2009 Update

Best wishes to all for a happy 2010. We are ending 2009 in good health and looking forward to changes ahead in 2010.

Jake has completed his first three semesters at Willamette University and just finished a good semester, which included organic chemistry and microbiology . He was a teaching assistant again in a freshman biology class and will have the opportunity to TA next semester. He is looking forward to getting to know the Cascades as a backpacker with the Outing Club at Willamette. He is leaving his options open to pick up chemistry as a second major. This summer he is planning to work at a USDA lab in Pullman, Washington, and will live with his Aunt Rebecca.

Quincy was very active in theater at Las Cruces High School and just completed stage managing the LCHS production of The Wiz. It was long hours, but the production was well received, and she got more experience in theater. She has all her college applications in and has her acceptance letter from NMSU and University of Evansville. She will have her interview with Evansville in January to get into their theater program (it is very competitive) and hopes to hear from Southern Oregon soon (just got her transcript to them). She completed her first two college courses at NMSU this semester and has signed up for two more next semester.

Stu and I are well. Stu continues to enjoy summers off, and I continue to enjoy the benefits, like the deck-and-hot-tub addition Stu and Jake built last summer. We also traveled east, saw family, visited DC (always a favorite), and generally enjoyed rapidly dwindling time to be together as a family. Stu and I both battled the flu of the swine in September, and recovered without major drama.

Teaching remains a highlight of professoring for Stu. He developed a class in food engineering this year and continues to teach the 'Beer Class' (aka Brewing Science and Society) to a full house each semester. His research these days is primarily in experimental design, which means he usually can be found with a computer in his lap. Retirement looms, or at least is a possibility after the kids complete college!

I continue to be a bike commuter (now on my dream bike, with the 30-year old Fuji in reserve as the bad-weather machine) and have enjoyed the extra doses of fresh air. My work at NMSU this year has gotten more interesting, and I continue to enjoy the institutional perspective I have in my current job. Bassoon, book clubs, friends, hiking keep us busy and promise to fill the empty spaces when the kids are both away next year.

The time flies, but it is a privilege to watch Jacob and Quincy develop their own lives. Hard to believe 2010 is about here. Could the Y2K brouhaha really have been 10 years ago? Best wishes to all for a good life in 2010.

Merry Christmas to all...

Christmas, 2009.

We are in La Jolla, California, hanging out with the seam anemones at the beach (in one of the city's undoubtedly funkiest cottages) for the holiday. The weather has been beautiful, and the family time has been, as they say, priceless.

We arrived with Quincy on Saturday to move into this ~50 year old cottage that is 2/3 of the way up Ocean Lane. We were surprised that Ocean Lane was a staircase (no street-side parking for us!), but that sure keeps the street noise at a minimum. Jake was scheduled to arrive Sunday evening, but a delayed flight pushed that to painfully early Monday. But no matter -- having him around is worth as many late night trips to the airport as it takes. He will spend his birthday with us before he heads back to Salem in mid-January.

Mornings, the kids sleep in as Stu and I watch seals that resemble hefty bags loll about on the beach. We have explored the area on bikes (very bike-friendly, southern California streets are) and this morning plan to head down to Mission Bay for some birding. Afternoons, kids join us or not for exploration further afield. Yesterday we were at Cabrillo National Monument, the lighthouse built on the point that guards the San Diego Harbor. Today we will do a walking tour someplace.

It is wonderful to have 4 people at the dinner table again, and evening discussions have been great.

Empty nesting practice

This was Jake a couple weeks ago at Willamette, before the weather turned cold, blustery, and rainy. (It has been beautiful here this week. Biggest weather issue has been the tail wind for my ride home...). His swim team worked at the opening for the Kroc Center in Salem.

Quincy is at her last high school Zia Band Competition in Albuquerque. With her gone for the day, Stu and I are practicing the empty nesting thing. I (vaguely) remember what it was like to have time to make a nice dinner -- a friend is joining us, the bread just came out of the oven, and I think I can recall how this all works. Of course, we will have too much food.

We are also winding down in the football marching season. As a band parent, I have one more game to work, even if it is the insane Cruces-Mayfield game (a rivalry often mentioned in the top national high school football rivalries). Six years of selling horribly non-nutritious food to the masses is a long time, even if other Cruces parents (I thinking of you, Travises!) had a much longer tenure. Cruces could surprise us and go to lots of playoff games, but it is not looking like that at this point in the season.

