Day 2. Settling in to a favorite old sweater

Feels great to be back! Like slipping on an old sweater.

Today was filled with end-of-year work (planning for 2010), and an afternoon spent helping our daughter in her home. You know, the stuff where a Mom, Dad, or credit card can come in mighty handy.

The clear Colorado air and a few inches of fresh snow reminded us that we weren't in Texas anymore, and the view of the sun setting over foothills west of Fort Collins assured us that were weren't in Kansas anymore, either, Toto. We lived here in Fort Collins for many years, so it is comforting to be back. My first job out of UNC grad school was here with HP in 1979, and I returned with my new bride after our HP European assignments in 1987. We enjoyed living here, but had to move to Andover Mass with HP in 1993. During our time here, Kristin was born here in Fort Collins in 1988; who could have guessed she would come back here to attend CSU 18 years later? We also had a town home in Wildernest, north of Silverthorne/Dillon in Summit County for most of the time, and fell in love with the mountains. Many great memories we will surely recall when we go back there to visit next week.

It's cool being back after so many years; the trees have all grown taller, the houses older, and of course there are new shops and housing developments everywhere. But the flavor of the town hasn't changed a bit. "Wide streets and Narrow Minds" was the Fort's reputation, but we found the people to be sincere, down-to-earth, warm, and well educated folk.

We made lifelong friends here in Fort Fun, some of whom we will see tonight at a New Years Eve dinner party at Susan and Tim Gallagher's home. We were all drawn together in part because we were all discovering fine food and wine; we even had a wine club where we would overindulge on a regular basis, developing our palate as well as our tolerance for spending a pretty good chunk of money on wine and dinner. I suspect we will break a record tonight! Stay tuned. Pictures tomorrow.