So nothing particularly monumental happened, but I was certainly busy -- racking up 12 flights for work and for leisure. I also made a number of trips to Manhattan to visit friends, was in my home town of Grand Junction twice and I finally got a stamp in my 2005-issued passport (from the nice customs officials of Quintana Roo, Mexico).I continued my work shepherding the copy editing of the suburban weekly sections for The Washington Post. Our biggest project of the year, the Community Guide, published at the end of April (we're already gearing up for the '08 edition). We also worked on a variety of Voters Guides, which come out before primaries and the general election.
In the world of the Asian American Journalists Association, I was programming co-chair with most excellent comrade in arms Victoria for the August convention in Miami. I also was elected to a two-year term as national secretary (you may remember I made a bid in 2005; my predecessor leaves a high standard for me to meet). In 2008, we will work in tandem with the other minority journalist organizations for one giant national convention, UNITY, which will be July 23-27 in Chicago. We're expecting several thousand journalists to converge, and we hope to hear from the presidential front-runners. (John Kerry and President Bush each addressed the gathering in 2004 in D.C.)
Brushes with fame in '07 included the O Bird, Jeffrey Steingarten (celebrated food critic at Vogue and a frequent judge on "Iron Chef America"), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder on NBC's "Heroes"), Hollywood director Justin Lin (best known for 2002's critically acclaimed "Better Luck Tomorrow" and the big-budget "The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift," he's now working on the fourth film in the franchise), a glimpse of Brad Pitt in my newsroom researching a film (he has bowed out to help rebuild New Orleans), a chance to snuggle up to Bibendum (a.k.a. the Michelin Man), a photo op with longtime admired comedian Emo Philips and a random sighting of documentarian Ken Burns at my local Costco.
On my travel itinerary (so far) in '08:
- February: St. Petersburg, Fla., to help train AAJA's upcoming leaders
- March: a vacation in Napa, then AAJA's spring meeting in San Francisco
- April: a possible weekend in Denver during the national convention of the American Copy Editors Society
- June: a week in Los Angeles for a friend's wedding, plus a visit with extended family
- July: UNITY in Chicago
- September: a return to my alma mater for the 100th anniversary of the Missouri School of Journalism
- December: a trip to North Carolina's Research Triangle for a friend's wedding
- TBD: a visit to Las Vegas, where my parents just bought a second house
In February, I flew to Boston to visit my friend Gina, who was on academic fellowship at Harvard. First stop, the Sam Adams brewery [left]. During my stay, we ate lobster rolls and other New England delights, and I helped decorate for an Oscar party. It snowed on the day I was flying home. Luckily, I faced minimal delays, even after an adventure on the T.Among my trips to New York was one in April for the first Singapore Day. Street hawkers [middle left] were flown in to cook the yummiest food ever to be offered in Central Park. The most amazing part? It was all free!
My first trip back to Colorado in '07 was for the high school graduation of my sister, Lisa, now a freshman studying engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Before heading to the Western Slope, I had a chance to catch up with friends in the Denver area, including my first- and fourth-grade teacher, Cherry; Megan, a friend since kindergarten; Susan, a middle school buddy and bandmate; and Matt, a high school friend. Lisa's graduation day was sunny, and she was exuberant (even smuggling in inflatables to keep her classmates entertained during the long commencement). [Left, Mom, Lisa and Dad after the ceremony.]
Over Memorial Day, I was invited to join my friend Ted on a retreat to San Antonio. I had time to hone my poker skills (I'm still not very good) and floated on the lazy river at the resort where we stayed. I also had dinner with fellow AAJAer Analisa, her husband and their adorable daughter. Because I flew into Dallas, I was able to catch up with John, Sheri, Becky and Mari, as well.
June was one month when I didn't leave town, instead hosting a series of guests: Craig from Hawaii, Suzie from Dallas and Teresa and Christa (both native Missourians). We had fun visiting a number of Virginia wineries, breaking out board games at my apartment and touring Monticello.
In July, I flew Lisa to the Big Apple for her graduation gift: a week exploring the city*. We saw "Wicked," had afternoon tea at Bergdorf's, walked entirely too much and ate lots of good food. A highlight for her was appearing on MTV's "TRL." She was there when Adam Sandler and others were promoting "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." Of course, I'm way out of the demographic to be on MTV, so you won't see me in the audience. Later in the week, once Lisa was homeward bound, I grabbed the spotlight, backed by the Human Karaoke Experience.
*Special thanks to our friends PJ and Ash, who generously let us use their Upper East Side apartment while they were away.
Another highlight of July was a two-night getaway to Cancun with friends from New York. The beach was gorgeous and just steps from our rooms. Sadly, bartenders were never on duty when I was able to visit the swim-up bar. We mixed our time in the sun with a bit of culture, spending a day at Chichen Itza (just before it was declared one of the new Seven Wonders). En route to the Mayan ruins, we stopped at a sinkhole, which I jumped into so I could swim with the fishes. A memorable meal in downtown Cancun featured curry shrimp and lobster served in a fresh young coconut. [Left, in Playa del Carmen.]
In August, leading up to the AAJA convention, some friends and I drove to Key West. We made it to the southernmost point of the continental United States, a mere 90 miles from Cuba. And we toured the Hemingway House, where I stalked the famous six-toed cats and pondered what a life Papa must have had. We even stopped in the Pirate Museum for a bit of myth and history, plus refreshing air conditioning (gosh, it was humid in the Keys!). On the way back, we pulled over for a photo with a manatee mailbox -- proving that I'd seen it on the drive south -- and a few snapshots of the Flipper statue. [Right, the first marker for Route 1.]
September found me in Malibu for the Labor Day wedding of friends Victor and Jenny. I also was able to visit the Getty Villa and admire all the Italian re-creations that money can buy.
A month later, I was off to Manhattan again: this time for the premiere of Justin Lin's comedy, "Finishing the Game," at the IFC Center. It was such fun to spend time with
him, the actors and the crew [left]. The film isn't in wide release, but you might still be able to order it at home. Check with your cable or satellite provider. (No, this was not a paid ad.)Before playing Thanksgiving chef for my parents and sister, I attended the AAJA winter board meeting. While in San Francisco, I caught up with another longtime friend, Payton. We've known each other since kindergarten but haven't seen each other since high school graduation.
Turkey Day was a cooking extravaganza that started two days beforehand. I brined my first bird, which Dad pronounced "the best turkey I've ever eaten" -- high praise from a professional cook! Incidentally, he and Mom retired this year.
I was barely back in D.C. when it was time to fly south to St. Petersburg, Fla., where I was invited to help teach^ a week-long seminar for professional copy editors at the beginning of December. I presented sessions at the Poynter Institute on critical thinking, content editing and determining a career path. The participants were sharp and engaged, and it was particularly interesting to hear the perspectives of the Canadian and Singaporean journalists in attendance. I also unexpectedly encountered former Dallas colleague Ryan, who was at Poynter for a different seminar. We caught up over a meal served by a woman named Tannen Baum. Too perfect for the holidays!
^Special thanks to my mentor Kathy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for providing the materials and advice that made me look good.
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Here's to an '08 that's at least as eventful as last year, with plenty of chances for reacquainting with long-unseen friends and occasion to make new ones.Drop me a line if you'll be in the D.C. area or if I'll be in your neighborhood this year.
