2022

9 files changed, 86 insertions, 185 deletions

diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/1813.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/1813.jpg
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/blaise.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/blaise.jpg
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/death-camp.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/death-camp.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/lake-superior.JPG b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/lake-superior.JPG
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
index 8d7c882..16fd5d0 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
index 0ebeabe..c8aaeb4 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 % text

 \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

 \renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}

+\usepackage{lipsum}

 

 % graphics

 \usepackage{graphicx}

@@ -23,74 +24,84 @@
 

 \pagenumbering{gobble}

 

-\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2021}}

+\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2022}}

 

 \begingroup

 \setlength{\intextsep}{0pt}%

 \setlength{\columnsep}{10pt}%

 

-Hello to all my friends and family.

-Unbelievably, this is the eighth time I'm writing to you all for the solstice season.

-It's become tradition to look back at old letters as I sit down to write.

-Today is the first large snow storm of the year, but I am warm and comfortable writing at my lovely desk.

-My Endlers Livebearer fish gave birth just a few days ago, so I am taking frequent breaks to enjoy watching the very cute fry.

+Greetings to all friends and family.

+It's been a busy year!

+The holiday season has snuck up on me this time.

+Nice to have this opportunity to sit down and review the year that was.

+Hope each of you are finding similar opportunities for quiet contemplation in this season.

+Snow has come to Madison, but it's above freezing at the moment.

+This tends to cause a thick white fog, very quiet and still.

+The sun rises late and sets early.

 

-\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.4\textwidth}

+\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.5\textwidth}

   \begin{center}

-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./death-camp.jpg"}

+    \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{"./1813.jpg"}

   \end{center}

 \end{wrapfigure}

 

-I was lucky enough to go on \emph{many} great vacations this year.

-I'd like to highlight three, starting with the trip to California I took with my good friend Tyler over the labor day holiday.

-We flew into San Fransisco where we were graciously hosted by Jim and Tracy in their beautiful home.

-We stopped by Claire's family in Napa and Tyler's home town of San Ramon.

-We then traveled down Big Sur to a beautiful ocean-side campground near Santa Barbara.

-We visited Tyler's uncle before heading inland to spend a night among giants in Sequoia National Forest.

-Finally, we camped for two nights in Death Valley.

-We had the entire campground to ourselves (see left)!

-Death Valley was definitely the highlight for me, especially the drive through Titus Canyon and the night sky.

-

-\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\textwidth}

+On March 25th of this year I bought my first house.

+Here it is (pictured, right) in May---the front yard just bursting with wild violets.

+I participated in ``no-mow May'', of course.

+What a crazy thing it is to buy a house.

+Losing most of my life savings to a down payment, taking on debt, committing to Madison long-term.

+Yard work, utilities, neighbors.

+Rhubarb in the back yard, a kitchen with enough room to chop and dry dishes simultaneously.

+Fisher Street has come to feel like home.

+What's the point of owning a home if not to take on overly-ambitious home improvement projects?

+My father has incredible construction skills, and he has been generous enough to spend many days helping me learn the basics.

+The first two big projects are a fence along the north border and wood floors in the bedrooms.

+

+\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.3\textwidth}

   \begin{center}

-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./porcupine.jpg"}

+    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{"./ruffed-grouse.jpg"}

   \end{center}

 \end{wrapfigure}

 

-In July my good friends Claire and Ralph Till visited me for a hiking adventure in the Midwest.

-We drove from Madison to Michigan's upper peninsula, where we spent several days hiking through the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness.

-It's been years since I've been backpacking, and it was a new experience for Claire and Ralph.

-The Porcupine Mountains were amazing---very private campsites with long trails and very few people.

-For hours we hiked along the southern coast of Lake Superior, enjoying the dramatic geometric shapes of the rocky shoreline.

-Here (right) we three are---tired but happy near the end of our hike.

+This year's big vacation was a June trip to Maine with my boyfriend Kevin.

+We were able to see Kate \& Steve, and visit the Bates Campus (first time since graduation).

+We hiked Katahdin and explored the Maine coastline.

