At Home Tailgate

Now that fall has officially begun and the NFL and college football have started back up, weekend game days are back! Since game day looks a little different this year, we recommend an "at home tailgate." Read below to see some of our favorite snacks!

SMYAL

As a reminder, every month, we are adopting a non-profit and hoping to direct some financial support their way. This month, we have adopted SMYAL (pronounced “smile”)! SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. MAA is doing matching gifts so we hope you will consider giving $100, $50, $25 or even $10 to help us meet our goal of raising $1,000 this month. Click here to give now!

We also still welcome your input on future organizations to work with. Click here to submit your suggestion!

Recipes:

Sausage Balls - Rebecca

This is a staple for South Carolina tailgates. They are super easy and you can also freeze them easily if you want to prepare them ahead of time.

Ingredients

1 pound Jimmy Deans Sausage (I use “hot” flavor)
2 ½ cups of Bisquick (all purpose baking mix)
8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I recommend grating yourself)
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the sausage (uncooked), baking mix, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese.

If the mixture seems too dry, you can add a tablespoon of milk in (you might not need to do this).

Once mixed together, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheets.

Stick the baking sheets in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes (or until golden brown)

Caliente Bean & Queso Dip - Haley

I love a good dip and I’m always looking for the easiest ones! I got this one from my Skinnytaste cookbook!

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 (15 oz) can of refried beans
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 ¼ cups jarred medium salsa
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 ½ cups shredded mexican cheese blend
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 35. Spray a 9 x 9 in. baking dish with oil.

In a small bowl, combine the refried beans and taco seasoning and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the salsa and green chiles on top of the beans. 

Bake until the edges begin to bubble, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, top with the cheese, and return to the oven. Bake just long enough to melt the cheese (5-6 minutes) and remove from the oven and top with cilantro. 

Jaime’s Family-Favorite Crab Dip (Baltimore-native approved!)

Ingredients:

1 pound backfin crabmeat (shells picked out)

Mix together:

1 egg, beaten
1/2-1 cup mayo
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2 T. minced onion
2-3 tsps Old Bay to taste (I usually end up putting in closer to 4 tsps but taste as you go!)
2 tsps dried tarragon 
Pinch of pepper

Optional (although I always add!): Saute fresh spinach leaves, about 12 ozs. with 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 of a chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste. Fold into egg mixture first, and then fold in crab.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently fold crabmeat into mixture. Put in a greased 9 inch pie plate and bake for about 25-35 minutes, till puffed up and brown.

Serve with your choice of crackers, bread chunks, pita, tortilla chips (all work well) and enjoy!

Bean & Beef Chili - mild but optional to kick up the heat!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped jalapeño chilies with seeds
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/3 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 15 1/4-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1 14-ounce can beef broth
Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes. Add jalapeños and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika, then mix in tomatoes with juices, beans, and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chili thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Skim any fat from surface of chili. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing, stirring occasionally.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Serve, passing bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, and cilantro separately.

Hound Dog Bagels

Calling all bagel lovers! Haley’s twin sister Kinsey recently launched a sourdough bagel business here in DC! Subscribe here to receive the order form when it comes out on Monday mornings: https://hounddogbagelco.com/

Now for some feel-good content…

The best bedtime stories for kids

An important voting announcement from the Hamilton Cast

Get Out The Vote!

lend a hand

We are off to a great start with our first non-profit fundraising drive! Every month, we are adopting a non-profit and hoping to direct some financial support their way. This month, we have adopted SMYAL (pronounced “smile”)! SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. 

MAA is doing matching gifts so we hope you will consider giving $100, $50, $25 or even $10 to help us meet our goal of raising $1,000 this month. Click here to give now!

GOTV!

With less than 7 weeks until Election Day, we wanted to highlight some ways we are getting involved. From volunteering at the polls, to remote phone-banking and more, read below to find out how we (and you) can get involved!

Volunteering at the Polls

About a month ago, I signed up to be a poll-worker with DC Elections, and less than 48 hours after that, I was signed up for a training shift in Navy Yard. Here are the two biggest things I learned, among many others: 1) Poll-workers are expected to work the entirety of Election Day and most locations do not close until 11pm-1am (please vote by mail and/or early), and 2) this year there will be pull-up voting for the elderly and anyone with a disability. I’m really happy that DC is making strides to improve turnout- including their plan to mail everyone a ballot.

