1996 - Another Year of Milestones for the Millers!!!

Lara graduated cum laude from Carleton College in June and matriculated at Midwestern University medical school in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove in September! She is finiding out about LOANS for the first time and really watching her budget. Lara is targeting rural medicine/primary care just now and successfully survived her first term with 'Sally' her cadaver!

Chris finally completed his thesis for his Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago on June 28, the last possible day. His thesis was entitled: "A Case Study of User Centered Design in a High Traffic World Wide Web Virtual Community" and was based on findings from the popluar virtual community he maintains as his life passion and main source of income. 1996 also saw Chris leave HotWired to make the great leap into self-employment. Chris and business partner Dave Thau offically incorparated their company biancaTroll productions, which continues to be a profitable web-based company from its inception!

Rick continued with piano lessons, adding the Moonlight Sonata and Music of the Night to his repetoire. He was elected to the Presidency of the Chicago Illuminating Engineering Society section and participated in several major projects at work, including the lighting for the 'new' LakeShore Drive. Rick was also the recipient of Consulting-Specifying Engineer's 1996 Intergrator Award for Commercial Building projects, which found him on the cover of C-SE's December issue. photo coming soon

JoAnne, along with a cast of thousands of first year Baby Boomers turned 50 in September. We had a Chicago area party at our place in Wisconsin and the 'real day' party at our favorite winery near her folks in San Luis Obsipo county, California. Both were fun events. California friends and relatives joined in the feasting and drinking. Within 7 days, however, life had turned upside down for us as JoAnne was informed at the conslusion of a major and successful trade show, that AirNet Communications was doing a major downsizing ( 1/3) due to lack of funding and she, along with the technical founder of the firm and the manufacturing VP, was OUT, with a suitable 'consulting' package. As we were on our way for a planned week travelling along the Oregon coast, there was lots of time for thinking thru options and opportunities. At the end of our week we had decided it was time to move OUR act to California to be closer to JoAnne's folks in their golden years and to LIVE TOGETHER again!!!

So as 1996 comes to a close, we are spending Christmas in CHICAGO with Chris, Lara and JoAnne's folks. Then Rick and JoAnne return to Florida to finalize the arrangements for renting the beachside condo in Melbourne for 'the season' and to drive JoAnne's 'Florida' car to California. In early January JoAnne joins a new oppportunity in the SF Bay area and Rick begins the search for a new Co-LOCATED adventure. Hopefully by mid summer we will be 'settled', if that term means anything these days.

We have had a great time during our two year 'love affair' in and around old Melbourne, Florida, and the AirNet shares may STILL be worth something! So all in all 1996 was really a VERY good year!

Have a happy, healthy 1997!!