Christmas 2005

Jan & Dan. In January we drove to Houston to visit David, and help him with kitchen remodeling – tore out his old cabinets, did some rewiring, plastering, painting, wallpapering, hung new lights, and put together and installed new cabinets and two built-in ovens. He had counter tops custom made and installed with built-in sinks. Steve and Oliver came for a few days to help. We did have time for some sightseeing – David took us all to the Moody Gardens (“Houston Area’s Favorite Attraction”) at Galveston Island. We toured the Aquarium Pyramid and the Discovery Pyramid. For our birthdays (Jan & Dan) David took us to see Cirque du Soleil – “an international company representing more than 40 nationalities showcasing the circus arts around the world.” We also sampled the many ethnic restaurants in the Houston area. From Houston we flew to Tucson to visit Steve and his family. Dan helped Steve cut tile for a new tile floor in the master bathroom.

In May, Dan attended his sister Marilyn’s graduation as a registered nurse from the Des Moines Area Community College. In June, Dan’s father, Tony, celebrated his 95^th birthday with a party at Ryan’s Family Steak House and Buffet in Cedar Rapids (his favorite restaurant). Dan’s brother Leon and his wife Ginny came from California; and David came from Houston. It was quite a family reunion. Only Steve and his family, and Sarah and her family couldn’t make it. The next day, Dan’s brother Ed had a family picnic in his backyard. Dan, Ed, Leon & Ginny were able to make a side trip to the historic Amana Colonies near Cedar Rapids.

In October, we flew to Tucson again. Steve & Jane were competing in a triathlon in Tempe, and we took their children Oliver and Eliza to the Phoenix Zoo during the triathlon. We met Janet’s brother Greg (who lives in Phoenix) at the zoo. The day after the triathlon, Dan and a very sore Steve climbed Safford Peak near Tucson. Dan and Peter attempted it two years ago, but failed to reach the top via the north face. Using a topographical map, Steve and Dan finally succeeded via a southwest route.

Janet keeps busy with church volunteer work – Eucharistic Minister, cantor, lector, choir, teaching 5^th grade religious education., doing billing for religious education, maintaining the parish web page, etc. She also likes baking, going for walks, practicing piano, and working on crossword puzzles. Dan volunteers at the local food co-op. He also keeps busy working on the house, landscaping, going for long distance runs, and genealogy research. Once a month Dan goes to Iowa and stays a few days with his brother, Ed; and visits his father who lives in an assisted living apartment across the street from a car wash that Ed owns and operates. In October Dan, Ed, and Peter, attended the Grant Wood exhibition at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Grant Wood, a Cedar Rapids native, is most famous for painting “American Gothic” (probably the best-known American painting in the world) which was on display at the exhibit.

David, Seabrook, TX, is a senior scientist with the Automation, Robotics, and Simulation Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston. He works on robots and software for future automated life support systems on the Moon and Mars. David travels extensively in his work -- Washington, DC; NASA Ames Research Center, CA; Carnegie-Mellon U. (Pittsburgh), etc. He attends/presents papers -- NASA’s 1^st Space Exploration Conference, Orlando, FL; International Conference on Automated Planning & Scheduling, Monterey, CA; International Conference on Environmental Systems and European Symposium on Space Environmental Control Systems, Rome; and the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a judge at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Tempe, AZ (“over 1,400 pre-college students from more than 40 nations competing for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the grand prize: a $50,000 college scholarship.”). He was also a Special Awards Judge for the American Association for Artificial Intelligence. David also has a private research company -- Texas Robotics and Automation Center (working on NASA projects). And, he is an Associate Editor for the MIT Press series on Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents, and a reviewer for Autonomous Robots Journal. Vacation travel took David to the Balkans for two weeks – Hvar, Croatia (“the next Riviera”); and Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia (“where Old Europe and the New are still in balance”). He also traveled with friends on a cruise of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and a visit to the Napo Wildlife Center (an ecotourism lodge in the Amazon forest of Ecuador). David turned 40 this year, and celebrated with friends over a $177 bottle of St. Emillion Cheval Blanc (1999), a French red Bordeaux. Hurricane Rita forced David to evacuate his house. He went to San Antonio, and then to Steve & Jane’s in Tucson. Luckily there was only minor damage to his house. David also enjoys working out, playing softball, and running road races (e.g., running the Houston Half-Marathon every January).

