Designing with Microsoft Expression Web With this July 2008 journal entry I have begun the process of mastering the Microsoft Expression Web design software, a significant upgrade from Microsoft FrontPage. By using my journal as the field of battle for my studies, I'm hoping to accelerate my learning. I have training videos from TotalTraining.com. In fact, I have online access to their entire set of training videos. (And July 9 and 10, while sitting in the Jury Assembly Room at the King County Courthouse, I've had ample time to kick off my summer technology training. As I type this it looks like, now for the fourth time, I will have escaped serving on a jury! Yeah!!!) |
  Fourth of July On the morning of Friday, July 4th, we went up to Susan's house for breakfast with out Australian friends (via Canada), the Seymours. I recall that I travelled with the Rutherfords up to the Seymour farm in 1980. Here Joan joins us with the daughters Diana and Jennifer. Fireworks that evening were viewed from the peak of our house. Not only did we enjoy the fireworks at Bellevue Downtown Park, but we could see shows all over the eastside. And we especially enjoyed watching the reflection of the local show in the windows of the downtown Bellevue buildings. I had the right camera settings to catch the show but I could not keep the tripod steady on the ridge of the house. |
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 Annual SBE Staff Adventure This month the business school staff and deans went on the Seattle Chocolate Tour. We started at The Chocolate Box on Pine Street off 1st Avenue. We then toured Theo Chocolate in Fremont, one of twelve U.S. companies that make chocolate from the cacao bean to the chocolate bar. This was followed by a visit to Fran's Chocolates in University Village and then Oh! Chocolate in Madison Park (pictured) where we dipped our own. After returning to The Chocolate Box, the staff enjoyed lunch at the Steelhead Diner at the Pike Place Market. |
 Nathanael
Begins a Musical SeasonNathanael starred as the evil Jafar in the Taproot Theatre Summer Acting Studio production of Aladdin Jr. Normally the the age limits for these classes are 9-18 but in this Nate's class it was 8-19. Susanna (playing Yago) was 8 and stole the show with here cuteness. Nathanael was by far the most experienced and polished actor. He was asked if he would switch from MacBeth in August to The Music Man. He agreed, and at months end he is learning the part of the mayor of River City, Iowa. Jeannie Beth will start in MacBeth on August 4th and Nate will continue with The Sound of Music later in August.  WSHS 35th Reunion I hadn't wanted to go to the 35th reunion of West Seattle High School. But a surprise event made my attendance required, The day before I was meeting over lunch with parents of new SPU freshmen. One lady looked at Dr. Kim Sawers, seated at my left, and said, "Do I know you?" It turned out that they'd gone to Ballard High School together. I began to say something about my own reunion the next day when the other parent at the table looked up suddenly. I read her name tag. It was Wendi Wise, the WSHS alumni representative of the Class of '73. She was hosting the reunion at Alki Beach the next day. Now I had to go. To be honest, Nancy had been pushing me to go with her. As it turned out, Nancy and I (and Wendi) were the only folks to attend. In a class of over 500, we were the only ones to show up. But we enjoyed catching up with Wendi (Schriock) Wise, another twin in our class and someone I liked. She now lives near Gatewood in West Seattle. Her daughter will be on the gymnastics team and will be a business major at SPU. |
 The
MikadoRandy took a turn staying with mom so that the rest of us could attend the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society performance of The Mikado. It was classic Gilbert & Sullivan. An improbable plot, creative characters, witty dialog and devoid of the things that make theatre goers think deeply. Jeannie Runs at Camp Casey This month eight members of the BCS Cross Country team went to the SPU Falcon running Camp at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island. Jeannie Beth came back bubbling about the week and the great fun she had. She's got to get going on her summer training though, if she wants to race well in the fall. Their Friday race was 2.85 miles.
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● My weight at the end of July was all the way up to 205. This is not what the Dr. ordered. ● Erika Daligcon, the SPU Cross Country coach, has asked me to be the team photographer for the SPU Falcons. She was the coach of Seattle Academy in the Emerald City League. This raises a family crisis since the biggest local race is on September 20th at Lincoln Park. This is also the date of Katherine Kleespies' wedding in Maryland. I have not flown since before "911" and I have not wanted to. I know that Laurie will be disappointed if none of the Sleight's from the Seattle area attend the wedding. But Randy is caring for dad, Don is caring for Judy, and we are caring for mom. Leaving the week before school starts, with both Annie and Nathanael going off to college, is also difficult. ● I scheduled a colonoscopy and an eye doctor visit in coming weeks. ● Nancy has gotten glasses. These are the first that are not reading glasses. (I've always thought glasses looked good on girls.) ● Jeannie Beth and Nathanael served as models for this years BCS Art Camp, and were paid to sit still. ● I continued to share my graphic/tech talent to the No on I-1000 campaign. www.noassistedsuicide.com ● Jeannie Beth got her Driver's Permit! Yikes! ● I has a "no cavities" visit to my new dentist Dr. To. I enjoyed seeing the new digital X-rays. ● Tom Disher is staying with us for three weeks while he is taking a Japanese Class near SPU. We've been riding the bus in together. ● Books read in July: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (better than expected) and X-Men: The Return by Chris Roberson (complete escapism). Perhaps as balance I read some in Calvin's Institutes. ● I bought Nancy a Ryobi 10" Table Saw to help expedite her work on the living room oak floor. ● Annie flew off to Spain for the month of August.
My Quote from June Gilgamesh wept over Enkidu his friend, bitterly he wept through the wilderness. "Must I die too? Must I be as lifeless as Enkidu? How can I bear this sorrow that gnaws at my belly, this fear of death that restlessly drives me onward? If only I could find the one man whom the gods made immortal, I would ask him how to overcome death." GILGAMESH: A New English Version (First lines of Book IX) Stephen Mitchell
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