THE WEISS CHRONICLES

G home for Thanksgiving - does some stuff

G made it home Wednesday (11/26) without bringing laundry and fixed the router and phone/fax while Beth brought the extra table up. We had 9 for dinner on the 27th. Four Meyers, Aaron and us. After supper we watched "Love and Death" again. Must be the 10th time I've seen it and its still funny. G said that he was accused of being a Heschelian and a Woody Allenian at school. Apparently both are part insult part something else.

Beth quits job get one back 5 minutes later; Beth on an editorial board

Beth had told her current employer (she has a relatively low paid part time job with an association), that she was quitting. Five minutes later, another employer, with whom she had interviewed several weeks previously, offered her some part time work that was better paid than the job she was quitting. It's still not anything super.

Also, the USAA (an insurance agency servicing people who were officers in the military) which publishes a monthly magazine, put Beth on its editorial board and quoted her in a story.

Deer Sighting and another bad Transit day

Ann saw a doe while she (Ann) was waiting for the bus yesterday (11/24). The deer was only 3 houses from our yard. She (Ann) was on her way to the Hebrew Home to do some volunteer medical records work.

At about 630pm, we got a call from Beth that the bus she was on had broken down. M went to get her but by the time he got there, she had boarded a new bus (which later temporarily broke down also). M went to the bus stand near the White Flint metrorail stop. A lady got in and started speaking spanish into her cell phone. It took her awhile to realize I wasn't going anywhere. She said, "No va?" and turned to me and then shrieked when she learned I wasn't who she thought I was. Anyway, Beth got home about 1 hour late.

Unexpected heavy fog this am

Also I've started to call the bus line Beth uses as the Oriental Express.
Also, on Friday, G sent a message saying he couldn't find this site on google. That's because it isn't registered.

Beth takes the Orient Express Again

For the 3rd time, Beth is taking the Chinatown DC to Chinatown NY bus. Its $40 round trip. This time its another wedding.

Last night, we gave our cat his first Prozac.

Our 3rd Electrical outage of 2003

Strong wind and rain storm yesterday Nov 19th. About 330, a huge tree limb, on a house across the street from us, fell onto the power line and knocked out power for about 30 houses in the neighborhood. Ours was one. On the way home from work I heard the news. The announcer said, "at one point about 5000 people were without power but now power has been restored to all but a handful. We were one of the handful. Power was restored about 930 pm. The sump pump was out since the controller was being repaired but the catch basin didn't overflow so no water damage in the basement. However, Dulles now has over 60 inches of rain for the year and the ground is so saturated that an early and long freeze (like in 1976-77) would do enormous damage to many structures and roads.

Prozac for the cat.
and a new wireless router

Another milestone. Today I am ordering a one month supply of Prozac for our cat, Soda. This is to deal with anxiety symptoms like hair biting and excess sexual behaviour (since he was fixed, there should be none of the latter).

We had purchased a Linksys wireless router in April. G did the installation. The router stopped working in June because, we think, the evil Motorola cable modem creates router death rays. We had an extended warrenty so we got a new one (with new extended warrenty) in June (G installed again). Now it has died again. I got a new one today (with a new extended warrenty). The salesman said, "We sell a lot of those and we get a lot back". The new one comes with a $10 rebate which effectively pays for the new warrenty.

The economy becomes more difficult to analyze - Event of Nov 16, 2003

I was grocery shopping at Shoppers Food Warehouse - discount bag your own chain. A merchant was giving away samples of a gormet cheese (a Vermont variety I don't remember the name). It seems to me that when gormet cheese is being high intensity marketed in a discount grocery, that the economy is much more complex than we used to think.

Chronology July- Nov 16 2003

”you don’t need all that work done, I can do less and charge you less, would that be OK with you” – shoe repairman Pedro


July – 3rd – a bald eagle is killed by a fox in a Montgomery County park; if a person had killed the bald eagle, jail time. 14th-17th M in Portland, OR. Fantastic view of Mt. Hood on the way in. This was my second trip to Portland in two years. The previous time I rode the light rail from the airport to downtown and noticed that the fare box took the gold $1 (Sacagewa) coin. This year I tried the same thing with the old silver $1 (Susan Anthony) coins; it worked– the natives in Portland hadn’t realized the system would do this. 22nd Ride on from hell week. Two consecutive days had over one hour wait for the bus. One of these days was also a late metrorail. M sent sarcastic comment to weekly paper which was actually published before getting an answer back via email from the county. Service better but one other day that month, the bus beeper kept on the entire ride – loud- had a head ache by the time it was over. Beth started work part time for the Engineering Education Association. 29th Bill Mueller (red Sox) has 2 grand slams.

August – 11th, KC vs. NY had 19 doubles to set AL record; the MLB record is 23 set July 12, 1931. 3rd-5th, M in SW New York; late Southwest flight forced drive through fog in hills. However, I did get to see the Lucille Ball museum complex in Jamestown, NY. 17-19th M in Montgomery, Alabama (probably the 6th trip in past 3 years) finishing up public portion of a congressionally directed study; two mayors, a state legislator and a US Representative showed up which is nice but it will make creating a workshop summary challenging (politicos tend to take their time on getting things to you). 26th 28th, M in west central Wisconsin. Flights very good and I toured the Jacob Leinenkugel brewery in Chippewa Falls. I hadn’t been to WI (for work) since 2001 (that was for a day).

September – 14th Jamal Lewis runs for 295 yds for Balt vs. Cleveland breaking 278 mark by Cillon of Bengals in 2000. He had about 200 of those yards on only 5 carries. 15th-17th in Charleston, WV. Still hideously expensive to fly in but weather was nice and paper I was presenting went well (I sent my .ppt file to the panel mc so I didn’t have to carry a laptop – which is a real pain these days because of airline security). I made a ‘more catholic than the pope’ comment to the organizers of a conference saying that they should announce ‘turn off cell phones’ before the invocation and pledge of allegiance. 20th – 27th heavy rains, the first batch with Hurricane Isabel. For over 30 hours we didn’t have power. The back up battery and controller worked to run the sump pump so we didn’t suffer a basement flood. However, by the end of September, the controller wasn’t working anymore. Fortunately this is the time of the year between thunderstorm blackouts and ice storm blackouts and I sent the controller back to the factory. 27th Roger Clemens final regular season start gets 310th victory of his career and final K was 4099. MLB season ends with Atlanta winning its 12th division championship. Detroit ended year with 43-119 by winning 5 of the last 6 games (Mets were 40-120 in 1961).

October – 10th while driving Ann complains about some new townhouses being built near us on the grounds that they will increase traffic. I tell her she is being a BANANA (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone). She says, “well there is a big bunch of us.” The Miami Marlins won the world series. It was only the second time they had winning seasons in their 12 year history, both making the wild card team in the LCS and then winning the series. 21st-22nd M in Boston; rental car was a convertible. Only driving problem was near the rental car agency (returning the car, I went past the agency to find a gas station and the road became one way and their were about 3 detours so I put about 15 miles on the car between the last fill up and getting it returned). 24th, I purchased a lot of things at Petsmart and the cashier asked how many cats I had. I said, ‘One’. The cashier said, “you must love it very much. Also on the 24th, I was purchasing bus tickets in bulk (50% discount). I asked the clerk for 4 cards (each of which had 20 tickets. She said, “you want four of them”. I said “yes”. She said, “honey, do you do anything else except ride the bus”. I said, “Well sometimes I buy bus tickets”.

November 7-9th in Pittsburgh; it took only 3.5 hours to get there, the traffic pushed me to 70mph almost the whole way. On the 7th we bought something in Squirrel hill at the Murray Deli which was just across the street from the Giant Eagle. Later that evening, I was walking and someone in a car asked me for directions to the Giant Eagle – one of only a few places in the city I knew how to get to; later the same day I was asked how to get to someplace I hadn’t heard of. We saw some museums and similar things in Pittsburgh some sightseeing with our fried Sue Myers (who is rehabing a place in a neighborhood only about 2 miles from the University Club where we stayed) then stopped in Altoona on the way back on the 9th to see the railroaders museum. 13th brought in shoes to be resoled; I filled out the boxes for service and a few hours later the shoe repair guy called me and said “you don’t need all that work done, I can do less and charge you less, would that be OK with you” – this example of honest service doesn’t happen often. 13th up to 5” deep hail in parts of south LA near Watts. 16th Up to date in the blog. Finally.

Chronology Jan - June 2003


"you need a new operating system" - June 10th (by CompUSA) - a stupid comment

Jan 24 M in Buffalo. Home in one day. 26th bought new computer and 9” screen. Dec 26-28 in Laredo. By 28th, Tangier Island in southern Chesapeake Bay becomes iced in.
Feb 2 M and G try to buy an urn. Feb 13 Beth buys a round trip ticket to Chile for $700.
Jan 17 (appx) G takes plane to and from Chicago.

Feb 15th about 4” snow. Feb 16th about 16” snow. Feb 17th another 4 inches. Feb 18th another 2 inches (govt closed). Western Md. had about 4 feet of snow. National airport only 16 inches total. Balt had highest snowstorm total ever 28”. Feb 21st-22nd Rain over 2” creates some nasty flooding. Larry Ramer visits from NJ. Jan 7th Long & Foster of Bethesda becomes 1st real estate local to sell over $1 billion in a single year (last year 2002).

Mar 4th Over two weeks after big storm, the snow is still covering all the backyard (about 3”) but a warm rain tomorrow should take care of it. Piles up to 6’ still around the neighborhood. Mar 7th In the midst of fateful debates over war and terror a 40’ crawl through model of a large intestine opened in downtown (part of a 20 city tour). The display illustrates advanced colon cancer, Crone’s disease, diverticulosis, ulcerative colitis, polyps and hemorrhoids. A virtual tour of this is available at preventcancer.org/colossalcolon. Mar 13-14th M in PA; nice drive down the Susquehanna with ice floes in it, Mar 18-20 M in San Diego and El Centro CA; rented a 2003 Mustang convertible with only 31 miles on it; Mar 14-15th Beth in Georgetown, Mar 21-22nd Beth in Balt. Mar 24th M in WV and received a $3 parking ticket (failure to pay within 72 hours could result in addition $5 penalty), Mar 26-28th M in KC. Saw Barry Schweitzer (former football coach of Oklahoma and Dallas) at airport in KC. Motel had free shuttle to Wal-Mart. 31st dreamt that the All Star game was at Camden Yard and Ann had, for $100, purchased on-line tickets for G and me, commemorative stuff and valet parking. When I got to the stadium, they wanted an additional $200 to get the car out of the valet parking lot after the game – even my dreams are cynical. Oriole opening game played in intermittent snow squalls. A fly ball was lost in the snow – even the cameras couldn’t figure out whether it was fair or foul. It was called fair (helping Cleveland) but O’s won anyway (13 innings 3:45 hr not counting time outs for snow).

April 1st snow interrupts Oriole game 3 times. April 4th-11th several dozen cherry blossom trees blooming at White Flint metrorail station (where I transfer from rail to bus in pm) make waiting for the bus an actual nice experience April 10th-16th Beth in Santiago, Chile for a wedding. Week ending Apr 11 has 3 days with near record cold minimums. April 14th last game played by Michael Jorden (Wizards lose). April 15th refinanced 30 yr fixed at 5.5%. On the way home, I successfully used the self-check out counter at the grocery store. Apr 21st all 3 Phil-Toronto hockey playoff games played in Toronto went into at least double overtime. 21st Currently, the Detroit Tigers have a cumulative batting average under .200 and are averaging less than 2 runs/game.

