2013 Xmas Letter

In Toronto, 2013 has been the year of Rob Ford.  A story so notorious it needs no preamble.  It launched our middling metropolis into the international news cycle with an all-you-can eat buffet for late night comedians and You Tube trolling.  Every revelation has been more outlandish, unbelievable and embarrassing than the previous. Rob Ford has had an XXXL impact on our city...and our family J

Lack of appropriate governance is the norm here.  In the last 52 weeks Maggie (17) Hannah (15) have spent about six of them without the direct supervision of parents. There were three weeks in the Summer doing a high school course in Archaeology , living “on campus” and spending half their time on-site digging and mapping an ancient aboriginal village. What they also discovered was that their teachers/chaperones had little interest in monitoring their wards. The kids were free to roam the woods and streams nearby and generally be teenagers.  It was like life before risk management.

 In November, we also left them Lord-Of-The-Flies-style when Carolyn and I took an eighteen day trip to Singapore, Laos and Cambodia. They learned a huge life lesson: if you leave the milk on the table all day, it spoils; AND you have to go buy more! They had fun, but I am convinced that we had more. See the pics here of our 20^th anniversary travels in Southeast Asia.

The girls did their usual co-curricular (used to be called “extra-curricular”) activities despite a big ‘ol labour disruption with teachers that got everyone mad.  Maggie had a leading role in the ECI production of Legally Blonde and Hannah’s dragonboat team repeated as champions in their division.

What “Mayor” Ford would call the “gravy train” continued when Maggie and I went out for crack in March. In our case it was mountain biking, rappelling and hiking the rock in Moab, Utah. It was payback for taking her sister to Paris in March ’12, I was a victim of coercion to be sure.

Like Rob, Carolyn was “voted off the island” by a crazy council – Rob has yet to leave, but Carolyn left Jumpstart in June.  She is close to finding a new role in Marketing and Development for a not-for-profit. Rob, on the other hand, will likely have a reality TV show shortly.

Rob has barely kept his head above water. That is how we felt this summer when we experienced the “flood of the century”. Our basement was awash. We are just finishing that renovation. When you look out back and see your patio furniture floating be sure to run downstairs to helplessly watch the sump well bubble up and soak your floor. Now that is a fun power outage.

Hopefully, Ford is on the cusp of his next lifestage...and so are we. There is raucous debate at our dinner table regarding university applications, aspirations and course selections.  With luck and money we may move the kids into university life over the next couple of years.  We are practicing for that empty nest stage by Skyping  a lot and draining the bank account.

2013 was not without its challenges, and this is where we diverge with His Worship.  He announced his “cut the waist” challenge  where he would have a public weigh-in weekly to trim down his 330 lbs by 50 lbs.  He managed to shed 17 pounds, twisted his ankle getting off the scale and quit when he got hungry.  We, however,  are resilient and we’re lucky that our problems are beatable, as we support friends who have serious health issues, family conflict or serious economic challenges.  We will do our best to remember our good fortune in 2014, which includes our good friends, loving family and very likely a new mayor.

Note: For the minority of readers who enjoy this kind of thing you can find SOME of the historical annual letters now posted on this blog. We will try to find and post the remainder mainly for grandparents.

2012 Xmas Letter

Climate change is, without a doubt, the greatest challenge we face. Nowhere are these effects felt more strongly than at 8 Elliott Ave in Etobicoke.

If you don’t have last year’s letter handy we are all one year older. That means that Maggie is 16, just a few short days from independent driving and Hannah is turning 15 as I write. The temperature swings in our geography are rapid and severe.

In 2012 we incurred tremendous carbon debits mainly through long range travel. In the Summer Hannah jetted to Borneo to spend 3 weeks living aboard  her Aunt and Uncle’s sailboat and exploring Malaysia. Hannah is laid back, can amuse herself with a book and makes for good company in the cramped quarters of a boat.

 Maggie,on the other wing, spent 2 weeks volunteering at an orphanage in Uganda. This remarkable place was founded by a woman whose daughter worked with Carolyn at UNICEF. Both Carolyn and Maggie were inspired at a small fundraiser. To give credit where it is due Maggie funded a good portion of her trip with her own funds, and channelled generous gifts from friends and family into her “Uganda fund”.

