The Mittelstaedt Monitor: Christmas 2021

 The Mittelstaedt Monitor

Christmas 2021

December's now here, and Jean at last said,

"Let's get these Christmas cards mailèd..."

Yes, this picture is definitely older. One of these years we'll manage to get everyone together for an updated one. In the meantime, enjoy.

Workin’ 9 to 5…and more

Portlandia Cloud Services, Ted’s consulting company, continues to keep him busy.  He provides IT consulting services to individuals and small businesses.  He’s pretty mobile, working from his home office or out in the field.  He might install a server in the morning and troubleshoot somebody’s virus-infested laptop in the afternoon.  All this while answering a steady stream of phone calls and emails. Since the pandemic began, he has helped many of his clients get their employees set up to work remotely. While he still makes plenty of in-person visits, he has also discovered that Zoom often makes long drives to customer sites less needed. This also saves gas and wear and tear on the vehicles, which he also likes.  😊

I continue teaching students about writing at the Salem Campus of Chemeketa Community College and at the Sylvania Campus of Portland Community College.  I typically have two or three writing classes a term, although sometimes I have as many as four or five. Like my colleagues around the world, for most of 2020 and 2021, I learned to teach remotely. I taught several terms of students who I never met face to face, which was hard, but at least I was still teaching. I returned to the physical classroom this fall with two classes. I’m not very fond of teaching while masked, but I’d rather do that than teach while Zoomed. I am concluding my third year on Chemeketa’s Faculty Senate and might run for a second term. I’m also on the Center for Academic Innovation Advisory Board and a couple of boards for my state professional organization. These professional activities keep me busy; most weekends are spent planning and grading.   

Mittelstaedts: The Next Generation

Dr. Everett V. Scott, A Rival Scientist

Ian turned consecutive numbers this year (23).  When the pandemic began in 2020, his Automotive Service Technology program at the Sylvania Campus was temporarily suspended. He elected to strike out on his own in the job market. At various times, he worked at Valvoline, Napa Auto Parts, as an auto mechanic for a small garage, and as a shop mechanic at a truck-building company. Currently, he is a tow truck driver for AAA, which he’s done since September. He even towed Ted home once recently! He hopes to get a position training in elevator repair. He also flew from the nest in early 2020, moving in with some friends and then later with his partner to their own apartment. He’s experiencing rent and budgeting and shopping and other Adulting topics. They became engaged in July and hope to marry sometime in the next few years.  

Dorothy turned 19 and finished her senior year at 

Franklin High School remotely and in person. She was a TA for her shop teacher and helped him to navigate the intricacies of the learning management system in addition to keeping the shop clean and organized. She graduated in June at a real, live ceremony.  She is currently a freshperson at Seattle University and just completed fall term. She took calculus, acting, World War I history, and introduction to mechanical engineering. She’s getting used to sharing a room for the first time in her life but is loving life in Seattle. She visited home in November, riding Greyhound all by herself from Seattle to Portland, to read her short story at the Portland Book Festival. The story was published in the Writers in the Schools anthology, and the event was to mark the book’s publication. Needless to say, we are very proud of her! She is enjoying some down time over Christmas break and will return to Seattle in January for winter term, when she will take calculus and mechanical engineering classes. 

Ruby sniffs along the Necanicum

Ruby is 14 now and has slowed down somewhat, but you wouldn’t know it when we get her out to Seaside down near the river.  She still loves chasing squirrels and anything that will run away from her, and she is not above looking thoroughly starving whenever people food appears.  She loves going for walks and for car rides, especially if they result in a nice treat from an obliging gas station attendant.  During the darker winter months, she loves chasing her laser pointer around the local schoolyard—good way to keep her exercised in the winter.

Life, the Universe, and Mittelstaedts

As always, our personal lives are as busy as our professional lives. After an 18-month hiatus, I was able to return to singing with my church choir at Westminster Presbyterian. We sing with masks, but we sing! We returned to rehearsals and singing in worship in September and will participate in 2 Christmas Eve services. And I ride my bike as much as I can. I rode Bridge Pedal for the first time in several years.  I also spent time when I could this summer exploring the many places that Portland offers for riding a bike.  As for what we do together, we don’t see as many movies in the theater, especially since the pandemic closed many of them down, mainly relying on our Disney+ streaming. We did get to see Summer of Soul and Dune—both were amazing. We eagerly await the next Downton Abbey movie in theaters and The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Picard, The Orville, and All Creatures Great and Small. 

Our Seaside house has turned into a welcome and comfortable retreat that we enjoy visiting about once a month. I was able to teach many of my classes from there. We spent Thanksgiving there, and we will be there for most of the Christmas break.  Ruby enjoys rambles along the Necanicum River, which we can see from the house, and chasing birdies along the beach. It’s also proved popular with the vacation renters.   

And to all a good night...

                
Peace and love to all of our family and friends in 2022!