Pandemic, Week 76 (Summer's End)

This week, a bomb exploded outside the Kabul airport, killing 92 people including 13 American service members that were assisting with evacuation of American and Afghani citizens. President Biden said that the US would continue its evacuation efforts through the August 31st deadline and had the Pentagon conduct drone strikes, taking out two leaders of ISIS-K, which has claimed responsibility. The January 6th Select Committee requested documents from the Executive Branch, particularly communications by Trump, his family and his senior advisors. Meanwhile, seven US Capitol Police officers are suing Trump and "Stop the Steal" organizers over the January 6th riot. The House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Act while the Supreme Court reinstated the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy for asylum seekers. The man photographed naked as a baby for Nirvana's Nevermind album cover, is suing the band for sexual exploitation, 30 years after the album dropped. Charlie Watts, the drummer for the Rolling Stones, died.

The world reached 216.7 million COVID cases this week and 4.5 million deaths, of which the US accounted for 39.6 million cases and 654,000 deaths. In the US, 204 million people (61 percent) of the total population has received at least one dose of the vaccine; 173 million (52 percent) of the the population is now fully vaccinated. In addition, the FDA gave full approval to the COVID Pfizer drug, which is now known officially as Comirnaty.

Our focus this week was on the end of summer and the start of school. On Monday, both kids had their first dental appointments in a year and a half, and despite some questionable oral hygiene practices, neither child had any cavities. Owen also had his annual physical where we determined that he is officially taller than me, yet weighs less. Friday Allen and Owen rode the D6 to Duke Ellington and back so that Owen can finally get an appreciation for what his daily commute is going to be like (hint, it's going to kind of suck).

But the big event of the week was Owen (finally) had his birthday party and got to hang out with four of his closest friends. We headed up to Sandy Springs Adventure Park for an outdoor – and COVID friendly  – outing. Initially, Nora and I were on our own while Allen joined Owen's crew for a blue, but when the boys decided to do a black course followed by a double black diamond course (aka the "Gauntlet") after lunch, Gabriel and Allen decided to join Nora and I on the more user friendly blue courses before Allen went on his own to shadow the other kids.

None of the kids go to the same school – Adam's at DeMatha, Gabriel's at Basis, Hayden's at Gonzaga, Patrick's at Wall and Owen is at Duke, with Nora at Stuart-Hobson – and they haven't gotten to spend a lot of time together over the past 18 months (particularly en masse), so it was great to see them hanging out, ribbing and encouraging each other, just like normal times except 30 feet in the air. They were pretty tired and didn't smell so good at the end of the day, but they all managed to finish and they did it together, which is probably some metaphor for the past 18 months.

And hopefully is a sign of good things to come.

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

Family Selfie

 

I love looking back on our cuddle time family selfies :-)

Pandemic, Week 75 (Birthday Train)

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.

(To see all the pictures, click here.)

XV

This year was supposed to be better. Having survived 22 weeks of a Pandemic before his last birthday, we naively thought that Owen's 15th year would involve more people and fewer masks.

We sort of missed the mark on that one.

Owen started his high school experience remotely, with only one of his friends from middle school attending the same school and only sharing one class with him – online gym. And while virtual high school was a challenge for everyone, attending a performing arts high school where you can't actually perform together and instead have to upload recordings of just your part using click tracks, kind of takes the fun out of playing. Owen sort of checked out – from classes and friends and really anything that didn't involve youtube videos critiquing the American educational system or Dr. Who. That coupled with an insurrection and just the general ennui of being a teenage boy in 2020 made for a rough fall and winter, with only a few trips and outings to break up the monotony and introduce the occasional outside social interaction (thank you Gabriel).

But in the spring, Owen started attending school a couple of days a week in person and actually got to play with some other Duke cellists and bassists. Climbing Club started up again and he was able to hang out with some kids his age (provided they all wore masks). He grew. He was able to attend Nats games again. First Day School began meeting again in person and involved activities like finding gas leaks and harvesting honey (not entirely clear which part of SPICES those activities relate to, but still...). After numerous tense conversations and more helicopter parenting then any of us felt good about, Owen finally started participating in class and even made the Honor Roll. And most importantly, Owen got vaccinated in May, relieving a lot of his anxiety and fear, and allowing him to actually relax and enjoy his summer. 

