Last updated October 2008. December 1, 2003 when I last updated this was 10 years since I moved to Petoskey from the Seattle area.( When I worked I had an assistant to do a lot of this for me ! Looks like I need to add/change the photos.) Petoskey is rated #16 in a book touting "The 100 Best Small Towns in America" and a very nice place to live. Our twin city Harbor Springs was named as one of the top 20 retirement places in the world by Barron's.  
(seewww.petoskey.com)
 

Camp David was my home in Petoskey and the subject of many of these pictures and adjoined Victories Casino (our former bowling alley and dance hall) and the Bear River Health Park. There is also a Wal-Mart / Home Depot / Office Max center just across the highway.Recently a multiplex theatre opened and an Applebee's too. The area has growing rapidly.I was just 2 miles from downtown and 3 miles from what was my office. A very convenient location. IN 2004 I left Petoskey following retirement and moved to downtown Portland, OR. Just always wanted to live in a city and my son Scott lived nearby. After a couple of years I went back to South Jersey, my original home and then in early 2007 moved to Klamath Falls, OR largely because my oldest son and his 10 kids are located here. 
 

After many fits and starts I bought brand new custom fit/custom made golf clubs. My work schedule is now significantly reduced and I am planning to play 2-3 times per week and hopefully improve my game to more respectable levels.....but the game is still an elusive one to master....or even do reasonably well at when not playing regularly. 2008 UPDATE: I ended up not playing much for a variety of reasons. No one to play with, left clubs in Michigan and out here the courses are ugly and too hot much of the time.

After 40 years in Marketing Management I have recently retired. I am doing some consulting and planning to work about 1/4 time for now. I most recently worked 9 years as Marketing V.P. for Town & Country Cedar Homes, a producer of high end log and cedar homes. My focus has been in 'electronic marketing' which includes www.cedarhomes.com, and our CD-ROM promotes the  There were some significant post 9-1-1 lag and the company was extensively reshuffled. My work there earned us numerous log home industry marketing Awards including Best Website, Best CD-ROM ( 3 times )and Best Consumer Brochure. I am personally proud to have been presented with a special new first time award as "Innovator of the Year" by the Log Homes Council

My electronic marketing consultancy focuses on what I call customer centric web site analysis ( aka "usability engineering" ). It is a retirement 'hobby' at this point but it's fun and can be done anywhere anytime. For more information see my website. In a surprise adventure I was subject of a 'roast' compliments of my industry group. It was great fun. www.davereed.citymax.com ,

My sons and their families are all doing well. 
 

	Craig & MB in Springfield, MA (married 1997) have a daughter, Duncan Ilene born Dec 21,1999. In Spring 99 they bought their first home, a very nice spot on the Connecticut River in Agawam, MA. I got to visit with them very briefly last August. Craig was Corporate Controller at SMG, Inc. and worked from their Bloomfield, CT. plant. They manufacture specialty branded food products such as Time for Dinner entrees,Nathan's hot dogs, Nickelberry's Ham and others. MB is currently an at home mom and continues her free lance calligraphy work. Craig was called to active duty inthe Air National Guard on September 11, 2001. He served a couple of months in 2002 in what is now Kyrgystan ( north of Tajikistan and bordering on China, Uzbekistan and Kazakstan). In January 2003 he was deployed somewhere uknown in the mid east. He was in security at an air base. His regular email reports during the war were most enlightening. The pix attached were taken when I visited for a send off party in August 2002 at his home. He returned home this summer to find that his plant was closed. He now operates a bagel franchise in the Springfield area. 2008 UPDATE; Craig was an Air National Guard NCO and served time in Afghanistan and Iraq. He and MB adopted a Russion born boy, Colin in 2006 so that Duncan would not be an only child. He now works as CFO for All States Asphalt, a major highway builder/provider in New England. They have moved to a new home in Westfield, MA Craig joined me in Petoskey ( Aug 2008 ) to help me close up the house and retrieve some family memorabilia. It was sure good to visit with him, albeit briefly.
	Ed & Jane moved from Springfield, OR to Klamath Falls, OR around 2003. They are now enjoying their 10th child. Ed has been a mill manager for Jeld-Wen Corporation in Brownsville, OR. which was recently sold and they have relocated him to a plant near their Corporate Headquaters in Klamath Falls,OR where they produce "door skins". Jane... with a head start.... is reportedly in the child care business on the side. Jane heads up some of the website work for Dr. Beer,a Chicago based immunologist recently featured on Dateline for his controversial hormonal treatment on women desirous of child bearing who have a history of multiple mis-carriages. WOW ! 2008 UPDATE; Ed and Jane added a 10th child in 2005. He is now GM of the Wood Fibre mill located at corporate headquarters.They range from Chris, nearing 20 and in college at Western Oregon to McKenna who was 3 this year. Chris is into track, especially cross country. Michelle at 15 plays violin for the local symphony. All seem to be doing well. Don't get to see much of them as their dad and I don't get along very well. Kind of sad.....but true.
	Scott and Cheree are divorced and both live in Wilsonville,Oregon with shared custody of sons Layne and Braden. Scott is a Customer Relations specialist for car dealerships.... God knows they need them !!! Most family contact is by email (with digital photos sometimes) and via Blue Mountain greeting cards. While not ideal and I wish we were all closer it's good that we have such ways to keep in touch across the miles. Think as I get older, I like sticking closer to home....or maybe it's just because traveling alone isn't as much fun. 2008 UPDATE: In 2007 Scott remarried to Leslie who works at Nike HQ and has two kids of her own. After about 5 years in the auto body shop business Scott is trying out as a strength training coach at the University of South Dakota. Oops...his midlife crisis thing didn't last long and he is back in Canby with Leslie and her kids and back in the car business.