Ah well, fall in LC is beautiful. Good time to start thinking about getting into marathon shape!

Cape Lookout

A most excellent day yesterday.

We started out with Salem's Farmer's Market (excellent) where we picked up way too many apples. Jake gets to keep most of them, but they were fresh, locally grown, organic, and of varieties never heard of in New Mexico. Yum.

Met Jake about noon, watched a soccer game for a bit, and had the welcome opportunity to meet Jacob's swim coach. Or at least Stu did. Not knowing it was his coach, I spent the time on the phone to Quincy. Doh!

Then on to shopping (outlet center was crowded!) and the beach. We hiked along Cape Lookout to the end and will have more photos later.

Jacob was most generous with his time. Now to meet him for breakfast and head to the airport.




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Catching up, August 2009

Stu dropped Jacob off at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon today for the start of his sophomore year. He was good company over the summer, great help on the deck and getting the hot tub installed, and he helped me keep up on politics. Always good to keep tabs on how your kids are thinking. He does pretty well in the thinking department.

While Stu and Jake have been on the road, Quincy and I declared a formal-meal-free weekend. Good to give a break to the digestive system occasionally. And I maintain that one of Stu's dark beers has more nutrients than pretty much any fast-food meal money can buy.

Quincy started her senior year of high school (senior photo, right). She has a only four classes at the high school, so she is taking classes at NMSU as a dual credit student; there she gets to indulge in her interest in languages (she is in first semester Chinese and patiently explains the writing characters way too many times to her mother) and in her sense of aesthetic. Tuesday night's class is a horticulture class in floral arrangements, and I think it will be really good for her. She gets to play with flowers, learn about design, and bring pretty things home each week. Pretty cool, really.

Stu and Quincy are getting over some bug they were kind enough to share with me. They were both affected on weekdays; my version took over a weekend. Rats. But I was well enough to sit through Julie and Julia today without coughing more than that which is considered socially unacceptable.

Today was the first time I really had enough time to enjoy the new patio furniture. Most excellent place to spend with the Sunday Times. I really do have to find a good northern sky chart, though, for hot tub time. I get through Cassiopea and the Big Dipper and then have to start looking for airplanes. Many of our activities seem to be focused on the north. The dogs and I watched 3 coyotes romp from north of the house on the top of the Black Quartz Mountains today (Annie pointed them out to me). Great view from up there.

Stu just called from north of Sacramento. He's going to try to get home tomorrow night, but he is also recovering from the Quincy croup and is down to one driver.

And so it goes.

Sunday wrap-up

Good weekend, but not without complications.

An excellent Thanksgiving dinner, as usual, with the Silvas. We were down a few people, but up some new ones. The politics talk was more mellow (thanks, P-E Obama) and it was good to be there.

Friday, Stu, Jacob, and Mel made it to the top of the Organs for our second ascent. Socked in by fog, so no view, but beautiful crystalline frost at the top on the east side. Clouds were roiling through the small gap we cross into the Tularosa Basin, and the wind was fierce.

Saturday Quincy played with the Band at LCHS's semi-final football game against Mayfield in a rematch of the big rivalry. Only 20K fans at this one, so smaller crowd than usual. Jake and I went shopping during the game (fewer people in stores). Oh, and LCHS will play next weekend in Albuquerque against Eldorado for state championship. Woot!

We toook Jake to El Paso this morning for his flight back to Willamette. And tomorrow Stu will go to the doc to see if he just has a kicker of a cold or something to be more concerned about.

Will post pix later...

Oregon State Capitol

From the grounds of Willamette University.
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On Willamette campus

Bell tower at Willamette University. Written in chalk, with an arrow pointing to the words, was "Obviously not."

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Jake update

So how is Jake doing? (Photo above taken on a hike during pre-orientation on the Oregon beach.) Photo below Jake took with his new camera.

Well, according to his reports. The weather has not yet turned rainy and he is not yet sick of dorm food. I worry that he is not getting enough to eat, but he has little patience with my worries.

Swimming started a couple weeks ago. The workouts are double the length of what he is used to, but he likes the coach and his teammates. The team is small, but that just means that Jake gets to swim more relays. First meet is on Halloween, and the season goes until mid-February. He is playing intermural soccer and ultimate frisbee when he has the chance.

