Way Back Machine for 1986

Image from the old animated show "Peabody and Sherman" where each week they went back in time to allow Sherman to make a bad pun - Really, its not as stupid as it sounds..

George pointed out that our blog missed a fair amount of information from my non-blog period, i.e., before 2004. So after some rethinking, I decided to establish a new blog with all the information from before 2004.



WEISS FAMILY CHRONICLES 1986

Apr 12 Best comeback by a local team‑Bullets down by 18 to Phil    with 3'21" score 19 straight to win @Spectrum no less

    25 Worst weather forecast of the year (so far): the 9am   forecast was for  clear and 80F for the afternoon, at 1130am      it got overcast and it rained for the rest of the day and    stayed in the 50's.

May 25 George was playing with one of his boats when he was visited     by a little girl (about 2‑3 his age) who asked him what he was   playing with. He said "It's a basketball..ha.ha.ha!" and when     the little girl said, "No, it's a boat" he repeated his    basketball ID and laughed really hard. Most people hope their   kids grow up like them but in this case maybe not. Speaking     of which:

    27 Beth said to me, "What are you doing?"

       I said, "Making a daddy sandwhich"

       She said "Is that one daddy between two slices of bread,         ha..ha.."

June11‑16 Local game drudgery, in consecutive games against the      Yankees, the Orioles average over 4 hours/game.

July 9 George meets a little girl named Laura at the swimming pool.      She was about the same age and was reluctant to go in the     water. George gave her a hug and held her hand and said, "Come   on, let's go swimming." Laura's mother told me the next day that her daughter's first words the next morning were "Let's    go to the pool today so we can see George"

July28 George pulls over a swingset and needed stiches in his head.     I told him we were going to the hospitol to play the doctor     game. He told me "Next time you can play the doctor game      yourself"

Aug 6&18 Futility, Orioles lose games in which they hit two   grandslams and pull off two double steals in a inning respectively.

Aug 29 Late summer cool snap surprizes Washington. Low temperatures     in the 40's. I noticed that the max temp in Atlanta Geo was only 61 and at Columbus was only 64. There was a reasonable    amount of rain too for the first time since Feb.

Sept 9 Beth (now 7) threw a hysteria attack when we lost her form to commit ourselves to subscribe to "My Weekly Reader". We   took her and George to Ocean City for a few days (took Beth to play hookey with parental approval‑improving her status     with the boys in her class) as an anecdote to her goody‑goodyness. We have been informed that we will be

     extorted into buying useless trinkets or tasteless cookies to aid the PTA this year‑I asked my parents and they didn't     remember this sort of criminal activity.

Sept25 On a trip to Oregon, my rental car broke its powersteering cable a block from a nude dancing establishment. It took     National, 3 hours to come with a new car during which time I    was, of course, forced to attend to the entertainment (and drink beer).

Oct 2 Up until this year no team in the previous 642 postseason    games had come from a 2 run deficit to win in the 9th. This     year it happened 3 times.

Oct 6  Ann went to work at the Dept. of Commerce (Bur. of Econ.      Analysis). I was a bit worried because I had dealt with them about 8 years ago and they all seemed to be a.uncooperative b.condescending and c. homosexual but she tells me that personel must have turned over because they are all a nice     happy family now. (This turned out to be true).

Oct 8  Orioles end the season with a total of 13 triples. In the      previous 90 years of baseball, no team had ever had less than 16 before.

Nov 8  As I recall, this will the 20th anniv. of the election of   Spiro Agnew as Gov. of Md. To celebrate, I will find a nolo     contondre plea.

Nov 12 Strange event. I had filled out the form the previous week to get 5 copies of a technical report (lots of computer     subroutine listings and equations). I got a call from the assigned copyist who told me that she had found several typos in this 130 page report and did I 1986 want them corrected.    Hypothesis #1‑She is new and doesn't realize that what we do     is not that important (I've seen typos in the Pres.'s State   of the Union message in the Cong. Record). Hypoth #2‑She wants       to have an affair and figures my libido will go zooming for typo correction.