My relationship status has still not fulfilled the hope or promise that we each have. Relationships are very difficult in mid life where there is more behind us than there is in front of us. Frankly available women "my age" are either prudes or don't want to make time in their busy lives for a relationship. It also seems that after menopause there is a drop in libido and the tendency to put on weight etc. And those who are a bit younger and more open minded and take care of themselves ( and recent empty nesters )are much more fun....but mostly consider me too old for them. So I'm kind of stuck in "no womans" land so to speak. Nonetheless I keep good spirits with the assurance that God has a plan for me....but she's being awful mean about it :) I have met several interesting people, some online and some right here at home. As Sinatra vocalized. "regrets, i have a few; but then again, too few to mention" !! As my mom said 'ces't la vie' ! It is tough to be in a remote geographic area when it comes to meeting people.

It's been too long now since my last Caribbean Cruise which included a most harrowing taxi ride across Tortolla. I like the cruise scene and look forward to finding a travel companion for a future one. It's not much fun alone. 

In January 2000 I was able to visit Scott and Ed and their families during a birthday surprise trip to Eugene, OR. It was a great event and a very special time to me. In Summer 2000 like in 1999 I did a camping vacation... this time near Ravenna, OH. Got to visit some museums, Sea World, the Inventors Hall of Fame. During Business trips I was able to see Bette Midler, Elton John, Maria Carey and several jazz clubs. Had a Conference in June 2000 at the Reagan Center in DC and had a nice visit with friends there and a couple of Potomac River outings. 

Another conference was in Savannah in November 2000. In fact I got to attend an election night party at the local Congressman's Headquarters which was great fun. Also due to internet searches, I have been able to connect with old friends whom I had previously lost touch with.. which is also great fun. In August 2001 I got to visit Craig & MB in Mass briefly and see Duncan for the first time. Co-incidentally a friend of mine here has a daughter who lives nearby them and she also has a young daughter so we were able to make the trip together. And in August 2002 I went back for his going away to war party. Will be visiting them again November 2003.  

In 2001 I also visited Ft. Wayne, Minneapolis, Telluride, Co, Grand Rapids,MI, Cleveland-Canton....where i visited the football hall of fame and a few Downstate locations. In February 2002 & again in April I went to Treasure Island-St. Pete Beach in the Tampa Bay area for my first "solo vacations"....no mate, no family, no old friends. It was nice and I met a lot of interesting new folks. I went to Jacksonville in mid November 2002 for a week....and to Knoxville, Memphis and Asheville in 2003. Friends new and old let me know of any trips to my area or of other places where we may both be headed. 

Since I live in a nice resort area there is no big temptation to travel in the summer.And there is lots of room at Camp David for visitors to one of the finest resort areas in the midwest. Perhaps one day I'll do summers here and take off somewhere south for January-March. 2008 UPDATE; Have made trips to Phoenix, Seattle, Coeur d'Alene, Atlantic City and to visit Craig and MB in MA to meet Colin. Have taken a couple of Amtrak ctoss cvountry trips and since i am stuck in a remote small town now, i try to take some jaunts to Portland and Medford just for a change of pace. Other news. In Sept 2008 I sold the Petoskey home to a shopping center developer so I don't have that to worry about anymore. I had a good run there but now it's over and a new chapter awaits....hopefully.