Christmas 2001

Season’s greetings & warmest wishes from California! It’s been an extraordinary year, to say the least.

Deb’s parents came down from Canada in Autumn 2000 to spend the winter with us in sunny California and were here in January to help us bring in the New Year. They were also here to share our most momentous event of the year. On February 21, Debra became a citizen of the United States. The swearing-in ceremony was quite amazing. At that single event, more than 5,000 people from 40 different countries became citizens.

Before Deb’s parents departed for regions north, we had the good fortune to have them with us to celebrate both their birthdays (and Deb’s, too) including Clinton’s 70th. We really enjoyed their long visit and soon realized how spoiled we’d become with home-cooked meals, a clean house, and a well-organized garage! Abbie & Gray-C desperately miss the constant attention (not to mention being fed at the crack of dawn!).

In May, Eric was invited to a Star Trek convention in northern Italy. The convention was in a small resort town on the Adriatic coast. Our hotel was across the street from the beach. The Italian fans were gracious and kind and we really had a wonderful time. Afterwards, we spent a couple of nights in a quaint little hotel in Bologna and got to see some of the local historical sights. On our last day we took a train trip to Florence. We didn’t get to see much of the city because we spent most of our time standing in line for the museum which houses the famous sculpture of “David” by Michelangelo. But that’s what we went to see... so mission accomplished! The next day we flew home to L.A., with a brief stop in Zürich, Switzerland, to change planes.

As always, the highlight of our year was our annual Cruise Trek vacation. This year we toured the eastern Mediterranean starting in exotic Istanbul, Turkey. When we first learned we were going on the trip, Eric tracked down an old high school classmate from Oregon -- Katie Kranzler -- who has lived in Istanbul for the past 15 years. Katie and her husband, Sinan, invited us to come and stay with them. We eagerly accepted their invitation. We left Los Angeles on June 22 and arrived in Istanbul on June 23, with a change of aircraft in Munich, Germany, along the way. After meeting us at the airport, Katie took us to her home in Arnavutkoy -- one of Istanbul’s many outlying neighborhoods -- this one a charming and romantic village set along the Bosphorus waterway; with a farmer’s market, local shops, restaurants, banks and a post office all within walking distance of Katie & Sinan’s house. Here we were introduced to their 9-year-old daughter, Sunaliza, and her feisty Siamese cat, Sassy.

We wasted no time becoming tourists. Katie (who speaks fluent Turkish) volunteered to be our personal tour guide, taking us to visit such architectural wonders as the Topkapi Palace, where the Sultans and their harems once lived; Hagia Sofia, once the supreme church of the Byzantine Empire, which is now over 1,400 years old; the Blue Mosque, one of the four most holy mosques in the Muslim world; the ancient Basilica Cistern, an underground water reservoir built in the 6th century using the marble and stone pillars scavenged from the ruins of ancient temples. Katie also took us to the Grand Bazaar -- an incredible labyrinth of shops and stores selling beautiful hand-crafted Oriental rugs and every assortment of souvenir. We also walked through the Spice Bazaar -- a cacophony of exotic smells and colors -- where you can purchase a lifetime supply of saffron for just a million Turkish lira (or $1 U.S.). Afterwards, we took a ferry across the Bosphorus allowing Debra her first visit to Asia. The waterway separates the city of Istanbul into a European side and an Asian side.

During our visit to the Hagia Sofia, we ran into John De Lancie (the actor who plays the omnipotent “Q” on Star Trek) and his family, who were also in town for the cruise. Katie, who works at a local university translating historical documents into English, was immediately barraged with questions about Turkey, Istanbul and the local culture. That evening, John and his family joined us for a special dinner arranged by Katie & Sinan at a restaurant built right on the Bosphorus not far from their home. Most Turkish meals begin with mezes, a variety of Turkish appetizers, which were all incredible. Afterwards came the dramatic presentation of the flambéed fish baked in a dome of sea salt. The food was great and a good time was had by all. In fact, we had so much fun, we all met up again for dinner the next night for a wonderful Kebob dinner on the roof of a five-story building over-looking the Sea of Marmara. Meals are completed with a serving of fresh fruit -- and the intense flavors of the cherries, peaches and other fruits were amazing compared to the stuff we get in our grocery stores here. We loved the food in Turkey and had a wonderful time visiting the country. We highly recommend a visit to anybody considering a trip to that part of the world!

