1997 Year in Review

 Highlights:

• Last year in Athens.

• Attended a FMO conference in Charleston March 17-21 and then to Washington D.C. for the weekend.  Birthday must have been spent at Tommy Condon's Irish pub.    

• Assigned to the Regional Administrative Management Center (RAMC) as Director, FSN Payroll and Training Coordinator.  

• I distinctly remember seeing the news that Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31st.  I was in temporary quarters having just relocated to Paris for an assignment as the Regional Finance Center.   

• September 2 moved into our apartment on Avenue Col Bonnet in the 16th. 

• My boss, Rob McAnneny, I had met when he was Management Officer in Nicosia, Cyprus and I visited him from Amman when the Beirut Support was there.  Rob was very social and cared a lot about his staff.  We had good times drinking at the embassy American Club and playing tennis.   We had  a lot of great parties at the RAMC building which was located on Rue la Boetie in the 8th arrondisement.  I found out recently that he was stricken with dementia.    

• Quick trip out to San Francisco December 5-9

• Annual leave December 22-30

U.S. Events:

·         US shuttle joins Russian space station (Jan. 17).

·         O. J. Simpson found liable in civil suit (Feb. 5).

·         Heaven's Gate cult members commit mass suicide in California (March 27).

·         US Appeals Court upholds California ban on affirmative action (April 8).

·         Clinton exercises new line-item veto (Aug. 11).

·         Timothy J. McVeigh sentenced to death for Oklahoma City bombing (Aug. 14).

·         Two convicted in New York Trade Center bombing (Nov. 12).

World Events:

·         Hebron agreement signed; Israel gives up large part of West Bank city of Hebron (Jan. 16).

·         Israeli government approves establishment of Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, a setback in   Middle East peace process (Feb. 26). Background: Middle East Peace Negotiations

·         US, UK, and France agree to freeze Nazis' gold loot (Feb. 3).

·         Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule (June 30).

·         Khmer Rouge hold trial of longtime leader Pol Pot (July 25).

·         Swiss plan first payment to Holocaust victims (Sept. 17).

·         European Union plans to admit six nations (Dec. 13). 

Movies:

The best picture was "The English Patient".  Best actor went to Geoffrey Rush in "Shine".  Best actress was Frances McDormand for "Fargo".  Best supporting actor was Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Jerry Maguire".  Best supporting actress was Juliette Binoche for "The English Patient".  Best director was Anthony Minghella "English Patient".   

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXXI saw the Packers defeat the Patriots by the score of 35–21, earning their third overall Super Bowl victory, and their first since Super Bowl II.   After four losing seasons, the Patriots' rise began in 1993 when Bill Parcells was hired as head coach, and the team drafted quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The game began with the teams combining for 24 first-quarter points, the most in Super Bowl history. The Packers then scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, including Favre's then-Super Bowl record 81-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Freeman. In the third quarter, the Patriots cut the lead to 27–21 off of running back Curtis Martin's 18-yard rushing touchdown. But on the ensuing kickoff, Desmond Howard returned the ball a then-Super Bowl record 99 yards for a touchdown. The score proved to be the last one, as both teams' defenses took over the rest of the game. Howard became the first special teams player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP. He gained a total of 154 kickoff return yards, and also recorded a then-Super Bowl record 90 punt return yards, thus tying the then-Super Bowl records of total return yards (244) and combined net yards gained (244).

World Series:

The 1997 World Series had the Cleveland Indians facing the Florida Marlins.  The underdog Marlins defeated the Indians, four games to three, to win their first World Series championship. Game 7 was decided in extra innings on a walk-off single hit by Édgar Rentería.  Marlins pitcher Liván Hernández was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

The Marlins advanced to the World Series by defeating the San Francisco Giants in the NL Division Series, three games to none. This was the fourth time in World Series history a Game 7 went into extra innings, and was the most recent occasion until the 2016 World Series, in which the Indians also lost in extra innings. The Marlins' championship made them the first wild card team to ever win the World Series. 

