Pandemic, Week 68 (Days of Summer )

This week the House of Representatives approved a Select Committee to investigate the January 6th Riot after Senate Republicans blocked an independent investigation. While the Committee is supposed to be bipartisan, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threatened to strip GOP member of committee assignments if they participate.  President Biden visited with victims' families of the Surfside condo collapse as rescue attempts were suspended due to structural concerns as Hurricane Elsa threatens the area. The Trump Organization and its CFO have been charged with tax fraud, falsifying business records, scheme to defraud and conspiracy. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned the conviction of Bill Cosby and ordered his released, just three years into a 10 year sentence for raping and drugging a Temple University employee (he was also accused of raping at least 60 other women). Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld died. 

This week the world reached 184.2 million COVID cases and 4.0 million deaths of which 34.6 million of those cases and 621,000 deaths were from the US. 182 million Americans, 55 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 157 million, or 47 percent, being fully vaccinated. Only 20 states reached President Biden's goal of 70 percent of adults vaccinated by the 4th of July.

But mostly, this was the kids first official week of summer and their last week that isn't fully scheduled until mid-August. While we intended it to be fairly chill, we also started the week with the end-of-year First Day School and Climbing Team parties. Owen had his best friend from daycare, Leo, over for a much overdue (and undocumented) playdate, Allen went to a Nat's game with Brad, we went to Molly and Adam's for a lovely dinner (and cocktails), and a tornado passed over our house.

But the big event of the week was heading out to Cooperstown, NY (or rather Oneonta) -- via Hershey Park (and the kids' first ever rollercoaster) -- with the Telfair-Chas for a week of swimming, baseball, some impressive cornhole playing, day-drinking, virtual reality, and kettle corn, lots and lots of kettle corn. And that was just the first two days...

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

Pandemic, Week 67 (That's a Wrap)

This week Senate Republicans used the threat of filibuster to block voting rights legislation while the Justice Department sued the state of Florida claiming that its voting restrictions target black voters. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd, was sentenced to 22 years. The Supreme Court issued rulings that found: disgruntled cheerleaders have protected speech; unions are not allowed to trespass on worksites to recruit members; President Biden can replace the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders can't invalidate $124 billion in transactions stemming from the government's intervention in the 2008 housing crisis; and that the NCAA violates antitrust laws by limiting benefits to student athletes. President Biden negotiated a bipartisan infrastructure deal (which may still fall apart). And pop singer Britney Spears challenged her father's 13-year conservatorship in court claiming he used it to control her finances and even her reproductive health, resulting in the hashtag #FreeBritney trending.

The world reached a total of 182.5 million COVID cases and 3.9 million deaths this week, of which the U.S. accounted for 34.5 million cases and 619,000 deaths. 178.9 million Americans (54 percent of the population) have received at least one vaccine dose while 152.2 million (46 percent of the population) are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the President of Philippines has threatened citizens that refuse to get vaccinated with jail.

This week we celebrated Father's Day, our 18th Anniversary and Ducky returning from whence she came (well, some of us celebrated...). But mostly this week was about the end of the 2020-21 school year (finally). While neither of the kids really had classes this week (though Nora did have an assembly where they received an award for general "Excellence" and Owen was still turning in work on Monday), both dutifully logged in every day for attendance purposes. and then went about their business (which involved Air Disasters crafting for Nora and a lot of Dr. Who for Owen). Nora celebrated the last day by meeting Anais at Stanton Park and enjoying free ice cream from a community minded realtor; Owen finally had his friend Adam over (and then got a waffle cone at Rita's after dinner). 

And while it might not have been the most exciting of endings, it was a tremendous relief to put this year behind us for (hopefully) a more traditional education experience come this fall.

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

Pandemic, Week 66 (#itwasintents)

This week President Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss nuclear arms limitations and cyber security, to mixed reviews. Israel voted out Prime Minister Netanyahu after twelve years in office. Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday after passing this week unanimously in the Senate and by all but 14 Republicans in the house. The U.S. Conference of Bishops voted to potentially deny Communion to Catholic politicians that are pro-choice, a move that specifically targets President Biden, despite being warned by the Vatican of the dangers of politicizing the Eucharist. A Cape Cod lobster diver was swallowed by a humpback whale before being safely expelled.

The number of total COVID cases worldwide reached 178.9 million and 3.9 million deaths this week. Total cases in the U.S. hit 34.4 million and 617,000 deaths. 177 million Americans, 53 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 149 million, 45 percent of the population, is fully vaccinated. This is a good thing, as the markedly more transmissible and severe Delta variant of COVID that originated in India, is now the dominant strain of the virus.

But for us, this week was focused on tying up loose ends. We spent Saturday working in Katherine's back yard (hauling rocks, painting, digging up root balls, cleaning up bird baths and bamboo) to make the place look good for Allen's belated (and alternative location) work retreat. Owen finished all of his class recordings (including an epic all-day affair to nail the transition of the 4th and 5th movement in the Shostakovich).  Katherine drove Grandpa Fawcett to Iowa while we continued to watch an increasingly insolent Ducky. Allen and I had a lovely at home date night on Thursday followed by a surprise lunch date with the Telfair-Chas on Friday in honor of Juneteenth. Allen and Owen made the Nats game on Friday and got to see Yan Gomes hit off walk-off double resulting in Soto scoring and the Nats beating the Mets.

