1 files changed, 100 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/source/2018-solstice-letter/letter.tex b/source/2018-solstice-letter/letter.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a71ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/2018-solstice-letter/letter.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+% document
+\documentclass{letter}
+\usepackage[margin=0.5in]{geometry}
+\usepackage{multicol}
+
+% text
+\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
+\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+
+% graphics
+\usepackage{graphicx}
+\usepackage{wrapfig}
+
+% signature environment
+\newenvironment{sig}[1]%
+ {\begin{list}{}%
+         {\setlength{\leftmargin}{300pt}}%
+         \item[]%
+ }
+ {\end{list}}
+
+\begin{document}
+
+\pagenumbering{gobble}
+
+\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2018}}
+
+\begingroup
+\setlength{\intextsep}{0pt}%
+\setlength{\columnsep}{10pt}%
+
+Hello to all my friends and family.  %
+I hope that you are feeling peaceful, cozy, and happy in these winter months.  %
+It's fairly warm here in Madison, but the bay near my apartment has already frozen over.  %
+The last two weekends have been popular with ice fishers and skaters.  %
+As finals week progresses the town slowly empties.  %
+
+\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.4\textwidth}
+  \begin{center}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"IMG_20180511_193937"}
+  \end{center}
+\end{wrapfigure}
+
+This has been an important year for me professionally.  %
+On April 23rd I successfully defended my dissertation, earning my doctorate in analytical chemistry.  %
+See left a picture of me and my PhD adviser John Wright.  %
+I am very lucky to have worked under John for seven short years.  %
+John taught me a lot about being an independent thinker and communicator.
+I was blessed to have my parents and good friend Tyler attend my graduation.
+I ``walked'' with two other Wright Group friends---Kyle Czech and Jonathan Handali.  %
+The ceremony that I attended (just for masters and doctorates) was huge---I'm still amazed at UW-Madison's size.
+
+Of course, the high of graduation is typically followed by the panic of trying to find a job.
+On July 23rd I began working as an instrumentation technologist for the chemistry department.
+This is a research support role where I work on solving technical challenges facing researchers throughout the department.
+I am the supervisor of a ``makerspace'' where students and researchers can come work on instrument construction and repair.
+We have specialized equipment and a large inventory of parts for purchase.
+I take on a large variety of different jobs---everything from fixing humble hotplates and glassware drying ovens to designing custom oscillators for mass spectrometry.
+The people that I work with on a daily basis are driven and kind---they have done a lot to help me overcome my lack of formal training in electrical engineering.
+For me right now, this is a dream job.
+
+I've had several opportunities to travel this year.
+A few weeks after graduation my friend Tyler was gracious enough to invite me to his home in New York for a 1.5 week vacation.
+Highlights included eating at Di Fara Pizza, exploring Coney Island, and seeing The SpongeBob Musical on Broadway.
+It was so fun to visit Tyler and see how far he has come since his own graduation.
+I was also glad to visit my friend Felix at Yale during the same trip.
+
+In July I spent nine days in Iowa City with my parents.
+After so long, I enjoyed spending such a long time at ``home''.
+The barn construction project is going along beautifully, and I was able to help with some humble drywall work.
+
+\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.3\textwidth}
+  \begin{center}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{"DSC_0131"}
+  \end{center}
+\end{wrapfigure}
+
+Over the thanksgiving break I traveled to the west coast.
+I flew into Las Vegas, where my parents picked me up for a quick 24-hour Death Valley experience.
+We woke up early to watch the sunrise from Dante's View.
+I hope to return to Death Valley for a longer trip some day.
+Here I am standing on the floor of Badwater Basin---282 feet below sea level.
+After leaving, we picked up Karaby and drove straight to Roseville, where we had thanksgiving dinner with the Trumbly \& Decker Family.
+It's so nice to connect with extended family after many years.
+
+Wishing you and yours a happy new year. Stay in touch!
+
+\vfill
+\raggedleft
+
+Blaise Jonathan Thompson \\*
+\hspace{0pt} \\
+725 W Washington Ave. Apt 306 \\*
+Madison, Wisconsin 53715 \\*
+\hspace{0pt} \\
+1-424-225-2493 \\*
+blaise@untzag.com \\*
+http://blaise.zone
+
+\end{document}