Hawktoberquest 2026

For our third Hawktoberfest at St. Mary's, we really thought we had it down. Having sampled all the activities Owen's first year, and crammed in a meet-up his sophomore year, junior year would be focused on family fun and just the things we like to do. Funny things about plans, despite what the A-Team led me to believe as a child, they they don't always come together.

Unlike previous years, we decided this time to drive to SMCM on Friday morning rather than Thursday night after Noa's fall conference which meant we wouldn't run into traffic or struggle to find our Airbnb in the dark. It also meant that Owen was unencumbered with his family the night before his second to last midterm (though he was encumbered by not knowing what time the midterm started and being 20 minutes late). We got to campus, picked up our Hawktoberfest packet, and hung out at Owen's new digs with him and his roommates (while Owen finished his laundry), before heading to our lovely rental on the banks of the Potomac. 

We started taking our Christmas Card Photo at parent's weekend each year once Owen went off to school and so Allen was adamant that we were going to get it in that weekend. It was beautiful on Friday, but we all were a little tired by the time we got to the house and there was only a short window for a sunset photo session and making our dinner reservation. However, it was not going to be a beautiful Saturday an our days was already over scheduled, so we fit in a quick photoshoot (with minimal complaining) before heading out to dinner and then coming home for family game night (which was supposed to be followed by Game 4 of the American League Championships until the heaven opened and it was postponed).

The reason there was minimal complaining for the photoshoot was because Noa forgot that they had agreed to perform at Burke's Open House that weekend, and needed Allen to drive them to DC on Saturday morning to perform their "All the World's a Stage" monologue. We managed to squeeze in a lovely pancake breakfast before they had to leave, braving the rain while Owen and I had a leisurely morning (he did homework while I finished reading a book). Once the skies cleared, Owen graciously indulged me with a brief kayaking excursion (while the skies had cleared, the wind hadn't) while Allen and Noa headed back to meet us at St. Mary's for the annual bamboo races.

Now, the bamboo races are kind of our favorite thing about Hawktoberfest – it is both impressive and absurd as people attempt to paddle a boat made of bamboo, plastic sheets, rope, and duct tape that they constructed in four hours. Most of them don't make it, but it's never obvious who will and what making it entails (partially submerged is still technically winning).

But the same wind that had curtailed our kayak session, also meant that the bamboo races were cancelled (and also prevented St. Mary's from letting anyone know about it even though they had apparently made the decision days earlier). Owen and I arrived on campus only to discover there were no bamboo races to watch and mostly no one around (which to be fair, the conditions were not good for bamboo based water craft). There were, however, funnel cake fries (which may now be our favorite thing about Hawktoberfest), so we got two orders while we waited for Allen and Noa to meet us (we shared them though Allen was salty because they weren't piping hot), before we all headed back to the house.

It was another beautiful sunset (albeit quite a bit colder) so Allen and I enjoyed a glass of wine while we waited for dinner to be delivered. After eating, we had another family game night (11 is no longer Noa' lucky number), followed by a fire, after which, Owen and Allen finally got to watch some baseball.

The next morning, we packed up and took a few more pictures (Noa, having already gotten their ride back to Burke, demurred) and then said goodbye to Owen as we drove back home.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Homecoming 2026

Burke landed on their Homecoming theme, Garden of Glamour, a little too late for Noa to adhere (they personally were going for more of gothic poetry vibe). At the last minute (about 45 minutes before they were meeting up with their friends) Noa decided to add a floral nod, by sculpting a flower out of clay, baking it (maybe a little too long as it was originally intended to be green) in order to add a statement necklace. They then decided to make some flower attachments for their glasses for a pop of color. Outfit completed, they headed out for a fun pre-meet with their friends followed by about 30 minutes of actual high school dance time before they called for us to pick them up. 

College Tourarama

Every fall Burke sponsors "bonding trips" for its students -- a couple of days off of school in various locations in order to get to know your classmates. Sadly, Noa's only made one of these excursions (junior year to NYC) in their years at Burke due to illness and other issues, and since agenda for seniors is different, they are officially done bonding.

Instead of bonding trips, seniors at Burke are directed to spend the allotted days off either working on college applications or looking at prospective colleges. Noa chose the latter.

While we've done a few college visits with Noa, none have inspired a slot on their Common App. Moreover, Noa had some colleges on their list that we had never really heard of, so it seemed like a bonding roadtrip of our own was in order.

Slight wrinkle: Steve and Megan had borrowed our minivan for their move to New Jersey and it wasn't clear when they would be able to exchange cars (fun fact: about 2 hours after we left town), so we got to drive their 2015 Porsche to Greensboro, NC. While having a Porsche is somewhat novel experience (and potentially an easy way to head off a mid-life crisis), driving a Porsche that only takes top-tier premium gas (currently around $6 per gallon) and doesn't have cruise control on a roadtrip isn't ideal.

Still we made it work, leaving DC around 3 pm stopping a couple of times for gas (that's the other thing about Porsches -- not the largest tanks) and dinner (love those biscuits from Popeyes) and arriving at our Airbnb in Greensboro at 10 pm where we quickly crashed. 

The next morning we drove the 5 minutes to Guilford College, a small Quaker school which has a Rube Goldberg machine in its welcome center, is building an Escape Room in its Experience Design Class, and despite being a really small school (just over a 1,000 students) had a really big campus (though it may have just felt that way as we walked around in the heat).

After a quick lunch and quicker nap time, we headed to UNC-Greensboro where after a video overview and discussion with one of the admissions counselors, we were broken into our tour groups and sent on our way, with the last minute addition of UNC-Greensboro ponchos, as the sky had started to look a bit menacing. This was prescient, for shortly after we passed the Minerva statute (dedicated with fruit offerings of students hoping to do well on their upcoming exams) the skies opened. While our poor tour guide had opted not to take a poncho and got soaked (though a friendly professor offered her his umbrella as he passed by), while the rest of us were still able to enjoy the campus (and managed to miss the downed trees) suffering only some wet socks.