But the big event was Nora's DCYOP concert on Saturday. DCYOP was remote last spring and for the fall and winter semesters this year. But this spring, they decided neither rain (well technically, they did cancel one rehearsal due to rain), nor cicadas nor a pandemic could stop these dedicated musicians from rehearsing in-person. And so, starting in April, every Saturday Nora and I headed to a tent at Takoma Park Education Campus where a masked Nora played viola in the Young Artists Orchestra. The practice paid off and this weekend Mom Mom and Grandpa Don joined us for their outdoor concert – with only a few few raindrops -- and a lovely testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of the arts.

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

Pandemic, Week 65 (Bee's Knees)

This week, President Biden met with foreign leaders while attending the G-7 meeting in England. The President Biden also officially canceled the Keystone Pipeline, due to environmental concerns. Reports emerged that the Trump White House had subpoenaed phone records of two Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee. The FDA granted accelerated approval for the Alzheimer drug, Aduhelm, despite 10 of the 11 members of the FDA approval committee voting against it, resulting in the resignation of three of the committee's members. Simone Biles won the vault, balance beam, floor exercises and the all-around title at the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Championships. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the birth of their second child, Lilibet Diana, named after her great grandmother and late grandmother. 

The world reached 176.5 million COVID cases and 3.8 million deaths this week. The U.S. accounted for 34.4 million of the cases and 615,000 deaths. 173 million people in the US, 52 percent of the population have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 143 million, 43 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated. Despite these gains, US vaccination rates are slowing down, in part due to a misinformation campaign by vaccine opponents, including those that testified during a hearing at the Ohio statehouse that the COVID vaccine magnetizes people, resulting in their ability to stick spoons, keys and forks to their foreheads. (For the record, it does not.) 

We were busy as a bee this week, especially on Sunday when First Day School harvested honey from its beehives. The whole family participated as we de-capped, spun, funneled, bottled and even sold honey, but Owen really got into it and stayed late to finish bottling and clean up. In addition, Owen had his final cello jury of the year, Nora took care of Ducky (who's staying a few more days with us while Katherine takes John to Iowa, but then she's really going back), Allen had an article published in Nature on climate policy models, and Elaine happened upon a mariachi concert on the Hill. At the end of the long week, Nora and I met up with Mom Mom and Katherine for manicures and pedicures before meeting the boys for dinner where we extracted the following promise from Mom Mom and its corollary from Katherine:

Now you just have to wait five more year...

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

Pandemic, Week 64 (Just Ducky)

This week, former lieutenant general and National Security Adviser who pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI before he was pardoned by Trump, Michael Flynn, appeared to voice support of overthrowing the U.S. government, at QAnon affiliated event in Texas. At the same time, reports surfaced that Trump expects to be "reinstated as President" in August.  Meanwhile, Facebook announced that its ban on Trump will continue through at least January 2023 due to his post being, "a serious risk to public safety." Trump also ended his blog after only 29 days of publication due to "measly readership," and is now looking for a new platform. Texas democrats blocked a vote on a proposed voter suppression law by leaving and denying republicans a quorum. The governor has responded by stating he'll add the bill to a special session on gerrymandering later this year. A ransomware attack is causing a shortage of beef in the U.S. Tennis star Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open after she was fined for refusing to participate in post-match press conferences. A new report by American intelligence officials finds no evidence that UFOs reported by Navy pilots are in fact alien spacecraft.

The world reached 173.7 million COVID cases and 3.7 million deaths this week. While the U.S. still has the highest total number of COVID cases and deaths at 34.2 million and 612,000 respectively, it was revealed that Peru actually has the highest COVID-related death rate in the world after their data was revised. Total vaccination rates in the U.S. hit 51 percent with 42 percent of the population having been fully vaccinated, including, as of Thursday, Owen. In order to boost vaccination rates, West Virginia announced a gun lottery as well as hunting and fishing licenses for life, for residents who's received at least one dose of the vaccine by Father's Day.

But for us, this week was all about pets. Sadly, Test Subject 1, Test Subject 2 and Rutabaga all went to that big aquarium in the sky this week (I'm not sure that's how that actually works), leaving us with just Godzilla and King Kong. Fortunately, we were not lacking in animal companionship for long as Katherine and Nora had previously plotted that we would cat-sit Ducky – the cat that Katherine and Nora either saved or kidnapped (it's still unclear) two years ago while vacationing in Duck, NC – while Katherine and Adrienne vacationed in Antigua. Sadly, Antigua had a spike in COVID cases forcing them to largely shut down and Katherine and Adrienne to reschedule their trip. One would think that this would render our cat-sitting unnecessary, but apparently you'd be wrong. And so Ducky is staying with us (specifically with Nora) for the week.

And despite Nora's aspirations to the contrary, just for the week.

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

Pandemic, Week 63 (Surprise!)

This week, 35 Senate Republicans blocked the bipartisan January 6th Commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection, which would have passed were it not for the filibuster. The European Union banned travel over Belarus after the country forced down a flight to detain dissident journalist, Roman Protasavech. The Manhattan district attorney convened a grand jury to determine indictments for the Trump Organization criminal probe. Alabama lifted its ban of yoga instruction, which was barred from public schools in 1993 as "a method of religious training." Students are still not allowed to meditate. Eric Carle, author of, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, died.

The world reached a total of 170.6 million COVID cases and 3.5 million deaths this week, of which the US contributed 34.0 million cases and 609,000 deaths. 134 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, or 41 percent of the total populations, with 50 percent of the population having received at least one dose. As a result, the average number of newly reported COVID cases in the US has fallen below 30,000, the lowest figures since June 2020. But while the US is increasingly opening up, anti-vaccine protestors have compared mask wearing and vaccines to the Holocaust.

Nora (finally) received their new glasses (and toppers) this week and got to unveil them to friends and family alike. Owen uploaded (after two painful hours of trying to get a take to successfully work while wearing a bowtie)) his recording of Pomp and Circumstance for Duke's Graduation. Allen and I even got a date night (with indoor dining) to kick-off Memorial Day Weekend. 

