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Sweet 16th for Jeannie Beth
Annie came home with me to help celebrate
Jeannie Beth's 16th birthday. I bought JB the roses. Nancy
has a strong memory of the dozen yellow roses her dad bought
her. I thought the soft pink was more Jeannie's color.
Nancy and both grandmothers joined us. Nancy's cake
creation was as beautiful as it was tasty -- even with no
frosting on top.
I bought her a travel chess set and a DVD on how to throw the
discus. The former, at least, was a big hit.
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The
Big Event in December '08
was the Big Snow
On Tuesday, December 16th, the weather reports had
everyone spooked. So SPU and BCS and most other schools in the
Puget Sound region cancelled classes for Wednesday. And while it
did snow north of Seattle and south of Renton, we saw no snow on our
first day off. The big snows began that night and continued off
and on for days.
Jeannie Beth got her last week of school off and I did not go back to
SPU until December 31st (a voluntary work day).
At its deepest, Annie measured 11.25".
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The kids slid
on 14th Street and built a "snow dragon." I made some wallpaper
images for my 24" monitor at work. The squirrel and Steller's Jay
here are 1920x1200 resolution in their fuller size.
The Sleight Christmas party was moved to
Saturday the 20th from Sunday since more snow was expected.
Debbie and Lance (with Timmy and eight-month-old Tori)
were staying at Don and Judy's so they made the party.
Randy and Dad made it, and we made it there but Nancy did some
fancy snow driving on the way home as the next storm had begun
while we were in Renton. |
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Susan "found" our Christmas tree at the tree lot
in the Bridle Trails Shopping Center parking lot. The employees
has taken down the fence and sign and had abandoned their remaining
inventory to the elements. (It cost more to pay the employees than the
potential income -- so few folks were out driving.)
But Susan drove to our house to take Jeannie Beth, Nathanael and myself
to "pick out a tree." It was, instead, "pick up a tree." I
chose one that was covered in snow and still wrapped up for easy
transport on Susan's Volvo. I'm convinced this "free" Noble Fir is
the most beautiful tree we've ever had. |
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A Real Date!
With the kids at home to help Grandma Jean, we were
finally able to redeem a coupon I'd been given for a free night at the
Roosevelt Hotel in Seattle. Back in October 2007 I'd played a big
role in the success of the Christian Business Faculty Association
national conference that SBE hosted that year. The gift
certificate expired 12/31/08. We used it 12/28/08.
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 The clincher for Nancy (who was reluctant to go) was my
purchase of ticket to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
at the 5th Avenue Theatre. After church on the 28th (leaving Jean
at home alone briefly), Nancy and I had breakfast at Costas in the
University District where we had often eaten with her parents in the
1980's.
Annie drove the kids home while Nancy and I took the bus downtown.
After some shopping (finding sweaters for Nate and a light suede jacket
for JB) we went to the fabulously entertaining musical.
 We
checked
in at the hotel and toured the stores nearby. Nancy
had never been to the newer ones.
Dinner at the Cheese- cake Factory (using another gift card from Bruce
and Leanne Fremd, parent/friends from the BCS Track & Field and
Cross Country teams) was eventful. Nancy didn't notice that they'd
completely left out the chicken from her Luau Salad until it was time
for dessert. She got her Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake
for free, so dinner cost us under $2.00 plus tip.
I took Nancy back to Bellevue on Monday
on the 550 route, after checking out just before
Noon. She'd never been in the Seattle bus
tunnel. We walked home through Bellevue Square.
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Christmas '08
―
Quality over Quantity
Nancy is always telling me that
gift buying is unnecessary. I always ignore
her. But this year I did cut way back. It
was not due to the snow or the queasy economy, but
because I was devoid of good ideas. (It's kinda
sad to have so much stuff already.)
But Annie wowed me with her gift giving savvy.
When I opened my first gift from her, I said I could
stop then because it couldn't be outdone. She got me a
first edition of a thin C.S. Lewis book (one of his
radio talks that later was incorporated into Mere
Christianity.) She'd brought it back from England.
Due to the snow, Ginger and Susan joined us on Christmas
day for the full course ham dinner I'd cooked, but Don
and Judy and Randy and Dad had to come the next day --
so we repeated the meal (with leftover ham.)
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When the Sleight family was present (on the 27th), I was
in for my biggest surprise. The kids staged a play
for the audience (and for me specifically.)
They put on "The Death of Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar."
It was complete with an accurate historical script.
Nathanael researched the Battle of Trafalgar (October
21, 1805) and Annie wrote the play with editorial help
from Jeannie Beth. They even printed the actual
signal flags (on my color laser) for Nelson's famous
message, "England expects that every man will do his
duty." I cried. The uniform is the one mom
sewed for me to use at Camp Parsons in 1975.
JB played many parts including Signal Lieutenant Pasco
and surgeon William Beatty. Annie played the narrator at
the end and Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy, captain
under Nelson on his 100 gun flagship Victory.
Nathanael was easily recognizable as Vice Admiral
Horatio Lord Nelson.
The topper for me came when Annie presented me with my
last Christmas present. An actual original piece
of the HMS Victory. I was delightfully
stunned. |
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 Bits and Pieces
With the NBC TV show Heroes taking a break, I'm exercising to
library DVDs of Smallville. My weight, that had climbed to 205,
is at 201.5 as I type this on January 3, 2009.
I started using this graphic image that I designed to highlight "key" points
in my Saturday Bible study notes. On January 10th we will begin
Luke 17.
We had to cancel only the December 20th class due to the snow.
Nathanael ran a personal best of 4:40 in the mile in indoor Track at the
UW in early December. He finished 2nd of the six SPU men, and in his
heat of 14 he took 3rd.
Jeannie Beth took Ballroom Dancing lessons at Impulse Ballroom (near
Skate King) in Bellevue this month. She clearly loves singing and
dancing more than Chemistry.
During the big snow, I took many 3 hour walks before Christmas and returned
with a few gifts and fixings for the holiday meals. On one trip I
came upon a front-wheel-drive sports car stuck in the snow, blocking the
lane on NE 12th leading to the homes just south of us. Neighbors
and I helped to push the car free. When I got home with my
packages, I discovered I'd lost the lens cap for my camera that I'd been
carrying. (This was the third time I'd lost it.) I prayed
and realized I probably lost it when I'd pushed the car. Retracing
my steps I found the lens cap on the snowy sidewalk where I'd expected
to find it. God got the glory for first showing me it was lost,
and second, telling me where to retrieve it.
We enjoyed three movies at home over this holiday break. All three
were winners: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Four Feathers, and
Hitch.
I continued as the photographer for
BCS Wrestling.
And a big event was the laying of the final section of oak flooring in
our dining/living room. After 16 years!
I started another (smaller) beard in December at the request of Jeannie
Beth and Annie.
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