Pandemic, Week 93 (A Holly, Jolly Christmas)

This week Joe Manchin announced that he would vote "no" on the Build Back Better bill, despite months of negotiations with the White House. In response, the United Mine Workers of America have asked him to reconsider his position. Stop the Steal organizers provided the January 6th Special Committee with communications with GOP members from the time, including Representatives Paul Gosar and Mo Brooks. In response to an increase in extremism in the military, the Pentagon has announced that they will hold service members accountable for their views expressed on social media. President Biden announced that the pause on student loan repayments will be extended to May 2022. The James Webb Space Telescope which is designed to capture infrared light, from galaxies far, far away, was launched into space. Santa came.

The world reached 279.8 million COVID cases and 5.4 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 53.0 million cases and 838,000 deaths. 242 million (73 percent) Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine while 205 million (62 percent) are fully vaccinated. Omicron is now the dominant strain of COVID in the US, accounting for 73 percent of all new cases. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser reinstated the mask mandate while DC Chancellor Lewis Ferebee announced that Winter Break would be extended two days in order to distribute rapid tests so that all students can be cleared before returning. The DC council then passed a law that all eligible DC students – including those in private and charter schools – must be vaccinated by March 2022. Meanwhile, President Biden held a press conference where he announced the White House would mail as many as 500 million at home tests beginning in January.

We headed to Iowa this week, but not before the kids finished school. Well, sort of. DCPS announced that Nora's school would be remote starting Tuesday due to the number of positive COVID tests. Meanwhile, Owen, who has to ride the metro and bus to school where he's surrounded by COVID-spewing instrumentalists, was open for the whole week. So we decided we needed to verify we were all negative before exposing ourselves to the midwest. Despite a dearth of COVID rapid tests in the DC-metro area, Allen was able to find some abandoned rapid tests in our bushes, which we dutifully took and verified we were all negative and then packed up the car Wednesday night.

We left DC around 5:40 on Thursday morning (we may have had to circle back to pick up a forgotten item which delayed our initial departure) and made it to Iowa on Thursday night, where we were able, after two long years, to reunite our kids with their cousins (who spent the visit talking loudly, playing games and having various jam sessions). Kara wasn't able to make it in person due to a sick kitty, but Dave was able to represent the Colorado Zimmermans. We ate lots of goodies, drank probably more wine that advisable, and just generally enjoyed everyone's companies, for the first time since 2019. Hopefully, we can all (including Kara) do it again for Thanksgiving 2022.

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)

Merry Christmas!

 Here's your 2021 Crossword Puzzle Solution.

Pandemic, Week 92 (and the Ensembles Played On...)

This week the House voted to hold former representative and Trump chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in contempt of Congress for failing to appear before the January 6th Committee. Meanwhile, a trove of text messages and other documents sent to Mr. Meadows regarding the the January 6th insurrection were made public. Former Minneapolis policeman and convicted murderer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights in May 2020 when he knelt on Mr. Floyd's neck for nine minutes. A NASA spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe, flew into the sun's atmosphere and produced recently released images of the sun's corona. Supply chain issues has resulted in a shortage of cream cheese, prompting Kraft to offer customers $20 to forego making holiday cheesecakes. Noted author and feminist bell hooks died.

The world reached 274.5 million COVID-19 cases and 5.4 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 51.7 million cases and 827,000 deaths. 241 million Americans (73 percent) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 204 million (61 percent) are fully vaccinated. A number of colleges (including Cornell, Harvard and Stanford) announced that they were returning to online classes due to recent outbreaks and Omicron surges. Prince George's County schools also announced they would be virtual until January 18th.

This was our week of musical holiday celebrations. On Sunday, we joined Allen's colleague Jeb for the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC's Holiday Show. Jeb, as both a member and supporter of GMCW, scored box seats for us where we enjoyed  tap dancing elves, a cappella carols, and some impressive (and exhausting) choreography to the 12 Rockin' Days of Christmas as we were wished a Merry Everything. On Thursday, it was Owen's turn for his first in-person concert at Duke Ellington since he started going there last year. Mom Mom and Grandpa Don joined us to hear Owen perform in both the String Ensemble and the Orchestra, as he was cheered on by some very enthusiastic friends in the balcony. Owen celebrated the successful performance by wearing the Union Jack trench coat that Allen made for an old Halloween costume for school the next day. We were a little nervous that Nora's DCYOP concert, just two day later, would be cancelled due to Omicron concerns, but we managed, with Mom Mom and Grandpa Don joining us, to get it in on Saturday afternoon (by showing proof of vaccination and sitting socially distantly in the audience) just under the wire. Now we just have to see if they make the last three days of school before break and heading off to Iowa...