But for us this week was all about Katherine's birthday and trying to coordinate a surprise party in the midst of school, work, Grandpa Don's knee surgery (which went great and he's thoroughly enjoying his pain meds) and a pandemic, which required limiting the guest lists to the fully vaccinated and their children. We spent the week as a family artistically translating our love for Katherine and the things she loves into a birthday banner (which involved finding the perfect marker color for beer, capturing Monty's glandular issues and even the 3-D printer!), plus ordering cupcakes, and figuring out sleeping arrangements while Mom Mom, Lee and Adrienne dealt with the food and logistics. The party was a lot of fun (though maybe a little fuzzy) and a wonderful celebration of a person that doesn't get celebrated nearly enough. Happy birthday, Katherine – hopefully next year will be bigger and better.

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

Pandemic, Week 62 (Brood X)

This week a cease fire was reached in Gaza after 11 days of violence resulting in the deaths of 248 Palestinians and 12 Israelis. The House, including 35 Republicans, voted to create a commission on the January 6th insurrection, despite objections by its Republican leadership. The bill now moves to the Senate which would require 10 Republican to approve the measure, unless the filibuster is revoked. The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case from Mississippi banning abortions after 16 weeks in an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade; meanwhile Texas passed a law banning abortions as early as six weeks. The New York state attorney general's office announced that it has widened its investigation into the Trump Organization to include criminal wrongdoing. The Great Eastern Brood of cicadas (aka Brood X) have emerged after 17 years en masse in the Washington area, only to fall prey to a "zombie fungus" which causes their butts to fall off. Actor Charles Grodin died.

This week the world reached 167.0 million COVID cases and 3.5 million deaths, of which the US accounted for 33.9 million cases and 604,000 deaths. For the first time in 11 months, the daily average of new COVID infections has fallen below 30,000. 49 percent of the US has now received at least one dose of the vaccine with at 39 percent of the population being fully vaccinated. DC lifted mask and social distancing restriction for vaccinated individuals and capacity restrictions on businesses this week, though masks are still required on public transit as well as hospitals, schools, and sporting events.

This week we added to our brood, with one lone cicada in the backyard and five new fish – Godzilla, King Kong, Test Subject 1, Test Subject 2 and Rutabaga (the kids named them). We had lost our last fish early on in the Pandemic and hadn't felt comfortable going to pet stores to replace them for until now.  So we ventured out a bit  more: Nora got a haircut (their first in seven months), we went to Meeting in person, and even made it to the Telfair-Chas to celebrate Megan's birthday with some dairy-free cupcakes that turned out a lot better than Nora and I thought they would, after several measuring mishaps. And so much like the cicadas, we are starting to emerge from our Pandemic cocoons.

I just hope our butts don't fall off.

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

Pandemic, Week 61 (Mother's Day and Birthdays and Vaccinations, Oh My!)

This week, at least 140 people were killed in Gaza as violence in the Middle East intensified after Hamas launched rockets in protest of Israeli raids on a Jerusalem mosque and Israel retaliated by bombing residences and buildings, including those that housed the international news offices of Al Jazeera and the AP. Liz Cheney was removed from GOP leadership in the House after fist bumping President Biden at his Address to Congress and calling out Republican's perpetuation of "the big lie." The Colonial Oil Pipeline was shutdown for six days after a ransomware attack resulting in gas shortages and lines in the southeast of the country. Chik-fil-A is rationing its dipping sauces due to supply shortages.

The world reached 163.2 million COVID cases and 3.4 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 33.7 million cases and 600,000 deaths. The CDC authorized 12 year olds and older to receive the Pfizer vaccine this week, and so Owen promptly got his first dose on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ohio announced five, $1 million lotteries for adult vaccine recipients to try and increase vaccination rates. With the influx of Ohioans and the under-16 crowd, 47 percent of the US population has now received at least once vaccine dose and 37 percent are fully vaccinated. The CDC revised its guidance, so that if you're fully vaccinated, you can pretty much go anywhere now without a mask, which given the resistance to adopting a "vaccine passport" to indicate who's been  inoculated, means that the US is now relying on the honor system for its public health.

But for us, the focus was the annual week long festivities of mothers known as Mother's Day and Mom Mom and Elaine's birthdays. We kicked off the week with a Mother's Day brunch at Katherine's, followed by a suite at the National's game (which included unlimited food and beer, which dulled the pain of the Nats losing to the Phillies), homemade ravioli and dinner at Rose's Luxury with Megan & Steve (in between there were presents and COVID shots and the harvesting of peonies). As usual, it was a stressful time for Allen (particularly after we ruined the suite surprise for Mom Mom and the CSA was late delivering some critical ingredients for my birthday dinner). But also, as usual, he did an amazing job (and now gets to relax for another year). 

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

Pandemic, Week 60 ("I'm just a boy with a new haircut")

This week Facebook decided that Donald Trump would remain temporarily banned from the platform. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is backing a challenge to the Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney after she published an op-ed in the Washington Post criticizing Trump's election fraud claims and his culpability in the January 6th insurrection. The May jobs report found that employment increased substantially less than expected in April, prompting GOP governors to slash unemployment payments to force more Americans to return to work. A sixth grade girl shot two students and a staff member at an Idaho middle school. A 23-ton rocket crashed into ocean by the Maldives, fueling criticism of the Chinese government and its failure to plan for re-entry of space debris. Elon Musk hosted Saturday Night Live.