Which he did. He rode his first rollercoaster (and his second). He went to the Baseball Hall of Fame and saw all the Nationals World Series mementoes. He swam and ate s'mores. He went to camp and stayed in a cabin with a bunch of other 14 and 15 year olds without any electronic devices. He kayaked. He discovered he's weirdly good at miniature golf and not bad at pool. He jumped off the high dive numerous times, performed in a hootenanny, and was willingly pummeled by waves. And he was really, really happy for the first time in a long time.

Which we really hope continues as Owen starts his sophomore year of school in-person (though due to the recent spike in COVID cases, it still won't be a "normal" school year). And while we know that there are still trials and tribulations ahead, the fact that Owen has survived 74 weeks in a Pandemic and is still the sweet, enthusiastic kid that we all know and love, makes us feel like he can handle whatever life throws at him. Happy birthday, little man. We love you so, so much and know that you've got this (and that we've got your back). 

1. Finland – now that that's a country that understands how to run an educational system.
2. You know the rules.
3. Actually...
4. Pool sharks are cool, baby sharks are annoying, and land sharks should only be observed from a safe distance.
5. We will defend our house. Eventually. Once we rebuild the Nats and I'm in college...
6. Trust your captain, but keep your seatbelt securely fastened.
7. Imposters, they walk Among Us.
8. Music writers may argue, but the definitive top five Marvel movie scores is Iron Man III followed by Thor, Winter Soldier, Civil War and Dr. Strange.  
9. You're never fully dressed without a... fleece and sweatpants. 
10. And in the immortal words of Dr. Who, There's a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive... worm hole refractors... You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold.

Pandemic, Week 74 (August and Everything After)

This week, Taliban forces gained control of most of the major cities in Afghanistan in the south and two-thirds of the country overall as American forces prepare to remove all troops from the conflict. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a study that finds human activity affects climate change, the Earth's temperature has risen over 1 degree Celsius since 1900, the past 5 years have been the hottest on record since 1850, but that the rise in temperature and sea levels can be limited by reducing carbon emissions. Haiti experienced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, killing at least 700 people. The Senate passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan and a $3.5 trillion resolution regarding education and health care, which will now face scrutiny by the House. 46 Republican senators signed a letter pledging to not increase the debt limit, which expired on July 31st.  Andrew Cuomo announced he would step down as Governor of New York after multiple claims of sexual harassment and will be replaced by Kathy Hochul, the first woman to hold the office. Jeopardy announced it's new host, Mike Richards, a producer of the show.

The world reached 207.8 million COVID cases and 4.4 million deaths this week. The US accounted for 37.4 million of the cases and 637,000 deaths. 198 million (60 percent) of the US population has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine with 168 million (51 percent) fully vaccinated. The CDC gave final approval for booster vaccine shots for immunocompromised Americans. DC joined California and other localities to require teachers to be vaccinated or else be subject to regular COVID tests this school year.

We re-acclimated to life post a month of trips. Nora went to the pool with friends, got a haircut and had a less than great Panther Pride morning at Stuart-Hobson. Owen started back with in-person cello lesson and had his friend Adam over for some lego and video games time.  Allen and I worked. We had planned to head up to Katherine's on Friday in order to go tubing on Saturday in West Virginia for Lee's birthday, but the weather meant that the outing was delayed, though the meet-up continued. Allen's cousin Joe was in town for Naval Reserve training so he met for dinner on Friday. On Saturday, Katherine decided that we all needed activities before we converged for "pool party" and dinner. Allen and Owen opted for miniature golf and batting cages while Nora and I joined Katherine and Makayla (after borrowing hiking clothes from Katherine – who knew Nora and Katherine wore the same size?) for a "fun" little hike in the woods. While it started out lovely, we diverged from the trail into uncharted territory. There was uneven terrain, and long grasses with prickly things and a whole lot of mud. We ended up having to forge across a river twice (once without shoes), just to eventually be able to double back. The children were not pleased.