After the tour (which Noa really enjoyed and while still thinking Greensboro has more brick than necessary, appreciated how it was balanced with matching mortar), we headed back to our rental and did a load of laundry and rested before hitting a lovely Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Greensboro that Noa pronounced perfect for any future dates while in college.

When we were planning this trip, Allen got on the waitlist for a tour of William & Mary, thinking we could potentially stop on our way back, but assuming we wouldn't actually get in (turns out it was parent's weekend and they were slammed). Incredibly we did! Less incredibly, the tour was for 10 am which meant that we had to leave Greensboro at 5:30 am (which wasn't helping Noa to get excited about the prospect of being a member of the tribe).

We made the it in time and had a lovely tour of William & Mary (Allen reminisced quite a bit with the tour guide while touring the new dorm that rose where his freshman dorm Yates once stood), which Noa conceded is a good school, but still questioned its brick choices. After a not so quick lunch (it took a while to find a place), we headed back to DC, only to immediately run into traffic. The normal 2.5 hour drive took closer to four, and ended with our swinging by Steve and Megan's house so we could trade back cars in time for her to head back to New Jersey (with the cats in tow), Allen and I could make it out to Wolf Trap for dinner and an amazing Avett Brothers concert, and Noa could crash in their own bed with their cat, feeling pretty good about their college prospects.

(To see all of the pictures, click here.) 

17 Again

Sixteen was semisweet.

It had some amazing moments. Noa appeared in three plays last fall, nailing a monologue as Ann Kronenburg in Dear Harvey, taking a convincing turn as a disaffected young white male in #Matters, and then playing Sandy Stier in Proposition 8, a mom who sued the state of California in order to marry her partner (which resulted in Noa now having a wife and two kids at Burke). Noa painted a family portrait. They started college visits including staying overnight at Oberlin visiting Gabriel and Rosemary. They got their learner's permit... and logged three entire hours of driving. They rescued a desk chair from the streets of Capitol Hill. Noa got a fancy camera and started playing with light. Noa went to both homecoming and prom. They went to a cafe filled with cats. They discovered peaches & cream Olipop.

But, sixteen was also really hard. There were issues with teachers and homework and seasonal affective disorder. The college process, while exciting, is also scary and overwhelming and translates into even more homework and deadlines. 200 million gallons of waste water contaminated the Chesapeake right before Noa was supposed to plunge into it. Noa quit viola and youth orchestra (though did squeeze in a final concert and recital). They lost their rubber ducky (which was also part of their art project). The Potbelly at Union Station closed.

We did what we could to mitigate the sad times. Teachers were talked to (and Noa, belatedly, worked on advocating for themself). They got a light therapy lamp (albeit at the end of winter and one which takes up their entire desk). Noa did not jump into the Chesapeake, and instead were sprayed by really cold water outside in the middle of winter to support Climate Action. A gelato place opened on H Street.

Because the truth is, sometimes life is really hard and you just have to get through it, even if getting through it isn't always fun. But you don't always have to get through it alone.

So happy birthday, little one. Remember that we're always here for you, Noa, and that we love you so, so much.

1. "Pluck around a little twinkle, twinkle on the piano."
2. Sometimes, if you're young at heart and you work it right, you can still order off the kids' menu.
3. I have a cat.
4. Sapphic love and falling off cliffs are not directly related. They aren't unrelated either, though.
5. Plan B: ferrets.
6. Acting is all about commitment. Unfortunately, that commitment sometimes culminates in a bloody nose.
7. You can't get what you want, particularly if the local coppersmith has never heard of Triton. But sometimes you get what you need (sort of).
8. Let's go, lesbians!
9. You don't need a bunch of role playing rules. Just write a good mystery, draw some cool assets, have a bunch of creative friends, and a Perfect Six will work just fine.
10. And in the immortal words of Nick in Zootopia 2, 

There's a lot of different animals out there, and sometimes we start to look at all of the little reasons that we're not the same. And it makes us worry. But maybe if we just talk to each other, if we just try to understand one another, we would see that our differences don't really make any difference at all. Maybe we even see that what makes me, me, and you, you, can make us even stronger.

End of Summer

We always end the summer with a beach trip followed almost immediately by the start of school. This time, Owen had a few more shifts at the Nationals (which Don, Mom Mom, and Allen crashed) before it was time to move him into his first apartment.

As juniors, Owen and his roommate since freshman year, Theo, decided they wanted a little more room and cohabitants that were a little more respectful of their surroundings. As a result, they ended up getting a campus apartment with former neighbor Owen T. and his friend Luke (known collectively now as "Tool").

We packed up the cars on Saturday, had a last family meal (and cuddle), before leaving the next morning to move Owen in (while Noa stayed behind to prep for their birthday party). We had set aside a lot of Grandma and Grandpa Z's extra household items, so Owen's first apartment comes complete with a vacuum cleaner, caphlon pots, a full set of steak knives, plates, glasses, an immersion blender, mixing bowls, knife block, and an eight person set of silverware (his roommates each brought two forks, spoons and knives, though Owen T., who had to arrive early for  pre-season training for the cross country team, also brought plates, utensils, a soda stream, coffee mugs and gladware). Mom Mom, not to be outdone, contributed a microwave and toaster oven.

As we were moving Owen's stuff in, Luke, a graphic artist, showed up with his parents. He brought a couch, a tv and gaming console, artwork, a white rug (which seemed overly optimistic to me) for the living room, and coasters. We helped them arrange the couch in the living room (SMCM provided a much less comfortable couch and some chairs, so it took a few attempts to get the layout just right) and then headed out for lunch and then to Walmart to pick up odds and ends.

When we got back we finished arranging Owen's room and then took a few last pictures before heading back to DC in order to switch cars with Steve and Megan (who needed our van for their move to New Jersey) and at least say hello to Noa's birthday party guests (who did not stay for dinner) before crashing in our somewhat empty nest.

