Third annual New Year’s interview with myself

Because of my deep love and admiration for myself, I like to post this on New Year's Day (Here's last year's My second annual New Year's interivew with myself ) . So here goes …

Q. Tom, how is you health? you've posted nothing since you saw Dr. Zelenetz six months ago.

A. Well, I think I'm fine. My end of December appointment and CAT scan with Dr. Zelenetz, my lymphoma guru, was postponed until this January 20th, but I feel fine.  I've stopped posting about my health because there's really nothing to report. No news is good news, so why post about it?

It will be four years ago on January that I had my autologous stem cell transplant to rebuild my immune system after the high dose chemotherapy. when I got our of Sloan Kettering I'd lost 8 pounds and was down to 151. I thought that was great! unfortunately I'm now back up to about 165. But I have been good about going to the gym. Hope springs eternal; I'd love to get down to about 156 pounds.

Q. How is your family?

A. Great! Brigid continues to be a star and Joe and Tim are both doing well. Joe is learning how to drive  and I guess he'll be going for his driving test in about six weeks. Tim is doing very well in the seventh grade and he has an amazing ability to make friends with everyone. He's very popular, could make friends in an empty house. He can be really funny and it helps to be athletic. And, well, it's cool nowadays to be black.

The boys really know how to manipulate their mother – they have Brigid wrapped around their little fingers.

My mother had to move into an assisted living facility in October, going from an independent living apartment arrangement. She just needed the extra attention, and so far it's working out well. The Springvale Inn is only about ten minutes away, so she's with us almost every weekend, and we see her during the week.

Q. How is business?

A. Well, business was difficult in 2009. A very difficult environment with people very unsure of the future. it certainly helped that the financial markets stabilized and the stock market's had a strong recovery. In fact it rose about 19% for the year. Anyway, with all the uncertainty people wre concerned about making any long term financial commitments. I think that uncertainty has only just begun to be unwound. It's been a very difficult year for many of my small business owners.

The future is murky. There's the problem of all the money that's been created by the feds, and the likilyhood of inflation in two or three years. And the issue of many states having severe budget deficits – NY and especially California are in very tough shape, to name just two. They can't raise taxes, so what are they going to do? Cut services? Very tough. And the unemployment situation. Avoid long term bonds, unless they're inflation protected bonds. It's also difficult to see where additional earnings are going to come from, to drive stock market prices. Dividend paying stocks are safer in the current environment.

Q. Your goals for 2010?

A. Pretty much the same goals I had in 2009, which I didn't really meet. I wanted to grow my financial planning practice, but really just held my own last year. I wanted to do more serious reading, but ended up only doing about half of what I wanted in that department. I'd have to read a book a week this year just to start to work down the piles of books I've got at home. I had set a goal of finishing walking the length of the Appalachian Trail in New York, but didn't achieve that either, although I did have some good hikes, including my solo overnighter on the A.T. the two days after Thanksgiving. This year I would like to do at least a three day, two night hike  and another overnighter. I think that would just about enable me to finish the Appalachian Trail in NY. The problem is, it's tough to get away from my family on weekends. Tim plays sports most weekends, and we've got the college search for Joe. And my Mom.

Q. Well, you love to read. What were the best books you read last year.

A. Well I think hands down the best book was  Tears in the Darkness about the Bataan Death March and it's aftermath. A great book. #2 was  Stand up and Fight: When Munster beat the All Blacks, which is about a rugby game played in the 1970's, but more deeply is a grand book about Ireland in the middle of the last century. #3 is probably Achieving Peace in the Abortion War by social psychologist Rachel McNair, who is a feminist, a pacifist and prolife.

Honorable mention goes to Sarah Palin for her book "Going Rogue", which was very good, very interesting. It was really better then I expected. I haven't finished my blog review for it yet, but I will post it soon. Another honorable mention goes to  My Private War which was another memoir, written by a local Hudson Valley resident who was a WW II POW in Germany, and how it effected the rest of his life. Very good, and very sad in many ways.

Q. Last question. You know a great deal about health care, from many perspectives, and you follow politics. Anything to say on those subjects?

A. Ha! I've posted quite a bit on the subject of health reform. I can't understand how one party could completely control the Presidency and both houses of Congress, and come up with such a mess of a reform plan. It's a disaster – let's leave it at that.

Q. Tom, good luck and best wishes to you and your family in 2010.

A. Thanks and good luck to you also, Tom.