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Miss me? Probably not (ha ha), but I thought I'd create this Christmas greeting / holiday letter / update-type-thingy anyway! As you may (or may not) remember, I never got my annual Christmas letter sent out last year. Not sure what happened (probably passed out from too much eggnog) but I'm back on track this year, so get ready for another "exciting" letter from yours truly! :) And don't forget... you can click on any photo to launch a window that will give you more of the photo -- and a larger view of it!... Oh, and yes... I know this letter is way too long... feel free to use your scroll bar liberally! :) NOTE:
MAXIMIZE YOUR BROWSER TO SEE PHOTOS ON BOTH SIDES.
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Well, I won't try to make up for missing a whole year, but just after I sent the last Christmas letter in 2003 (bragging about ice skating in Italy), I dislocated my shoulder -- while ice skating in Iowa City with some friends. It was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced, and after months of physical therapy, I made a successful recovery. I feel almost as good as new now... | ) |
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Ok, fast-forward to this past year... mmm, let's see... where to start?... | |
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About one year ago I woke up and realized I had become a bum and was getting fat... so I bought a treadmill. I have since lost 40 lbs. -- just from running. No crazy diets. I now try to run about 12 miles a week (off and on). I'm still no athlete, but my weight loss plan has been working (this is kinda sounding like an infomercial). I would still like to loose another 20 lbs or so. I just recently participated in the Living History Farms Cross Country Run. It is a 10 K (6.2 mile) run. I completed the muddy, icy, wet, cold, hilly run in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Pretty respectable, considering the circumstances. There were about 5000 participants this year! Glad I had the support of my experienced running buddy Jon Poling. He and I ran it together. His wife and some of our other friends also participated in the run. Fun was had by all. I had not run a 10 K race since middle school! |
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Well, if the treadmill was my cool new purchase last year, then the new iPod (with video) was my cool new purchase this year. As many of you know, as "techie" as I may be, I have held out on many common tech devices like a cell phone, PDA and MP3 player. Well, I broke down and finally got an iPod. I ordered the black 60 GB iPod the day it was announced... love it! I have really gotten into podcasting and vidcasting, and now watch a lot of Internet-only programming -- downloaded with iTunes, transferred to my iPod, and then docked with my TV... the Internet is exciting again! | ) |
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I'm still keeping busy at work... doing a lot of the same stuff -- sprinkled with some new stuff. I still do Web and DVD production. Since my last Christmas letter, I have designed and authored about five more Iowa Public Television DVDs, and I have three more DVD projects in the works before March 2006. Over the past couple years I started designing graphics for a couple video productions and for some DVD packaging too... keeps things interesting. One of the coolest new disciplines that I got into this year was 3D graphics. I designed a "virtual set" for a retrospective TV program called "Fawlty Towers Revisited." "Fawlty Towers" is a 70's BBC show set in a bed and breakfast-style hotel. Because the actual set obviously does not exist anymore, the producers asked me to recreate it in 3D. So after studying hours of footage, I set to work. It was the first time I tried anything this elaborate in 3D. The program got national air-play this month on many PBS stations (you may have even seen it). |  |
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Once again this year I participated in the Des Moines Skywalk Miniature Golf Tournament and the State of Iowa Bowling Tournament (for state employees). These two events have become annual events for me (note that these are usually the only times I golf and bowl during the year). For some reason these two events always seem to fall on the same day, which can add even more excitement! I also got out camping a couple times this year to Backbone State Park and Ledges State Park. I also did some true off-roading (both bike and 4x4 truck). I even camped out in Boone and watched a couple of my buds participate in a 24-hour off-road bike race. It has been a fun and active year for me. Fortunately, I've got a group of great friends who are true extreme "outdoorsy-people" -- they have introduced me to a lot of new and fun things over the past few years. |
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Again this year, I was fortunate enough to get together with my ol' roommates from college. Craig celebrated his big "3-0" in the spring, so Ben (my other college roommate) and I got up to Chicago to help him celebrate (and make Craig feel old). Craig is also getting married in May 2006 to his wonderful fiancé Gena. I got to meet her for the first time at Craig's birthday party, and they seem like a perfect match. And, oh yes... Ben got his MBA this year.... CONGRATS to him as well! We will all be getting together again for New Years at Craig and Gena's Chicago party. | ) |
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For those who remember "Towers" at Iowa State University, I witnessed the destruction of two of the four towers this summer. Even though I never lived in any of the towers dorms, it was one of those things I just had to see for myself. I took both video and stills of the event. Maybe I will post the video later. I remember a rumor that these were "temporary" buildings -- they say that when the buildings were built, that they were built with "ready-to-go" dynamite holes in the foundation supports! | ) |
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Townhouse life is still going well... in January, I will have been in my new place two years. I am on the Homeowners Association Board of Directors. My title is Committee Liaison... which basically means I do the newsletter (which is now of course being turned into a Web site). Back in November, I was in my first car accident... it sounds worse than it was. Some 17-year-old girl rear-ended my car at a stop light. Most of the damage on my car was confined to the rear bumper... needless to say it has to get replaced. While I had a little neck and back discomfort, there were no serious injuries. |