In November, I will be working check-in at the polls. As folks come in, I will check their name against the polls and help direct them to the correct ballot line. As simple as it sounds, it’s a bit more lengthy of a process than you would think and there are countless rules to keep in mind. Back when I signed up, there was a shortage of poll-workers, but recently the District has announced that they have secured more than enough volunteers for 2020. Usually, I would be knocking doors or making calls on Election Day, but this year I am excited to help make a difference at the polls! - Jacob

Virtual Phone Banking

After watching the Dem Convention I was motivated to do my part to take back the White House! The good news is that there’s SO many opportunities to phone/text bank virtually and so many swing states that need the help. Last weekend I made phone calls for the Wisconsin Dems from the comfort of my bed, and this weekend I plan to do some text banking for Georgia’s Fair Fight Action. Here’s the link to sign up if you want to join me! - Madison

Reach out to friends & family!

Whenever I have time, I try to text a couple people and ask them if they have registered to vote and made a voting plan. I find that it’s most helpful to provide them with all the details possible (like registration deadlines and early voting information). Also, if you know what state they vote in, go ahead and send them the link to their Department of Elections website. It only takes a couple of minutes to send a text and you could be the reason they remember to request an absentee ballot! - Rebecca

Check out this helpful guide below from FiveThirtyEight with state-by-state tips!

Zoom Etiquette

From work meetings, to virtual events, to school, to online happy hours, most of us are spending a good portion of our day on Zoom. While we are probably all getting comfortable using Zoom we want to make sure some of us aren’t getting too comfortable with it! Here are some tips and tricks for Zoom etiquette we think we probably all need a refresher on: 

1. MUTE YOURSELF! And if you’re setting up the Zoom meeting make sure to check “mute participants on entry”; it will make everyone’s lives a little bit easier. 

2. Make sure to look at the camera when speaking - if you’re looking at yourself and that haircut you desperately need, instead of the people you’re talking to, everyone can definitely tell. 

3. Don’t get distracted! If you need to get up and tend to a crying child or a visitor at the door, turn off your camera. We all understand. 

4. Please don’t zoom and drive!

5. We understand that not everyone has a Zoom background that would receive a 10/10 on Room Rater but you can always use a virtual background or blur your background! 

6. No eating! We understand that meetings and events are now taking place at all hours of the day without a commute to worry about, but chomping away while forcing others to watch is not a good look. 

7. Mind your chats. In case you haven’t learned by now, you can chat the whole group or select an individual to chat privately, but remember it’s a two-way street: keep an eye out for anyone trying to get in touch with you but don’t abuse the power and be the chat-clogger!

SMYAL While You Work!

While we know many of you are contributing generously to various campaigns and causes, we hope you will join us in an effort to help our community and the organizations and charities that we love. As previously announced, MAA is adopting a different local non-profit organization every month. For September, MAA is excited to partner with SMYAL (pronounced “smile”)! SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. 

Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. Committed to social change, SMYAL builds, sustains and advocates for programs, policies and services that LGBTQ youth need as they grow into adulthood. In addition to working in schools and communities across the DMV, SMYAL has a comprehensive housing program for homeless LGBTQ youth that provides safe and stable shelter, food, case management services, crisis intervention and community support for its residents. 

We are honored to have SMYAL as our first partner. We hope you will consider giving $100, $50, $25 or even $10 to help us meet our goal of raising $1,000 this month. Click here to give now!

Remembering 9/11

It’s hard to believe this is the 19th anniversary of the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center. This day each year is always somewhat of a challenge for me. Although I was only five years old on September 11, 2001, being a New Yorker still makes this day a bit triggering. I can still remember sitting in the classroom when out of nowhere, parents started to rush in, grab their kids, and start to cry. I remember feeling uneasy because my parents still hadn’t shown up and although I did not know what was going on, I just knew I wanted my mom. Finally, she appeared in the doorway and we rushed home. I can still recall her walking outside to our cul de sac and crying in the arms of our neighbors. It’s a terrifying image to have in my head all these years later because I can remember that I just did not understand what was happening.

I can recall my dad arriving home hours after he normally did on a weekday, looking drained and distraught. It was only years later that I discovered that being a high school teacher in New York City, he was tasked with staying with his students for close to 12 hours until they learned if their families were safe.

