Dr. SETI's 1997 Family Holiday Letter

email Dr. SETI ®

1997 Family Holiday Letter

(On the eve of 1998)
Dear family and friends,

This has been a year of transitions in our blended household. After years of delays, Muriel's divorce and property settlement were finally concluded late in 1996. She has had to learn about portfolio management, and has mastered Internet trading. I'm quite proud of the fact that she's even managed to make some money in a generally down market. Her sons' futures are in good hands.

With legal and financial complications finally resolved, Muriel and I were married before the District Justice on 30 December 1996, with her Mom and the five boys in attendance. (That was the easiest of the transitions for us, since we had already been a family for more than three years). We had planned on a religious ceremony for all our friends in the summer, but between work and our respective children's schedules, it just kind of got put on hold. We are still looking for a beautiful site that will be acceptable to both our religions. We'll keep you informed.

I've made a most difficult career transition this past year, finally shedding the golden handcuffs of academic tenure (after 24 years of teaching) to devote full time to directing The SETI League. This has resulted in significant expansion of my travel schedule, as I attend conferences and make presentations in support of our worldwide membership. This past year has included jaunts to Alabama, Arkansas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Canada, Germany, Miami, Ohio, Philadelphia (twice), Washington, West Virginia, and at least four trips to California. About half the time, I'm accompanied by at least a subset of Muriel and the boys. Next month Muriel and I embark on a two-week lecture tour of Australia and New Zealand -- our first time Down Under.

The transition to full-time SETI promotion has resulted in my becoming more of a public figure. This year I did half a dozen TV specials (including one for Nickelodeon in which stepsons Devin, Aubrey and Bryn appeared), numerous radio and newspaper interviews, and even several concerts. My guitar skills (and I use the term loosely) have landed me gigs as Dr. SETI, billed as a cross between Carl Sagan and Tom Lehrer (I sing like Sagan, and lecture like Lehrer). The science-can-be-fun theme seems to sell well, and my music certainly sets me apart from the crowd of dull, dry academics.

Joyce, Muriel's mom, has been struggling to regain her health. Last year, she was battling bowel cancer. In February she had to have surgery unrelated to that. And this summer and fall, we have been fighting the fight in her lungs. She stayed with us for a couple of months while receiving radiation therapy. Right now, all known masses appear to be gone, and she is regaining strength and living back at home. Muriel still looks after her and keeps her spirits up.

Erin (now 4) started preschool in the fall. It is the best thing for getting him up and ready in the morning. He was dressed and in the car a day early, in fact! We're going to try to get him placed in first grade next fall -- he's already mastered the kindergarten curriculum. Curran (7) is doing well in the second grade. He is learning to write and read. He spends most of the day in learning support. He uses his walker everywhere now. We just got done fighting with the district to allow Curran to go to school without his wheelchair. What a shock. Muriel never thought we'd have to fight to give up equipment! Due to inattention on the part of his dentist, Curran may have to have oral surgery soon, to move the top tooth which is coming through the roof of his mouth.

Muriel ended up homeschooling our violist, Devin (age 9) for 3 months. The last couple of years, we have had all kinds of instructional accommodations because of a learning disability which results in poor writing and copying skills. The third day of school, his teacher screamed at him and humiliated him in front of the class because he mixed his cursive with printed letters. Enough! Devin is now learning to type. We got some modifications in place, and returned him to school, but are still pursuing the special ed. route. We are sick of doing all those meetings to design instructional modifications which nobody follows.

Aubrey (11) has given up his violin, and decided he wants to be a writer. He has his mind made up and has turned into a bookworm. (Where do you suppose he got that?) He and Bryn (13) did so well in the wrestling section of gym class that they are being strongly encouraged by the administrators to join the wrestling team next year. Muriel is staying neutral, having no wish to spend her life driving them everywhere. However, Andrew (20) has been coaching wrestling in California, and Muriel's brother Dan was quite good at it. So....

Bryn decided at the end of last school year to buckle down. He had a 93 average in his academic subjects. He knocked his mom off her feet with that one. (He did quit playing the cello, however.) He has all the best teachers this year! Lucky kid. Bryn and Aubrey are practically grown up. Their maturity sometimes amazes us. So does their immaturity.

Andrew is now a Junior at Santa Clara University, and last year changed his major from pre-law to art history. We agree that the world needs more art teachers far more than it needs another lawyer. He is still wrestling, now boxing, and working at the campus radio station (I've warned him that that's a sure road to academic probation, but so far, he's keeping his grades up.)

Erika, now nearly 24, got her fine arts degree from UC Santa Cruz, danced and choreographed in Seattle for a while (all the time managing a candy store, because you can't make a living as a dancer), and is now waitressing in San Francisco while nurturing her creative side. She's also bought a motorcycle (I wonder whose child she is?)

Muriel works on her web site whenever she has a moment. She loves the Internet so much, she built up a new computer this fall. Her home page is http://www.geocities.com/muriel_drmom and you can email her at drmom5 @ earthlink.net. My work website is http://www.setileague.org/ and you can email me at drseti @ cal.berkeley.edu. Aubrey likes to hack the save files in his games. Santa has just brought the boys got a 4 GByte hard drive for their computer (we have a total of six operational in the household at the moment, but not yet networked). Muriel is System Manager and everybody's Tech Support department (including The SETI League's).

Aviation continues to be an important part of my life. Although I'm still an FAA Safety Advisor and have kept my flight instructor's credentials current, the trusty Beechcraft is primarily a commute vehicle these days. I have an office in New Jersey, adjacent to New York City and 200 miles from home, and air-commute for a day or two every week or so. I fly the plane on some of my business trips, and we've taken a subset of the family on vacations in it (I don't think they make single-engine planes big enough for all of us...) Muriel has little love of General Aviation, having grown up on an airport and lost her father to a plane accident. But she humors me, travels with me, and continues to be supportive beyond my expectations.

Plans for next year, in addition to trying to book a proper religious wedding, include searching for a larger house. We've actually made offers on several properties already, but nothing's yet come together. Our needs are simple: three thousand square feet, five bedrooms, a three car garage, full basement, acreage for radio telescopes, amenable zoning, a family-oriented neighborhood, a good yard for the kids to play in, trees for swings, and in the Williamsport school district. Let us know if you see anything suitable.

Health and happiness until next year,
Paul, Muriel, and our assorted offspring

TOP