Tag Archives: year-end celebration

Day 360: Kendra and Travis

Posted on December 26, 2015 | Leave a comment
A handmade card and envelope .

A handmade card and envelope .

Kendra and Travis are a wonderful couple who live just a few blocks away from me. As you’ll read in my letter, I met them back in 2011 when I was doing my Year of Volunteering. I signed up to volunteer at the Our City Film Festival – now called simply Our City Festival. The backstory about the joke in the letter about the volunteer named Roy is that he turned out to be Kendra’s father. She was giving him a hard time and I thought, poor guy just came out to volunteer! It turns out he is a world-renowned eye surgeon and successfully performed my LASIK surgery two years later.

Day 360

Kendra and Travis,

Another year goes by and I sit down and reflect on it. I often think about those who I wish I had spent more time with – you two certainly fit that category.

I still remember first meeting you back in 2011 at the Our City Film Festival – and how you (this is directed at Kendra) were so hard on that one volunteer – Roy! He was way overqualified. So much so that I trusted him to do my eye surgery!

I always enjoy spending time with you, sharing food, enjoying beers and talking about how to solve the city’s, or even the world’s, problems. Somebody once told our friend Kim Perry that they liked the “way she moved in this world.” I think I’ll adopt that phrase and it use it for the two of you.

If you’re free on Jan. 5th I hope you’ll join me at McClellan’s Retreat in Dupont to celebrate my Year of Letters – speaking of which, you are Day 360!

Happy New Year!
Reed

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Posted in Holidays, Just because

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Day 352: Leo

Posted on December 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

Today has been a great day. I finalized details on the Year-End Celebration – which you should come to! It’ll be on Jan. 5th from 4-8PM at McClellan’s Retreat in Dupont. Come and meet many of the people who have been recipients of my letters as well as a few who even penned me a handwritten note as well. If that wasn’t enough – it gets better. If you make a tax-deductible donation to Street Sense, a nonprofit that is close to my heart, you’ll get some great drink specials and a special gift from me!

Today’s recipient has played a key role in my Year of Letters. It’s Leo – my mail carrier. He is friendly and courteous and always delivers a smile when I see him. My neighbors and I are extremely fortunate to have Leo and I thought I would give him a small gift to show him my appreciation. I wrote him a check and tucked it in today’s handmade card.

 

Day 352

 

Leo,

You are always a pleasure to when I am fortunate enough to run into you while you are delivering the mail in my neighborhood. Thank you for your kindness and friendship. Best wishes to you and your family for the holidays. 

Reed Sandridge

P.S. You’ve been a critical part of my Year of Letters – making sure all my mail is picked up and delivered properly. You’re the best!

Day 352-2

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Day 233: Julie

Posted on August 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

I love it when the people who find my anonymous letters follow up with me – especially when they do it with a handwritten letter like Julie did. She found letter number 215 that I had left on the upper concourse at Nationals Park on August 3rd.

It’s just an interesting way of connecting with our community and I truly hope that Julie and her husband Ian join us at the year-end celebration on January 5th!

My letter and Julie's card.

My letter and Julie’s card.

Julie,

The other day I went to the mailbox and found your letter – I’ll be honest, I had no idea who it was from when I saw the envelope. That’s kind of exciting.

Opening it up and seeing that you found Letter 215 made my day! Truly. I’ve left a half dozen or so anonymous letters throughout this letter-writing journey and I think you’re only the second person I’ve heard from. Thank you for taking a moment to write back.

Day 233-2I appreciate your kind words. You and Ian sound like good people – I mean your Nats fans, so you’ve gotta be good people. Unless of course you were there rooting for the Diamondbacks!??!

I’ll post on YearOfLetters.com details about the year-end party but it will most likely be in Dupont on January 5th. It should be fun. I did a similar event at the end of the Year of Giving – it was a blast!

Again, thanks for taking time to write and say hello. I hope to see you and Ian on January 5th!

Cheers,
Reed

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Day 218: Jon Stewart

Posted on August 6, 2015 | Leave a comment
Photo: AP Photo/Brad Barket

Photo: AP Photo/Brad Barket

My second letter this year to a long standing (ok, sitting) host of late night television. Thanks for the memories Jon – see you at the party on January 5th!

Day 218

You’ve been coming into our living rooms, ahem…bedrooms perhaps, for more than 15 years. More importantly you’ve been informing us and entertaining us – you’re like a therapist only better. Sure, you listen, you process information and become an active voice in the conversation, only you cut through the charades and bullshit and deliver the medicine we need with a soothing spoonful of humor that makes the insanity of the reality – or is it the reality of the insanity? – somehow easier to swallow.

Day 218-3I’m writing you as part of a year-long commitment that I’ve made of writing handwritten letters every day. It’s a lost art – or as your pal Steve Carell said (I wrote him on Day 7), “Sending a handwritten letter is becoming such an anomaly. It’s disappearing. My mom is the only one who still writes me letters. And there’s something visceral about opening a letter – I see her on the page. I see her in her handwriting.” He’s so right.

While everyone is grilling you about what you will do next, my wish is that whatever you do, you find time to be with those you love – maybe even write them a letter. Speaking of you writing letters, a response from you would be the pinnacle of my Year of Letters. Right now that honor goes to either my father or an inspiring 100 year-old doctor from California who wrote me back. I also received a response from George W. Bush.

Anyway, good luck and thanks.

With respect and admiration and a bit of a man crush,
Reed Sandridge 

Day 218-2P.S. A wiser man than me once said, “Love what you do. Get good at it. Competence is a rare commodity in this day and age. And let the chips fall where they may.” Well played, sir.

P.P.S. Mark your calendar for January 5th, 2016 – I’m throwing a party for all 365 people who have received a letter this year. More details at YearOfLetters.com or email me at reed@yearofletters.com. Your drinks are on me!

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Posted in Congratulations, Staying in touch, Thank-yous

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Sunday Notes & Letters for Week 15

Posted on April 5, 2015 | Leave a comment

april5I am over one-fourth of the way through my letter-writing journey. I hope I can make it. I’m having a blast but this takes time! You’d be surprised how much time it takes to write (and rewrite from time to time) neatly, emboss stationery, take photographs, upload them to the blog, write something thoughtful or funny. Thankfully I have a decent supply of whiskey that will hopefully get me most of the way through the year – I am accepting donations to help make sure I don’t run out.

Seriously, I hope I can keep this up. What’s great is that you keep sending me more and more letters. It’s working. People are sitting down and going old school on keeping in touch with me. Thank you to all those of have sent letters.

Muriel Bowser-3

A copy of my letter to the new Mayor of Washington, D.C.

And I can’t remember if I have mentioned this or not here, but stay tuned, I’m going to throw a party at the end of the year for everyone who has either received one of my letters or sent me a letter. So if you haven’t written me yet, drop me a handwritten note and I’ll make sure you get on the invite list.

Baseball season officially started today with the St. Louis Cardinals shaming the Cubs at home 3-0. Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals play their home opener against the New York Mets. I’ll be there in the Mayor’s Suite – I wonder if Mayor Bowser will be there. I sent her a letter on Day 2 and have not heard back from her. I’ll be sure to remind her if she’s there.

Here are a few hints about who tomorrow’s letter is for. This person missed the first season, but has been to every Nationals home game after that. He is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and is blind in his left eye due to a boxing injury.

 

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Posted in Sunday Letters, Sunday Notes

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