(To see all of the day's pictures, click here.)

OBX 2026

We returned to the Sea Gypsy for our beach trip this year and were rewarded with a week of beautiful beach weather, and unlike last year we thankfully didn't have to ride out any hurricanes! We did have some sad news right before our beach trip started this year, Mom Mom's cat Morse sadly passed away, and despite Noa's best efforts, we didn't find another cat to bring home from the beach.

The water was bathwater hot the day we arrived (not bathtub hot – that's just a dad malapropism), but was much cooler the next day, so Elaine and I were the only ones to truly brave floating in the ocean, though Owen did give it the old college try. We had fun playing games – marbles, Flip 7, puzzles of course, bocci, Owen's new corn hole set, and Owen almost beat Don at golf this year with a remarkable comeback, but just lost out on the second playoff hole. 

Jeff flew down again, and Owen, Don, and I flew with him down to Ocracoke. We had planned to land at the Billy Mitchell Airport right by Cape Hatteras, the eastern most point of the Outer Banks, but as we made our landing pass we saw that the runway was closed for resurfacing, so we detoured to Ocracoke for lunch. Owen got to fly the plane as co-pilot on the way down, and he kindly gave me a turn up front on the flight back. We had to dodge a few storms on the flight back, but it was a great little adventure.

We celebrated Owen's 19+1 birthday, had lots of walks on the beach, Noa and I had our photography adventures, Elaine spied some cool sandcastles, and we all can't wait for another trip to the beach next year!

(click here for all the pictures)

Nineteen Plus One

While it's hard for all of us to accept that Owen is no longer a teenager, Noa seems to be taking it the hardest. Not because they object to Owen growing older per se, but because they reject 20 as an age in principle. After all, no additional milestones are unlocked upon turning 20 – you still can't drink or rent a car – but despite the absence of new found privileges, you're cast off from your cohort, and that seems wrong. And so, Noa declared that for the next year, Owen would be considered 19+1.

It was an interesting year for Owen. He declared multiple majors while growing his hair multiple inches. He rekindled his love of baseball (or rather, blew up the group baseball chat) and continued to grow the St. Mary's softball club (though still not enough to field a full team). He had his first fender-bender (and out of solidarity, his parents had one too). Owen got his first paying job and opened an IRA. He got jury duty (and had to request a deferral). Owen went to Miami for Spring Break (with his father and grandmother in tow). He learned the importance of comfortable shoes and hydration. 

But mostly, Owen just continued evolving into a young man that cares deeply about the world and its people, despite what some people are doing to said world. And while we wish that things in this timeline were a little brighter, we trust that with Owen eventually on the job, we'll get there.

So happy birthday, our not-so-little man. We love you so, so much. 

1. The loan sharks are coming!
2. You get one warning for vaping. If I have to tell you a second time, I'm getting the manager...
3. This is the drone you've been looking for.
4. "An alien came up to me the other day. Big alien. Strong alien. Tears – green tears – running down his face." 
5. If only there were some way that Washington could win the pennant...
6. St. Mary's does not cancel classes for snow. Snowcrete, however, is a different beast entirely.
7. The USA is really lucky the DR couldn't use ABS in the WBC.
8. One doesn't simply walk to Mordor, but you can get there by listening 15 minutes a day.
9. 2026 is all about living the dream... if we define "dream" as an absurdist social simulation game.
10. And in the immortal words of Aunt Mae in Spiderman, Brand New Day, 

    You are a really special person. And I would hope that that will make you feel really great about yourself, but I know sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you'll be really lonely. And sometimes, becuase you're special, people can do dark and monstrous things to you. But this is what I want you to know: You're beautiful and the people who love you, they love you not because you're special, we love you because you're you. Remember that, even when it feels like you're totally alone. That's your deepest responsibility. Never forget that, no matter how powerful you become.

    
    

Permitted

While Noa has enthusiastically supported friends in their quest to obtain their driver's license (Noa aced Maryland's test as a sophomore) and has provided numerous, unsolicited driving tips to their parents and sibling for years, Noa has been reticent about acquiring their own permit since they became eligible last year. We were patient for the first six months or so, but facing a summer free of work, either paid or volunteer, and only a single one week class (to work on the college application process which they've also been avoiding), Allen threw down a gauntlet: Noa had to get a permit before we left for Iowa (with the hope that they would drive once we were there).

This was more challenging than anticipated. Having obtained all the necessary documentation (Allen's been burned at the DMV before) and working around some scheduling issues in order to take the test, it still took Noa a few tries before they were able to pass the exam, despite getting 100 percent on the online practice tests. In their defense, I would assert the DC's DOT's is mistaken and in fact HAWK is not an acronym for High-intensity Activated Crosswalk.

Nevertheless, Noa persisted and was awarded a DC learner's permit two days before we we left town. However, given the brevity of our time in Iowa and the absence of deserted parking lots or other safe spaces for inaugural driving attempts, Allen and Noa decided to wait until we returned to DC, where they were free to venture out to the former RFK parking lots to work on all the turns as well as proper distancing from ice tea containers (Allen has a method!!!).

We are trusting the process, and accept that the process takes time. Still, Noa has a full 2 years to get the 50 hours of supervised driving under their belt, so hopefully, they'll be driving confidently in time for our 2027 Iowa visit...

Cornfest 2026

Our Iowa trip was different this year. Normally we spend a full two weeks in the homeland in order to maximize time with both sides of the family. But with Grandma & Grandpa Z's house on the market, we had to rent an Airbnb instead of stay for free at Casa Zimmerman. That coupled with Allen not having a lot of vacation time, meant we limited our Iowa time to just a week (and Allen worked for most of it).

