Happy New Year!

I would have written sooner, but my computer was infected by a virus and I could not access my computer for a whole day and a half. Our IT guy got it taken care of today. Phew!

Some of the stuff that took place since I last wrote:

1) I cooked dinner for a friend of Anna whose wife gave birth to twins not too long ago and they live not far from where she lives. I made some fried rice, chicken kurma, and fish dish. They were so happy to have someone cook for them. Needless to say, they have a lot on their plate with twins and an older boy. The twins looked so cute and adorable!

2) We had a board meeting the agency was presented a check for $11,000 from the UPS foundation to our agency for direct services to our clients. I had a role to play because it was through out volunteer program that we got connected with UPS. They wanted to do a volunteer project over the summer and I got them hooked up with a case management client. The experience was very positive for all involved and word got back to UPS corporate headquarters. They soon wanted to find out more about our agency and asked what else could they assist with? The rest as they say is history!

3) The leader of Anna’s band invited a group of people including everyone in the band over to his house for a pot-luck. We had a great time and the meal was excellent. I got to meet a lot of the spouses of the guys in the band which was really nice and they got to meet me too!

4) Over Christmas we spent it up in Maple Grove. Prior to arriving at Heidi and Mark’s house, I met up with a friend from college at a Malaysian restaurant. The last time I saw Arani was in 1998 if I’m not mistaken. She’s now happily married and working in the Twin Cities. Her husband, Abraham is a really neat and fun guy. We definitely had a great time catching up with one another.

5) I wanted to make sure I left DM with more than ample time to spare since the weather was going to turn sour over Christmas. I’m glad I made it up north safe and sound. There were some snowy parts, but I can always deal with snow – I don’t like snow and ice because that’s not a good mix one bit.

6) A lot of the time in Maple Grove was centered around Baby Mikey as it should be. He’s such a cute little baby and he’s definitely grown since the last time Anna saw him. There’s a ton of different noises that come out of him, in a very cute baby way. He also has not idea or control over his facial expressions so it was really cute seeing how he makes different kind of faces. Needless to say, he entertained all of us for a good portion of the time. As new parents, Heidi and Mark are doing an amazing job with Mikey and they are just such amazing parents.

7) On Christmas night, Anna, Al, Karen and me went to the Malaysian restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. They were more than happy with the meal and we were stuffed to say the least and we got to try a wide variety of food. Everything surpassed everyone’s expectation including mine. I won’t be surprised one bit that every time I make it to the Twin Cities, I’ll be dropping by this restaurant to get a taste of Malaysian cuisine.

8) Mikey was baptized on Sunday and Anna and I were his Godparents. Heidi had called Anna when I was working at Paradise and asked her if we would be willing to be his Godparents and she knew I would be more than exhilarated by the invite! Yes, we are now responsible for his spiritual growth and upbringing – some pretty major responsibilities on our shoulders, but we’re more than ready for it!

9) I made it back to DM on Monday after a very interesting drive. There were close to 35-40 cars in ditches and a number of them were overturned. Needless to say, the roads were icy and it made driving difficult for a lot of people. I’m just glad I made it back safe and sound.

10) While in Maple Grove, I did catch the movie, Avatar (which is highly recommended for it’s 3D effects for sure!), Up in the Air, and the Pixar movie, Up.

That’s pretty much all the news from me. Today is New Year’s eve and I’ll be working and closing the restaurant. I’m not sure what to expect. We may or may not be busy. Time will tell. After I’m done at the restaurant, I’ll be heading over to Joel and Kathy to ring in the New Year. It’ll be a fun evening for sure. Well, Happy New Year to all of you!