When I got a bit older, my mother finally told me what it was like for her that day, as she, too, worked in Manhattan. She told me that as her train was arriving in Grand Central, someone with a radio called out “A plane just crashed into one of the Twin Towers!” She couldn’t believe it, but assumed it was just a fluke accident. It was only when she was walking to her office that she discovered the second plane had hit and this was, in fact, no fluke accident. She began to see the smoke fill the sky around her, and watched as people began to scatter in every direction. She made her way back to Grand Central to try and catch a train home, but as people feared the train station might be the next spot of attack, trains stopped running. She was miraculously able to hail a cab, and agreed to let another woman, named Beth, ride with her. She remembers riding out of the city and looking out the window at the absolute pandemonium on the streets. Finally, she made it to Queens, where Beth’s car was parked, and she graciously agreed to drive my mom back to Westchester where she could pick me up from school.

Every year, for the last 19 years, my mother calls Beth on September 11th and they catch up on everything that has happened in the past 365 days. Every year, my dad tells the story to his new students, and they comment on what a hero he must have been for the kids in his classroom that day. And every year, I get a bit emotional and uneasy. I think about the people I know who lost parents or friends or loved ones in one of the buildings. I think about my family friends who could have easily been in their office in the first tower that day, but somehow, inexplicably, missed their alarm that morning. And I continuously remind myself how lucky I am that my parents were both able to stay safe and make it home to me that day.

This year, in particular, seems harder than usual. This anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated one in an absolute crazy year, as our country grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice, watches the devastating effects of climate change in real time, and prepares to choose a new leader come November. Still, I believe it is imperative that we take the time to reflect on that horrid day 19 years ago, especially in a year like this. It can help us remember the nation we are at our core, when tragedy strikes - a nation of togetherness, camaraderie, and hope. It can lead us on a path forward out of this darkness by reminding us of the America we can be and the America we want to be. - Lexi

Back to (Home)School!

The night before chaos…

School has started! Talk about an anticlimactic first day - I really missed those jitters of getting my kids on the bus and chatting with the other parents at the bus stop. We didn’t have any first firsts - my youngest is going into 1st grade so no nerves from her but I mourned a bit about some of the cool things my 5th grader isn’t getting to do - for starters, no Safety Patrol, which for those of you who know Charlie, he was BORN to do. But I’m not complaining - at the end of the day, I’m in the camp of wanting safety for our teachers and my children, especially if it’s not safe for most of us to go back to work, why would we push our kids into a burning building? No judgment here though if your kids are going - I’m also a tad jealous!! Parenting feelings are very messy and complicated these days.

So, if you are home, I thought I’d share some of the tech and equipment purchases I made to make our homeschooling experience a little more manageable and maintain some form of sanity. My husband and I were literally up until midnight and 2:00 a.m. respectively getting this all ready for them so it truly was a first morning surprise. When they saw it all, they actually said ‘Thank you!’ I’m serious.

Storage

I have a supply closet for my kids’ games, arts & crafts, but like most families with 2-4 kids, you fill up all storage spaces really quickly. In the spring, we quickly got overwhelmed with nowhere for their school stuff to go. Then after I picked up their math books a few weeks ago, I knew this purchase I had made in the summer would pay off. Direct from Wayfair, likely via a barge from China because it took about 6-8 weeks to arrive to me, this beauty incorporates well into my dining room, the price didn’t break the bank, and I might be able to reuse it elsewhere after we are done with this COVID school thing. Or I’ll sell it. Or burn it. I don’t really care. I bought the wrong size cubbies to put on each shelf so I have these on order and, if you look closely, they have special tags you can label who has what with a dry-erase marker. Yes, I bought those also.

Finished in time for the 9:00 a.m. bell.. err, log in!

Wobble Stools

I’m sure many of you have this issue, but my kids, particularly my boys, are active, bouncy and need to move. I don’t like those ball chairs so I started researching for these wobble stools. Let me save you the trouble and tell you - buy these things. First of all, the options out there are VERY overwhelming. Secondly, maybe reviews mention how some of these types of stools easily slide out from under the kids and they wind up on the grounds. Not helpful. But the real selling point here is with growing kids, these are adjustable. Other options require you select a specific size and as my kids grow, I would love to actually keep these things. They are light, rugged and we’re going to also use them for chairs while gaming.

Bluetooth Headphones

This is another area that required a serious upgrade. Clark’s old ones didn’t really work and he had to toggle the cord to get it to work most days - not helpful if your teacher can’t hear you. Maren has an oral fixation and loves to chew on cables. Thank you bluetooth technology for solving that problem! Again, soooo many options it’s ridiculous and overwhelming to research. Some are also suspiciously inexpensive and when you dig into the reviews, you can see why. Three days into school online, we are very happy with this purchase as well and they sync up nicely with their MCPS-provided chromebooks as well as their Kindle Fires.