The Airbnb was interesting. Across from a sorority house in downtown Iowa City, it meant that we spent far more time exploring campus and its surrounding areas than we have in all the years we've visited. And while the house itself was not nearly as comfortable as Mom and Dad's (and also probably not up to code), the kids got a kick exploring a college town (even if Noa is adamant that they have no intention of attending said college).

While we had to work a little harder (and plan a little nore), we were able to see a lot of family this visit, though we struggled to integrate them (more on that later). The first day there I visited with Grandma & Grandpa Z (and ran some errands for them) while the rest of the crew rested. Tuesday, I took the kids to see Grandma and Grandpa's new place while Allen worked (which of course meant not a single picture was taken of the visit). Afterwards we spent some time at the pond. 

Wednesday, the Fawcetts were having a Field Day for the Practical Farmers of Iowa, which was just enough work adjacent that Allen decided he could go with Owen and me and learn all the of the new technology that Fawcett Farms was adopting... and then hang out with the Fawcetts and finally get some pond time of his own. Afterwards, I headed over to visit Mom and Dad (while also surreptitiously doing laundry) while Noa spent the entire day relaxing at the Airbnb.

Thursday, I visited my parents, Allen worked, and the kids decided to spend the morning exploring downtown. They managed to hit Raygun, where they both made some purchases; Nodo, where they enjoyed the cuisine of a fellow Roosevelt alum; a comic book store; and a Cat Cafe (which Owen bowed out of – I'm told Noa did take pictures, but just didn't share any of them...). Afterwards, we all met up with Mom Mom, who had flown out for what was supposed to be the grand re-opening of the Hoover Library, for a private tour of the not-yet-open library with a lot of new and re-imagined exhibits using multi-sensory technology in order to evoke the sights, sounds and smells of the Hoovers' work and lives. Afterwards, we headed to Ken and Helens for a lovely meal utilizing Helen's extensive garden (and some really fancy wine from their sommelier friends). 

I had reached out to Pete, Jeannine and Ellen to see if we could plan another lunch meet up, similar to last summer (albeit with out Bernie, RIP). Everyone was amenable... except mom. She didn't want to leave the her apartment and didn't think she could manage the 3 hour drive round trip, even if it meant seeing her siblings. Dad was willing, but we decided that abandoning Mom for that long would not go over well, so I drove out and met up with Pete, Jeannine, Ellen, and Ellen's friend Janine for a lovely lunch while Allen borrowed a car from Ken so that he and the kids could hang out at the pond for dinner (which meant, of course, that there are not pictures from that visit either). Afterwards I joined them for a pre-cornfest hangout.

The morning of Cornfest we headed out to the pond early for an extended day of celebration. This year, the sweet corn was actually grown at the pond, which made it easy to harvest, but also made it easy to cross pollinate, which resulted in not the Fawcett's finest sweet corn. It clearly threwAllen off his game, resulting in his first year of not making the podium (which was dominated by the under 20 crowd).

I had planned all along to take Mom and Dad to church on Saturday and then stop by Cornfest  afterwards for dinner, so that they could see everyone (similar to what Allen and I had done over Memorial Day). I even brought Leanna with me, thinking that she could persuade Mom to leave the apartment. But Mom maintained that she wasn't feeling well and that she didn't want to see people like this, so Leanna and I took Dad back to the pond for an hour, so he could see everyone and check out this years's project (a fully renovated outhouse with running water -- which made it particularly sad that Mom missed it given she had painted the original for our wedding). Dad had a lovely, albeit brief time, and then I took him back and said goodbye to Mom and Dad since we had to leave early the next morning. Then I headed back to the pond for a last hurrah before we packed up everything, headed back to our Airbnb, in order to head home (over the course of two days) after a brief but well spent Iowa visit. Hopefully next time Grandma Z will be feeling better (and more social).

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Pitstop in Pittsburgh

While I love seeing the Mettenburgs, I placed a moratorium on visiting them in the winter months years ago after getting trapped in their driveway multiple times (a minivan is no match for the snow and steepness that is Pittsburgh between late October and early March). While this limits our trips to just late spring and summer months, it does make it for a lovely break when driving to Iowa in the summer.

Usually we spend 2-weeks in Iowa during the summer, but given Allen's limited vacation leave and no longer having Casa Zimmerman at our disposal, we only booked an Airbnb for seven days in the homeland. This meant, however, that we were able to spend a few days in Pittsburgh hanging out with Joe, Cate and the rest of the crew.

We got in late Friday afternoon – shortly after Joe finished work. We hung out for a while and were then joined by Elise Pearson, who was working in Pittsburgh while the rest of her family was in the DMV. Elise stayed for dinner so we were able to spend several hours catching up before crashing. It rained for most of the day Saturday, which leant itself to a leisurely breakfast, a series of games and cat naps.

When we originally reached out to the Mettenburgs about visiting, they suggested several potential activities for Saturday evening. Noa immediately shut down Picklesburgh – they have an irrational hatred of all things brined. However, we were all intrigued by the prospect of seeing Danny Elfman perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. And while attending meant circumventing pickle enthusiasts who'd been reveling in dill all day and navigating a packed and under construction parking garage (props to Gigi for driving the kids and finding a spot first), it was all worth it to hear pieces from Batman, Beetlejuice and Milk, as well as see Elfman perform live, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The next morning, we packed up the van, said our goodbye, and smoothly exited the Mettenburgs' driveway before making our way to Iowa.

Danny & Millie

 

We've often lamented that we don't get invited to many weddings anymore, so when Danny Rowe reached out to see if we'd like to come to his and Millie's wedding we enthusiastically said yes! Now I'll admit that we were hoping that the old SXSW crowd would all make it to Boston for Danny's nuptials since it would be incredibly fun to hang out with Brandon & Anneke, Charles, Wolfe, McCarthy, and of course Jeff, plus some more of the old Psi U crowd. In the end only Jeff made it from the SXSW crew, but we had a wonderful time none-the-less with Paul & Michelle, Wilson, Tim Shaw, and Jeff & Cat. Plus it gave us an excuse to buy Elaine a new dress and a new suit for me. 

