Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Without a family, one seldom thinks long term
2006 has been an exciting year on many levels and as we all prepare to make resolutions for 2007… it is fun to see what my family is thniking: Laura Talks about New Year Resolutions dating back to the ancient Babylonians…. Karen has a smewhat different take…
May it feel like heaven in 2007 … Happy New Year everyone!
Fight on Trojans in the Rose Bowl…
Roger Freberg
Okay, I have to admit it… Jenny Craig really does work. In spite of my best efforts to submarine my diet with a Giant TURDUCKEN luncheon on Christmas, I still managed to lose weight this week!
I am now down twenty pounds… which percentage-wise isn’t all that impressive… but it is moving in the right direction.
Not much exercise happening this past week as we were all still under the weather… but we played a lot of the Wii Zelda game… the second or third time through for some of us.
Stay Tuned! I am sure I will lose a bunch when the Southern California Trojans meet the Wolverines of Michigan in the Rose Bowl!
Fight On!
Roger Freberg
PS. I hear that Texas has given Michigan their ‘secret’ play from Vince Young… “slant right”… as I remember, that was Texas’s entire playbook.
Recently, I confessed one of my most private secrets… that I have always enjoyed “Pride & Prejudice” in the original and in all of it’s various and glorious forms. However, I have done something that some of my biker buddies might find amusing….
I enjoyed the movie “the Devil Wears Prada”. Now, my daughters and my wife shot out and watched it the first day it came out in the theaters… and I — only reluctantly — viewed it after it came out on DVD… and only after it had dropped in price. Hey, but I loved it…. and I have watched it… well.. more times than I would like to admit.
Why did I enjoy a movie that so clearly appeals to women?
Because — although it is about fashion and the fashion industry — it is really speaks to how many businesses are run… and a lot about the people who run them. I think most people have worked for a goal obsessed, career dominated and self absorbed boss. These are not ‘people persons’… but they are useful people none-the-less… they keep America running.
So — for me — this movie began a journey that helped reduce the gap in my mind from the world I live in… and the world that the fashion industry serves…. and in some sense… manages. I did a little background work on the folks who are allegedly portrayed 
in the movie… Anna Wintour the very successful executive editor of Vogue Magazine and Lauren Weisberger who wrote the original “Devil Wears Prada”.
By the way, Lauren has written a second book I plan to get my hands on called “Everyone Worth Knowing” about the public relations industry in New York. From what I have read so far… whew!… Lauren skewers this industry a bit as well…. actually, I think the movie DWP was very kind and supportive of the fashion industry compared to the book.
In any event, check out the Vogue site… style.com and see if you find an appreciation as I did for the ‘clackers.’
Roger Freberg
PS… Unlike the Pope, I can’t by Prada… their men’s shoes on-line go only to size 9 or so… what can I say… Italians must have small feet?
You know you are getting old… when you get a ‘full’ helmet for a present. Now, I have to say that I never dreamt of a helmet, hinted that I wanted a helmet… and in truth… I have been praying for the day when they repeal the stupid helmet law. I mean, do they really think that a helmet is adequate protection from a Mack Truck or a drunk in a Volvo?
I guess if they see my head rolling by in some collision, they’ll say, ” I’m glad he was wearing a helmet!” huh?
In any event, I tried on my new helmet… and… well… as far as helmets go… I like it. Thank you Laura… it was a big improvement over my 13 year old version that was leaving little black things on my head.
Kristin gave me a lot of ‘Big Dog’ gear… and her best present was flying home.
Karen gave more ‘SC Trojan’ Gear and
Karla wanted to recieve this year ( she was very generous last year)… so it was a great year for ol dad.
I have a nice group.
Enjoy the holidays… reality will be here soon enough.
Roger Freberg
a Special Merry Christmas Morning to all of you early birds!
I don’t know what it is… but Christmas Morning has always had many special meanings to me over the years… but on each and every one of them… I was always the first up…. hoping to enjoy the spirit of Christmas and make it last as long as possible.
This year, it was especially important to be up early in order to start cooking the ‘turducken’ … containing the meat of three ducks and two chickens… and the turkey this year was very large.
I know that when my girls wake up and glide down the stairs… the smell of turducken and the other scents of Christmas will be apon them… could anything be better?
Merry Christmas!
Roger Freberg
….and a special heartfelt thanks to the men and women serving overseas in our armed services… our hearts and prayers are with you.
G*d be with you always!