Mrs.J

Well Mr. J will have a fun work day today. Overnight noticed internet was down. Was back this morning but keeps dropping. Has dropped over 8 times in just the last hour.

I will keep you in my Rolodex. My dad is a retired electrician but lives in FL. And my one brother is also an electrician but lives in OH. So I cannot call on them. We have a guy in our neighborhood we have used who is very good but always loose his contact info.

Trip to North Africa tonight. Mediterranean fish Shakshuka style. Just a small bit of heat with some Harissa seasoning. Fresh mint on top. All cooked on the stove top so I did not have to heat up the house with the oven.

Super proud of the younger Miss J getting through a hot show day with some great pinnings.

Mr J works for a local video game company as an animator. And we are good family friends with another couple who work there and the husband is a programmer. I did some programming in college. Wanted to throw the monitor across the room. I am a perfectionist but searching through lines of code for a tiny error just frustrates me. I applauds those who do it and enjoy it.

Cell just blew up right imby. Pouring. Much needed rain.

From the back of the storm up here.

Getting a spectacular light show to my SE off those storms in DC.

You are in the same place I am in. This heat has been too hot for me to even cook and enjoy it. Dinner tonight was leftover Cuban pork butt with some BBQ sauce. The rest of the family is doing Quesadillas. I did the butt in the crock pot I do not even want to turn on the oven. Broke down the other night and told Mr. J it was too hot to cook and we were ordering pizza.

Waiting in the parking lot of the oldest daughters dance studio and getting dumped on! Wind lightning and thunder. Loving it!!

I don't follow football. What name did they choose?

I am in at at risk group also and I am not an employee of the local school system. So you are not the only one biased. My daughters themselves have said they want to keep me safe and from getting sick. They will do what it takes to make sure I am here for them.

Frederick Co is still hanging. Although seeing FB posts this past week from some of the BOE members they are not comfortable with opening at all. BOE meeting is next week on the 29th. I think Fred and Carroll are the two last systems in the DC/Balt area that have yet to make a decision. And yes Liability is what is being asked about from the Board. One of the BOE members lives in my neighborhood and she is for 100% distance learning. And so is the President of the BOE and said as much on a FB post. Typical for Fred Co they even wait until the last minute to call a snow day.

Yep. The looks I get when at a horse show over there, were you are supposed to have masks on at all times ring side, are like a death stare. Had one woman pass me 3 times at a show and stare me down while I was wearing a mask.

Your boys would hate our house. Both Mr. J and I were on them like flies on a dog pile. The oldest Miss J did very well on her own so we only had to check in with her. The younger Miss J some days were better than others. Both girls have told us they want 100% online and are prepared to step up to the plate. As for the NC folks, do they not understand that property taxes do not just pay for the physical school building yes? Sounds like they are talking about cutting off their noses to spite there faces.

We board my daughters pony in VA. A lot of people over there are without masks.

Thunder and lightning to my South. In my backyard looks like we are splitting between the South and North part of the line with nothing here.

Yes it is. Have been taking my daughter to ride very early to beat the sun rising. The last few mornings as long as we were done by 8 am it was good. Today we stepped outside to head over to VA and decided it was too nasty even at 6:30 in the morning. Current dew point here is 74.

Knocked power out for some. Knocked out our internet till well into the night. While the temp dropped 10 deg, humidity did not drop and it felt like a sauna the rest of the evening. But I don’t have to water my plants today.

Had this cell pop out of nowhere. Ended up just on the eastern edge of it. Front of the house pouring rain. Back of the house crazy winds and pouring rain. Ended up with .30”.

My parents surprised the Miss J’s with this telescope. My oldest said great now I can find my home planet! Hoping for a clear night to check it out.

My temp is 95 with a DP of 77 humidity is 46%

I am kickin' it old style today. Eating a ham sandwich and have the SiriusXM Beastie Boys station on. In other words this humidity is nasty and I am sitting my can in the house. Going to make no-noodle lasagna tonight that uses Zucchini.

My girls want to be back too. But as I said above after the virtual town hall last night it became clear to me that school systems are in way over their heads with this. They had no plan in place yet when staff or a student tests positive after having been in the classroom. There is no plan yet in place about wearing masks in the classroom. There is to be no cleaning of shared surfaces in between secondary classroom changes. As of now relying on mask wearing and personal hygiene. Daycares have no concrete plans to work with the 2 day on 3 day virtual hybrid option as of yet. Teachers will swipe into the school and that means they are not symptomatic. Talk about on and off ramps with online only and in school. The only thing that I took from the meeting that I am happy about is that hybrid or full school option there will be a 100% virtual option available to all parents. I personally know of a 5th grade teacher and a BOE member who are wanting an all online first semester. Will just have to wait this out.

You should have dropped into the FCPS Town hall. I thought they were further along but it became painfully clear that once the questions started coming in they have only spent time on their preferred hybrid option. Had no plan on how to make masks mandatory. No plan on when someone tests positive. No plan on refusals to wear masks. When asked about cleaning in the classrooms of the secondary level one panelist replied that , there is not enough time between classes to even wipe down desks and would have to rely on mask wearing and personal hygiene. Sorry I do not rely on anyone else’s personal hygiene especially teenage kids. The only thing I got out of it was that we have defiantly confirmed our girls will be doing virtual learning. They touched on how it will not be like this past spring with more accountability. My whole take on the meeting... these school systems are in way over their heads when it comes to cleaning and keeping staff and students safe. They need to stay with what they know and just build up a very robust online learning platform. They do not have the budget to take this on. Our BOE will have the final decision and then the state BOE. There is no good answer.