You know it’s a major holiday when Kevin indulges me with letting me take a few pictures of him. I got really lucky, sheltering-in-place with him this past year — I actually think I like him better after a year in close quarters. Although it also helped taking lots of time to ourselves. I’m not […]
It kind of amazes me how sunny and laughing Anand has managed to remain throughout a year of pandemic, shelter-in-place, remote learning. He’s weathered this better than any of the rest of the family.
Sunny and Laughing Anand Read More »
We build war memorials and remembrance sites. It’s been a year of this pandemic, and over 500,000 American lives lost. Half a million, and still counting. More than we lost in both World Wars combined. I hope the Biden administration will think about a way to mark this for the future. Maybe a national day
A Day of Remembrance Read More »
I found myself on the phone this morning trying to convince Margaret Treanor Frey that we should do a writing retreat together in Santa Fe in May or June, when we’ll hopefully both be fully vaccinated, and of course, only if the CDC lifts travel restrictions by then… …and it still feels sort of irresponsible
(It is very windy out, I feel compelled to note, hence my hair. Sorry, Amma! )
30 Seconds of Vaccination Read More »
It’s funny — I stopped by a local coffeeshop yesterday to pick up a latte, which already felt a little indulgent, because mostly we haven’t been doing that kind of casual in-person shopping, but numbers here in Oak Park are really quite low, getting back to late August lows, so it felt fairly reasonable. But
Not Quite Ready for This Yet Read More »
Fully vaccinated is still a month off for me at the soonest, and probably longer for most of you, given the continued hold-ups on the vaccine rollout. In theory, I could start my vaccinations now, but first I’d have to find an actual appointment… But for Americans, in case you hadn’t seen the CDC’s official
Vaccinated People Can Gather Read More »
I’m afraid I may have to rethink my expectations for fall semester. I’d been expecting that at least at the university, we’d be in-person by then, with all professors and TAs vaccinated, and a good percentage of the student body too, and R dropping rapidly, hopefully below 1 by then, getting close to herd immunity
Rethinking My Expectations for Fall Semester Read More »
Elsewhere in the world, my U.N. economist brother-in-law has worked to fund the first 600,000 doses of vaccine, heading off to Ghana. We must all work together to keep COVID from spreading, mutating, and coming back to us in new, more virulent forms. One world, one (human) herd. We’re in this together.
One World, One (Human) Herd Read More »
This is apparently the week when 9/10ths of my students suddenly fall apart and stop handing things in. I am chasing after them in e-mails and Slack messages, begging them to give me something that I can grade, please, because even a C- is better than a 0 for your GPA, I promise you. (And
