This week the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Thousands of people descended upon Kabul's airport trying to find a way to escape the country, including by hanging onto military aircrafts as they taxied on the runway. The Biden Administration claims the airport is secure and that U.S. troops will remain beyond the scheduled August 31st date in order to ensure that all American citizens are able to leave. On the domestic front, much of Capitol Hill was shut down and partially evacuated for hours due to a bomb threat at the Library of Congress. Mike Richards, the new host of Jeopardy, was fired nine days after he was announced as Alex Trebek's successor, due to disparaging remarks made by him about women, Jews and other groups in his podcast.
The world reached 212.1 million COVID cases and 4.4 million deaths this week of which the U.S. accounted for 38.5 million cases and 645,000 deaths. 201 million Americans (61 percent) have now received at least one dose of the vaccine with 170 million (51 percent) being fully vaccinated. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is vaccinated, tested positive for COVID while still declaring mask mandates illegal in his state. Alabama has run out of ICU beds. More than 1000 students and staff had to quarantine in Nashville after 250 students and staff tested positive for COVID the first week of school. Two counties in Florida were informed by the state that they had 48-hours to remove their mask mandates or lose funding equal to the salaries of their school boards. The Biden Administration announced plans for a booster for all adults eight months after their second-dose of the Moderna or Pfizer shot. New Zealand entered a nationwide lockdown after a single COVID case, their first in six-months.
But we spent the week preparing to celebrate Owen's 15th birthday (and finish celebrating Uncle L's 41st). On Tuesday, Owen and Allen headed to Nats' stadium to watch the Nats defeat the Blue Jays on Pride Night and try to spend all of Allen's expiring Nats bucks (they still have a ways to go, but they got Owen a new Zimmerman jersey, two new fleeces, some Virginia Tech Nats baseball hats for Lee and Katherine and a Nats Pride button for Nora) while Nora and I stayed home with Grandpa Fawcett, who enjoyed sushi for the first time. On Thursday Nora got to go with their friend Violet to Sandy Spring Adventure Park, as a preview for Owen's birthday party. Friday was Owen's actual birthday, and because we're not Aunt Katherine, he was allowed to open presents from us and from those that mailed them in a timely manner (cough, Dave & Kara) before heading out to climbing camp. Afterwards, we met up with Katherine, Makayla and Mom Mom & Grandpa Don for a family dinner (and antics) out before calling it an early night.
Usually, it's impossible to call an early night at Katherine's, but because the weather had been iffy the previous weekend, they moved Lee's birthday tubing extravaganza to Saturday which mean we needed to wrangle the troops to drive to West Virginia in the am. After a leisurely drive, an educational video (which we totally adhered to), a short bus ride and some debate about optimal tube formations, we floated down the Shenandoah River for a couple of relaxing hours. Once we finished, returned to Katherine's, showered and maybe took some naps, Mom Mom & Grandpa Don joined us for hamburgers and birthday cake while Owen was finally allowed to open the rest of his presents.
It was a really good time.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment