2003

Bowers and Lott 2003 Family Newsletter (vast dullness)

January:

Skiing. Every Saturday at Jiminy Peak.

Used the MLK Holiday to ski at Whiteface for a long weekend. Snow was perfect, a rarity.

Steve worked in Buffalo.

Bucc18 promotional video was very well received. The next step is burning DVD’s on demand - not so easy.

February:

Skiing. Worked in Buffalo.

Arranged Do Lord for the Rock ‘N My Salvation Rhythm Section featuring the Horns of Jericho at Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church.

March:

Put together some arrangements for the Rock ‘N My Salvation Rhythm Section featuring the Horns of Jericho. A pick-up band with ‘bones, sax, bass (Me), drums (Hannah), piano and guitars at EPUMC. Sang with the Lead Us Not Into Temptations.

Saw Xan in the Empire State Youth Orchestra at the local shopping mall.

April:

Nisky High School musical, Crazy For You. All singing, all dancing, all Gershwin; what could be better? Xan in the pit orchestra, soloing on “Slap That Bass.”

May:

The Swing in Spring concert, featuring the (Lead Us Not Into) Temptations, the Holy Torch and Twang backed by Rock ‘N My Salvation Rhythm Section (Hannah and I) featuring the Horns of Jericho (DO on sax).

Brief talk for Infotech Niagara professional association in Buffalo, NY. Subject: Open Source Software.

Saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Queens of the Stone Age at the Pepsi Arena in Albany.

Performed Just a Closer Walk with Thee at Eastern Parkway UMC.

Racing at Nyack Boat Club, crewing for JH on his boat, “Glinda”. 3rd overall, I think.

June:

My 25th annivesary with CTG.

Sailing at Rock Hall, MD, on the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship Island Packet 32 “Scholarship”. Completed ASA 101-103 certification for sailboats under 40’.

Racing out of Buffalo Canoe Club on SHA’s “Nimbus”, an Alberg 28. The skipper, SHA, won Boat of the Year for his efforts.

Xan’s high school graduation.

Steve still in Buffalo.

July:

Splurged on an Acoustic-Electric Bass, a Toby Acoustic Pro 5-CE. Amazing sound if played properly, but very bulky and hard to play. The trick is to run the guitar’s signal to the “effects return” on the main amplifier, not the input.

Sail camp for a week at Skye Farm. Hannah and I were at sail camp, while CindyAnn was cooking. Sunfish sailing almost every day. Brought KaDiMa but never got her in the water. Rigged and sailed DO’s new catamaran.

August:

Dive and Sail vacation in Tortola, BVI. See a complete trip report. Or, you can see the pictures. There’s also my Tortola movie: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. See me for a DVD; the download is over 40 Mb, and may not work properly, even on a cable modem or DSL connection.

Xander off to Ithaca College.

Parted with the Maradeur. See the 2001 for the other end of this event.

September:

Glimmerglass Regatta at Otsego Sailing Club. Sailed my own KaDiMa, placed 2nd in a couple of races and 4th overall with a ratty old worn out boat, loaner spinnaker, borrowed rudder and a guy I met on the internet steering for me. When my whisker pole broke, one of the competitors loaned me his, so I could still race. Didn’t place well overall, but took 2nd in some of the races.

Still working in Buffalo.

October:

Lay preaching on Laity Sunday, the 19th; I have a cassette, in case you want to hear my thoughts on James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

Performed I know the Lord has Laid His Hands on Me.

Xander back from college on break. Saw him for a few seconds passing through the house.

November:

The Rock ‘N My Salvation Rhythm Section (Hannah and I) did Swingin’ With the Saints with the Scotia UMC choir, and Precious Lord, Take My Hand with the Eastern Parkway UMC choir.

Xan back from school for a week at Thanksgiving. Went to Leif Zurmuhlen for a bunch o’ family photos.

A little retrospective slide show.

December:

Xan back at end of first semester. Nothing worse than a speeding ticket.

Han working at CVS, punching the cash register. Nothing worse than a boring starter job.

Sang this cool arrangement of Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming mixed with plainsong chant.

Pre-christmas skiing at Gore: CAB and I one day; Xan, CG, NK another day. Plan to get Hannah out onto the slopes with her new boyfriend “T-dawg” next year.