Another year has passed. The first change you may have noticed is that I’m no longer "Swanson". No, there wasn’t any secret marriage that you didn’t hear about. After several years, I finally got around to changing back to my maiden name.

Last February I also changed jobs and now work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Nope, they don’t let me anywhere near the cash. I’m still a Computer Systems Analyst and work on the programs which process most of the electronic direct deposit/direct payments for the nation. I took the job because I wanted a challenge... next time I’ll be more careful what I wish for!

I rode Bike Virginia in June where I joined a dozen of the friends I’d met last summer biking across the country. What a terrific group! The ride was great, the weather hot and humid, and the hills abundant. Other than the tornado that just missed us and leveled our campground, I had a blast. What fun would a vacation be without a little adventure?

I finally entered my first cycling race. I rode the 16-mile mountain bike race at the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival in Wisconsin. Since I had no clue what I was doing, I had no expectations. When it was over, I had met my two prime objectives: I didn’t crash and I didn’t lose my lunch. Actually, I finished quite respectably, of course this only encouraged me. I’ve already signed-up for two races next season. Did you expect any less?

In October, I traveled with the City of Lakes Chorus, to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. There, we captured 5th place at the Sweet Adelines International Competition. Although we always aim for the gold, we were thrilled with 5th considering there are over 600 choruses from 14 countries that compete for these awards.

I’ve also been having fun with my new PC (can’t ya tell). For the nerds in the crowd (like me), I now have an E-mail address: HarpoVal. Drop me a note in cyberspace, I’d love to hear from you. For those that rely on more traditional channels, a post card will do nicely.

I hope that each of you have a joyous holiday and that you find peace in the new year.

Valerie