We had a great time exploring Salem with Jeff & Cat in the morning, the wedding itself was beautiful, the reception was a blast (despite Danny's carefully trained DJ not showing up and the replacement not playing Pulp when we all really wanted to dance;-) and Millie & Danny are a wonderful couple.

(click here for all the pictures)

The Last Recital

When Noa announced that they wanted to quit viola, we understood. While Noa had a lot of enthusiasm for the viola when they first started (including designing their own clothing and creating a network devoted to all things viola), their devotion has waned over the years and they discovered new passions and quite frankly, wanted to free up their Saturdays.

And while we are fine with their quitting DCYOP (though I'm going to miss hanging out in Takoma Park on Saturday mornings), we were a little bummed that quitting viola also meant saying good-bye to Dr. Enrique, Noa's viola teacher since second grade. Dr. Enrique has just been a nice influence on Noa, meeting them where they are, finding fun alternative pieces to play, and not chastising then for seemingly never practicing.

So for their last recital with him (though I secretly hold out hope that they may want to take lessons senior year just for fun), I asked Noa to actually practice (since they didn't have school the week before or seemingly anything else to do). And they did. So for your viewing pleasure, we present Noa's final performance so their version of Brahm's Hungarian Dance No. 5. And always remember: it's not a violin.

Wilco

For the final show in our Spring 2026 Thursday Night Concert Series we ventured out to Wolf Trap for our what felt like our first Wilco show since grad school (but was actually the first time since seeing them here at Wolf Trap in 2009!). We had a lovely meal at Ovations with a nice young server who chatted with us about his Dad's experience as a French Horn player for the NSO, ran into Aslihan to make if feel more like a Texas show, and thoroughly enjoyed a great show by Wilco making us wonder what took us so long to see them again!

Employee #12

While I had paid employment starting in elementary school (a Wednesday afternoon shopper route, followed by nannying in middle school and working at a movie theater in high school...), neither of our kids have had regular paid work in their short lives. We can rationalize it – after all, both kids are late summer birthdays which meant they weren't eligible for employment most summers. Add in a global Pandemic and a purge of Federal workers resulting in an extremely depressed job market in DC, and it becomes clearer that their options were pretty limited. As a result, while both kids have previously volunteered regularly to fill their summer days (Noa at an art camp; Owen at Friends Meeting of Washington), neither of them has ever triggered a W-2 filing.

Until this summer. 

Back in the spring at a Smithsonian Women's Committee event, Don started chatting with a committee member about his grandson's love of baseball. Turns out she works at the Nationals and suggested that Owen apply for a summer job and flag his application for her. He did and after a fairly performative interview and a lot of on-line training, Owen officially became a Washington National... who provides Guest Services in June.

His job assignments fluctuate, but encompasses monitoring escalators, ushering, ensuring that individuals that catch flyballs don't require medical attention, handing out fan giveaways, and helping scan tickets. His schedule is every home game (he took off a couple for Iowa), and his hours are two-hours before the game starts until an hour after it ends (even if that end is extended due to rain delays, extra innings, fireworks and the odd concert). 

It's been a really good experience for Owen, and has not ruined his love of the game (I was a bit worried given Duke Ellington and the cello). The only downside is that Allen has lost his game buddy since Owen is working every time the Nats are in town, but it's a small sacrifice for Owen finally paying into Social Security. 

Sunset

 

Having our back yard on the east side of the house is great for shade when we're hanging out there in the late afternoon and evening, but it means we don't generally have great sunset views. Sometimes though the clouds work out just right that the whole sky feels like it's on fire at sunset. Tonight was one of those nights, so we all gathered on Owen's balcony to take pictures enjoy the show :-)

TEMPEST

One of the cool things about my job is that we don't just do modeling. I have scientists on my staff that do real field research, and I finally got a chance to visit the TEMPEST (Terrestrial Ecosystem Manipulation to Probe the Effects of Storm Treatments) experiment that they run at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) as part of the COMPASS-FME project. Since I was the first senior manager from PNNL visiting the experiment, the director rolled out the proverbial red carpet to give me a proper tour. The experiment is at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) site on the Rhode River, and I was visiting during 'flood week.' They have three large plots at the TEMPEST site – a control, and two flood sites, one that they artificially flood with fresh water and one that they artificially flood with brackish water pumped from the Chesapeake. The sites are wired to the gills with experiments generating millions of datapoints to understand how freshwater and saltwater floods may alter soil biogeochemical cycles and vegetation in a deciduous coastal forest. 

The cool personal connection for this is that the Rhode River is one of the memorable spots we anchored during the two week long Chesapeake sailing adventure I did with Dad and friends back in 1998. We anchored between three small islands and swam to one of them that was actually part of the SERC site. Today that island is submerged beneath the waters, and recounting that story to the director was a great way to talk about the changes they've observed over the years. To add onto the connections, the Rhode River is also the site of Camp Letts where the kids did sleep away camp and it is near Hartge's Marina where Don keeps his boat Innisfree! Finally, it turns out that the Smithsonian Women's Committee that Mom Mom has served as President of is a long time supporter of SERC and has funded many of their student scientists over the years. 

(Click here for all the pictures)

 

Elaine & Brad

One little thing we did to celebrate finishing my three years as co-clerk of FMW was to have my co-clerk Elaine Wilson and her husband Brad over for dinner. It was a great excuse to break out our tequila cured salmon recipe that we haven't made since the days when we were actually able to throw our Christmas party. It was a lovely meal and a great chance to hang out with Elaine and not have to worry about clerking!

 

Marusan

Despite the restaurant being convinced we were celebrating a birthday or something, we really were just out to have a good time and celebrate Steve being able to snag the only one available a night reservation for The Experience at Marusan. It was an amazing '15 course' (with lots of extras that apparently didn't count!) omakase experience with the most dramatic being the tempura soft-shell crabs that we saw crawling around at the beginning of the evening!