May 2-3rd G visits. May 3rd-4th Sue Myers (from Pittsburgh) visits. May 4th The day of the return. Returned a treadmill Beth and Ann had bought (and I had lugged downstairs and assembled) since it broke the 2nd time Ann used it. Also returned some shelving that looked like it would break if I ever put anything heavier than napkins on it. 8-9th M in Gulfport, Louisiana. Among other things saw a dead octopus (about 4’ long) on the beach. 9-10th G visits. 17-18th very cold days with mid day temps in the high 40s and low 50s. Cool rainy weather has made for the iris plants to grow too high and now the flowers are toppling over. 18th On Univ Blvd M saw a new car with temp plates totaled. 19th and 21st Dallas shoots 69 of 73 free throws in 1st 2 games vs. San Antonio. 21st M leaves DC
on first plane from National Airport @ 600am returns on next to last plane @1157pm (to Alabama not work diligence but wanted to watch series ending BtVS on the 20th and help G get his stuff out of College Park on the 22nd. On the way home from the airport I passed the airport shuttle bus which had broken down. 23rd B is laid off from her job. 28th; the 1st 3 Atlanta batters (Rafael Fical, Mark DeRosa, Gary Sheffield) HR vs Cincinnati. 2nd time in MLBaseball history. The other time was Apr 13, 1987 (Wynne, Gwynn & Kruk of SD vs. SF.

May 29-June 1st M in Chicago (mostly near O’Hare), Rockford (bar there had 8 different beers on tap) and Waukesha (near Milwaukee) to play sheepshead and visit people who he knew in college at U of Wisc. One of cooler early Mays with temps in the 40s during the day on the 31st (really). By June 8th, the water in Chesapeake Bay was only 63F, lowest ever for the transbay swim. On way to airport after visit, sat with family of someone just called up to the Major Leagues (Colin Porter of Houston who was sent back to the minor after the game on June 6th when Richard Hidelgo came off the DL list). 4th two victories for M – tooth filing w/o Novocain; got MasterCard to remove a $78 charge; another victory on the 5th Hyundai motors will fix wiper blade motor for free (warranty works) however, the 30k scheduled service is $400. Day after picking up the car there is a problem with the door. G brings car in and Hyundai gives him a free taxi ride home. 13th Roger Clemens reaches 300 wins and 4000 strikeouts in same game (vs. STL).13-15th B in NYC. Beth found a round trip bus service to NYC (Chinatown to Chinatown) for $35 (Amtrak is $180, Greyhound is $90). G on couch, M in easychair 15th .
M – Do you really think the cat is useless.
G – Well all he is doing this summer is sitting around, eating or sleeping (G has done that this week).
M – (picks up the cat). So Soda (cat’s name), how much was your tuition last year?
G - oh ouch; is it too early to look into nursing homes?
10th computer begins spontaneously rebooting. It didn’t get fixed until early August (interfered with chron updating). At first CompUSA said "you need a new operating system" (they always say that) but ultimately it needed a new CPU, new motherboard, etc. meaning they sold us a lemon. Since it was on warrenty, I’m sure CompUSA ended up eating over $1200 in repair cost (more than a new computer would have been). 22nd Barry Bonds gets 500th stolen base; he already has over 600 HRs. No other person with over 300 HRs has over 400 SBs. 28th (appx) visit from Zebraaloha fr Hawaii. 28th Boston, vs Florida, gets 14 runs in the 1st inning, 10 before the 1st out. Johnny Damon gets 3 hits in the 1st (single, double and triple).Sox get 28 hits for the game.

30th-2nd (July) M&G were in Niagara Falls by way of Punxsutawney, PA (yes, to see the groundhog who lives in climate controlled luxury 364 days a year only to be sent to Gobbler’s Knob on Ghog day) with a great view of the falls each day. Also visited the hydroelectric station hit on Aug 14 blackout day. At falls, I saw a dad-type taking a family picture and volunteered to take him and his family. He said, “I’ll say that an Israeli took our Palestinian family photo at Niagara Falls (G was wearing a yamulka).” I said, “I’ll say that I shot a whole family of Palestinians.” Both had a laugh.

Chronology July – Dec 2002


“You’ve backed everything up right” – Ann


July – Beth goes to 3 weddings. Oldsmobile has major cooling system problem (bottom value blows out and intake manifold leeks oil into coolant reservoir). M gets Boog Powell’s autograph.
Kid in line back of M: Who is that?
M_ Boog Powell
Kid Did he play baseball?
M For the Orioles. In the World Series several times, many HRs
Kid when?
M 70s
Kid Did Orioles have a team then?
George worked at a summer camp for 6 weeks. Pulled 60 hr weeks doing kitchen and related work. It wore him down and when he returned home in Aug (to rest) he said he will take courses next summer.

Aug – Ann & Martin on cruise. Ports of call; Venice, Piraeus/Athens, Malta, Naples (saw Pompeii while there), nr Rome, nr Florence, Monaco and Barcelona (wrote to B&G via email from ship). Beth goes to 3 more weddings. At end of month B is speaking to a friend. Friend: What do you do this summer?
Beth I went to 6 weddings.
Friend Whatever will you do with all those husbands?
We have made the decision to dump our dial up Internet Provider and get a broadband IP.

Sept – G does Rhashanah mussaf at Hillel. Complains that congregation didn’t know the liturgical responses well enough. New IP is Comcast (our cable company). G installs a wireless router so our two computers are a local area network. Problems immediately with cross routing. That fixed, the next problem is frequent freezing up.

Oct- Another major cooling system with the Oldsmobile. M decides to give it to charity. MLB season ends. Balt SS Mike Bordick ends season with 106 games w/o an error. Atl pitcher and former starter Mike Scholtz ends season w 54 saves for MLB record. Barry Bonds (SF) ends season with MLB records for walks, on base average and slugging percentage. Is oldest player (38) to win HR crown (NL) and batting average title MLB). Beth has accident 0.25 miles from house on way to part time teaching job – teaching Jewish history at a nearby Synagogue (she has two other part time jobs – free lance reporting for PG sentinel and journalism marketing and is also tutoring some immigrants so she needs to drive). New Hyundai (<6k odometer) is totaled; Beth too scared to drive for a week. One week later, Ann gets egregiously bad advice from Dell tech support and hard drive is erased (most of this file is from memory – M has back up of 1986-2002a chron files). It turned out that one big problem was congestion in the Microsoft registry. It took a while to understand this. Then we obtained some free soft ware that cleans the registry during each log in. Several of the Sniper’s murders were within 5 miles of the house. World Series is between two ‘wild card’ teams (a 1st), records: most runs, most HRs, worst starting pitching, 1st rookie to win game 7 since 1909. Since 1982, the home team has a cumulative 18-2 record in the 6th and 7th games of the world series. Oct 30th the max temp was below 40F at both Dulles and BWI. Lowest Oct max in 200 years. Oct 30th and 31st, Wizards score only 68 pts in 1st game, 3rd lowest in franchise history, the next day they beat Boston 114-69, worst loss in Boston franchise history.

Nov On the 1st, we have a heavy frost across the street, no frost on our side. Nov 5 Irwin gets G about 8 good leads finding a winter internship. Nov 6-8 M in Alabama (biz). Nov 10-12 M&A in Atlanta (visit A’s mom & brother & others). Nov 14th B gets offer for full time work (assistant to exec director of an association). She had been doing about 5 part time jobs. Two of the part time jobs are in the evening and she will continue them for a while. Nov 16-17 about 3” rain on top of about 6” in previous few weeks pretty much end a drought around here that had lasted over 24 months. Nov 18th-20th M in Montana. M in Bismarck, ND airport on the way home, gets North Dakota cribbage board and plays cribbage. Nov 21st B is about to make a turn into oncoming traffic on a one way street is saved by a homeless person motioning her not to do it BNov 22nd-23rd B in Georgetown. Nov 26th M breaks rake while doing leaves. This is 4th rake broken in 6 autumns at this address (we’ve also been through 3 vacuum cleaners here). Nov 28th Irwin and Cheryl visit for thkgvg.







December 1st Mike & Nadine Postol visit for 3rd night of Hannukah. Dec 2-3 M in Jackson, MS. Dec 3rd Beth complains that driver’s side back door in new car doesn’t work. M verifies. Dec 4th door suddenly works again. B verifies. On 3rd, Beth gets gift of a snuggly soft hood and gloves from Russians she is tutoring; later they gave her chocolate made in Russia (with both Cyrillic and transliterated Cyrillic 5th snow 6” well forecast event. This year our county has a ‘clear sidewalk in 24 hour’ law for residential units as well as business (we also have a cat leash law and other intrusive junk). The county exec said he asked the police not to enforce the ‘clear side..’ law this year, however, if people call and complain about their neighbor (they do this for cats), it gets dicey. Dec 10th -11th well forecast freezing rain event. 2nd unscheduled leave day for fed govt. Dec 13th Wash Wizards score 65 in game (28 in 1st half) both record lows. Dec 13-14th Aaron and Sofia visiting Beth. M picks up G and friend to see ST Nenesis on 2nd night. Dec 15th Michael Jordan gets only 2 pts but Wizards win easily anyway. Dec 22nd Despite two 10-yard and one blocked punt, Redskins win easily. Dec 13-14th and 20-22nd two friends of B&G visit (different ones). Dec 13th, the Epson printer we bought from Staples in July gets stuck (it has both an Epson and a Staple warranty). After several calls to Epson they tell us to bring it back to Staples. On Dec 20th Staples said to bring it to an Epson dealer. Epson said the nearest Epson dealer to us was a CompUSA dealer. On Dec 22nd, the CompUSA dealer said they would charge us to fix it and couldn’t access the Epson warranty. Later the Epson home office agreed to send us a new printer (we have to send the old one back). It arrived the 24th about 6pm and amazingly it worked and we sent the old one back on Epson’s UPS label (i.e., free to us). Beth is now on step 4 of a 12 step program to assemble a desk in her room (she completed work on the 28th). 23rd family goes to the festival of lights at the Mont county arboretum; first time doing this, lights in designs of snails, spiderwebs, bears, candles, flowers, rain, etc. on 30 acres of tended gardens. Was $10 for the 4 of us. 26th M meets G at the White Flint bus stop after work – not intentionally (G doing a winter intership). 28th we bought a kitchen island (rolling cabinet w butcher block top) from our friend Trina Bellek who is moving to Hawaii to take over a horse riding biz and add a breast cancer surgery recovery clinic to it. 27th-29th Beth in Great Neck, NY and attended an Iranian wedding (prayer book was in Hebrew and Farsi). 27th-28th David Jackson (Skokieson) visiting.

Chronology of the Weiss family

JAN – JUN 2002


G to M - “You know you have really bad taste in TV”
M responds, “You mean my whole life has been wasted” (from Apr 2001)


JANUARY – 6th-8th M&A in Atlanta. Got 1st class seat on DC-Atlanta trip but it was too early to have alcohol. 9th brief but unforecast ice storm ties up traffic in Md suburbs. M makes it to metrorail and at 710am while waiting for train see rainbow in North sky (earliest ever saw rainbow in day and first time ever saw rainbow from icestorm). 9th B arrives home from Israel. She is angry with Long Island RR and British Airways for various travel outrages. G got sick while A&M were out of town. Paid neighbor to feed cat.. 10-11th Dave Jackson, friend of G and B visits. 1st visitor to ask us to change conversation subject (G&M were discussing Klingon blood wine). 12th B at another wedding –this time in Balt. Jan 15 Ann has outpatient surgery on foot. As Novocain wore off it was painful but by 24 hours it was better and in 96 hours she could go downstairs by herself. M took her to hospital, G took her home; went to wrong hospital (Howard instead of Holy Cross) because of mistake looking in phone book. B’s comment when seeing commercial for dish washing substance- shows someone putting yummy looking cake in dishwasher and the cake disappears in the washing cycle. “They shouldn’t be allowed to show such horrible things.” Also that week the Redskins fired their head coach and we had a snowstorm. M went to another GW B-Ball game. B&G back to school mid Jan. M in several cities, towns in Alabama 29-31. Among other highlights, in front passenger seat when rental car hit deer. Some of the deer fur staying the grill. Car was drivable and we drove it about another 180 miles.