Early quizzes have gone well, Jake says. FERPA ensures that we have no idea what that means, but he has been managing his education for a while. Only his scholarship advisors get to know what his grades really are.

Jake reports getting enough food and sleep. He likes the people at Willamette and his classes. His colloquium professor and German teacher are favorites; biology and chemistry are repeats of high school stuff, but he likes the biology labs. He is using real equipment instead of proxies. Example: Instead of coffee filters and sharpies, he used a spectrophotometer on his chromatography lab.

In down time, he seems to be having plenty of fun, and campus has lots going on. He has been to the beach three times since arriving in Oregon (brat). He went to a talk by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September; tomorrow E.J. Dionne will talk.

Maybe he will send a picture we can post soon, and if not, we will post during parent's weekend.
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Jake: The next step

Stu and Jacob arrived in Salem Friday, moved Jake into his room Saturday, and said farewell for now. Jake is off on his own, at least sort of, and we look forward to Parent's Weekend.

Unlike lots of kids, Jake has always been a particularly interactive human being, and almost always in a good way. For years, he has brought insightful reflection and questioning to conversations on matters large and small. His thoughts were always fresh and unique, and he shared them with us generously. We now move on to a different stage in that sharing.

It was always clear that the world would be his oyster. So welcome him, world. Be kind to our boy.

Goin' North

Jake and Stu are in Boise tonight, Salem tomorrow. Jake, hope you are soaking in that sunshine, son, because it is a bit more rare in Oregon than it is at home!

Willamette bound

Jake and Stu left this morning bound for Oregon. They made it to Green River, Utah, tonight and are will try to make Boise tomorrow night. Yup -- all that way in the Echo!

Jake will spend a couple days hiking in the Cascades before reporting to Willamette for the semester. Stu should be home by Monday.

Updates on other stuff: Relleno party this year was re-purposed for Jacob's farewell. We posted a picture of the rattlesnake we moved earlier in the day as a reminder to all to be careful. The rattlesnake was eating a white-winged dove in the picture.

Caterpillars are nearly gone, Quincy is back in school, work is busy, and biking in to NMSU is working well.

Catching up

April into May sure gets busy. Pictures to come soon. (We have lots.)

The LCHS production of Talk Radio ran last weekend. Closing night was the best -- the cast had lots of energy and hit the laugh lines just right. Quincy made a great Dana, not that I might be biased. The set was also super.

Jacob committed to going to Willamette next year. He will be a Bearcat. Not sure what that is. Ursus felidae? Felis ursidae? He plans to play soccer and swim and squeeze in some time for athletics, time permitting.

And tonight was the LCHS Senior Awards Night. Jacob was got a couple awards and will get to walk in the top ten of his class. This year 28 students had a GPA over 4.0, and so many of them earned great scholarships for college. The surprise honor of the night: Jacob got an award from the Marine Corps for athletics?!

Will get caught up this weekend on summer plans, etc.

Campus visit

Jacob is on his way back from Salem tonight. He visited the campus this weekend, talked to the swimming and soccer coach, went to a biology class, and generally had a good time. His Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Jeff met him on campus Saturday and attended a function.

I am hoping it rained the whole time so he knows what he will be in for if he goes there!

Still waiting to hear from his other 3 colleges. Getting closer to decision time?

Jake at Willamette?

Jake heard today that he is a finalist for the scholarship he applied for at Willamette. He will fly there in a couple weeks for an interview.

He is at least a little excited!

Could Willamette be the one?

Jacob got his first fat envelope from an admissions office yesterday. Willamette University [http://www.willamette.edu/] promised Jake a response in under three weeks, and they kept their word.

This will be a busy winter for all: Mel and Stu have to navigate financial aid forms, Jake has a final decision to make, and Quincy plans to have contractors start busting down extraneous walls for the new suite she is planning with the empty room next door. She has graciously offered Jacob the guest room while he is in town...

Somewhere that is not here...

Question parents of high school seniors are asked most often: Where is the kiddo looking to go for college?

Jake is applying to Willamette in Oregon, Carleton and Macalester in Minnesota, Clark in Massachusetts, and Swarthmore in Pennsylvania. Back-up schools are UNM in Albuquerque and perhaps some WUE school.

What is a WUE school? Check out http://www.collegiateacademy.net/counseling/4_select/select_wue.htm
Especially if you live in the western US.