Jean and Andrea Win "EMP"

An annual event on campus is the Experience Moyer Project from 7-11 p.m. on President's Day.  And this year the runaway winners on 3rd floor Moyer Hall were Jeannie Beth and her roommate Andrea for their dorm room decorated as Narnia.  Here's what The Falcon newspaper had to say in part.

"Each floor was decorated according to a different theme, with the majority of rooms decked out and open for touring.

Third women’s illustrated that “adventure is out there!” with rooms elaborately decorated as Yosemite, the Shire and a picnic under the stars.  A fabulously realistic rendition of Narnia featured a doorway crowded by fur coats, a lamppost and Turkish delight."

Andrea and Jean have been roommates for two years.  Their room benefited from props (sheets, fur coats, an Aslan poster, etc.) from our house and much effort from Nancy and both of Andrea's parents.

A picture of their room made it into the print version of The Falcon.

This is one of those rare extra-curricular highlights of college life that JB will remember with joy all of her life.

Falcon Gymnastics Alumni Night

On Friday the 15th, Nancy and I attended the final SPU Gymnastics home meet of our Falcons vs. UC Davis.  At the right, Nancy is pictured with her teammates Debby Halle and Laurel Tindall, long time SPU coach.  She was on the SPU Varsity Gymnastics team '74-'75, '75-'76, and '76-'77.  And had she not gone to Cottey College as a Freshman, she would have been a four-year letter winner.  She was the NCAA athlete in the family long before Nathanael. 

In Bible study the next morning we covered Colossians 3:5-25.  That section includes: Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.  On one hand, having Nancy as my mate reminds me that the roughest wood needs the coarsest sandpaper, while on the other hand I admit that in marrying her, I won the Lotto.

Exercising With Coach Jillian

After watching a recent episode of Biggest Loser, I got back into exercising.  I've been wearing 3-pound weights on each foot for days at a time, especially work days.  I got some exercise DVDs of Jillian Michaels to put me through my paces.  Nancy cleaned a space for me to do the moves.  And SPU is having their annual "Globe Trekker" walking program.  I've been around 10,000 steps on most days.  And 16,000 step days has not been unheard of.

Three Snapshots from My History

While Nancy was up at Susan's house for a week this month, taking care of Ginger (mom) and Ginger (cat), I did some early spring cleaning.  I came across these three snapshots. 

1) Probably Summer 1969.  The pack I was carrying was canvas, not nylon, so it was early in my scouting career.  The black glasses were the look before the summer of my junior high school year.  Randy joined Scouting in May 1969, while I had joined probably in March 1967.  The cowboy hat shows I was wearing them (in public!) long before our big family vacation in 2001 to Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.  Looking at the young fellow in blue, it must have been the middle of my transition between a 7th grade weakling and a 9th grade team captain.

2) In July 1972, the West Seattle Cheer Squad loaded onto this bus to travel to Central Washington University for the NCA Cheerleading Summer Camp.  I became a yell leader for three main reasons.  I had genuine school spirit.  Bill Manley, in the top three on the Cross Country team when I was a junior, had been a yell leader and runner and showed that it could be done.  And, honestly, I was not adverse to being REQUIRED to hang out with the school's cheerleaders.  (I'm inside the bus, to the right of second-year yell leader and fellow senior, Steve Pierce.  In 10th grade I would have said I was interested in my Lincoln Park area neighbor Linda Boyd (second from the left), but of Mary, Linda, Robbie, Sue, Leslie, Nancy, Sandy, and Lori, by this time I was already interested in the girl who had just been my Chemistry Lab partner in our junior year, Nancy Rutherford (in front).  I did not declare my interest in her because of her strong Christian faith, and my "going steady" relationship with Kathy Finney.  Kathy was well aware that I liked Nancy.  She came to our wedding and remarked something to the effect that Nancy and I were the obvious match.

3) The Camp Parsons staff jacket and Canadian flags place this photo in summer 1977 in Victoria on a day trip date.  It's hard to believe my January 1976 to December 1977 romance with Kim Sanders of WSU/Kent was so short.  My Scout staff summers were 1973, 1974, and 1975.  This friendship began in the winter, two months after the 1975 Apple Cup.  (The Huskies came from behind with two fourth quarter touchdowns to earn a sudden 14-13 victory over the Cougars in Husky Stadium.)  I had seen Kim once briefly in the fall of 1975, but I was expected to give my attention to my friend Ed's new love interest Deborah.  I hardly noticed Kimberly, her WSU roommate, at that first meeting.  Three months later, and on the rebound from the long relationship with Kathy Finney that had ended just before the end of 1975 at Kathy's request (and my unspoken wish), Kim and I went on a double date.  We were smitten with each other on that first double date with Ed and Deborah.  Kim and I parted ways early in 1978 when I began teaching at the UW and she was a senior at WSU.  The relationship ended, but I understand the friendship never did.  When Nancy was my fiancée, we went to the wedding of Kim and Randy Conrad in Kent in November 1980.  It was hard duty. 