Dec 3  Car crash in library parking lot. The other driver was hurrying to return a book. My 73 Dodge Colt got a bashed in      passenger door. I estimate the value of the car went from    about $150 to about $140 as a result. It would cost about $500 to fix. (We do have another car).

Dec 16 Beth (age7) breaks 3 light bulbs in 15 min. I asked her to take in the shards for show and tell but she refused.

Dec 17 I accidentally forwarded all my calls to the USDOT credit   union voice activated autoteller (3661079) instead of our full service computer terminal station (3662079). Result: peace and   quiet all day, I may use this strategy again.

Way Back Machine 1987

CHRONICLES OF WEISS FAMILY FOR 1987

Jan 22 12" snowstorm. I decided not to go into work. Ann did. She took 2.5 hours to get there and 5.5 hours to get back.       Jan 25 11" more snow. This time the govt shut down entirely.

Jan 26 temp. gets to ‑17 F (‑27 C).

Feb 4  Sacramento gets only 4 pts in 1st quarter at LA Lakers.

Feb 6  Beth and George(age 3.5) ask if they can marry Nathan and   Katy Smith (age 8 & 5 respectively). I told them 'yes' if they     ate all their vegetables for an entire year. Didn't even get      bye the first night.

Feb 22 16" more snow. Govt closed again. Ceder tree trunk (12"     diam.) in front yard breaks all falls on Colt. Roof damage but   minor.

Feb 28 My father totals one of my parents two cars.

Mar 3  Univ of Md. finished the Atlantic Coast Conf basketball     season 0‑14.

Mar 5  My father totals the other one of their cars while going to look at a replacement car. The auto insurance company refused     to give them a loaner while they were looking for new ones.    The 2nd accident flipped the car and if they weren't wearing   seat belts they would probably be 6' under by now. As it was,     just scratches.

Mar 28 After 10 years of marriage, Ann actually made brownies the way I like them (total gooeyiness). She cooked them for only    1/2 the time the recipe said. My mother never cooked them my     way (my brother liked them moderately gooey and my parents   liked them well done but my kids have inherited my tastes‑at least for brownies‑Beth liked them because they could be rolled into any shape before being eaten)

Mar 29 am‑ I bought 5.7 lbs of corned beef for $4.87 must have been     a glitch on the computer, I hadn't seen a price like that   since the Johnson 1987   Administration. pm‑Ann ordered Strohe'Dark at Shakey's. They were out of it and the counter    guy said, "Sorry can we get you anything else. I said, "Make it Strohe's Light and take 35cents off". He said, "you      kidding, buddy?". I said, "no, do it and I'll put it in my    diary."

Mar 31 On the way to Richmond for a business meeting, the Colt     started smoking and yucky green radiator fluid was all over the road when I stopped and pulled over. I hitched to my   meeting and beat the Balt. office rep there On the way back I pulled the car into the closest gas station and negotiated a price to wit he gets the car for free if he gets rid of it.

     You really get to understand the meaning of the phrase 'weak      bargaining position after an incident like this.

Apr 3  Snow in Mobile Bay Alabama (30 N lat.)

Apr 21 In the last few days, Internation Falls (49N,93W), Duluth      (47N,92W), Detroit (43N,83W),Ottowa(46N,76W) and Caribou (47N,68W) hit 80 F, while Wash DC (39N,77W) had yet to do      so.(We did the next day however)

May 4  At Lansing, Mich. I was using the jacuzzi at the Hilton when      two gorgeous 22 yr. olds got in with me. In conversation I    learned they were trainees (interns was what they called it)      at the Playboy club that is affiliated with the Hilton    (W.Saginaw Blvd). Well maybe fantasies come true 15 years late     after all. I saw them in their bunny suits later in the evening. The push‑up bras in the suits must add one apparent cup size. Curiously, there was a convention of head start      coordinators at the Hilton who apparently had descended in    mass to the Playboy club. So the place was mobbed with 20‑40      year old women with wedding rings (who seemed to enjoy    themselves immensely). No male bunnies (do they call them   'bucks').

May 19 8:10am Ann loses her purse at the National Airport metrorail      station.

       8:15am It is turned in at the Pentagon station.

       8:25am Ann picks it up.

