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The Journal of Dr. Richard L.
Sleight |
NOVEMBER
2007 EDITION |
Weight change in
November, 185 to 185. |
Mom is the Big Story in
November
Early Monday morning, November 5th, my
dad tried to wake my mom and she seemed to have stroke-like
symptoms. That brought the paramedics after a 911 call and
mom spent the next five days at Swedish Hospital (Cherry Hill
campus east of their First Hill facility.) She did have a
urinary infection that spread but an MRI did not reveal a
stroke.
I made four visits to the hospital to see
her that first week. Monday evening she seemed weak and disoriented but
retained her sense of humor. Tuesday night was the most
bizarre as she was hallucinating extensively. She
recognized me and lots of other folks in the room -- although we
were alone together. She also was collecting the pretty
feathers that were drifting down in the room (although I seemed
to miss them). Her antibiotic medication (for the
infection) was changed and she had her wits about her on later
visits. On Saturday, November 10th, she was moved to the
Park West skilled nursing facility on California Avenue north of
West Seattle High School. Being in West Seattle made it
easier for dad and Randy to visit her, and I have been able to
get there on the 55 Metro bus.
Mom actually made a second shorter visit
to Swedish Hospital (First Hill campus) in mid-month. Her
blood sugar had fallen to 24! Yet back in room 105 at Park
West toward the end of the month I heard of readings of 308 and
290. I've visited her at least twice each week.
Randy and Don and dad also stop by regularly. |
BCS Takes 8th out of 16
Teams at State in Pasco
Nathanael ended his season with a
solid, if not especially swift, performance at the State Cross
Country championships. Teammate Andrew Van Ness finished
the 5K race in 18:00 and Nate was 2nd for BCS at 18:12.
The Bush School managed to salve its pride by taking 7th overall
but no District 2 runners made the top twelve. District 2
star Alex Johnson from Seattle Academy did not finish the race.We got two rooms at the Richland Red Lion.
Annie, Jeannie, Nancy and Susan shared one and Randy and I
shared the other. I rode to and from the race on the team
bus.
Once again my photos and Nancy's videos
were a hit with everyone at the end-of-season award dinner.
Nancy and I also managed all of the decorations and the coaches
gifts. The tasks fell to us as the most available parents
of a senior. The whole evening went well. The other
parents also surprised our family with tickets to the Pacific
Northwest Ballet performance of The Nutcracker, as a
thank you for all the work we'd done for the team throughout the
season. We will attend December 28th.
Coach Sloan
(left) told the gathering that the
BCS girl's team was like The Blues Brothers -- in that
next year they'd be "getting the band back together." If
all the girls come out who have been mentioned, then a State
trophy is not out of the question next season for the lady
Vikings.
Jeannie began winter conditioning with
members of the Track team three days a week. She is a
changed woman! |
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November -- the
Calm Between Two Sports Seasons
Nathanael started Wrestling practice on the 12th and his team
looks good. Having his first coach (and favorite teacher)
Mr. Paul Perkins back after a season off is great.
The parents are as excited as the boys are about that.
Paul Perkins was honored in 2006 at the State Championships in
Tacoma for his 30+ years of coaching. |
 
I Got My Face Back in November
I had promised to not shave until I got to 175 pounds, but I
sure was getting tired of the whiskers. My mom
provided the trump card. Nancy overheard my mom via the
telephone (while she was in the hospital) say that she disliked
the beard.
So to please my ailing mom (and myself),
off it came. Nancy provided my quarterly haircut to return
me to my "younger" self.
I took the photo on the left in our south
yard. The one on the right was taken in my lab using my
new Botero 5'x7' collapsible background. I do so many
portraits that I decided to get it to make that job easier.
What is not easy is folding the darn thing up again.
Thanks to a Mr. Jason Johnston and his great video, I don't have
to feel like Homer Simpson every time I need to fold it up.
To round out my photography purchases this month I bought a $99
three-flood light kit from B&H. It included three tall
light stands, two 10" and one 5" reflectors, and sockets and
bulbs. I will test them out by taking some faculty portraits at
school in December. |
Our Neighboring House Begins to Take Shape
We still marvel that million
dollar homes are being built without basements. Where does
one stuff all their junk? Maybe we are the odd ones
(having so much need for a huge basement.) At the end of
November the yard west of ours has been leveled and the foundation sits
awaiting the framers.
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Aunt Ellie Joins Us for
Thanksgiving
At 98 Aunt Ellie is less
communicative and less mobile but she's still going. I
can't imagine living that long. We had the traditional
 Thanksgiving
Day ―
ten o'clock
worship at FPCB followed by the bird at one. I took
portrait pictures of each one there.
Bits and Pieces
My Quote from
October
He who will not answer to the
rudder, must answer to the rocks.
― Hervré
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[ BACK
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On
the last evening of the month Nancy and I joined Susan and
Ginger and family friends Ron Hsu and his wife at a Taproot
play. Ron and his daughter Christina are
on the CBS Sunday night TV show The Amazing Race this
season.