FEBRUARY – 1st. A out with B for bank changes. 5th- New floor in kitchen; furniture from Atlanta delivered on same day. 5th unusually dry; temp outside was above 40F at same time dew point was –1F. 8th M loses Harry Potter #2 book finds it on 13th. 3rd G loses drivers license and credit card; finds license on 14th. 11th-13th M in El Paso (southern terminus of Rocky Mtns- a monument says so). Original flight home cancelled (2 hours after cancellation, electronic boards still said flight was on time) so M had goes home by Albuquerque, Cincinnati. Gets 1st class on Alb-Cin flgt (5 beers). At 8:02pm it was 2002 (hrs); 20-02 (day/month); 2002. G tells a story about himself. He was in car, saw a video store and had a sudden need to rent a video. After finding one, then going to car to get video member card he changed his mind on what he wanted to get. Then he went out again to check car because meter was running down, then got back to store, changed his mind again about what video he wanted then finally made up his mind and realized he didn’t have enough money and still didn’t have new credit card (it had come in mail but he hadn’t stopped by yet to get it.).

MARCH – February ended dry. Previous six months have averaged between 25% and 50% of normal precipitation. On 6th, former 4 time mayor, convicted drug abuser and admitted adulterer and sex offender (both misdemeanors) Marion Barry announces candidacy for an at large DC council seat saying, “… I have a duty and responsibility to the people.” 6th – County gives permission to disperse estate of my mom (over 12 months since she died and after numerous waste of time requests for additional estate details) 13th Balt Oriole payroll now, post Ripken, lowest in AL, coincidentally the VP in charge of payroll is Syd Thrift. 22nd hideously cold ground freezes B&G home for spring break. 23rd G walks 10 mi to Kemp Mill, this time bringing another Potomac resident. March has almost normal rainfall.

APRIL – 1st U of Md wins NCAA men’s Div 1 basketball championship for first time. Rioting after semifinal was bad, not as bad after final. Beth reports walking to her apartment during peak of final ‘celebration’. 4th. Marion Barry announces he is not seeking candidacy any longer subsequent to announcement by his 4th wife that she is filing for divorce and announcement by Park Police of cocaine dust in Barry’s vehicle and white powder near his nose at a press conference. 5th-9th M in SW Missouri and NW Arkansas (card playing trip) – also saw a show and music/water machine and ran into a transvestite convention in Eureka Springs, AR. 12th – Azaleas and dogwoods beginning to bloom before the Cherry Blossoms have faded. 19th fourth day in a row with high near or over 90F and pollen counts up to 2500 (90 is considered excessive in this dept). 19th M hosts conference call between M (@ work), A (@ home) and VISA customer rep about frozen account; account unfrozen in 30 seconds. 21st M gets $50 cash at grocery store checkout but leaves before taking it; comes back ½ hour later and store gives him the $50 with no problems; even more, on 24th, while shopping again, one of the checkout clerks asks him if he got his $50 back (she had done the reconciling on that register on the 21st). 27th Derek Lowe throws first no hitter in Fenway since 65 vs. Tampa Bay. Lowe was 1-4 last year with 6.75 ERA but came within 6 outs of a no hitter vs. Balt. Earlier in season. 28th first heavy rain in many months; over 1.5”. Also on 28th about 730pm, F5 for about 1 minute (wind > 260mph) Tornado hits La Plata, Md. One of 5 strongest tornados ever on E Coast. Hundreds of structures damaged in 24-mile path (most was at F1-F3). Turns out La Plata is tornado magnet; has had one in 1926 (an F4), 1 in 1975 and 2 in 1994 (tornado had hit U of Md campus Sept. 24,2001.

MAY 2nd. Mike Cameron (who was hitting .260 with 5 Hrs coming into game) hits 4 consecutive HRs in game for Seattle. First since 1959 in AL. Both Cameron and Bret Boone had 2 HRs in an inning (first time ever for one team in one game). May 3-8 M in Portland. On way there, plane leaving National had two aborted take offs and then had to refuel. The plane flew by Mt. Hood with view of Mt. Adams and Mt. Ranier simultaneously. On 11th, Columbia Hospital announces it is closing. Columbia is where M and Beth were born 1950 & 1979. We had hoped that if Beth’s kids were born there we might get free parking that day because of the 3-generation thing. 18th snow in Albany and Binghamton, NY (latest snowfall ever with records going back to 1790). 19th, M&A in Balt., met LT Gov. 19-23rd cold spell in DC, several minimums in 30s, snow in parts of Md. 22nd Shawn Green (LA) coming into game with .230 batting average, hits 4 HRs, Double and single. 19 total bases breaks 48 year old MLB record. Only 14 people have hits 4 HRs in a game and this is 2nd this month (Green hit 3 more HRs in next two games) 23rd Beth graduates from Univ of Md. Last graduation ceremony ever at Cole Field House (her college –about 800 graduates had a ceremony 9am –1245 and another 1pm to 345 pm Took 2 hours to read all the names. Afterwards Beth allowed Gm M and A to help clean her room. When one speaker told about sleeping thru a test, G said he once slept during a test (actually a 15 minute nap between beginning to answer and end of written material).

May 28th-June 4th B, M & A in San Francisco. (Beth’s graduation gift). B & A especially liked Teddy Bear factory. M liked Muir Woods – all like Alcatraz and Sea Lions at Pier 39. M & B saw models of imperial walkers at Ports of Oakland and Alameda also saw Coit Tower while A was at Museums of nautical stuff. B&M saw nice Pacific sunset. Hot at Alcatraz (which is unusual), very cold the day and a half we were at Berkeley (Sabbath with Chabad). M&B saw a whale near Santa Cruz. M passed 14 miles of congestion using HOV lanes near San Jose ; got free trip both ways on Golden Gate Bridge (also carpool related) and a free parking place near Fisherman’s wharf. A got a bit scared going down hill in cable car. B now knows difference between cable car and streetcar (rode that also) B also liked the bison at GG park and the sea lions at pier 39. Saw W Wohlfieler for first time since 78 and B Shoemaker for first time since 75 both nice visits; former including view of Forster City lagoon which abuts W.W.’s house; latter including visit to Muir Woods which is near San Rafael where BShoe lives. G guarded the house. 2nd Robert Person (Phil) gets first win of season; pitches 5 shut out innings and hits two HRs, 7 RBIs-not a record in 1964 Tony Cloninger had two grand slam HRs in a game while pitching for Atlanta). Now is 1-3 on season w .154 BA. 6th Wye Oak, Md.’s State tree- 500 yr old 35-foot circumfrence at base, etc. falls in moderate wind storm. 9th-13th B in Georgia, NC and SC with her uncle & G-ma. 10th-12th M in South Dakota.. 17th G, who has been reading a novel on line says, “…and there was no editing; there were, like, a thousand spelling errors and I hadn’t even written it” 24th at Big Train baseball game in Bethesda. George Will, signing/selling his baseball books before game, threw out first pitch. Fast ball traveled only 30’ before hitting dirt then bounced left and didn’t even cross batter’s box. 25th Md residents warned of an infestation of snakefish (up to 40” & 20 lbs, these things eat other fish but could also bite small pets, can travel from pond to pond using their fins&tail and can live for up to 48 hrs out of water) – one such fish (12 lbs) was caught on July 1. 28th a check Irwin had given G for his high school graduation that G had lost in June 2001, was found by B while cleaning in advance of a paint job (and deposited in July 2002).

Chronology of the Weiss family

JAN – JUN 2002


G to M - “You know you have really bad taste in TV”
M responds, “You mean my whole life has been wasted” (from Apr 2001)


JANUARY – 6th-8th M&A in Atlanta. Got 1st class seat on DC-Atlanta trip but it was too early to have alcohol. 9th brief but unforecast ice storm ties up traffic in Md suburbs. M makes it to metrorail and at 710am while waiting for train see rainbow in North sky (earliest ever saw rainbow in day and first time ever saw rainbow from icestorm). 9th B arrives home from Israel. She is angry with Long Island RR and British Airways for various travel outrages. G got sick while A&M were out of town. Paid neighbor to feed cat.. 10-11th Dave Jackson, friend of G and B visits. 1st visitor to ask us to change conversation subject (G&M were discussing Klingon blood wine). 12th B at another wedding –this time in Balt. Jan 15 Ann has outpatient surgery on foot. As Novocain wore off it was painful but by 24 hours it was better and in 96 hours she could go downstairs by herself. M took her to hospital, G took her home; went to wrong hospital (Howard instead of Holy Cross) because of mistake looking in phone book. B’s comment when seeing commercial for dish washing substance- shows someone putting yummy looking cake in dishwasher and the cake disappears in the washing cycle. “They shouldn’t be allowed to show such horrible things.” Also that week the Redskins fired their head coach and we had a snowstorm. M went to another GW B-Ball game. B&G back to school mid Jan. M in several cities, towns in Alabama 29-31. Among other highlights, in front passenger seat when rental car hit deer. Some of the deer fur staying the grill. Car was drivable and we drove it about another 180 miles.

FEBRUARY – 1st. A out with B for bank changes. 5th- New floor in kitchen; furniture from Atlanta delivered on same day. 5th unusually dry; temp outside was above 40F at same time dew point was –1F. 8th M loses Harry Potter #2 book finds it on 13th. 3rd G loses drivers license and credit card; finds license on 14th. 11th-13th M in El Paso (southern terminus of Rocky Mtns- a monument says so). Original flight home cancelled (2 hours after cancellation, electronic boards still said flight was on time) so M had goes home by Albuquerque, Cincinnati. Gets 1st class on Alb-Cin flgt (5 beers). At 8:02pm it was 2002 (hrs); 20-02 (day/month); 2002. G tells a story about himself. He was in car, saw a video store and had a sudden need to rent a video. After finding one, then going to car to get video member card he changed his mind on what he wanted to get. Then he went out again to check car because meter was running down, then got back to store, changed his mind again about what video he wanted then finally made up his mind and realized he didn’t have enough money and still didn’t have new credit card (it had come in mail but he hadn’t stopped by yet to get it.).

MARCH – February ended dry. Previous six months have averaged between 25% and 50% of normal precipitation. On 6th, former 4 time mayor, convicted drug abuser and admitted adulterer and sex offender (both misdemeanors) Marion Barry announces candidacy for an at large DC council seat saying, “… I have a duty and responsibility to the people.” 6th – County gives permission to disperse estate of my mom (over 12 months since she died and after numerous waste of time requests for additional estate details) 13th Balt Oriole payroll now, post Ripken, lowest in AL, coincidentally the VP in charge of payroll is Syd Thrift. 22nd hideously cold ground freezes B&G home for spring break. 23rd G walks 10 mi to Kemp Mill, this time bringing another Potomac resident. March has almost normal rainfall.

APRIL – 1st U of Md wins NCAA men’s Div 1 basketball championship for first time. Rioting after semifinal was bad, not as bad after final. Beth reports walking to her apartment during peak of final ‘celebration’. 4th. Marion Barry announces he is not seeking candidacy any longer subsequent to announcement by his 4th wife that she is filing for divorce and announcement by Park Police of cocaine dust in Barry’s vehicle and white powder near his nose at a press conference. 5th-9th M in SW Missouri and NW Arkansas (card playing trip) – also saw a show and music/water machine and ran into a transvestite convention in Eureka Springs, AR. 12th – Azaleas and dogwoods beginning to bloom before the Cherry Blossoms have faded. 19th fourth day in a row with high near or over 90F and pollen counts up to 2500 (90 is considered excessive in this dept). 19th M hosts conference call between M (@ work), A (@ home) and VISA customer rep about frozen account; account unfrozen in 30 seconds. 21st M gets $50 cash at grocery store checkout but leaves before taking it; comes back ½ hour later and store gives him the $50 with no problems; even more, on 24th, while shopping again, one of the checkout clerks asks him if he got his $50 back (she had done the reconciling on that register on the 21st). 27th Derek Lowe throws first no hitter in Fenway since 65 vs. Tampa Bay. Lowe was 1-4 last year with 6.75 ERA but came within 6 outs of a no hitter vs. Balt. Earlier in season. 28th first heavy rain in many months; over 1.5”. Also on 28th about 730pm, F5 for about 1 minute (wind > 260mph) Tornado hits La Plata, Md. One of 5 strongest tornados ever on E Coast. Hundreds of structures damaged in 24-mile path (most was at F1-F3). Turns out La Plata is tornado magnet; has had one in 1926 (an F4), 1 in 1975 and 2 in 1994 (tornado had hit U of Md campus Sept. 24,2001.

