Folena Family 2010

In January, Amanda directed Dead Man Walking at City Lights Theatre Company in San Jose. 

Around this time I started teaching an infant CPR class for Mission College Community Education. This was coupled with an Infant Health and Wellness class. I really enjoy teaching parents because they want to learn as opposed to having to take a class for CE units to keep your license – completely different motivation.

In March, Robbie flew out for my birthday – nice present even if I had to pay for the ticket. Then he came out again in June as we went down to attend the US Open at Pebble Beach. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of this event as the PGA strictly enforces a no camera, no cell phone policy. As always, this stretch of God's earth is magnificent in its beauty. Wish we could share our memories with you.

The US Open was right after Robbie worked the Senior PGA Championship at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado. He said it was tough because of all the duties and responsibilities he had, but he also really enjoyed having unrestricted access to the entire venue. Overall it was a success as the Senior PGA representative who worked with Robbie’s team was pleased with the advertising campaign, media coverage and resulting attendance figures.

Dad had a bad episode in April where he experienced some very sharp pains when he went to bed one night. He got up feeling even worse the next morning so we had him go to the hospital in Santa Rosa. It turns out he had pancreatitis and had to have his gall bladder removed. Fortunately he recovered very well after surgery and is pretty much back to normal. Then it was Paul’s Mom’s turn in early June. Poor Lala fell in her backyard, broke her nose and lost some teeth. She also recovered but unfortunately the loss of her teeth makes it difficult for her to masticate. Soft food is always on the menu for her.

And then the big news – I retired from Kaiser on June 25th after 31 years. We decided it was time given the business climate where many companies are reducing employee benefits, especially for retirees, so I locked in my healthcare benefits and said goodbye.  Unfortunately I couldn’t actually really retire (i.e. no income) so I reinvented myself by doing some free-lance teaching. I teach NRP from time to time and I became an American Red Cross first aid CPR instructor. I’ve also become a BLS instructor for the American Heart Association.

My retirement was good timing as my Aunt Delores came out for a visit from Cedar Rapids in July. We were able to spend time together as we also went up to Sebastopol to visit with Dad. Delores was able to place names with faces as she met Dad’s neighbors and friends. More good timing – Robbie and Desta flew into town for a friend’s wedding so they were able to spend some time with Delores as well. I think Delores likes it here in California – and we love having her here.

In August, we finally did something that we’ve been talking about forever – we took a Holland America Alaskan Cruise aboard the MS Rotterdam to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Robbie was able to take the week off and come along with us. We had a ball as we did a little bit of everything – whale watching, sightseeing, fishing (although team Folena didn’t catch a thing!), and zip lining in the Ketchikan rain forest. Alaska is a beautiful place. The glaciers are simply stunning. Wildlife is still quite abundant and awe inspiring. We witnessed a rare sight where humpback whales work together using a tactic called “bubble netting” to round up schools of mackerel and devour them. Spectacular!

Immediately following the cruise, Robbie flew back to Denver as Paul and I spent a couple of days in Seattle. We met up with my friends Dave and Carrie Arthur who gave us a tour of the city and surrounding areas. Seattle reminds me a great deal of San Francisco. They have GREAT COFFEE there! True artisans when it comes to roasting and brewing the perfect latté or espresso. Yum!

Paul’s company, Eclipsys, merged with Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. in September. To date the merger hasn’t changed any of Paul’s duties or responsibilities as he is still the manager of a team of software developers. His team has transitioned from working on clinical applications to patient financials. He says the application domain and technology being deployed is challenging – I’m just glad he’s still employed.

Justin continues at California Theatre Center where he is acting and teaching kids. He tours all over California and the west coast as CTC brings their productions to cities big and small. He really seems to enjoy working there and being a part of that company. We’ve seen a few of his performances and he’s always very solid – the kids he teaches really warm up to him quickly as he is able to effectively communicate with them and share the love of theater. You can tell by the way his students come up to him following a performance and flock all around him.

In the fall Amanda started doing a lot of work at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. She directed Annie, which was a big box office success, followed by performing in Becoming Britney, a spoof on Britney Spears.  She also auditioned for and was selected to be a part of next summer’s production of Blues in the Night – a dialogue-free show that will highlight her singing. Amanda said that the audition for this show was the toughest one she ever had. They made her sing, sing and sing some more. She was exhausted when it was over – a 15 minute audition that lasted well over 45. The entire cast consists of three women and one man, all of whom have been on Broadway other than Amanda. It’s a very good opportunity for her.

We were all together for Thanksgiving as Robbie flew in for the extended holiday weekend. Now Christmas is fast approaching and we’re a little sad that Amanda and Justin won’t be with us, but we’re happy that they will be spending the holiday in Indiana with Justin’s family.