Dear Heidelbergers,

Our Reunion is just around the comer, Aptil 19-21, 1996, and, oh, by the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This will be one of my shortest Yuletide greetings. We leave in two days for three weeks in London and I haven't packed yet .. so it gose. Gose Highlights in 1994.- Janice and I celebrated a full two decades, a score of years, of marriage on August 31st. Creedance is now driving, will get a '95 Ford Explorer as soon the new model with air bags finally anives. Have I mentioned that she's Student Body President at Malibu High School? Optimist Club selection as outstanding high school student (again)? Will be almost the age you were in HD at our reunion? She'll graduate early to be there, and I've agreed to teach in the Spring program in London so I'll be over there to co-ordinate the reunion ... mentioning all this, perhaps, to add but a wee bit of pressure for you to start saving money to be there.

Mark. Mark Harris. I want to start the yearly run throughs and skewers by starting with Mark, my "pal from P. Town". Mark wrote me:

"Hey Dr. G.- How goes it for you? Well this is your pal from P. Town. I am doing pretty good. I am a loan officer for a financial planningcompany. Straight commission but I like it that way. It will help me become a millionaire that much faster. I got your letter for the reunion... Dane tried to tell me it's in June. I would hate to be a month early, think about my reputation ... Shannon says she'll be down or out for the Reunion. It should be a fun time and I'm really looking forward to it."

There it is. The microcosm of the macrocosm. What does Shannon mean "down or out"? Did Dane tell Mark June knowing that the reunion was really in April? Probably. But why? To play with Mark's mind? To confuse Mark? To amuse himself.? Or did Dane not know it's in April? Or did I tell Dane June because I'm still mad at him for skipping one of my exams? And was this letter from Mark that I received in the summer early to make sure I received it before Pearl Harbor Day, 1994, and my yearly letter? Or, was it the letter for last year's Pearl Harbor Day. And your now knowing that Mark plans to be there in HD April 19-21, 1996, don't you think you should already be saving money for the trip? Or perhaps you are thinking you won't need to save money, since you know that if Mark is a millionaire by then, he'll surely charter a plane and take us all. Mark continues to be pleasant in Pleasanton.

