Two months of retirement

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Well it's been two months now since I officially retired. I hadn't really appreciated the expression used by many retirees: "busier than ever", but I find my days always full, with the advantage that I can choose what to do each day. I'm sorry it's been more than a month since my last posting.

My York office is now cleared, thanks to help from Helen and Beto (Debbie Buehler's husband) and Ryan and Sam who visited me in the office just when I needed some strong young men. Thomas Teo now has my office. I still have lots of files, quizzes, etc. in the cabinets in the old stats lab and lab office. I plan to sort those out this fall. I'm pleased to have everything I need now in my study at home.

Louise and I have had an amazing number of visitors in the last month: Debbie and Beto, Kuyra and Andrea (both TAs from 1993/94, Kuyra visiting from New York and Andrea living in Toronto with her daughter Tenishia), Miriam, Dana. We visited Sandra Tomazela (also from 1993/94) and her family, as you will have read about in another posting. Just last Saturday we had a very nice visit from Helen and Smadar (one of the star students last year!); Helen is now in Windsor ready to start her graduate classes this week; Smadar will graduate from York in November.

I really appreciate the visits and the e-mails. I only wish those sending me news by e-mail would also post their news on the forum. Among the e-mails was one from Cindy who has settled in Montreal and describes the lab work she is doing (not always pleasant but she is happy with her choice of graduate school so far). Dima sent the exciting news about the birth of her daughter on August 5. We hope to visit Dima and her family this month. Clare, who made comments on an earlier posting of mine, had her final Ph.D. orals a couple of weeks ago and is all set to start her professorial duties at OISE/UT this month. (Clare was a TA in 1978/79.)

In the last few weeks Louise and I made two holiday trips. The first was for two days in Kingston to see (believe it or not) sheep-dog trials. We spent most of last week in Ottawa where my father's widow lives. We had a lovely time there, including swimming and walks in an environment so different from where we live in Toronto. I also spent a lot of time looking at correspondence of my parents which is still in Ottawa. (I'm working practically full-time on my mother's story now and have just enrolled in the German course which starts next week.)

Speaking of my mother's story, the biography about my father (and the whole family!) is now out. It's magnificent and I am very happy about what the author, Boris Stoicheff, has done. The title is: "Gerhard Herzberg--an illustrious life in science". It's published jointly by NRC Press and McGill-Queen's. Should be in Chapters and Indigo now or soon, although I admit I haven't looked yet. (I received a copy from the author.)

Well, this posting is getting rather long. I hope you reciprocate soon. One last thought. Gigi was a TA this summer in Laurie Wilcox's Perception class. I was given access to this on-line course. I didn't get far with it, but found a lovely reference about attention. It's an on-line card trick that had me baffled for a while. I wonder if Gigi herself has figured it out. (No fair to post the explanation on the forum!) See for yourself: click here and then click on "card trick".

My best wishes for your classes starting next week or for whatever activities you have planned for the fall.

Paul

-- Anonymous, September 03, 2002

Answers

Hi everyone,

It's the first time that I post something on this forum. I think I'll introduce myself a little bit first. My name is Gigi Luk and I was the TA for the year 2000/2001. I am currently doing my second year Master's at York. Coincidentally, I am the TA for PSYC 2020 this year for Chris Green.

The main reason I post this message is to share the answer for the card tricks. As Paul has mentioned, I TAed for Dr. Wilcox during the summer and it's one of the web sites that were related to the course. The answer was that if you remember (or write down) all the cards, you'll realize that NONE of the cards was there after you click the pistol. Since you concentrate your attention on the one card that you have chosen, you simply don't realize the differences of the other cards. Try it again now...

Take care and keep in touch! Gigi

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2002


Gigi:

Thanks for your update! Re your comments on the card trick: Didn't TAs find that it was best not to give away the answer?!!!

Paul

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2002


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