January 2007 Update!

The 1^st of January is rapidly approaching, so I'd better bring things up to date.

A few years ago the Thai Baht crashed through the 50 baht to the dollar barrier. It later went slightly through the 55 barrier, which was an all time low for the baht. It's nearly 2007 now and it seems to have settled in at just about 36 baht. For those of you not familiar with the old exchange rates, for years it was in the 25 to 26 baht to the dollar range.

I didn't do my annual pilgrimage to California for the month of April this year. I missed seeing the family and friends. It's nice to be away from Thailand, as April is probably the hottest month of the year, but California is just too far away. I'm not sure when my next trip to California will be.

I have no other travel plans, just to keep a low profile here in Pattaya Beach. Life is great, isn't it!

It's been about 22 years since my first trip to Thailand, where has the time gone? I made no major accomplishments as usual and it will probably be much the same the balance of my stay. Why not, I'm retired! It will be 24 years in June since I got out of the hydraulics business and took up beach patrol as my favorite pastime.

My sister Betty and her husband Bob visited me here in Pattaya Beach in October, 2006. They were both retired by the end of June '98 and are living in Pebble Beach, California. They bought the house a fews years ago in anticipation of retiring then had to wait to move into it. They are really enjoying their retirement and living northern California.

I missed getting together for lunch with my good friends Bob Wyser, Heinz, Farel and Glen Burgstein. We are all Thailand regulars except for Glen. We're still working on him to make his first trip. Sadly though, Heinz passed away in 2006, I'll really miss seeing him.

I get together with my longtime friends Frank and Carolyn Mackprang whenever I can, two of my Catalina condo partners. They take me to the Long Beach Yacht Club for lunch whenever I'm in California. The view right along the main channel was really super on a warm sunny day. The food is excellent and it's always really nice catching up on old times. I told them that next time lunch is on me, but I get to pick the place. And I know just the place, right here in Pattaya Beach, Thailand.

Christmas is rapidly approaching so have a nice one, Merry Christmas. It goes pretty much unnoticed over here in Thailand, but I'll be thinking of you all and all of the parties going on back home. And Happy New Year too.