Here we are again as the calendar has changed and the world hasn’t ended despite doomsday predictions. The winds of change have my business aspirations heading away from Mexico and towards New Jersey.

This was a year in which I dabbled in many fields, ranging from classes in Pilates, Alexander Technique, Tai Chi, Spinal Gymnastics, Arabic drums, and NYC tour guiding. Each one yielded something good.

On the travel front, Italy had better weather this time and the art was even more pleasant. The David and the School of Athens were the highlights. We even saw the Pope sneeze. The gondola ride in Venice was not as much fun as the one in Central Park. Disney World had an excellent Y2K tribute that included an unforgettable fireworks show. A stop in Mexico for my father-in-law’s birthday was well worth the trip.

Personally, I miss my parents more and more with each passing year.

In baseball it was the ultimate in highs and lows. I was at Shea Stadium when the Mets won the NL Championship and when they won their only World Series game against the Yankees. Eventually the better team won. Ouch, it hurts to admit that. Although it was appropriate to see Hillary wearing a Yankee cap as they deserve each other. Thank God (or is it thank A-Rod?) my interest in sports is dwindling as the players become less admirable each year.

I saw three of my favorite plays this year, with mixed results. Don Carlos was excellent, An Enemy of the People was commendable and Cyrano was a huge letdown. The Blue Man Group was worthy of seeing twice. Cobb was interesting while Amadeus, Riverdance, Swing, Stomp and Chicago were all thoroughly enjoyable. However, nothing compared to the buzz of Jesus Christ Superstar, which left me mesmerized each of the six times I saw it. Judas stole the show.

In the holiday spirit, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and NYCB’s The Nutcracker lived up to their high expectations. Barnum’s Kaleidoscape was thrilling and uplifting for two straight hours.

This year had a number of high quality films. Billy Elliot reached right into my soul. The Patriot, Gladiator, Almost Famous, Fantasia 2000 and Cirque du Soleil’s Journey of Man were all superb.

My favorite recording was My Favorite Headache, a solo project by Geddy Lee of Rush. Thankfully, his real band will be recording again next year. Also, Led Zeppelin’s second greatest hits package had some nice features for suckers like me who must buy everything they release.

The Guggenheim Museum finally displayed art which did not insult that glorious building. The new Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History is awesome!

The O’Reilly Factor is the best news show on TV and his book of the same title was well written.

Two books regarding Ayn Rand topped the reading list: The Art of Fiction by her and On Ayn Rand by Allan Gotthelf.

As we turn the page on this year I am on my way up into the space odyssey of 2001. Care to join me?

Top 10 Achievements of 2000
10. Compensation from Atlantic Records for proofreading lyrics to Geddy Lee’s solo album.
9. Organized apartment so I can find any possession within five minutes.
8. Earned payment for body conditioning training on the Gyrotonic Expansion System.
7. Doubled original investment by selling my apartment on West 102nd Street.
6. Ended the year weighing less than 140 pounds for the first time since being married.
5. Set up consulting company, Technology High, and received payment for technical writing.
4. Finished writing two chapters of my book on New York City.
3. Set up my own web page, www.robert.begley.com and honored my parents.
2. Reached a financial milestone in net worth.
1. Kept Blanca happy by giving her the freedom to dance more than ever.

Goals for 2001
1. Push Blanca to new heights of joy.
2. Combine technical, business and marketing skills into profitable entrepreneurial venture.
3. Master FrontPage 2000 program and update my web page to include my writings.
4. Finish writing five more chapters of my book on New York City.
5. Perform music and/or dance on stage somewhere.
6. End year weighing less than 130 pounds.
7. Purchase a Gyrotonic Expansion System Pulley Tower Combination Unit.
8. Finish reading The Fountainhead in Spanish.
9. Read Atlas Shrugged for the tenth time.
10. Entertain guests regularly in our home.