Opera War

Part two of our every other Thursday Spring 2026 concert series was Andrew Bird's tour for the 20th anniversary of A Mysterious Production of Eggs with the National Philharmonic Orchestra at the Strathmore.  We had box seats, which felt very Gilded Age opera war given we're looking to support other musical establishments given all that is happening with the Kennedy Center these days. Andrew Bird went to Northwestern with Elaine, though she didn't know about him until Dave gifted her this album when it came out a couple of decades ago. Funnily enough, Tracey was friends with Andrew at Northwester, though didn't know he had a music career after college, so she was thrilled to find out about how well he was doing for himself when Elaine shared our concert experience with the J1 crowd.

Tarps Off

The PNNL DC group sponsored an outing for the Nats v. Marlins game and Owen and I had to take the opportunity to go to a home game together before he started his Summer job with the Nationals. It was a gorgeous night, and the Tarps Off section was in full effect, but the Nats succumbed to their Marlins curse and lost 7 to 3.

 

Into the Woods at Duke

One of the most impressive shows at Duke every year was Opera Workshop, and when Owen wanted to go support some of his old friends still playing in the Orchestra, I jumped at the chance to go. This year instead of a proper Opera they put on a musical – Sondheim's Into the Woods. As you might expect, the performances were spectacular (though Owen did critique some of the singers for using an Operatic vibrato instead of a musical theater vibrato...). It was also a nice callback for us to when Stuart Hobson put on Into the Woods and Owen was part of the SWS crew that sang Giants in the Sky. Next year Burke is going stage Into the Woods for Noa's last high school theater performance, so that will really bring everything full circle!

 

Thursday Concert Series

Things lined up this Spring for us to have an every other Thursday concert series. I got us tickets for the New Pornographers and Will Sheff of Okkervil River at the 930 Club months ago, then picked up Wilco at Wolftrap tickets, and surprised Elaine with Andrew Bird tickets for her birthday. We kicked things off with The New Pornographers, one of our all-time favorite bands to see live. Looking forward to more shows this Spring!

 

Outro

Noa has been playing with DCYOP for 10 years -- starting with their intro to viola class in the fall of 2016 and culminating with the Youth Philharmonic the past two years. In the past decade they've had 4-5 violas, 10 concerts (including one in tents), recitals, a Folk Life Festival, numerous rehearsals, and a significanty number of bakery stops on the way home (which was needed sustenance and never, ever bribery).

And while Noa has enjoyed playing with DCYOP, they haven't really enjoyed giving up their Saturday mornings every week. That coupled with the fact that they've never really practiced to the degree they would need to for the final, touring ensemble, Youth Orchestra, and their Senior Year will likely require a number of school visits and other weekend obligations, they made the announcement this Spring that they were quitting viola and that this would be their final concert.

And so we present to you Noa's (and subsequently the entire Fawcett family's) last hurrah with DCYOP. We've really enjoyed our time with you over the years and everything you taught both of our kids.

Symphony no. 8 in B minor "Unfinished" – Schubert

American Salute – Gould

Victory at Sea – Rodgers

Samantha

When Noa was little and we were setting up their room in our new house we found a great desk from the Land of Nod that had short legs for kids and an extra set of full-sized legs to transform the desk into something suitable for a teenager. While Noa has long since been taller than Elaine, they have resisted swapping out the short legs and kid-sized chairs for the full-sized version. That all changed when they found a beautiful wooden rolling swivel desk chair left out in the neighborhood after the Hill-wide yard sale this weekend. They rolled it back home, asked if they could keep it, and named it 'Samantha'. Their were conditions of course for keeping the stray chair, they had to clean their desk, and get Owen to help with rotating the carpet in their room 90 degrees – all of which were agreed to and accomplished. After a long search, I found the extra legs, and Noa is now the proud owner of a proper adult desk and chair.

Top Chef Birthday

Since Mom's 80th Birthday Party was on May 13th, we celebrated Elaine and Megan's birthday on Friday with a lovely dinner at Marcus DC. It's been on our list to try for a while, but we had some extra motivation since one of our favorite Top Chef contestants on the current Carolina season, Anthony Jones, is the Executive Chef. The meal did not disappoint, the crab rice was phenomenal, and Anthony made an appearance. He ended up being asked to pack his knives and go the next episode, but it was our first time eating at a Top Chef contestant's restaurant during their season. 

80th!

For Mom's 70th birthday Katherine and Don planned a big surprise party with around 70 people. It was quite the success, but in the lead up to Mom's 80th, she made it clear that a surprise was totally unnecessary and she'd prefer to have a bit more input into the invite list and planning for the festivities. So this time around Elaine and I consulted with Mom on the guest list and planned a more intimate gathering of around 30 people at Little Pearl. 

It was the perfect venue for the party, with delicious food we've shared with Mom at special occasions in the past like the beggar's purses from Pineapple & Pearls and the amazing pork & lychee salad from Rose's Luxury. Nancy arranged all of the flowers, and other than worrying about the rain in the forecast the day of the event was all relatively stress free. A lovely group of Mom's closest friends celebrated with us – old friends, neighbors, archives friends, Smithsonian Women's Committee friends, new friends, and family. Mom gave some lovely remarks focusing on all of the people celebrating the day with her, and I tried to follow that with a few remarks of my own. It was a special evening to celebrate an amazing woman that I'm lucky to call my Mom.

(click here for all the pictures)

 

Moving on Up

Ever since Mom was hospitalized and we discovered Dad had Alzheimers in the summer of 2024, we've been trying to get them into a retirement community, preferably near Steve. They've been resistant – Dad didn't think it was necessary and Mom didn't want to leave Iowa. We pushed again last spring after Dad's stroke and got the same response. And while as their children it's been frustrating to have them need increasingly more support without their acknowledging it, we struggled to force the point.

