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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS NEWS LETTER
$eason of "95"

LAKE MICHIGAN
NO SPEED LIMIT--OPEN ALL NIGHT

A long winded & lyrical look at the quality frivolity in the continuing short story serial about the observations and adventures of a mans private passion with his ocean racer.  He was raised by the water, got bigger, but somehow never grew up. 
(For maximum effectiveness and enjoyment, read newsletter at room temperature very late at night when you're warm in bed on Christmas Eve.)


Last February for a change I decided to go to the boat show in Miami.  The change of weather was nice although Chicago had the wimpyist winter that I could remember since I've lived in Chicago.  Miami is just another big league city crude, rude, & rural.  I think the target place for some sort of retirement would be the Florida Keys.
After the mild winter,  record highs appeared one March 13-16 of over 70 degrees. Ice on the lake disappeared like a Marguerita in the sunshine.
More record 90 degree-days in June and the sizzling summer was underway.
JULY 4TH FEAST OF FIRE
Blazing artistry as the professionals decorate the sky with spectacular pyrotechnics in the pouring rain.  Of course it becomes amateur night for all the boaters who only go out once a year providing us entertainment as they put out 30 feet of anchor line in 31 feet of water making those boats sailboats.  I wave Aloha as each one slowly drifted by into the setting sun.
In July Jerry Garcia played his last concert as The Grateful Dead did their usual 2 days at Soldiers Field.  I wondered why they tour at all, because the same fans follow them from town to town in their microbusses.  It would save a lot of fuel energy to have a big "Woodstock" all summer at the same location.  That way the band could leave their equipment set up all summer and the fans wouldn't have to travel.
  TOO HOT IN PARADISE
Later in July the first 100-degree weather in four years appeared.  Then July  13 & 14  was  104 degrees, hotter than it has ever been in Chicago on that day.  The dog days of August arrived early this year.  Even the planes at O’Hare had problems as the air was barely dense enough to take off in the steamy heat.  733  people could have testified from beyond that it was too hot as well when the city morgue made national news as it overflowed.
  FROM THE PARTY DECK
On August 2I , I celebrated my 50th birthday on the water.   I enjoy boating so much I feel that boating doesn't count against your total time on earth.  I think that it may be time to graduate as I'm currently writing offers on big Searays but so far the owners are holding out for a handsome ransom.  What I'm floating in next year remains to be seen!  Pier pressure can be hazardous to your wealth and the only sure way to double your money is to fold it and put it in your pocket.  Besides, the best things in life are not things.
  SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER
Then as quickly as it began there was record cold midway through September.  It was soggy & foggy framed with a canopy of crud, and you had to go through it to get to it.   Finally the monsoon moisture ended as the Labor Day weekend sun burned through the junk with picture perfect sunny days.  
Now that the endless summer has ended there is nothing to do but come home to loving pets that greet you till you bleed and use the TV remote and do laps around the toxic TV wasteland channels.  It's finally time to throw in the beach towel.
  GALLEY NOTES
The band will have new music next year reaping righteous riffs of original music which may end up on a CD.

Have a deliciously rich Holiday Season and a healthy New Year--all year.

Just trying to stay in touch....................
                                 SINCERELY:

CAPTAIN BILL


PS  Summer called and said she would be early!