The world hit 158.4 million COVID cases and 3.3 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 33.5 million cases and 596,000 deaths. As cases rise in India and other countries, President Biden announced his support for suspending patents on the vaccines. Here in the US, 46 percent of the population has received at least one dose and 34 percent are fully vaccinated. The FDA is expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12-15 imminently (we've already signed Owen up for a wait list).

Since Allen and I are now 2 weeks out from our second shots, I convinced him that all I really wanted for my birthday was for us to both get a professional haircuts (Allen's first in 15 months). I also asked that he trim his beard – which while not quite at the millennial ironic stage, had long passed the "I am proud to be seen in public with you" phase. It looked so good, that I decide Owen was also overdue and got him cleaned up over the weekend. (I'm hoping to pencil Nora in soon.) Other than that, the kids went to school (sometimes), we worked from home (always), we dined at a real restaurant (outside), and on Saturday we headed up to Katherine's for some chill time (and a walk past "Fawcett's Mill") before the onslaught of Mother's Day and birthday celebrations.

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

Pandemic, Week 59 (The Great Outdoors)

President Biden held his first address to Congress, which included the first time the President was flanked by two women (Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi), limited attendees to 200 and featured Senator Ted Cruz sleeping. The office and apartment of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, were raided by federal agents as part of an ongoing investigation into his activities in Ukraine. Claims emerged that John Kerry reveal sensitive information to Iran about Israeli bombing of Syria during the Obama administration. Fox News corrected their erroneous claim that Biden's climate plan would limit Americans' red-meat consumption, but only after the false report had spread in right-wing media.  Medina Spirt won the Kentucky Derby. Olympia Dukakis died.

The world reached 152.8 million COVID cases and 3.2 million deaths this week, of which the US accounted for 33.1 million cases and 591,000 deaths. India set a global record for the most new cases of COVID-19, at more than 300,000 per day for over a week. In response, the Biden administration has agreed to send therapeutic drugs and machinery to India to help with vaccine manufacturing and eventually, surplus vaccines. Meanwhile, 44 percent of the US population has received at least one dose of the vaccine with 31 percent fully vaccinated. In response, the CDC has begun lifting outdoor mask guidance for vaccinated people.

And so we spent a fair amount of time outside (albeit generally masked) this week. Allen and Owen made it to another Nats game where they ran into Molly and Adam and actually got to see the Nationals win. Nora continued outdoor DCYOP rehearsals, and is no longer the only viola as Maeve rejoined this week.  But mostly, we got to enjoy Katherine's azaleas and the Kentucky Derby (Allen won!) on a lovely, May night.

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

Pandemic, Week 58 (Back to Reality)

 

This week policeman Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three counts of murder. He was immediately taken into custody to await sentencing. The Justice Department has subsequently launched a civil investigation into the practice of excessive force by the Minneapolis Police Department. While the verdict was being read, a 16-year-old girl in Columbus, OH was shot and killed by police, who she had called, in response to her attacking another woman with a knife. President Biden met with other foreign leaders on Earth Day at the Leaders Summit on Climate where they announced the US would halve its 2005 level of emissions by 2030 (misguided climate activist, arguing that this doesn't go far enough, protested by dumping cow manure outside the White House). The House passed HR 51, which would make the District of Columbia the 51st state. The Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet this week. On Sunday, 12 European football clubs announced they would form a new "Super League," replacing the current UEFA Championship League. After a massive outcry from fans, the plan was abandoned by Tuesday. Former Vice President Walter Mondale died.

The world hit 147.2 million COVID cases and 3.1 million deaths this week. The US accounted for 32.8 of those million cases and 586,000 deaths. The CDC announced that it was lifting the Johnson & Johnson 10-day pause, and would allow the resumption of vaccinations of the drug immediately with additional risk warnings. 42 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 28 percent are fully vaccinated (which now includes Allen and I). But while more people are vaccinated, the rates are declining, suggesting we may have reached saturation points in certain parts of the country, who have started decline vaccine shipments.

Our world continued to slowly return to some version of normal. We had Meeting at the Meeting House (though in the garden and masked). We celebrated Makayla's 18th birthday. While Owen had a pause in in-person learning this week (he starts going two days full-time next week), Nora entered Stuart-Hobson for the first time as a middle schooler on Wednesday (for a non-instructional afternoon of tutoring and socialization). She got to go back on Friday for a class meet-up at the field. Allen celebrated Earth Day by watching Biden's Summit while Nora took a more grass-roots approach by making and posting signs encouraging people not to litter. We had the Cluster Auction remotely again, but this time there was at least the possibility of getting to use some of the gift certificates we won.

But the big news is that this week both Allen and I got our second vaccine shots. I had a rough Friday morning (resulting in my calling it a day by noon) whereas Allen mostly just needed some extended napping on Saturday. But having recovered, we're now counting the days until we actually can have a date night outside of the house...

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

Pandemic, week 57 (We Were on a Break)

This week the defense rested in the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, accused of murdering George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes. A few miles from the courthouse, police accidentally killed Daunte Wright after pulling him over because an air freshener was hanging from his rearview window and an officer confused her taser with a gun. Meanwhile, Chicago police released body-cam footage of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, shot by police after tossing his gun and putting up his hands. Protests related to all three incidents occurred across the country. A 19-year-old former employee killed eight people and himself at a Fed-Ex facility in Indianapolis with two legally purchased assault rifles. President Biden announced that U.S. troops will fully exit Afghanistan by September 11, 2020 (twenty years after they arrived). Bernie Madoff, purveyor of the largest Ponzi scheme ever, died in prison.