May 20 Ann calls George up at the sitter as she does most every    day. George (age 3.7) says "What's your problem, Mommy? I'm    busy." Upon further inquiry by my wife he said, "Well, I have    to color with Katy, then I eat my lunch, then I play with Taylor then I take my nap." (Katy and Taylor are the sitter's kids.) I guess the stress must be enormous with such a packed schedule.

June3 After 14 years of trying, I have finally taught two FHWA      employees how to play shafskoft(sheepshead), now maybe in     another few years, we can have a fivesome.

June 3 Albert Lowrey, of real estate seminar fame, who's books sold      200,000 copies in 1984 and who made $2 lecturing ballrooms    full of people in 1981‑1986 and who's net was estimated at $30    Million in 1982 by MONEY magazine, went into Title 7 (voluntary bankruptcy).

June 10Magnolia tree in back yard blossums for first time since we moved in.

June 22Fairbanks, Alaska has 92 F maximum and 72 F minimum,   (63N,150W), New Orleans, Lousiana has 90 F maximum and 72 F      minimum  (30N,    )

June 23First 5 handed sheepshead game @ work in 14 years

July 17Snow down to 5000 foot level in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, N. California

July 20‑25 100 F almost every day in Washington D.C.

July 27Athens Greece ends a 6 day heat wave above 105 F (peaked at 115 F) 1300 people died of heat related causes

July 27 Orioles and Rochester(AAA) Red Wings tie in exposition game      9‑9. Red Wings now lead series 12‑0‑1

July 27 Survey lists Wash. D.C. as having highest grocery prices   in U.S. lower 48.

July 28Police say D.C. has cocaine prices double that of New York City due to high demand.

July 30Joe Theismann called a press conference to deny charges of      substance abuse and gambling made in pre‑prints of his      autobiography *(really)

Aug  3 Ann tries popcorn as a fiber for regularity after 4 years   of me saying she should try it. It works.

Aug 13 Tom Hinzo (Texas) drives in winning run on 4‑6‑5‑2 double   play vs Chi

Aug 15 9" rain in 12 hours in Chi, Ill

Aug 23 St L sweep series with Reds in Cinn first time since 1973

Aug 24 46 F at Dulles Airport Aug 27 100 F at Dulles Airport

Aug 26‑28 at beach in Ocean City Md. $70/ngt at Seahawk. George    (age 3) tells his grandmother, " You can go away now." upon meeting two girls ages 4,5. Beth saw some dolphins in the    Ocean. Looked just like they do on Wild Kingdom.

Aug 30 Charlie Hough gives up 7 unearned runs for errorless Texas against Detroit (all on passed balls).

Sept 1 Ann's mother visits from Atlanta. George gets hives.

Sept 2 hives gone.

Sept 4 Beth told she can sleep late the 5th. Knowing she has a      birthday party scheduled that day she says, "Can you wake me if I'm not up by 3 in the afternoon"

Sept 9 Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 SF Giants to lead majors with 222 in 170 innings at the age of 40 (goes on to finish season in     lead)

Sept 13Ann says to George, "Knock the girls dead today in nursery school" George says to Ann, "They don't allow that"

     Toronto gets 10 HRS in one game against Balt.

Oct 1  George gets a 6 year old girl to invite him to her bedroom. When I picked him up after work, I got a very dirty look from    the girls mother.

Oct 4  Beth hits jackpot at Shakey's Restaurant change machine.    Puts in 1$ bill and got back 9 quarters. Talk about beginner's    luck.

Oct2‑4 Up to 20" snow near Albany NY, DC has wind chill of 32 F

       108 F in LA after a 6.4 earthquake on Oct 1

Oct 3‑5George gets terrified by fire prevention week. He somehow   got the  idea that the highlight of the week would be a fire at his school and that he and his class would die. He kept   repeating his "Do not play with matches" song for 2 more days     after he learned he wasn't going to be turned into toast.

Oct 5  Darrell Evans his 34 HR at age of 40

     Balt hit 213 HRs gave up 230 HRs. Cleveland ERA of 5.25 was   the worst in over 30 years.

