Thanks

Thanksgiving this year was a quiet affair at Nancy and Danny's house. They made the mains and most of the sides, Sharon made a trio of appetizers, and we were charged with rolls and dessert. And while there were some noticeable absences from the table who were sorely missed, we still managed to have a lovely day (and even got a game of marbles in). 

Venice

After failed attempts to travel to ether the IPCC AR6 SYR approval session in Interlaken or the IPCC Scenarios Workshop in Thailand due passport and visa issues, I finally was able to take my first international trip for work since the pandemic. Lucky for me that first trip was to the IAMC Annual Meeting in Venice, Italy along with Leon's Green Macroeconomic Workshop ahead of the IAMC. The workshop was great, and a really wonderful chance to catch up with colleagues from around the world. Especially nice was the chance to to take some walking meetings with Karen, Jen, Joe and Jim, and of course some amazing dinners! The exciting news that I can write about now through the magic of backdating this post is that PNNL offered me the position of Director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute while I was in Venice. I accepted the position, but had to keep it quiet the rest of the trip as the news wasn't public yet. I was able to have a nice dinner discussion with Gokul who was in the loop, but had to keep my lips sealed talking with all the other JGCRI staff and collaborators at the meeting. All told it was a great trip, and I can look forward to next year's IAMC in South Korea! 

(click here for all the pictures)

Everybody

Fall plays tend to take on an intellectual bent (see Noa's performance as Lady MacBeth from last year). Private progressive high schools in the nation's capitol, tend to take that to the next level. Hence, Burke's Fall play, Everybody, a modern adaptation of a 15th century morality play based on Buddhist teachings. The play focuses on the randomness of death as the title character is asked to defend their life to God and is allowed to bring someone with them, but is abandoned in the end by friendship, family, and material items, facing God only with only Love and their Evil Acts (played by Noa – while eating chips) by their side as they jump into the abyss, after which Death, Time and Understanding make plans to hang out.

Mom Mom and Grandpa Don joined us for the premier and the Burke players did a great job. And while some of the material might have been a little over my head, I'm excited to be supporting Burke's drama program – especially for the the Spring musical, Mean Girls.

(We were not allowed to film the play, but Allen did get in a few pictures in addition to the trailer...)