Family Christmas Pictures 2004
Christmas 2004 Letter:
Hello Dear Friends and Family,
Mom and Dad have been so lazy (errr… we mean “busy”) this year that we kids haven taken it upon ourselves to write this year’s annual holiday greetings! You’ll have to pardon the penmanship, choosing a font that both of us could agree on was no small matter.
As usual, 2004 was an exiting year for our family. School, work, and travel are several themes that always seem to make their way into our seasonal salutations, and this year is no different. In addition, we have added a free bonus section on politics to this year’s edition. So sit back and enjoy as you read the highlights, and lowlights, of 2004 according to Family Otto.
This past Autumn, Ashton and mommy both started at new schools; Ashton at Public School 81 (P.S. 81) in the Bronx, and mommy at City College, a branch of the City University of New York (CUNY). Ashton’s choice is particularly exciting as it means us kids will attend the same school together this year and next. For mommy, who is studying history, adjusting to life as a full time student has not been too difficult. Of course taking 18 credit hours did ensure a somewhat frazzled existence, but student life allowed her to spend ample amounts of time at our school, doing everything from arranging ‘mad’ holiday parties ‘yo’ to helping our teachers in the classroom.
Kaylee continued 2004 in the same way she ended 2003—hard at work studying. An avid reader and devoted student, she never fails to impress everyone around her. Her determination, dedication, and diligence inspire all of us. Recently, she began a Spanish language course and has chosen to continue her language studies into the New Year. She was also the beneficiary of a surprise 9th birthday party in August. Many friends from the neighborhood, as well as from school, joined her in the festivities. It was a birthday party that will not soon be forgotten.
Daddy was busy for most of the year as well. In May he graduated with his Masters Degree from Columbia University. June and July were forlornly spent searching for employment, and in August the sun shined and he started working for the Citizens Housing and Planning Council of New York. CHPC is a non-profit research organization dedicated to improving housing and neighborhood conditions in New York City. He really loves the work he is doing at CHPC.
Though our travels weren’t as far-flung as in previous years, we did manage to dislodge ourselves from the city a few times. In August, we arranged for a short camping trip in the wilds of Pennsylvania. After a raccoon invaded our campsite on night 1 and ate all of our powdered doughnuts, leaving us without any breakfast, we realized that we are no longer a camping family! Luckily, civilization (read: exurbia) was only a 30-minute car ride away so we were able to stick out the adventure for its planned duration. In October, we spent a very satisfying three-day weekend in DC and a couple weeks later, mommy took advantage of her student schedule and flew back to Nebraska to surprise Grandma Otto on her birthday.
We shed one of our last vestiges of a previous, suburban existence in 2004. We said a long overdue goodbye to our own private automobile. The inconvenience and expense of keeping a car in the city was too great and the practical need too little. Now, in order to satiate our occasional cravings for certain suburban indulgences (read: Chick-Fil-A), we are members of Zip Car. Zip Car is a car-sharing service, first made popular in dense European and Japanese cities where personal auto ownership is low. With a simple online reservation, we now have access to about 250 automobiles parked in public garages throughout the five boroughs of New York (and hundreds more in Boston and DC). A ‘Zip Card’ unlocks the car that we have reserved and we’re off. Us kids really love it because the cars are brand new and all have funny names like Jello the Jetta, Pinky the Prius, and Bling Bling the BMW. Mom and Dad love it because insurance, gas, and maintenance expenses are included in the hourly or daily price to use the vehicles. Also, dad always tells people that it’s environmentally friendly. In San Francisco, each shared car replaces about seven private automobiles, which means more room on the road for everyone else!
I did mention that there were some lowlights this year—namely the (re?)election of George W. Bush. Now even us kids know that many of these letters will find themselves into the homes of good Red State Americans and loyal Bush voters so we won’t go further than noting our disappointment. More important than dwelling on passed elections, however, is to keep a vigilant eye on the future. Hopefully the coming year will bring peaceful resolve to the illegal and unjust war in Iraq. 100,000 Iraqis and nearly 1,500 soldiers have lost their lives and the bloodshed continues daily. It saddens us kids to think that we must grow up in a world so plagued by senseless violence and warfare.
So, apologies for closing on such a dour note. The entire Otto family is thankful to have you in our lives. Please accept our most sincere wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
With Love and Joy,
Ashton, Kaylee, Jeff & Pam Otto
Homepage Halloween 2004 Pam's Visit to Art Chicks October 2004
Family Trip to DC October 2004 First Day of School for Kaylee & Ashton 2004