Later, Kim visited Nancy and me and we were able to help in her discipleship.  Apparently, God had his own plan for our lives, and obedience to Him trumped all personal history.  It's indeed good that Father still knows best.

I love the 1977 hair!  And I'm still wearing black from time to time.  Look at the heels on those shoes!  But jeans have not been part of my wardrobe for many years.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.  Prov 20:1 NASU

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter.
Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.     Prov 31:6-7 NASU

I can see one good reason for "strong drink."  Nancy claims I fall right asleep.  The truth is that some nights I struggle to sleep.  When Washington State opened up liquor sales to private enterprise, I bought a 1.5 liter of R&R Canadian Whisky at Safeway.  That was last summer.  I finished it in January.  Not a bad rate of consumption.  I discovered an odd thing.  A pint of beer, or two glasses of wine, and I feel the buzz.  But a few shots of the harder stuff makes me mellow and sleep comes blissfully easy.

I did vote against the elimination of the State Liquor Stores because of what I saw in California in 1979 with liquor in every grocery and drug store.  But, on the other hand, I favored the change as a fiscal conservative.  It's really none of the State's business. 

By the way, the reviews on the relatively inexpensive 80 proof (40% alcohol) R&R are dead-on accurate: "R&R is a very smooth whisky. It is relatively flavorless as well."  I drank it from my "Red Dog Saloon" shot glass, bought in Alaska. 

In honor of the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon stories that praised Bushmills Irish Whisky in every volume, I was delighted to find this Bushmills shot glass at the Goodwill store last month.  But 1.75 liters of Bushmills at the local BevMo is $37.99!  (Remember, the glass came from Goodwill and I'm still an economist at heart.)  So, in honor of another hero of mine, my new shot glass was christened with the much cheaper (and stronger) St. Croix Island Spiced Rum (1.75L $18.99 + lots of State tax at COSTCO).  If the price for this 92 proof sailors delight did not sell me, the image of the frigate on the elegant bottle did.  "Nelson's Blood" indeed! 

'Wait there,' said Phelps, and lurched heavily to his feet. He went forward out of sight, and returned with his jacket clutched tight around him as though against the cold. He resumed his seat. 'Give us yer pot, mate,' he instructed. Kydd did as he was told, and caught the flash of a black bottle under the table. Then his tankard was returned.

Picking Stocks

Reported at mid-month (2/13/13): "This week, Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ:SWHC) is showing good progress as the company’s rating jumps from a B (“buy”) last week to an A (“strong buy”). Smith & Wesson Holding provides products and services for safety, security, protection, and sport. Wall Street seems to agree with the upgrade and has propelled the stock up 8.3% over the past month."

Was the extreme demand for firearms in late 2012 and on into 2013 sparked by threats of reinstating the Clinton assault weapons ban (1994-2004) or some new Obama version of it?  The recent gun buying binge actually began with the re-election of Barack Obama.  The FBI reported a record number of background checks in both November, the month Barack Obama was re-elected, and December, in which 26 were killed at a school in Newtown, Conn. As a news junkie and economics major, this politically motivated demand spike should have prompted me to foresee an investment opportunity.  I thought that Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC) stock should be on the rise, especially up to the 1st quarter report due in March.  Its 52-week high was 11.25 and its 52-week low was 5.11.  But buying stock is as easy these days as paying an online bill, and I have cash to invest sitting in Charles Schwab.  So on January 28th I bought 500 shares of SWHC at $8.92/share or $4,460.  By mid-February it was up to $9.47/share, for a gain on paper of $275.  A similar gain and it will pay for my pistol purchase.  My target price is $10.45 which would earn me $750 after fees and before taxes.  At the end of February, SWHC is at $9.55/share.

Ginger and Ginger

Nancy took care of her mom for a week this month and a week last month.  I haven't had so many days apart from Nancy in memory. 

Both Gingers require regular attention.  Grandma Ginger needs to be reminded to hydrate and does not drive now.  Ginger cat needs constant feeding.  She is so thin and wobbly.

Big Thoughts

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.   Colossians 3:21

This verse came up in our Saturday study.  While other topics in Colossians are far more important (like the centrality of Christ in all matters), this verse triggered an understanding of why it's so important to love our daughters as best we can.

Daughters - John Mayer (2009)

I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls are continually changed
And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too . . .

  Many folks have probably said this, but I thought it up myself:  "Nobody is an atheist forever."  Actually, Google only found this exact quote on one web page.

  I've been watching lots of Doctor Who with Nancy this month.  JB reserves the DVDs for us at the Library.

  The Saturday Men's Bible study finished Colossians in February and will cover Philemon on March 2nd, followed by three weeks in the Psalms, starting at Psalm 103.