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)

Pandemic, Week 91 (Teatime)

This week, the US announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in protest of human rights violations (athletes will still attend). Angela Merkel stepped down as Germany's Chancellor after 16 years. The Justice Department is suing Texas over its redrawn Congressional map, arguing that it was drawn to, "deny or abridge the rights of Latino and Black voters." Inflation rose 6.8 percent in November, the fastest rate since June 1982.  The Senate finally reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling. Tornadoes ripped through at least six states, killing more than 70 people and destroying at least one town in Kentucky. Former Senator and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole died at age 98. Fox News had its 50-foot artificial Christmas tree set afire outside its New York City office by a mentally ill man.

The world reached 270.0 million cases and 5.3 million deaths of which the US accounted for 50.8 million case and 818,000 deaths. 239 million (72 percent) Americans have received at least one does of the vaccine and 202 million (61 percent) are fully vaccinated. New York City announced a vaccine mandate for all private employers.

Sunday, Nora and I had our annual tea with Jacqui – where Nora for the first time, ordered from the adult selections – followed by my getting a pedicure with friends, as Owen joined the teens at Meeting to complete his volunteer work for the Shoebox project and provide resources for the homeless in our own version of a Tale of Two Households.  On Monday, Allen and I spent 4.5 hours selecting paint colors for the house interior while Jacqui and John enjoyed cake and the company of one of Jacqui's close friends. On Wednesday, we finally had our neighbors (of 10 months) over for a fire and some mulled wine. Thursday, Allen met up with his co-workers for a holiday happy-hour. And the rest of the week was spent prepping for the crush of holiday happenings next week...

(So see all of this week's pictures, click here.)

Pandemic, Week 90 (Out and About)

This week, the Supreme Court hear oral arguments on the Mississippi case, Dobbs vs Jackson Women's Health Organization, which attempts to ban abortions after 15 weeks (despite fetus's not being viable at the time). Based on the questions posed by the majority of justices, it appears that abortion access secured by Roe v Wade is very much at risk. Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has agreed to provide documents and a deposition for the Select January 6th Committee. The US government averted a shutdown after passing a CR keeping the government funded through February 18th. Television personality and health supplement hawker, Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, even though he's been a resident of New Jersey for thirty years. A Michigan teenager and his parents were arrested after the 15 year old killed four students and wounded seven more – with a gun purchased by his parents the previous week as an early Christmas present – the same day that his parents refused to remove him from school following a conference with administrators regarding disturbing notes and threats they had discovered that morning. The parents subsequently fled the area after being charged with manslaughter, though they were eventually apprehended. Barbados declared itself a republic, ending its colonial relationship with Great Britain.

The world reached 265.7 million COVID cases and 5.3 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 49.9 million cases and 809,000 deaths. 235 million Americans (71 percent) have received at least one does of the vaccine, with 199 million (60 percent) fully vaccinated and  45 million (23 percent of those fully vaccinated) have received boosters, which as of this week includes Allen and myself. President Biden issued travel restrictions to seven African nations following outbreaks of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A federal judge in Texas blocked the President's nationwide vaccine mandate for healthcare workers arguing that it would require approval by Congress.

We had a busy week. Allen attended a conference all week, via Zoom, that started each day at 7:00 am. Wednesday, Allen and I went to our first live show in over two years, catching the New Pornographers at the 9:30 Club playing their entire first album, Mass Romantic (fun fact, the show we saw in November 2019? The New Pornographers at the 9:30 Club). The next day, I got my COVID booster, Jacqui arrived, and Allen and I were joined by Brad & Marlo for our second live show in over two years, the New Pornographer playing their entire third album, Twin Cinema, at the 9:30 Club (after Owen gave Brad a live cello performance). On Friday, Allen got his COVID booster while I muddled through work and crashed heartedly at 5:00 pm. On Saturday morning, Nora and I headed to DCYOP while Allen and Owen ran errands and picked up Gabriel for some morning Minecraft. After Nora and I returned, the whole crew headed to Meeting to participate in the annual Shoebox Project (which this year was actually backpacks because, COVID). Three hours and 140 backpacks later, we dropped Gabriel off at his house and Owen decided to join him, which meant he missed pâté and cheese with John and Jacqui, but got some extra Minecraft in, so...

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)