The Journal of Dr. Richard L. Sleight

JUNE 2008 EDITION 

Weight change in June, 199 to 201    


The BCS
Class of 2008
Moves On
 
At the annual Junior-Senior banquet, Nathanael was chosen as "Most Likely to Break a World Record."  His graduation on June 19th was festive.  He "walked" wearing his honor chords and his Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete award medal.  His final high school GPA turned out to be 3.86.  Not bad for a kid the school wasn't sure they wanted five years ago.
Nathanael and Jeannie Earn Track & Field Honors
 
Nathanael received his ninth varsity sports letter at the BCS Track & Field banquet on June 5th.  He was also voted "Most Inspirational" from the distance men. 

When the seniors were introduced, the distance coach Rachel Huey spoke about Nathanael.  Then head coach Ed Sloan added his comments and finally even Sonja Bennett the javelin and high jump  coach spoke of her memories of Nate in 9th grade PE class.  He has left his mark on BCS sports.

And although Jeannie had a season shortened by drama, she also received a varsity letter in Track & Field.  I received my second varsity letter after Cross Country in my junior year and J.B. has two as a freshman. 

Nancy's videos of the season played for 35 minutes while folks ate and then my PowerPoint show played during the long awards portion of the evening.  We also provided photos of all of the team members as table decorations.  At the outset of the awards, I was given a standing ovation by the athletes and parents.  It was quite a surprise.  And toward the end of the evening both Nancy and I were invited up to receive a gift, a framed set of photographs of us at Track meets.  A $300 check arrived a few days later from our "fans."  We provide a completely unique service as team photographers. 

It wasn't until the end of June that I was able to complete the online 2008 Brooks Meet of Champions web page. And I still have projects for individual athletes from both Wrestling and Track to complete over the summer.


 

Jeannie Beth and Nathanael Earn Academic Honors
 
On June 3rd, both Nate and Jeannie received numerous awards at the annual BCS Honors Night event held at First Presbyterian Church.  They kept up the standard established by top scholar Annie.

NATHANAEL ―  Department Awards: Mathematics, Social Studies, Art, Bible.   Other honors: United States Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award, National Honor Society, State Math Contest participant, High Honor Roll, Multi-Sport Award.

JEAN ― Department Awards: Mathematics, Spanish, English.    Other honors: Top Scholar (freshman class), State Math Contest participant, High Honor Roll, Multi-Sport Award.

 

 
Mom Turned 88 on
Flag Day
 
I put on a barbeque on Mom's birthday and it was attended by my five, Don, Randy, Dad, Mitsuko, and Ginger Rutherford. 

We had burgers and hot dogs and salad and etc. plus a big COSTCO cake for Mom.  She seemed to really enjoy the day and the presents. She wanted to open the sugar-free caramel topping right away!

Annie gave her a jig-saw puzzle book that she'd brought home from England, and we gave her sugar-free candy and other items.  Ginger brought a card.  And God provided a suddenly sunny day!

My Quote from June

HOLY SONNETS.

IV.
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/invidot.gif

O, my black soul, now thou art summoned
By sickness, Death's herald and champion;
Thou'rt like a pilgrim, which abroad hath done
Treason, and durst not turn to whence he's fled;
Or like a thief, which till death's doom be read,
Wisheth himself deliver'd from prison,
But damn'd and haled to execution,
Wisheth that still he might be imprisoned.
Yet grace, if thou repent, thou canst not lack;
But who shall give thee that grace to begin?
O, make thyself with holy mourning black,
And red with blushing, as thou art with sin;
Or wash thee in Christ's blood, which hath this might,
That being red, it dyes red souls to white.

John Donne

 


Sometimes the Moon Cooperates

This month the moon hugged the horizon at the summer solstice and made a suitable photographic subject for my Nikon.  Nancy drove me up Clyde Hill to try some shots, but without a tripod and remote shutter release, I couldn't get the exposures of moon and downtown buildings I would have liked.

