Dr. SETI's 2002 Family Holiday Letter

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2002 Family Holiday Letter

December 2002

Happy 2003 from our blended family!

This has been a busy and generally happy year in our large household. Here are the past year's happenings, listed this time in age-order:

Erin (9) is in fourth grade at Round Hills School, where he excels at reading and math, and is generally ambivalent to academics. He is still in Cub Scouts, and taking compulsory violin lessons, but both under protest. He'd rather stay home and play computer games with his older brothers. On the Friday afternoon prior to winter vacation, Erin left his violin on the school bus (and now, doesn't get to practice over the holidays). We don't think it was accidental.

Curran (about to turn 13) was active in Challenger baseball again this year, and for the second year in a row, his team played a demonstration game at the Little League World Series. He and his girlfriend Jenna are both in sixth grade Learning Support classes at Lycoming Valley Middle School, where they continue to struggle with their disabilities (hampered somewhat by pronounced adolescent attitude). Curran gave the family an early Hannukah gift this year, by starting to cruise around the house using a single quad-cane, thanks to the encouragement and support of Charlie, his marvelous new physical therapist.

Devin (14) started high school this year (at Williamsport High, where his two older brothers attend). He is struggling to overcome his ADHD and dysgraphia, and continues to earn the nickname "Drifty Devin." But for the second year in a row, his Odyssey of the Mind team advanced to the State Championships, largely on the strength of his creativity and dancing talents.

Aubrey (16) got his driver's license this year, but with neither a car nor insurance, considers it merely a status item. He is excelling in Physics and Math, and on a recent campus visit to Drexel University, began thinking seriously about computer security as a career. Aubrey is a Junior at Williamsport High, and did reasonably well on his first pass at both the SAT and the ASVAB exams.

Bryn (18), who also got his driver's license this year, is in his Senior year of high school. He tested well on the SAT, but is failing most of his courses, and seems to lack both motivation and any discernible goals. He has yet to apply to any colleges, though he assumes he's continuing his education. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drow... If our country weren't hurtling headlong into insanity, we'd be encouraging Bryn to join the military.

Andrew (25) continues to pursue a career as a hip-hop musician in Berlin, where he's lived since graduating from college. He has a new flat (shared with ex-girlfriend Anna, which must be awkward), and spends a lot of time on the road, doing gigs all over Europe. Although his father was in Europe twice this past year, they just couldn't seem to make their schedules mesh! They had to settle for email and cellphone contact.

Erika (28) still lives in San Francisco, where her dance troupe has been receiving critical acclaim. She got a college teaching job this year, to help support her artistic habit - and seems to be naturally suited to that life. Erika spent last New Year's visiting us in Pennsylvania, but was swamped this holiday season. Her Dad plans to visit her out West in March.

Muriel (who admits to being over 21) continues to substitute teach, build and repair computers for the local disabled community, work in special education advocacy, and spend far too much on lawyers, fighting her ex-husband's reluctance to support his kids. She is looking forward to the "One Great Vacation" in February, when she and Paul will take all five of her boys to Orlando FL.

Paul (56) had some health concerns this year, now mostly resolved. In the opinion of his physician, his benign hypertension finally demanded chemical intervention. On trying two different medications in five different doses, his blood pressure consistently oscillated around its preferred set-point (can you spell homeostasis?) His BP finally responded to 100 mg/day of Toprol XL (a beta blocker). But that medication let to an abnormal EKG, necessitating a stress echocardiogram (which, thankfully, just came in as normal!) Next month he needs to convince the FAA Aviation Medical Examiner to renew his flight certification.

On the work front, Paul continues his extensive SETI League travel, despite the lagging economy and a struggle for funding (with donations down an alarming 90% since last September 11th). This year his lecture tours took him to nine US states and five European countries, with a similar schedule on tap for next year. His new book "Tune In The Universe!" (which came out last year at around this time) is not yet a best seller, but it's getting him lots of bookings. Last month he and Muriel attended a black-tie banquet in New York City, where Paul was honored with induction as a Fellow of the Radio Club of America (the country's oldest and most prestigious radio communications society).

As this is being written, Paul and Muriel are preparing to celebrate their sixth anniversary (traditionally the Iron Wedding). Paul threatened to buy her a clothes iron, and Muriel promised to retaliate by giving him a soldering iron. They compromised on a new painting for the living room, now hanging in full view of the beautiful new glass-and-mahogany front doors installed last summer. Our large and elegant house is now complete, save for you -- won't you please come for a visit?

Wishing you peace, love and security during the coming year,

Muriel, Paul, and their kids

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