But after returning to Katherine's and cooling off in the pool (along with some cocktails for the adults and cheese and crackers for this kids), we mostly forgot about the afternoon, and instead enjoyed the evening and the local fauna.

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

Pandemic, Week 73 (By the Sea and Sand)

This week, the CDC and the Biden Administration announced a two-month extension to the eviction moratorium in areas with high COVID rates after member of Congress slept outside Capitol in protest of its expiration (the extension is expected to be challenged in court). The economy added 943,000 jobs in July as the unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent, down from the Pandemic high of 14.8 percent in April 2020. Olympic high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy decided to share the gold medal instead of resorting to a jump off. Barak Obama turned sixty, but had a much smaller party than planned due to the Pandemic.

The world reached 202.9 million COVID cases and 4.3 million deaths. US is now average 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, resulting in 36.5 million total cases and 633,000 deaths. The rise in cases has resulted in an increase in vaccinations, with 194 million (59 percent of the total population) having received at least one dose, but only 166 million (50 percent of the population) being fully vaccinated. Florida's Governor has threatened to pull funding from school districts that defy the ban on mask mandates he issued, despite increased pediatric hospitalizations in the state. Texas has similarly declared that they will not require contact tracing or parental notification if a child's classmate is diagnosed with COVID (though they will be notified if that classmate has lice). In contrast, Arkansas's Governor announced he regretted previously signing a law banning local mask mandates and called for a special session of the state legislature to change the law. 

Meanwhile, we headed to the Outer Banks for the fourth time during this Pandemic. This time it was for our annual family trip to Duck, which was a week earlier than usual (first Sunday of August came early this year...), and involved flash flooding on both the first and last days (and a fair amount of rain in between). Still, we managed to get a lot in.

There was beach time and hot tub time and a lot of family time (and cocktails!). Owen and Grandpa Don went golfing. Allen claimed he saw a spinner shark jump out of the ocean. Owen and I watched some fisherman reel in an actual shark – which they then released back to the ocean from whence it came and where we all swam.  

We dined unfashionably early at the restaurant Mom Mom & Katherine first christened three years ago (and they made the Facebook page again!). Lee and Katherine ran into one of Lee's former teammates from both Virginia Tech and the Browns while admiring his sandcastles handiwork. 

There was cornhole and marbles and walks on the beach. There was welcomed pummeling in the ocean, and some unintended consequences. There was a lot of food. And while the weather was a bit of a bummer, it did allow us to play more indoor games than usual which resulted in a dark horse winning the Pelican Prize this year – congratulations Nora!

We're hoping next year doesn't involve a Pandemic. Or thunderstorm warnings. Or more sharks. But I bet will have a good time anyway...

(To see all of our pictures (and some of Katherine's), click here.)

Pandemic, Week 72 (Homeland)

This week hearings began for the January 6th Select Committee with testimony from four police officers regarding their experience during the insurrection. The Senate voted to move ahead on its $1.2 trillion, bipartisan infrastructure deal. The Department of Justice turned over notes to the House Oversight Committee investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the election, regarding a call with the former President where he pressured senior officials to declare the election "corrupt." GOAT gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the Olympics gymnastic team finals due to mental health concerns after a fall in the qualifying round – the women's team went on to win Silver. In the final hours before the MLB deadline, the Washington Nationals traded 2019 World Series Champions Max Scherzer, Daniel Hudson, Trea Turner, and Yan Gomes, as well as Josh Harrison, Jon Lester, Kyle Schwarber, and Brad Hand (Owen is fairly crushed). 