Blue Light Blocking Glasses

I am a sucker for ads that pop up in my feed. I saw something like this over this summer and found a cheaper options on Amazon, mostly because I wasn’t actually sure they would work. On Day #2, my oldest was going back to his chromebook and said, ‘Oh, I need my glasses!’. I asked him how they were and he said he already noticed a huge difference and said he even prefers gaming with them on because his eyes don’t feel nearly as tired. WIN! One warning is my version is for little people so I’d say the max age for this option is 10. 

Container Store Lazy Susan

This sort of thing makes my heart sing. The compartments are removable so you can grab when you need and put it back. It’s probably my daughter’s favorite item because it reminds her of something her teacher had in her room. Plus it’s just fun to spin it around.

Chromebook Storage/Charging Station

A friend of mine gave me this idea. She said “I feel like I need a bigger charging station just for chromebooks” and it really stuck in my head. I was checking out at the Container Store on Sunday and saw this bad boy. I’m sure you can find other options by search dish or pan racks but this one is for vertical file storage. What’s nice is this version is adjustable width.

Charging Station, part 2

I made it a charging station by buying this power strip that has 3 outlets and 2 USB ports. Our 3rd child has headphones that don’t need to charge so the five devices that we charge each night all have a home.

L-R: Maren, Clark & Charlie

In Other from MAA…

Welcome Winston! 

Like many of my colleagues, I decided I needed a furry friend to get me through this pandemic, so a couple weeks ago my boyfriend and I adopted a cat! He’s a 6-year-old sweetheart named Winston. He’s very shy but he loves boxes, food, and pats on the head. - Madison

Isaac’s Westward Expedition

Having cancelled all scheduled vacations with the rest of the world at the beginning of the summer, I was rewarded with an expiring gift card from my airline company with the deadline of the end of August. In order to not waste the purchase, my girlfriend and I decided to take a camping trip out West to a destination where we felt we could socially distance safely while exploring a new terrain - Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Park! We were very nervous about the flight but were pleasantly surprised by how diligently the people around us were respecting the mandates to wear masks and keep away from people.

Once we arrived in Yellowstone, it became incredibly easy to stay away from others. A 5 minute walk down a backcountry trail left you completely alone! In the more crowded areas of the park, all guests are instructed to wear masks and you could not enter any of their stores without a face covering. These restrictions were enforced very stringently and we were glad to see that most, if not all, visitors to the park were respecting them! Although we loved going to Yellowstone and enjoying all of the attractions around us (especially all the Geysers!), I was completely blown away by Grand Teton National Park. The Mountain views are truly spectacular and you are surrounded by an incredible amount of wildlife. Some quick highlights from us are seeing a Grizzly Bear with her cubs (Photo through our binoculars included below) as well as seeing two grown Moose (I could not believe how large they both were!). Taking to the great outdoors was definitely the perfect way to enjoy a break during this difficult time.

One last thing…

Check out this new pizzeria that just opened on H Street NE, owned and operated by all deaf people. A new small business to support!

Treat Yo Self!

We’re in month 5 of being at home and by now we’ve all figured out our own self-care routines or have made some impulse purchases to keep our spirits up. This week we’ve included some of the ways team MAA has been treating ourselves.

Oh, and it’s also Restaurant Week and you know we love good food. See below for some recommendations from the team about where to indulge in some delicious meals before the week is up! 

Self Care:

Hannah: Candles from my favorite Charleston hotel, The Dewberry, and I’ve also been slowly collecting soft sweaters from my favorite store, Jenni Kayne. For anyone looking for a nail salon, I recommend Blue Bell Nails on MacArthur Blvd. They have put a lot of procedures and precautions in place to make customers feel safe. For those that don’t live in the Palisades/Foxhall area, they also have locations in Shaw. 

Jacob: Mi Madre Hot Sauce - I’m not a clothing or beauty impulse buyer, but sign me up for hot sauce! Straight from Puerto Rico, it’s by far my favorite addition to breakfast, and I buy it in packs of 6 bottles at a time!

Lexi: I saw these fancy facial oils from a brand called "The Ordinary" circulating all over social media. Influencers were promoting them left and right, Sephora and Ulta were advertising them, and companies like Glamour and Allure were including them in their “2020 must haves.” The products are supposedly great for all different skin types and have so many added benefits. They’re extremely inexpensive, all organic/natural, and come in eco-friendly packaging…..so.….I bought them all. 

