Happy New Year & 2007 Recap

Andrea and I shared a New Year's Eve dinner with some married friends last night. Late in the dinner, I asked the table what memorable things happened in 2007. We started trying to recount the year. It was slow going. I cracked, "had 2007 been a forgettable year?" Then folks started throwing out some tidbits, then corrected themselves when many of the events mentioned actually happened in 2006! My surfing buddy Jared said that he had finished his MBA. He raised his hands in celebration, and we cheered him. That seemed like a good place to stop recounting since we were struggling.

After thinking about it this morning, I realized a relatively unmemorable year can be a good thing. After all, nothing tragic had happened in our personal lives this year that would permanently etch our memories. Though the world is a bit of a mess as always, we were lucky enough to enjoy some progress and pleasure in our lives this year with negligible interference from the larger forces in the world. Not sure how long that will last with some ominous challenges on the horizon. Nevertheless, we're fortunate to have had some fun while continuing to work on our wedding vow to "help create healthy communities for families and children." Here are some highlights:

• 1 Year Anniversary. Andrea and I celebrated our anniversary in the small coastal town of Mendocino. We had probably the best meal of our lives at Cafe Beaujolais. Then walked down to the shore under a full moon, found a bench on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and stayed up all night talking. OK, that was memorable.
• Andrea closed a deal with the CEO of Kaiser Northern California. Andrea had won an innovation grant to do a pilot project involving group visits for new moms and follow up group conference calls. The idea is to use the power of community (moms talking to each other) to bring down costs and improve care. However, it was canceled because of a budget shortfall. Undaunted, Andrea asked the CEO in an unrelated meeting to fund her project. He eventually agreed.
• Neal got a new job with FAS.research, one of the leading consultancies in the world applying the science of network analysis to social and business problems of all kinds. He lead a project to help Tides Network, large charitable foundation, to reorganize and become more effective in their philanthropic work.
• In April, the whole of my immediate family, the Gorenflo clan, spent a week in Hawaii together. Wow, we all got along splendidly and had a great time!

We wish all of you a happy 2008, and may it be memorable for much pleasure and progress!