Welcome to Volume 24 of the Texas Times! I debated changing the title to The Kansas Times and starting over at Volume 1, but I typically am not one to break with tradition. Plus, three of our four kids still live in Texas, so ... the Texas Times it remains.
In Memoriam
I started last year's letter with an announcement that my mom had died from multiple myeloma in early December. Well, in February of this year we lost Paige's dad to the same type of cancer. Kent was a man among men and it is one of the great privileges of my life to have gotten to spend time with him over the past 28 years. As those of you who knew him can attest, he was a real piece of work. This (circa 2000) is how I most remember him. Rest in peace.
Kids
In Memoriam
I started last year's letter with an announcement that my mom had died from multiple myeloma in early December. Well, in February of this year we lost Paige's dad to the same type of cancer. Kent was a man among men and it is one of the great privileges of my life to have gotten to spend time with him over the past 28 years. As those of you who knew him can attest, he was a real piece of work. This (circa 2000) is how I most remember him. Rest in peace.
Kids
Reagan lives in Austin and is a software engineer for a company called Epicom. He's been with them for about nine months now and I am proud to say that he has been wildly successful. There probably are more efficient ways to secure a position like this than getting a degree in Religion from a private university and then spending four months at an intensive coding bootcamp with a bunch of people who are trying to change careers, but I certainly will not complain about the outcome. Although I'm not too surprised with his success on the coding front, I have to say that I am stunned by his apparent knack for client relations. Those of you who know Reagan know that he's not exactly an extrovert, but evidently he has done a terrific job of managing the service side of his projects. I guess one doesn't really know what one can do until one has to do it. He likes living in Austin and he loves living right across the street from where he works. If you live in Austin or know someone who lives in Austin, you know how fantastic a 45-second commute would be. So yeah ... he is doing great and pretty much living the dream at this point. I'll also note that he'll be 25 in April, so all of you former babysitters in the crowd can go ahead and feel even older than you already do.
Hunter will be graduating from Trinity this May (knock on wood) with a major in Art and a minor in Business. I'm not entirely sure that he'll need those degrees now that he and Reagan have picked up their diplomas from the U.S. Army Medical Field Service School (above, courtesy of the Antique Mall in downtown Lawrence), but oh well. I have no clue what he'll do when he is finished at Trinity and I don't think he has much of an idea either. So much for the concept of college preparing one for a specific career. I suspect he'll move home like Reagan did and then we'll go from there. Parts of the Art degree have been a bit of a round peg / square hole thing for him, as he is of the opinion that art should be beautiful and should actually bear some resemblance to something while "artists" at universities (and beyond, no doubt) tend to think that it doesn't at all matter what a work of art looks like as long as it's making a political statement. We've encouraged him to at least pretend to play along, but haven't had much luck with that. Instead of commenting knowingly about post-Modern oppressive duality (yes, I made that up but I'm sure it's real) and the capacity of the artist to make the invisible visible (ditto), he's a lot more likely to just stand up and say that contemporary art is garbage. Ah well ... at least with Hunter you always know what you are getting. I do respect that.
Hadley (sandwiched between her two roommates) is a sophomore at Texas A&M. She plans to major in Communication and minor in Business. She was a Fish Camp counselor this year -- Camp Bratlien / Green for those who are keeping score -- and also is a Class Agent for Freshman Aggies Supporting Tradition (F.A.S.T.). If you have an affiliation with A&M, you probably know what those things mean. If not, you can at least see her here. Her involvement with F.A.S.T. is a truly insane time commitment, but she enjoys it a lot and is doing fine in her classes. This particular organization and everything it represents should be great, long-term, for networking and such, so it's all good. We took her to a basketball game here at KU over Thanksgiving and she it enjoyed it so much that I think she is going to fly back for the A&M game near the end of January. She is a true Aggie's Aggie, so I'll probably have to put her in handcuffs and cover her mouth with duct tape to keep her from being obnoxious at the game, but we'll do whatever it takes to make it work.
Hollis is a freshman at Lawrence Free State High School and has adjusted to the move very well. He is a little disappointed with the state of secondary education in Kansas, but he is coping OK. He's taking both Geometry and Algebra 2 as a freshman, which is helping maintain his interest; however, he does seem rather frustrated with the fact that the main subject of most classes is political correctness. I could say more but I won't ... other than to note that he's showing a very high level of discernment for someone who is only 14 years old. And for that, I am grateful.