Suzie & Jerry, Kaitlyn (11) and Michael/”Micha” (6), Middleton, WI (north side of Madison). Suzie & Jerry were busy managing their business -- Skyline Steel, Inc. (structural & decorative steel fabrication). Among their jobs this year – 1400 tons of steel for a 3M expansion, and steel for enclosing the wave pool at Wilderness Resort (“World’s Largest Waterpark Resort”) in the Wisconsin Dells (trusses 200 feet long and 16’7” deep). They are also designing a new house for their 37 acres of woodland. Kaitlyn (5^th grade) loves creative writing, and is still taking violin lessons. She practices gymnastics 3-4 nights/week for several hours; and has won 2 All-Around titles at meets. In her free time she likes to write, draw, read, swim, ice-skate and watch any show on TV about animals. Michael likes kindergarten, especially numbers. He loves playing with LEGOs and can build just about anything. He enjoys watching the Weather Channel (especially “Storm Stories”), and playing outside; and he still loves water – he learned to swim this summer. Suzy likes to go for runs, and has a new “passion” – yoga (getting together with Katy for yoga once a week).

Steve & Jane, Oliver (6), and Eliza (2), Tucson, AZ. Steve is an astronomer at the Planetary Science Institute researching the origins/evolution of solar systems. Jane is an astronomer at the Steward Observatory, U. of Arizona. She works with a team that operates an instrument on the Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA's orbiting infrared observatory. She regularly travels to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena for Spitzer workshops. Steve attended the Lunar & Planetary Science Conference at Johnson Space Center, staying with David. And, he was a consultant for First Facts: The solar system (a series of 11 children’s books about the solar system). Steve served as Grand Awards Judge in the Space Science category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Tempe, AZ (see description in David’s paragraph). In January, Jane and two girl friends went to Las Vegas to run the Las Vegas Half-Marathon. Upon their return they all refused to talk about what happened in Vegas (“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!”). Steve and Jane have enthusiastically embraced the sport of triathlon. In May, Jane completed the Ironman Arizona Triathlon, Tempe, AZ, (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) in 14 hrs 7 mins. Steve produced a DVD with photos and movies that he and David shot during the race, along with a sound track and commentary. In October Steve and Jane competed in the SOMA Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) in Tempe, with Steve finishing in 5:12 (21/137) and Jane in 5:45 (11/37). Steve also did the Mountain Man Triathlon (Olympic distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run); near Flagstaff. Oliver started 1^st grade, likes running and is in a running club. Eliza is talking all the time, and likes playing at the neighborhood pool.

Nancy & Matt, Simon/”Sam” (5), Lance (4), and Jackson (2), Madison, WI. Nancy is an audiologist, heading the pediatric cochlear implant program at the U. of Wisconsin Hospital Audiology Clinics. In July, she organized a picnic for all the implant patients with over 100 people attending. In March she took a cochlear implant workshop in Dallas. Matt and the boys also went along to visit some of Matt’s family in Texas. Matt is an airplane mechanic at Wisconsin Aviation, Dane County (MSN) Regional Airport. This year he worked on, among others, Northwest Airlines planes and Bret Favre’s jet. Matt’s son, Trevor (age 13, from a previous marriage) visited, and Matt took him and Sam to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s air show – Airventure Oshkosh - in Oshkosh, WI (“The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” with over 10,000 aircraft and almost 3,000 showplanes). Matt is taking flying lessons. In October he had a workshop on airplane engines in Detroit. In September, Matt completed the Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) in 14 hrs 20 mins. It became known as the “Carnage Ironman” because 20% did not finish due to record heat at 94 F, high humidity & wind. In November Nancy and family flew to Florida to visit Matt’s father and step mother. Matt also made a trip to Texas for his grandmother’s funeral. Sam started kindergarten, and loves reading and math. Lance likes helping in the kitchen, and anything involving electricity and motors. Jackson enjoys any games with balls.

Peter, Zwingle, IA (south of Dubuque), received his PhD in physics (astrophysics/astronomy) from the U. of Iowa, and presented a research paper at the American Astronomical Society Convention in San Diego. He does research with the Very Long Base Array (a series of ten radio telescopes spread across the United States and its territories from the Virgin Islands to Mauna Kea, Hawaii). However, Peter's first love is playing French horn (he has a Master's degree in French horn performance). He plays Principal Horn in the Central Wisconsin Symphony (making frequent trips home for practices and performances). He plays Assistant Principal Horn in the Des Moines Symphony (he recently played with visiting violinist Itzhak Perlman). And, when his schedule permits, he plays for the Dubuque Symphony, Quad Cities Symphony, Ottumwa Symphony; Cedar Rapids Symphony; and various other groups. He recently played Wagner Tuba in Bruckner’s “7^th Symphony” with the Illinois Symphony. He is also a founding member of the Iowa Horn Quartet. This year Peter auditioned for several orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Green Bay Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Syracuse Symphony. He has been picked to audition for the Boston Symphony (i.e., Boston Pops) in January. Peter also tutors a French horn student in Iowa City. In August Peter moved from Iowa City to a farm house near Zwingle. There he can practice horn all hours of the day and night without disturbing neighbors. He also can collect maximum in-state mileage reimbursement for rehearsals and performances in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Peter also keeps active in astronomy with his research, and by teaching an internet astronomy course for the U. of Iowa. This fits in with his travels for rehearsals/performances/auditions because he can teach from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