But the past winter was really hard on both of them. Mom and Dad have been homebound since January when the car died (which was a bit of blessing since Mom stopped driving years ago and Dad's license expired in April 2025) with little outside interaction for Mom, and Dad only having his daily walks. We were finally able to convince Mom (Dad's memory decline means he doesn't remember the stroke, or getting lost on his walks, or having an expired license, so our arguments fall a bit flat with him) that it was time for a change when we found StoryPoint which only a few blocks from their house and adjacent to the park Dad love to walk in back in February. 

After visiting the place, we had a pretty serious discussion with them both. Mom was mostly quiet, but Dad would argue that a move was inevitable but not imminent, and anyway, wouldn't moving closer to one of us kids make more sense? We would then acknowledge that that being in Chicago would make it easier for us, but Mom was opposed to leaving Iowa so staying in the neighborhood, at least while we dealt with selling the house, made the most sense for now. Dad would then ask Mom what she thought; she would ask what he wanted to do, and we would have the same exact discussion again (conversations with Dad tend to loop these days). Eventually we got them to put down a deposit and get on a waitlist with a plan to move in April.

The move itself went reasonably smoothly. All three kids flew in to handle the move and setting up the new place (we tended to tag team with one keeping them distracted while the others actively worked or ran errands). Mom was somewhat zen about it all, while Dad continued to ask what was going on. And while not everything went perfectly (I really wish there were alternative options to "smart" TVs that don't involve menus or complicated remotes; and the landline is still in limbo), the people have been incredibly welcoming and the sheer number of interactions has been beneficial to them both.

Mom and Dad are still feeling overwhelmed (Dad keeps asking if this is where they're living for the rest of their lives) but they are adjusting. Steve got them to attend a chair exercise class while we were there and we've seen subsequent reports on StoryPoint's Facebook page that they attended the Kentucky Derby Party and a Teacher Appreciation Coffee and we think they made Communion this past week. And while the move hasn't solved every issue (they've both decided they are done with doctors, so that's fun), we at least feel like they have more support and community, and (hopefully) a little more joy in their daily lives.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Junior Prom

Prepping for Prom! (Or really trying on their outfit several days in advance since they got ready with friends and we never saw the finished product day of...)

Country Club for Nerds

During our Maine trip last summer, Nabeel let us in on his idea to start a board game club. When Joe and I met up with the Hyatts in Philadelphia for the board game convention where they were pitching Race to Kepler, that germ of an idea had become a real project, and we started talking about making a trip out there to to see it in the spring. The Tabletop Library is well on it's way now and Joe and I made our trip out to Berkley to see the progress and play way to many games. The idea is to make it membership based, and a place that where you would want to hang out, come as often as you like, and stay as long as you want. More informally, think of it as a country club for nerds. Construction and permitting are still underway, but they already have nearly a thousand games (many still piled up in Nabeel and Megan's back cottage), a board game Dewey decimal  and recommendation system.

We got to preview the back room of the space and play all sorts of games – Botswana, Fate of the Fellowship, Cascadia, Galactic Cruise, a 3v3 cooperative variant of Dune Imperium: Uprising, Eternal Decks, Old King's Crown, Escape the Dark Sector, and Cosmic Encounter. Megan and Kate even joined us for Botswana, Liam played with us for most of the games save for the longest and most complicated ones, and we'll all have to make it back out sometime when Elaine can join us after The Tabletop Library officially opens.

(click here for all the pictures)

Easter 2026

Easter conveniently overlapped with the Nat's opening home game weekend this year, which made it really easy to convince Owen to come home to celebrate (and to squeeze in a visit with Steve and Megan in addition to baseball and family). Normally we celebrate at Mom Mom's, but since Danny's been under the weather, we decided to instead bring Easter to Nancy and Danny's place.

It was a quiet, but well fed group. And while Owen had to head back to school before the requisite marbles game was played, Noa more than represented (and took very little pity on Mom Mom or Nancy).

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Opening Day

It's not quite the same when the Nats start the season on the road, plus Owen and I got a jump start on the baseball season with the World Baseball Classic, but always great to get out to the ballpark on a gorgeous day and the Nats home opener didn't disappoint in that regard. The Nats started strong with a 3-run homer from C.J. in the first, but we couldn't keep up with the Dodgers. Shohei tied it up with his own 3-run homer and the Dodgers turned the game into a 13-6 romp. Couldn't be happier though to keep our opening day tradition going!

 

Take 2 on the College Front

Noa's Spring Break was a bit of a bust – they were sick the whole time, Owen's didn't overlap, and Allen spent most of the week catching up on work due to his unexpected extended stay in Miami following Sharon's hospitalization.  Still we rallied at the end to fit in a tour a Dickinson College – home of the Red Devils – in Carlisle, PA (outside of Harrisburg, PA, just a short two hour drive from home). 

Much like, Oberlin, Dickinson isn't a city with reliable public transit (though a train does cross campus once a day). The brick ratio itself isn't terrible, but the consistency of the building materials across campus has a similar effect. Also, it's really into study abroad (which Noa is decidedly not) and has a robust ROTC program (also not their cup of tea). 

But Noa really did like the campus (and our tour guide ). Dickinson is extremely eco friendly,  great class sizes, interesting majors, a hopping club and affinity group scene, and just a good feel. Moreover, downtown Carlisle has a great food scene (including a creperie that sells macrons)!

And so while Dickinson may not be an obvious choice for Noa, they are keeping it on their list. For just like when Dickinson commissioned a weathervane in the form of Triton to top the main campus building in 1803, only to have the local metalsmith who had no idea who Triton was craft a mermaid instead, Noa is flexible, adapts to the unexpected, and rolls with the punches. Unless too much brick is involved...

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

World Baseball Classic!

