Happy Holidays 1998/1999
Moving Again
Our first full year in New Mexico is to be our last. If you haven’t removed our previous address—good—because that’s the one we’re headed back to. A friend I’ve had more than 30 years said recently, “I have 3 pages of ‘R’s in my book and they’re all you.” “Don’t blame me. I told you years ago to put everything but my name in pencil.” Thank God for digital address books.
A New Old Truck for Cathy
Camille from Saturn bit the dust in a crash that left Cathy with only 2 bruises. I remember the salesman telling us “dents are a thing of the past.” Cathy was going less than 15 mph at impact and the Saturn crumpled like a kid’s plastic car. No dents, though.
So she picked out a huge, heavy ‘93 Ford F-150, V-6, 2 gas tanks, sky view of traffic conditions. Now she runs over those pesky little compacts like road kill.
National and State Conferences
We attended our first National Autism Society of America conference in Reno in July, and worked the New Mexico one in October. For the NM conference, I worked the call for papers committee (mainly so I could present mine and know the competition). Cathy had it much harder running the registration. Now she’s working part time as the NMAS scribe and go-for.
Worst Landlords No More
Things at the Tennessee house went from worst to disgusting. The high maintenance tenants moved out in August and no one will take their place until we get back in March. We used up all of our luck with the Texas house, I reckon.
So Much for the World’s #1 Sport
Luke tried soccer this year and really, really hated it. I was gung-ho to have Kate suit up, too, but reality (that is, Cathy) stepped in. Good thing, too, because Kate couldn’t even stand to watch Luke. For his part, Luke could trot up and down the field aimlessly with the worst of them. He bought in to inbounding the ball, but at season's end, after I promised to never put him through that again, he cut up his jersey into dozens of pieces.
Alphabet Soup for the Soul
Cathy and I now have more unused letters after our names than most couples. I completed Project Management training and became certified as a PM Professional. (This and 79 cents will buy a coffee.) I also graduated from the University of Tennessee in May, with an M.S. in Information Sciences. This and Cathy’s Information Resources Management masters help us every day in raising Luke and Kate.
Luke and Kate are in different schools this year, on different schedules. Kate is in her second extended school year (ESY) program at Mark Twain and Luke is on the “regular” schedule at Madison Middle. (Both are Albuquerque Public Schools. ESY means the same 180 days, but they are spread over 10 1/2 months instead of 9.) Luke has been swimming a lot and is extremely helpful. Everyone mentions how helpful he is, and when they say it they aren’t as sarcastic as Cathy and I tend to be. We’re thinking of having him get valet training or maybe work at a laundry because he’s so dang helpful. Kate is talking to everyone but Cathy. She even calls me by title. Of course, she calls Cathy “Daddy” too, so who can tell. But she throws in the odd new word every so often, just to keep us wondering. Neither one is sold on the idea that the toilet is the only place for certain functions and Kate isn’t completely convinced that clothing is necessary inside the home. There is a nudist family near Cathy’s parents that Kate would fit in with perfectly.
Peace, Love, and Understanding
Peace and love and joy and fulfillment to you and yours in this holiday season and the year ahead.
All the best from the Southwest. Have a fine 1999!
- Jeff, Cathy, Luke, and Kate
lukate@charter.net