Hollis also thinks that the band program could use a bit of work. A few weeks ago he came home talking about how they finally were doing some structured sight reading. When he asked about the first sight reading competition, however, the director's response was, "We don't do that here; only two or three states do sight reading competitions." Of course Texas is one of those states, because everything is a competition in Texas (which is why Texas is what Texas is). Anyway, when they finished their (reportedly abysmal) exercises and the director asked what everyone thought they could do to improve, Hollis offered, "Cut people who aren't any good?" The band director's response was that they can't do that because they have to be inclusive. Yes indeed.
All that being said, Hollis really is doing great. He's first chair percussion in the freshman band and should be able to play snare in the varsity drum line as a sophomore, so that is a definite upside to being here. He'll be working with the city-wide John Philip Sousa Honor Band beginning in January -- yeah, he really is that big of a dork -- and that will give him even more of a chance to get better percussion-wise. He's also involved in Math Club and the Scholar Bowl team (like I said, dork). And really, the school is pretty good. Obviously Lawrence is a college town and there is a big emphasis on education. I could just do with a little (lot) less propaganda and a little (lot) more time spent on what is actually supposed to happen in school -- you know, education. The upside is that the nonsense he hears every day seems to be pushing him more and more to the side of rational thought. The same thing happened with both Hunter and Reagan at Trinity. Silver linings ...
As for us, we're doing very well. Paige loves the people she works with and is really enjoying being Dean of the School of Business here. My department is great as well, and I am extremely happy to have traded my administrator card for a return to my ordinary research-and-teaching gig. We're faculty mentors for the tennis team and are trying to get involved with the Business students in the college group at our church as well, which will give us an opportunity to add some value (hopefully) beyond our day-to-day ivory tower roles. I mean, we've already introduced several young women -- tennis players from Russia, Greece, Spain, and South Africa -- to the concept of S'mores, so we certainly are off to a good start. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" ... and I will teach them to make messy, overrated American desserts. Anyway, we're thrilled to be working at a big school and living in a college town again. For more details on all that and on our transition, you can visit the two entries from earlier in the year here and here. We're also happy to be in a place that features a significant amount of fall color, although I will say that Paige finds the concept of actual winter to be rather daunting. Tights and boots are a win, but the weather that requires them, not so much.
Entertainment
As for us, we're doing very well. Paige loves the people she works with and is really enjoying being Dean of the School of Business here. My department is great as well, and I am extremely happy to have traded my administrator card for a return to my ordinary research-and-teaching gig. We're faculty mentors for the tennis team and are trying to get involved with the Business students in the college group at our church as well, which will give us an opportunity to add some value (hopefully) beyond our day-to-day ivory tower roles. I mean, we've already introduced several young women -- tennis players from Russia, Greece, Spain, and South Africa -- to the concept of S'mores, so we certainly are off to a good start. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" ... and I will teach them to make messy, overrated American desserts. Anyway, we're thrilled to be working at a big school and living in a college town again. For more details on all that and on our transition, you can visit the two entries from earlier in the year here and here. We're also happy to be in a place that features a significant amount of fall color, although I will say that Paige finds the concept of actual winter to be rather daunting. Tights and boots are a win, but the weather that requires them, not so much.
Entertainment
We continue to devote basically all of our viewing time to British mysteries. To my catalog from previous years, which I believe included things like Foyle's War and Wallander (the Kenneth Branagh version), I'll add Hinterland, Broadchurch, Shetland, and the original Inspector Morse series that started in the late 1980s. Paige finds Morse a bit tedious, but she is flat-out wrong. Fun fact: the current PBS Endeavor series, which is also exceptional, is the prequel to the old Morse series. That is, 20-something Detective Morse in Endeavor is the 60-ish Inspector Morse in Morse. Paige did solo runs through Luther and The Crown as well and said they were quite good, so you might want to toss them into the mix. All of these things are available on either Netflix or Amazon Prime, although you may have to subscribe to BritBox or Acorn TV through Amazon to get at them (definitely worth the price of admission).