MAY 2nd. Mike Cameron (who was hitting .260 with 5 Hrs coming into game) hits 4 consecutive HRs in game for Seattle. First since 1959 in AL. Both Cameron and Bret Boone had 2 HRs in an inning (first time ever for one team in one game). May 3-8 M in Portland. On way there, plane leaving National had two aborted take offs and then had to refuel. The plane flew by Mt. Hood with view of Mt. Adams and Mt. Ranier simultaneously. On 11th, Columbia Hospital announces it is closing. Columbia is where M and Beth were born 1950 & 1979. We had hoped that if Beth’s kids were born there we might get free parking that day because of the 3-generation thing. 18th snow in Albany and Binghamton, NY (latest snowfall ever with records going back to 1790). 19th, M&A in Balt., met LT Gov. 19-23rd cold spell in DC, several minimums in 30s, snow in parts of Md. 22nd Shawn Green (LA) coming into game with .230 batting average, hits 4 HRs, Double and single. 19 total bases breaks 48 year old MLB record. Only 14 people have hits 4 HRs in a game and this is 2nd this month (Green hit 3 more HRs in next two games) 23rd Beth graduates from Univ of Md. Last graduation ceremony ever at Cole Field House (her college –about 800 graduates had a ceremony 9am –1245 and another 1pm to 345 pm Took 2 hours to read all the names. Afterwards Beth allowed Gm M and A to help clean her room. When one speaker told about sleeping thru a test, G said he once slept during a test (actually a 15 minute nap between beginning to answer and end of written material).

May 28th-June 4th B, M & A in San Francisco. (Beth’s graduation gift). B & A especially liked Teddy Bear factory. M liked Muir Woods – all like Alcatraz and Sea Lions at Pier 39. M & B saw models of imperial walkers at Ports of Oakland and Alameda also saw Coit Tower while A was at Museums of nautical stuff. B&M saw nice Pacific sunset. Hot at Alcatraz (which is unusual), very cold the day and a half we were at Berkeley (Sabbath with Chabad). M&B saw a whale near Santa Cruz. M passed 14 miles of congestion using HOV lanes near San Jose ; got free trip both ways on Golden Gate Bridge (also carpool related) and a free parking place near Fisherman’s wharf. A got a bit scared going down hill in cable car. B now knows difference between cable car and streetcar (rode that also) B also liked the bison at GG park and the sea lions at pier 39. Saw W Wohlfieler for first time since 78 and B Shoemaker for first time since 75 both nice visits; former including view of Forster City lagoon which abuts W.W.’s house; latter including visit to Muir Woods which is near San Rafael where BShoe lives. G guarded the house. 2nd Robert Person (Phil) gets first win of season; pitches 5 shut out innings and hits two HRs, 7 RBIs-not a record in 1964 Tony Cloninger had two grand slam HRs in a game while pitching for Atlanta). Now is 1-3 on season w .154 BA. 6th Wye Oak, Md.’s State tree- 500 yr old 35-foot circumfrence at base, etc. falls in moderate wind storm. 9th-13th B in Georgia, NC and SC with her uncle & G-ma. 10th-12th M in South Dakota.. 17th G, who has been reading a novel on line says, “…and there was no editing; there were, like, a thousand spelling errors and I hadn’t even written it” 24th at Big Train baseball game in Bethesda. George Will, signing/selling his baseball books before game, threw out first pitch. Fast ball traveled only 30’ before hitting dirt then bounced left and didn’t even cross batter’s box. 25th Md residents warned of an infestation of snakefish (up to 40” & 20 lbs, these things eat other fish but could also bite small pets, can travel from pond to pond using their fins&tail and can live for up to 48 hrs out of water) – one such fish (12 lbs) was caught on July 1. 28th a check Irwin had given G for his high school graduation that G had lost in June 2001, was found by B while cleaning in advance of a paint job (and deposited in July 2002).

Chronology of the Weiss family

JUL – DEC 2001


g- “I didn’t say I almost killed myself #@*%&, I said someone almost killed me” July 5

JUL – On Jul 3, M&A get check for $1734 from IRS. M had miscomputed the alternate minimum tax in 2000 (schedule D capital gain from selling property previously depreciated on schedule E ) Heavy rain on Jul 4th keeps us from going to fireworks. The fireworks downtown went on anyway (only 24 people were arrested, lowest in years – 21 for selling souvenirs without a license, 3 for bad stuff). Also on 4th, we bought initial furniture for recently completed sun room (so much for money from IRS refund) . On 5th, G describing near accident on Rockville Pike (in his courier job) shouts headline phrase.when subsequent to his initial telling of the story, A says to him, “…well you should be more careful”. Beth overnight @ friend’s house in Georgetown; 4th evening. On 9th, G has delivery in Sterling, VA. He gets within 2 blocks of address, can’t find it. Turns around, gets sucked onto Rt 28, then Rt ;7 and soon finds himself in Clarke County (only one country from the border county with W.VA). Turns out the address was a mobil home being used as an office a few hundred feet from the road. July 11 B &A lock keys in trunk (of Olds), need AAA to get it out. July 18 HCL spill inside train tunnel in downtown Balt.causes postponement of Orioles On same day, game in San Diego was suspended for scoreboard electrical short. Thus, 2 non weather game interruptions on same day. In the SD game, the July 19 continuation had Randy Johnson (AZ) come in for the 3rd and he struck our 16 in 7 innings breaking the MLB relief K record held by Walter Johnson who struck out 15 in 11.1 innings of relief (15 inning game) on July 25, 1913. July 19 G’s car off road, needs towing (2nd time for this, neither time cost him money or a traffic ticket). July 20-22 Beth with friend in Foggy Bottom. July 21 G overnight in Kemp Mill. July 20-22 Ann in NY (she brought $50 in cash to NY and brought $50 in cash back – charged minimally). July 21 Dodgers score 22 at Colo first 20+ game since they moved to LA in 1958. Winning pitcher (Gagne) gave up 7 runs in 6 innings (his 3rd victory of year, he went 14 starts between 1 and 2). July 24 hot day, M using bus with broken a/c (B using Olds, G using Camry).. July 30 A calls evil MicrosoftCorp and they help us fix three self corrupting control files (word documents had pathology which made them go triple space at random moments).

AUG – From July 29 late pm to Aug 1, M in Denver, CO, then Williston, ND then Wolf Point, MT. Along the way, Great Lakes airlines lost luggage in Dickenson, ND then Big Sky airlines brought it to Wolf Point. Went up to 11200’ point on I-70 (Ike Tunnel), was still warm (70F or so). Two days later in MT it was in high 50sF in daytime but day after I left it hit 100F. Aug 3-5 Beth has Debbi Shulman over. Others come by Aug 4 evening.
Scott Hatteberg (Boston) hits into triple play in 4th, then in next AB in 6th, hits grand slam vs. Tx Aug 6.. Aug 10-12 Beth has 3 friends for Fri supper, 4 for Sat lunch. Apr14 Mark McGwire gets a single, his previous 13 hits were HRs. McGwire has lifetime about 1 of 3 hits as HRs. (Dave Kingman and Harmon Killebrew about 1 of 4 in their careers). Aug 9 G orders Apple notepad computer after confusing and idiotic consumer service at Compaq drives him away from a MSoft ‘bargain’. Some peripherals arrived Aug 10. Actual computer shipped from Asia (15th) gets to Anchorage, AK 16th each day G obsesses on where it is. Aug 18th, G walks to Olney (about 16 miles) leaving house about 5 am for Sabbath shachrit. Apparently tired of the wimpy 10 mile walk to Kemp Mill. On Aug 19th, however, his legs were sore, however we left for the beach. By Aug 21, G had sore throat. Saw two marvelous sunsets over intercostals bay. G notes that setting sun looks like Holiday Inn icon. Aug 26: A goes to Muncie, NY for wedding. G moves in to U of Md dorm. M goes to Asheville, NC (returns Aug 28). Saw former Pres Clinton at National Airport (he was going to fly US Air shuttle to NYC – must be quite a comedown from Air Force One). M didn’t speak to him because he wanted to get an earlier flight to Charlotte (then catch earlier flight to Asheville). On way back, M has plane trip between Asheville, NC airport and Greenville, SC airport (30 mile trip that takes about 14 minutes).

SEPT 3. B & G visit. G goes to card game at GCB’s also there is Walrus ARS. In first week at school, G has lost calculus book, B has received 2 parking tickets. Also on 3rd, Phil, who had been 62-0 when leading after 8 innings, blows 10- 7 lead (vs. Mets) in 9th when P, Jose Santiago, and SS, Jim Rollins make errors on throw back from catcher Todd Pratt.. Sept 8th-9th B&G visit to eat leftovers and meet people, then leave about 3am.
Sept 11
Sept 12, G calls from the beltway with a tire flat. He got a tow and a new tire. Sept 16-18 B,G & Debbie Schulman here (also 9/26-27). Also had Cbarcroft, Bhorowitz as meal guests. Sept 22-23 B home to do concentrated homework Sept 24 Tornado touchdown in College Park, dorm dining hall,, two dead on campus other major damage in vicinity, classes called off 9/25. On 9/25 Roger Clemens gets K no. 3702 to pass Bert Blyleven. He struck out Toby Hall leading off the fourth inning on a pitch in the dirt that got past catcher Jorge Posada, allowing Hall to reach first – Clemens charged with a wild pitch.. Also Milw hitters Ritchie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz both get 3HRs in same gave (1st time in MLB) at Ariz.. B, G and guest for Ykippur.

OCT 2-3 G home for 1st 2 days Sukkot, B in Balt. Oct 5-6 B for Sabbath. Oct 9 - frost in neighborhood, although not on our grass. Dulles and BWI in mid- 20s. Oct 8 regular MLB season ends; Seattle with 117 wins 59 on road both records. Bonds breaks season HR, HR per AB, walk and slugging ave record; Alex Rodriguez, most HRs for a SS. Ricky Henderson sets career walk and run record (he already had career SB record).. Sept 14 B home for 3 hours, ate 3 pieces of cake then supper. Oct 23 M installs his and hers toothbrush holders, soap dishes. Oct 28 M attends marriage with groom being 94 years old/ bride in 50s.. Oct 29 Purchased car – Hyundai Elantra (also did shopping, mowed lawn, etc.).

Nov 1 odometer readings: Olds 64450; Elantra: 50; Camry 66440. Nov 1. Derek Jeter hits HR after midnight although the inning had started before midnight to become first person to hit a world series HR in November. Nov 6. G has auto accident. Car in front of him stopped for emergency vehicle. He didn’t stop in time. By Nov 10 he had lost phone number of other driver, but he called police to get accident report number and used that to report it to insurance company. Damage repair will be over $2,000. Later that week he got a parking ticket, “But I always get away with it.” He said. Nov 7-9 M in Buffalo, NY. Stayed at motel, at govt rate, with personal Jacuzzi and digitally controlled water temperature indicator (which worked).. Nov 14 Soda (cat) in for annual. Gets lots more medicine; Now 17# (last was 18#). M gets first look at damaged Olds- hood cracked and won’t open, door not working well, bumper dented. Nov 17. U of Md wins 10th game first time since 1970; also Florida State prevented from winning ACC for the first time since 1992 (when they entered the league). Nov 18 was meteor storm but it got cloudy about 430 am and by 5am; peak time, the cloudiness was pretty think, then it got foggy. Nov 19. got gasoline for Hyundai for 1st time. Nov 21-25 B&G home. M has to pick them up and bring them back since car (nov 6 accident) is being repaired. Nov 26: Tornados in 3 States, heavy snow in 4 other States and a Hurricane in Atlantic – Hurricane was the 18th Atlantic H in a row to miss the US mainland. all in same day. Nov 29 M loses photo ID at work.. Nov 30 Back on Dec 7 2000, I had entry about Dean Pantazes, bail bondsman for PG county’s, conviction on the Mar 30 murder of his wife. Today that conviction was overturned on grounds a mistrial should have been declared since a polygraph test given to a transvestite (known as Mimi, Kim and John Kelley) wasn’t revealed to the defense (the testimony contradicted the defendant). New trial or reverse on appeal is possible.

