Danielle & Bob, 2009

Once again their home has been brightened throughout the year by their two feline children, Pooferino and Grisbie, who keep Danielle and Bob young in sharing their cats' quiet peace and unique wonder of the world.

Bob is still working at SAIC, mostly developing software algorithms to analyze data. Outside of work he was busy with his classic-rock band which played 38 gigs during 2009. Of course Bob's purpose in the band is to play drums, but he was also very happy to sing a few times a night.

In March Bob injured his lower back when he herniated a disc, something that he also experienced about ten years ago. This limited his activity, but he did what he could which included more swimming. Back in 2001 he needed surgery to repair the previously herniated disc, but this time it doesn't seem to be that bad. An epidural cortisone injection in August gave him a jump on the healing process and he is now even able to jog a couple times a week.

Danielle has kept very active; whether it's swimming at the gym or simply going for a walk, she exercises just about every day. On weekends she does a lot of gardening while listening to audio books on her iPod. The backyard garden continues to be a source of great pleasure as they harvested peaches, nectarines, figs, plums, and even some avocados. The grapes did not do well this year unfortunately, and they hope to correct the problem for next summer's vendange (French for grape harvest). Unfortunately in early December Danielle was laid off as work at her environmental engineering consulting company Stantec was getting pretty slow.

In September Danielle and Bob went to Europe for three weeks, where they spent most of their time in Brussels with Danielle's family. They were there when Danielle's dad Guy celebrated his 80th birthday on September 23rd. They also visited Paris where they met up with Danielle's cousin Pierrot, and The Hague where their long-time friends Pino & Elly live. Except for just one heavy rain in Paris, they were treated to good weather the entire time.

We hope this letter finds you healthy, and under the warmth of the holiday season.

Danielle & Bob
13263 Thunderhead St.
San Diego, CA 92129