One of the reasons I am proud to be a public school teacher is detailed today in the Seattle PI. The staff at our school is brining together a couple thousand students and adults for a rally and march in memory of Dr. King's legacy and in honor of all those who were inspired by him and worked with him to bring about positive social change in our nation. We have organized a march for social justice.

There are those who criticize tomorrow's event but, as usual, they are ignorant. They assume that because the event honors Dr. King, we must not honor George Wshington or President Lincoln. I get sick and tired of those ignorant dumbshits who belive if they don't know about it, it must not be happening.

The fact is, at my school at least, we do learn about and honor other famous American's - not just a few who are associated with "liberal" causes. But we don't necessarily hold a march for all of them. Martin Luther King Jr was uniquely associated with peacful civic protests. Therefore it is fitting to teach children about his life and his associates by organizing a public demonstration. To learn about and honor the colonial era and George Washington, fifth graders at my school put on a play about the War for American Independence. They learn about life in the colonies and our traditional "fathers." In third grade, students learn about the Underground Railroad and the US Civil War. To hononr President Lincoln, Harriett Tubman and others, they create a mini museum about the underground railroad and the Civil War. They hold a celebration where the students dress in stove pipe hats and eat traditional foods from the time period.

Public Schools are too often the target of attacks from angry and ignorant people. My greatest regret is that most of those same  people were probably educated in public schools, and we failed to teach them to think critically and presume positive intent. Though that may have been a failing of public schools, tomorrow's event is not. I am very proud to be involved in public education in Seattle

Today I ate breakfast in the Ahwahnee dining room. It was very lovely. I had a table right by the window looking out upon the snowy lawn. Afterward I went for a three mile hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. After lunch I walked along a trail in the opposit direction to Mirror Meadow and Lake. Dinner again was in my room. Here are some pics of the day

Today I ate breakfast in the Ahwahnee dining room. It was very lovely. I had a table right by the window looking out upon the snowy lawn. Afterward I went for a three mile hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. After lunch I walked along a trail in the opposit direction to Mirror Meadow and Lake. Dinner again was in my room. Here are some pics of the day:

I woke up, as planned, at 7:30. My goal was a 9am departure. Google Maps said my drive from Palm Springs to Yosemite should be a little more than 7 hours. However, I got a late start due to poor planning. Yesterday I heard there may be snow in the park the day after I arrived. I planned on stopping quickly to buy some cable chains at an auto parts store. Unfortunately, my stop was not quick. It was difficult to find a store that had chains. I failed on my first try. Once I located a WalMart that fulfilled my needs, it was 10:00 when I finally walked out the door and hit the road. The unavoidable traffic of LA slowed me down too. But once I was clear of LA, it was smooth sailing northward on 99.

I finally arrived at the Ahwahnee Hotel at 6pm. The trip took 8 hours. I was tired and frustrated because the last several miles were in total darkness with slow traffic and at slow speed due to traffic within the park, and road construction. But, one of the great things about the day was my slow descent into the valley along highway 41. After the sun set, as night overtook the Earth I could still see the dark outline of Yosemite's iconic granite mountains against the purple evening sky. I recognized the silhouette of El Capitan just before I plunged into the trees of the valley.

Now I am in my hotel room. It isn't located in an ideal location. I look out on the large porch. There will be no sunlight in my room tomorrow because the large roof of the porch also shelters my windows. I'm also adjacent to the mezzanine which has the constant noise of guest activities. However, my room is a handicapped accessible room, and thus larger than most. Also, since I am next to the mezzanine I have wireless Internet access - a feature most rooms lack.

I commenced my evening by having a drink in the Great Lounge while reading my book. Generally the large and beautiful room was quiet and relaxing with most folks gathered around the huge fireplace at the opposite end from where I was sitting. Afterward, I made reservations for dinner in the dinning room for tomorrow evening. For tonight I chose to order room service. I ate a fantastic Caesar salad, a filet mignon with potatoes and cabbage, and for dessert a delicious creme brulee.

Soon I will go to bed so I can rise early and take advantage of clear weather for a hike in the valley. There is a 50% chance of snow tomorrow afternoon. Let's hope it's light enough that my departure on Friday will not be restricted.

I'm not going to talk much about my trip today. I spent most of the day driving and hiking through Joshua Tree National Park. The evening I spent having dinner with friends. It was a good day, but my mind was mostly occupied with thinking about the year gone by.

What can I say?  2007 has been a year I will never forget. In fact, I will probably mark all subsequent time in my life as before or after 2007. The year started well, but that smooth beginning could not foretell the tragic three final months.

The beginning of the year was marked by financial changes. Gene and I started 2007 by closing the sale of our Ocean Shores vacation condo. We also refinanced our home, giving us greater liquidity and financial stability.

As had been the case in the last few years, 2007 was a year of travel. In February Gene and I took our second Caribbean cruise - this time leaving from Galveston and stopping at ports along the western end of the Caribbean. I went scuba diving four times on that cruise. It was exhausting and spectacular. I think the two best dives were off the island of Roatan in Honduras. One dive site was on the north side of the island along a wall that dropped a thousand feet into total darkness. We also enjoyed two fascinating tours of Maya pyramids in the Yucatan.

Gene and I traveled again during April - this time on our second Mexican Riviera cruise. For the first time I went scuba diving off the tip of Cabo San Lucas. The water was much cooler and cloudier than the Caribbean, but definitely worth the time and trouble. The cruise also included a couple days in Long Beach. We had a great dinner at an Argentinean restaurant complete with live castanet dancers performing onstage.