Madison - I’ve been making an effort to buy directly from Black-owned small businesses and have found quite a few that I love:

• Statement earrings from Abcrete. The owner lives in DC and she donates a part of every purchase to organizations working to decrease the Black maternal mortality rate. She makes everything in small batches, so follow her on instagram for restock updates! 

• Face masks from Pholk Beauty. All their products are natural and vegan!

• Candles from Pretty Honest. My personal favorite is the Green Tea & Lemongrass scent.

Rebecca - My roommates and I are huge fans of Ben Platt. So, when we saw that he was doing a virtual fundraiser for a performing arts school, we signed up. We decided to splurge on the VIP ticket that got you access to a Meet & Greet beforehand. Most of the other attendees were below the age of 12, but it was super cute to see kids that were huge fans talk with him as well! 

Haley: I have always hated wearing a lot of makeup, so I have been trying to invest in some nicer skincare to avoid ever wearing it again! Since it can get pretty pricey I’ve been buying the smaller sizes at Sephora so I can make sure I love something before going all out. Here have been some of my favorite things I’ve been loving!

• Tula cooling & brightening eye balm – This is basically an eye cream + highlighter all in one. Could not recommend enough!

•  Tula purifying face cleanser - I’ve tried so many different face washes and this has been my favorite one by far. 

•  LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask – I use this throughout the day as a regular lip balm too – makes your lips so soft!  

•  OUAI Scalp & Body Scrub – This stuff smells like heaven in a bottle. I bought this as a scalp scrub with the intention that if it did not work with my hair, I’d just use it as a body scrub. Now I use it for both!

•  Glossier Bubblewrap – This is an eye + lip cream that I lasts forever (I do love a good two for one)

• Neutrogena Bright Boost Serum - I’ve tried some more expensive serums and found this one was my favorite and it’s only $12!

Restaurant Week Picks:

Jacob - I had Rasika and Bistro Cacao last week and planning for Oyamel this week- all 3 of these are doing take-out for Restaurant Week!

Rebecca - Nina May was absolutely delicious. We did the “Chef’s Choice” special and my favorite item was the Crispy Pork Belly with Fried Green Tomato.

Haley - Zaytinya was incredible! We did the “Chef’s Experience” to go and liked every single item we got. 

And for a DIY option… a recipe from Madison!

I got some tomatillos on sale last week so I made salsa verde loosely based on this recipe. So simple and delicious! I used it to make some salsa verde chicken tacos with poblano peppers and all the fixins.

Convention Week!

- President Barack Obama, August 19, 2020

We are sad to not be in Milwaukee but on a positive note - our livers, wallets and sleep cycles are all faring much better by watching this virtually from the safety of our couches. So far, we are delighted in the outcome and ready for Joe’s big night tonight! Here are MAA’s Top 10 favorite moments so far:

10. The roll call. Such a huge improvement from crazy people yelling a sentence or two you can sometimes barely hear. Instead, we saw a beautiful tapestry of our country.

9. Video of the Amtrak conductor Joe befriended - this man cares about working men and women from the bottom of his heart.

8. The segment on Ady Barkan. Read here in case you missed it.

7.Tuesday’s spotlight on Dr. Jill.

6. The video right before HRC spoke highlighting women in politics. Amazing.

5. Michelle Obama urging us to vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do.

4. Jennifer Hudson. Jump to 2:16 to watch her incredible cover of “A Change is Gonna Come.”

3. Gabby! We love you.

2. President Obama urging us to vote to save our country.

1. Kamala’s acceptance speech - what an amazing woman and public servant. Let’s do this!

two cool things:

Thanks, Washingtonian, for 14 ways to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment!

H/T to our friend, Jeff Ziarko who has become a puzzle master with his new DC/K Street-themed crosswords series. You can email him to get on his list!

Last Minute Trips!

The number of ‘out of office’ auto-responders has spiked this month! Those of us who took vacation earlier this summer are feeling a little jealous and ready to get away again. So, here are some thoughts on nearby ‘hidden gems’ or some day trips that will rejuvenate you, with or without kids.

Fletcher’s Cove Boathouse - 4940 Canal Road NW (Foxhall/Palisades) - recommended by Hannah

Kayak, SUP and rowboat rentals by reservation only. If you don’t like being on the water, Fletcher’s Cove is also an access point to both the C&O Canal and Capital Crescent Biking Trails. If you’re so inclined, you can also pick up a fishing license.

Bring an umbrella if you want some shade!

