3831 Crawford Avenue
Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Christmas 2008

Dear Friends:

     Like the economy, 2008 has been a series of ups and downs for me. The new year started off on a sad note – my beloved 16-yr old cat Tracy passed away on New Year’s Day after six months of kidney failure. Fortunately, I still have Snowflake, my other 17-yr old cat who is remarkably well for her age.
     Spring went well finishing up my 20th academic year at Barry University, teaching organic chemistry and doing research with undergraduates. The Barry Chemistry Club was honored again by the American Chemical Society (ACS) at the spring national meeting in New Orleans as an AOutstanding Student Affiliate Chapter@ (its 14th award in as many years) in recognition of all of the many activities the students do. I was also elected to a 3-yr term as National Councilor and attended the ACS Council meeting in N.O. representing the South Florida ACS Section.
     On Thursday, May 29 as I was leaving my office at Barry walking across N.E. 2nd Ave. to the faculty parking lot, I was hit by a car that knocked me down, running over my left leg, breaking it just above the ankle. I’ve crossed that street thousands of times in the last 20 years and always look for a break in traffic. Out of the blue, without me seeing where she came from, I was hit by a lady driver talking on her cell phone. I was taken to Ryder Trauma center at Jackson Hospital in Miami where they stabilized my leg in a splint. Five days later they did orthopedic surgery, implanting a titanium rod inside the tibia bone. I was laid up at home for 2 months in the summer to recuperate with physical therapy 3 days a week and a home health aide to help with meals, personal care, and house cleaning. Since the accident occurred at work, all medical and recuperation costs have been covered by workman’s comp. I’m thankful that I wasn’t hurt more (it could have been a lot worse) and I have now recovered about 90%. Unfortunately, I had to cancel a cruise and land tour of Alaska in June, but fortunately for trip insurance we got back most of our costs. I was recovered enough, but still walking with a cane, by mid August to attend the ACS national meeting in Philadelphia. I didn’t have any trouble with airport security setting off the metal detector (titanium is non-magnetic). In late August I returned to full-time teaching in my 21st year at Barry University.
     I turned 65 in July and signed up for Medicare although I still have health insurance through Barry University. I also got the Miami-Dade Golden Passport for free public transportation on buses and Metro Rail, and I was able to use free senior public transportation when I was in Philadelphia in August for the American Chemical Society meeting.
     On Wednesday morning October 22 I woke up so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed – dizzy and nauseous. I called a friend to come take me to the emergency room where they did all sorts of test on my blood, heart, and CAT scan. Turned I had benign paroxyimal positional vertigo due to a spontaneous inner ear disturbance (hence the dizziness). The doctor prescribed an exercise that cleared up the inner ear problem in a couple days, and I’ve been fine since then.
     November brought good news – my 30-yr mortgage on my house was paid off (I’ve lived here 29 years). I haven’t burned the mortgage yet, but am using the extra funds to contribute more to my TIAA-CREF retirement. My real estate taxes also decreased a couple hundred dollars with the extra $25,000 homestead exemption we now have in Florida.
     For Thanksgiving my cousin Grace and her husband Frank drove over from the Florida west coast and we roasted a turkey with all the trimmings. Then on Friday I took them sightseeing in South Florida to the Coral Castle, Gold Coast Railroad museum, and Cauley Square. They left Saturday morning ant that night I volunteered for the White Party at Vizcaya mansion; this is an annual circuit party fund-raiser for Care Resource AIDS agency in South Florida.
     I’ve been invited to be one of the keynote speakers at an international conference on D-amino acids in Osaka, Japan in July 2009. It’s been over 50 years since we lived in Japan where my father was stationed at Yakota Air Force Base during the Korean War. I’m sure Japan has changed a lot since we left in 1952. I’m looking forward to that trip.
     I still serve as a section editor for the international journal AAmino Acids@, edit the newsletter of the South Florida Section of the ACS, and serve as National Executive Treasurer of Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society. I=m also involved in several activities at Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove and the AIDS Ministry at our sister church, St. Stephen=s Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove. Once again the Plymouth-St. Stephen’s team placed third in teams for fund raising during the 2008 Miami AIDS Walk in April, and I placed third highest among individual fundraisers. I’m grateful to and thank all of you who support me in the annual AIDS Walk; there is still a great need for funding for this worthy cause. In whatever spare time I have, I enjoy going to concerts (mostly classical), live theater, and watching Blockbuster movies that I get by mail. Not much social life or dating now, although I’m still looking and hoping for a long-term companion again.
     Although the economy is down, I am thankful for having a steady income from a job I love, for my health, for a paid-for house, for a wonderful church, and most of all for friends like you who care. God bless all of you for a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. Give me a call or come visit if you=re ever down this way.

Love and Peace,
George