The Obligatory 1996 Holiday Newsletter
Straight to the Pictures
Where on Earth did this year go? I guess it seems like 1996 went fast since we lost the first five months working full-tilt on DecideRight 1.2 for Windows 95, which was released in early June.
(Roll of drums, fanfare of trumpets) DecideRight won the North American Software Publishers' Association's prestigious Codie Award for best business software of the year. We got a standing ovation when the results were announced, having beat out four Microsoft products for the honor. Tah-dah!
We did take time out in April to go to the Nebula awards as guests of Analog and then for a great visit with Stan and Joyce Schmidt, canoeing and hiking out here in Arizona.
The summer went by quickly, though, too-Shea went to summer activities camp every morning, Lynne's Mom moved to Kingman, and we spent lots of time getting her settled. Shea loves having her grandma in Kingman. Sometimes we put the two of them in time-out, when they gang up on us.
August 19th-back to school, and Shea is in Kindergarten now, which is "school for reals!" August 21st-Shea lost her first tooth, and was relieved to find out that the Tooth Fairy comes to Kingman. She was also successfully re-routed to Rochester for tooth #2.
Shea has continued her gymnastic career this year, getting better and better and scaring the wits out of her Dad. She did crack her ulna (armbone) this year doing same (scaring the wits out of her Dad), thereby giving him latitude to say, "I told you so!" She also is playing soccer brilliantly again this Fall, and is (shhhhh-it's not nice to say so, but we will) the mainstay of her team. When she's not there, they don't win. Her main achievement this year, however, is learning to read. She now reads us her bedtime books, and we are worried that she will progress too rapidly and know that we are flipping past all the cartoon programs by reading the on-screen TV guide.
Lynne took up a new profession this year-teaching! We went to a meeting with the head of the Computer Department at Mohave Community College here in Kingman to peddle Marc's butt to teach object-oriented programming classes, and they said, "That's wonderful, Mr. Stiegler, and Lynne, when can you start?" Now teaching Net Surfing 101, Windows 95, Microsoft Works, and Microsoft Office classes, and loving it! Her students all think she's some piece of work, as they are not spared her quirky sense of humor or pungent and irreverent comments. She has also become the modern equivalent of Johnny Internet-seed, having given impromptu Surfing lessons recently to: a sushi chef, a Chinese restaurant owner, and diverse folks in the aisles of Price Club. "No, no, you use a browser to look at the stuff AFTER you use the search engine to find it. Just take a class!"
On a bittersweet note, Lynne's step-dad succumbed this year to his Alzheimer's-he was 63 and was happier to pass on than to get brain-dead, thank you very much. He was at least partly responsible for shaping Lynne's sense of humor and love of music, and certainly for getting her into computers. Thanks, Dad-miss you!
Marc did another brief contract for Avantos the last two weeks of August, then went back to writing sci fi, and you should see yet another of his short stories in print ere long--tentatively titled "Variations in DreamPaint." His paragraph is short, as we haven't hardly seen him all year-he's been holed up in his office, creating. Who knows what evil lurks...
We got through our turtle phase this year (OK, let's be honest, Lynne did-Marc never started one), and we are again down to a mere four faithful and valiant hounds. Marc was sorry to see the turtles go, as he felt that the next pets on which Lynne settled might not be so benign as turtles, but she fooled him by beginning to adopt cement animals. We now have two geese, a hippo, 3 ducks, an alligator, and two tortoises. Lynne wishes to note that she recently heroically turned down an offered 2-month-old Pot-bellied pig, which had to be the cutest thing on you've ever seen. Marc disdained to notice.
In October we hosted two incredibly nice young men from the UP WITH PEOPLE show. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a touring company-kids sign up for a year, and go all over the US and Europe, some to Asia. They stay with host families, do community service in each community, and put on a very fun, high-energy show 4 or 5 nights a week. Sakke was from Finland, and Jeremy was from Gallatin, Tennessee. Great guys! I think we'll send Shea when she's 17-what a confidence and esteem-builder!
Another of our adventures...we became boat owners-our new baby was a 16' day-runner with an open bow, perfect for cruising the Colorado, Lake Havasu or Lake Mead. After several idyllic cruises through magnificent Topock Gorge (no kidding, it's great!), we received the dreaded call from the marina where the boat lives: "Uh, we think you better get down here...your boat's, uh, er, taking on water." Yes friends, we were able to take the next step-- A boat is not a hole in the water into which you pour money-oh, no!--a boat is a hole UNDER the water into which you pour money. We are now on our second boat, a 20' Sea Ray... (Plaintive wail from Lynne: "No, really, Marc, the pshrink said I was OK!--No! Get away from me with that baseball bat!")
Stop the presses! Shea turned six just a few weeks ago! Can you believe it?
This year's trips:
March-Mexico, where we ate ourselves sick on shrimp and had the best time staying with our friends the Zerrs & co. on Playa Encanto in Puerto Penasco.
June-Marc, Lynne Shea, and family friend Jessica DeWitt headed to the Bay Area for a week of intense touristing, then Marc and Lynne headed off for two weeks in Seattle on an "adult" holiday of exploring the San Juan Islands by foot and kayak, backpacking Oregon's Columbia Gorge, and other things that Shea, bless her little 5-year-old heart, can't quite manage yet. Shea, on the other hand, had a rollicking time in Phoenix with her Aunt Suzi, Uncle Steve and Allison Blonder. I don't think she missed us at all.
September-Zion National Park in Utah when Marc's Aunt Nancy visited the 2nd week in September. Hiked the Narrows, great weather, and Nancy is always a fun companion.
October-We let Shea go back to school for two weeks after Zion, then off to Rochester, New York Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada for fun and family visits.
Hope to see you next year!
(Open at your own risk!)
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Last Updated: 4 December 1996
Holiday graphics courtesy of:
The Christmas Web
Sharon Quinn/A Bordertown Christmas
Celeste Dolan
and others--not left out intentionally! Thanks, and Happy Holidays!