Seeing the developing world gave them  some perspective on our carbon-rich lifestyle. If you are normal and these trips strike you as extravagant I welcome you to my world. In my next life, however, I will not only have total clarity on why they are necessary I will also be rewarded and probably have the urge to buy my kids a couple of MacBook Pros and iPhones.

Maggie is still a good student in Mr. Kotter’s Sweathogs class and Hannah loves her hippy-dippy school where they first-name their teachers. The major adverse event looming on the horizon is University admission. It’s not even the money. It’s the  human toll. No amount of sandbagging can prepare us for the impending catastrophe.

Carolyn is the David Suzuki in our house. Walks the talk, saving the world, and still running a pretty successful business over there at Jumpstart. She is often the voice of reason, building a consensus among the various stakeholders(me vs. them). She got carbon credits for riding another 500kms in August with the Jumpstart fundraiser (Kingston to Niagara Falls). I was just there to carry her bag and perform the occasional helmet testing procedure launching myself onto the road at 25kms/hr. – weeeeeeee.

With global warming, Calgary will one day be an ideal beach resort. This trend was our friend when Hannah and I got May’s weather in March on our week-long trip to Paris. We picnicked on the grass at Versailles, we picnicked in the square outside the Centre Pompidou, we dined on the sidewalk by our hotel in Les Marais. Hannah does not like to shop, neither do I. You can do a lot in Paris if you skip the shopping – chamber concerts, museums, fine dining on a budget (chowhound.com), reading in cafes, and sightseeing. We did not yield to the half-cast on her badly sprained ankle or her natural urge to sleep until Noon.

My tiny reserves of empathy go out to the scientists of l’Aquila. We grind away doing the best job we can in a maelstrom of unpredictability, and yet, predict we must. When the volcano blows on its own mysterious schedule the blame game begins. We are paraded at court and convicted. Not convicted of incompetence mind you, rather they are jailed for their innate manly predisposition. They were poor communicators.

Our only hope for the future is to fully realize that we are part of a larger community one with shared purpose and mutual support. One in which we demonstrate restraint and consider generosity alongside our own needs. Our globe is populated by you our friends and family. The more we can get together, the better off we are. Like Kyoto and Rio, its just good to talk...and maybe ultimately save the world.  That is the spirit of our best wishes to you for the holidays.

2011 Xmas Letter

Maggie and Hannah insist that they are the 99% in our family, despite our repeated attempts at explaining the math that they are the 50%. Their demands are varied, unfocused and idealistic. Yet, everyone in the family senses that they have a point. Carolyn and I make most of the decisions and there is massive inequity in terms of wealth and income... and so, they continue to Occupy...our house.

Maggie was part of a public demonstration in Grease – the musical, not the country.  Actors and audiences at the high school all had fun. In March the main demand was for a holiday. We capitulated and went down that slippery slope – literally. We went skiing in the BC interior. They forced me to make good on a long-term management promise to take them skiing on a real mountain. Slopeside accommodations and endless trails delivered beautifully.

In the spring the mob turned violent  - it was Maggie’s varsity ‘touch’ football where she played on the D Line. She is still in the long shadow of her Mom’s university Powder Puff football days as a star running back though. Hannah was part of the 5% briefly. She graduated from middle school with excellent grades and awards – prompting wild shouts from her grandmother at the graduation ceremony.

Maggie learned all the secret signs as a waterfront counsellor at a camp for the deaf this Summer. She viewed it as unpaid labour, we saw it as free camp.  We had a flash mob (probably organized on facebook) in Harwichport, Cape Cod.  It was a family Union (that is a one-time ‘reunion’). It was a Collective Bargain as we put 3 Solby families in one giant beach house and socialized with extended family and friends.

Hannah is very much enjoying her specialty high school, UFA. It is a lefty, liberal hotbed where the students wear uniforms, call the teachers by their first names and spend integrated Wednesdays outside the classroom at initiatives like Yoga, Skiing and Jamming with the Band. By contrast, when I started at Lower Canada College in Montreal they beat you with a wooden paddle if you called a teacher “Steve”.

In September Carolyn and I escaped from the other 50% and rode bikes in her Jumpstart charity ride in BC. The hills were as steep as a Eurozone yield curve.  We rode 500 kilometres (300 miles) in 5 days and raised funds (thanks to many of you) for the real kids who can’t afford to participate in sports and recreation.

