Here it is!

The Oberts' Annual Christmas letter
In Memoriam: Maryann Rollie, Suki, June Kiehne, Mona Green, Hank Guzda, Bill Seal, Tom Spangrud, Chuck Bundy, Jackie Hawkins. We miss them all.

JAN 10 – The political season began with a visit to the Daily Grind by Senator Amy Klobuchar. Poor people from all over the country banded together, through the secret underground poor people’s network, to “trick” the nation’s major financial institutions into giving them mortgages they knew they couldn’t afford.

FEB 2 – The political season continued with a visit to the Daily Grind by senatorial candidate, Al Franken. If you like this posting, please completely fill in the oval with a No. 2 pencil.

FEB 14 – Our 7th anniversary – apparently we had no conflicts with girls’ hockey this year. Poor people from all over the country banded together, through the secret underground poor people’s network, to “trick” international hedge funds into buying their bad mortgages from the nation’s major financial institutions.

FEB 20-23 – The Alex girls’ hockey team won the Minnesota Class A tournament!! The team finished with a 27-1-2 record and had five players named to the all-state team. We’re such proud “grandparents!”

MAR 29-APR 8 – Spring trip to Florida and Texas. We stayed with the Owens and McMullens in Sarasota; visited the Kiehnes in Austin; obtained free lodging, again, from the Dushes in San Antonio; and ate Texas bar-b-q with Basketball Dan at The Salt Lick. Thanks again to all!

APR 17-29 – Ruthie went home to Terre Haute, Indiana, to help care for her ill mother. Well, Grandma Callecod is still going strong at 91. This in spite of exorbitant pensions negotiated by the UAW.

MAY 1 – Ice out on Lake Darling – the latest in 29 years. Poor people from all over the country banded together, through the secret underground poor people’s network, to “trick” international hedge funds into selling their bad mortgages to other international hedge funds, many times over.

MAY 17 – Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party district convention was held in Alex at Arrowwood Resort. In keeping with party stereotype, we forgot to introduce Alex’s mayor, Dan Ness, who had been patiently standing by to greet the assembled masses. The UAW was actually determined to be at fault.

MAY 18 – We Super Fans treated our state champion girls hockey team – the players, parents, and coaches - to dinner at the Alexandria Golf Club. Striking UAW workers failed to spoil the event.

MAY 20 – The political season continued with a visit to the Daily Grind by Minnesota house candidate, Bruce Campbell. Poor people seem to like Bruce.

MAY 31 – We began attending a series of graduation open houses for the senior members of the girls’ hockey team. They all went on to college so they could afford future mortgages and American automobiles.

JUN 6-8 – We attended the DFL state convention in Rochester. We nominated Al Franken for Senate. They’re still counting the ballots from the general election.

JUN 8-14 – Obert family reunion at Arrowwood. Cousin Mike came all the way from South Africa. Ruthie and I came from 1.1 miles away.

JUNE 10 – The political season continued with a visit to the Daily Grind by Al Franken. I believe we mentioned Tina Fey would make a great Sarah Palin.

JUN 16-30 – We went on an Alaska cruise! You can see Russia from there! In fact, we had a Russian tour bus driver in Juneau. He is a high school teacher and was giving us a geography lesson as he drove. He obviously never taught in Wasilla.

JUL 3 – Grandson Tom arrived from Indiana for his annual July visit. He will not want to do this for much longer. He has his driver’s permit.

AUG 3-9 – We went to Camp Brosius, an alumni camp for Indiana University (IU) in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for the 2nd year in a row. We canoed around the lake twice – we have both been seeing chiropractors for back problems ever since.

SEP 4 – Tom’s birthday – we hosted an Al Franken fundraiser at the house. Al couldn’t make it.

SEP 10 – We hosted a pizza and hockey party for all the snowbirds who missed all the excitement of the state champion girls’ hockey team. Al would have preferred coming to this.

SEP 26-27- Homecoming weekend and the Hall of Fame luncheon sponsored by the Education Foundation. Tom Lehman, Hall of Fame inductee, noted it was the first Alex football game he had attended in over 25 years. The political season continued with a Bruce Campbell fundraiser at the K of C. Former Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack, was the featured speaker. We left the Alex homecoming game to attend. In our absence, the Cards scored two touchdowns in the final minutes to win the game.

OCT 2-7 – Anne and Bill Gross visited from D.C. We spent two spectacular days in Itasca State Park and Stillwater, and two crappy days sitting inside watching the rain. Sarah Palin, still not willing to write-off Michigan, joined the UAW.

OCT 12 – The political season continued with a visit to Dunn Bros. Coffee by Thomasin Franken, Al’s daughter. Poor people from all over the country, abetted by the UAW, are blamed for the recession.

NOV 4 – An old white guy is not elected president for the first time in history! Head election judge, Ruthie, worked 18 hours missing our Election Night Party but still celebrated. The UAW is blamed for forcing CEO’s from the Big 3 automakers to travel in private jets.

DEC 25 – The Oberts, the UAW, and poor people all wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

- Ruth and Tom Obert