Happy Holiday Greetings to all of my friends and
loved ones;
I have not sent a Christmas letter in 5
years or so, and I refuse to do so now—except to those who are querulously non-social
and refuse social media, and in some really peevish cases, eschew email
altogether. Instead, I’m posting my
Christmas letter. If you are reading this now, it is because you wish to. And that’s the way I like it.
Let’s keep this short. I moved to Los Angeles in May/June 2011,
leaving behind my condo in Seattle which had become a millstone around my
neck. With the hope that it would sell
for what I owed, I left the land of gloom and rain for sunnier climes.
I was able to land a job within 6 weeks
of arrival. In retrospect that was as
risky I have ever been—as I had only one job interview and one offer, the one I
accepted. I am information processing
with the Law Firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, an international LLP with over
3000 attorneys which I and my 24 co-workers support. So that was a good thing. In the 2 and a half years I’ve been here
we’ve been involved in a number of cases of international and national importance,
including Apple, Inc. v. Samsung, and
Perry v. Schwartzenegger/Brown/
Hollingsworth, which went to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Currently I live in beautiful Arcadia,
California. I don’t get to enjoy the
sunshine much as I’m working harder than I ever have in my life. Apparently my “retirement” happened between
45 and 55, a fact that I was quite unaware of at the time.
I’ve started a new business in
narrating audiobooks. I have several
books under my own name ‘Michael Hacker’ which can be digitally downloaded to
your PC, tablet or smartphone from Audible.com.
I also have a number of romances which are narrated under my pseudonym
Lyn Madden, however, only “On with the Show” and the “The Gift” are g-rated so
be warned.
Finally I’m delighted to say that my
move has resulted in much better health and well-being. I’ve now lost a total of 32 pounds and I’m
back to my late-90s weight. My goal is
225, which will be my college graduation weight. However, I’ll be satisfied with 235, my weight before I stopped smoking in 1986.
On a sadder note, I had to say goodbye
to my sweet Molly Hamster, who developed late stage lymph cancer this past
September. I shall never forget our last
night together. She woke me up at 4
AM—even as ill as she was, she was still mindful of her training. We went into the back yard, and she sat
looking at the stars for the longest while, in perfect stillness. I pray she was content.
Feel free to drop me a line or call if
you would like more specifics regarding any of the above. Although sunny and warm in lovely SoCal, I
left all my friends behind in Seattle, and it’s been hard to make new ones
given my schedule.
Was that short? I hope so.
Best wishes for a truly blessed
Christmas,
Love, Mike
