Christmas Letter 2010: Diverse & Dazzling

I didn't mail a Christmas letter this year b/c, frankly, it's pretty time-consuming and a little expen$ive. Plus I figure between this blog and my 17 daily posts on Facebook, people pretty much know what I'm up to. But in the spirit of the holiday, and to remain enviromentally friendly (I guess), here is an online version:

Dear Beloved Friends:

Wishing you a blessed and safe holiday season from beautiful San Diego. I particularly enjoyed the weather here this year, not because it was particularly tropical, but because it had awesome variety: a cool summer, a warm early fall, much-needed rain (and rain, and rain) recently, finishing up with a fresh and crisp flourish.

That's kind of how my year can be described: diverse. And enjoyable.

Gray skies filled our hearts with the passing of Grandma, to natural causes, in July. She was 86 and spent the last four years in our household. As tough as it was to lose her, though, I was just glad she no longer had to suffer through her dementia, respiratory problems, and other ailments. Grandma Bernice often said she was happy being with us in her final few years and I know she's up in heaven now, golfing, cussing, bowling, and asking God for cigarettes.

2010 will be most remembered by the abundance of blessings I received in being able to promote my book via speaking engagements, usually averaging two to three per month. At Cal State San Marcos, a young man gave me a tri-colored Colombian bracelet and at a junior high in Barrio Logan, some kids thanked me for "showing that anything is possible."   My most memorable one was delivering the keynote presentation at the Cesar E. Chavez Commemorative Breakfast before 1,200 people at the Convention Center on March 31st. The San Diego Union-Tribune even ran a story about it afterwards. I love speaking and making presentations and hope I can do many more.

It was a great year with the San Diego Padres, as we surprised the baseball world with 90 wins and took the National League West pennant race to the season's final day. Although it was disappointing to not make the playoffs, I'll remember doing the "Spotlight" gesture with friends like Nick Golden, Nina Tarantino, Shawn Rossi, and many others, singing our victory song - "Beauty in the World" by Macy Gray - , and celebrating in the East Village. In fact, I'll never forget after the last game of the year, after the eventual world-champion Giants eliminated us, that we greeted the team when they returned from SF and said Thank You for an amazing year. That was so cool. And so was winning a new TV at the company Holiday Party! Best moment all year! Well that and the Chavez Day speech.

I didn't travel much this year, though I did hit Las Vegas twice, for Colleen McEniry's 30th birthday in February and Mark Matsunaga's bachelor party in July. Los Angeles was the center of my sports travels - in June, I saw the Yankees beat the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium with Logan Washburn and his fianceé Heather Contreras; and on Thanksgiving Weekend, I went with Chad Huebner and his wife, Jessica, to see Notre Dame defeat USC for the first time in nine years. The Irish have a new coach, and are Sun Bowl-bound, and I greatly enjoyed Saturday gamewatches in the fall with Tom Larimer, Joe Quiroz, Jessica Jimenez, and other Golden Domers.

Other more local sporting events included Chargers games with Slick Nick, Matsunaga, and Adam Kinowski; San Diego State Aztecs basketball games (ranked 7th nationally this Christmas); Team USA vs. Mexico in women's soccer and Chivas vs. Chivas USA in men's soccer; and the Poinsettia and Holiday Bowls. I love watching live sports and concerts (John Legend, Macy Gray, Los Tucanes de Tijuana).

My most enduring memories of 2010, however, occurred the first two weeks of June. On Sunday, June 6, I completed my first-ever San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon as part of the Team MADness Relay Team with McEniry, Karen Madden, and Alison Glabe. They are my co-workers, teammates, and now part of a lifelong sacred memory. A few days later I celebrated my birthday and the marathon with a big gathering of friends at La Puerta in the Gaslamp. Early the next week, I delivered a keynote speech at the King-Chavez Academy graduation in Sherman Heights in their gymnasium. With the sound of their cheers and graduation gladness still ringing in my ears, I left their hardwood court, went home, and watched the Lakers tense, thrilling, heart-stopping win over the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. What an awesome couple weeks.

What a year. What a country. What a blessing it is to share it with you. I wish you the best in 2011, with happiness, success, friendships, and many belly-aching, tear-inducing laughs. It's what life's all about.

God bless you,
Alex