From 4bea938489a86179d545a26069c889bcc4dfe929 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blaise Thompson <blaise@untzag.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:01:35 -0600
Subject: 2024 letter checkpoint

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 memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2024/letter.tex | 81 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 create mode 100644 memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2024/letter.tex

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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2024/letter.tex b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2024/letter.tex
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+% document
+\documentclass{letter}
+\usepackage[margin=0.5in]{geometry}
+\usepackage{multicol}
+
+% text
+\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
+\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+\usepackage{lipsum}
+
+% graphics
+\usepackage{graphicx}
+\usepackage{wrapfig}
+
+% signature environment
+\newenvironment{sig}[1]%
+ {\begin{list}{}%
+         {\setlength{\leftmargin}{300pt}}%
+         \item[]%
+ }
+ {\end{list}}
+
+\begin{document}
+
+\pagenumbering{gobble}
+
+\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2024}}
+
+\begingroup
+\setlength{\intextsep}{0pt}%
+\setlength{\columnsep}{10pt}%
+
+Friends, family---greetings to each of you.
+It's snowing hard here, a few inches on the ground and we're only halfway through the storm.
+Finals week means scrambling to finish up the semester---finish grading, take notes about what went wrong and right, organize the filing cabinet.
+At the same time preparing for next semester and dreaming of big long-term projects.
+Glad to have this yearly letter-writing tradition.
+
+\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\textwidth}
+  \begin{center}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./blaise.jpg"}
+  \end{center}
+\end{wrapfigure}
+
+Each year I read through my old solstice letters as preparation for writing.
+This year was pretty dramatic---a lot has changed in my life since December 2023.
+I have a new job, a new relationship, a new outlook.
+I'm in a much better place than I was last year.
+National politics are scarier than I've ever experienced, but locally things are looking better and better.
+Trying to focus locally...
+
+In July I left the Electronics Shop for a new role in the Department of Chemistry.
+I'm now ``Instrumental Lab Director''.
+The move is bitter sweet, since this role was previously filled by my friend and long-time mentor Rob McClain.
+Rob did such a wonderful job, I'm intimidated trying to fill his shoes.
+Furthermore, I really enjoyed my work in the shop.
+I'm going to miss the luxury of focusing directly on instrument design full time, especially in a shop with professionals such as Amber, Steve, Matt, James, Sam, Tracy, and Lauren.
+Still, after six years I'm happy to try my hand at something new and this position as lab director is exciting.
+
+VACATION TO PITSBURGH PARAGRAPH
+
+LOST COAST PARAGRAPH
+
+HOUSE WORK PARAGRAPH
+
+Thank you all for being a part of my life this year.
+Please---stay in touch.
+
+\vfill
+\raggedleft
+
+Blaise Jonathan Thompson \\*
+\hspace{0pt} \\
+1813 Fisher St. \\*
+Madison, Wisconsin 53713 \\*
+\hspace{0pt} \\
+1-424-225-2493 \\*
+blaise@untzag.com \\*
+https://blaise.zone
+
+\end{document}
-- 
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