Dec 1 Only about 2” of rain combined in previous 3 months. Ground has become hard. Many measurements of water table near or at all time record lows. Dec 2. Having just averted laughing stock status last month when the Montgomery County Exec vetoed a ‘you can be arrested for smoking in your own home if the neighbors complain’ bill, Kensington (in Montgomery county) achieves this status when it prohibits Santa Claus from appearing within the town limits. Another County first, a Damascus (north county) woman files suit against publishers of phone book because her family run clown business was placed in the Adult Entertainment section of the classifieds. Her law suit (for $4M) alleges that trauma has forced her to have medical and psychiatric help. Montgomery County is also the childhood home of ‘Taliban John’ Walker (in American custody as of the 8th. Dec 13 M has his first colonoscopy – no polyps found Dec 14 Beth asks for my help for 2nd time on a college paper. Dec 14. M breaks glass frame at work. Have spare but B says it makes me look 10 years older. Beth & George visit Dec 16-18. Both actually spent substantial amount of time on Sat evening studying Dec 18 M has one day cold –first cold in 18 months (since taking zinc regularly). Dec 20 G in Chicago visiting friends, call home, he has left wallet in dorm. B & M get it (takes 3 hours). Beth says that a relatively new acquaintance once asked her, upon learning she had a brother, “Is he like you?” “What do you mean?” asked Beth. “Does he lose things?” was the answer. Dec 23 Wizards win 9th in row (6 of the wins were on the road) to tie all time club record. They were 5-12 when the streak began; key- MJordan playing fewer minutes. Dec 27. OK passes TX in death sentences carried out 17-16/ TX had led the nation every year since 96. B in NYC 12/21-12/30. 2nd consecutive down year for stock market (DJ, NASDEQ & SP), first time with consecutive losses since 73-74. Buffalo, NY has about 7 ft of snow in 4 days (Dec 24-28); other areas near the G Lakes had over 8 ft in similar period. MJ ends year with 50 and 40 pt games, in one he had 22 points in a row for Wizards. Beth ends year in Israel at wedding of former roomate. G ends year in Chicago visiting friends. M&A end year at home with big meat supper and hazelnut liquor. About a week with average temps well below freezing has frost penetration a couple of inches in yard. Noticed nighttime min near our back sun room about 10 degrees below min temp inside sun room when unheated. However, temps got below freezing; M removes plants to inside temporarily.

Chronology of the Weiss family

JAN – JUN 2001

George and later Ann, “Looks like the hard drive has damage” – April 2001


JANUARY – M in California (Fresno, Orange Cove, Sacramento, San Diego, El Centro. A begins job as kosher inspector. First location is Siena’s of Rockville where most service is but in Feb and March she pulls emergency duty at L’Etoille of DuPont Circle.

FEBRUARY – M in Alabama (Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Selma, Demopolis). M in South Carolina (Charleston with Rocky K, Berg, Dkroes, Asacman for sightseeing and schafskoft). Three men (2 from Potomac, 1 from Bethesda) arrested in a caviar smuggling operation – this also involved falsely labeling America caviar and illegal Russian caviar as legal Russian caviar. The false labeling physically took place in the United Arab Emirates. This is perhaps one of the few crimes that actually brings property values up.

Lillian L. Weiss – Oct 20, 1918 – February 19, 2001

Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in June 1998 but we knew she had it before then. She lived with us for a while, then in her home with 24 hour care, then at Catered Living of Pikesville (which was in Balt.) then Arden House then, in Mar 1999 at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. The sequence follows from less assisted living to more intense assistance. M visited her at 6pm on Feb 19, left at about 630, received a call to come back about 715, got there about 730, but death was about 725. Burial, next to dad, was at 2pm on Oct 20. Irwin was at 8211 Post Oak until mid day on Oct 23. We had a minyan at our home for all shaharit and mincha/maariv services. People brought us way too much food. Many visiters from Silver Spring, Potomac, Baltimore and out of town. Various eulogies highlighted mom’s appetite for justice as well as the aspect of kindness.

February cont. Problems with Toyota begin (battery). G and Gberg were talking about M’s correlational memory of trivial things.

G remarks, “if you were a college professor and would be able to correlate things like science to Shakespeare to religion you would win awards, but actually all you do is relate crap to other crap.”

MARCH – M in PA (Harrisburg) and Louisiana (Monroe, Bastrop, Rustin, Grambling). Toyota has hood problems (struts become twisted). Battery fixed. Then tire and wheel stud problems. Hood fixed. Then stud fixed. Four time mayor, admitted adulterer and convicted drug possessor Marion Barry is arrested and charged with indecent exposure and assault in connection with an incident in a rest room at the BWI Airport. In April he pleaded guilty to assault with sentence of probation and community service.. G decides to attend U of Maryland (where Beth will be next fall). U of Maryland gets to final four of NCAA Men’s Div 1 basketball. Md beat George Washington in regular season, then George Mason, Georgia State and Georgetown in playoffs. Although we thought otherwise, no one in George’s school ribbed him about this.

APRIL – Beth visits from Israel Apr 1 to about Apr 16. K Lindsey and John visit in early April (for Passover). Got to drive K and J by the Cherry Blossoms after picking them up at Union Station and got to show B the cherry blossoms when I dropped them back off there. Allan W took K on trip around the other cherry blossom neighborhoods (Tildenwood and Kenwood). Had 8 or 9 people for each sedar. G comes up from downstairs in early April and says to A,

“Looks like the hard drive has damage”.

Ann repeated this to M. It did and was beyond repair so this chronology will begin to be placed in Microsoft Word (and I’ll have to translate all the previous chronologies to this annoying language also). Toyota develops engine overheating problems. After repair of this, finally all Toyota problems seem to be solved. Washington Wizards end season with 63 loses, most in franchise (since the 50s) history. However, in the early 60s, when they were the Chicago Zephyrs, they had a lower winning percentage (18-62 vs. 19-63 this season). Late in month, A and M took ride around the azalea neighborhoods (Kenwood and Glen). During a discussion about what TV shows to watch,

G says to M, “you have really bad taste in TV”.

M’s response, “You mean my whole life has been wasted.” .

Tree Pollen count hits 2163 grains per cubic meter, a record for here (anything over 90 is considered high). M in Rocky Mount, Tarboro and Princeville, NC and Charleston, WV for day trips.


MAY – M’s father, who died in 1990 gets notification from Delta Airlines about his frequent flier miles. He apparently has enough to subscribe to 4 or 5 magazines for a year. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Indians (class A minor league team) announce they will change their name next year in deference to political correctness. A 9-person State of Maryland Commission (appointed by the Governor) took credit for this as well as 3 name changes of various high school teams (Warriors, Braves, Indians). Your tax money at work. Former candidate for Senate (94 in Republican primary), wealthy developer, and elected Montgomery County executive and Potomac neighbor and convicted soliciter for murder, Ruth Ann Aron gets the attempted murder sharge expunged from her record so she can ‘get on with her life’. G brings library books back. (references for his senior thesis) Overdue fines over $10. He says, somewhat irately, “Is this one of the highest fees you’ve ever collected? Library says, “Actually we’ve had people pay over $200… without complaining”. M in Laredo, Carritas Springs, TX.. G walks 9.5 mi from our house to Kemp Mill, (gets ride home) five days later says re errand to Kemp Mill – whats the big deal its walkable. M in Montgomery, Tuskeegee, Selma, Demopolis, Eutaw and Tuscaloosa, AL. May 14 AJ Burnett of Florida pitches 9 hit complete game no hitter. Vs. San Diego Burnett is a career 8-10 pitcher who has been injured most of his 3 year career and had not pitched a complete game in two years. Previous no hitter in San Diego was in 1970 by Doc Ellis (of Pittsburgh who later said he was on LSD that day). G walks 10.0 mi. next week (but doesn’t get a ride home, M has to fetch him).. Next week it rained so G didn’t walk but the next week he stayed with someone in Kemp Mill. M in Gulfport MS. SF Giants leave 31 on base in 18 inning 1-0 loss to Ariz.

JUNE – Remember last month when all Toyota problems seemed solved. Not. Noticed car overheating again. Brought it to same place. They said the thermostat was broken but since it was under warranty they fixed it at no charge. A rare occurrence indeed. Came home, told A.

A “what was wrong with it?”

M “the R2 unit had a broken motivator”.

G says, “what were they trying to pawn off on us”.

M in Chicago (6&7) to do the first live interactive webcast in the USDOT. (as of the end of 2003, there hasn’t been another one because of changes in federal rules which require handicapped accessibility and people don’t know quite what to do about this). M in South Dakota (Pierre to Rapid City) 12-14. This featured cancelled flight; delayed flight, sudden loss of cabin pressure which made the oxygen masks come out of their storage box (and they work just like the flight attendent speech says, e.g., cover your nose and mouth and breath normally) missed flight (NWAairline put me up in a motel at their cost) and another delayed flight. G’s graduation 6/11. Two of G’s friends walked from Kemp Mill to Potomac on 6/16. Also on 6/16 heavy rain caused water damage in kitchen when flashing seal not installed in time where new Florida room meets regular house (6/18 company promised to repair). On 6/25 M tests g’s ability to taste the difference between Milwaukee’s Best and Milwaukee’s Best Lite. Poured 6 small glasses. G correctly guessed first 5. Wrong on #6 but may have been a bit tipsy. 6/27 G begins job as a package delivery person. 6/28 B returns home from Israel (only 1 hour behind schedule). Her friends begin calling her about 30 minutes after we got to our house. They began visiting her within 2 hours after we got to our house. June 30 – while having Tom Selman to lunch he told us he was getting married the next day – and he did. Late on June 30, G goes to somebody’s house. Videogames to 5 am, then sleep to 11 am (july 1).

Weiss Family Chronology Jul-Dec 2ND HALF 2000


"GUESS WHAT DAD, I DIDN’T SPEED TODAY" - GEORGE (2/8/00)

JUN 30 AT B'S SUGGESTION, RESERVATIONS MADE FOR WHITE WATER RAFTING ON JUL 4.

JUL 02 B AND G TO NJ; B TO NEAR PHILADELPHIA, G TO NEAR NY. JUL 03 B HAS ALLERGIC REACTION TO BERRY PIE SHE HAD JUL 1.
JUL 04 G & M WHITE WATER RAFTING ON SHENANDOAH AND POTOMAC. A AGREED TO GO BUT CHANGED HER MIND WHEN G TOLD HER SHE WOULD GET VERY WET.
JUL 05-09 UNUSUAL JULY STREAK OF 4 DAYS w/o USING AIR CONDITIONER. SEVERAL DAYS LIKE THAT IN NEXT WEEK ALSO
JUL 10-15 M IN MADISON, WISC. THEN DETROIT, MI, THEN ALBANY, NY. TRIPS MARRED BY INNUMERABLE AIRPORT DELAYS, CHANGED PLANES AND AN EXTRA NIGHT IN ALBANY WHEN AIR TRAVEL ABOUT BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY.
JUL 17-19 M IN PHOENIX, AZ AND SAN DIEGO, CA. ON 18TH, HAD BEER WATCHING SUNSET AT LaJOLLA BEACH.
JUL 27 B GOES TO ROSE GARDEN FOR WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY (HER PENULTIMATE DAY WORKING AS AN INTERN FOR A CONGRESSMAN). PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOOK HER HAND THEN SPOKE FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. BETH ADMITTED THAT SHE STOPPED LISTENING TO THE PRESIDENT AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS BECAUSE IT WASN'T VERY INTERESTING.


