The Mittelstaedt Monitor

Christmas 2024

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

"Let's get this newsletter updatèd..."

Ted and Jean, 30th anniversary, August 7, 2023

Working hard...or hardly working...

Ted has been at his new job for a little over a year now: Director of Information Technology with CODA, Inc., a non-profit substance use treatment program. He oversees IT operations at the main office and at the various treatment and residential facilities around Oregon. His work still involves hands-on, but he is doing more with budgets and purchasing, equipment deployment, and personnel management. And he's actually taking days off now. 😊

I teach students about writing at Chemeketa Community College and at Linn-Benton Community College. In January, I will be teaching at Warner Pacific University as well. During Fall term, which just ended, I taught three writing classes, an English class, and an online brain-based learning class. I'm teaching writing and information literacy during Winter term, which begins in January. I also taught driver education and was the education specialist for a train-the-trainer session with ODE which trains bus driver trainers. I continue on Chemeketa’s Faculty Senate, where I maintain their Web site, among other duties.

The CORE Train the Trainer event in July

Hexagonal thinking discussion in Writing 121Z

Visual arguments using print ads in Writing 115

Mittelstaedts: The Next Generation

Ian and Ambrose headed to Beetlejuice

Ian turned 26 this summer and works at Vic's Auto Center in Lake Oswego as an automotive technician. He's working toward an apprenticeship with Tri-Met. His partner Ambrose will be starting a new job with Centria Health. They live in an apartment close by with their two cats Morpheus and Freyja, so he is able to stop in occasionally for a hot dinner or to let Ruby out when we are out of town. They are both TKs (Theater Kids), so they enjoy going to local theater whenever the can. These pictures are from when they attended Beetlejuice earlier this year.

Ian and Ambrose at Beetlejuice at the Keller Auditorium

Dorothy turned 22 this fall, just before beginning her senior (but not last!) year at Seattle University. A mechanical engineering major, she's been taking math, physics, and engineering classes. Her off-campus apartment is much larger, plus she has a view. She enjoys finding deals on groceries and trying new Asian recipes in her own kitchen. She loves life in Seattle and enjoys exploring the area around campus when not studying. Her favorite place to visit is Twice Sold Tales, a bookstore with cats, and she regularly checks in with the dogs at Cal Anderson Park. She joined Rover.com this summer and has been busy walking dogs and house- and pet-sitting. She's home for a bit but will return to Seattle before Christmas for a house-sitting gig.

Dorothy and Amura

Dorothy and Foxy

Ruby is 17 now and is slowing down more, but you wouldn’t know it when she's out on the beach at Seaside. She gave us a couple of scares this year where we ended up at Dove Lewis (they are amazing!), but she bounces back quickly and is not above looking thoroughly starving whenever people food appears. She sleeps more these days but still enjoys patrolling the local schoolyard to make sure it's kept free of food bits so that the little children and their parents don't have to worry. 😋

She's perfectly fine in this picture--just enjoying the nice cool grass.

Life, the Universe, and Mittelstaedts

Our personal lives are not quite as busy as our professional lives, but we still make time for fun. We celebrated our 31st anniversary in August. I still sing with the Chancel Choir at Westminster Presbyterian, although sometimes my teaching schedule necessitates a hiatus. I ride my bike when I can. Ted runs and this year will captain a Hood to Coast team--which works out great, as we already have a place in Seaside to stay. :-) We also enjoy walking through our very walkable neighborhood and watching whichever streaming program we have time for. We're looking forward to Series 5 of All Creatures Great and Small in January.

The different moods of Tillamook Head in Seaside