The world reached 141.3 million COVID cases and 3.0 million deaths this week. The U.S. accounted for 32.4 million of those cases and 581,000 deaths. 39 percent of the US population has received at least one vaccine dose and 25 percent are fully vaccinated. The CDC recommended a "pause" in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six women, out of 7 million vaccine recipients, developed life threatening blood clots. India, the worlds largest producer, is out of COVID vaccine as another wave of infections hits.

It was the kids' spring break, so we took the opportunity to head to St. Michael's with Mom Mom (and special guest, Aunt Katherine, with cameos from Grandpa Don and Jeff) for a few days. The house we rented came with kayaks and bikes, so we made great use of both (though we quickly decided the tandem bike might not be the best mode of transport for us).

Katherine had originally planned to stay with us the whole time, but after Kiwi came home with her the week before (and escaped from the yard multiple times), she decided that she really could only handle a few day trips away from her. But in those few days, we managed to fit in cocktails, a wine tasting, kayaking, a swim, yard games, and some meals (some more successful than others).

On Sunday, Don and Jeffrey graciously offered to fly in some fresh sage (for some less-than-successful gnocchi) and once there, let Owen take the wheel (since Nora got to last time) as the kids and Allen flew to Ocean City and back. Monday we explored St. Michaels by bike and built a lovely fire to ward off the spring chill. On Tuesday, Katherine joined us for a second visit to St. Michaels, where we dined by the water (and befriended the locals) before we heading back on Wednesday.

But the adventures didn't stop there. On Thursday, Allen and Owen went to their first in-person National's game since game five of the 2019 World Series (they lost this game too). The kids finally assembled their Easter present from Mom Mom (and incorporated it into their full Hogwarts world). And on Saturday, Nora had her first in-person DCPOY rehearsal in over a year (while Owen had climbing and then hung out with a friend).

It was a nice diversion that gave us a taste of what the post-Pandemic world might be like. We can't wait for the real thing.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

Pandemic, Week 56 (Hopping Along)

It was Infrastructure Week this week, or rather it was "Biden Rolls Out his American Jobs Plan" which includes in its $2 trillion price tag both traditional examples of infrastructure – roads and bridges – and also education, housing, internet and electrical grids, thus sparking a debate on what is infrastructure.  Republicans (and Senator Joe Manchin) also pushed back on the President's plan to partially offset the cost of the bill by raising corporate taxes from 21 percent to 28 percent. President Biden also issued a series of Executive Actions to curb gun violence, in response to multiple mass shootings in the past month. Arkansas banned doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment for trans children, overriding a veto from its Republican governor, Asa Hutchinson, who argued it was government overreach. The All-Star game has been moved to Denver, prompting Mitch McConnell to warn corporations to stay out of politics, while still making political donations. Amazon workers voted roughly 2-1 against unionization in an Alabama warehouse. Prince Phillip, consort to Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 99.

This week the world hit 136.0 million cases and 2.9 million deaths. The U.S. Reached 31.9 million cases and 576,000 deaths. America has averaged 3 million vaccine shots per day with 35 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 21 percent being fully vaccinated.  President Biden announced that states must expand vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 years and older beginning April 19th.  DCPS announced that schools would fully re-open this fall with everyday in-person learning for all students.

We celebrated Easter this week, first with an egg hunt and Ukrainian egg-decorating (pysanka) at First Day School. After a quick-stop by the house to make spring rolls and pick-up Grandpa Fawcett, we made our way up to Mom Mom & Grandpa Don's for another Easter egg hunt for the kids and an adult beverage hunt care of Katherine (we won!).  After a lovely dinner, we headed back to DC to face the last week of Term 3 (which involved a lot of make-up work for Owen), and a flurry of cooking projects (more gnocchi!) before the start of Spring Break and a trip to St. Michaels.

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

Pandemic, Week 55 (Shots in the Arm)

This week a man rammed his car into a Capitol checkpoint, killing one officer and injuring another. The driver jumped out of the car wielding a knife and was killed by Capitol police. Controversial Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) went on the offense when news broke of a federal investigation and claimed that he has never paid anyone for sex. It was Opening Day for baseball with in-person fans – except in DC where the game was delayed after multiple Nationals players tested positive for COVID. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball announced they would move the All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of Georgia's restrictive new voting law. The Suez Canal reopened after the container ship, Ever Given, was unstuck.

The world reached 131.2 million COVID cases and 2.9 million deaths this week of which the US accounted for 31.4 million cases and 569,000 deaths. The U.S. averaged 3.0 million doses of the vaccine per day with 31 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 17 percent of the population being fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had to be destroyed after a batch was contaminated with AstraZeneca ingredients.

It was a beautiful in DC this week. We were able to get out for bike rides and walks to take full advantage of the peak of the Cherry Blossoms. Owen recorded his parts for Duke Ellington's Carmen performance with Denyce Graves.  Nora led her team in the class debate on the merits of immigration in the book, Inside Out & Back Again (she was anti- and it was a draw). But mostly, it was pretty great week because both Allen and I got our first dose of the vaccine (though it still seems weird to get it on April Fools Day) and should be fully vaccinated by May. Now the kids...

 

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

Pandemic, Week 54 (Spring Awakenings)

 

This week, a mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, CO killed 10 people. The gunman purchased a Rugar AR-556 pistol six days before the shooting, just four days after a judge ordered Boulder's assault weapons ban lifted.  Later in the week, two more people were killed and eight injured after a shooting in Virginia Beach. Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was confirmed as the Secretary of Labor. President Biden held his first press conference. The outer fencing surrounding the Capitol was removed (though there's still fencing on the grounds). The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing on DC Statehood, with anti-statehood members arguing that DC should not be a state because it lacks car dealerships (it actually has some), mines, an airport and a landfill. Meanwhile, Georgia enacted new voting restrictions which include giving the state's legislature more control over county election boards, adding voter ID requirements for absentee ballots and criminalizing handing out water and food to citizens waiting in line for hours to vote. A container ship has been lodged in the Suez Canal since Tuesday, blocking one of the world's biggest trade channels and costing an estimated $14 million in revenue per day. Comedian Jensen Karp and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are locked in a PR battle over whether a box of cereal contained shrimp tails or crystallized cinnamon-sugar.