Matapeake Beach - Stevensville, MD (over Chesapeake Bridge, approximately 1 hour from DC) - recommended by Jaime

This is a small beach by any typical standards but is clean, free to enter, and offers calm, shallow bay water to play or relax in. There is also a dog beach right down the shore. Having been a few times with my family, I recommend arriving as early as possible (before 9am if you can swing it) to stake out the space you need and some shade if that’s your preference. They are supposedly limiting capacity (the close parking lot fills up fast but there is an overflow lot a bit down the road) but we definitely find it’s time to leave as the afternoon hours arrive and bring a larger crowd than we’re comfortable with. Regardless, it’s a totally painless drive and easy access for those in need of a beach day!

Shallow enough for pint-sized kiddos!

Assateague State Park, Berlin, MD (2.5-3 hours from DC) - recommended by Isaac

Earlier this summer, my girlfriend and I went out to the beach at Assateague Island for the day. We got up bright and early to make the three hour drive to this local National Park. In our humble opinion, this beach is well worth the drive. For $25, you can get your car onto this island that is a little stretch of paradise. If you are willing to really put in the time to get your money's worth, that ticket technically buys you 7 days of access so you can come back the following weekend. We arrived at the beach by 10:30am and there was plenty of parking available on the island. We found a comfortable and socially distanced spot on the beach to camp out for the day. Please be aware that there are no shops on the island so whatever food or drinks you would like to enjoy, you will need to bring. We opted for a couple of sandwiches and refreshing beers. One tip we wish we would have had before arriving is that there is absolutely no sun cover so, if you can, it is worth bringing an umbrella with you so you do not have to contend with the sun the entire day. The island stretches across the coast line so, despite more people joining us throughout the morning and afternoon, we never felt crowded and always had our own space. This island is not within the bay so there were a good amount of waves coming in which were a definite surprise for my girlfriend, who grew up only ever visiting lakes in her home state of Michigan. Once she got used to the new surroundings, we both enjoyed the beautiful scenery and refreshing water!

I would recommend traveling to Assateague not only for the amazing beach and sea views, but the wildlife who cohabitate this island. Assateague has wild horses on the island. Below is a picture of those horses that we took from our car! They are not shy to come close to the beaches and, as we found out, the roads. Although the park stresses to not try and interact with the animals, you are welcome to watch from afar and enjoy the feeling of being a part of truly wild nature. In my opinion, Assateague is a great day trip for those looking for a break from the city!

I went to Disney and SURVIVED

Please enjoy this post by Haley Brown!

Last week, I had the unique opportunity to visit Disney World amidst a global pandemic. As someone who has always tried to be part of the solution rather than the problem, I was very hesitant to tell people about where I was going. I, for one, am guilty of judging/shaming people when I see groups of people on social media without masks on so how could I go to a theme park during all of this? However, we ultimately decided to go and here is that story.

Haley and her boyfriend, Cory

Historically, my family has taken a trip to Disney World every couple of years. My grandparents have a timeshare and we pool points together to cover the rooms for the whole family. We had this trip booked for a little over a year (and probably had the itinerary for close to six months because that’s just how we are). Obviously when COVID-19 hit, things were up in the air because nobody knew what August would look like back in March. When Disney opened back up in July, we soon learned that our trip was not able to be rescheduled and if we cancelled we would lose all of the points (and all the money that went into it).

After 10,000 (give or take) calls with Disney and reading every single Disney travel blog available online, we decided we were going to do it. They had enough safety precautions put in place that we felt as long as everyone followed the rules we would be safe. 

Since the rest of our family was traveling from Ohio, we flew into Orlando and met everyone at the resort. Of course, the anxiety began the second we walked into DCA. We were locked and loaded with Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, and a ridiculous amount of reusable and disposable masks. We flew American and had a whole row to ourselves.They even provided anti-bacterial wipes in lieu of peanuts when we got on the plane. After landing in Orlando, we made our way to the Magical Express buses that would take us to our resort. We had not even made it to Disney property yet and there were 6 ft. markers on the ground EVERYWHERE. We shared the bus with one other family but had about 20 rows in between us.

Upon arriving at our resort, we learned we did not have to check-in at the front desk and everything could be done through the Disney app and our magic bands. Since we cancelled all of our indoor dining reservations, we would also end up using the app to order all of our food throughout the week. The app made it super easy to place an order and wait outside until your food was ready to be picked up and taken to a table outside.