1994-1997 Athens

 Highlights:

• Hiking Mt. Athos with Costas Abatzidis and Don Booth.

• Road Trip to Peloponese and towns of Corinth, Epidaurus, Sparta and Monemvasia    

• Basketball tournaments and playing with Aires (Greek God of War).

• Poker group trip to Kefalonia July 6-9, 1995.

• CODELS Kennedy and Rogers in August 

• Walking the original route of the Marathon 26 miles in six hours and 15 minutes November 5, 1995.

• Attended the Indian Wells ATP/WTA Tennis Tournament March 8-17 including some tennis lessons from a pro.  Michael Chang won the men's singles and Steffi Graff the women's.  I remember driving back direct to San Francisco in 12 hours.  

• Trips to the island of Spetses and a one day three island cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina during the visit of my nephew Bryan in July 1996.  Also, road trip to the cliffs of Meteora and the monasteries with the boys.  The plane he flew from Athens to JFK was the same as TWA flight 800 that took off for Paris and crashed 12 minutes after departure. 

• Jeffrey graduates from elementary school.  

• Cruise to Santorini, Crete and Mykonos with the Chavera's.

• ICASS Conference in London September 22-25, 1996. 

• Weekend ferry trip to Corfu in November 1996.  

• Supporting numerous CODELs and visits by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke.  

• Transition from FAAS to ICASS and conference in London September 1996.

• Travel to CGFS Charleston for FMO conference in March 17-25, 1997.  

• Vacation in Rome with Jeffrey to Rome and Vatican with church group May 25-31, 1997. 

• Hiking Mt. Olympus June 6-8, 1997

• Trip to the island of Paros July 4-6, 1997

• Pack out July 14, 1997 and Acting Management Officer.  

• Departed on direct transfer to Paris August 13, 1997.

Favorite Memories

• We played poker at least once every two weeks and rotated houses.  Besides DCM Tom Miller,  there was Bill Rooney, Mike McLaughlin and a couple of other embassy staff, Stelios, a local businessman who owned is own pool company, John Priamou and a couple of other expatriates in our group.   The most memorable was a weekend trip to Stelios' house on the island of Kefalonia in June 1996 with our poker group.

• Playing tennis and squash at the Politia Tennis Club and being invited to lunches and dinners at the club on weekends..  Playing against Tom Miller and Nick Smith.  Also, playing squash with Robert Wood and Andreas.  Also, on occasion our Politia club members played against a group of visiting British sailors from their ship docked in Piraeus.  After each tournament we had a fun dinner to celebrate.    

• The Management Counselor, Mike McLaughlin was an avid sportsman.  He had a basketball court constructed on the embassy compound as well as a bar and restaurant named "The Upper Deck".  I headed up a basketball league with different teams within the embassy but was terrible as a referee.  I played with the Management team Aires "God of War" staring Mike and our Voucher Examiner George Hatziioannidis.  I also had a bad experience trying to coach a high school basketball team.  We played softball on the weekends out at the American school on a hard dirt field. 

• Mike left the summer of 1995 and was replaced by Anita Booth.  Senior staff and Country Team meetings. 

• Boy scout camping trips with Patrick and other activities like field trips and Pinewood Derby.

• Slouvaki dinners at local restaurants in Politia and Kafissia

One of regular parties to celebrate different holidays and occasions with Evelina, Olga, Irene, Flora, Xenia, and Toni, 

In Paris attending conference and in a bar in the Latin quarter having drinks with colleagues Costas, Litta, Steve Hartwell and Dave Zarisky, my replacement.

Visit to Stelios' place in Kefalonia for a weekend of fun travelling

around the island, eating and playing poker. 

The Poker group with regulars Stelios, Tom Miller and Bill Rooney.

Prior to walking the Athens Marathon with Cindy and Rebecca.