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+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<meta name="viewport" content="width=80ch, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no">
+<html>
+<head>
+  <meta charset="utf-8">
+  <title>2014 winter solstice letter</title>
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="../style.css">
+</head>
+<body>
+
+<h1>2014 winter solstice letter</h1>
+
+<p>
+<a href="..">← back to memories list</a>
+<p>
+
+<hr>
+
+<p>
+Blaise sent this letter to friends and family to celebrate the winter holiday season, 2014.
+In addition to this html version, you can also download the letter as sent: <a href="./letter.pdf">PDF</a>.
+</p>
+
+<h2>Winter Solstice Greetings - 2014</h2>
+
+<p>
+Hello to all my friends and family.
+I hope that you are feeling peaceful, cozy, and happy in these winter months.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a long time I've wanted to start a tradition of sending out yearly letters.
+In this, the 25th year of my life, I've finally gotten around to doing it.
+I'm inspired by my mother, who has been sending out letters since the 80s.
+It's a wonderful way to keep in contact, and it serves as a great personal record.
+It may seem anachronistic now that we have email and social media, but keeping it a physical letter just feels good.
+Please let me know if your address changes (email is probably best) so I can send you letters in future years.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+I'm now a fourth year Analytical Chemistry graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
+I do research in the lab of John Wright.
+We do ultrafast, multidimensional spectroscopy of solar materials.
+I'm involved in many projects, but mainly I'm working on BiVO4 and PbSe quantum dots.
+I'll continue this research for another one to two years.
+After that? I'm not too sure yet.
+Grad school has been very fun for me, I really enjoy working in this field and the people that I interact with are all fantastic.
+John in particular is a great mentor personally and scientifically.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As a vacation this year mom and I went out to California by car, primarily to visit bay area relatives.
+It was an all-around stellar experience.
+Driving from Wisconsin to California takes a long time, but the geography is stunningly beautiful.
+Highlights included clouds in Nebraska, Big Trees, Yosemite, and the Bonneville salt flats.
+The bay area itself was also beautiful, of course.
+It's crazy to realize that I haven't  been out to see that side of the family since Grandma Betty's funeral in 2005.
+Will have to make a concerted effort to go out west more often.
+Perhaps I'll have to swallow my pride and get on a plane.
+</p>
+
+<figure>
+  <img src="./me.JPG">
+</figure>
+
+<p>
+Our family cat, Untzag, died unexpectedly in October of this year.
+She was run over by a car.
+Vehrzheen, the family dog, is geriatric and probably not long for this world.
+2015 will probably be the first year in my life without a family dog or cat.
+Ridgeback, my turtle, is still going strong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Madison continues to be a great city for me.
+I take advantage of it less then I should.
+I'm going out to eat and grab drinks more in recent months.
+The folk community here is very active, and I was able to dance weekly for most of the year.
+I've been taking a break from contradance over the last several months, but plan to dance again come January.
+I was able to see Yelle and Of Montreal in the same month this fall.
+Both were absolutely fantastic live.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Have a great new year.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Blaise J Thompson <br>
+509 N Lake St. Apt 408 <br>
+Madison Wisconsin 53703<br>
+<br>
+blaise@untzag.com
+</p>
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+<h2>
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+</body>
+</html>