The world reached 127.4 million COVID cases and 2.8 million deaths this week; the U.S. accounted for 30.9 million cases and 562,000 deaths. 91.7 million or 28 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the vaccine (including Aunt Katherine – who had to explore Maryland's panhandle in order to get it) with 50.1 million or 15 percent of the country being fully vaccinated. Having already reached his goal of 100 million doses in his first 100 days in office 59 days in, President Biden has raised the goal to 200 million vaccinations by the 100 day deadline. Allen and I are scheduled to receive our first doses next week.

For us, this week signaled the start of Spring, complete with cherry blossoms, some lovely meals outside, socially-distant playdates for Nora and her friends, and the purchase of National's tickets for Allen and Owen, who if everything goes as planned, will actually attend a baseball game in-person next month.

Hopefully.

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

Pandemic, Week 53 (A New Hope)

This week, a man walked into three spas in Atlanta and killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Atlanta police claimed that the killings were not a hate crime but rather because the shooter was a sex addict having a "bad day." Given there have been 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents in the U.S. this past year, the actual motivations of the killer are less clear. Meanwhile in DC, an armed gunman was arrested outside of Vice-President Kamala Harris's residence. Following Joe Manchin's statement that he was open to reforms of the filibuster, President Biden echoed his support, triggering Senator Mitch McConnell to vow a scorched earth policy if any reforms are adopted. Rep. Jimmy Gomez introduced a resolution to expel Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for advocating violence against other House members, the Speaker and the government in general. The Biden administration is facing criticism for its response to a surge in migrants at the Southern border and a record-number of unaccompanied minors being held for more than 72 hours in government detention facilities. The NCAA tournament began this week, but the games were largely overshadowed by complaints of the disparities between female and male athletes' amenities.

The world reached 123.4 million COVID cases and 2.7 million deaths this week. The U.S. accounted for 30.5 million cases and 555,000 deaths. There have been 118 million doses given in the U.S. and 41.9 million persons (12.8 percent of the populations) have been fully vaccinated, including Grandpa and Grandma Z. Clinical trials of Moderna for kids 6-months to 12 years have begun. The CDC announced that schools can now space students 3 feet rather than 6 feet apart (DCPS has not yet responded to the announcement).

But for us the big event was that Owen started in-person school this week. Well, sort of. He has 3.5 hours of cello instruction (sectionals, orchestra and technique) at Duke on Monday afternoons, which means at noon we have to take his temperature, drive him to Georgetown, wait until he is admitted to school, drive home and then pick him up three and a half hours later. It means he misses one of his English classes and we have to take leave from work, but it felt totally worth it for Owen to actually get to interact with his fellow musicians in person.

Otherwise, it was pandemic as usual for us. We hiked with First Day School at the Friends' Wilderness Center in Harpers Ferry, WV; toasted St. Patrick; had a zoom recital for Owen; and hosted the Telfair-Chas for a (chilly) socially distant dinner. But while most of the week had a familiar rhythm to it, there was still an undercurrent that just maybe, a change is gonna come.

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

Pandemic, Week 52 (525,600 minutes = 546,600 deaths)

This week President Biden signed the COVID stimulus bill into law, which includes $1,400 payments to individuals, extension of jobless benefits, and a child tax credit estimated to reduce child poverty by half. Household have already begun receiving payments through direct deposit (things move a lot faster when you don't insist on branding government disbursements). A majority of New York state's legislator and its two Senators have called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to step down in light of multiple sexual harassment claims. The city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to George Floyd's family to settle their wrongful death claim. Oprah Winfrey's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which discussed treatment of the couple and their child by the British Royal family, including questions regarding their son's skin color, was broadcast this week. The Queen responded that the issues raised were concerning, but would be addressed by the family privately.

The Pandemic turned one year old this week, which the President commemorated by addressing the nation. The total number of cases this week reached 120.0 million with 2.7 million deaths worldwide. The U.S. accounted for 30.0 million cases and 547,000 deaths. More than 101.1 million vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S. to 19.9 percent of the total population. 10.3 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. Yo-Yo Ma received his second dose and then promptly performed for others waiting at the vaccination cite. 

This week we mostly focused on having the work completed for the deck (with a few more punch list items for this week) and actually getting to use it (and gather with family) as the temperatures hit 70 degrees (and then went down to 50 – good thing I got a Solo Stove for Christmas). We also got in some walks, a bike ride and even a protest (#Don'tFenceDC). But we also marked the anniversary of quarantine by remembering the last things we did before it hit. For Nora it was the DC Honor Chorus concert; for Owen it was his final interview for high school and his friend Adam's 14th birthday dinner. We couldn't really do much about Nora's memory, but Owen got to have a socially distant meet-up for Adam's 15th birthday, and on Monday he finally gets to set foot in his high school (for three hours of cello instruction in the middle of the day), which makes us hope things might get back to normal soon.

Just not soon enough...

