This year I thought I'd be organised and send the letter early, perhaps sometime in November but, as you see, I didn't quite make it.

So what can I harangue all you good folks about this year? It seems to me the World News Review was a popular feature last year, so give 'em what they want is what I say. High on the list of great British cock-ups has to be the millennium dome. Not only was it built a year too early but it didn't work. Same comments for the millennium bridge (except they say it might work, albeit a few months late). The only thing that did work was the BIG wheel across from BIG ben. (Though it was built a year early). Then we had the spectacle of Prescott delicately negotiating a deal between a French green feminist female and a corpulent (sorry I meant corporate) American. Once upon a time we had ministers who we regarded as leaders, now we have merchant seamen. Talking of which, most seamen have a passing knowledge of Archimedes principle. After all it's the displacement which keeps their (heavier than water) ships afloat. None of which stopped Prescott displacing huge amounts of water as he visited the floods. Just keep him out of the sea and you'll nullify the effects of global warming for years Most missed news item of 2000? Still nobody's taken an AK 47 to Bill Gates. I was hoping that would change this year. It's not that I mind him being the richest geek in the world, I just object to the fact that he's done it by selling cr*p. I don't know about you, but the message I hate most in the whole world is the sanctimonious, condescending trite bit of rubbish that comes up when you have to switch off your computer by removing the batteries because ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE WORKS. You must have seen it, "to avoid seeing this message again always shut down your computer properly". I mean I would, if anything worked. The way mine works (or rather doesn't) I can't even operate the off switch.

This year's YouCouldn'tMakeItUp award goes to US Air. Thank you US Air for letting a vietnamese pot bellied pig occupy 3 first class seats on a flight to Seattle free of charge. Recently its owner announced that she was going to do it again. Apparently she's big into animal rights. Ok, you work it out…

And now a bit of shameless advertising. Next year in this space will be a completely new feature, so keep me up to date with your addresses folks. Next year I am going to tell you, wait for it, who won the US presidential election in the year 2000. This one had to be a close contender for the YouCouldn'tMakeItUp award, but, given that it has already reduced democracy to a laughing stock, and this in the country that leads the free democratic world, I felt giving the award here might be considered as being in bad taste. And we wouldn't want that would we? Oh dear me not.

Advertising comments. Intel Inside. Well it's nice to have a quick guide as to which PC not to buy. I mean nobody wants a machine that can't add up, or that might be recalled, do they? Then there was the pub that promised meals within 10 minutes of order placement. When they're busy they tell waiters to say the offer doesn't apply when they're busy. Well good try chaps, but nothing gets by our vigilant trading standards officers. And finally I note with pleasure that BMW took action on my criticism of their advertising last year. It was obviously cheaper for them to dump Rover than to change them all to rear wheel drive. Germans are nothing if not logical.

This bit's cut and paste from last year. Kids are getting older. Stephanie is now sweet 17. This next spring she's into Leaving Certificates (AKA A-levels) and University next autumn. That is if the evil grasping teachers over here stop striking for 30% on top of what is already 225% of the average industrial wage (earned in about 1/3 the average industrial hours). We shall see. Sophie hits 15 in January. This year is exam free for her, so we'll send her off to Germany for a few months to learn to be logical. Sebastian, (12 next March) will be going to his next school the next time I write this letter. When children leave can pensions be far behind?

Be good.

Peter has been rambling as usual.  I will try to sum up the year's events. The saddest event was Peter's mother death in May. She was very sick with various ailments, she still managed to come to see us in Ireland last Easter. But she thought she was in a hotel and I do not think she recognised the children during that visit. Peter's father arrived a few days ago for Christmas. He is now 84 years old, still driving but he has lost a lot of weight and is a very sad man. So we hope that the chaos of this house will cheer him up during the holidays.

The children are doing fine, getting older and taller. Stephanie is now driving my car on a provisional licence which you can do in Ireland. She keeps moaning that the car (a 12 year old Toyota Starlet) is very bad, but tough world if it was a better car, the insurance premium would be enormous. Next year she will be at university. Her choice of career is not yet established but she has until January to make her mind up. It will be something to do with sciences. Sophie has another 3 years in secondary school and Sebastian will be starting next year.

I still translate at home various documents and manuals. The work has been steady and I do need a break at this stage. A highlight of the year was a holiday in Sicily in the summer where we celebrated 20 years of marriage. Some friends found for us a priest who could speak English in Palermo and we renewed our vows in a beautiful church and then went for a nice meal. The holidays were taken with Club Med to the delight of the children as all the activities were free, but it was a bit too organised for oldies like us.

I hope you are all keeping well and a merry Christmas to all of you.

With love,

Annieb  

     Peter and Annie Barwich