BANNER - Bellevue 2008
The Journal of Dr. Richard L. Sleight
 January 2017
 
 


Nate is 28

One thing I knew Nathanael would appreciate for his birthday was a Mr. Rogers style sweater.  He and Cynthia, Susan and Ginger, joined Nancy, Jean, and I for a dinner I prepared after church on the 22nd.  Cynthia made an Eby family traditional "Crazy Cake."

He is teaching three Physics classes this month and will teach a full load in February. 
  

 

 

 

   

Donald J. Trump Inaugurated Our 45th President

Our immediate family is still split over the election of Donald Trump.  Nancy and I greatly approve of him over Hillary Clinton, but Jean is thoroughly against him.  I will concede that time may prove Jean in the right — but that day has not yet come.  I did approve of his inaugural address (below), even though I found a few of his promises beyond his ability to keep.  The mainline press has painted him as a modern Hitler, when in fact, he has shown himself to be simply a no-nonsense conservative.  The fact that he is acting very rapidly on the issues that are important to him is certainly maddening to his many detractors.

  

  

 

   


Shots from the Past

We think the picture at the left shows Nancy on our 25th wedding anniversary.  And this photo from 2006 confirms it.

The shot of Nathanael in November 2004, at the State Cross Country championships makes his neon green shoes look yellow.  Digital cameras were not quite ready for prime time.

The shot of me was most likely in spring 2006, and it looks like it was taken at West Seattle Stadium, probably the May 6th meet.  By then I had acquired my first Nikon, a D70.

 

Bits and Pieces 

♦  On the 21st, Laurie sent her brothers an unexpected report about a 14 mm small brain tumor.  Time will tell if it is as serious as that sounds at the outset.

   The 3rd seeded Seahawks easily defeated the 6th seeded Detroit Lions in the first round of the NFC playoffs, 26-6, on Saturday, January 6, in Seattle.  The catch (left) in the end zone by #10 Paul Richardson was a highlight.  The team then went up against the #2 Atlanta Falcons who dominated Seattle 36-20 in Atlanta.  This second quarter safety of Russell Wilson (right) seemed to be the turning point.  The following week, Atlanta handled the Green Bay Packers easily, winning 44-21 in Atlanta.  So Atlanta will face New England, who beat Pittsburgh 36-17, in Super Bowl 51 on my birthday.

   A shocking surprise greeted me when I visited Dr. Robert Kelley, my M.D., on the 24th.  My blood sugar was up, and there were two numbers in my blood work that troubled him enough to send me to see two specialists,.  Dr. Farideh Eskandari is an Endocrinologist  (glands), and Dr. Annemarie Dooley is a Nephrologist (kidneys).  Talk about a wake up call!  I see Dr. Eskandari on the 1st at 9:00 AM.  [ Update on Feb 2:  Dr. Eskandari called to tell me that my blood numbers relative to my kidneys had reversed to near where they were last October.  She reported this as very good news.  Perhaps with better diet control and more exercise, this trend will continue to move in the positive direction. Praise God. ]  

  Jean is happy with her new position at Bellevue Presbyterian Church.  We are happy that it allows Nancy and I to use her car most days.  In the evenings, she's often out at plays or rehearsals.

  I was experiencing some odd and intermittent neck twinges for most of this month.  They seemed related to my many hours in front of computer screens.  It continued for a few weeks but seems to have recently lessened.  On the 27th, I visited Eye Associates NW in Ballard to retrieve a copy of my glasses prescription.  On Saturday after Bible study, I drove up to COSTCO and ordered two pair of "computer" glasses, one for home and one for work.  The COSTCO prices were such that I could get two pair for less than one in Ballard.

Later that day, I took a two-hour walk to get my P.O. box mail at the new Post Office on 124th Avenue NE.  I continued on to Wade's Eastside Guns in order to examine the Beretta PX4 Storm.  It proved to be less appealing than I had expected, and as usual, Wade's price was far above the going price elsewhere.  In a few months I may do this again when the just announced Taurus Spectrum .380 finds its way into local gun stores.  That long walk was the most exercise I've had in months and my muscles really knew it.

  The Saturday Men will begin Acts 8 on February 4th.

  The construction of the new apartment/condo building three blocks southeast of us is moving along quickly.  This picture was taken from the top floor landing out the top of the south gym windows.  We'll see how much of the view changes when the building is complete.  Right now they are still working on the garage/basement.

My Quote from January

Princess Leia:  I love you.

 

Han Solo:  I know.


. . . in light of the passing of actress Carrie Fisher, December 27, 2016.

 

   
   [ BACK
 
Inaugural Address, January 20, 2017

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.  Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.

We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done. Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.  This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation – and their pain is our pain.  Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success.  We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; we’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own; and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world. But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.  Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before.

We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders.  We will bring back our wealth.  And we will bring back our dreams. We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done.  No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.  We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together, We Will Make America Strong Again. We Will Make America Wealthy Again. We Will Make America Proud Again. We Will Make America Safe Again. And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.

 

[ BACK