On our fourth day in Istanbul we embarked the m.s. Rotterdam and got settled into our cabin. During the afternoon we registered Cruise Trek passengers and in the evening we went ashore for one last dinner with our gracious Turkish hosts. On June 27, we set sail through the Sea of Marmara en route to the Mediterranean.

June 29: Alexandria, Egypt. We boarded a tour bus for a 3-hour drive to Cairo to visit the magnificent pyramids of Giza which are more than 4,000 years old. The nearby Sphinx, with the face of a man and the body of a lion, is believed to be even older than the pyramids. After lunch we drove to see the step pyramid of Sakara, believed to be the oldest stone structure still standing, more than 5,000 years old. We enjoyed our tour, but it was blistering hot in Egypt and we appreciated our air-conditioned bus ride back to Alexandria.

June 30: The island nation of Cyprus. Our ship docked in Limassol on the island's south coast. Without formal tour plans, we simply went ashore for a leisurely walk around town. Cyprus is home to Greco Roman ruins and Crusaders’ castles. The medieval castle at the center of town is the very place where Richard the Lionheart, the English King who conquered Cyprus, married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191. It was here we shopped for beautiful table linens and leather shoes.

July 1: The Greek island of Rhodes. Again, we had no formal tour plans, so we went ashore early to walk around the town and immediately fell in love with the medieval architecture and the castle-like battlements that surround the city. We walked to the palace of the Grand Masters. Beautifully intact Byzantine mosaics grace the floors, while marble staircases lead to soaring chambers with exquisite wood-beamed ceilings. At lunchtime we sat in a lovely outdoor café and shared our dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) with a friendly little Calico who decided to join us.

July 2: The Greek island of Santorini. Our ship anchored in the caldron harbor which was created by a volcanic explosion in 1500 B.C. The effect is still explosive. 1,000 foot-high cliffs rise from sea level, and dazzling white houses cling to the cliff tops. We took a sky tram (rather than the donkey ride up a very steep, winding path) to visit he picturesque town of Oia featuring blue-domed churches, two-story mansions crammed into narrow cobbled-stone streets, and tiny boutiques selling ceramics, paintings and local jewelry.

July 3: Kusadasi, Turkey. We took a tour bus into the countryside to visit three ancient cities. Priene, our first stop, is best known for its ruins of the Temple of Athena set against a majestic mountain backdrop. Our next stop was Didyma, where we toured the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, considered one of the greatest monuments of antiquity. Finally, we arrived in Ephesus, one of the best-preserved cities of the ancient world, with an extensive collection of Greco Roman ruins with marble streets and magnificent temples, Roman baths, fountains and mosaics. Most amazing were the 3-story ruins of the Library of Celsus and the large Greek theater where the apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians (as told in the Bible). We stopped at a beach resort and lunched on more yummy Turkish mezes and fresh fruit before returning to Kusadasi where we did more shopping in the local Bazaar.

July 4: Athens, Greece. We found it fitting to visit Athens -- the birthplace of democracy -- on the 4th of July. The city is a living symbol of a Golden Age which flourished nearly 25 centuries ago. The crowning glory here is perhaps the most famous temple of all time, the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens perched atop the Acropolis, a limestone mass rising 230 feet from the plain with a majestic view of the city. With its ancient serenity, the Parthenon seems eons away from the sprawling metropolis below where half the population of Greece resides. After touring the ancient ruins, we enjoyed a Greek lunch and visited with the locals in the souvenir shops. The weather was wonderful and Deb had fun collecting the new Greek coins commemorating the upcoming 2004 Olympics. And we saved lots of money by taking the subway instead of the official bus tour!

July 6: After a day at sea, we arrived in the beautiful city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Medieval ramparts encircle this 13th century city, and a marble statue of St. Blaise, the city’s patron saint, guards a stone bridge which bids welcome to visitors. In this tiny town, there are 24 Catholic churches, one Orthodox Christian Church and one Synagogue. Except for the brand new terracotta tile roofs, there is very little evidence of the recent war which ravaged the country. Dubrovnik has a proud history & remains an enchanting place to visit.