Sarah & Kurt, and Julian (1), Arbor Vitae (near Minocqua, a small resort town in northern Wisconsin). Sarah is the clinical neuropsychologist at Marshfield Clinic’s Lakeland Center in Minocqua. She attended the International Neuropsychological Society Conference in St. Louis. Kurt and Julian came along so they could all visit Kurt’s parents a few hours away, in Sedalia, MO. They also traveled together to conferences in Marco Island FL and Door County, WI. Kurt works at home as an artist (most recently, stained glass), writing fiction, and as a computer consultant via the internet. Kurt and Sarah traveled to the U. of Florida where Kurt is a consultant in the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (leaving Julian behind with Grandma and Grandpa for 5 days). It was a nostalgic trip since Sarah and Kurt spent four years at the U. of Florida while Sarah was in graduate school. Julian has grown a lot this year. He is talking up a storm and loves balls, playing in the snow, and any type of animal. He enjoys wrestling with their dog, Summer. They celebrated his first birthday, along with David’s 40^th, with a family Hula party at their house, Fourth-of-July weekend.

Betsy, Middleton, WI, is a pre-kindergarten teacher at Clubhouse for Kids, Cross Plains, WI, preparing children for kindergarten (printing letters and numbers, self-help and social skills, etc.). She really enjoys planning lesson activities for her class and mixes in fun and interesting topics that excite the children. This past year she taught about the Wild West, pirates, endangered animals, rainforests, and medieval times; building props such as a large Killer Whale, pirate ship, castle, Pterodactyl dinosaur, and a safari jeep. She enjoys running with her brothers and sisters. We were all training for the Madison Marathon in May to set a new Guinness World Record for the most siblings running and finishing the same marathon (the current record was 8). However, we learned in February that a family of 11 siblings set a new record in the London Marathon. We protested the record because 9 of the siblings walked the marathon (finishing together in 8 hours). Guinness replied that the record was only for “starting and finishing the same marathon.” This was a big disappointment for all the Kortenkamp marathoners.

Katy & Joel, Madison, WI. Katy is a doctoral student at UW-Madison, interested in experimental design/statistical methods. She is a teaching assistant, and for extra money does editing and statistical consulting. Her research interests are judgment and decision making about environmental issues, and quantitative modeling. She received her Master’s degree, and presented her research at the Society for Judgment and Decision Making Conference, Toronto. This year Katy became engaged to Joel Santodomingo. Joel is from Seattle, and works as a computer systems programmer for the UW-Madison Law School. They bought a house in Madison, and enjoy having company – David came from Houston for a family house-warming party, and Joel’s dad recently visited from Seattle. Earlier this year Katy went to Washington, D.C. to visit friends. She also went to Seattle to visit Joel’s family; and to visit her friend, Tara, from their days as Americorp volunteers and hitchhikers. Outside of school, Katy enjoys yoga, running, dancing, knitting, and traveling. Joel enjoys biking, video games, playing guitar and drums, woodworking and fixing things around their “new” (built in 1899) house. He attended a video game conference in Austin, TX. And, they are taking ballroom dancing lessons. Among first purchases for their new home were a dining room set, and Joel’s(!) purchase of a 100” projection TV. This summer Katy & Joel went camping and canoeing with Peter and Tony in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.

Tony, De Pere, WI, is in his second year as a science teacher at De Pere High School. This year he began teaching two new courses – a college-credit course in physics, and an astronomy course. He has been nominated by his school for the national “2006 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching”. Tony also is a volunteer coach for the cross-country team, going on training runs with the team, and traveling with the team to help out at meets. Tony also competes in road races -- among others, placing 6^th in his age group in the Stevens Point YMCA Frostbite 10-mile Race in December (his dad placed 5^th in his age group!). Tony’s girlfriend, Brenna, skated for the UW-La Crosse Women's Club Hockey Team before she graduated in May as an education major from UW-La Crosse. She is now a 3^rd grade teacher in Otsego, MN. In October, Brenna took Tony to see the Cirque du Soleil when it was in Minneapolis. Tony also flew with friends to Las Vegas to visit a friend.