AUG 01-02 M IN KANSAS CITY, MO. HOME AFTER MIDNIGHT DUE TO MORE AIRPLANE DELAYS.
AUG 05 G GETS TWO TRAFFIC CITATIONS (ONE FOR DRIVING AFTER 12am, ONE FOR GOING THRU FLASHING RED w/o STOPPING). WHILE LOOKING UP TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS ON INTERNET, G LEARNS ABOUT POSSIBLE INTERN POSITION WITH COUNTY POLICE.
AUG 06 CANOEING TRIP RAINED OUT. ABOUT THE 10TH SUMMER DAY WITH MAXIMUM BELOW 80F.
AUG 07 B LEAVES FOR ISRAEL FOR JUNIOR YEAR ABROAD. BECAUSE OF MVA RULES, SHE MAY LOSE LICENSE TEMPORARILY.
AUG 13 M, A AND G IN BALTIMORE TO SEE 'SUNSHINE' WITH C&I AND EAT AT BRASSERIE (G HAS DUCK; MOST EXPENSIVE ENTREE).
AUG 15 A GOES TO TYSON'S BY NEW CROSS SUBURB BUS. WORST PART OF TRIP WAS FROM S. TYSON'S CORNER TO N. TYSON'S CORNER.
AUG 18 TROPICAL STORM, THEN HURRICANE, THEN TS, H, TS, THEN H AGAIN ANGELO (WHICH WAS NAMED ON AUG 4) BECOMES LONGEST LIVED T STORM IN ATLANTIC IN AUG. IT ULTIMATELY LASTED UNTIL AUG 23.

AUG 19 NY YANKEES GET 3 RUNS IN 4TH, ON THREE CONSECUTIVE SACRIFICE FLYS. RON GANT MAKES DROPPING BALL ERROR ON 1ST FLY AND ON 3RD FLY FORGETS THEN NUMBER OF OUTS ALLOWING RUNNER TO SCORE FROM 2ND.
AUG 22 SIXTH AUG DAY IN A ROW W MAX TEMP BELOW 80F.
AUG 22 NON PITCHER (Brent Mayne, who normally plays catcher for Colorado) GETS WIN VS. ATLANTA (ROCKER IS LOSING PITCHER) FIRST TIME SINCE 1968 (LAST TIME IN NL WAS 58).
AUG 22-25 M, A & G IN REHOBETH BEACH. FIRST DAY MIDDAY AIR AND WATER TEMPS IN LOW 70s. AIR TEMPS WERE A BIT WARMER LATER. G & M WENT PARASAILING. G, A & M WALKED ENTIRE BOARDWALK AND BACK (ABOUT 4.5 MI). USED BOOGIEBOARD FOR FIRST TIME.
AUG 25 A GETS 2ND MASSIVE OVERCHARGE FROM STARPOWER. STARPOWER AGREES TO REFUND US $200.
AUG 27-39 M IN NEW ORLEANS


SEPT 1-2 MIKE PERKINS AND TRINA BELLAK OVER ON SHABBATH
SEPT 01 ORIOLES GET UNUSUAL TRIPLE PLAY VS CLEVELAND. W NO OUTS, RUNNERS ON 1ST AND 2ND, SHORTSHOP MELVIN MORA LETS POP FLY DROP, GETS TAG AND FORCE OUT AT 2ND WHILE BATTER (SANDY ALOMAR) GOES TO DUGOUT AND IS CALLED OUT FOR 'ABANDONING HIS RIGHT TO FIRST BASE'. SEPT 03 AN ODER THAT WAS BLAMED ON CATS IS DISCOVERED TO BE FROM SOME SPOILED POTATOES. CATS AGREE NOT TO SUE US FOR DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER.
SEPT 03 FIRST TASTE OF LOCAL VEGETARIAN imitation SAUSAGE (ok, HAMBURGER (good), MEATBALLS (ok) IN PIZZAS, CALZONES, ETC DURING REDSKIN GAME (GERRY BERG OVER).
SEPT 04 ALAN WARSAW AND SYLVIA GRIJALVA OVER LABOR DAY
SEPT 07 SCOTT SHELDON, TEXAS 2ND YEAR UTILITY INFIELDER, PLAYS ALL 9 POSITIONS IN A SINGLE GAME BECOMING 3RD TO DO IT (Bert Campaneris 9/8/65 and Cesar Tovar 9/22/68).
SEPT 13 WOMAN KILLED BY STREET SWEEPING MACHINE IN DISTRICT - GRIZZLY CARTOON-LIKE ACCIDENT. WOMAN'S DAUGHTER WAS SPAT OUT OF THE SWEEPER UNHARMED.
SEPT 18 WE RECEIVE POST CARD FROM THE U OF MD SAYING A PARKING TICKET ISSUED 8/4 WASN'T PAID YET. HMMM. WE SENT INQUIRY TO BETH ON THAT ONE.
SEPT 19 WITHIN TWO DAYS, TWO COMPANIES HAVE BEEN PERSUADED TO REMOVE LATE CHARGES. IN ONE CASE ($25), WE FAXED THEM INFO TO SHOW WE WROTE A CHECK WHICH THEY LOST. IN THE OTHER WE SHOWED THEM THAT THEY HAD MISREAD A "9" AS A "4" IN THE ONES DIGIT OF A CHECK AND BECAUSE WE 'OWED' FIVE CENTS, THEY ASSESSED US THE FULL FINANCE CHARGE (ABOUT $14).
SEPT 25 ON WAY HOME FROM PICKING UP A AFTER HER COMPUTER CLASS, M ALMOST HITS TWO DEER ON MONTROSE RD.
SEPT 26 BOUGHT A SALMON SAUSAGE AT NEW LOCAL KOSHER GROCERY. (M liked it a lot and bought several more the next few months then they stopped selling them).
SEPT 28 M GETS NEW CHAIR AT WORK. SOFT, RECLINING, PADDED ARMREST. IF ONLY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO WORK.




OCT 13 M HAS MEETING IN HIDDEN VALLEY PA (EXIT 11 OFF PENN TURNPIKE). 360 MILES OF DRIVING BUT LEAVES WERE NEAR PEAK.

OCT 17-18 VISIT TO ORLANDO FL. TO SEE U OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. STARTED POORLY WITH DULLES AIRPORT SIGNAGE (DAILY SIGN SAID OPEN AT ENTRANCE TO AIRPORT BUT SIGN SAID 'LOT FULL' BY THE TIME WE GOT TO PARKING LOT 3 MINUTES LATER). WE WERE TO MEET A YOUNG LADY WE HAD NEVER SEEN AT THE STUDENT UNION (EXACT PLACE UNKNOWN, PERSON NOT SELF DESCRIBED). HOWEVER, M NOTICED HER HOLDING A HILLEL CUP AND FIGURED SHE MIGHT BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF HILLEL. AN IMPROMTU GATHERING OF HILLEL MEMBERS TOOK PLACE EVERYBODY HUGGING AND FRIENDLY. NEXT DAY WE WERE TO MEET THE HEAD OF THE FORENSIC CHEMISTRY PROGRAM. G ACTUALLY BOUGHT A DNA TEXTBOOK THE PREVIOUS DAY, BUT SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO MENTION IT BECAUSE THE PROFESSOR MIGHT THINK HE WAS TOO DWEEBY. ACTUALLY, THE PROF. PROBABLY LIKED DWEBY (HE WAS BRITISH AND LOVED TALKING ABOUT USING CHEMISTRY TO NAIL CRIMINALS). TOOK CAMPUS TOUR, EVERYBODY SEEMED VERY NICE AND POLITE - AND OF COURSE THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL. ONE CAMPUS GUIDE GOT RUSSIA AND GERMANY CONFUSED IN A STORY ABOUT A VISITING PROFESSOR WHO WORKED ON THE ENIGMA PROJECT. AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE FORENSIC CHEMISTRY DEPT. M TOOK G AND A TO GATORLAND, WHICH THEY ALSO ENJOYED (HOW DO YOU ESCAPE FROM AN ALLIGATOR; TRIP THE PERSON YOU'RE WITH AND RUN).
OCT 19 MICHAEL AND NADINE POSTOL VISIT FOR SUPPER w DINAH. COINCIDENTALLY, THIS WAS THE DAY THAT HURRICANE MICHAEL BECAME EXTRA TROPICAL AND THE DAY THAT TROPICAL DEPRESSION 18 BECAME TROPICAL STORM NADINE.
OCT 21 WISC BECOMES FIRST DIV 1 NCAA TEAM TO LOSE IN OVERTIME w/o THEIR OPPONENTS GETTING AN OFFENSIVE PLAY. LOST ON A BLOCKED PUNT AND TD RUNBACK BY PURDUE (30-24) in MADISON.
OCT 30 DURING REDSKIN GAME, THE TITANS HAD INTERCEPTED W NO TIME REMAINING IN 2ND HALF. I SAID TO G, 'NO BIG DEAL ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TACKLE HIM, UHHH TACKLE HIM, UHHH, I SAID TACKLE HIM -- TURNED OUT TO BE AN 80 YD TD AND REDSKINS WENT ON TO LOSE.
OCT 31 MORE T OR TREATERS THAN IN MANY YEARS -- G'S 17TH BDAY (M PICKED UP TAKE OUT W PEKING DUCK FOR G).


NOV 01 27 INCHES OF RAIN IN 24 HOURS IN HAWAII (NOT A TROPICAL STORM, SAME DAY HAD FLOODING IN ENGLAND AND TEXAS AND A 6 WEEK RAINLESS SPELL (OR NEARLY SO) FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO ABOUT THIS AREA.
NOV 08 M LOSES CHECKBOOK (FINDS IT NOV 12 IN LEAVES NEXT TO CAR WHERE IT HAD DROPPED OFF THE SEAT)
NOV 13 CAR DOOR HANDLE (INSIDE) BREAKS. RECORD BREAKING COLD IN WEST (WYOMING AND NEBRASKA WELL BELOW ZERO, EVEN IN SOME OF THE DAYTIME).
NOV 14 M & A SIGN CONTRACT TO SELL 1675 KENWOOD AFTER OVER 20 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. PROBABLE NET AFTER TAXES WILL BE ABOUT $75K ON ORIGINAL INVESTMENT OF ABOUT $10-15K. IN BETWEEN TAX BENEFIT OF DEPRECIATION, ETC WAS PROBABLY ABOUT $40K AND NET CASH FLOW WAS PROBABLY ABOUT ANOTHER $20K. NOT BAD BUT NOT GREAT (and had we not sold for a couple more years, we could have gotten another $50 or $60 k – but money was partly needed to help out someone in the extended family).

NOV 19 A GOES DOWNTOWN TO TRAIN W ERIC GILBERT FOR MASGIHA CERTIFICATION. MOST IMPROBABLY, THE ESCALATOR WAS OUT AT DuPONT CIRCLE STATION AND A HAD TO CLIMB THIS 200' OR SO STAIRCASE.
NOV 21 TRAFFIC COURT FOR G. HE PLEADED GUILTY WITH EXPLANATION TO 2 COUNTS (see AUG 05 remarks). THE JUDGE GAVE HIM PROBATION BEFORE JUDGEMENT ON BOTH COUNTS WITH TOTAL FINE BEING $100. IT WAS MILDLY INTERESTING TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE PLEAD THEIR CASE. ONE PERSON SAID AT ONE POINT,

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS THE POLICE UNTIL THE POLICE LIGHT CAME ON",

TO WHICH THE JUDGE SAID,

"THAT'S USUALLY HOW IT WORKS, SIR".

ANOTHER PERSON TRIED TO GET OUT WITH A SOB STORY ABOUT HOW HE WAS SPEEDING TO CHURCH SO HIS WIFE COULD USE THE PHONE TO INQUIRE ABOUT HER DIABETES CONDITION. HE GOT THE SAME LENIENCY THAT G GOT. ANOTHER PERSON WAS CHARGED WITH 4 COUNTS, PLEADED INNOCENT AND GOT NO LENIENCY.
NOV 26 SUNDAY AFTER FOOTBALL GAME, G GOES TO BOOKSTORE.

"WHAT ARE YOU GETTING?" M ASKS.

"'THE STRANGER', BY ALBERT CONNELL." SAYS G.