The world reached 198.5 million cases and 4.2 million deaths; the US reached 35.7 million cases and 629,000 deaths. Vaccinations in the US increased this week in response to cases and hospitalizations rising: 191 million people (58 percent) have now received at least one dose of the vaccine and 164 million people (50 percent) are now fully vaccinated. The CDC issued new guidance stating that vaccinated people should wear masks in indoor public spaces where transmission rates of COVID are high – which currently includes roughly 1,500 counties in the US and every county in the states of Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana. President Biden announced that all federal workers will need to show proof of vaccination or be subject to regular testing (similar requirements were announced in New York City and California).

Meanwhile, we were happily ensconced in our Iowa bubble. On Sunday, the Fawcetts hosted a Hootenanny at the pond which involved high dives (Grandpa Z defended his record as oldest jumper), wagon rides, corn, cousins, s'mores, a campfire, lanterns, Owen breaking out his cello for Minuet, Dick Fawcett breaking out his guitar for Hallelujah, and a number of neighbors requesting a cappella renditions of various funeral dirges (plus, You are My Sunshine). Monday, Allen went up to the pond early to see Ken and Kent awarded the 2021 Iowa Conservation Farmer(s) of the Year Award (and use of a John Deere tractor for one year!). Tuesday, we dined al fresco at the Iowa River Power Restaurant to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa Z's anniversary. Wednesday, we met up with the Mettenburgs (who had been visiting Joe's parents in Mount Pleasant) for an afternoon of swimming in the pond. Thursday, after an extremely long day at work, we headed up to the pond for a happy hour (which we thought was going to be a dinner) and then headed back to Grandma and Grandpa Z's to pack for the long drive back to DC before heading to the beach.

This was a bit of a tragedy, as it meant that we didn't get to attend Corn Fest 2021 and that Allen couldn't reclaim his title in the corn-eating contest from Thomas (who then won again this year – and got a commemorative cup for his prize!).  Fortunately, Allen has a whole year to train for 2022...

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

Pandemic, Week 71 (PA/IA)

This week, 394,000 acres burned in the Bootleg fire in Oregon, resulting in the evacuation of over 2,000 homes. Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected 2 GOP picks for the House probe of the January 6th insurrection – Jim Jordan (who is expected to be called to testify) and Jim Banks (who pushed to overturn the election). In response, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled all five of his nominees from the committee. U.S. life expectancy fell 1.5 years. Jeff Bezos was the latest billionaire to travel to the edge of space, but due to new restrictions in the definition just released by the FAA, is not an astronaut. The Tokyo Summer Olympics began (one year later than expected, due to COVID). 

The world reached 194.4 million COVID cases and 4.2 million deaths this week. The Delta variant caused a 65 percent increases in cases in the U.S. this week, reaching a total of 35.2 million cases and 627,000 deaths. At the same time, vaccination rates continue to stall in the U.S. – 188 million (57 percent) of people have at least one vaccine dose and only 163 million (49 percent) of the population are fully vaccinated. A U.S. District Court upheld Indiana University's requirement that all students, faculty and staff be vaccinated by August 15th. Tennessee announced they would resume COVID vaccine outreach to teens and children, which had stopped due to pressure from Republican legislators. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, in response to a surge of cases in her state, said that it was, "time to start blaming the unvaccinated people... the unvaccinated folks are letting us down." France announced that proof of vaccination would be required at large gatherings beginning this week, resulting in almost 1 million people signing up for vaccinations. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Sen. Rand Paul at a hearing this week where the Senator (and ophthalmologist) suggested NIH was partially responsible for 4 million COVID deaths, "You do not know what you are talking about."

We spent Sunday hanging with the Mettenburgs in the greater Pittsburgh area, which involved kayaking, miniature golf, trampolining, chicken sitting, grilling, and games. The next morning we headed back to the homeland where we were greeted by Grandpa and Grandma Z (and some wine). Allen and I had to work all week (Allen had to work over the weekend too...), but we managed to make it out to the pond for a few hours each day so the kids could get in some swimming and the adults could get in some adulting. We also were able to schedule a playdate for Nora with Grace which involved lots of crafting, and one for Allen with Kent and Adam which involved a lot of construction equipment and the zip-line.

