The 2023 Randall Christmas Newsletter

Thanks for having the courage to read about more Randall trivia. Before I go on to 2023, I have to eat my words from last year's edition where I claimed that my superior immune system had allowed me to escape yet another year without COVID. As it turns out a day after I email blasted (Dec 26, 2022) those of you lucky (or unlucky, you pick) enough to be on our list, I came down with a case. Patrice was right, as she almost always is, I should have worn a mask!

An indication of how hectic 2023 was, is that I have just now (Friday Dec 22, 2023) started to compose this year's edition. We hope that all of our good readers managed to navigate 2023 with elegance, good health, and a minimum of tribulations.

I can't resist sharing more of Bryan Smith's Music Humor:

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Patrice Activities: Patrice spends a fair amount of time trying to keep John out of trouble and from being a fashion disaster. She discourages John from buying any clothes for either her or himself. As last years' indoor major indoor remodeling efforts were a considerable success, Patrice has engaged a crew to take care of the landscaping in a manner superior to John's inept efforts. Patrice did some pro bono work for Rahul Saini's Zyvex Labs' spin out Teliatry that is making active biomedical implants. She did some business analysis for a potential product (not to be disclosed at this time).

While we see Ian on a regular basis (See Ian update), Patrice talks to our daughter Ashley (living in LA) far more often (See Ashley activities). Patrice has again decked the halls. See the photos of Christmas Eve.


Red and Gold
Christmas

Ian contemplates presents, Zephyr contemplates Ian.
2023 Solar Eclipse: Patrice's 2nd job after she got her Chemical Engineering degree was at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory where she worked for Dr. Laurence Taff on astronomical observation techniques. This experince transformed Patrice into an astonomy geek. Consequently, events such as a solar eclipse (even a partial one) have become a big deal in the Randall Family. Using their Celestron telescope with a solar filter we captured many pictures of the partial eclipse.

Shown below are a sampling of the stages of the partial eclipse that we captured with an i-phone through the Celestron telescope. Also some details of one of the images which show a sunspot and pertrubations at the edge of the moon's shadow that John thinks are moon topographical features (Mountains). Also below is a video of the many eclipse images being projected by a large Crepe Myrtle (being moved by a gentle breeze) on to our back porch.

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Patrice and Ian
About Ian: Ian's main gig continues to be as a personal trainer to the rich and famous at Equinox where he has risen to the top level of "Tier X" of Equinox trainers. His plan to open and run a gun range in Grandbury, Texas has not worked out. Rising interest rates have sadly scuttled that plan. However, he still has entrepreneurial aspirations and is looking into several other business opportunities all tied to his own personal passions which all seem to center around physical activities.

For instance in addition to working out regularly at Equinox, he fairly regulary goes: running with his puppy Cooper, skating with the Chrises (Manthey and Nichol), mountain biking, and recently has taken up his Dad's favorite sport Judo. John and Patrice get to see Ian on at least a weekly basis when he comes over to visit, clean his truck, play SkipBo and/or Yahtzee with John and Patrice, and let Cooper and Zephyr fight over toys.


Cooper and Zephyr cavorting.

Ashley's Dino Christmas Tree
Ashley Update: Because it became available, Ashley moved to a larger apartment in the same complex in Marina del Rey just off Venice Beach. See the photo of her Christmas-decorated emotional support raptor Penelope. Sadly we must report that her kitty Senor Beau passed away this year. He lived a full and happy life of 17 years. Her other kitty, Gwen, is alive and well and has started to act like Senor Beau. She no longer "meows" she "ROARS"!

Ashley's business as a relationship coach is thriving. In addition to private sessions she is also doing a number of workshops that adds to her client base and revenue. For fun she goes camping in Death Valley with friends.

Not content with one line of business, Ashley has embarked on a career as a producer of parfums. Some of the fragrances that she has developed so far include: Leather and Money, Citrus Brine, and Get Primal. Her parfume company is: Irreverent Scents


Multiple Entrepeneur Ashley

I make this look good!
Pet Report: Last year I bragged that Patrice and I had trained Zephyr so that he would no longer chew on shoes, socks, furniture, baseboards, and drywall. While that is still true, we have discovered that he will still (after a bath) chew on himself. I will do my readers a favor by not showing the "hot spot" on his butt. This required an expensive trip to the vet, antibiotics, antihistamines, and a cone of shame for several weeks. He did this not only once but twice. Zephyr never-the-less managed to adapt. Note on the left he manages to look "Dignified" and on the right how to chow down on his puppy food even with the cone on.

No Problem!
A Recommendation for Science and Technology Geeks: Check out Blue Stone. This is a BLOG by an amazing young man that I met a couple of years ago named Edward Gadasu. He was an undergraduate at the time, but expressed an interest in atomically precise manufacturing, and we have stayed in touch with some in-person visits but mainly bi-monthly virtual visits. To say that Edward is aiming high is an understatement. He worked as an intern at Tesla and is presently working at Space X but plans to pursue a PhD in material science. The 6th and latest entry "Currnet Undercurrents" has recently been posted on Blue Stone, I highly recommend that you check this out.
John Junk:
CEO of Zyvex Labs: 2023 was intended to be a pivotal year for Zyvex Labs. We had a small but decent profit in 2022, there was money pouring in to Goverment research funding organizations which suggested that we could win some new programs. We announced our first full lithography system (Zyvex Litho 1) and more importantly, in addition to Government Labs and Universities we were seeing some real interest from companies for our lithography tools.