Where music is concerned, it's an odd-numbered year which means that Kate Rusby released a new Christmas album. This one is titled "Angels and Men" and of course anything of hers is worth getting if you like the English folk vibe. If you feel like broadening your horizons to Gaelic folk, I highly recommend the newest release from Julie Fowlis called "Alterum" (see video sample below). In the Americana space, Caitlin Canty and the Wailin' Jennys are very much worth a listen, and if you want to branch into a bit of contemporary-ish Bluegrass / Americana, you should check out Molly Tuttle and Gina Clowes. As for me, I had a brief and (mutually) unsatisfying dalliance with an open-backed banjo this year. We parted as friends, though, and I filled the emptiness with a lovely little blonde Collings mandolin (my lifelong penchant for brunettes notwithstanding). I also picked up a modern replica of an early 19th century Panormo guitar. Overall, I'm hoping that having a couple of new toys and a better work environment will encourage me to get back into the studio. We'll see what happens.
Books ... My favorites from 2017 were Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Tish Warren), The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman), and How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture (Francis Schaeffer). Rather an interesting mix there. I also revisited Laurus (Eugene Vodalazkin) and How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life (Russell Roberts), and found both to be just as good the second time through. So if you didn't listen to me when I recommended them the first time, now is your chance. I gave a copy of the Adam Smith book to my students last year and I intend to do so every year moving forward. I think it's one of the best gifts you could give to a college student / college graduate.
Random Thoughts
Did you know that people actually eat at Burger King? Until we moved here, I assumed Burger King was just a front for money laundering or maybe a place that a handful of people visited either out of curiosity or because they didn't know any better. You know, like buying lottery tickets or talking on airplanes or putting beans in chili. After all, if you have Whataburger, what on earth would possess you to eat at Burger King? Granted, there is no Whataburger in Kansas, but there is Freddy's (which is quite good). So I'm still really confused by it all. I've looked through the windows while driving past the Burger King that is right next to the high school and real, live people are sitting at tables, eating what appear to be hamburgers. Maybe they are high school kids who don't know any better. Or maybe they've been told by their teachers that -- in the name of inclusivity -- they should support businesses with lousy products. I dunno.
Consistency is a valuable trait. Athletes want it in officials (a strike is a strike is a strike). Students want it in teachers (my grading policy on this project is the same as it was on the other project). The list goes on and on. Basically, variance is the enemy of mankind. With that in mind, I present Jay. I do not know Jay's last name. I have never spoken with him. He has no clue who I am. He does not even know that I exist. But over the past 3-4 years I have stopped at a particular Waffle House between Nashville, TN and Murray, KY no fewer than 10 times and Jay has been there every single time but one. Before you go hunting for rational explanations (like it's always around lunchtime or whatever), my flight times in and out of Nashville have been all over the map. I've seen him around 10 a.m., around noon, around 3 p.m., and (as you can see above) just last week at 12:42 p.m. In short, Jay is the antithesis of variance. So if you ever have the occasion to stop at the Waffle House at I-24 Exit 11 just outside of Clarksville, please look for Jay. At the counter. Because that is where he will be. And yes, however bizarre / uncivilized / sketchy / disgusting it may seem, Waffle House is a guilty pleasure for us. Waffles and hash browns. Period. Paige and I probably have eaten at Waffle House 75 times during our 28 years together and have never once ordered anything else. We've not lived close to one since we left Tucson, so it is the default choice anytime road trips are involved. Paige and I even used to split our time between a swanky Indian place and Waffle House when we would drive to Houston for ballet or orchestra performances. Needless to say, on those evenings we consistently busted the curve on the dress code.
Where music is concerned, it's an odd-numbered year which means that Kate Rusby released a new Christmas album. This one is titled "Angels and Men" and of course anything of hers is worth getting if you like the English folk vibe. If you feel like broadening your horizons to Gaelic folk, I highly recommend the newest release from Julie Fowlis called "Alterum" (see video sample below). In the Americana space, Caitlin Canty and the Wailin' Jennys are very much worth a listen, and if you want to branch into a bit of contemporary-ish Bluegrass / Americana, you should check out Molly Tuttle and Gina Clowes. As for me, I had a brief and (mutually) unsatisfying dalliance with an open-backed banjo this year. We parted as friends, though, and I filled the emptiness with a lovely little blonde Collings mandolin (my lifelong penchant for brunettes notwithstanding). I also picked up a modern replica of an early 19th century Panormo guitar. Overall, I'm hoping that having a couple of new toys and a better work environment will encourage me to get back into the studio. We'll see what happens.