(ALBERT CONNELL IS REDSKIN WIDE RECEIVER; ALBERT CAMUS WROTE THE STRANGER).

NOV 29 M GOES TO SLEEP CENTER FOR DIAGNOSIS FOR POTENTIAL APHNEA RELATED ILLNESS (BASED ON A AND G'S COMPLAINTS OF SUPER LOUD SNORING). WEARS EEG WIRES TO SLEEP (ONLY ABOUT 5 HOURS OF SLEEP IN THAT STUFF).


DEC 01 G, WHILE DRIVING OBLIVIOUSLY, CROSSES RR TRACK, GATE CLOSES, CAR BLOCKS HIS FURTHER PROGRESS AND TRAIN COMES TOWARD HIM. HE HAD VISIONS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, BUT CAR IN FRONT OF HIM MOVED. WHEN HE TELLS HIS FRIENDS, THEY ACCUSE HIM OF CREATING SITCOM PLOTS FOR PRODUCERS WHO FOLLOW HIM AROUND.
DEC 07 PG COUNTY BAILBONDSMAN DEAN PANTAZES FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER 1 PLUS LESSER CRIMES IN THE MURDER FOR HIRE KILLING OF HIS WIFE MARCH 30 (TRIAL WAS IN CHARLES COUNTY). THE STAR PROSECUTION WITNESS WAS THE ADMITTED GUNWOMAN, AND ALSO ADMITTED TO BEING A PROSTITUTE, HEROIN ADDICT AND PATHOLOGICAL LIAR WHOSE COURTROOM TESTIMONY CONTRADICTED HER PREVIOUS SWORN STATEMENTS. SHE ALSO STATED IN THE COURTROOM THAT SHE BELIEVED THE ACCUSED WOULD GO TO HELL BUT THAT SHE WOULDN'T. THE SUPPORTING WITNESS WAS A TRANSVESTITE WHO WENT BY THE NAMES MIMI KELLY, KIM KELLY, JOHN KELLY AND OTHERS AND WHO BERATED THE PROSECUTION FOR ADDRESSING HER AS 'SIR' AT ONE POINT. THE PANTAZES CHILDREN TESTIFIED FOR THEIR FATHER AS DID THE DECEASED PARENTS. NONETHELESS, THE JURY BELIEVED THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE DEFENDANT DID IT AND THE PROSECUTION SAID THEY WOULD SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY.
DEC 12 THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS, NOW 4-17 AND IN A 7 GAME LOSING STREAK HIRE TONY ROBBINS, LARRY KING, NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF AND JOAN LUNDON TO GIVE MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES TO TEAM.
DEC 13 G WAKES UP IN MIDDLE OF NIGHT, COMES INTO A&M'S BD-ROOM AND SAYS,

"HELP ME, MY ARM FELL OFF".

WE TOLD HIM IT WAS STILL ON

HE SAID, "OH" AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP.

DEC 17 TERRELL OWENS CATCHES 20 PASSES FOR SF VS. CHI BREAKING 1950 RECORD OF 18 (AND SF RECORD OF 16 HELD BY JERRY RICE WHO WAS PLAYING HIS LAST GAME FOR SF AND HAD 7 RECEPTIONS).

DEC 18 M & A SIGN CLOSING DOCUMENTS (see Nov 14) AFTER SEVERAL LAST MINUTE POSTPONEMENTS, THEN RUSHES TO COMPLETE STUFF, THEN POSTPONEMENTS, ETC. THAT MADE EXISTING TENANTS UNHAPPY AND CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR REALTORS AND US.
DEC 19 LIFE IMITATES SEINFELD. AT DENTIST, G & M GET IN CAR TO GO HOME AND LADY IN LATE MODEL PARK AVE. PULLS UP AND TELLS US THE DENTIST WE USE IS GUILTY OF VARIOUS NEFARIOUS THINGS (THIS MAY RELATE TO A ZONING EXCEPTION REQUEST BY A SYNAGOGUE A FEW DOORS AWAY).
DEC 20 CHARLOTTE 65 MIAMI 56- LOWEST COMBINED TOTAL POINTS IN A PRO BASKETBALL GAME SINCE FEB 27, 1955 (BOSTON & MILWAUKEE).
DEC 21 IT HAS BEEN A BRUTAL DECEMBER SO FAR. MILWAUKEE, WI HAD 31" OF SNOW ON GROUND AS ASTRONOMICAL WINTER BEGAN.
DEC 24 G LEAVES FOR ISRAEL TO VISIT BETH. ARRIVES 12/25
DEC 25 PARTIAL ECLIPSE (50%). FIRST XMAS ECLIPSE VISIBLE IN THESE PARTS SINCE 1628 (ALSO HANUKKAH, KWANZA AND RAMADAN TODAY).
DEC 27 MARIO LEMIEUX, PITTSBURGH NHL BECOMES 1ST PLAYER/OWNER IN 72 YEARS OF NHL PLAY. SCORES GOAL AT 33 SEC OF 1ST PERIOD.
DEC29 ICE REPORTED IN LOUISIANA PORTION OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER (FLOATED IN FROM UPRIVER). MONTGOMERY WARDS (130 YEAR OLD RETAILER AND LTV (3RD BIGGEST STEEL PRODUCER IN US) GO INTO BANKRUPTCY (chapters 7 and 11 respectively.
DEC 29 DJ INDUSTRIALS DOWN 7% FOR THE YEAR, WORST YEAR SINCE 1981, NASDAQ DOWN 39%, WORST EVER.
DEC 30 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WIN FIRST PLAYOFF GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY (34 YEARS).
DEC 31 DOZENS OF CITIES IN IOWA, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, INDIANA, MICHIGAN AND NEW YORK SET RECORD DECEMBER SNOWFALLS. D.C. MISSES SNOW (ONLY 2") BUT ENDURES RECORD DECEMBER COLD. NE SIDE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY BEGINS TO FREEZE.

Weiss Family Chronology Jan-Jun 1st HALF 2000

"GUESS WHAT DAD, I DIDN’T SPEED TODAY" - GEORGE (2/8/00)

JAN 01 We dispose of two videotape players that had become not compliant on any day at all. On the bright side, Starbucks honored two coupons which had expired last millennium (Dec 31).
JAN 05 WASHINGTON WIZARDS SET 38 YEAR FRANCHISE RECORD IN 77-66 LOSS TO THE BULLS (WHO WERE 2-26 GOING INTO THE GAME).
JAN 07 WASHINGTON WIZARDS ALLOW THE BULL THEIR FIRST +100 GAME OF THE YEAR IN BULLS 4TH VICTORY OF YEAR (BULLS NOW 4-26). JAN 16 ABOUT 8 am, BETH AND GEORGE LEAVE FOR BOWIE (TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL). ON THE WAY, THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL STUFF WENT OFF AND THEN THE CAR (OLDSMOBILE) DIED. A COP STOPPED, CALLED A TOW TRUCK, THEY GOT A 3 MI. TOW TO AN OPEN (ON SUNDAY) REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS REPAIRED (ALTERNATOR BELT AND RELATED STUFF) AND THEY DROVE HOME ARRIVING ABOUT 12 PM. LATER THAT DAY, G SPENT ABOUT 4 HOURS AT LIBRARY RESEARCHING MATERIAL ON LAWRENCE STERNE'S TRISTIM SHANDY, AN 18TH CENTURY COMEDIC NOVEL (frequently called the first novel). LATER THAT DAY, B SPENT ABOUT 4 HOURS WORKING ON A WEBPAGE DESIGN (A FRIEND CAME OVER, AND DESPITE MY OFFER OF FOOD, HAD ONLY A LITTLE).
JAN 17 COLDEST DAY OF YEAR SO FAR. TEMPS IN THE LOW 20s DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WITH HIGH WINDS AND WINDCHILL BELOW 0. JAN 18 EQUALLY COLD WITH ABOUT A QUARTER INCH OF SNOW. THIS AMOUNT OF SNOW RESULTED IN 5 HOUR TRAFFIC TIE UPS AND 4 HOUR SCHOOL BUS RIDES HOME (REALLY!) AND EMBARRASSING CONTROVERSY - THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SAID IT WAS 'FOOLED' BY THE WEATHER SERVICE WHICH CALLED FOR A 'DUSTING' OF SNOW AND THE WEATHER SERVICE WHICH SAID THAT A QUARTER INCH OF SNOW CAN'T BE CALLED ANYTHING MORE THAN A DUSTING.
JAN 19 SCHOOL BEGINS 2 HOURS LATE TO DEAL WITH THIS 'MONSTER' QUARTER INCH SNOWSTORM (REALLY!). BETH DRIVES TO BOWIE FOR HER TEACHING ONLY TO FIND CLASS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE 'MONSTER' QUARTER INCH SNOWSTORM.
JAN 20 ACTUAL SNOWSTORM (ABOUT 4"). TRAFFIC BARELY AFFECTED (APPARENTLY DRIVERS DIDN'T PANIC LIKE TWO DAYS EARLIER). HOWEVER, BETH'S PLANE FROM BALT TO NASHVILLE WAS CANCELLED AND SHE TOOK A LATER FLIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE A FULL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON VERY VISIBLE IN THE DRY COLD AIR FOLLOWING THE SNOW.
JAN 22 BETH BACK FROM NASHVILLE NEAR MIDNIGHT (NO SNOW DESPITE FORECAST OF SNOW).

JAN 23 BETH'S FRIEND SARAH N ARRIVES (DEPARTS JAN 27).
JAN 25 UNPREDICTED SNOW (1100am JAN 24 FORECAST 'FLURRIES POSSIBLE'). GOVT OPENS BUT CLOSES ABOUT 745am. PEOPLE STRANDED. OVER 20" OF SNOW IN RALEIGH, N.C. (ALL TIME RECORD BY FAR), 8" @ OUR HOUSE, 14" IN BALT. TEMPS COLD, WIND OVER 30 MPH AT TIMES. JAN 26 KIDS GO SKIING AT WHITETAIL (ABOUT 50 MI nw OF HERE IN PA. HAD TO BUY A DEICER ON THE WAY BECAUSE THE COLD FROZE UP THE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM.
JAN 30 ANOTHER SNOW/SLEET/ICE EVENT.
JAN 31 SCHOOLS (ha AND u OF md) CLOSED, GOVT OPENING DELAYED. BETH BACK TO U OF MD. ANN SUGGESTS G BUY THE CLIFF'S NOTES VERSION OF TRISTIM SHANDY AFTER G'S UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDABLE CRITICAL MATERIAL IN LIBRARY - SEE JAN 16 (AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, BARNES AND NOBLE HAS IT IN STOCK).


FEB 04 G GETS PROVISIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE DESPITE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION REQUIRING HIM TO FILL OUT FORMS AND STAND IN LINE AFTER LINE AFTER LINE.
FEB 06 G'S FIRST SOLO - TO COPY PAGES OF BOOK (CRITICAL REVIEWS OF TRISTEN SHANDY). FEB 07 FIRST SOLO TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
FEB 08

G - GUESS WHAT DAD, I DIDN'T SPEED TODAY.

M - WONDERFUL.

G - AT LEAST NOT ON THE WAY HOME.

M - WHY DID YOU SPEED ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL?

G - I REALIZED I HADN'T DONE SOME HOMEWORK SO I WANTED TO GET THERE AND FINISH IT UP.

