HoltzLusiNation  An Illustrated Journal for Brian and Melisse Last Modified 1999-07-23

1998-12-26 Sa    Holiday in Mississippi

Saturday morning we flew to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and played hearts at home that evening with Dave and Scott and Cindy and Dan. Duane had flew back to Austin Sunday morning and we went to Salvetti's for dinner with Cindy and Dan and Dave's family. Monday Kay threw a cocktail party in honor of her new daughter-in-law, and Tuesday the Holtzes hooked up with cousin Jane for bayou-front dining at Aunt Jenny's.  Nancy treated us to "New York New York" at Biloxi's Grand Casino, where Terry was his usual happy self in front of the camera. Charlotte must be a true Holtz because she enjoys bargain-hunting at Hudson's Salvage.  When things don't sell at Hudson's they eventually become antiques like the dollhouse that Uncle Terry got her for Christmas. We lit off a few kilotons of fireworks for New Year's Eve and came back to California on New Year's Day.

1998-12-24 Th    Christmas at the Lusins

Jim arrived late Wednesday night and joined the Lusin family for Chinese on Christmas eve.  On Christmas Day we Lusins opened our family presents. The Pongettis and Ogrodskis came over to the Lusins, where Jaq and Jim (and assistants Chuck and Janice) cooked their friend "Tom" for Christmas dinner. (They always manage to pick out a turkey named Tom.) Sarah seemed to enjoy :-) the dinner, and afterward we had a cake for Chuck's birthday. Valerie's kids had their own fun while we held our exciting gift exchange and then posed for a family portraits. Pictures: * * * * * * * *

1998-12-19 Sa    Christmas vacation begins

We flew to the Southland so Melisse could attend the Sunins' baby shower while Brian caught an Imax movie with Maura and Don. On Wednesday the Italy vacationers returned and made a beeline for the Swing Inn.  Jaq and Melisse managed to get some shopping in before we hit the Tustin Claimjumper for dinner with Amber and Gary.

1998-12-10 Th    Jaq jets to Italy

Jaq flew in for a Stanford Health Services holiday party on Friday, then flew Saturday with Pat and Jon and Michelle to a vacation in Italy. After dropping Jaq at the airport, Melisse took Brian to the Genentech holiday party at the San Francisco Exploratorium.

1998-11-26 Th    A Fitzpatrick Thanskgiving

The Fitzpatricks hosted Thanksgiving for us and Breeda and Maura and Don. Noreen's wonderful cooking left Maura and Don in an initial stupor, but they recovered enough for the girls to challenge us at Pictionary and Taboo. The next night Maura and Don hosted an engagement party at WPLJ's in Walnut Creek where they met 6 years ago.  Pictures: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1998-11-06 Fr    Hermsen family reunion

We flew to Iowa to rendezvous with Kay, Jerry, Terry, and most of the Hermsen and Steger cousins. Old-time cut-ups like Ron and Terry had to concede the spotlight to next-generation cousins like Shaina and Linda's son Jon.  Jenny hosted a rollicking family reunion euchre party at her and Adam's house.

1998-10-31 Sa    Charlotte's first Halloween

We spent Halloween at Maura's house with her now-fiance Don, and the next morning we brunched with Phillip. Back in Mississippi, Brian's niece Charlotte dressed up as the cutest bunny ever.

1998-10-28 We    Intel claims BAITL trophy from SunStrokes in 3-2 win

The 1997 champion SunStrokes Sun tennis team lost the finals of the Bay Area Industrial Tennis League to newcomer Intel in a 3-2 squeaker.

1998-10-24 Sa     Neil and Susan Crews marry

Jon and Michelle and Chuck and cousins Kathy, Taylor, and Tuesday were with us among the guests at the wedding in S. Cal. Afterwards we hung out in Westwood with Maura and Don. The next day we and Chuck picked up Ruth to check out the Long Beach Acquarium.

1998-10-21 We    Sun's Power Client software team lunches at Benihana's

1998-10-10 Sa    Mike d. Brian 4-6 7-5 6-3 to win San Carlos 5.0 singles

Mike saved a match point with a (lucky!) backhand passing shot and went on to defeat Brian 4-6 7-5 6-3 and win the San Carlos Tennis Club singles tournament. After the finals on Sunday we dragged :-) Cynthia and Melisse to the San Carlos Art and Wine Festival to show them all the crafts and bric-a-brac.

1998-10-04 Su    Hike and dine with Don and Maura

Don and Maura fed newlyweds Brian and Melisse at Maura's house after a hike in the hills above Walnut Creek.

1998-09-27 Su    Hurricane Georges mauls Mississippi Gulf Coast

1998-09-07 Mo    Honeymoon in Hawaii

1998-09-05 Sa    The Wedding of Melisse and Brian

1998-08-23 Su    Baby shower for Dana and Stanford and, indirectly, Nicole

1998-08-14 Fr    Dan and Cindy in S.F. for APA convention

We dined one night in the Marina and another at the Elephant Bar, after which the Jerry Seinfeld HBO special could not keep Cindy awake.

