The Journal of Dr. Richard L. Sleight

FEBRUARY 2005 EDITION 

Weight change in February, 193 to 189. 

 
Nathanael Sleight Wrestles at the Tacoma Dome
Nathanael was one of eight BCS wrestlers to earn berths in the State Tournament at the Tacoma Dome.  While, unfortunately, none of these young men advanced out of the Friday rounds to the final matches on Saturday the 19th, it was a very successful season for both BCS and Nate.  Although he weighed in at 121 pounds, he wrestled in the 130 weight class in the middle of the season.  He was the District 2&3 Champion at 125 lbs. and earned his spot at State with a 2nd place finish in the Region 1 Championship tournament. 
 

 
Not only has Nathanael now earned trips to State championships in two sports in two tries, he is also a two-time WIAA State Academic Champion as both the 2004 BCS Boys Cross Country team and the 2005 BCS Wrestling team earned that top state honor.  Not bad for a Freshman!  His dad is as proud as can be of this great son.    

Nate is pictured here with his 2nd place ribbon and team trophy in the annual Lake Washington Tournament.  At the February 22nd BCS Wrestling Banquet (ie. potluck) Nathanael received his fair share of accolades.  Along with his varsity letter and recognition as a State qualifier, Nate received the “Outstanding Newcomer” award.  And when the statistics for the 25 wrestlers were announced, Nate was 3rd in three-point falls, second in two-point falls, and 2nd in the very rare four-point fall (also called the “squawk”).  He was especially proud of being the team escape artist, finishing 1st in escapes with 28 for the season.  And we are proud of him.  He hopes to go to BCS Wrestling Camp this summer instead of UPC Day Camp. 

On Solomon and Wives

• Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Prov 21:9 and Prov 25:24

• Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and           ill-tempered wife. Prov 21:19

• A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; Prov 27:15

See a pattern here?  And Solomon was one to know --  He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 1 Kings 11:3
Two observations for the benefit of Solomon (and all husbands).  1) Work on loving one wife and perhaps then the problems will solve themselves.  2) Perhaps it's you, not your wife, that is the real root of your problems.  What was the common element in all of his many marriages?  Solomon was the husband. 

"And drink thy wine with a merry heart..."
For twenty-four years I have enjoyed alcohol only sparingly.  Not because for the five years before that I had greatly over-imbibed, but because I was submitting tacitly to  Nancy's wishes.  She might see it differently but a major change has come to our home.  For the first time I have what amounts to a modest wine collection in my basement (cellar) -- behind glass and just under John Calvin and Church History.  (And I just discovered that Safeway gives an additional 10% discount and provides a nifty, sturdy carrying tote if one buys six bottles at a time!)
 
A few glasses of wine (so long as they be red) each week bless my heart with the antioxidant benefits of red wine and bless my other "heart" of which the preacher of Ecclesiastes writes. "A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry..."   Perhaps by Christmastime I'll know the difference between Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and the other reds.  Or maybe not. But it will be an adventure.  Captain Aubrey would applaud a fellow officer who's private stores did creditable homage to the grape.

Children Grow Up
This is a good thing, I think.  Can Jeannie Beth mature into a competent, caring teen like Annie?  Can Nathanael develop discipline and focus to channel his joyful exuberance?  Annie can excel at whatever she puts her hand.  Can she find the place where her passion and Christ's call meet? (I'm confident that God takes care of that for us if we have but ears to hear.)

As children grow up, each tradition or annual event eventually comes to an end.  No more Daddy-Daughter nights at Pioneer Girls  (Jeannie had way too much fun decorating her dad) and no more Labor Day weekends at Church Camp (a church decision, not ours). 

J. B. has one last pre-teen year to enjoy. Annie turns 18 at the end of this month. And I'm more and more pleased that we held Nate back one year.  He'll leave home at 19. These are the best years of our lives -- why rush through them?
 