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

Pandemic, Week 51 ( Same Old, Same Old)

The Senate passed its $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, after a nine-hour delay in order to negotiate a compromise with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), to reduce unemployment benefits' size and duration. No republicans voted for the bill. The relief bill did not include a $15 minimum wage, after eight Democrats voted to exclude it from the package, including Senator Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), who punctuated her vote with a thumbs down signal, having previously advocated for a $15 minimum wage back in 2014. President Biden announced that having reached an agreement with Merck to help Johnson & Johnson produce its one shot vaccine, the U.S. is now on track to have vaccine supply for every adult in the America by the end of May. Meanwhile, Texas and Mississippi announced they were ending statewide mask mandates and fully reopening, generating criticism from health experts. The Senate held hearings on the January 6th attack on the Capitol; the rumored March 4th attack on the Capitol to re-install the previous president didn't occur. Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy was found guilty of bribing a magistrate. Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced they would cease publishing six of the author's early works, due to their negative depiction of Asian- and African-Americans. This sparked cries of "cancel culture" culminating in Minority leader Kevin McCarthy posting a video of himself reading, Green Eggs and Ham, which is not one of the books the Seuss estate decided to stop publishing. 

The world reached 117.1 million COVID cases and 2.6 million deaths this week. The U.S. accounted for 29.7 million of these cases and 537,000 deaths. The U.S. is now administering 2 million shots a day with 16.7 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 8.6 percent having been fully vaccinated. Mom Mom got her first vaccine dose this week. So did Dolly Parton, who helped fund development of the Moderna vaccine and posted a PSA to encourage others to get theirs, including a parody of her song, Jolene, 

Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine,
I'm begging of you please don't hesitate
Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine,
'cause once you're dead then that's a bit too late 

For us it was mostly a normal week. Grandpa Fawcett flew for the first time in over a year as he headed off to Texas to visit Jacqui. Work on the backyard recommenced with the hope that they'll soon finish our decks and we'll be able to enjoy the great outdoors as the weather warms up. The Capitol is still surrounded by barbed wire and the National Guard. DCPS held its spring conferences this week, during which we discussed the possibility of Owen returning to school one afternoon a week for in-person cello instruction. We're still mulling it over.

But mostly, we just reminisced about what the world was like a year ago before it all changed, and whether it would be changing back anytime soon.

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

Pandemic, Week 50 (To suffer fifty weeks of the year...)

This week, President Biden ordered flags flown at half mast this week in honor of the 500,000 that have died in the U.S. from COVID. The House passed its $1.9 trillion COVID-relief package, despite every republican and 2 democrats voting against it. The Senate Parliamentarian ruled that a minimum wage increase could not be passed through budget reconciliation. The Senate held confirmation hearings for the first transgender nominee. President Biden ordered airstrikes against Syria in response to rocket attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq. Despite a declassified intelligence report stating that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directly approved the brutal murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. will not directly sanction the Prince. The state of Virginia voted to abolish the death penalty. Golfer Tiger Woods suffered multiple injuries from a car accident in LA. Conservative outrage erupted when Hasbro announced it was dropping the "Mr." from its Potato Head brand to be more inclusive.

The total number of COVID cases reached 114.4 million this week as well as 2.5 million deaths, with the U.S. accounting for 29.2 million cases and 525,000 deaths. More than 70 million vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S. reaching 14.2 percent of the population. That includes Grandpa and Grandma Z, who got their first does this week and Grandpa Don, who got his second. Ghana was the first country to receive doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through a United Nations initiative. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, which requires only one dose and can be stored in a regular refrigerator, has been approved for emergency use by the FDA.

We had a pretty quiet week. The cold snap abated and so we managed to venture out a bit, at which point we realized Owen's feet had grown 3.5 sizes since September and quickly ordered new shoes. Nora and I belatedly delivered Valentine cookies and unicorn keychains to some of her friends. We met up with the Telfair-Chas as the Arboretum in order to visit the only Capitol columns we can get to these days, since the barricade erected after the January 6th insurrection is still up 53 days later. And then we headed up to Katherine's for a lovely family dinner before Grandpa Fawcett flew off to Texas (which is now a balmy 76 degrees), roughly one year after he originally planned to visit Jacqui there.

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

Pandemic, Week 49 (Polar Expressed)

The polar vortex turned deadly this week as several states suffered freezing temperatures, power outages, and water supplies were turned off. Texas was hit particularly hard, as it famously has an independent power grid (which means it can't use power from neighboring states when its sources are down) and a largely unregulated energy sector resulting in much of its power sources not being weatherized for historic lows. Governor Greg Abbott and several republican congresspeople oddly blamed the "Green New Deal" (which hasn't been enacted) as the cause of the suffering, arguing that frozen wind turbines in the state failed to deliver the necessary power. But as wind only accounts for 10 percent of Texas energy, they were later forced to acknowledge that frozen gas lines and coal-fired power lines that had not been fully winterized were the primary culprits. President Biden declared much of the state a disaster, allowing it access to federal aid as the Texas Insurance Council estimates claims from the event would exceed that from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

In the midst of it all, Senator Ted Cruz left the state with his wife and children for an impromptu trip to Cancun, Mexico to escape the cold. During a Pandemic. Once news of Cruz's departure leaked, he claimed that the trip was at the behest of his daughters and he was simply dropping them off before returning the next day to help the good people of Texas. His itinerary, a group chat of his wife's, and his staff appeared to disagree.

Meanwhile, Perseverance landed on the surface of Mars. The U.S. officially rejoined the Paris Agreement. The Trump Plaza Casino in Atlantic City, NJ was demolished. Rush Limbaugh died. 

The world reached 111.6 million COVID cases and 2.5 million deaths this week. The U.S. accounted for 28.7 million cases and 510,000 deaths. COVID infections actually fell 16 percent world-wide and 23 percent in the U.S. this week. 12.6 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and 5.1 percent of the population has received both doses.

