\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