As we head into Christmakah the 50%’s demands are growing ever more outrageous – trips, expensive clothing, electronics, a say in how the family runs (ha!). All forms of wealth and power transfer. We will do our best to appease them in the hopes that they will grow tired of protest, grow up and leave the premises in a few years.

From the top 50% and the bottom 50% of the family we wish you a happy holiday with a minimum of  social obligation and forced sentimentality. This year we might, for an instant, appreciate our outrageously good fortune to be closer to the 1% than not. The big observation of 2011 though is that there is strength in numbers. Thankfully, we have support and friendship from you, our friends and family. That’s  a gift.

2010 Xmas Letter

What happened? Traditionally I occupy a spot on one end of the cynicism scale between Andy Rooney and “The Riddler” of Batman fame. Well, my turf has been swamped with doom and gloom guys and its no wonder. The noise (news) is all about seemingly serious men who are masters of corruption, that and an endless stream of news about facebook taking over the universe. Now I find out from the movie that Mr. Facebook is a big fat cheater too. With the popularity of cynicism, all of a sudden, I am being re-positioned as a moderate. I know how the Republican party feels.

Increasingly I find myself believing in the flimsiest of ideas – unfounded optimism. In our house this schtick (say: shtik) belongs to Carolyn. It’s the Christmas story – you have a limitless spiritual line of credit that you can access. No matter how bad it seems in the middle of your journey, your debt can always be restructured for a happy ending (provided that you visit your ecclesiastic banker of course). Even I am visiting this lender of last resort . No church of course, but the belief that things will turn out fine. We just don’t know exactly how or when.

This year as always we celebrate both the midwinter festivals, uncommonly, we are taking a decidedly optimistic view. We are firing up the Irish Rovers family Christmas album on the Stereo, looking back on an excellent 2010 and looking forward to an even sunnier 2011.

For iconic footage of 2010 search “Hannah’s Ride” on You Tube and witness her freakishly successful surf ride in Australia captured in high def. Or, just ask and we can send you the DVD of the school production of Beauty and the Beast with Maggie as Mrs. Potts the singing teapot.

More of Canada’s less privileged children will have sports equipment now that Carolyn has started at Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart charity. In fact our children will probably have more sports equipment as well because she spends way more time in Canadian Tire stores.

I managed to find a project with a beer company in Russia this Summer. It was a lot of fun visiting Russia and St. Petersburg. Those Russians have reason to be cynical, but no, they drink instead. Heartwarming...literally.

We are looking forward to a 2011 filled with both kinds of skiing including, maybe a trip to a real mountain. We’ll be pursuing  boxercise, tennis, road biking, mountain biking, volunteering and underage driving in remote places. And some of us will be singing, endless singing and iPods, daily flute and saxophone ditties and Glee. Not to mention food glorious food. We do our best to practice the ancient art of eating together and often we don’t even text message during meals.

We are lucky that lately we have all been quite healthy and that includes our extended families. Our only regret is that somehow we never spend enough time with you our friends and family. Well, that...and the dreaded facebook .

2009 Xmas Letter

2009 was the year that the Solby family tried to apply for TARP funds in the United States. Three quarters of us are American citizens and we consider our contribution to the North American economy to be integral and, well, ‘too big to fail’. TARP stands for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Its main concern is massive banks and pretend-banks and many people consider it an unfair “bailout”.  But I voted for Barack Obama and he has emailed me many times – more before the election than after.  So, I am working through the paperwork and I’m still hopeful that we can benefit from Taxpayers’ generous contributions. Below are highlights from our tale of the TARP.

February - Carolyn and I went treasure hunting in Curacao - a little island in the eastern Caribbean.  Early stage investment included becoming certified scuba divers and buying lots of scuba gear. A week of diving revealed spectacular scenery: coral reefs, eels, fish, plant life and friendly dive buddies but we did not discover a single gold coin or ancient artifact to sell on eBay.

In March we sent the kids to Wall Street, literally. They flew without parents to New York to shop, dine and theatre. Their grandparent hosts were thoroughly exhausted after the four days, as were the kids. They returned with purses, shoes and jackets but not a single penny from the TARP fund or a job offer from Goldman Sachs.

