Betz & Derek's 2010 Recap
We enjoyed receiving Christmas cards, pictures, and letters from dozens of family members and friends last month, so now it's our turn to wish you a happy 2011 and share some of the highlights of the last year. I didn't write a letter like this last year, so I've included a few significant things from 2009 as well.
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- We unexpectedly had to put our middle cat, Simonis, to sleep in 2009. We noticed she was a little lethargic, and after a few days we finally decided it was time to go to the vet. After diagnosing Simonie with advanced kidney failure, the vet told us that with expensive treatment and weekly visits to the vet for shots, "she might live another few weeks." By then it was obvious that she wasn't the same old Simonie, so we took her home for one last night (medicated so she wouldn't be in pain) and said our goodbyes. While seeing her pass was one of the most painful things we've ever had to do, we are grateful that the decision was a no-brainer. Snooker is slowing down and getting crankier by the day, but still going strong at the ripe old age of 20. We cherish every day with her because we know they won't last forever. Ratso is devilish as ever at 10 1/2. Among the many treasures he brought into the house last year was a chipmunk that was still alive. It hid under the dresser for a few hours before finally coming out. I was relieved to see it, because we knew if it had died under the dresser, we'd find ourselves playing "what's that odor?" a few weeks later...and then we'd have the dubious task of finding it. Ratso and I chased Chippy around the house for about 5 minutes, during which I swear I could hear the theme song from "Benny Hill" playing in the background. I was finally able to throw a towel on top of Chippy, gather him up without getting bitten, and release him into the lilac bushes outside. Considering that the last time I had an in-house chipmunk encounter, I unintentionally killed it by dropping a 50-pound aquarium on its torso (I cried for hours after that), I was pretty pleased with this outcome.
- Hollywood has come to Michigan! Several big films have been shot in the area over the last couple years, but in November 2009 it hit really close to home: David Schwimmer, Katherine Keener, and Clive Owen shot several scenes at the Michigan Union (the building where I work). The ravishing Mr. Owen took a break between takes for some pool. I was far too shy to ask to have my picture taken with him (not to mention that his personal assistant made it very clear that he didn't want to mingle with the commoners), but he did somehow figure out that I was the one in charge of the Billiards Room, and he thanked me for the pool on his way out. I think he even shook my hand (don't remember - I was completely starstruck). The film is called "Trust," and it's scheduled to be released widely in 2011. Here's a snapshot of him, enjoying a game of pool with his co-star. Late breaking news: just last week, I got an email from an assistant-to-the-assistant-to-assistant-butt-kisser of the Set Director for "The Ides of March," a George Clooney movie that is filming at U of M next month. They want me and my team of student balloon experts to make the balloon backdrop for a scene in the movie! I don't know if doing this would give us a chance to meet Mr. Clooney (he's directing the film) or any of the stars, but frankly.....he's not the first one I'd like to meet. He's not even in the top 3. It stars Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, all of whom I adore. And it's being Executive Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, who has really impressed me with his acting roles the last few years (The Departed, Blood Diamond, Shutter Island, Inception). Nothing has been signed yet, but the contact person--whenever she has called or emailed me since--has been speaking in the future tense (a good sign when it comes to sales).
- Around the beginning of 2010, I decided to share a bunch of my favorite short stories (all true!) in one place on my website. I've always enjoyed creative writing / journaling, as those of you who remember the monthly "Derek & Betsy newsletter" will attest. The new web page is called "The Life and Times of Auntie Sarcastic." Here are two of the best stories:
- For the 11th consecutive year, Derek attended the January Derby City Classic, which is the biggest/baddest/coolest pool tournament in the country (arguably in the whole world). I was once again able to join him for the last three days of the event. Unlike last year, there was no ice storm-of-the-century in Kentucky, so my trip, the rooming arrangements, and the overall experience were infinitely better than 2009. We enjoyed some truly awesome pro pool matches for a few days together. Just before leaving to return to Ann Arbor, we met up with Derek's Uncle Terry and Aunt Teresa, who live in Louisville, for a nice lunch at the Spaghetti Factory. He is actually in Louisville right now for the 2011 event. Dang, am I bored.