Oct 10‑20 I was in Alaska. I saw a moose close up, walked inside   a glacier (the glacial ice really is blue but somehow the   camera never picks up the color), and ate reindeer sausages.      Went as far N as the road to Mt. McKinley (62 N). It was quite warm. One day we even had rain at the 3400' level near Palmer    (61 N). It didn't get below freezing the entire time.

Nov 2‑6 I was in Wisconsin. The city now has several comedy clubs (went to one) but is down to only one strip club (went to that two) saw Mark Miller, Charlie Sauders, Bill Folz, Rick Rosen,      Dave Kroes, Glenn Kruser and Jim Cousins.

Nov 6‑9 warm and sunny in D.C. area, mums beginning to bloom, Petunias still in bloom. Nov 11 16" snow at our house, Nov 13      60's again.

Nov 14 Beth, George and Ann go to Ice Capades. Bullets get 60 of   69 free throws (NBA record) in 108‑101 game vs. NY Knicks.

Nov 15 Beth asks follow sequence of questions in 20‑question game:

       "Is the person a boy" Answer was "no"

       "Does the person live near us"   "yes"

       "Is the person in school"        "yes"

       "Is the person President of the United States"   ?????

       also the following sequence

       "Does the animal have fur?"   Answer was "no"

       "Does the animal live in Africa?"        "no"

       "Is the animal extinct?"                 "no"

       "Is it a tiger."                       ?????

Nov 10 Former Governor Marvin Mandel's conviction for fraud is      overturned by state judge who finds that defrauding the   citizens of Maryland can not be a criminal offense. Mandal claims vindication with straight face.

Nov 11 Can't believe it. 17" snowfall at our house (12" at Natl      Airport)

Nov 15 George says to checker at grocery, "You look like you're    going to die soon". I wasn't listening closely to his      conversation and asked the ckecker if he said what I thought I heard. She said yes. Ooooppps don't think he is still      worried about fires.

Nov 20 My serum chlorestoral tests out at 136, allllrighttt!      Dec  1 George gets cyst surgically removed from his eye. I snooped   and saw the plastic surgeon's next patient was a TV weather      forecaster who was getting herself a nose job despite the fact     I thought she was pretty cute without it.

Dec 12 Tried to fly kite. Couldn't figure out where to put the     string on the kite. Beth figured it out and it worked fine.  Dec 14 22" of snow in El Paso, Tex. 32 N (24 hours), old record was     8" (1873)

Dec 21 Beth ran 1.3 miles with me. I wrote a note to her PE   instructor and we now limit her running to about 0.5 miles.  Dec 31 A 60's style rock music salute to the new year is featured   on a local independent TV station. As a real tribute to the     status of the generation

Way Back Machine 1988

CHRONICLES OF THE WEISS FAMILY 1988

Jan 2     One petunia still alive in front yard.

Jan 7     9" snow, .42" water equiv.

Jan 10    Potomac freezing, unfreez 1/23, refreezes 1/28, unfreezes 1/31

Jan 20    This is scary. Today an ambulence in D.C. took 40 minutes to answer an emergency call. Excuse‑they couldn't find the address.

Jan 26    Beth plays part of mother rabbit in school play

Feb 2‑6   In Madison, Wisc. again. Late arriving 2 hours, late coming back 3 hours due to missed connections, 3 hour wait at Detroit Airport

Feb 11    After 38 murders (13 with no suspects yet) in Jan. D.C. police will now be issued automatic (9mm) handguns which can fire 32 shots in 6 seconds.       

Feb 22‑26 In Sacramento, Calif. On the way there, I was delayed at      Denver Airport for 2+1/2 hours. Actually was 25min. early          getting back to Dulles Airport however. (It was a $50         taxi ride home from there)

Feb 27    Work on the lake near our house continues. The construction company leaves dozers around. George loves playing on them. The scooping out of mud and the dumping operations are also real thrills.

Mar 7‑11 In Austin, Texas. On the way there, 5+1/2 hours in Houston Airport.