July 7: Venice, Italy, our final destination. Nicola and Stephania, two Italian fans we had met at the Star Trek convention earlier in the year, met us at the dock and the two of them gave us a personal walking tour of the city. Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) is the heart and soul of Venice with palatial arcades and charming cafes, and is the city's widest open area. With its Byzantine façade, St. Mark's Cathedral is one of the world's most magnificent churches. It was originally constructed in the 9th century to shelter the body of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. Only traces of the original structure remain, and the present building dates from the end of the 11th century. The exterior domes, pinnacles and bronze horses contrast with a glowing interior of gold mosaics, elaborate carvings and graceful statues. We also visited the island of Murano, famous for its Venetian glass-blowing factories. Nicola arranged a private demonstration for us. For lunch we feasted on authentic Italian pizza and later took a gondola ride through the canals and stopped at Harry’s Bar, home of the original Belinni (a drink made of champagne and peach juice). The next day, we were on a plane back to L.A.

In August, we flew to Eugene for Eric’s 20-year high school class reunion, which included a Saturday night formal dinner gathering and an informal picnic at a local park the next day. The whole thing seemed rather anti-climatic. But we did enjoy seeing Katie and Sunaliza again (who had come over from Istanbul) and also getting to visit family and friends and seeing nephew Zach!

On September 6, we flew to Las Vegas for the “35th Anniversary of Star Trek” convention. In fact, we really didn’t go for the event, but went to meet up with some old friends who were coming to Las Vegas for the convention -- namely Eric’s childhood pen pal, Barbara, and her husband Mike, from Baltimore. We also saw many other friends and acquaintances who had flown in from around the world. The festivities culminated Sunday night with a star-studded party at the Star Trek Experience. We flew home on September 10.

September 11. Words cannot describe it. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the victims, their families, and our courageous men and women in uniform. Someday, we hope, peace will prevail on Earth. Until then, we refuse to live in fear and try to find sanity & solace in life by immersing ourselves in our jobs.

It’s been a roller-coaster year for Eric’s company. Earlier in the year the company produced a television pilot based on Stephen King’s The Dead Zone. Unfortunately, the network that originally ordered the pilot declined to order the series for their Fall 2001 schedule. But they also refused to “pass” on the project and kept an option open to possibly order the series for mid-season. The option expires December 31. We still haven’t heard from the network. In the meanwhile, USA network, a cable channel, has expressed strong interest in ordering the series and negotiations are now underway. If all goes well, production should begin on the series early next year. Eric will serve as Script Coordinator on the series.

Deb has kept busy this year with her new position as Oncology Nurse Clinician for Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. In addition to educating the nursing staff on issues pertaining to Oncology, she is also responsible for teaching classes on the subject to both nurses and department managers. In May, to keep herself abreast of the latest developments in the field, Deb attended the Oncology Nursing Society’s Annual Congress in San Diego. In November she attended an Oncology Symposium in Newport Beach. From time to time, she also gives Cancer Awareness talks at local community centers and senior facilities.

In November, Eric’s parents drove down from Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with us. We enjoyed having them. There’s nothing like Mom’s homemade pies for the holidays! And Abbie and Gray-C enjoyed having another set of “grandparents” to terrorize for ten days. As always, the family visits seem far too brief. And now it’s December. Lots of holiday parties and dinners to attend. Afterwards, we’re heading off to spend Christmas in Las Vegas. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse: 3 nights FREE at the Rio Suites Hotel + $100 in cash. With any luck, we’ll end the year on a high note.

Here’s wishing you and yours all the best in the New Year. Happy 2002!

Love,
Eric & Deb

A note about our postage stamp: We had such a great time in Turkey this year, Eric thought it would be fun to commemorate our trip with this new holiday stamp, which honors an important Islamic festival -- or Eid. Eid al-Fitr (celebrated on Dec. 16 in 2001) celebrates the end of the Ramadan fast & is a period of thanksgiving. The Eid stamp features the phrase "Eid mubarak" which translates as "blessed festival" & can be paraphrased, "May your religious holiday be blessed." Eric bought these stamps on September 5 just days after they were issued by the U.S. Postal Service. We decided to keep the stamps and use them in the true spirit in which they were intended: To wish everyone a Blessed Holiday Season!