Here is an example of the power of social media. On March 8, while perusing my Facebook feed, I noticed that Rick Bertasi (with daughter Reilly) and John Penrose (with son Ben) each posted photos from the Arsenal-Everton England Football Association Cup quarterfinal match at Emirates Stadium in North London (along with about 50,00 other some odd fans). Neither of them knew the other was in attendance, and in an even more bizarre coincidence, I spent time with each of them in the surrounding 30-day period.


First, I had the great good fortunate to join Rick, his wife, Sarah, and son Ron for a weeklong ski trip in Lech, Austria. Also joining us were Tom Parker and son Sam from Concord, Massachusetts, where Tom is vice president of information technology at kayak.com. It was a most sublime adventure, filled with alternating dumping snow days (18 inches) and picture-perfect bluebird skies. Living in London (and splitting time in Connecticut/N.Y.C.), Rick and Sarah are seasoned visitors to Lech and their local knowledge allowed for amazing sleigh-ride destination dinners and a robust nightlife overall. With heaping servings of schnitzel, spaetzle and large quantities of schnapps, it definitely took me a full week to recover.


Later that month I met John and his wife, Fatima, for drinks and dinner at the Tip Tap Room in Boston, Beacon Hill’s unsuspecting neighborhood joint with hip, unpretentious, wild game and beer—a place to nibble on ostrich and yak with a craft brew in hand. And it didn’t disappoint. In addition to their home in suburban Boston, John and Fatima have taken a pied a terre on Beacon Hill, giving them access to city dining, events and attractions. Ah, the benefits of an early empty nest—with daughter Isabel at Wake Forest and son Ben at King’s Academy in Jordan.


Living in Boulder, Colorado, with the University of Colorado in town always allows for visitors. Amy Worden Smith stopped by recently with her son Jake. This was Amy’s second trip to Boulder—her first trip here was last fall while on a cross-country road trip (Maine to California to Florida to Maine) in her trusty RV, nicknamed Waldo (as in “Where’s Waldo?”). Amy works for Daktari Diagnostics, a company that is building portable blood testing devices for use in Africa. Tom McKay, wife Erin and kids Will and Lily also dropped by during their winter break ski trip. We met at The Sink (where Robert Redford once bussed tables) for burgers and beers. Dr. Tom is a urologist in Davenport, Iowa.


In other news, Mollie Hale Carter, CEO of Sunflower Bank Salina, is featured in Ingram’s magazine’s March “50 Kansans You Should Know.” As the top executive of a community bank, she’s twice earned recognition as one of the 10 most influential women in her field from U.S. Banker magazine.


Also being recognized, Peter Tse, Dartmouth professor of psychological and brain sciences, was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship. The fellows are selected on the basis of prior achievement and exceptional promise. Tse, who holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Harvard, and his students employ neuroscientific data, gathered using MRI and other techniques, to show how free will might be realized in the brain. 


Lastly, by the time you’ve read this we will all have returned from our 30th reunion in Hanover. Let’s give special thanks to 30th reunion chair Ed Kenealy and the entire 30th reunion team for organizing this spectacular event. Please look for the next column with all the details, as I’m sure inquiring minds will want to know!


—Jan Gordon and Derek Chow, 770 Union Ave., Boulder, CO 80304; (303) 448-1580; janandderek@comcast.net