WAC Magazine

4 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | HOLIDAYS 2016 T here is hustle and there is bustle and there is year-end stress. !ere are obligations and commitments and respon- sibilities related to getting everything done in time for the holidays. We have to be here, we need to wrap that, and, of course—We must get that one thing he or she has to have, and they might just run out or not have the right size! Oh yes, and we have to get the guest room ready because they will be here next !ursday! On the other hand, we could go to the WAC, do some yoga, sit in the steam room, and go downstairs for a glass—or was that a bottle?—of wine. We can have a great time at Jubilee (maybe we will win the car), enjoy a Shoppers Tea, and listen to the harpist in the lobby. And let's not forget to make a reservation at the Inn for your folks or other visitors. Speaking of which, we can also pick up some wonderful gi" items in the Club Shop and Spa. To top it o#, let's order the WAC's complete Christmas dinner to go and leave the cooking to the pros. Ah, take a deep breath. It is going to be a great season. Enjoy it. Let the WAC, your club, do the work. You get the fun. Blessings, A s I walked through Pioneer Square on my way to a recent Sounders match, the holiday lights hanging in the trees along Occidental Avenue reminded me of that sense of anticipation I felt as a kid when the holiday decorations $rst appeared. !ose lights meant it was time to compose my wish list, to help with grandma's cookie recipe, to trek through the woods to cut down our tree, and to prepare the house for guests. While the wish list got shorter as I got older—and the tree unfortunately became arti$cial—I always looked forward to seeing family and friends. Now that I live on the West Coast, half a continent from where I grew up, I see family less o"en and my mom sends grandma's cookies in the mail. In Seattle, Stacey and I have created our own traditions. I get a real tree, Stacey opens a gi" early, and our neighbors host an annual dinner. !e times and place have changed, but my commitment to spending the season with friends and family remains. Turns out, holiday anticipation isn't just for kids. I wish you a safe and joyous season, M aking pirits S Chuck Nelson, President & CEO Paul Ravetta, Chairman of the Board of Governors right B

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