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Rick in 2000

Same old stuff for me, just another year of it. I coached Emily and her softball fiends, er, friends, in Spring and Fall seasons. We like to refer to 2000 as a "rebuilding year" for the YCLL Yankees. Professionally, well, I haven't been fired yet, still teaching communication (I hope). I travelled a little bit this year, making conference presentations in Savannah, Georgia (I highly recommend a visit there, btw. Read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" to prep for Savannah because the book lives up to the city--or vice versa), Richmond and twice in Virginia Beach. I've remained active on the Board of the Virginia Ass'n for Developmental Ed., and have become the webmaster for that org. (Not active enough though; during break, I have to get that website updated.)

Our congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula, got a new, full-time minister, Liz Brown, who we think could walk on water if she wanted to, so we have become regulars there again, as have Alicia and Andrew.

We learned the East Coast Swing this past Spring and have been wowin' em at dance venues all over the Virginia Tidewater ever since. (yeah, right) It was a near-miraculous achievement because Laura learned that the man leads when dancing. (Well, we're still working on that.) One of the venues at which we East Coast Swang was in Feb., at Lupercalia, a crazy "masqued ball." (more or less--mostly less) Take the link and see a few photos of a dashing Huge Hefner/Fabio-ish dude cuttin' the rug with some Roaring 20's flapper.

In June, we spent a weekend on a 45-foot sailboat excursion with a few close friends, and some new friends, Steve and Val Papkey, the owners of the boat, Barefoot'n, who do those cruises for a living. What a life. We had great fun (take a look at some of the photos), and now we have caught the sailing bug. A sailboat is definitely in our future. All donations will be accepted and appreciated, and, if you give enough for us to buy one, we will take you for a cruise when you come to visit.

In August, we pulled the Jayco up to the mountains for a family reunion/vacation with Laura's folks, Brother Bob Phillips and family, and Sister Missy Frazier and family. The weather was ugly, we hit a deer, Brother-in-law Scott Frazier's jet boat was uncooperative, the van broke down, but Bluestone Lake State Park, nestled in the mountains near Hinckley, W. Va. is wonderful, nevertheless. Don't take our word for it though. Here are some photos from that week, so see for yourself.

More about Laura

You won't be surprised to know that I still spend much of my time addressing bizarre behaviors and mental impairment. And when I get Rick taken care of, I go to work at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital in Williamsburg, where I am the Program Coordinator for Acute Admissions. (Been there seven years now -- none, so far, as a patient). If you live around here, you know the governor would dearly love to close the place down, so cross your fingers for me and my patients. In the meantime, we're doing some good stuff there: I wrote about it with a colleague in an article in Psychiatric Services journal, published in March. In February, I get to join my grandparents, Phyllis and Marion Clayton, in celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary (yes, 65!) in Missouri. I'd love to spend time with you, too--come see us!