Chapman Kids Blog

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." –John 16:33

Tag: Seattle

Kelly goes to the opera with Aunt Julia and Uncle Rich

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On Saturday, March 12, 2016

In culture

Kelly goes to the opera in Seattle with Uncle Rich and Aunt JuliaAunt Julia and Uncle Rich drove up to Seattle to see the opera last night. I got Kelly a ticket as a gift for surviving a period of insane school intensity. I think she is finally over the hump and has figured out both what is required, but also that it is also possible to for her to do what is required and have a life. That is actually, I think, a very big and important breakthrough.

Kelly bought a new dress for the affair and Uncle Rich and Aunt Julia took her to a really nice dinner. Kelly was a wildly big fan of her Aunt and Uncle before the opera, but even more so now. Her is Aunt Julia’s very insightful quote about the opera:

It was great. Mary Queen of Scots gets killed in the end by the declaration of the evil queen Elizabeth after much hand wringing, agony and weeping.

Just so. That would probably be a good description of many operas if you switched the names out and maybe added a little sword waving and romance.

Thank you Uncle Rich and Aunt Julia. We are grateful for your efforts on our daughter’s behalf. The only thing that might have made it just a little bit better is if it would have been a Russian opera!

Betty Blonde #496 – 07/12/2010
Betty Blonde #496
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Riding to Seattle on the train

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On Monday, November 2, 2015

In Education, Family

Kelly and Dad UW November 2015
Lorena and I drove up to Vancouver, Washington after work on Friday to catch a train to Seattle. The train ride was wonderful. It was the first time I was able to go up there, but I hope it will not be the last. Kelly was at a party so we took an Uber ride to her apartment from the train station. That was my first Uber ride. I am never going to take another taxi if I can at all avoid it. It was just unbelievably efficient and convenient. I had no sympathy for the taxi systems in the big cities before Uber. I have less sympathy now.

We got up early, walked to a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant by Kelly’s apartment and had an amazing breakfast. There were a ton of great little restaurants all over the place. We promised Kelly and ourselves we would make our way back up there a lot more often to try out more of them. After breakfast, Kelly and I went to the coffee shop where she does a lot of her studying. I worked and she studied while Lorena ran out and did errands. I got nostalgic for our study at the Hill and Hunt libraries back in Raleigh when the kids were at North Carolina State.

Both the kids are going through a lot of pain in their programs right now. When they set out to do something hard with their schooling ten years ago or so, we knew there would be some rough patches and they are both in what can only be described as a grind. Christian just finished his Quals and has to deliver his first conference paper at an Information Theory conference in Asilomar, California next week. Kelly has her first year paper due in January and her Quals in July. She has some very intense Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant duties on top of it all.

This point of their PhD degree work is nothing more than a horrible grind. They barely have time to sleep because it is just one deadline after another and I think it can be a little daunting and discouraging. They will be at the halfway point soon, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. One of the things I have to remind them is that the point of all this work is to give them the skills and credentials to get a good job. That is all. It is not necessary to even stay in the field they studied. When this is done, they have something real they can use to get a good job, but it should not define their life. Too many people get their degree and think it somehow entitles them to unwarranted and unrealistic levels of respect and success. It does not. Life is just getting started when school ends.

Betty Blonde #415 – 02/7/2010
Betty Blonde #415
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Kelly rides the train back to Seattle

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On Monday, July 20, 2015

In Education, Family, Work

Kelly goes back to Seattle on the trainKelly’s whirlwind visit ended yesterday afternoon when Lorena took her up to Vancouver to catch the train back to Seattle. This week has turned into a big week for both Kelly and Christian. I already spoke about Christian’s trip back east to present his research results for the year. Kelly is in the middle of a smaller, but still big chunk of research she needs to show to her boss when he arrives back to Seattle from a month or so away in Europe of some such thing. The upshot is there has been a lot of pressure and angst that should see some relief this week.

What better way to relieve angst and get some office work done than go on a train ride with great Wifi and coffee products. Kelly has now taken the round trip train ride between Seattle and Vancouver, Washington (the Vancouver around these parts). Christian has taken it once. Both of them love it. Last night, the train took an extra couple of hours for some reason. My understanding was that had something to do with the heat, but that does not make sense to me. The good part was that it gave Kelly an extra couple of hours of quality time with her research so she was able to get it mostly ready to show to her boss tomorrow morning.

I love train travel. Part of it is the feeling of travel without care of time restrictions. I have only taken a train ride one time to a business meeting. That was between Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina and I enjoyed it a lot, but it arrived a couple of hours late. On the few other times I have taken a train it was for vacation and I was able to plan for the possibility of lateness which happened all too frequently. I know some train systems are punctual, but I have not often been fortunate in that regard.

It all kind of fits into the Environmentalist Wacko theme that has crept into this blog, too. It feels like I am saving the planet when I ride the train. Don’t tell any Democrats, but I kind of like that.

Betty Blonde #375 – 12/23/2009
Betty Blonde #375
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Kelly’s apartment in Seattle

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On Saturday, July 19, 2014

In Education, House and home

Kelly's apartment in Seattle
Kelly is now settled into her apartment in Seattle.  She loves it and is making new friends.

Betty Blonde #140 – 01/28/2009
Betty Blonde #140
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