IDNLIY: The "I Do Not Like It Year"

‘The human body functions as a citizenship of cooperating cells. The disintegration of this citizenship tips us from wellness to disease.’--Dr. SIddhartha Mukherjee, THE SONG OF THE CELL 

Well, this week started with my brother, Tony, turning 40 years old. Time flies. The older we get makes it even more important to take care of our bodies. Our cellular health is key. 

On Tony’s 40th Birthday I received a card from Marie-Antoinette's daughter, Leslie Bernadette, after I sent her a check for $100 for her graduation: 

May 12, 1998 

Dear Michael, 

Words cannot express my gratitude for your generous gift. Thank you so much. I do hope you make a trip to Denver this summer, so we can meet. It already seems like i know you after all mom has told me about you. Take Care and God Bless. 

Love Your Cousin, 

Leslie Bernadette Villalobos 

Pueblo, Colorado 

Cousin Linda Korenke sent an announcement about her son, Adam Korenke. Apparently, on May 15, 1998, there will be an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Adam at the First Lutheran Church in Idaho Falls per the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 310. I was never a boy scout. Thank God!!!! I honestly don’t think I would have liked wearing that uniform, tying knots and marching along. Ugh! 

Of course, Paloma, is the first to already remember my Birthday ‘month’. She sent me a cool card commemorating a new MONTPELLIER XVI Coupe du Monde de Football stamp. 

Paloma wrote: 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL! 

I know how it feels if you remember...well, I am 39 just like you. Now next year it is going to be a IDNLIY (you used to like that, right?). It means “I Do Not Like It Year”, of course. 

In your last card you told me about the places you liked in Florida. Well, in fact, we just drove by West Palm Beach and we did not stay in Miami for a very long time. The weather was awful, we did not like it that much. What we liked the best was KEY WEST. It reminded me of the French Carribean, la Guadeloupe. We had a great time in Orlando. Jonathan loved it. We stayed there for almost six days, and we could go again. You never told me what you thought about EURO DISNEY. DISNEYWORLD is way nicer. I really liked the countries in EPCOT and I loved the chocolate cake at the Hard Rock Cafe. We went to the one in Key West and Miami. 

Which hotel did you go to in NYC? We have to go there sometime. Alexandre and Jonathan are American fans now. I have no new movie to recommend for you, but you see all of them before me anyway!  

I have been watching lots of movies that I have already seen because of Jonathan. He is going to be “11” in three weeks. He has already seen hundreds of pictures. I’m sure he will love the movies when he is an adult. I could have told you about TITANIC, too. But I liked BEN HUR way better.  

I will send you some pictures of the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL pretty soon. It just started yesterday. Martin Scorsese is the President. Here is the newsletter of our friends who came to visit us last year (The Sapersteins, Jeanine, Guy, Leon, Jacobus). I don’t know if I told you, but they talked about their lunch with BILL CLINTON , but not about their lunch with us. I wonder why?  

Love, Paloma ... Hello to Alan! 

Paloma is so funny. She thinks the "I Do Not Like It Year" is "40". I have a feeling when we are "60" that we will both think that "40" is the "I LIKE IT YEAR".

And a surprise postcard from Albuquerque, NM, Cousin Denise Padilla who was visiting Anchorage, Alaska: 

May 18, 1998 

Michael, 

I am attending a conference here in Anchorage and enjoying the beautiful sites! It’s a little chilly by absolutely gorgeous. I got to see some glaciers, humpback whales, bald eagles, moose, elk, sea lions, otters and the biggest fish you’ve ever seen!  

Take Care 

Cousin Denise Padilla 

‘In cold weather we eat more, in warm less.’--Henry David Thoreau, WALDEN