I’m from the government again (sort of) …
last update: 04/18 @ 20:09

… and I’m here to help (on a limited number of days).

I took this early morning photo of the cranes this morning on my way to special election early voting in Alexandria.

I volunteered to be an election officer and was trained up late last month. Sarah voted in the early voting line last weekend and reported the line was long.

There was a call out to volunteers to try to staff up this weekend. Which turned out to be a good thing as it was Alexandria’s record for single polling place turnout: 2351 votes cast today.

I’m curious to see how Tuesday goes. That’s the regular voting day for this special election. And I’m curious to see if I’m up for working in November after having worked a regular voting day.

First day of senior year!
last update: 09/24 @ 12:10

I love that Robert has kept this tradition going after heading out to Seattle. Here he is on day one of his senior!!! year at UW.

And prior years…

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

The tradition continues…
last update: 09/25 @ 17:15

Robert posted this first day of his junior year photo :)

It’s always fun to look back over the years…

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

I’m not from the Government anymore …
last update: 07/26 @ 17:26

It’s been quite a ride over the last 16 years.

Clearly I had more hair and way less gray. (But the hat helps to hide the missing hair — not that I really had that much more then).

Now I have way more experiences.

And lots of memories of working with a great team on some fun (and less fun projects).

Oh, and I have bionic eyes now since I got new lenses. (Hidden by the overly large sunglasses.)

I’m sure to have more to say and I have some great photos to share as well.

But I wanted to be sure to post this “day of.”

I wasn’t unhappy starting my job at USPTO, but I was much more serious then than on my way out the door for the last time.

Robert keeping up the tradition…
last update: 09/27 @ 20:53

Robert had an early first class for his second year at UW. I’m not sure who else was stirring to take this picture for him.

He stayed in Seattle over the summer; spent some time working for the Cascades and Tempest Ultimate teams. And he’s now moved into his new dorm for the year and settling into his new class schedule.

Here’s the traditional look back:

• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

Tradition!
last update: 09/28 @ 17:54

Robert is keeping alive the first day of school photo tradition!

While he’s been at UW for a bit over a month now, most of that was the early fall start program designed to help ease freshman into campus life (especially though moving to Seattle for school).

That program is over and today was the first day of regular classes!

We’re holding our breath to hear how it went. And curious to see if Robert will stop by in the comments to tell us who’s who in this photo (roommate Ben is taller than anyone in this photo).

Here’s the traditional look back:

• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

First Day of School!!!
last update: 08/24 @ 21:58

Robert started his senior year today!!!

Crazy how time flies (and how kids grow).

We’re really looking forward to in-person, full-time school for his senior year. Last year was just too crazy…

You can tell by the smile that Robert was ready to get back in school and see his friends in-person; it’s been too long.

I expect we’ll all be holding our breath as the Delta variant of Covid-19 is slamming the city, country and world. At least for Alexandria, the 7 day rolling average of new cases does not seem to be going up as fast as it was last fall and winter.

Here’s the traditional look back:

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

Solo!
last update: 12/12 @ 17:52

George the giraffe (done up with Christmas lights) watches as Robert takes his first solo trip in the car. He hoped to catch up with Will at the volleyball court but…

Will couldn’t get away and there was no good parking on Union street by the beach volleyball court.

Still, first solo driving trip (I only checked-in on Google Maps three times to see where he was and what he was up to).

First Day!!!
last update: 09/10 @ 17:24

A start of school unlike any other.

No backpack, no notebooks.

But a mask (with a smile behind it).

This year, school is starting virtually with the strong hope that by next semester, the kids will be back in the classroom. For now, Robert’s classroom is back at his desk where last year ended up.

But the school system has had more time to plan out virtual learning and we’re expecting things to be more challenging this year than the end of last year.

And we’re really hoping that by next semester Robert is in school so he can experience culinary arts in the TC kitchen with the instructor and classmates rather than in our kitchen. (While we might get to sample more if they are virtual next semester, it would self-serving to hope for that.)

Here’s the traditional look back:

• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

10th Grader
last update: 09/03 @ 17:41

Robert started 10th grade today.

As always, he’s looking forward to the school year (and Volleyball is starting up again too, that’s the string bag).

Same backpack because the first day of school is a red day and the new backpack is for blue days. If you need to know more, you need to ask Robert.

• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

High Schooler!!!
last update: 09/04 @ 18:20

Robert is a high schooler now. He reports that day one was not the best — I think that’s not uncommon. TC is much bigger than his prior school. And this is the first new school since junior kindergarten — that’s impressive to me.

Here’s the traditional look back:

• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

Speaking of first day of school…
last update: 09/06 @ 21:24

Photo by Sarah of Robert, Andy and Ruby, 2017; first day of last year of middle school.

She was able to go in with Robert today and continue her tradition of the trio photo (and some photos of some more of the class).

See her Facebook page for more.

First Day (and last year of Middle School)
last update: 09/06 @ 21:24

The tradition continues… First day of school photo op on the steps.

ere’s a look back:

• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

For those keeping count, this is the third clearly rainy first day of school. I will concede that 2010 may have been rainy and that’s why no steps photo.

There are some in the family who thought it was more common than not that the first day of school was rainy.

Note the steady progression of backpack sizes. I expect in high school, Robert will need a frame for his pack.

Seventh Grade
last update: 09/07 @ 22:55

First day of school photo! Robert is starting 7th grade in fine form this morning. Last year, starting Middle School, he seemed a bit nervous. He seems really ready to go for 7th grade.