Like real bankers we put on a song and dance . Maggie played Glinda the good witch in the school production of “Wizard of Oz” (Hannah remarked that it demonstrated true acting prowess, given Maggie’s natural malicious character). Hannah played the flute brilliantly, passed her flute exam with honours and played many recitals.

We also played the game. The highlight of the sports roster this year was the Grades7 and 8 girls varsity touch football team. Imagine Maggie and Hannah on the same football team. Maggie played center and Hannah on special teams. Not such a big deal for them or us, but a dream come true for my mother-in-law who is a lifelong football fan. When she was not “advising” the referee she could be found de-mystifying the rules for proud but confused moms on the sidelines.

Like banks we knowingly took massive risks that endangered others. In fact it was the high point of our Summer vacation for the kids -  when I let them drive the car in Prince Edward County. That’s what they call ‘counterparty risk’. Namely,  the guy in the vehicle coming other way. We could have saved a lot of money by vacationing in the airport parking lot. But, hey, who saves money anymore?!

Of course, there are layoffs. On January 15 Carolyn will be leaving UNICEF, as they decided that Marketing seemed too complex and expensive after all. She will be looking for a job in the new year when she is not darning socks and tightening belts.

That leaves your writer as the CEO of our tiny institution eager for a big bailout for more fun and adventure in 2010. Regardless, I have voted myself a massive bonus for mediocre performance in ’09 which will be lavished on a family trip to Australia to visit Duff and Nik in March.

Despite having to cover our own expenses (for now)we are looking forward to a couple of boxes under the Christmakah (Hanumas) tree and a minivan adventure to Montreal on Boxing Day. All the while we will be thinking of you, our friends and family, celebrating with us in your own way.

2006 Xmas Letter

For the record I am penning this under duress. I am sure that I have previously committed to you all that the last ‘seasonal’ letter was, in fact, my very last one. Reason being, I can only imagine that you know everything you ever want to know about my family. But, if George Bush can change his mind about pulling troops out of Iraq then I can eek out one more xmas letter.

We are all in good health (you can stop reading here, as we have our health and therefore have nothing to complain about).

Maggie is 10 ½ . She is in grade 5, but sits in a combined 5/6 classroom. Little house on the Prairie comes to Etobicoke? Who knew they combined classroom these days? She has taken up the saxophone – doing fine but likely would have chosen clarinet if she’d know how heavy a saxophone was. Passed swimming lessons, plays soccer and is becoming an expert at online computer games and hotmail to classmates.

Hannah is 9, continues to play the flute, be a girl guide, pass her swimming lessons and play soccer. Most notably though she took up Atom hockey this winter as a new sport. She is making a concerted effort to improve her skating and learn the game. Sunday night game attendance is mandatory. Hannah has the largest cheering section led by Nana Barb – the Howie Meeker of women’s hockey. The games are fabulously entertaining – what they lack in skills, they make up for in heart.

Carolyn is 40+, continues to run the marketing dep’t at Schick and gets a lot of needling about the number  of blades thing i.e. “when are you going to 6 blades? – ha ha”. She is working on her craft as a beginner sculptor and will be taking another class this winter. I think her sculptures are great – not just because they are all small either. Highly productive, she still manages to volunteer in class, go on school trips and help the kids with the math homework that baffles me. (who does long division anymore?).

I am still the sole employee at Lighthouse Consulting. To date I have not received a single lead from years of writing this letter, not one. As a result I was forced to look abroad, I have been doing quite a bit of work with a food company in Northern Mexico. The whole family increasingly likes it when I am gone for a week at a time in Monterrey.. In honour of my lost youth I bought a fairly large motorcycle this fall, I am looking forward to riding in the Spring. A number of people have asked me why I bought this bike? There is no reason per se, it just sort of compensates for hair loss.

In the spring, Maggie performed in a children’s company production of Anne of Green Gables – the play was excellent and it prompted a family vacation to Prince Edward Island. The island is stunning and we enjoyed beaching, kayaking, lots of cycling (me) and digging up the potatoes from neighbouring fields for our dinner. In our second week of vacation we swapped our Cape Cod trip for a week at a resort in Vermont with our usual travelling companions the Mozden’s.

If you have read this far, you must be family (or close to it). So, love to you all, wishing you a wonderful holiday.