In July I hope to shoot downtown Bellevue from the Vuecrest neighborhood just south of our lot with my Nikon 18mm-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX wide angle lens.  I need to redesign my Bellevue1.com web site since Bellevue has grown up.


The Seattle Shakespeare Company Wowed Us with All's Well That Ends Well

I paid for dinner at the Center House for Annie's roommate Kristen and her boyfriend, talkative Tyler, and for my own crew.  This is the way I like to 'brush up my Shakespeare'.  The romantic drama of Helena for her Bertram, and his eventual redemption brought tears to my eyes.  This was more than a comedy.  It was a message to husbands about appreciating the gift of the wife God has given.

Must I be comforted, not in his sphere.
The ambition in my love thus plagues itself:
The hind that would be mated by the lion
Must die for love.

  The knave Parolles and Count Bertram.                                                                             Bertram and the worthy Helena.
 

 

 

 

 My Reading in June
 
The story of Gilgamesh is "older" than Genesis, in that the story of this king of Uruk was perhaps the earliest known hero story - or any story for that matter.  And its remarkable account of "The Flood"  (with its ark and animals and all) is amazing (and troubling).  I actually enjoyed the tale in all its repetition and simplicity (and historically honest ribaldry.) 

On the bus at month's end I am reading another tale by Rafael Sabatini, The Hounds of God.  From a review: "Disillusioned with the intrigue leading up to the crowning of Queen Elizabeth I, Roger Trevanion, Earl of Garth hides himself in his books and leaves his daughter, Margaret to gain a sense of independence and self-reliance rare in a woman of that era. After she is kidnapped by Don Pedro de Mendoza y Luna, a shipwrecked Spanish captain she had befriended, her would-be fiance Sir Gervase Crosby must fight his way through the English and Spanish Courts and the Inquisition to rescue her before her strength of spirit can run out."

Sabatini uses intelligent dialog and great characterization -- but sometimes so much that the plot slows to a crawl.  This was published in 1928.


Graduation Gifts and Mom's Outing

Nathanael looks great in the black suit and blue tie I bought him.  I also got him a Canon PowerShot A590 IS 8.0MP digital camera.  Nancy will put together a special assortment of must-have items for college as she did for Annie.

The week of UPC Day Camp, Randy took Mom back to West Seattle and we got some rest.  I cooked a few nice dinners and we all dressed up for one.

When Mom returned on Saturday, June 28th, we learned that Randy had misunderstood the instructions for her pills.  He had given her double doses for a full week.  She seemed much diminished by the experience but has made some improvement in her few days back in Bellevue.



Nathanael's Art was Featured at BCS

The picture at the left is of Nate's "Chimera" which was displayed at the BCS senior art show in the school library.

His "What I did Last Summer" is at right.
 

Bits and Pieces...

I helped Nathanael sign up with the NCAA Clearinghouse as he prepared to join the SPU Cross Country team.  The coach and team have welcomed him.

  • SPU still says they want me and have set my 2008-09 salary at just over  $58,000.
  • The Saturday Men's Bible Study will continue in Luke 9 on September 6th.
  • At right is (hopefully) a "before" photograph.  I am trying to exercise and get in shape by September.
  • On June 20th Nate registered for SPU classes (after being out all night at the BCS Graduation Party.)  His schedule got messed up, but the University Registrar, Ruth Adams, is a particular friend of mine and I was able to get Nate into Physics without also registering him for Calculus which he should waive.
  • Annie's friend Tom Disher and his family from Oregon took an Alaska cruise and Nancy and Annie took them to the ship and picked them up and we watched over their car all week.  They are good people.
  • The doctors say they got all of dad's melanoma and his eye surgery (first eye) went well.  He claims he can see again.
  • We also attended a wedding shower for shirt tail relatives (through Bob & Rita Rutherford) in Hobart.  Badminton with my kids was the highlight of that outing.
  • JULY starts with a physical exam (last one was in 2005).  I also have Jury Duty on
    9-10, JB has a week of SPU Running Camp and Nate has the Taproot Musical.  Nancy will work on floors, and Annie will pack for her trip to Spain.

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