- We both attended and played in the U.S. Bar Table Championships in Reno last February. Neither of us had great success in the tournament (Derek did much better than I) but it was a winning trip for Derek thanks to wise investments in other competitors and fortuitous plays on the slot machines. While there, we rented a car and drove to Lake Tahoe. Breathtaking!
Photo album on
- Derek won a big tournament at Hall of Fame Billiards in early April, defeating several of the top players in Michigan to take the title. Neither of us is superstitious, but we noticed that Derek's success rate in pool is much greater when I am there to cheer him on. I was so proud of him, especially at the end, when his fellow competitors clapped for him. Spousal support is critical for just about any sport, don't you think? He had a chance to return the favor a few months later, when I won a women's 8-ball tournament. Every year on Thanksgiving weekend, there is a big national team championship near Cleveland. Before the main event kicks off, there is a singles 8-ball tournament on Thanksgiving night. We've gone several times now, but this year was the most memorable. I hadn't played pool since February, when I got my BUTT handed to me in Reno (didn't win a single match). But something was going just right that night in Cleveland, and I started to get a taste of something I haven't had in over 5 years - victory! Derek stayed up until 5:30, along with our friend Angie, cheering me on. The payout was $450....excellent timing, considering that we had a trip to New York City just a week away.
- In May I was awarded the "M-Power" Award at work. Four of my student employees nominated me for this award, which recognizes one individual each year from a full-time staff of about 150 professionals in the field of Student Affairs for "dedication to provide students with a positive and developmental environment." It was one of my proudest days as a supervisor.
- I managed to spend dozens of relaxing hours in the garden during the "season," which generally lasts from April until October. Here are some of my favorite pics, but if you enjoy looking at photos of pretty flowers, you can find three complete albums with about 250 pictures on Facebook (see links below, in the last row of the table).
- We developed a new logo for Ypsi-Arbor Roofing this year. This is the first time we've had an original logo or artwork; every other graphic image we've ever used was acquired for free on a clip-art disk or website. We're rather proud of it! Derek bought t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats with this logo for everyone on his crew. This year we plan to do more advertising and develop our website so that it can be a more effective business tool.
- On Memorial Day weekend, Sean and I threw a retirement party for Mom. This was originally going to be a combined 60th birthday and retirement party in early March, but for a number of reasons (not the last of which is that Mom postponed her retirement until summer), we decided to wait and have the party on a weekend with nicer weather. It turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny weekend, and dozens of family members and friends joined us at the Wells Township Community Center for the celebration. Photo album on
- Derek and I traveled back to Nevada in June (Las Vegas this time) for a roofing convention with our friend, Mike. We had never been to Vegas together, so it was a special trip for us. In addition to spending lots of time at the pool, seeing a show, cruising the ginormous buffets, walking up and down the strip, and a wee bit of gambling (all the traditional Vegassy things), we also took some time to drive to the Hoover Dam, which was spectacular. Below are a few of the best snapshots, but you can view a complete photo album on
- Just when we started to think the summer would be smooth and seamless, Derek had an accident. His wrist was crushed between the truck door and garage wall in July. The truck was loaded with about 15,000 pounds of roofing trash, and he forgot to put it in "park," so his split-second reflex when he saw it start to roll was to jump in and put his hand on the brake. It worked, but not soon enough. His left hand was trapped between the open driver's side door and the wall of the garage. He feels extremely lucky that he only got a broken arm out of the deal. It could have been so much worse.
We've both had visions of the truck crashing through the wall of the garage and into the neighbor's house, not to mention the possibility of someone being run over.
- That was health scare number one. Health scare number two was when Derek's mother, Carol, collapsed at the hair salon and had to go to the emergency room. A few days later, she had triple bypass surgery. She's doing fine now, but it was a harrowing experience for all of us in the family. Growing increasingly aware of his mortality, Derek decided to become a vegan. He lost 30 pounds and his cholesterol plummeted from 206 to 148 in just a few short months. Although my cholesterol and blood pressure are just dandy, I started working out on the treadmill a couple weeks ago and am trying to be more conscious of what I eat. I'm feeling pretty good, sleeping better, and my knees don't ache anymore. I've lost about 10 pounds already, and I hope that I have the will power and determination to continue.
