1985

Thanks to e-mail, I have lots of class news to report.

Ben Zimmerman reports that Jodi Sue (Whitebook) Lerman and her husband, Carlos, visited Ben in Los Angeles, taking in many of the tourist sights and conference calling Logan Wichern and Ellen Robbins. Ellen had recently gone to Egypt and Kazakhstan and was on her way to India as of Ben's report.

Anne Connor is working as a grant writer for a large nonprofit health care organization, although I must confess I don't know where! She has a frequent user spot at her local Starbucks.

Eric Lombardi and I hooked back up together again at a local alumni function for the new class of 2007 (five kids from Houston are going—that must be a local record). Eric is the middle school head at St. Johns School (my alma mater), a position which followed teaching stints in Oklahoma City and Oakland. Eric, Steve Haeckel and Manus Clancy celebrated the big 4-0 together in New York City last February.

Aaron Hill gave us a much-appreciated update on his life. His wife, Susan Fales-Hill, and he just added Josephine Bristol Fales-Hill to their family on February 25. On the work front, Aaron is about to complete his 18th year in investment banking. Sometimes I feel as if I've barely spent 18 days doing the same thing since leaving Hanover, so I for one am very impressed by his persistence.Aaron works for ÜBS Warburg, where he focuses on emerging telecom (primarily restructuring transactions) and general management of the UBS investment banking department. As a break from diapers, Susan has just launched her first book, called Always Wear Joy (Harper Collins), and might still be on tour as you read this column. If you miss Susan and Bristol in a city near you, then Aaron has issued a blanket invitation to all of us (you did mean all of your classmates, right Aaron?) to visit them on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Greg Somerville reports that he and his wife, Suzy, have six children and that their oldest just turned 16! They are active in their church and their life "could not be any richer." Six kids—it puts my struggles with three in perspective.

Brad Davis gave us some unique insights from the Middle East. Brad works for Booz Allen and is a consultant in their worldwide technology business sector. He is stationed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, providing program management support to the Royal Saudi Land Forces. In response to president Margaret Marder's request for a view of life in Saudi Arabia during the war in Iraq, Brad writes: "Life in the kingdom has been quite normal since the outbreak of war. I have been traveling in the Arab world for 20 years and Arabs have a unique way of being able to separate their anger toward a government and its policies from the individual citizens of a country who often have no role in shaping those policies. Of course, there are exceptions to any rule, as our country painfully knows, but I can tell you on a personal level that during my time in Saudi Arabia (and the Middle East as a whole), I have been overwhelmed by their generosity and hospitality. Saudi colleagues have expressed their anger at the U.S. and British administrators, but their sentiments have always been expressed to me in the form of a rational conversation —never in an hostile, finger-pointing, 'you are to blame' kind of way." As an ardent fan of Israel and cynic of the Arab world, I am grateful for Brads insights into the Saudi people—definitely food for thought.

This past week my daughters and I were present during an armed robbery. We were less than two feet from the gunman, but fortunately no one was hurt. It made me think, though, about how quickly our lives can change. As all of us are now or are approaching 40,1 hope all of you will take a moment to look around you and realize how blessed we are and how much we take for granted. No preaching intended, but it has been a stressful week. Take care, everybody.

4431 Warm Springs, Houston,TX 77035; momandmore@quixnet.net;46 Quail Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; ldahl@lonepinecapital.com;118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010