But while much of the country hunkered down amid the freezing temperatures and power losses, Allen embraced it. He and the rest of the  "Quaking Quakers" met at the Meeting House to don their swimsuits, pour ice buckets on each other and raised over $14,000 to support the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and #KeepWinterCold. Afterwards, Nora and I made gnocchi to warm Allen back up -- hopefully a warm front will do so for the rest of the country.

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

Pandemic, Week 48 (Less than Noble Gasses)

This week the Senate held the second Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump. Democrats linked Trump's incendiary rhetoric encouraging supporters to attack his opponents, his refuted claims of election fraud and his statement that he was going to march with the mob to the Capitol to "stop the steal" as inciting the insurrection on January 6th. They presented a video timeline of events that day, new footage of Capitol Police officers leading Senator Mitt Romney away from the mob and potentially saving his life, and argued that by failing to convict Trump, Senators would be granting a "January exception," where lame-duck Presidents could act in their final month of office with impunity. Republicans argued that Trump's speech before the riot was "ordinary political rhetoric," that Trump had adamantly denounced the rioters, and then presented a video montage of Democrats advocating "fighting back," which, they argued, mirrored the language of Trump. On the final day of the trial, new details emerged involving a phone call where House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asked Trump to call off the rioters and Trump declined. In response, the Senate voted to allow witnesses be called, but then opted instead to merely have statements read into the record. In the end, the Senate failed to secure the two-thirds necessary to convict the President, with only seven republicans voting against Trump, 57 to 43.  Afterwards, Mitch McConnell addressed the Senate and declared, despite having just voted to acquit him, that Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for provoking the events of January 6th. 

In other news, a hacking attempt to poison the water supply of Oldsmar, FL was thwarted when staff quickly noticed the levels of lye had increased to 100 times their normal levels. Most of the U.S. was subject to severe winter storms due to a collapsed polar vortex resulting in freezing temperatures, dramatic snow fall and ice storms. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by 43 year old Tom Brady, won the Super Bowl. Hustler publisher and noted First Amendment advocate Larry Flynt died. 

The world reached 109.2 million total COVID cases and 2.4 million deaths this week, of which the U.S. accounted for 28.2 million cases and 496,000 deaths. 36.4 million Americans have now received at least one does of the vaccine and this week Grandpa Fawcett got his second. In addition, the Biden administration reported that it had purchased an additional 200 million vaccine doses.

The kids and Allen gathered at the Meeting House on Sunday to measure methane gas levels in the neighborhood. Using their trusty gas sniffer, First Day School detected a leak of over 50,000 ppm (CH4 atmospheric concentrations are 1.8 ppm), which is above the explosion threshold. They immediately reported the leak to Washington Gas, who promised to investigate, and then headed back to the Meeting House for warm apple cider. Allen was supposed to have his Polar Bear Plunge this week, but ironically, it was postponed due to inclement weather. I ventured into work for the first time in eleven months in order to renew my ID badge and retrieve some personal items (including candy). The whole experience felt a little post-apocalyptical, which probably wasn't helped by having to navigate the new barriers and armed National Guard along my commute all while the Impeachment trial was being broadcast outside of Union Station.

But it was at least reassuring to see that my office still exists, even if the Office I was part of no longer does (it was disbanded in July).

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

Pandemic, Week 47 (Happy 46th)

The House stripped Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Green of her committee assignments this week, after videos emerged of her calling for Nancy Pelosi's death, harassing school shooting survivors, claiming the Pentagon wasn't attacked on 9/11, and posting that the California wildfires were caused by Jewish space lasers clearing the way for high speed rail. Congress passed the budget plan for Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief package, though the final legislation will likely exclude the increase to minimum wage. President Biden declared that Trump should not receive classified intelligence briefings. Smartmatic, filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit for defamation regarding its election technology naming Fox News, its anchors, Rudy Guiliani, and Sidney Powell among others.  Newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg became the first openly gay, Senate-confirmed cabinet member. A coup took place in Myanmar after its military seized control of the democratically elected government. Russian sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to two years in prison for violating his probation while recovering from a poison gas attack. Hal Holbrook, Christopher Plummer, and Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell) died. 

The world reached a total of 106.3 million COVID cases and 2.3 million deaths this week. The U.S. hit 27.5 million cases and 474,000 deaths. The U.S. reached 2.1 million vaccines administered in a single day with nearly 10 percent of Americans having received the first dose. Meanwhile, Soul Cycle faced a backlash after one of its premier instructors bragged on social media about receiving the vaccine in New York because she was an "educator." Russia's Sputnik vaccine has demonstrated a 92 percent protection against COVID-19 in its trials.

For us, the big event this week was Allen's birthday. As a special present, the District's two-year snow draught finally ended after back-to-back storms resulted in over four inches of snow in DC (we're expecting even more this weekend). DCPS, which was scheduled to begin limited in-person learning on Monday (our kids are still all-virtual), delayed the start a day and implemented a 2-hour delay even for remote school on Tuesday. Allen, who is scheduled to participate in a Polar Bear Plunge next week to raise money for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, used the optics to promote the fundraiser (to donate, click here). Mom Mom baked Allen's favorite childhood dessert, a pineapple upside-down cake (he was a special kid), and dropped it off on his birthday eve. On his actual birthday, Grandpa Fawcett and the kids had take-out from Ben's before Allen and I had a lovely dinner from Rose's at Home, which was even lovelier after they gave us a couple of bottles of wine for Allen's birthday after a minor delivery snafu (who knew there would be multiple birthday dinner orders requested by Zimmermans in the DC metro area on the same night).

Hopefully, it's all a sign of better things to come.

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