The Doctor is in.

October 2018

Carpet Diem!

Charis is crawling all about, up stairs and down. At ten months, she is a little entertainer. We have fun guessing at the meaning of her myriad expressions in her native tongue.
I must be quick with the camera because she is equally quick to remove any hat.

I imagine she will enjoy watching herself grow up in this journal. I know that the family photos of pre-digital generations are stored, scattered, or lost. The current mystery is how many siblings and cousins will join her here over the coming years.

This 'photo shoot' came on October 6th, her 10 month birthday. The "carpet diem" shot was planned in advance. But the "Husky touchdown!" shot was serendipitous.

Later in the month, she was pushing cardboard boxes and wheeled toys around as she walked behind.

The Low Down on Retirement (at least for now)

I got my quarterly TIAA investment statement, and it reported that I have finally accumulated over $500,000 in that retirement account. Add to that additional accounts from SPU and Charles Schwab, plus Social Security, and the reality that I could retire became clear. Add to this Nancy's investments, her IBM stock, and potential inheritance funds, and retirement looks doubly attractive.

I was feeling discontent about my new employment situation, working 32 hours per week. Then I realized that whatever I made was "gravy." It was money I didn't actually need. I could retire at any time. The more important question was, did I still enjoy working in my current position? That answer was still a big "yes."

A Photo Shoot

On the 13th, my friend Ed Sloan hired me to do a photo shoot of his nephew Se Yun Han and five of his friends from Bellevue Christian. Graduation pictures are yet another new possibility for SL8.com projects. The weather cooperated and everyone showed up on time. For an hour we made a big loop around Kelsey Creek Park. I took over 270 shots and there were plenty of keepers.

Every Day's a Jolly Holiday with Jonathan

After the photo shoot at Kelsey Creek Park, I met Nathanael, Cynthia, and Jonathan at Factoria Mall and took them out to Burger King. I know someday there will be a month when I'll miss seeing all of my grandchildren, but it will not be this month.

Later in the month, they visited on a Sunday.

Jonathan was very alert and happily chewed on my knuckle and thumb. Unlike Charis, Jonathan did not fuss when I held him. Just wait 'til he gets to know me better!

1234 99th Ave. NE
Faces Our Garage

The new house to our west has been roofed just in time for late October rains. Plumbing is underway and windows await their installation.

It's big on a small lot, but with no basement.
It has more back yard than front yard, placing it closer to us. They'll have a great view of the west side of our garage and the piles of
Giant Sequoia twigs on our garage roof. The house wrap went on it on the 30th.

Family Time on October 28th

At the end of the month, we finally got a chance to meet Nathan ("Nate") Berry, Jean's new beau. But equally special was another Sunday with a chance to see the growth and vitality of our two grandchildren.

Nancy claimed Charis walked (three steps) on her own. She certainly cruises all over Susan's first floor. Jonathan holds his head up well and has a big happy smile. Those two tired me out and I fell asleep on the living room floor.

Bits and Pieces

♦ Nancy ushered and enjoyed Jean's latest performance in Much Ado About Nothing with Fern Shakespeare. Jean played both Conrad (left) and Margaret in this "All Femxle Cast" performance. Nancy attested to Jean's stellar acting chops once again. Changing from the swaggering macho Conrad to the fetching Margaret was well done. I chose not to attend this show as I love the story and did not want to color my memory of it with the non-traditional casting of this version. I like Jean's creative photo (right).

♦ Faculty searches for new Marketing, Finance, and International Business professors for 2019-2020 are beginning to break up the weekly routine at school. We have no lack of qualified candidates. In Marketing,
Ming Chen and Andy Chen visited this month. Six candidate visits means six free lunches.

Choosing between the two incredibly qualified candidates for our open Marketing faculty position will be a big challenge. On paper,
I like Dr. Andy Chen, a Canadian. But in person, I like Ms. Ming Chen, who is expected to complete her Ph.D. before next autumn.
I always try to get a photo of each faculty candidate. That way we have one available if we want to laud our good fortune before they arrive on campus next fall.

♦ I've had to admit I lack the time to prepare a winter seminar on Adam Smith. I can't have three major projects going at the same time. I will focus on the MOS Master Certification I've been pursuing and learning to design with WordPress.

♦ One might think from this month's journal that I'm just a photographer. My friend Dr. John Godek, another Nikon guy and a Management professor, suggested I could take over for him helping the SPU athletics department. Mark Moschetti, the Assistant Sports Information Director, is well aware of my photographic skills as we became friends when Nathanael ran for SPU.

I photographed the SPU winter sports teams and individual athletes and coaches.
I didn't feel I should send them an invoice for my work since I did it on the clock.

My Quote from October

Closing lines from The Sea Hawk (1940). Clearly a call to arms against Adolph Hitler in a movie released one year before our entry into World War II.

Queen Elizabeth: And now, my loyal subjects, a grave duty confronts us all: To prepare our nation for a war that none of us wants, least of all your queen. We have tried by all means in our power to avert this war. We have no quarrel with the people of Spain or of any other country; but when the ruthless ambition of a man threatens to engulf the world, it becomes the solemn obligation of all free men to affirm that the earth belongs not to any one man, but to all men, and that freedom is the deed and title to the soil on which we exist. Firm in this faith, we shall now make ready to meet the great armada that Philip sends against us. To this end, I pledge you ships - ships worthy of our seamen - a mighty fleet, hewn out of the forests of England; a navy foremost in the world - not only in our time, but for generations to come.

Carl Pitt: [leading a cheer] To England, and the Queen!

from Drs. Godek and Sleight

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