Which should make our last five days in Iowa even more fun...

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

Pandemic, Week 70 (Hot Vax Summer)

This week, Texas Democrats flew to DC to avoid giving the Texas legislatures a two-thirds quorum in order to pass voter-restriction legislation (the governor has threaten them with arrest once they return). The EU unveiled plans to reduce greenhouse gas 55 percent by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. Meanwhile, at least 143 Germans died due to flash flooding this week and Death Valley saw the earth's hottest 24 hours on record with temperatures reaching 128.6 degrees. Britney Spears was granted the right to hire her own lawyer to challenge her conservatorship. Biz Markie died.

The world reached 190.8 million COVID cases this week and 4.1 million deaths, of which the U.S. accounted for 35.0 million cases and 625,000 deaths. 161 million Americans (49 percent of the population) are now fully vaccinated with 186 million Americans (56 percent) having received at least one dose. The rate of vaccinations has slowed, however, and that combined with the spread of the Delta variant has resulted in U.S. infections increasing by 70 percent in just one week.

But not for us. Having gotten a negative test result for Nora days earlier (Owen was exempt because he was vaccinated), we were able to send the kids off to a screen-free week at Camp Letts. The kids assured us they had a blast playing kickball, tennis, some variant of volleyball, zip-lining, canoeing, kayaking and swimming, but we don't have any actual footage of any of that (which is probably why they enjoyed it so much). While they were gone we had the Hyatts, who were doing an east-coast tour, over for a grown-up dinner party, but mostly we cleaned and started packing to leave for Iowa via the Mettenburgs the day after the kids returned.

When we last visited the Mettenburgs we managed to infect them with lice (we also stole their coats – still not clear how we managed that one – and got stuck in their driveway. We're actually not sure why they would ever want us back...), so to ensure we didn't spread anything worse after a week at camp (lest we give them the worst birthday presents ever), we had both kids tested before heading to Pittsburgh and are relieved to announce they were both COVID free. 

Hopefully we can say the same when we get back from Iowa...

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

Pandemic, Week 69 (Independence)

This week, the fence surrounding the U.S. Capitol that was erected after the January 6th attack, was taken down. The President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in the bedroom of his private residence. Millions of shellfish were cooked alive in the Pacific Northwest due to record-breaking temperatures. Jeff Bezos officially stepped down as the CEO of Amazon and will spend his immediate retirement traveling to space. 14-year old Zalia Avant-garde, an African-American, Guinness World Record Holding, and basketball-juggling wunderkind, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee after she correctly spelled, "murraya."

The world reached 187.2 million Covid cases and 4.0 million deaths this week, of which the U.S. accounted for 34.7 million cases and 623,000 deaths. 184 million Americans, 55 percent of the population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 159 million, or 48 percent, are fully vaccinated. The Tokyo Olympics, which are set to start in two weeks after being delayed a year due to the Pandemic, have barred fans from attending due to rising coronavirus infections.

For us, this week was the continuation of our Cooperstown Adventures with the Telfair-Chas. We celebrated the Fourth by having a good-old American barbecue with tomahawk steaks, sweet corn, strawberry-rhubarb pie, s'mores and sparklers. The next day the boys headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame where they took in the history of their favorite game (and Owen winced at "Baby Shark's" inclusion in the annals of said history). Afterwards, the rest of us joined them for lunch, followed by laser tag and mini-golf. The dads destroyed the sons in laser tag (final score 9-1), but Owen redeemed himself in mini-golf with two hole-in-ones, one of which won him free ice cream (Nora got their own hole-in-one, but as ice-cream wasn't on the line they just had to settle for personal satisfaction).

The rest of the week involved a lot of swimming, gaming, and probably more food and cocktails than the Surgeon General would recommend. After a long drive home, we spent the next day packing up the kids for camp, but did get a chance to visit the Capitol, where workers had spent the day removing the fence they put up after the January 6th insurrection. Oh what a difference six months makes...

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

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.)