While watching Ella Enchanted on a DVD which J. B. had gotten from the library, Annie remarked that Ella and the Giants, Ogres, and Elves were sneaking into the palace stuffed inside a hearse carriage. I quickly observed that it must be a Trojan Hearse.

Thompson is a sept of MacTavish so here is yet another tartan of a distant ancestor. Randy Sleight is our family genealogist.

 

An Old Hobby for a New Century

Photography was a High School and College hobby of mine. 

As an incentive, Nancy has promised me the camera of my dreams (which currently is the Nikon D70) once I get to 173 pounds.  Only 16 pounds to go.

So! The Tin Man Does have a Heart!
Dr. Sleight will meet for the first time with James Schneider M.D. of Eastside Cardiology Associates on Thursday afternoon, March 3rd.

This will be an initial consultation.  The two will review the results of Dick's treadmill test taken February 17th.  They will discuss the next steps to be taken in this war.

Wizard: As for you, my galvanized friend - you want a heart! You don't know how lucky you are not to have one.  Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.
Tin Man: But I - I still want one.

Annie Sleight Named National Merit Finalist
This month Annie added yet another feather to her much-plumed bonnet of academic awards.  She was advanced from Semifinalist to Finalist status in the National Merit Scholarship Program.  She also brought home yet another 4.0 report card -- the only kind she has ever earned. "Amazing" Annie excels at just about everything. 

She is the family "Mary Poppins" -- practically perfect -- and easily the most stable personality at 1228 99th.  What a gift she has been to this family.  Can we get along without her as she leaves for college in September? 

A Painful, Restful President's Day
Monday, February 21st – Presidents Day.   I’d had a sore throat on Sunday and woke up Monday morning with a throat so sore I could hardly swallow.  Nancy took Annie to a PEO meeting where Grandma Ginger was recognized as a 50 year member.  I took the other kids to Bartell’s for my Lipitor refill and to Wendy’s for their lunch.  I had chicken soup at home.  What a great way to kick-start a diet though.  I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to lecture on Tuesday.  But it improved enough that I did fine.  Even after the wresting potluck last night, I’m happy to say I finally got under 190 pounds on Wednesday.  Regular exercise and a renewed sense of what constitutes healthy eating are helping.

So on this holiday I took to my bed but did manage to finish The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian. Good books do take one's mind off troubles and temptations alike.  My current reading is The Everlasting Man, G. K. Chesterton's 1925 critical analysis of human history.

On Turning 50
Growing up I often calculated that I'd turn 45 in the year 2000.  That was the distant future.  Now at 50 I feel more over the hill than perhaps I should. Yet this milestone is still significant in many ways.  "Back then" I never thought I'd earn a Ph.D., and now I've worn my purple gown for 15 years.  At this point half my life was lived as an unbeliever and half as a believer -- if not often enough an obedient one. I've been faithful to one wife for 24 years and helped to raise three wonderful children.  I've discovered at least one spiritual gift and it is indeed a passion that draws me into the Scriptures so that I can share (teach) what His Spirit has shown me there.  As lives go, mine had not been insignificant. 

As Nancy likes to remind me, my waking hours are dominated by my job.  As Dr. Ross Stewart once observed, I am a "George Bailey" --    a servant who often wants to be elsewhere but who, out of duty (and love), stays faithful to the people and places where God has put him.
 
Clarence: "One man's life touches so many others,
when he's not there it leaves an awfully big hole."

2005 also reflects a special year in the area of my health. Too many of my systems are at a point where their care can't be ignored.  Better eating (less sugars and fats and more greens) along with serious exercise can tip the balance back in my body's favor.  So far so good.

Randy Sleight Brings Honor to the Clan
On February 26th, brothers and engineers Don and Randy attended the Puget Sound Engineering Council annual award banquet.  Randy was there to be receive an extraordinary honor.  The next evening we celebrated at 1228 99th with a special dinner and Annie's apple pie.  Well done Randy!
 
 

Click this one for a larger image.