Nathan’s Christmas 2005 Letter

G’Day!

So it looks like I made it through another year, and here is the hat-trick. I know you have been waiting for it, so here it is:

The Third Annual Nathan Allan Christmas Letter

What a year it has been. The first thing you will have noticed is there is no Christmas card, or photo this year. We are cutting costs, and in a slower time with the business. Plus we just blew all the money we have and don’t have really on a VW Eurovan Weeekender.

On the 16th of December Casey and I celebrate our first year at the Swantown Inn Bed & Breakfast. It has been a great year at the Inn. It has proven to me that I do indeed know what I am doing with marketing still, as we have managed to relatively easily increase our revenue. If you check out our web site (www.swantowninn.com) you will see we have worked a lot on the rooms. Currently we are planning to build a carriage house to replace the carport. This would include a three-car garage with a two bedroom suite above it. This we would market to families with younger children and couples traveling together. We are getting a little hung up on the financing. They don’t seem to like my entrepreneurial spirit, being self-employed is negative, but they like my high credit score. Hopefully that all works out soon and we can start building.

Needless to say the Inn had been a joy to run. We have meet many interesting people and made many new friends. Some old friends and family have stayed with us. That was a highlight of the year. Mum and Dad visited and Casey and I threw a engagement party for ourselves during their stay. It was a good opportunity to show off the Inn. The plan is to get married now on our third anniversary of meeting, the 14th May 2006. It will be at the Orcas Hotel on Orcas Island. The idea is to keep it small and intimate. Most of my friends are in Australia anyhow, so I would not expect them to turn up.

A quick update on the horrible Sausage situation. Yes Harry ripped me off. The majority of my partners and investors vanished in to thin air, and were not supportive at all. There are a couple of exceptions, and they are reading this! I have an amazing lawyer in San Francisco who is trying to help me. He has agreed to do the majority of the work pro-bono yet I am still out around $6K so far. The idea is that we are suing Harry for a large sum, with a fall back of just getting the domain names back. On both counts I have an excellent case, with the later simply costing me more money. If I do get it back with a judgment, I intend on making things right. Primarily I mean with my investor friends, but also with the many old users that have been ripped off buying an inferior product. Of course all things related to this issue require money (and probably some counseling).

Back on to some nicer things. Casey took me to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico for my birthday. On my actual birthday it happens to be Mexican Revolution Day so they have a parade and the like. It was a nice little trip and a great rejuvenator for the year ahead.

One of the biggest highlights was seeing Hayden while Mum and Dad were here. I paid for her and Karissa to come out and visit. Hayden had a ball! I even think Karissa had a decent time for the most part. It was a little weird having the ex-wife stay in the same place as my fiancée but there was no blood drawn! Of course since then I have not heard a word from either of them, regardless of the letters and parcels I send. My hope is, as Hayden gets older she can communicate without needing Karissa. I will just keep doing what I think is morally correct there.

We still haven’t finished building our kayak, but we bought another cheaply to use in the meantime. We need the original finished so we can use it with the new car, and take cheap camping and kayaking trips in the next year.

My hope is to get out to Australia some time in 2006. Casey and I may roll it in to a honeymoon. Beach Nan turns 90 and I would like to be there, but I think timing may be an issue there as her birthday is in March.

So to sum up, life is good! Casey and I are having a great time as Innkeepers. I still dabble in some Internet projects. I serve on the Washington Bed and Breakfast Guild Board. I have meet some great people and made many new friends the past year. I even managed to loose a few pounds!

So to each and every one of you that are forever stuck on my Christmas List, have a safe and happy holiday season (no matter what version you celebrate!). May all your dreams and wishes for 2006 come true.

With Best Wishes,

Nathan