+Kevin helped me to enjoy the birds of Maine, which I did not properly appreciate as a student.

+In total I saw 76 bird species!

+My favorite bird was this elusive ruffed grouse (left), which we were able to observe ``booming''.

+A wild spirit of the wild forest, for sure.

+Also this year I was very lucky to be the best man in the wedding of Felix Radford and Kendal Musgrave.

+What a power couple!

+All the best to them in this new phase of life.

 

-\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.4\textwidth}

+

+\begin{wrapfigure}[9]{r}{0.3\textwidth}

   \begin{center}

-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./lake-superior.JPG"}

+    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{"./blaise.jpg"}

   \end{center}

 \end{wrapfigure}

 

-Near the end of September Kevin and I spent a few days exploring Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.

-It ended up being a tour of many waterfalls.

-We started by camping in Amnicon Falls State Park and visiting Big Manitou Falls (highest in Wisconsin).

-We then camped in Tettegouche State Park (below), where we had our own small private beach with signature Lake Superior pebbles.

-We spent several days exploring the northern coast of Lake Superior---full of picturesque waterfalls, dramatic coastlines, and cozy small towns.

-We'll have to go back soon.

-

-I'm feeling grateful for all the joy I have experienced this year.

-I continue to learn and grow in my professional life.

-Congratulations to Kate and Steve on their marriage.

-Thanks to all who have been great friends, especially Zach, Mark, Darien, Kyle, my Bates Buds, and the Wednesday night game crew.

+Professionally I am ``keeping on''.

+There are still mountains of things to learn about software and hardware development, instrumentation, and teaching.

+I now have two job titles: ``Instrumentation Engineer'' and ``Lecturer''.

+I continue to have enthusiasm for both of these domains.

+Here I am (right) in my shop, mostly renovated but always more to do.

 

-Wishing you and yours a happy new year. Stay in touch!

+Family and pets are doing well.

+I continue to dote on dear Ridgeback (my turtle), who turned 23 this year.

+I separated the endlers by sex to keep them from breeding so quickly.

+Home ownership and improvement projects have brought my parents to Madison often this year.

+Hope that all reading have a restful holiday season and a wonderful 2023.

+Keep in touch, visit!

+Remember, I have a guest bedroom now.

 

 \vfill

 \raggedleft

 