Our first day at the park was a much different Disney experience than anything we had previously encountered, starting with a temperature check before entering the park. Disney has limited capacity at all of the parks so there was little to no wait to enter the park. During the whole week I think the longest we waited for a ride was 30 minutes (the new Star Wars ride, of course.) During that 30-minute wait in line, we passed approximately 10 hand sanitizer dispensers and were never closer than 6 ft. to another party. Masks were required in every part of Disney properties (except in the pool) and there were constant reminders over the loudspeakers about it! We were never put on a ride with another party unless we could safely have 6 feet in between us and every few hours rides were stopped for cleaning purposes. Our hands were peeling by the end of the week due to the excessive hand sanitizer use, but wearing the masks 24/7 was definitely easy to get used to after a couple of hours. In another safety measure, Disney has eliminated the Park Hopper feature for the time being. 

I am not sure if Disney expanded capacity, but for whatever reason, our last day at the parks was a little bit more crowded than what we had experienced the rest of the week. We decided to call it a day around noon and went back to the pool to soak up some sun before heading home on Saturday. 

I think if we had been able to reschedule the trip I would have, but at the end of the day, it was definitely a privilege to be able to take a vacation and try and relax for a week. While walking the dog yesterday here in D.C. I passed 5 different people on the sidewalk without masks on and was shocked because I had been so used to the masks for a week. Now going to the grocery store (after our two week quarantine period, of course) is going to feel weird without getting my temperature checked!

In Other MAA news…

As previously mentioned, MAA is going to adopt a different local non-profit organization each month. We will highlight what they do and how they serve our local communities. And more importantly - inviting you to join us!

We are still vetting our first partner so we would also love to hear from those of you who serve on boards for any local non-profits. Tell us if you know of an organization that we can help and connect us! Click here to fill out a google form or email Molly directly with your suggestions.

Lexi kindly dog-sat for Shorts and he settled in nicely during his week away.

Sonny Ritacco on the farm! So happy holding that chicken :-)

VEEPStakes!

With presumptive nominee Joe Biden vetting VP options and a decision to come soon, we felt it was about time for us to share our choices and predictions for the Democratic Vice Presidential nomination. Read on to learn who each MAA staffer would choose as our ideal VPOTUS, and our predictions on whom we think Joe Biden will actually pick. Agree with us? Disagree with us? Let us know your thoughts as well!

Jacob’s pick: Barack Obama - let’s re-activate the voting base we need to win and give the Republicans another dose of Obama/Biden!
Jacob’s prediction: Sen. Kamala Harris - if this happens, I’m very much looking forward to the VP debate.

Madison’s pick: One of the Tammy’s. As an Illinoisan who went to school in Wisconsin I was really hoping for the Tammy/Tammy 2020 ticket, but I will accept half.
Madison’s prediction: Rep. Val Demings.

Hannah’s Pick: Amal Clooney, Human rights lawyer, and incredibly stylish to boot. She’s not an American citizen, but… 
Hannah’s Prediction: Susan Rice.

Jaime’s Pick: Kamala. Just so Maya Rudolph is back on SNL regularly. 
Jaime’s Prediction: Val Demings.

Isaac’s Pick: Myself, seems like a great gig! Not too much responsibility and then I would just fade into the background after the best 4 years of my life.
Isaac’s Prediction: Kamala Harris.

Lexi’s Pick: I think Biden & Selina Meyer would make a great team, but if we’re being realistic, Stacey Abrams.
Lexi’s Prediction: Senator Tammy Duckworth.

Rebecca’s Pick: Beyonce: Smart, talented, and loved by all. Plus, she could break into her rendition of the national anthem when need be. 
Rebecca’s Prediction: Kamala Harris.

Molly’s Pick: Maggie Smith in character as Dowager Countess of Grantham. The banter from Joe plus the eye rolls from Violet would make for great TV. Plus Joe would looks so spry and young next to her.
Molly’s Prediction: Senator Tammy Duckworth.

Haley’s Pick: Michelle Obama. Because america needs more Michelle Obama.
Haley’s Prediction: Karen Bass.

The Tammy Caucus!

Give a little. Help a lot.

At MAA, we have been reflecting on the growing needs and challenges of those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment, growing food insecurity, education gaps - the stories and statistics are staggering. We’ve written here before about our favorite charities or volunteer efforts and we’ve decided to take things a step further.

Starting next month, MAA is going to adopt different local non-profit organizations. We will be featuring one organization each month, and highlight what they do and how they serve our local communities. And more importantly - inviting you to join us!

We are still vetting our first partner so we would also love to hear from those of you who serve on boards for any local non-profits. Tell us if you know of an organization that we can help and connect us! Click here to fill out a google form or email Molly directly with your suggestions.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and for opening your heart and wallet in service!