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Well, for those trick-or-treaters who are keeping track, I created a third Halloween costume out of that long black "Ozzy" coat from a few years back. First there was Ozzy Osbourne, then there was Neo (from "The Matrix") and the latest incarnation was just a generic pirate costume (with Big Bird as my parrot)... arrrrrrrrrghhh matey! I'm running out of ideas for the coat... maybe I could just be a coat rack next year! :) | ) |
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I have started an exciting family project. Several months ago my Grandma Sharp entrusted me with all her old 8 MM film footage. It is over two hours of footage from the 40's and 50's that she and my Grandfather filmed. I transferred all that footage to various digital formats and recorded commentary of my mom and my grandma storytelling and reminiscing while watching the silent film footage. I started the process of mixing the audio with the digital footage. I will also do color correcting -- restoring the the original colors to the footage. I meant to have this done by Christmas this year, but looks like I will have to extend my deadline. For those family members out there who want to make sure they get a copy of the final DVD, please send me an email. By the way, Grandma Sharp (93) is doing really well... my parents and I were just out to Ohio a few weeks ago to visit her. On a side note, my grandma's nephew Ted (my Godfather) and his wife Penny stopped through Marshalltown this year to visit. It was great to see them, and it was fun being able to brag to Ted that I am now taller than he! :) |
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Here is a brief update on the rest of the family... Mom and Dad are getting anxious to start a well-deserved retirement, but it looks like they are going to wait a little bit more. In the meantime, they have kept their sanity by getting away a few times this year to places like Seattle and Chicago. They have had to adjust having a house to themselves after our family cat Max passed away this summer. He is dearly missed by all of us as he was a part of the family for nearly 20 years. | ) |
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This was also a year of welcoming new members to the family... | |
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My brother Matt and Brooke had their baby this spring. Matt is now a proud father to Aurelia Larynn Engesser. He continues to work in the field of finish carpentry, which allows him to work on fancy $200,000 - $1.3 million-dollar homes in the West Des Moines area. Matt and Brooke (and baby & dog) now live in Cambridge, Iowa where they bought a house. My sister Kathy got engaged to Matthew Erion just about a year ago, and they have their wedding date set for May 20, 2006. Kathy also got her first job out of college as an interior designer at an architecture firm in Sioux City, Iowa. She got back to Europe early in 2005 to visit Matthew in Rome, Italy. Like interior design majors, architecture majors are able to study in Rome for a semester. Matthew and Kathy took the opportunity to get away to other places (like London, England) too. | ) |
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I was active supporting my brother and sister in very different contests this past year... | |
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My brother was a finalist in a reality TV program called "Made in the USA" on the USA Network. It is a contest for aspiring inventors to strut their stuff -- putting their invention head-to-head with other contestant's inventions. My little role was to record, edit and author a DVD for him to use to send to the producers of the show. Matt was actually chosen for the show, but as luck would have it, the show's first taping was slated for the week after Aurelia was born. So, being the responsible father that he is, he declined to take part in the TV show. The producers encouraged him to compete again in any future seasons of the show because they could see his potential. He continues to invent in his spare time, and I have no doubt he will change the world someday with one of his inventions. | ) |
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I was also the support guy for my sister and her fiancé Matthew. They were selected to participate in a "Win a Dream Wedding" contest at the Iowa State Fair this summer. The premise of the contest was that 38 couples had to hold the hand of their significant other, while one of them had one hand on a limo. They stand next to the limo for as long as they can. The last couple standing wins a dream wedding... how hard can it be? Well, after going 49 hours (day and night) stuck to the car and stuck to each other, Kathy and Matthew realized how hard it can be (and I got a taste of it too). They were allowed short bathroom breaks. I was their runner -- I took their meal orders and then had food (state fair food of course) and drinks ready for them on the breaks. While they did not win, they had a good time (as much fun as you can have with your hand on a limo for 49 hours). They did make it to the final 10 couples standing -- a great accomplishment. The other insanely hardcore contestants lasted another day before a winner was announced. |
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Well, if this isn't the longest Christmas letter you got this year, then I will be amazed. My apologies, to those who have heard it all before. And, if this is all new stuff to you, then we really need to keep in better contact. So, here's to better communication in 2006! | |
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Unfortunately, my Web site has taken a backseat the past few years, and I have not done the fabulous redesign that I keep talking about. I still keep it updated the best I can and have good intentions for more, so there is probably some new stuff for ya to check out if you have not been there in awhile... so, stop by and sign my guest book and add yourself to my Frappr map -- if you have not yet. | |
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Take care everyone, and keep in touch! - Danny
Greetings of Christmas Past:
2005,
2003,
2002,
2001 |
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