Mar 18    I tell Geo&Beth they can sleep late next morning. Geo-        "Goody, because I'm not a morning person"

Mar 25    Van(m's) breaks down on the way to work. 5 Violations of Murphy's law. 1.Breakdown within 200' of a service station. 2. Nice weather. 3. Empty taxis were cruising the route. 4. Enough people with common destinations to minimize indiv fare. 5. Traff reasonably light

Mar 26    First thunderstorm of year. Beth&Geo scared.

Mar 27    Conversation, Beth‑Daddy will sit next to me at the model          sedar.

               Me‑  Sure, but I will probably want to kiss                        and hug you every ten minutes.

               Beth‑On second thought, why don't you sit by                       yourself 

Apr 16    Snow flurries for the first game of Beth's soccor league.

Apr 21    Found a dead, desicated catfish in our driveway. Was this a very high tide at the lake or what?

May 10    Still hasn't hit 80 F

May 15    Picnic for Beth's Sunday school. Beth's first game of vollyball (I told her previously that Samson had fallen in love with Delilah at a vollyball game (my version of the first book of Judges). 

May 24    First day without balks in 1988 in major leagues. May 26 22 Yankees ground out in one 9 inning game (new major league record)

May 27 Geo graduates from nursery school, during introduc of      students, he said rather loudly to one girl "You have a       very nice name." The principal ad libbed, "We also teach       charm here."

June 2 After 3 days in a row with temperatures over 90 F, my office          had a picnic. The temperature at noon was 62 F

June 5 Frost in hills near Elkins W.Va but afternoon warm enough to          swim. Beth and George get incipient sunburns.

June 7 99 F at Balt. at noon. Two days later, 54 F at noon in Balt.

June 9 Shock. Due to some capital gains and tax law changes, each       of my kids will pay more Fed Inc Taxs in 89 than me and          my wife did in our joint return in 1986. Worse, the         stores where I used to buy a pound of precooked popcorn          for $0.99 sell their biggest quantity bag (7 onces) for        $1.09.

June 11 Morning min temp in Tupelo Mississippi is 47 F. For the         first time in the 16 year history of the designated pinch          hitter rule, a pitcher (Rick Rhoden) was used as the DH       by Billy Martin of Yankees against Balt. Rhoden batted       7th was 0 for 1 but had a SF and RBI. yanks won.

June 11 George peels after 4 pm swim, his first ever peeling.  

Jun 19 Three hour delay in Atlanta Airport on the way to Florida.      Beth & George stayed with their grandparents for 12 days      and were actually very good. Temps in DC climbed over 100         for several days while they were in the 80s in Flo.

Jul 1  41 F at Dulles Airport, coldest July day ever.

Jul 4  For the second day in a row, Mark McGwire (of Oakland A's)      hits a home run in the 16th inning.

Jul 5  106 F at Dickenson ND. Mississippi at lowest level ever          recorded. Beth and George at day camp. 

Jul 7  First 7 handed sheepshead game in Nassif Bldg.

Jul 18 Beth gets first private swimming lesson. She can now do the      crawl almost the way you are supposed to.

Jul 20 Beth has almost forgotten the correct swimming form for the      crawl. She went to the zoo during summer camp. She asked      me, "Do you know  if there is a group of people who are           called Amish or something else?" George says, "Are we      having an Amlish for breakfast?"

          Tigers beat Seattle by 12‑5 despite being outhit 10‑17.        Redding Calif hits all time high temp of 118 F.

Jul 23 Ling Ling (giant panda at the zoo is pregnant for 5th time)

Jul 25 Orioles beat Rochester for the first time in 12 years or so

          First policeman killed on duty in Manassas Va in 115           years (welcome to big time urban life fellows)

Jul 29 People from Ankara, Turkey over to dinner. George asks us        the next two days when the Chicks are coming again.       (guess there must be a country called Chicken).

Jul 31 At the Smithsonian, the safe with the HOPE diamond          malfunctions.

Aug  1 Malfunction of safe suddenly corrects itself. The curse          again.    

Aug  1 LaCrosse Wisc hits 105 F.

Aug  8 Jose Canseco gets 88th RBI today (8/8/88)

Aug  9 George gets through his Kindergarten eval (yes he can go).      Beth does 25 metres in 33 sec. at pool.  

