Holiday Letter 2000

In 2000s by Steve Sliwa

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

The Millennial Year of 2000 was a year of transition for Steve and Nancy (how often have we said that over the past years!) In the fall of 1999, Steve left Colt Manufacturing after they abandoned work on the Smart Gun, and the first half of 2000 found him very active as an independent consultant. Several interesting activities had him shuttling frequently between California and Washington, D.C., until the spring, when a golden opportunity with Jerry Johnson, a former Sloan classmate, had him spending a few months in London. Nancy was able to join him, renting a flat near the Tower of London and reveling in sightseeing to her heart’s content. Even Steve was able to take a few weekends off and see the countryside, including one memorable weekend visiting Nancy’s cousin Shannon in York and Harrogate.

In June Steve accepted a position as President of eRevenue, an Atlanta-based start-up specializing in on-line transaction software for financial institutions. He was employee #18 and they have ramped up to 35 employees. Prospects look good, but the next several months are critical to see if the firm will break into the black. The rewards should warrant the risks, but in the meantime Steve is enjoying trying to ‘breathe life’ into the new venture.

It took all summer to get the family moved to Atlanta. But by the end of August, all the furniture and belongings that had been strewn up and down the East Coast, from Florida to Virginia to Connecticut, were reunited in an adorable rental house in the popular Virginia-Highlands area of midtown Atlanta, just 10 minutes to Steve’s office.

In addition to the unforgettable time in London, the year 2000 also saw some other memorable trips for Steve and Nancy. Early in March, the Embry-Riddle Eagles basketball team made it for the fifth year in a row to the national NAII II playoffs, this year held in Branson, Missouri. Once again, Nancy and Steve made the trip to support them, this time with electrifying results: they won the National Championship!!! It was a wonderful capstone to many years of support. This year the Eagles are still ranked number one in the country as of this writing, and look primed to make another promising run at the championship.

March also saw a quick trip to Oahu when Steve served as best man in his brother Dave’s wedding to beautiful Michelle Brown. This was a nice mini-family reunion for the Sliwas, which was followed in August by a full family reunion as Steve’s mother hosted all 15 of the siblings, spouses, and children on an opulent cruise to Bermuda. The first cruise for Steve, and the first trip to Bermuda for either of us, was a real jewel of an experience, and excellent bonding time with Tabitha, all the nieces and nephews, and the rest of the family.

Nancy also took time for a few quick trips to California, to brush up on her flying, to spend time with Marcie and her other Ninety-Nine friends, and most recently to truck some superfluous furniture to Tabitha. Tabitha has re-located to Monterey to be with her boyfriend Jeff, and has a wonderful job as a graphic illustrator with Harcourt Brace’s e-learning division.

In October, Nancy reluctantly surrendered her carefree but expensive lifestyle as a full-time homemaker, traveler and joyeuse vivant and returned to the workforce. Her resume, posted on monster.com, was scooped up by BellSouth Internet Services, and she now serves as a senior project manager for their ADSL group. She is not so lucky as Steve in the relative locations of home and office, and faces a variable commute of anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes each way. Atlanta traffic can be very unpredictable! The quality and friendliness of her supervisor and colleagues more than make up for it, though. Nancy has also gotten active in a local church, Peachtree Christian Church, and is rapidly making friends and connections in the Atlanta area.

We did endure some sadness this fall as two of Nancy’s relatives, her paternal grandmother and aunt, passed away. Nancy was able to join others of the family in Mount Carmel, Tennessee for the memorials, and learned much more about her family roots.

Honey, Chandelle, and Casper spent almost an entire year with Steve’s saintly and long-suffering mother (and her two poodles) in Daytona Beach. We were finally reunited in late August. During the summer heat, they enjoyed the pool in our back yard. Since we are close to several parks, Chandelle enjoys frequent runs and walks with Steve. Honey recently suffered some neurological problems that are probably inescapable since she is almost 14 years old. However, she is now on a regimen of Prednisone, glucosamine chondroitin, and cetyl myristoleate (in addition to her Nikken magnets and far-infrared). She seems alert, perky, and much more mobile (as well as ravenous!) Casper still enjoys playing and cuddling with both the dogs, and has become even more vocal, with mews and pips and purrings galore.

Please check out all the pictures and happenings of the Sliwa family on www.sliwa.com, and Steve’s new company at www.erevenue.com. We’d be delighted to have you visit any time; we have a comfortable guest-room and are within a very short walking distance of some of the best restaurants in Atlanta.

We wish you love and joy, peace and prosperity this holiday season and in the coming year.

Steve and Nancy Sliwa
Honey, Chandelle, and Casper

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