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Here are a few links that will increase your knowledge about not only myself, but my family as well. Why you desire such knowledge is beyond me, but perhaps somebody will find it interesting:
Otherwise, after a fully eventful 1994, this past year began to look like a very bland outing. Civilization hasn't fallen, post-election punditry notwithstanding, due to the Republican majority in Congress. Recruiters from PhD programs and top software development firms didn't form a line outside my office door. Despite a strong showing in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, Rice's athletic teams didn't take that next step as the football squad lost two four offensive starters en route to a way-too-familiar 2-8-1 season.
However there were two events that have had some impact on the way we view things. One is an ongoing thing, as we observe how Geoffrey is responding to school, how that atmosphere changes him. In the meantime Christie has continued reading various education-oriented books as we try to determine whether the current private education is the way to go, or if public or home schooling will work. A very interesting argument for home-schooling was given to us by a fellow Rice graduate.
The second event was the death of my grandmother, Vivian Coday, on Dec. 16th.
It may seem odd for a fellow working on an advanced degree to stand in sub-freezing
weather in a Missouri cemetery, mentally denouncing his cluelessness, but I don't
grade out so highly if the standard is the kind of life she lived. She gave
a fine example. She was also one of my greatest encouragers and supporters.
I know I could be doing much better.
I'll briefly recap the year's events: I began Graduate School in January, then there was
an eclipse in May which I saw for about 5 seconds during a break in the clouds, then a
comet struck Jupiter over a period of days during the summer (a nice picture
of this event is here), then Rice beat Texas
in football for the first time since I was two (resulting in nature wreaking havoc as
heavy rains inundated Houston), then the Republicans became the majority party in the House of Representatives,
then I finished my first year of Graduate School. Can't decide whether I should do this more often or not!
Closer to home, 1994 brought us Amanda!
The 20th great-grandchild of Lena Chapman and
first granddaughter of Donald Royce Chapman was born on September 22nd, and has
quickly won the heart of her daddy at the very least. She is the inadvertent
namesake of my grandmother's great-grandmother, and also of a character in an
Albert Campion mystery novel...his wife actually. She seems to take after her
oldest brother, physically at least, except that she's a much bigger baby at
this point than he was.
1995 should be a pivotal year for us. While we don't necessarily expect
the Owls to overturn Texas again (p.s. - they didn't), we do expect that I
will start a Thesis topic before long (p.s. - I did) and with any luck at all, finish
the endeavor by this time next year (er - I haven't). What happens after that is
anyone's guess - I'm keeping my options open just now. But even more importantly,
Geoffrey will begin his formal education in the fall and so the cycle continues.
I expect to encourage him to finish graduate school before having 3 children, some
years down the road (hopefully I'll be done by then!).
I have two Campion short stories to go in Mr. Campion and
Others, by Margery Allingham. Great fun - British detective
stories, set in mid-20th century London. Maybe after the thesis is finished.
[gripe - Christie read them without me !@*#&*]
We finally got into Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers. Like
the above in that it is British detective fiction set in the first
half of the century. Very good. Then we read Have His Carcase
which continues her storyline.
Recently finished Wm. F. Buckley, Jr.'s last spy novel, A Very
Private Plot.
Hoping to continue in the following before too long:
Hoping to get the latest by Tony Hillerman, Buckley, and some
philosophical stuff like Denning and Douglas Hofstaedter.
Christmas, maybe? [ps: Christmas has come, and I'm one Hofstaedter richer!].
Music? The Bridge Between, from the Robert Fripp String Quartet,
is usually my drive-time enjoyment, alternating with King Crimson's
"official bootleg", B'boom. Lately, both have been bumped by
Steve Taylor's Squint. I finally got around to making a tape of
it for my car, and now I can't get enough of it.
At home you might hear Brother Sun, Sister Moon from the Cambridge
Singers (John Rutter conducting, as always) to start the day or end
it, or parts of Natalie Cole's Unforgettable album. We recently
added Newsboys to our "something completely different" list;
their album Going Public was produced by
Mr. Taylor (who also worked on the lyrics - and you can tell!).
My wife is Christie Athena Carl nee Chapman (Rice '84) and the boys are
Geoffrey and Elliott. Each child has the distinction of having been
born in a different state.
The Year's Events - 1994
Current Reading and Music List
The Phantom Tollbooth, the book I'd been reading the boys, has
been finished, and we worked through most of The Children's Book of Virtues. Now, Geoffrey's new interests in Texas history and the Civil War (you
should see the books he brings out of the school library!) have us reading
out of easy-reader biographies about Sam Houston and Abraham Lincoln. I've
also been able to cajole him into reading bit to me as well.
The Family
There are five of us in the Household and I'm still trying to find time
to add some pictures of everyone. Here's an 'old' one, of my first and
only daughter, Amanda, taken late in 1994.
Email to
esteban@cs.utexas.edu.
Back to my Home Page.
Last modified: Mon Feb 5 15:29:27 1996