1998-07-31 Fr    Turf and Tennis in Southern California

Ruth got us into the Del Mar Turf Club to watch the races on Friday, and that night we spent the race winnings of  Ruth and Jim.  On Saturday we visited Don and Maura in Westwood and stumbled onto an ATP semifinal down the street at UCLA, where Henmen d. Raoux.

1998-07-04 Sa    Fourth of July in Washington D.C.

Jacqueline and Jim hosted our holiday vacation at their house in Maryland.  Friday the Lusin sisters and I visited Fredericksburg, the sunken road and other battlefields.  Saturday we all saw Ford's Theater, Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, fireworks at the Washington Monument, and the Vietnam and Jefferson memorials.  The Ames also showed us the Earth.

1998-06-27 Sa    Brian and Mike lose 2 3-set matches in San Carlos 5.0 doubles

1998-06-20 Sa    Jen Walker marries Mike Stutz in St. Helena

Melisse (and Brian), Julie, Marchand, Tiffany (and Andy) et al. enjoyed the wedding of their fellow UC Irvine alumna Jen. Melisse and Brian tried on hats and saw petrified trees.

1998-06-13 Sa    Houston, we have a problem

Carol, Andrea, Brian, Melisse, and other friends of Amy gathered for Japantown disco bowling to honor Amy's move to Houston.

1998-05-20 We    Brian becomes uncle!

Charlotte Anne Hough was born at 1:15am to Ronnie and Nancy Hough.  Grandma Kay can't get enough of Charlie.

1998-04-25 Sa    Melisse, Brian, and Don stand in lines at Magic Mountain

1998-04-06 Mo    Evicted from Palo Alto apartment

1998-02-28 Sa    Elephant seals at Ano Nuevo with Mike and Cynthia

1998-02-27 Fr    Skating at Palo Alto Winter Lodge with Don and Maura

1998-02-21 Sa    Snowstorm in Tahoe

We rented a house in Agate Bay at Tahoe to do some skiing, but only Don and Todd wanted to ski in the snowstorm.  Melisse and Brian instead went sledding, and the others joined us that evening for street sledding.  Todd saved Don from probable death by tackling hime before his sled intersected with a large truck.  The fun ended when a snowplow cleaned our street.

1998-02-16 Mo    Melisse gets new roommate

All my possessions were moved to 2458 W. Bayshore #8, Palo Alto CA 94303.  I've lost my car, my apartment, my phone number and address, but now I'll finally get to see the inside of Palo Alto's residents-only Foothill Park. :-)

1998-02-15 Su    Tony & Co see Agassi d. Sampras at the Sybase Open

Brian and Melisse, Mike and Cynthia, Tony and Grace, Don, Dave, Allen, and others watched Andre smoke Pete and then rib him about not committing to his valentine.  Commitment-oriented tennis guys nodded approvingly.

1998-02-14 Sa    Melisse accepts proposal!

She accepted the ring at the Bella Vista restaurant.  Since she had narrowed my choices down to only two rings, I had at least at 50-50 shot at a "yes". :-)  The deal will likely be formalized Saturday Sep. 5 (Labor Day weekend) at the Stanford Memorial Church, which Melisse and Jacqueline had already scouted both inside and out.

1998-02-12 Th    Toga & Co. see Sampras d. Burillo at the Sybase Open

Stanford infiltrated this picture of Melisse and me, and then took one of us with Don.

1998-02-03 Tu    El Nino claims Corvette, cripples Miata

1998-01-31 Sa    Don homeless after 7-week Asia tour

And so he is squatting in my soon-to-be vacated Cupertino apartment.

1998-01-30 Fr    Friends bid farewell to Jacqueline and Jim

Amy, Andrea, John & Co. joined us (eventually!) at Oregano's.  Good luck in Maryland!

1998-01-19 Mo   Greg and Ann visit to watch Australian Open

Greg was enthralled by the little men playing tennis in the box in my living room, but the live time difference with Australia was too much for Melisse.

1998-01-18 Su    We take Jacqueline and Jim to Tony And Tina's Wedding

The actress playing Tony's bimbo stepmother was dressed like a stripper, so I tipped her accordingly.

1998-01-17 Sa    Kristen and Melisse out-cue the boys at Q's

My partner Ken was obviously affected by something he had earlier at CPK with Jacqueline and the rest of us. :-)  Next time we won't scratch on so many games.

1998-01-16 Fr    Andy and Tiffany host Tiffany's birthday party

Tiffany and Melisse studied Party-ology at UC Irvine.

1997-12-27 Sa    Melisse flies in to Gulf Coast to meet my high school gang

I drove Melisse from the Gulfport airport to New Orleans where we had dinner with Dan, Cindy, Dave, Scott, and Curry.  The next evening we stayed overnight in New Orleans with Dan and Cindy, who flew back to Colorado the next afternoon.