 

We originally had planned on squeezing in a ski trip to Deer Valley over the kids' spring breaks. It wasn't an ideal set up since Owen's break was the week before Noa's, but we thought a trip over the long weekend in the middle of their two breaks would be fun. But with 2026 shaping up to be one of the worst snow years out west we started contemplating an alternative plan. Noa was going to be doing college visits over the break, and when Owen and I saw that the World Baseball Classic was in Miami over his spring break, we jumped at the chance to get tickets to the final and semifinals. Mom Mom was interested two, so she planned on joining us for the last two games.

Owen and I flew down on Sunday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and headed straight to Loan Depot Park for the USA vs. Dominican Republic semifinal game that was shaping up to be the best game of the whole classic. Paul Skenes was pitching for the US with the likes of Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Bobby Witt Jr. and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the starting lineup, going up against an intimidating DR team with Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis, and Manny Machado. The atmosphere was electric, with a sold out crowd and bands with horns and drums marching around the stadium the whole game, and the loudest fans you could imagine. When Junior Caminero homered to center field off Paul Skenes in the bottom of the second to put the DR up 1-0, the crowd erupted with the loudest cheering I've ever heard. The USA team responded in the 4th with solo homers from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony to take the lead, then it became a pitchers duel. Flame thrower Mason Miller came in to close it out in the bottom of the ninth, struck out Caminero, walked Julio Rodríguez, got Oneill Cruz to ground out, bringing up Geraldo Perdomo in the nine hole with Tatis on deck. Perdomo worked the count full, fouled off a couple 101 MPH heaters, then struck out looking on 89 MPH slider that was well outside the zone. The USA advanced to the finals in a riveting game that served as a perfect advertisement for the ABS system coming to MLB this year.

Mom was supposed to get in to Miami on Monday, but bad weather in DC cancelled her flight, so it was just Owen and I again. We went over to Miami Beach during the day to at least say we did it. I made sure to wade into the ocean, but Owen wasn't particularly interested in beach time, so we grabbed lunch and headed back into town. The game that night pitted the scrappy Italian team against Venezuela, who ousted Ohtani and the mighty Japanese team in the previous round. Italy jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second with a bases loaded walk and a fielder's choice, but the Italians couldn't manage any home run espresso shots and it was all Venezuela after that. After having walked the two miles from the ballpark the the hotel the previous night, Owen and I worked out the uber strategy to avoid the incoming rain, and started making plans for the day of the finals.

We decided to walk down to the walk down to the Bayside Marketplace for brunch and the up to the Frost Science Center where we enjoyed the aquarium and other exhibits and walked through the cat sculpture garden. Mom's flight got in on time and we all headed to Loan Depot Park for the USA vs Venezuela WBC Final. Venezuela's starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez silenced all those mighty US bats, Salvador Perez scored on a sac fly in the third, Wilyer Abreu hit a massive home run in the 5th, and things were looking bleak for the USA team billed as the greatest ever assembled. Then Bryce Harper hit a massive two-out two-run home run home run in the bottom of the 8th to tie things up and finally give the US fans something to cheer for. It wouldn't last though, in the top of the ninth, with Mason Miller unavailable, Eugenio Suárez crushed an RBI double to the gap in center putting Venezuela back on top, and they closed it out in bottom of the ninth to take their first WBC title.

We were all scheduled to fly home in the morning, but things got a bit sidetracked at the airport. Mom Mom started having stroke symptoms, so we sent Owen home on our flight, and I rode to the hospital with Mom Mom. It was scary, but after some clot busting medication, lots of MRIs and CT scans, and talking with many doctors, and three extra days at Jackson Memorial Hospital, we were able to come home and it turned out this was all due to Mom's seizure medication. She's on a new medication now and none the worse for wear. Now we can go back to watching the more relaxing and low stakes version of baseball that is the Nats regular season.

(Click here for all the pictures)

The Prom (as brought to you by Burke Theater)

Last Spring the rumor mill around Burke was that Brent (the Theater Director) was considering two musicals for Spring 2026 – Grease or The Prom. While everyone else was on the Grease bandwagon, Noa kept advocating for the lesser known The Prom, which is based on an incident where a prom was canceled after a high school student planned to take her girlfriend. The musical added some fallen Broadway stars trying to rehab their image by changing in minds in small-town Indiana. Hijinks ensues. Eventually, Brent agreed with Noa and announced auditions.

Noa was hoping for a major part, but ended up in the ensemble and as the understudy for Barry (which is a major part). While Noa was disappointed, they actually played Barry for a week during rehearsals while Tony the actor was visiting colleges, at which point they decided they were very excited to just be in the ensemble (there's a lot of dancing The Prom, and Barry does even more of it).

Anyway, Tony came back and was healthy for all the performances. It was an amazing musical that went off without a hitch (though the invited dress rehearsal had to be cancelled after a water main break...).

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Plungeish

When Noa and I signed up for another Polar Bear Plunge with the team from Friends Meeting of Washington to raise money for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, there was a massive winter storm looming and single digit lows in the forecast for DC and high temperatures that wouldn't get above the low to mid-twenties in the weeks before the plunge. That forecast turned out to be accurate and between the Snowcrete storm and the bitter cold temperatures the Potomac was completely frozen over on the planned plunge day so we had to postpone. 

When our new plunge day rolled around on February 21st, there was still plenty of snow left, but temperatures were above freezing and the ice had thawed; however the a 72" diameter section of the Potomac Interceptor pipe collapsed causing the overflow of more than 200 million gallons of wastewater into river. That put a damper on plunging into the river, but we still able to go to our usual spot at National Harbor and the plunge organizers arranged for a pool water truck to set up a gauntlet of hoses and ice-buckets for the plungers to pass through. 

It wasn't quite the same, but we raised over $1,000 and the full Quaking Quakers team raised over $20k for a good cause. Hopefully next year after two straight thwarted river plunges we'll be back in the icy waters of the Potomac!

(click here for all the pictures)