Random Thoughts
Did you know that people actually eat at Burger King? Until we moved here, I assumed Burger King was just a front for money laundering or maybe a place that a handful of people visited either out of curiosity or because they didn't know any better. You know, like buying lottery tickets or talking on airplanes or putting beans in chili. After all, if you have Whataburger, what on earth would possess you to eat at Burger King? Granted, there is no Whataburger in Kansas, but there is Freddy's (which is quite good). So I'm still really confused by it all. I've looked through the windows while driving past the Burger King that is right next to the high school and real, live people are sitting at tables, eating what appear to be hamburgers. Maybe they are high school kids who don't know any better. Or maybe they've been told by their teachers that -- in the name of inclusivity -- they should support businesses with lousy products. I dunno.
Consistency is a valuable trait. Athletes want it in officials (a strike is a strike is a strike). Students want it in teachers (my grading policy on this project is the same as it was on the other project). The list goes on and on. Basically, variance is the enemy of mankind. With that in mind, I present Jay. I do not know Jay's last name. I have never spoken with him. He has no clue who I am. He does not even know that I exist. But over the past 3-4 years I have stopped at a particular Waffle House between Nashville, TN and Murray, KY no fewer than 10 times and Jay has been there every single time but one. Before you go hunting for rational explanations (like it's always around lunchtime or whatever), my flight times in and out of Nashville have been all over the map. I've seen him around 10 a.m., around noon, around 3 p.m., and (as you can see above) just last week at 12:42 p.m. In short, Jay is the antithesis of variance. So if you ever have the occasion to stop at the Waffle House at I-24 Exit 11 just outside of Clarksville, please look for Jay. At the counter. Because that is where he will be. And yes, however bizarre / uncivilized / sketchy / disgusting it may seem, Waffle House is a guilty pleasure for us. Waffles and hash browns. Period. Paige and I probably have eaten at Waffle House 75 times during our 28 years together and have never once ordered anything else. We've not lived close to one since we left Tucson, so it is the default choice anytime road trips are involved. Paige and I even used to split our time between a swanky Indian place and Waffle House when we would drive to Houston for ballet or orchestra performances. Needless to say, on those evenings we consistently busted the curve on the dress code.
Closing Remarks
I will close with another good Hollis story. In one of his classes a couple weeks ago, the teacher was talking about teens questioning authority. The teacher asked the class whether rebelling against one's parents was a good thing. Students responded that yes, it is necessary for teens to rebel against their parents because it shows that they can think independently. If I had been the teacher I would've noted that conditioning your response to something based on someone else's advice indicates that you are completely dependent on (rather than independent from) that person, but whatever. Anyway, Hollis offered the distinctly unconventional opinion that rebelling against one's parents is illogical. The teacher asked Hollis to explain his position, and his response was "It's math." When people asked what he meant, he said something to the effect of, "Your parents have a lot more experience with everything than you do. Soooooooooo, why should you go against what they suggest if you want to be successful?" Having a high school freshman realize that all of life is expected value analysis is pretty solid. Hopefully we won't lose him to the dark side before graduation.
The past year or so has brought a lot of changes our way -- some exceptionally good (the move) and some exceptionally bad (losing my mom and Paige's dad). We're thankful for new opportunities, for our families and friends, and for what has been a smooth transition to a new place. We hope that 2017 has been good to you and that 2018 will be your best year yet.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God Bless,
Mike (mw0705@gmail.com)
Paige (lpaigefields@gmail.com)
1118 Brynwood Court
Lawrence, KS 66049
The past year or so has brought a lot of changes our way -- some exceptionally good (the move) and some exceptionally bad (losing my mom and Paige's dad). We're thankful for new opportunities, for our families and friends, and for what has been a smooth transition to a new place. We hope that 2017 has been good to you and that 2018 will be your best year yet.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God Bless,
Mike (mw0705@gmail.com)
Paige (lpaigefields@gmail.com)
1118 Brynwood Court
Lawrence, KS 66049
