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+\chapter{}
+
+Might be neat to have chapter-level table of contents here.
+
+\section{Final Semester of Graduate School}
+
+Class TA
+
+Writing dissertation: small steps, watch YouTube video after each small writing period, try hard not to be a perfectionist---lots of things to be unhappy about
+
+\section{Defense, Graduation}
+
+Only debate was if it was appropriate to pass somebody who never mentioned Chemistry in their Defense.
+
+Afterwards: dinner and celebration.
+
+Defense: Tyler, Kyle, Jonathan... pictures
+
+\section{Visiting Tyler in NYC}
+
+\section{Beginning New Job}
+
+\section{Sam Visits Madison}
+
+\section{IMTS 2018}
+
+On Friday September 14th 2018, Blaise and Steve Meyers visited the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Place, Chicago.
+Steve had a connection with faculty in the Mechanical Engineering department, so both of them were able to ride in a chartered double-decker ``Badger Bus'' and enter the show all for free.
+The show was truly remarkable in scale, with over two thousand booths, and 129,415 attendees.
+Many companies had gigantic building-scale booths where they exhibited their large machines.
+Some companies even had bars and multi-story constructions with meeting rooms and offices---all contained within the booth space.
+Steve said that a lot of smaller companies cannot even afford to exhibit at IMTS due to the cost of renting space.
+
+\begin{figure}
+  \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{ThompsonBlaiseJonathan/2018/IMTS/IMG_20180914_141541}
+  \caption{
+    A large booth at IMTS 2018.
+    The company, Mazak, manly sells metal-working machines such as lathes and milling machines.
+    Everything is fully automated and computer controlled.
+    The sheer size of the conference can be seen here, as this is just one booth in the huge
+    conference hall---look down the hallway on the right-hand side.
+  }
+\end{figure}
+
+\section{Thanksgiving Break}
+
+Fly to Las Vegas.
+
+Death valley.
+
+Drive to Roseville---stopped on 80 for chains.
+
+Large thanksgiving meal.
+
+Drive to Jim's house.
+
+Backpack stolen, same place where Betty's car was jacked and Roy was robbed (check this with Nancy).
+
+\section{Winter Break}
+
+This was the first Winter Break since starting my new job.
+Steve let me know ahead of time that he anticipates a large volume of work being submitted just before graduate students go home for break.
+The machine shop actually had a light season, but I was in-fact hit pretty hard with a lot of last minute projects.
+This is in addition to preparing for 628 next semester, so I came into break pretty stressed about my work project situation.
+
+I drove to Iowa City on Saturday, 2018-12-22, and returned to Madison on Thursday 2018-12-27.
+As usual, I enjoy the three hour drive each way---an opportunity to listen to music and podcasts.
+
+My parents have been busy remodeling their basement, and have been getting rid of a bunch of stuff along the way.
+I'm glad that they are continuing to downsize, but I worry about starting to work hardcore on the basement when the Barn project (welding machine carriages, wood working space) does not seem to be moving forward.
+I worry in general about my parents, and my relationship with them.
+I did manage to help David with a lighting project in his new electronics bench area.
+He has added some shelves, and his area is coming along nicely.
+
+On Sunday 2018-12-23 I went with Nancy to Zion, my ``home church''.
+I haven't been to Zion for years, perhaps since starting Bates?
+It was pretty awkward to attend---a lot of people recognized me and I had awkward interactions with people that I really do not remember.
+Still, I'm glad I went and I think I will try to continue attending when I am in Iowa City.
+Zion is a frighteningly liberal church (discussions on microaggressions, LGBT issues), so I think I'm not really being realistic by staying away on moral grounds.
+
+For Christmas presents I gave Nancy a smart phone (Pixel 3) and a dock for her laptop.
+I gave David a set of small ESD-safe bits and associated driver (Whia brand), and a label-maker.
+All of these family gifts went over well.
+I also gave Darien a set of electronic Calipers, Kyle a copy of Horowitz and Hill 2nd edition, Claire the Circle of Magic series books, Ralph the same Whia brand tool set, and Tyler some metal ``ice cubes''.
+For myself I received \$1200 from my parents to offset the cost of what was stolen in Oakland, and some fountain pens.
+
+For Christmas dinner we had choice beef for with pilaf and red cabbage.
+Blueberry Julius for desert.
+Mom's 75th birthday.
+
+I was able to declutter quite a bit myself.
+I got rid of a large trash-can worth of childhood artwork, toys etc.
+A lot of other artwork was chosen for framing, meaning that it is going to be displayed rather than just saved for savings sake.
+I also went through some of the things in the attic, and condensed.
+All of this is in preparation for immanent destruction of my childhood bedroom.
+
+% TODO: picture of Christmas tree (?)
+% TODO: picture of electronics work bench
+
+Justin, Boyfriend and Natalia 2018-12-28.
+
+Tyler, Claire and friends 2018-12-28.
+
+Tyler, Jessica new years.
+
+\section{Beginning This Book}
+
+At the very end of December, I finally began working in earnest on this document, which I'm currently thinking of as a ``book of memories''.
+I've been ruminating on this project for about a year now.
+It's probably prudent to write down my thoughts at the beginning of this hopefully life-long project---if nothing else they will serve as a funny reminder of just how much the project has changed in scope and intent.
+My idea is to create a document that really does contain most everything that I want to remember about my own life.
+I'm old enough now that I am already forgetting almost everything about my own childhood.
+A lot of my friends' memories, and a lot of my own, have been locked up in various social media platforms that are bound to fail (or worse, succeed---social media is terrible and I hope it dies).
+
+In one sense, I feel like this project is an exercise in narcissism.
+Do I really believe that my life is special enough to warrant a whole hand-made book?
+Well, no---I don't believe that my life is special, extraordinary, or even particularly remarkable.
+And I'm not necessarily writing this book for anyone except myself.
+I want to have a more complete and accurate perception of my own past, and that goal alone is sufficiently motivating as I undertake this project.
+I may want to share this book with friends and family in the future, but right now that is not a goal.
+
+I'm also thinking about sentimentality.
+I currently perceive myself to be overly sentimental---I hold on to random objects and obsess about random memories far too much.
+I'm thoroughly fed up with this.
+I am fed up with having too much stuff---physical items that clutter my environment and weigh me down.
+And I am fed up with being paralyzed by my perception of past transgressions and successes.
+So this project is also a kind of token against my sentimentality.
+I intend to focus my obsession with my own past into creating an ever more complete and accurate description here.
+Practically, this book will force me to choose a small subset of pictures and stories that actually matter---and once I collect them here I don't need to worry about keeping them organized in other places.
+
+Hopefully moving forward I can write this book in semi-real time.
+Obviously the big undertaking is in organizing the past.
+I hope to not obsess about that.
+I don't plan to have any reservations about the quality of the writing here.
+To the extent that I have time, I can edit, cut, add etc to any section---I'm not going to treat writing that happened in that moment as sacred if I think that I can do a better job.
+
+Wish me luck, future reader.
+
+\section{Year in Review}
+
+% TODO: include winter solstice letter