Soon after our return from Mexico, our new baby arrived. Sophia Elizabeth, another miniature schnauzer, was born March 6, 2007. Gene picked her up in mid May. She was small (the runt of the litter) and very cute. Amy adapted quickly and has seemed to enjoy having more companionship on her leve. Sohpie also proved to be very energetic and difficult to house train. There was more than one occasion when her cute face saved her life after I found a puddle or pile somewhere in the house for the umpteenth time.

In preparation for Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary, I tried to plan a full family vacation - starting the planning a full year in advance. My first inclination was for a family cruise through southeast Alaska. Unfortunately most of the family declined to participate due to the cost. Instead, Gene and I planned a vacation to Hawaii for just Mom, Dad, Gene and I.

In early June, I returned to scuba classes - earning my advanced scuba certification as well as my Nitrox diving qualification. The classes were easier than my original certification, but still one of three in my class dropped out due to difficulty. I love scuba diving, but it's not for everyone.

School ended late in June, and I let go of the students I had been teaching for two years. They were a very special and totally unique group. I don't think I have ever bonded so will with a class, but I was happy to push them onward. Two years together does not guarantee a warm loving feeling every day. By the end of June, feelings of affection were few and far between. I also let everyone on staff know I would no longer shoulder the load as chief technology guru in my building. My principal, Larry Bell, retired and I spoke at one of the two retirement parties held in his honor.

Soon after the end of school, I took my first pleasure vacation alone in many years. I visited Philadelphia and Washington DC. I had previously asked Gene to go with me, but he declined in favor of spending some quiet time at home. I had a terrific week on my own and talked with Gene on the phone to tell him about my adventures nearly every night. That solo vacation foreshadowed the vacation I am on now as I write this annual review

Once the family anniversary cruise proved impossible to accomplish, we shifted gears and decided to celebrate Gene's 30th anniversary with the phone company by taking an Alaska cruise in the summer of 2007. We asked Mom and Dad to come along. It turned out to be a fortuitous invitation, and I believe one guided by divine providence. The four of us had a terrific time, and thank God for that, because it turned out Gene would not live long enough to visit Hawaii.

About five weeks after the cruise, Gene had a massive heart attack while we were visiting the Seattle Museum of Flight. He suffered severe brain damage and died one week later. Needless to say, I was devastated. Words cannot describe how awful that one week period was.

Immediately after Gene's death, I was immersed in funeral planning. Two weeks after his passing, we held the funeral at St Joseph Catholic Parish - the same place where Gene and I met 14 years prior. The funeral mass was beautiful and well attended by friends, family and co-workers. It was everything I had hoped for because it reflected who Gene was. We decorated the altar with his favorite flowers. One of our closest friends was the cantor, and all the music was accompanied by a pianist (Gene loved piano music). The ceremony was traditionally Roman Catholic, but also daring. The priest made it clear during his homily that the loss of Gene was the loss of a husband for me. We were, for all intents and purposes, married for 14 years. I was shocked that a priest would be so bold and open to acknowledging the depth of our loving and committed gay marriage. The priest who celebrated the funeral mass was our third choice. I believe God made our first two choices unavailable because He knew who the best celebrant would be.

For a full month after Gene's heart attack, I didn't work. There was no way I could have planned the funeral, taken over Gene's portion of household tasks, grieved, and worked at school too. I was emotionally and physically overwhelmed. Thankfully, I had my family to support me. And once they went home, I have had the regular and much needed support of my longtime friends and neighbors. Not a week goes by that one or two of them don't get me out of the house for some sort of event - even just a beer at the local Irish Pub. I've also made new friends recently. Friends, family and work - combined with my seeing a therapist, has smoothed the road ahead for my grieving process. I have a long way to go, but emotionally I am healthy. However, the last couple months of 2007 were not all death and tears.

November brought the purchase of a new car. Before Gene died, I had planned on buying a Ford Escape Hybrid. I even ordered it exactly as I wanted from the factory. But after 13 weeks, it still had not arrived. Gene's death logically led me to give up one of our two cars. Of course I had to get rid of his Lexus. But I didn't want to give up a luxury car. So, when I received my life insurance money I took a big leap. I canceled the order with Ford and I bought myself a brand new Lexus RX400 Hybrid. I traded in Gene's car as part of the purchase. Later this summer, I will sell my Toyota pickup. My new Lexus was much more expensive than my original plans, but I don't regret spending the money.

In the last month of 2007, I've slowly been letting go of Gene. I've started (barely) to clean out and give away some of his clothes. I changed all the bills into my name alone. I've made new donations to charities that follow my individual tastes. I've opened all new bank accounts. I've made some changes in household furnishing. I've taken over all the finances, I hired a housekeeper, and I continue to work on the probate for Gene's estate. I'm ending the year standing on firm financial ground. I'm lucky that Gene and I planned ahead. Others in my situation sometimes have to deal with financial difficulties, but I do not.

I'm ending the year by taking another vacation. I do that a lot, don't I? Taking my new car I've gone on a road trip to Sonoma County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Yosemite National Park. I judge this trip to be a new beginning for me. My new life is beginning with a new year. In essence, this trip has taken me to my hometown, so now I can return to Seattle as a new man - an independent man.

In 2008, I will experience my first full year without my beloved partner. During the coming twelve months I have no doubt I will start dating again. I'm fearful and excited about what lies ahead. Oh shit! - let's be honest; I'm terrified. But I have learned over the years that when I am afraid to move forward I must feel the fear, move through it, and keep going on. Fear will not conquer me. 2007 has proven that I can't control everything, but I can control my attitude. I can choose to hope, and I can choose to move on. I will never forget Gene and I will never forget 2007, but I'm ready for a new year full of possibilities.