July 2015
Each week I seem to need a few more hours to prepare each one-hour Bible lesson. At my penultimate lecture on July 30th, I was asked about my availability for next year. I reminded them that I was only available in the summer. I reconfigured my basement study space, even if I didn't have time to clean around it. I have more light to read by, and the room is relatively cool on these 90+ degree days this month. (We broke the record this year for most days 90 degrees or warmer and it's not even August.) The old basement garage door from 7565 46th SW with all of Mr. Spock's many scratches has been repurposed as my study desk. Sometimes I surprise myself with unique insights I did not read in my many commentaries. "There was an armed guard, a seal that
would attest to any tampering, and above all, an incredibly heavy stone
to move.
A New Kind of Exercise For Father's Day in June, Nathanael got me an O Bokken Polypropylene Training Sword. It is a replica of a full-sized samurai sword. Nathanael already owned a "Hand-and-a-Half Trainer" long sword. He needed someone to whack against! A few minutes of rigorous hacking, slicing, and above all defending, is quite good exercise. When the weather cools, we will no doubt extend our practice sessions. My dad and I played catch in the backyard. Nathanael and I have occasionally found our gloves and have done the same with a softball. But both of us (but Nathanael more so) enjoy the fantasy role play fun of having at one another with swords. My sword has a single edge while Nate's is double-edged. I'm thinking this would give him an advantage in a real fight. Happily, at least so far, we haven't had any painful practice mishaps.
 Dragons
and the British Navy The whole family ganged up on me and insisted I read Naomi Novik's first novel, His Majesty's Dragon. I read it in less than a week. I also read that Novik's favorite author was also mine, Patrick O'Brian. Considering myself a purist of the British naval fiction genre, I was initially reluctant to take up this series. But the accurate details on the naval side of the story drew me in. That my beloved Admiral Nelson did not die at Trafalgar was troubling, but implies he will find his way into a future story in this series. As soon as my last Bible lesson is completed for August 6th, I'll be devouring book 2, Throne of Jade.
This is the first time we have repainted the north side of the house. I repainted the south side years ago, but it endures the worsts weather. Nathanael, Annie, and Nancy have been the painters this month, with Jean serving them drinks to keep them going. On the hottest days, we have retreated to the family room where we've watched a series of movies that Jean is required to watch before she heads to Los Angeles in August. We've seen plenty from her list like Jaws, Chinatown, Rear Window, Citizen Kane, ET, and others. But we've also had fun watching movies that were not on her list, like Wreck-it Ralph, How to Train Your Dragon 2,The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I thought that last one was not worthy of it's hype. Let's hear it for the King County Library System!
Imagine setting the musical Godspell at Pike Place Market in Seattle in 2015 instead of New York City in 1973. Taproot outdid themselves once again. Having taught the Book of Matthew again this summer, the well-known plot (Matthew) was fun to follow as the cast put so many Northwest twists on Jesus and his quirky disciples. Unlike so many productions of Godspell, Taproot's version included the resurrection (after Jesus' body was dropped down a 1st Avenue manhole!) They hit their mark — showing how joyful the gospel could be.
On the 30th, I took the day off to join the family at the P.E.O. picnic in Hobart south of Issaquah. Despite the heat, I really enjoyed myself. Even the salmon was excellent. (I am not a fish guy.) We started an hour late (at 5:00 PM) because the traffic was awful — so the party lasted later into the evening. When it began to cool off, Nathanael and I and another "BIL" (husband of a P.E.O.) started playing Frisbee. I tried to run backwards to catch a high throw, but my right heel caught on the turf and I went down straight backwards, landing on my shoulders and back. Then my head followed and pounded on the turf. It was a good thing I was not on asphalt or worse. It almost felt like my brain wobbled a few times in my skull. I was sore and dazed, and my neck and back
certainly hurt. But I was able to get to a bench and sit out the
rest of the evening. I expected to be sore the next morning, and
indeed, I had pains in places that I didn't expect, like my throat and
stomach muscles.
This fall felt much worse than when I broke my leg. I only remember two other falls in my life that were worse. One was while playing "Red Light, Green Light" on vacation in the campground amphitheater at Banff, Canada. The other was a fall off of the horizontal bar during gymnastics class at the Fauntleroy YMCA. Despite that painful and scary fall (I landed right on the top of my head and could not even breathe for a while), it was nice having some gymnastics skills before I needed them in gym class at Madison Junior High.
♦ July has been especially slow at work. The addition of a vending machine in the McKenna Hall foyer was perhaps the highlight. I was the lone vote against the thing, but the dean still gave me credit for getting the project completed.♦ The Saturday men will start back up on September 12th and we will study 1st Corinthians.
My Quote from July ...every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good. — from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations
As an Economics major, I
always regretted not reading this book by the father
of economics. I do understand his "invisible
hand" - not as God's, but as the proper working of a
free and open market. |
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