 Blaise Jonathan Thompson \\*

 \hspace{0pt} \\

-725 W Washington Ave. Apt 306 \\*

-Madison, Wisconsin 53715 \\*

+1813 Fisher St. \\*

+Madison, Wisconsin 53713 \\*

 \hspace{0pt} \\

 1-424-225-2493 \\*

 blaise@untzag.com \\*

diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d472948..0000000
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
index b31ffe8..314d5f9 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
@@ -1,144 +1,34 @@
 #+TITLE: winter solstice letter recipients
-* DONE Alexander Moore
-2816 Messanie St
-St Joseph, MO 64501
-USA
-* DONE King Family (Cypress, Jaxson, two children Jonathan and Grace)
-723 Andy Nowling Rd
-Defuniak Springs, FL 32433
-USA
-* DONE Linda Thompson
-1 Hogtown Bayou Lane
-Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
-USA
-* DONE Alisha Nielsen
-31140 Rhea Valley Rd.
-Meadowview, VA 24361
-USA
-* DONE Bill Goebel
-2413 Calypso Rd
-Apt 2
-Madison WI 53704
-USA
-* DONE Catherine Elliott
-4044 Park Ave
-Minneapolis, MN 55407
-USA
-* DONE Collin Engstrom
-2852 59th St NW
-Apt 218
-Rochester MN 55901
-USA
-* DONE Czech Family (Kyle, Emily, Danny)
-420 Fairway St
-Mt Horeb, WI 53572
-USA
-* DONE Darien Morrow and Kaitlyn Fischer
-16W505 Mockingbird Lane
-#102
-Willowbrook, IL 60527
-USA
-* DONE Elizabeth Breuer
-3402 Rutland-Dunn Townline Rd
-Stoughton WI 53589
-USA
-* DONE Felix Radford
-140 Cottage Street 3FR
-New Haven CT 06511
-* DONE Hannah Frame
-660 Maryland Ave
-Apt 12R
-Pittsburgh PA 15232
-USA
-* DONE Justin Earley
-1830 Denver West Dr.
-Apt 2432
-Golden, CO 80401
-USA
-* DONE Kate Webber & Steve Burger
-96 Bowdoinham Rd
-Sabattus ME 04280
-USA
-* DONE Katherine Taylor
-418 Admiral Cove
-Tarpon Springs FL 34689
-USA
-* DONE Kevin Michaels
-#302 523 W Wilson St
-Madison, WI 53703
-* DONE Kyle Sunden
-1009 N Sunnyvale Ln Unit D
-Madison, WI, 53713
-* DONE Margaret Pickoff
-166 Nassau St
-Apt 3, Princeton, NJ 08542
-USA
-* DONE Mark Jochem
-PO Box 162,
-Sun Prairie, WI 53590
-USA
-* DONE Nathaniel Nielsen
-1450 Marclair Dr.
-Apt. A
-Concord CA 94521
-USA
-* DONE Nathan Neff-Mallon
-1830 Northwestern Ave
-Madison WI 53704
-USA
-* DONE Nina Halperin
-Calle Italia 157
-Dpto. 602
-Cercado de Lima 15074
-Peru
-* DONE Parker/Eckert Family
-4482 Medowlark Court
-Napa CA 95668
-* DONE Sam Price
-1124 St Clement St
-Iowa City, IA 52245
-USA
-* DONE Sarah Charley
-Sarah Charley
-149 Route de Divonne
-01210 Versonnex, France
-* DONE The Truninger
-902 W.8th St.
-Davenport IA 52802
-USA
-* DONE The Boyers
-1338 San Miguel Ave
-Santa Barbara CA 93109
-* DONE The Kohler Family
-5713 Dorsett Dr.
-Madison WI 53711
-USA
-* DONE The Manlys
-17821 E Baintree Ave.
-Roland Heights, CA 91748
-USA
-* DONE The Nielsens
-746 Keeler Ave
-Berkeley CA 94708
-* DONE The Thompsons
-827 Brown St
-Iowa City IA 52245
-USA
-* DONE The Till Family (Claire & Ralph)
-656 Grotzman Rd,
-Arcata, CA 95521
-USA
-* DONE The Wright Family (John & Carol)
-1550 Trusler Circle,
-Oregon WI 53575
-USA
-* DONE Zach Ott
-915 Ellis Ave
-Apt 212
-Baraboo, WI 53913
-USA
-* DONE Paul Hudson
-1132 Morraine View Dr
-apt 101
-Madison WI 53719
-USA
+* TODO Alexander Moore
+* TODO King Family (Cypress, Jaxson, two children Jonathan and Grace)
+* TODO Linda Thompson
+* TODO Alisha Nielsen
+* TODO Bill Goebel
+* TODO Catherine Elliott
+* TODO Collin Engstrom
+* TODO Czech Family (Kyle, Emily, Danny)
+* TODO Darien Morrow and Kaitlyn Fischer
+* TODO Elizabeth Breuer
+* TODO Felix Radford
+* TODO Hannah Frame
+* TODO Justin Earley
+* TODO Kate Webber & Steve Burger
+* TODO Katherine Taylor
+* TODO Kevin Michaels
+* TODO Kyle Sunden
+* TODO Margaret Pickoff
+* TODO Mark Jochem
+* TODO Nathaniel Nielsen
+* TODO Nathan Neff-Mallon
+* TODO Nina Halperin
+* TODO Parker/Eckert Family
+* TODO Sam Price
+* TODO The Truninger
+* TODO The Boyers
+* TODO The Kohler Family
+* TODO The Manlys
+* TODO The Nielsens
+* TODO The Thompsons
+* TODO The Till Family (Claire & Ralph)
+* TODO The Wright Family (John & Carol)
+* TODO Zach Ott
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8636562
--- /dev/null
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg