Pandemic, Week 22 (Back to the Start)

This week Joe Biden announced that his running mate would be California Senator, and former rival, Kamala Harris. The Senate recessed until after Labor Day without passing another Pandemic relief bill. The midwest was hit by a derecho with eastern Iowa barring the brunt of up to 140 mph winds, resulting in lost buildings, crops and power. The President announced during a press conference that he opposed funding for the USPS because he doesn't want it used for mail-in ballots this November. Meanwhile, over 600 high-volume mail-processing machines had been removed from postal facilities since June while Oregon reported the removal of mail collection boxes as recently as this week. Senate democrats have announced investigations into the matter. Dr. Pepper is facing major nation-wide shortages. 

The world hit a total of 21.6 million COVID-19 cases and 769,000 deaths. The U.S. reported 5.5 million cases and 173,000 deaths. Russia approved a COVID-19 vaccine, but without actually completing any trials, making it efficacy and safety questionable. Dr. Fauci and others have doubted whether a vaccine will be available for wide dissemination until well into 2021.

But for us, the main event this week was the return to school or at least the return to some sort of semi-organized central instruction. DC announced in the spring that they would be hosting a "bridge" for rising 3rd, 6th and 9th graders, to acclimate them to their new schools (and potentially to test new distancing policies should they DCPS be back for in-person instruction this fall – they're not, and the whole thing is on-line) which started Monday. We were somewhat doubtful as to how engaging a remote 2-week orientation would be, but both kids reported they really liked it and it seems to have assuaged their fears about middle and high school. At least for now.

Most of the other developments this week were related to that milestone. Owen got a new laptop and Nora inherited his old one. Nora got a new (well, refurbished) phone and started chatting away with her friends. The kids spent their off time organizing 100 lego mini-figures so they could wait to sit on a couch (yeah, I don't understand either, but they were really proud of it). We had the Romans over for a socially distant dinner to discuss the boys return to climbing; and a less distant family dinner to celebrate Sharon's cardiac catheterization appointment going well.

Which I guess means we're ready for the next stage of the Pandemic, which is basically whatever we were doing in March, only now it's August.

(To see all of this weeks pictures, click here.)