Need I say more? Well I guess I do need to say more because there's lot of other good news for the New Year. Carlos has started his own independent film company and has great expectations. Kim Austin married Dana Ellis July 10, and they've moved to Bremerton (where I went to eighth grade). A few days later, August 13th, Monica married Jesus (and there's some great stories about Monica telling pastors about "meeting" Jesus) Duran. Weddings are a reunion in and of themselves. Carolyn Ford came all the way from Colorado for Kim's wedding and Danielle down from northern California for Monica's shower. Carolyn is working on her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Colorado. Danielle sent me a long letter on stationery from her summer in China, mostly bragging about daughter Camille who is now about a year and a half. Janet Bailey now lives only a few yards away from us in faculty housing. Small world: she's working in Oak Park in the Library with someone I've been friends with for many years from when we worked together in Half Moon Bay. Shannon has been vacationing around the world meeting Sheldon in exotic ports of call and then coming home to investigate stuff like child abuse (which perhaps only Shannon can describe with great enthusiasm). Jonathan is a lawyer with a firm in San Francisco and I'd mention the firm's name erxept I don't even have room for most of your spouses' names in this short letter. There's a very serious rumor that Camille is expecting in May. I have heard that Dena has moved to Orange County, but that it isn't her fault the County then lost 2 billion dollars. Midori married Bill Lawler I believe on April 30th and they have moved to Austin, Texas, where she is working in Advertising and Marketing. Kathy Bristow is back in Russia now with KPMG Peat Marwick, working on starting an over the counter stock program. Word has it that she "lived with" Tim Young in Washington D.C on an interim basis as she changed career opportunities in Russia. I believe that Tim is still with Cable News in D.C. I do not believe Tim told Kathy "sleep in the streets like you did in Europe" nor that Kathy retorted, "no, that was Shannon." Kim Cabe has gone into the private sector with Baxter, a company in Irvine trying to save trees by converting paper records to electronic ones. She's also still involved with ministry and fund raising for a program in Mexico. Tanja continues to collect Star Trek memorabilia full time and pursue her doctorate as The Force allows. I told her that I expected our reunion to have a "sling shot" effect like on Star Trek. She expressed surprise that I'd become a "trekker" ("trekkie" is no longer a politically correct term). I think she finally named her new cat "kling""on" which is a pretty bad pun but does give some recognition to Worf. Zoila brought us another family member, Matthew Gerald, March 28th! I've heard Russ and Becky brought us Kaylee (sp?) on November 18th! I think Char is still in intensive care, but at least gets paid well to be there. I think Audrey is still with Aetna out of Sacramento. I've heard the faintest of rumors that Caroline has had a second child? Debbie sent me a wonderful Christmas picture of Alexa, who is just over a year and a half. I'm on shaky ground here, but I think Janille had a baby girl in May, and named her Nancy. I'll use such a grand event to also apologize for errors of fact that I have made in my letter. You may remember that we did study "networking" in our Soc course together, but some of the networks have been a bit faint from time to time, all the more reaso/need for our reunion in '96. Shayne. I think we should all fight a thank you to Shelley Meyer for planning to many Jeff Gillett January 7, 1995 at Walnut Creek. I think it would be an overstatement to suggest that she's marrying Jeff so she can come to our ten year reunion, but I understand she has agreed to the prenuptial pact to be with us in HD. I haven't heard whether Tom finished his MBA with European emphasis. I've heard several times from Brett. He's going to visit Dane this Holiday season. Among his other business endeavors he is also designing toys. I think Cristina is still at the San Diego Tribune. Kevin is in Austria studying German and working in Missions. Stephanie continues to work with the Idaho lottery and, much to be regretted apparently is forbidden to bet herself so that we all do need to keep saving individually for our trip in '96. And how's Connor, Stephanie? Have you seen the movie, "The Navigator"? It's a very favorite film of mine and the older brother is named Connor. Erin is in Montana of all places, finishing her thesis for the Monterey Institute, and is even in a more rustic location, perhaps, than Julie who has recently take a job in Apache County, Arizona, as a prosecutor in the District Attorney's Office. She's living in St. John's. Sounds like a great job (but I imagine it will be possible to persuade her to leave her new Eden for a visit to HD). Haven't heard from Cindy, Sarah, Jeanne, Paige, Cara in awhile, nor Jon Rankin for that matter, although Jon has been the cause of a reviving of the Docetic controversy, only instead of the argument on whether Jesus was actually here in the flesh, the new question is whether Jon was actually with us in HD. Brain (please excuse the typo) Brian, Sweetness, has moved to Texas, is working in an emergency room, has applied for a Master's in Nursing, and I have been authorized to report that even though I have nothing authorized to report, that it would be inappropriate at this time to call him should you be looking for a date, although chaperoning is still okay. Connie has the greatest commitment to higher education of us all if we judge by mileage. I understand a three hour commute from Flagstaff to Phoenix. Kim has a June date to present Luke with a sibling. I hear from Dane fairly often from Germany. He's in east Germany. Instead of driving a BMW at an ungodly speed, he now drives a "Travis" at what must be an unprecedented speed for a formerly eastern bloc vehicle. I believe his new company has the term 'Aquarius" in their title, and I am sure that this detail of company name is "truer than true" even if I should be wrong about what the company is called Patrick talks to me a bit more often now about doctoral work, but he's still integrally involved in bilingual education in Pasadena. Michaelann has blessed us with Brock, Thomas, and now Augustine (whose namesake is the first book we read in Great Books II in January, to drop in just a little bit of personal trivia). Maz, I apologize I haven't been to see your plays yet, but keeping sending those announcements of your play dates. Steve Nicks is now running the Pepperdine Business Program in France and will also be coordinating their program in Germany. Steve, be sure to delay your Ph.D. work, and stay there, through April, 1996. Kowanda now has two boys, Derrick and Douglas (my middle name, another little bit of personal trivia I knew you'd want me to share here). Don has one more year of residency (and I haven't seen a picture of Jordan lately ... hint, hint, hint). Frig, call us, 310-456-4940. Your reward for doing so will be 1) $1,000,000, or 2) $1,000,000 marks, or 3) a box of Lindt thin chocolates, or 4) a picture of Dane from his appearance at Rocky Horror Picture Show. I like peanut buuer sandwiches. I haven't heard fiom Scriv, Scriv, I miss heating you call me "Dad", except with all the births the past two years, and with the alarming whiting of my hair, I'll expect you to call me "Grand-dad"? I think Jan's about done at Georgetown Law? It's great, and Jeff, pay attention to this, it's great to have Karin Taylor working in my Division's office, and Jeff, she still calls me "Dad." I see Brad's mom in the Humanities Office and she assures me Brad is doing very well as a father, teacher, coach. Paul Tyler has been getting a lot of press. Paul's in his second year of law school at Pep and has been clerking for Ito in the OJ trial. More importantly, there's a very strong rumor that Connie, and thus all of us, are "expecting". I see Carrie, who is doing great, (and Andy and Jenna) occasionally because Carrie's parents live two doors away. When will you start the Ph.D. Carrie? I had lunch with David and Christopher. Gayle and Alyssa were in Canada at the time. They expect to go back to China (Beijing) in April. I think Eric and Jen have both finished their Masters Degrees and are wondering about the next step even as you read this ... I told the Provost I wanted Eric to have his job, and for Jen to be the next Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (so it's this simple, E and Jen--doctorates or grandbabies or both ... ). Todd, send me a picture of Emily, or I'm taking you out of my will. Kristy and Brad moved to Phoenix. They are building a new house there, and sometime soon I'm going to forgive them for leaving. The hurt was mitigated somewhat by the fact that they are staying with Kristy's other parents, whom we have come to love greatly. My intention is to write you all another letter in April about the specific plans for April, 1996. In the meantime I've two sets of finals still left to grade, and a plane to catch. I'll be sure to think of all of you as I sit in London's Enismore Pub ... drinking coffee; be sure to think of us or send us lots of money. If you find one odd sentence in this epistle, know that it was put there deliberately because my friend in high school, David Britton, always wrote that sentence in his assigned essays, and never had it marked by a teacher. If you find a lot more than one odd sentence, it suggests that you really were paying attention. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Goses!

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