Clearly he’s ready for the what did you do on summer break with his Scotland shirt :)

Here’s a look back:

• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

First day of Middle School
last update: 09/09 @ 23:34

His style compares well to previous years (though maybe a little more nervous than most):

• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

Now we’re back in school
last update: 09/02 @ 21:16
And if you look back, you’ll see 5th grade starts with a new backpack (although he is still using his Columbia bag for swimming stuff — see 3rd grade link below). And a similar, raring-to-go pose. It really is great that Robert is so jazzed about school.

• 4th
• 3rd
• 2nd
• 1st (with classmates)
• Kindergarten
• JK

I think it’s cool that as I looked back at the previous Septembers to track down those links, I ran across trips to the river in every year :) I’m glad Robert the fifth grader is having at least as much fun as Robert the JKer — actually, he looks pretty serious in that JK picture.

New Milestone
last update: 12/21 @ 12:20
Robert signing up for his first bank account. Thank you Grand Martha!
If you look carefully, you can see he has a duct tape wallet for his cash and checks :)

First Day Back at School
last update: 09/03 @ 20:01
Robert went back to school today. This year, like last year, no rain coat. YEAH!!! No raincoat in JK either — note that this year he did not get followed around for stacks of photos — though Sarah did sneak one or two (you’ll have to check out her facebook page for those).

First Day
last update: 09/04 @ 23:24
Robert as a third grader: Columbia belly pack courtesy of his cousin Ian, and his big backpack not looking so big as he’s grown over the last year. Still a big smile on his face, but this year, no raincoat. A first since JK (just to be complete: here’s first grade (with friends) and kindergarten.

First Day of 2nd Grade!
last update: 09/06 @ 22:12
Ready to go to School!!!!!

Whole New Smile
last update: 12/21 @ 17:49
Six days of wiggling and the tooth is gone. Robert says it feels even more weird than it did when it was loose.

He also says, “ROBERT LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!!!”

No need to worry about collisions between the tooth fairy and Santa Claus now — their visits are safely separated by days.

(If anyone notes the better color in this photo, sometimes it helps to help the camera understand what white really is.)

First Loose Tooth
last update: 12/15 @ 20:54
We think this may have been his first tooth as well. I expect the tooth fairy has her eye on Robert.

Robert is pretty psyched: he may be the only kid in his class to lose a tooth in December. Speaking of December, Sarah said he was a little worried if he lost it Christmas eve, the tooth fairy and Santa Claus might run into each other, both coming to our house. I don’t think it’s going to hang in there another 10 days.

Cruisin’ on Two Wheels
last update: 10/24 @ 21:30
We took the training wheels off of Robert’s bike today. He tried his bike without training wheels a couple weeks ago for the first time. Today, he pretty much just took off… More photos in Robert’s section.

Congratulations on the new job David
last update: 10/08 @ 16:22

Somebody took a promotion…………..
-z

First Graders!
last update: 09/07 @ 12:52
Ruby, Andrew and Robert on the first day of First Grade. The morning message looks like a really good start to Grade School.

HiJYah!
last update: 01/22 @ 20:33
First Day of Karate.

First Day of Kindergarten!
last update: 09/08 @ 10:26

After quite a summer, Robert was duly delivered to his first day of Kindergarten. Was a little nervous maybe, but opened a book to a picture of the Golden Gate bridge and started constructing model of same using wooden blocks. A new friend or two came by to help. He doesn’t know he has cookies in his lunch. I predict it will be a good day.

First Day of School
last update: 09/02 @ 22:10
Robert started his five-day-a-week school today. We packed him off with lunch bag and turned him over to his new junior kindergarten teachers. There are just a few more photos in Robert’s section.

Daddy’s First Day at Work
last update: 08/04 @ 20:48

It felt like “first day of school” day here at the homestead and Robert decided the only way to send off Daddy was to dress like a jaguar caveman. Later, after deciding that if he wants to dress like a caveman then darn it, let him dress like a caveman (with shorts on), Robert and I spent a great day with Ev and his mom at the park. Notice the blessed shade, which covered the fun “mountain-construction-skyscraper” wall the whole morning.

I’m from the government and I’m here to help
last update: 07/09 @ 17:34

About 14 months after leaving AARP, I’ve accepted a position with the US Patent and Trademark Office. I owe (and will always owe) a huge debt of gratitude to Sarah for her steadfast support in the decision to leave AARP and for keeping the job hunt focused on a high quality of life.

I expect the new position to be challenging and interesting and hence fun. And I’m very happy to look forward to a walking commute — the PTO moved to our neighborhood about 5 years ago. I’m sure I’ll be learning about lots of new things and I’m very pleased to embark on that while keeping a focus on the Internet and Web technologies.

I enjoyed the chance during my job search to meet with many interesting and helpful folks: I’m glad Forum One is out there; they are good people doing good things. The couple of meetings I had with the American Educational Research Association were very interesting in light of my work in AARP’s Research Group and the work of both my dad and brother in education. As cancer has touched too many people important to me, I was very happy with the interviews I had with the American Society of Clinical Oncologists; I wish the job had been a better match for my skills and interests. And while I really liked the folks I met at the American Academy of Child and Clinical Psychiatry, I’m glad to be spared the non-metro accessible commute. At the American Institute of Architects I learned the truism that a short interview is often a bad interview — but I enjoyed the chance to learn more about their challenges and improve my interviewing technique.

And I can’t express how lucky I feel at having been able to spend so much time with Robert at this age. While Sarah has been feeling it for a while, I’ve just started to really realize some of the changes coming as he starts school (junior kindergarten) next September on a 5 day a week schedule.

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