Andy Smallman

PSCS has a unique graduation ceremony, one that displays the highest values of the school. Each graduating student chooses someone to introduce them to those in attendance, each reads her/his credo (a statement of belief they’ve spent a year crafting), and each is held in focused appreciation for over 40 minutes.

Today was our 2012 graduation ceremony. Five students were honored. The ceremony lasted almost 6 hours.

It’s an amazing event, one that has to be attended to be fully understood and appreciated. But imagine being 18 years-old and having those closest to you share with you, in front of others, what they think makes you special.

Early today I heard the sad news that the racehorse I’ll Have Another has been scratched from tomorrow’s big horse race, The Belmont Stakes. Had he won, he would have been the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep horse racing’s Triple Crown.

I’ll Have Another suffered what in humans is an Achilles tendon injury. That’s what I’ve been dealing with, as you might recall. So now I have a champion racehorse to compare myself to! Not bad!

Today’s photo comes from 1995. I was leading a capture-the-flag game for probably 30 people, children and adults. Moments after this picture was taken, while I was running away from some young whipper-snapper, I heard a loud pop and felt a strange and very painful sensation in my upper leg. I had torn my hamstring.

If I was a horse back then, I think I would have been euthanized.

My parents are happy campers tonight. At long last, they are getting to see Chloe, the first time since Chloe got home from school. Trying to coordinate schedules has been tough, as Chloe is working quite a bit (college tuition ain’t free).

Anyway, Chloe worked it out to meet my father and me at PSCS this afternoon after our last horse race handicapping class of the year (FYI, my dad says Paynter is the best value play in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes – the students in class suggest Dullahan). Together, the three of us arrived a short time ago at my parents’ apartment and right now, as I write, my mom (Granny) is showing Chloe pictures from my parents’ recent trip to Nevada so my mom could attend her oldest granddaughter’s bridal shower (today’s photo).

That’s right, my niece, Chloe’s cousin, my parent’s granddaughter, Jessica, is getting married soon. Jessica was a big winner once on Wheel of Fortune, as seen in this YouTube video.

Inside jokes can be a fun way to connect with the people closest to you. You feel like you’ve got a little secret you share, so you feel even closer. It’s fun.

Today’s photo is a snippet of the PSCS scheduling board. Each weekday is individualized, the name of the day at the top of its own board. Two magnet hearts are put on either side of the day’s name to show the current day. So as you can see in today’s photo, the hearts are pointing to…

Kent Day?

Years ago, a student decided to honor another student by renaming “Tuesday” with his name. To this day, occasionally a current student will find the card named “Kent” and place it in front of the “Tuesday” card. I discovered this one yesterday.

The inside joke, and school history being carried on, pleases me.

I had one of those glorious moments today in my work as the director of PSCS. I had a “class” today with three students and I steered the subject on to one of my most important “lessons,” the importance of what I call “showing up.” In short, it means to not allow yourself to be distracted by ordinary things that cause you miss seeing the extraordinary when it comes to call.

After this, one of the three students stuck around to talk to me more, just one on one. She, it seems, was touched enough by what I said to want to divulge something about herself that caused her embarrassment. We sat and chatted for nearly an hour, a time in which she opened up to me, even cried. As I responded, I felt both honored by her trust in me and confident in my ability to gently talk to her.

In this hour, I was doing exactly what I want to do, being just the person I want to be, providing just what I think I’m here to provide.

Like I said, it was glorious.

You might recall that I blog for Ode Magazine, my latest entry just being posted today. You can take a look at it here. Today’s photo is a partial screen shot of that link.

The topic of the post is flaws, specifically if what we consider as being personal flaws may exist for a reason. And having reasons, perhaps they aren’t flaws at all. Take a minute to consider something about yourself you don’t much like. Has it ever taught you something, or provided you something of value? My guess is that if you dig deep enough you might just learn something important.

Anyway, if you would, take a minute to read my Ode post and, if you are so moved, leave a comment or link to it on your Facebook and/or Twitter pages. I’d love for it to get a little traction.

There we are, two small men with big hearts, my dad and me. I don’t think there really is much to add to this post, a picture being worth so many words, as it is. But maybe I can still add a few more.

Every Thursday, Al, my dad, comes in to PSCS to assist with a class. After school is out I drive him home and then stay to have dinner with my parents in the dining room of their retirement community. Each week we drive past this moving company. I’ve always wanted a photo, but there being just the two of us in the car made it too hard. This past Friday we had a PSCS student with us who was only too willing to oblige.

Melinda’s and my dinner tonight began with a cocktail and eight oysters, four for each of us. We went out for a fancy dinner at a French restaurant in Seattle called Café Campagne, courtesy of a gift certificate presented to us by an appreciative PSCS family. We did our best to pretend we were back in France, beginning the meal with oysters. I, of course, had confit de canard as my main course. There was a good baguette, along with salted butter, and well-paired glasses of wine, too.

Most importantly, we had great company.

The evening reminded us of the 26th day of the sabbatical, back when we had just arrived in France and were staying in Pornichet. Melinda and I left the girls to sleep in that morning and biked to a market where we enjoyed oysters and a glass of wine.

If you can’t tell, we are getting geared up to return to France, which we will be doing for a month in less than 4 weeks.

I’m posting late tonight as I got home late, a little before 11pm. Why? Because tonight was the annual PSCS trip to Emerald Downs, the local racetrack, that’s why!

It’s always a good time, and because of my dad’s connections at the track he is able to get our group free admission and free grandstand seating. We take the students on a behind-the scenes tour of the racetrack offices, including meeting the stewards, the photo finisher operator, the main camera operator and the track announcer. Today’s photo is of the two of the students being interviewed in the paddock before the 5th race.

So, yes, I’m home late. But it was for a good reason, a fun Friday night in the company of a great group of people.

Do you ever get excited about a food item that you’ve packed in your lunch and know you are going to eat later? I mean, who doesn’t, at least at some time? That was the case for me this morning, long about 11am. I started thinking about the cookie in my lunch, the one in today’s photo (I even took a picture of it!).

It’s a wheat-free chocolate chip cookie from PCC. Melinda bought one the other day and since tasting hers I find myself daydreaming about them.

At what point should I worry? When I find myself taking a picture at school of a cookie in my lunch? When I’m daydreaming about cookies? When I eat nothing but wheat-free cookies from PCC?