back  |  1994  |  next

December 1994 Dear Ron and Hazel       Our picture this year shows Christmas eve of last year.  We took 6 weeks off of work and spent 1 month visiting New Zealand from top to almost Bottom.  Visited old friends from sabatical days and hiked the Milford track.  Then we spent 2 weeks visiting Tasmania which was our "something new" visit.  The reverse is about midway on a 6 day backpacking trip on the overland track between cradle mountain & Lake Saint Clair.  This was quite an adventure–hiking n Rain, wind, mud and cold through absolutely Beautiful countryside filled with unusual plants animals and geology.  We certainly fulfilled our aim of a Do-it-while-you-still-can vacation.       We have been back almost a year (in less than a month back we were both saying we needed a vacation!!).  Anyway we are hanging in there working overtime every day plus 1 day on the weekends by Michael.  We are certainly "doing more with less" which seems to be USC's motto.  Michael has been teaching Biochem and Humn Biology this semester and also working on assorted Education programs to get young kids interested in science.       Our kids are doing OK.  Alex is still doing graduate school in some kind of biology.  Miguel is now a tenured High School teacher at San Mateo high school in northern Calif.  Eric is writing in Washington DC, tho he is now thinking of moving elsewhere.         Thanks for your last year's nifty letter (so you are retired Hazel!-—we figure maybe 4 more years for us til we do it).  Last year was our vacation and I wrote nothing-my apologies.        Hope your Christmas is wonderful and your new year too.   The Applemans

                                                                                                                                                 back  |  next