Aug 11 Cleve Indians make 4 errors with 2 out in 9th leading 4‑1 to          lose to Texas 5‑4.

Aug 13 Wash. D.C. Homicide count now 202 for the year. Beth is          perfect hostess during a card game at my house. She       served & refilled glasses as nicely as anyone could      possibly ask.

Aug 20 Beth and Ann in Phila. for sightseeing. I took George to         Murphy's Pub to celebrate his coming entry into           Kindergarden. We left about 11:30

Aug 26 M Went to 20th year high school reunion.

Aug 28 Took kids miniture golfing. George got hole in one on first      hole. He didn't do too well after that. Beth said the         grip on the putter was strange. Perhaps too much batting          practise.

Aug 31 Took kids to Wildwood ocean beach in NJ. Kids found a live      crab about 2 feet long, water temp about 65 F.

Sept 6 George's first day in K‑garten. Beth into 4th grade. George      takes wrong bus home. Beth complains about Phy Ed         teacher.

Sept 8 El Paso Tex has record max of 98 F and record min of 52 in      same day.

Sep 10 Beth laying on the couch says, "School is really boring".        George laying on the floor gets up a little and says,         "Tough life kid."

Sept17 First time ever. I was able to use a charge card at the          "CASH ONLY" line at the hardware store.

Sep 18 My turn to teach Sunday school, Ann did so last week. 3rd        Grade.

Sept19 Alamozo, Colo. has a min temp of 6 F and a max of 70 F.

Sept27 Beth decides to take violin lessons continuing family      tradition of several generations.

Sep 28 Dialogue   Beth‑ Daddy, can you live without breathing?

                Martin‑ Well, yes for example you can stay                        underwater but it depends on how deep it                      is and how cold it is and you drown                     eventually anyway.

               George‑ If its 7 ft deep and freezing how fast do                      you drown?

               Martin‑ George, are you going to be drowning                       somebody.

               George‑  So what. Just tell me how fast.

Sep 28 Orel Hershiser pitchs 10 shutout innings to pass Johnson's      mark of 55 innings in 1933 (for Wash) and 58 innings in 1968 (also for Dodgers).  In LCS he extended it to 67 innings then got two more post season shut outs and three W.Series hits in one game.

Oct  3 Baseball season ends. Orioles lose 60 of 81 games on the road (new AL record. Minn becomes first AL club to go over 3,000,000 in attendance, Nolan Ryan @ 42 wins NL strikeout crown with 228. Jose Canseco hits 42 HR, with 40 SB (first double 40), also hits .307 with 124 RBI.

Oct  5 First frost on car.

Oct  7    George says his 4 yr old friend Taylor is "awesome at drinking milk"

Oct  8 Martin gets HoJo's to custom make something not on menu.

Oct  9 TV station in Chicago sues White Sox for being a bad team        (really) George swallows a yellowjacket bee while eating      a hot dog.    

Oct 15 Beth decides to use her own money to pay for soccor team         picture when I told her she had the same people in her        spring team picture so I didn't feel it was worth it.

Oct 18 Redding Calif hits 99 F, while Fairbanks Alaska below 0 F.

Oct 20 273rd homicide of the year in D.C.

Oct 24 At Sunday school kids had a sanitized version of the story       of Joseph and Potifer's wife. I told the 3rd graders         what the real story was and their comments were, "Yuk,        that's disgusting, gross". Such moralistic little       tykes‑don't they watch TV.

Oct 26 George asks, "Daddy, how do you get someone else in really      bad trouble if you don't know where they live?"

Oct 26 Travis Williams, former running back of Super Bowl Green Bay          Packers of the 1960s comes to town as a rep of the        homeless and says he has been living in shelters for 10      years in Calif.

Oct 27 DC ties all time record for homicides (set in 1969) with         287. We had past last year's mark of 265 earlier this         month. To all of you murderers‑hey we couldn't have done         it without super efforts from all of you.

Nov  5 M takes Beth and George to Murphy's tavern‑ kids stay until      10 pm but will claim to have closed the place down.

Nov  8 $320 Million in new bonding authority approved in Fairfax        county

Nov 10 Beth's first report card and physical fitness quantities         come back. They actually time kids in the mile in 4th         grade (she did 9:36).