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The Billiards & Games Room hosted the ACUI national collegiate 9-ball Championships in July. Although I turned over the reins as National 9-ball Director a few years ago, I still enjoy serving as the unofficial press agent for the Championships, and this year I served as the Host Director as well. About 50 of the best college pool players from across the US (as well as international students studying at American schools) played in the event. As host, we were given new tournament-grade cloth by the Simonis Corporation, and I opted for blue instead of the traditional green. Michigan's colors are Maize-n-Blue, after all! I think the tables look awfully sharp, and our customers generally agree. Business has picked up in the months since, so I am very happy. Ditto the folks in the Business Office who tabulate our revenue. :)
- In the category of "the best vacation that never happened to us" was a Caribbean cruise with about a dozen former castmates from my favorite TV show, Survivor. I befriended a former fan favorite from the 2006 season, Yau-man Chan, through my involvement in ACUI Table Tennis, and he emailed me about the cruise in spring. Trivia contests, castmate Q&As, beach parties, and autograph sessions awaited us, not ao mention a cruise ship with lots of sun, food, activities, and relaxation. After joking about it for months, Donna and I were ready to go, and we'd even sold our non-Survivor-fan hubbies on the idea (celebrating Donna's and my milestone birthdays late in the year), but when we called to put down a deposit, the travel agent informed us that the cruise was canceled for lack of interest. Such a shame! That would have been a really memorable 40th birthday!
- In auto news, Derek turned over the keys to the Acura (now 9 years old) to me in September, and Leon the Neon has moved on. Derek had been admiring the Infiniti FX-35 for months, and he finally decided to go for it. I talked him into a lease instead of purchasing the whole darn thing. We've been enjoying it ever since. I'm about to drive it to Louisville next Wednesday with our friend, Stacy, whose husband is already down in Louisville with Derek at the tournament.
- My family came for a weekend visit the day after Thanksgiving. As we drove back from a pool tournament in Cleveland, Mom and David were on the road from southern Illinois, and the Sean/Celina brood were en route from the U.P. We finally converged in Ypsilanti at about 5PM on Friday, then spent the rest of the weekend together, celebrating Thanksgiving, Marty's 1st birthday, and my 40th birthday all in one shot.
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After the Survivor cruise fell through, I started lining up plans to spend my 40th birthday in a cool place that I'd never forget. I've had far too many birthdays fly by without remembering where I was, who I was with, or what happened (not because of drunkenness - I don't drink! - but because they're just boring, uneventful). So I decided that I wanted to return to New York City, where we celebrated my 30th.
Below are a few highlights, but you can view a complete photo album on
- I am now in the Guiness Book of World Records! No, I didn't grow 24-inch fingernails or hiccup for 15 years. I was one of over 114,000 people who bought a ticket for the "Big Chill at the Big House," where Michigan played against Michigan State in the largest outdoor hockey game in history. After living in Ann Arbor for 22 years and being a Michigan football fan the whole time, believe it or not - I have never seen a football game at Michigan Stadium! But now I can say that I've seen a hockey game there, which was pretty darn cool. Footnote: I later learned that the number of tickets sold far outnumbered the fans who actually showed up, so the actual attendance was closer to 90,000. This is still almost 15,000 more than the previous record, so the Guinness entry still stands!
A few pics:
- Derek drove back to New York 8 days after we returned from our NYC trip for his first major pro tournament of the year, the Turning Stone Classic. He won two matches and lost two matches, which is about his average performance for a pro event. He had higher hopes, but still had a great time among his peers and the legends of the game.
- As always, the year was punctuated by a trip to the U.P. for Christmas with my family. It was a rough trip this year (including hitting and killing a deer with our new car), but it's always very special to me to spend time with the "niecephews" and visit with Sean, Celina, Mom, and David. Here are some pictures (find the complete album on ):
Here's hoping that your 2011 is filled with excitement, joy, and good health!