FEB 11 ANOTHER COMPUTER GLITCH. SEEMS OUR SYSTEM WAS CORRUPTED AGAIN. THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE ANTIVIRUS DIRECTORY - YUK. REINSTALLATION OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM WAS REQUIRED. ONE NEEDED FIX WAS TO KILL AOL 5.0 AND GO BACK TO AN OLDER VERSION.
FEB 15 NOW COMPUTER FLOPPY DRIVE ISN'T COPYING TO DISKS. THIS LOOKS LIKE HARDWARE, NOT SOFTWARE.
FEB 19-21 M IN CLEVELAND VISITING ROCK AND ROLL AND FOOTBALL HALLS OF FAME, IN COMPANY W G BERG, D KROES, K SHAW.
FEB 20 G HAS FIRST 'ISSUE' WHILE DRIVING. A FLAT TIRE (IN TOYOTA). HE NEEDED HELP BUT EVENTUALLY GOT THE SPARE ON AND TOOK IT TO A STATION.
FEB 27 G DECIDES TO TRY OUT FOR TRACK & FIELD.
FEB 28 G LOSES DRIVERS LICENSE. ON FEB 29 HE GOES TO MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY TO GET A NEW ONE (WHERE HE SAYS THEY MAKE FUN OF HIM) AND A POLICE OFFICER NOTICES THAT HIS BRAKE LIGHTS (IN TOYOTA) DON'T WORK. G BRINGS IT TO SERVICE STATION WHERE BY MAR 1, THEY REALIZE IT IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. LATER THAT DAY, CAR IS BROUGHT TO DEALER AND BY MAR 2 IT HAS HAD $800 PUT INTO IT.


MAR 02 G FINDS THE DRIVERS LICENSE HE LOST. HE SAYS THAT SINCE HE HAS TWO, HE'LL PLACE ONE IN EACH CAR.

M - BUT THEN YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE ANYONE ELSE'S CAR.

G - DAD, NOBODY WITH BRAINS WOULD LET ME DRIVE THEIR CAR, OOOPS, OH YEAH, HA HA.

MAR 08 TEMP HITS 85F.

MAR 09 G AT SCHOOL GIVES A GIRL A BAG OF POTATO CHIPS AND SAYS,

"THIS PROVES I LIKE YOU DOESN'T IT."

THE GIRL GIGGLES A BIT AND G (REMEMBERING HIS SCIENTIFIC TRAINING IN PRECISE FORMULATION OF AN OBSERVATION) SAYS,

"ACTUALLY I SUPPOSE IT ONLY PROVES I LIKE YOU MORE THAN I LIKE THIS BAG OF POTATO CHIPS (RIGHT NOW)."

MAR 13 G FINISHES PAPER ON TRISTEN SHANDY.
MAR 14-15 G SPENDS OVER 8 HOURS REDOING OUTLINE AND CARDS TO CONFORM TO FINAL PAPER (APPARENTLY THIS IS REQUIRED BY TEACHER WHO JUSTIFIES IT BY SAYING THAT THE 'PROCESS' IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE 'PRODUCT').
MAR 24 G INADVERTENTLY TRICKS M INTO OKing A MOVIE AFTER MIDNIGHT THUS VIOLATING THE MARYLAND PROVISIONAL LICENSE RULES (HE ISN'T SUPPOSED TO DRIVE AFTER MIDNIGHT EXCEPT FOR OFFICIAL SCHOOL FUNCTION).
MAR 26 M GETS 19" VIDEO SCREEN AT WORK. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE MY SCREEN WOULDN'T COME ON AND THE FIRST DIAGNOSTIC INVOLVED BRINGING IN A NEW SCREEN. IT TURNED OUT THE VIDEOCARD WAS THE PROBLEM BUT IT WAS LESS TROUBLE TO REMOVE THE OLD 15" SCREEN THEN THE 19" SCREEN SO THEY JUST LET ME HAVE THE 19" ONE.
MAR 27 G STARTS A ZIPDRIVE BACKUP OF THE HARD DRIVE. IT SWALLOWS UP FOUR megabyte DISKS AND IS ONLY 75% DONE. M BUYS 8 MORE DISKS ON MAR 28 (BACKUP TAKES 2 OF THEM PLUS YESTERDAY'S 4).
MAR 28 G DRIVES SCHOOL MATES TO LASERTAG AFTER SCHOOL (ACTUAL OFFICIAL SCHOOL FUNCTION, REALLY!) ALTHOUGH HE MISSED THE QUINCE ORCHARD EXIT, TOOK THE NEXT EXIT, TURNED AROUND AND FOUND THE RIGHT EXIT, PICKS UP PIZZA AND FINISHES 19 OF 29 AND 27 OF 29 AT LASERTAG. ON THE WAY HOME, HE MISSED THE MONTROSE EXIT, TOOK THE NEXT EXIT, TURNED AROUND, AND, BEING IN A HURRY TO GET BACK (TO GO TO THE BATHROOM), SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD AT THE TIGHT CURVED (PROBABLY LESS THAN 100' RADIUS OF CURVATURE) NORTHBOUND TO I-270 ENTRANCE FROM DEMOCRACY BLVD. THREE FIREMEN AND A FRIENDLY PASSING MOTORIST PUSHED HIM BACK TO NEAR THE ROAD. A COUNTY POLICEMAN THEN CAME AND, NOTING THAT G HAD KNOCKED OVER SOME STATE SAFETY REFLECTORS, LET HIM GO BACK HOME WITHOUT ISSUING A TICKET OR A WARNING. G GOT HOME AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE BATHROOM. M HAD A 3 JIGGER WHISKEY.
MAR 29 M DECIDES WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR LAZ-Y-BOY RECLINING CHAIR REPAIRED (DOESN'T LEAN BACK WITH FULL USE OF FOOT REST).


APR 06 LAZ-Y-BOY REPAIRMAN COMES. PARTS HAVE LIFE GUARANTEE. LABOR WAS $50 (TOOK OVER AN HOUR). THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE A LIFECYLE EVENT, EVEN MORE THAN BUYING MY FIRST LAZ-Y-BOY.
APR 09 SURPRISE SNOWSTORM. AFTER PREVIOUS DAY HAD TEMPS IN THE 70s, WE HAD ABOUT 2" OF SNOW IN THE EARLY A.M. TOOK PICTURES OF SNOW ON THE TULIPS, DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS AND AZALEA BLOSSOMS AT 7am. FURTHER NORTH, PHILADELPHIA SUBURB HAD 5", ALBANY HAD 13".

APR 15 G SEES LATE MOVIE AT WHITE FLINT MALL. DURING MOVIE, CAR HAS WIPER BLADES STOLEN AND WIPER BLADE HOLDER DAMAGED. ON APR 16, M BUYS NEW BLADES. PEOPLE AT SERVICE STATIONS DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO STRONGER TOOLS AND COULDN'T FIX HOLDER UNTIL I GOT HOME.
APR 16 WHILE DELIVERING PASSOVER STUFF TO RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS, ONE SAID SHE ACTUALLY LIKES TO MAKE HORSERADISH DISHES (FROM NOVOSIBIRSK). ANOTHER WAS ORIGINALLY FROM AZERBAIJAN.
APR 20 BETH, HOME FOR PASSOVER REPORTS HER ROOMMATE AT COLLEGE ACTUALLY CLAIMED SOMEONE STOLE THEIR LONG FORM CENSUS AND SUBSTITUTED A SHORT FORM BUT THEN SAID, "I HOPE IT WENT TO SOMEONE MORE WORTHY". LATER THAT DAY, HAIL (COINCIDENTALLY, ONE OF THE 10 PLAGUES).
APR 21 G HAS TOO MUCH WINE DURING SUPPER, THROWS UP, MAKES MESS BUT CLEANS IT UP HIMSELF.
APR 23 NY YANKEE SWITCH HITTERS BERNIE WILLIAMS (cf) AND JORGE PASADA (c), BOTH HIT HRs LEFT HANDED AND RIGHT HANDED IN SAME GAME (1ST TIME IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY).
APR 27 SIXTEEN PLAYERS ON CHICAGO (SOX) AND DETROIT ARE SUSPENDED, CUMULATIVE 82 GAMES AFTER TWO MASSIVE FIGHTS AT COMISKY PARK. NINE OTHER PLAYERS WERE FINED.
APR 29 DURING DISCUSSION OF COLLEGES, G SAYS HE MIGHT GO TO YORK COLLEGE FOR THEIR FORENSICS PROGRAM.

A SAYS, 'YOU KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE TAX ON CLOTHES IN PENNSYLVANIA.'

G SAYS, 'I DON'T BELIEVE THE FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WAS SHOPPING.

A SAYS, 'WHY NOT. WHAT'S THE POINT OF NOT THINKING ABOUT SHOPPING.'

MAY 14 MONTREAL 16 CHICAGO CUBS 15 IN GAME IN WHICH MONTREAL HAD A TRIPLE PLAY AND ERIC YOUNG STOLE5 BASES, MOST FOR CUBS SINCE 1881.
MAY 16 AFTER 3 VISITS FROM STARPOWER AND BELL ATLANTIC WE FINALLY HAVE TWO FUNCTIONING TELECOM LINES - PHONE/FAX LINE AND DIGITAL SERVICE LINE.
MAY 9-13 A IN PHILADELPHIA.
MAY 11 G IS UP UNTIL 4am WITH HOMEWORK. MANAGES TO GET TO SCHOOL, TAKE 4 EXAMS AND COME HOME AT NORMAL TIME (BUT SLEEPS FOR 3 HOURS IN EARLY EVE.)
MAY 17-19 M IN JACKSON MS.
MAY 17-20 G IN PENNSYLVANIA AT SCHOOL RETREAT. UPON LEAVING HE VOWS NOT TO LOSE GLASSES AS HE DID LAST YEAR.
MAY 22 - JUNE 2 (400am) M&A ON TRIP. MAY 22 ARRIVED IN ANCHORAGE VIA MINNEAPOLIS, MAY 23 AT DENALI PARK, MAY 24 IN FAIRBANKS, MAY 25 TO ANCHORAGE, SEWARD AND SHIP; MAY 26 AT GLACIER BAY, MAY 27 SITKA, MAY 28 JUNEAU, MAY 29 KETCHIKAN, MAY 30 INNER PASSAGE (CANADA) JUNE 1 VANCOUVER TO MINNEAPOLIS ARRIVED BWI AFTER MIDNIGHT (PROBLEMS WITH AIRPLANES).
MAY 24 G PICKS B UP AT SCHOOL AND MOVES REST OF HER STUFF W NO PROBLEMS
MAY 26 B HAS FRIENDS OVER FOR SABBATH. THEY HELP COOK, SEEMS TO HAVE GONE NICELY. ONE OF THE GUESTS BROUGHT WINE AND THEY BROKE THE STEEL CORKSCREW ON THE BOTTLECORK. EITHER THEY DON'T MAKE STEEL LIKE THEY USED TO OR CORK IS GETTING WAY TOO STRONG.
MAY 29 B HAS FIRST DAY OF SUMMER CLASSES AT MC Jr Col AT GERMANTOWN. NO PROBLEMS.



JUNE 05 B STARTS JOB DOWNTOWN WORKING FOR A CONGRESSMAN WHO LIVES DOWN THE STREET FROM US.
JUN 11 M, THINKING LIKE TYPICAL FATHER GOES TO ROOM WHERE G IS ON COMPUTER, CONVERSATION GOES SOMETHING LIKE:

M - DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU ARE STUDYING FOR YOUR TEST.

G - THAT'S BECAUSE I'M PLAYING A GAME.

M - DO YOU THINK YOU'VE STUDIED ENOUGH?

G - I'LL DO ALRIGHT.

M – aarrrggg

M THEN PROCEEDS TO B'S ROOM TO ASK HER SIMILAR QUESTION. UPON ARRIVING, M SEES G HAS SENT B AN 'INSTANT MESSAGE' SAYING SOMETHING LIKE, "DAD IS ON HIS WAY TO PESTER YOU ABOUT HOMEWORK" AND B HAD RESPONDED "OK. I'LL GET RID OF HIM."

JUNE 14 M TO NORTH CAROLINA AT USUAL WORK DEPARTURE TIME. BACK IN TIME FOR SUPPER.
JUNE 14 LAST FINAL FOR G (FOR 11TH GRADE).
JUNE 16-17 B IN GEORGETOWN, G IN KEMP MILL.
JUNE 18 MIKE LANSING (2B FOR COLO) HITS FOR CYCLE IN 4 INNINGS (ONE EACH INNING) VS. ARIZ IN 19-2 GAME. COLO HAD 23 HITS (MOST IN ITS HISTORY; MOST GIVEN UP BY ARIZ IN ITS HISTORY).