Nov 11 Five police cars in our neighborhood at one time. Local kids          say it was for a stolen car carrying cocaine.

Nov 20 Pineapple soda (@ only $0.98/2 liters) in grocery store

Nov 20 Probable football matchups Dec 25 Cougars(Houst) vs. Cougars          (Wash S) and Dec 30 Cowboys(Wyoming) vs. Cowboys(Oklahoma          St.). No AFC team scores a touchdown (5 separate teams 3      games.)

Nov 21 George gets a morning charleyhorse tendon strain (his first)          it wasn't better by PM so he went to the hospitol. They       said it was dislocation and would get better on it's own          in 36 hrs. It did.

Nov 25 Beth doesn't want to go to bed. In response to my final          request before spanking she says "but if I don't finish       this paragraph the world will end". I said, "You can save          the universe tomorrow." The next day we pretended that       all kinds of trivial things, like finishing a sandwich,         picking up paper off the floor, brushing teeth were          equivalent to saving the universe. George says, "I saved          the universe twice today". I said "Thank you".

Nov 25 At Oneg Shabbat feature is kosher hot dogs, potato salad &      cole slaw.

Nov 26 Craig Williams is apprehended. He had been arrested Mar 15      and charged with 5 counts of murder. He was released Nov      15 because D.C. had not been able to complete the       paperwork for the indictment. He was caught after holding         hostage a Metrobus in S.E. and charged with 4 more           murders (between Nov. 16 and Nov 25).    

Dec  1 Alta Utah breaks all time record with 134 inches of snow in      Nov.

Dec  2 George lobbies hard to have us write a note to his phys ed      teacher to forbid playing a game called         rabbit‑in‑the‑rabbithole. From his description it sounded          like a cross between rugby and holding hands.

Dec  5 Beth says the reason she likes creative writing is that she      doesn't have to risk mispronouncing words.

Dec  7 Baltimore Orioles, 2nd worst team in baseball sell for      $70,000,000 a big mark up from when they sold for         $12,000,000 in 1981 when they were nearly the best team          in baseball.

Dec 12 Ann has successfull breast reduction surgery. I took kids        out in late evening to see stars and meteor shower.       George, Beth & I each saw a shooting star (not same one).         Had to go about 6 miles south from our house to get away          from light pollution.

Dec 14 M parks at Huntington Metrorail station FOR FREE on a      Wednesday (non holiday) due to construction at station.

Dec 15 Ann's mother arrives by way of a $59 one way Pan Am flgt fr.          Atlanta, the round trip would have cost an extra $200 so      she took Amtrack back.

Dec 16 George says to his grandmother, "if Shakey's were a fast         food restaurant you'd be dead by now." George had been        the one to demand a visit to Shakey's.

Dec 17 Beth sees a North Dakota license plate and a front tire          blowout on a car with Ohio plates within 30 sec. of each      other.

Dec 19 George speaks to his grandmother who tells him she got back      to Atlanta safely. As soon as he hangs up he goes to his         sister and says "I'll bet you $100,000 that grandma's      back in Atlanta."

Dec 20 M shows Beth & George how to make lightening in their mouth      (bite into a Certs wintergreen in front of a mirror in a      pitch black room). 

Dec 25 Beth, George and I do volunteer work at Alexandria Hospitol.          Las Vegas, Nevada and Redding, California have their          first Christmas snowfall EVER.

Dec 26 Beth, George and I try another brand of Wintergreen breath      mints, lightening doesn't occur.

Dec 27 Beth, George and I try Lifesavers Wintergreen. It works.

Dec 29 Beth accuses me of not shuffling well enough after I deal a      2nd gin rummy hand where all three players get three of       a kind on their first three cards.

Dec 31 Year 1988 ends with 373 murders in D.C. (new record and more          than 3 times the murders in 1986) and 555 in the          metropolitan area as Fairfax and Prince George's county      also set new records. Year was coldest since 1972 (‑0.4          F) despite brutally hot July and August. Miami Florida        gets only 0.12" rain in Dec. a new record low.