Latest happenings...

Today is Wednesday, January 07, 2009. A day like today, Papá would have turned 87 years old; he fell 85 days short. I still cannot get it through my head that he’s gone; we still had so many things to talk about; he still had so many stories, funny and not-so-funny, to tell… At times I feel he’s around, very close to me; some other times I call him to see if he can – somehow – show me he is indeed around; I’ve had no luck yet, but I’ll keep on trying…

I will call my mom today and, as expected, she will get very weepy and sentimental, rightfully so. She just turned 80 on January 1st and these were the first Christmas and New Year holidays she spent without Papá in 60 years. This will be the first birthday of his they do not get to celebrate together in 60 years! Otherwise, her health is stable although I’ve noticed traces of something she and I have always aligned against: the PLOM (Poor Li’l Ole Me) syndrome, or feeling sorry about oneself.

She is living with my sister; the apartment she and Papá had needs to be returned to its owner in March, so they’ve been working gradually on disposing of things and keeping others in order to make sure my Mom keeps the things she cherishes most and gives away other things that, although dear, they could be of better use for someone else…

Other things of note happening are:

• Jan, Alex, Leah, Lola Bo & Pancho spent the Christmas and New Year holidays in our home in Tennessee; we call it “La Casona”, Spanish for old, ancestral house. Jan went there from December 13th and the rest of us joined her on December 20th. Had a great time with new friends here in Hawk’s Bluff as well as dear old friends (Mike, Nancy, Jesse and Rocky Temperilli) and extended family (Uncle Spence, Auntie Marcia and Sassy Price, Leah’s Godparents) who came to join us in the house after Christmas and left before New Year. Alex and Leah left on the 4th; Jan and I will leave this coming Saturday, the 10th.
• We came to the realization that the old investment strategies would not allow us to recover in a few years what we built in over 20 years and lost in less than a year: better than half of our retirement funds. Therefore, we decided to invest in an equity position in PayCargo, the company I work for. At worst, we lose some more money and end up no worse of where we are anyway; at best, we rebuild in short order our retirement nest.
• Ligia, my sister, and her family continue to grow old, surviving the Venezuelan sociopolitical situation, and hoping for better days. I asked her to please put some concentrated effort on obtaining US Visas to come visit us… We’ll see…
• Last, but not least, I continue to try and keep alive my relationship with my older daughters, Clarissa Ane and Valentina Marie; I seem to be able to talk regularly, both by phone and via e-mail with; Clarissa Ane. But I am still struggling to have even a small modicum of communication with Valentina (Medical School keeps her too busy)… But, as always, I’ll keep on trying…