Time flies when you’re having fun -- and 1993 went by like a flash. With the guys getting older and everyone in a number of things, the normal day resembles a Grand Central Station schedule. When you add in constant traveling, both for work and pleasure, it looks like the Abbott and Costello piece “who’s on first, what’s on second, I don’t know’s on third”. How it all gets crammed into a year, I really don’t know -- maybe some reverse (or perverse) entropy.

My New Pet HAM and HAM-ster -- or The Crosses HAM it up

I guess this might need some explaining. As you read last year, John (my pet) was bitten by the amateur radio bug. This bug causes a delirious, and, I believe, incurable desire to buy tons of radio equipment accompanied by an insatiable craving to talk incessantly to other infected specimens. Anyway, about November of last year, my pet took and passed his first radio exam. He quickly erected a 50-foot antenna in the back yard and bought a mega-watt (or so it seems) transmitter/receiver. Then he listened to transmissions from all over the world while he waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for months (it seemed like forever) until the government got around to issuing his call sign (KB5YBX) so he could talk back. Since then, it’s been non-stop, and we’ve all been fascinated by some of the places with which he’s made contact - Mogadishu, Pitcairn Island, Croatia, Mauritius Island, Hungary, Canary Islands, Lithuania, Montserrat, Botswana, Kwajalein, Java, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to name a few. It was so exciting, he quickly studied more regs and practiced his Morse code to climb the FIAM ladder through “advanced” (KJ5ND), and fmally to the top rung “amateur extra” (AB5OX) to access all the available frequency bands.
Living close to an infected HAM i be very dangerous, as the disease can spread - and spread it did to Richard- now my “HAM-ster”. Richard was anxious to get his license and even learned code. As KC5CHW, or “Chewy” to his friends, I think he likes the techno-jargoñ. To immunize myself and acquire antibodies and immunity to the disease, I took the test in self defense. With a “no code tech” license, KC5CIZ, I can use a “handy-talky” for local communication to keep tabs (or visa versa) on my pet and HAM-ster, or wear it on my belt and look like a techno-geek.
Of course, the care and feeding of a pet HAM and HAM-ster is not free or cheap and requires lots of gear. UPS comes regularly. Notice the economy rolling along? Besides all the long distance equipment, there’s the short distance equipment for at home and in the car, several hand-held “handy-talkies” for walking around, special license plates for the cars, miscellaneous antennae for house, attic, and portable (i.e. camping) operations, and even the HAM’s version of E-mail in a computer-interfaced, packet radio set-up. I know there’s more, but stay tuned next year.

A Camping We Will Go, A Camping We Will Go

“Camping” as in Scouts, “We” as in Richard, Robert, David and John. As you know Scouting is big at our house. Richard’s a Star Boy Scout with 31 merit badges to his credit. Robert’s a Webelo Scout and David’s a Tiger Cub. John’s the Scoutmaster for Richard’s troop, and is also the Webelos leader for Robert’s den. I lead David’s Tiger den. That’s 5 for in Scouts. Richard and John really packed in a lot of camping this year. Besides the monthly weekenders with the troop, Richard spent a week each this summer at Camp Strake and El Rancho Cima. Richard and John also took one of Scout’s ultimate campouts - a trip to the National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. For 10 days, including a few days in Washington, D. C., they camped and rallied with about 35,000 other Scouts - a real high for Scouts. Robert loves nature, especially animals, and was an extremely happy camper this summer when he got to go to Camp Strake with John for Webelos camp. Although not old enough for overnight Scout camping, David LOVES camping and is a super trooper on family campouts. David did get to go to a Scout day camp, Camp Bayshore, this summer with Richard and Robert.

And They Just Keep Growing, and Growing, and Growing...

The kids, that is. Richard’s now 12 and in 7th grade. His exciting new challenge this year was going out for football. He played defensive tackle and offensive end. It was an exciting year. The highlights were the defense getting a touchdown and the offense completing a pass. I even learned a little about football. Richard’s also enjoying playing trumpet in the school band and had an enjoyable week this summer at band camp at Lamar University. Robert’s 10 and in 4th grade, and David’s 7 and in 1st grade. David began piano lessons this year and is breezing through the first books. Richard and Robert also continue piano and are doing quite well in competition. Of course, they are all doing super in school, too.

PMS Gets New Meaning as John Gets New Job

Remember PMS - Plant Manager Syndrome? Well, we got over that one, thank God! This year John got out of Energy Chemicals and got a new job as a technology manager in Butyl Rubber, as tires, belts and hoses. Now, PMS stands for para-methyistyrene, a comonomer in their new rubber, EXXPRO. This PMS is a lot easier to live with, and the new job is a welcome change for John. An added benefit is a much shorter commute - to Baytown. A double benefit is that we are both in the same building (My office is just above his!) and we can commute together - when he’s in town, that is. And right now he’s traveling every week. The division he’s with is presently in New Jersey and won’t be completely relocated in Baytown until next summer. Until then, he spends about 2 weeks/month in New Jersey, and the other weeks meeting customers and affiliates. Luckily, my current job - in the business side of polyolefm catalysts - doesn’t require me to travel very much or at the same time. Somebody’s got to hold down the fort.

“Minnie” (Mouse) Vacations and Spurious Jaunts

All of John’s traveling for work, the numerous summer camping trips and National Jamboree left little time for a real vacation, so we took a few ‘mini-vacations. In the Spring, we went to San Antonio to see the new Sea World. It was during a rare bit of cold weather, which was fme for us, but I’m not sure about the water skiers. We also saw the beautiful San Antonio Zoo, well known for breeding endangered species and famous for its white tigers. And, of course, we had to revisit Texas’s National Shrine - the Alamo.
While the guys went on a weekend family campout in late March, I got a chance to go to Colorado to ski with some girlfriends at Breckenridge. It was my first time to ski in Colorado, and it was FANTASTIC!!! I was a bit worried about my skiing ability after not being on the slopes for 14 years, but it all came back and we all had a great time.

In October, John had an American Chemical Society Rubber Division Meeting and Expo in Orlando, of all places. Although we did the Disney thing last year, we thought we could take another “Minnie” vacation. Besides, we hadn’t seen Universal Studios, and had heard the “Back to the Future” ride was a must. John got to go with us one day, but the rest of the time I took the kids out and about to the Magic Kingdom, the water park- River Country, and the Orlando Science Center - to merit an educational excuse.

Visits, Relative-ly Speaking

We were happy to have a visit from John’s Mom in February when it’s really cold up in the northlands of Minnesota. Richard was able to return the visit this summer when the weather is much nicer than in Houston. He also saw cousin Cynthia, Aunt Jean and Uncle Dave Rostollan. Mom and Dad Coussens were also able to fly south for the winter to celebrate Dad’s 73rd birthday and the Thanksgiving holidays. The guys went out on another cold campout, while mom and I slaved over warm credit cards at the Galleria. My sister Theresa also came this year and we took a quick jaunt to Galveston to visit the new indoor Moody Rainforest.

Well, we hope this fmds you healthy and happy this holiday season. We wish for you peace at Christmas, now and throughout the New Year. And of course, if you’re ever heading this way, please, please, give us a call!