While we did manage to sell 3 Lithography control systems and win two new programs, one of those needed for congress to pass a full 2024 budget for us to start the program and we failed to get follow on programs on a couple of programs that we were hoping for. This has resulted in 2023 not being a profitable year.

Having said that, I am very excited about 2024. There are multiple opportunities for both additional sales and government programs.

John is also involved with Teliatry. Rahul Saini, the first person that John hired when he joined Zyvex, continues to lead Teliatry (the biomedical implant company that spun out from Zyvex Labs) in spectacular directions. This spin-out already has a spin-out, Auxilium MD which is focusing on veterinary implants and will launch its first product in a few months. In the meantime Teliatry implants are in three early feasibility studies (Human trials) for PTSD, Stroke, and spinal cord injury patients. Rahul has already found a company that has expressed interest in taking the PTSD product to market.

Teliatry also has support from DARPA on Biomedical implants for a variety of health momitoring issues. They are a subcontractor to the University of California San Diego on the Bridging the Gap Plus (BG+) program which is developing new approaches for treating spinal cord injury by integrating injury stabilization, regenerative therapy, and functional restoration.

Rahul's accomplishments in leading Teliatry were rewarded by his second Tech Titan Award. In 2018, Rahul won the Tech Titan's Inventor of the Year award for his work creating an artificial retina which is restoring sight to the blind in human trials in Europe. This year Rahul won the Startup CEO Award.


Rahul's 2nd Tech Titan Award!
John Hits the Road: John had essentially no business travel in 2020 and 2021, but 2022 included several business trips for both Zyvex Labs and Teliatry. In 2023 John had some travel but also delegated some trips to James, Udi, and Josh.

The Relativity Report

Randall Ramblings:
John s brother Mike and his Wife Margaret are both retired and still in Houston. Margaret says that she is enjoying her retirement and getting involved in projects that bring joy to other people. One of the activities she enjoys is quilting and has developed an aligned front to back T-shirt quilting style that allows inclusion of a person's history in the quilt. John's brother Mike is a Master Naturalist which is a voluteer position with Texas Parks and Wildlife that significantly reduces the cost of caring for and conserving animal habitats in the great state of Texas. Mike is also a Dosent (volunteer tour guide) for Houston's Museum of Natural Science (which is a ridiculously cool museum).


Sarah Rocks and Rolls
 John's Sister Cindy and Hubby Skip are still making sure young gymnasts in Texas and surrounding states are still wearing the latest sequined and/or sparkly fashions. Skip wants to retire but Cindy doesn't.

Cindy's and Skip's offspring have produced plentiful offspring. Cole, Skip's son, and Cole's wife Hannah have 5 kids and inhereted 5 acres and a house in Leander TX. Cindy's girls: Kelsie after being a vampire (PHLEBOTOMIST) for a number of years has been promoted, because she did such blood sucking good job, to vampire manager. Kelsie's daughter Riylinn (10 years old but almost as tall as Cindy) just joined the girl scouts.

Kelsie and Nick Weimann will get married in Nov. Cindy's oldest Shelly, husband Matt, and their kids David and Sarah live in Magnolia. David, who is in the 4th grade, is showing promise as a track star, competing against 5th graders he is running 2 miles in under 14.5 minutes. Sarah is demonstrating other motor skills in the video. Shelly, is now a superstar working for Microsoft. Matt continues to be a successful multi-job businessman.


Dr. Stepchinski
The Stepchinski Report:

Patrick, Patrice's older brother is still retired and he and Erica still live in Houston. Their children have become a Doctor and a Nurse. Their daughter Leanne recently graduated with a PhD in Geology from the University of South Florida (see Photo of Dr. Stepchinski) and is now working as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Their son Alan is now a Registered Nurse working at St. David's North Austin Medical Center in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.


Nigel enjoying scenery.
Patrice's baby brother Nigel (see Picture) and wife Rhonda are also living in Houston (though the other end of it) and are also retired. Just for fun went on a fall foliage trip in their mustang convertible in the Smokey mountains.

Their son Kyle is working as a business analyst at Equifax and has taken up golfing with a vengence. Their daughter Caitlin works as a Nurse at Texas children's and is also an on-call forensic nurse for Ben Taub Hospital. Caitlin's husband Tyler is a Fireman. They live nearby Nigel and Rhonda and now have two beautiful little girls Annabelle (8), who is into basketball, cheerleading and tumbling; and Adeline (2) who is in the early stages of planning her career.


Mathematician working Binary Math
We will leave you with a poem that came to us in a response to last year's edition from Katharine K. Cline.

A CHRISTMAS POEM
by Helen Steiner Rice

I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book,
And every year at Christmastime I go and take a look.
For that is when I realize that these names are now a part,
Not of the book they’re written in, but of my very heart.

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they’ve become the rhythm of the rhyme.
And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,
I really feel I am composed of each remembered name.

Even if you may not be aware of many special links,
Just meeting you has shaped my life far more than you think.
For once you’ve met somebody, the years cannot erase,
The memories of a pleasant word or a friendly face.

So, never think my Christmas Greeting is just a mere routine,
Of names upon a Christmas list forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you,
It’s because you’re on that list of folks I am indebted to.

For I am but a total of the many folks I've met,
And you are also one of those I prefer not to forget.
And whether I have known you for many days or just a few,
In some ways you have had apart in shaping thing I do.

And every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew,
The best of gifts that life can give is meeting folks like you.
So may the spirit of Christmas that forever and ever endures,
Leave its richest blessings in the hearts of you and yours.

The Randalls wish you all a Happy and Prosperous 2023!

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