2009: A PASSION = TRUTH Retrospective.

End of an old year. Beginning of a new. It's retrospective time. PASSION = TRUTH style. The following highlights aren't PASSION = TRUTH highlights as much as they're highlights in my life over 2009. Just click on the colored links and you'll be whisked away to the post as it appeared in PASSION = TRUTH...in no particular order.

1. Dear California: I'm dumping you. My letter to the state of California upon my departure mid-September and subsequent move back to Wisconsin.

2. Best thing about California. My best friends in California - Donovan & Maria McCann-Glover, and their daughters, Grace, and my goddaughter, Gwyneth.

3. Jeff named "Godfather" to Gwyneth McCann-Glover. First time I've been chosen to be a godfather - and a very proud moment for me.

4. Concerts, concerts and more concerts. The Zombies at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, Cali., Terri Nunn and Berlin three times in 2009 and Gordon Lightfoot at the Canyon Club. Can't tell you which one was a highlight 'cause they were all highlights. Top-notch performances by every artist. And I got to meet with Terri Nunn. One of the most engaging solo artists (apart from her band Berlin) I've ever witnessed (I'd toss Minnie Driver in that category but I saw her perform three times in 2008).

5. Keeping with the live performance theme theme, I saw Brian Wilson perform at the Hollywood Bowl in late 2008 and then again in Milwaukee a couple months ago. In between that, I met one of Brian's back-up singers, Taylor Mills, via Facebook - then I met with her personally at her husband's gig (Todd Sucherman of Styx) in Manhattan Beach. I got to introduce her to my brother, Jason, at her Milwaukee gig. Very nice person and a great singer.

6. My award-winning, 10-minute play, "Pass the Salt, Please." was performed at festivals in Miami and Seattle. Very, very successful runs in both cities. If you're bored, you can type in "Pass the Salt, Please.", in the search box in the top left corner of the blog and all the related posts will pop up for you, including reviews. You can also type in that search box, "Grace Notes from a Bohemian in Wanderlust" and every post associated with my 3-week vacation in May will pop up.

Above: Me, Bo and brother Jason, day before I moved from California, September 2009.
7. Jeff knows Bo. Had the pleasure of striking up a friendship with actor Bo Svenson, "North Dallas Forty", "Walking Tall II", "The Great Waldo Pepper". Very, very nice gentleman.
8. Brett Favre signs with the Minnesota Vikings. The Ironman. The Legend. The future Hall of Famer. 19 years in the NFL. Owns every meaningful QB record that is and has never missed a start all that time. After one season with the New York Jets, Brett signed with the Vikes, who sit at 11-4 and are in the NFL playoffs this season. Like #6, type in "Brett Favre" and every post I've ever written, including this season, will come up.

9. My visit with Tina in Chicago. I usually visit my best friend from high school a couple times a year. Our time is meaningful and priceless.

10. Walleye fishing trip. This happens every May in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Going on...well, it's over 20 years. For some reason I can't find the actual fishing post but I found the golfing post.

11. "Dia duit, Eire!" Visited Ireland at the end of September. 3rd trip. Visited Galway, Ardfinnan, Cork, Waterford, Dublin and Cahir among other towns. Good food & drink great weather and as hospitable people as you can get. FYI: I set this particular blog up separately from PASSION = TRUTH.
12. Santa Barbara. My favorite spot in California. We have family there (by marriage) so I try and spend some time up there. I don't have a post here, but if you're on my blog, go to that search box in the upper left and type in "Santa Barbara", "Tom or Greg Nowak", "wine tasting", "Solstice" or "Fiesta" and you'll find a few posts. Beautiful country up there. And good wine (hiccup!).
BONUS: 13. Notes from Lost Man's Lane by Richard le Breton. I took a trip to Nashville, Indiana to visit my friend Katie and we had a ball. This is the first post in the series and, though the trip occurred in November 2008, it was a cool series of posts so I'm including it anyway. Again, if you type "Notes from..." in the upper left search box, the entire series of post will pop up.
There it is...2009. A lot of shit happened. These are just some of the special ones. You can check out the rest of the blog by searching topics toward the lower section of the right panel. Been doing this since March 2007 - with over 2,000 posts, you're bound to find something that's of interest. Happy New Year and a better 2010 for us all!