost 200,000 miles on it. And takes two hours to heat up in the wintertime

Come cold, dark, scary February Nancy took a trip to sunny Phoenix to visit her cousin from Rhode Island who has a home in Chandler. She also took the opportunity to connected with some old Renton neighbors who also happened to be in the area, Dave and Sheila Fish, from over 15 years ago.

April found Mitch and Nancy in Europe, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for a grand tour. April also brough guests to our home in Greenacres in the form of several weekend visits.  The first was Carol (Nancy’s sister) Mary Freese (Nancy’s high school friend).  Quicky followed from a visit from Jaclyn, Pat, and Emily Heid with their dogs (Bobbie and Indy).  The trips were in conjunction with seeing Mitch perform in Pride and Prejudice as Mr. Darcy at the Eastern Washington University theatre.  Although he is not a theatre major, he still seems to land leading roles in most of the performances there.  Which doesn’t sit well with the actual theatre majors.

May brought with it a big gathering in Walla Walla wine tasting for wine tasting and more than a little drinking.  The Wing’s all got to meet Pat’s parents and sister from Long Island, NY.  What a fun time.  Sharing wine and eating Italian food prepared by Pat and his parents.

June was the annual girl’s week trip to Palm Springs. That crazy thing that Nancy has been doing for years and years.  Although the players rotate thru from time to time, the weather stays the same and the stories keep getting bigger.  Dave knows better not to ask.  He also prepared and disembarked for his summer as a vintage tour bus driver in Glacier Park.

Nancy still did lots of volunteering during the school year with the High School Theatre costumes and box office.  She also gave a big helping hand to the Spokane Valley Summer Theater performances. Nancy even thru some financial backing their way, by purchasing naming rights to a music studio in the new Performing Arts / Event center.  Soon to open (sort of soon: 2024) in the Spokane Valley, it will be the future and final home for performances.  Although the name is kinda a mouthful:  Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center (ICSVPAC).

In August Nancy retired from Liberty Mutual and took off to Glacier Park to visit Dave with a few other friends that love the Park.  In attendance, Kurt Swartzlander and Brigid Heid from Columbus, OH (IO).  Also tagging along was Brigid’s sister and Dave’s #1 hiking fan Emily Heid from Missoula, MT.  We spent the week hiking.  Nancy got a humungous foot blister, limiting her to shorter walks and sandals only. The latter half of August was a wine tasting trip with Nancy’s sisters Carol and Sarah.  Over 14 wineries in 3 days, but a great time was had enjoying each other and the wonders of the small town of Walla Walla.

September Labor Day weekend saw Mitch and Nancy ventured to visit Jaclyn and Pat in Seattle for a great few days of exploring the West Seattle and downtown vibrant urban communities. Dined at several great restaurants in the area.  Dave returns from a summer at working in Glacier Park and immediately started his school but route. Wrangling with the kids and dealing with the misfits again. Nancy ventured into her new career as a Realtor with Five Star Real Estate in Spokane Valley.

Early October brought another sister trip for Nancy.  This time to Carlsbad, CA.  It provided many daily walks on the beach and afternoon cocktails were on the daily agenda.  Meeting with old friends of her parents was the highlight of the trip (Ben and Kathy Chavez) .  Mid-October Dave got a school in-service day off and we head to Seattle to visit Jaclyn and Pat once again. West Seattle is a great area for walking and exploring restaurants and pubs. Nancy also attended a baby shower for niece (Tawney) who had a baby boy (Cairo – Nov 2nd) .

Mitch performed in another Eastern Washington play call 26 Pebbles.  This time he got to play a Rabi.  This play is an emotional drama told in a docuseries format of the Sandy Hook school shooting, focusing on how the town came together after that unimaginable event. A play well written and something everyone should see. I was amazed at how that community handled the situation.

November was Thanksgiving at home and all the Washington Wings attended. It was great to have the grandparents and aunt on Dave’s side in attendance. It had been a while since we were all together and could spend some time conversing (and drinking really classy beer).

December will take us to Long Island, NY to spend Christmas with Pat’s family.  Mitch continues attending Eastern Washington University, deep into his Junior year. He rented a house with 4 other guys and is learning all about living with a group of diverse personalities and the challenges associated with making it all work (and collecting rent on time). He’s working at Barrelhouse Pizza locally in Cheney, and majoring in Communications with a Film minor.  Jaclyn is living in West Seattle with her boyfriend Pat Russo – they both work for Blue Origin and love to travel and spend time with their dog, Bobbie.

And that’s it.  Wing’s out.

PS – This letter marks the first of a collaboration between Nancy and Dave.  Nancy wrote the screenplay, and Dave adapted it for a made-for-TV movie for the Hallmark Channel.  Let us know what you think.

If you want to see some detailed narrative and incredible pictures of Dave’s adventures as a Red Bus driver at Glacier Park last summer, check out his blog: https://adventureswithgoatboy.com/category/glacier/gnp2022jammerconfidential/