Confessions of a Tele-Reader?

We have LOVED the responses we get from our loyal readers and still surprised that so many people are actually reading this! We’ve decided it’s time to open up a guest comments spot. We want to hear from you! Send us your stories so we can post them. What has been the most surprising thing you’ve discovered through your own telework? What home improvement stories do you have? Any great work from home gear or tech you can recommend? Have you killed your kids yet? And please - tell us some juicy stories about Zooms gone bad or embarrassingly wrong (names redacted, of course). Send your tales to Rebecca!

Top 10 Ways Working Remotely During COVID-19 is Like Being in College - Shared by Chris Porter

10. Wearing sweatpants 24/7 is completely acceptable.

9. You can do an all-nighter, but you’ll regret it.

8. It is commonplace to wonder/worry that your laptop camera is on.

7. You are free to exercise almost anytime.  But tomorrow is probably better.

6. No one will stop you from having a beer at any hour.

5. Wifi is really, really important.  So is ordering food.

4. No one will stop you from napping, ever.

3. You should call Mom and Dad to see how they are doing.

2. Sometimes the people on my floor drive me nuts.

1. I know it will end at some point, just not sure when…

Discover & share this Wfh GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

Hidden Gems

When we wrote last week about our Pandemic Puppies, Jacob noted a few special places he likes to take Luna. It got us thinking about all the hidden gems in the DMV that we have more time to explore. So we thought we’d start a new topic on special places that you should check out, even in a pandemic!

Kingman and Heritage Islands

In a city like DC, it can be hard to find refuge from the brick and mortar buildings and crawling streets, but nestled just Northeast of RFK Stadium and along the Anacostia River are two human-made islands: Kingman and Heritage Islands. From the DC Government website, “Kingman and Heritage Islands are the product of dredging the Anacostia River over 100 years ago and are now home to important and rare ecosystems, including tidal freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, wildflower meadows, and tidal swamp forests. The islands are home to more than 100 different species of birds, mammals, and other wildlife”. It’s also the home of an annual Bluegrass festival, which was sadly cancelled this year.

With a landscape that is unique in all of the District, you can take a break from the fast lane and enjoy the islands’ trails, bring your binoculars or camera and see plenty of wildlife, or launch a kayak or canoe and enjoy the surrounding lake and wetlands. If going out to Maryland or Virginia for a hike doesn’t float your boat, trust me and take some time checking out the island- and don’t forget to bring your family or dog!

Feel free to peruse their website and find out more here!

The Zoo is Open!

Speaking of gems in DC, one of our collective favorite places just reopened - the National Zoo! Isaac was among the first to check it out during opening weekend and he was kind enough to document his experience and tips for you as you consider venturing out.

The Zoo was a fantastic addition to a lazy COVID Sunday! The Zoo is limiting attendees to allow for social distancing. To facilitate that, all attendees must get themselves timed passes ahead of time. We purchased our tickets the day before and, although some times were booked, there was still a lot of availability. Here is the link for tickets.

In the park, masks are required throughout and they have created one way paths to ensure that attendees are kept apart. Our favorite areas of the park were the Elephants and Seals. Be sure to go through to the underwater area of the Seals exhibit to watch them glide through the water close up.

We had initially gone to meet the amazing new Cheetah cubs. Unfortunately the cubs were all cuddled up away from the heat. But it was still a great day out! Highly recommended! Check out the cheetah cam to visit our newest D.C. residents.

Madison!

We took a little break from MAA Staffer of the Week but great news - it’s back! Madison grew up in Bloomington, IL and graduated from Beloit College in Wisconsin in 2017. Right after she graduated, she did a full-time internship with Tammy Baldwin and got bitten by the political bug. Madison traveled west to Vegas to work on Susie Lee’s campaign in 2018 and after that, MAA snatched her up! Readers, meet Madison Oakley!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
In a little cottage in the Netherlands and have a bunch of sheep.

What is your favorite family vacation?
When my dad got remarried, we took our first combined family trip to Hawaii. It was awesome.

What is your favorite thing about working in politics?
There’s never a slow day and keeps me on my toes.

What is your proudest accomplishment?
I don’t know if it’s an accomplishment, but being able to live on my own, travel, study abroad in Amsterdam (during college).

What makes you laugh the most?
My friends. We FaceTime a lot. I always laugh the most with a small group of friends.

What was the last movie you went to?
Pre-pandemic? It might have been Star Wars in December!

What did you want to be when you were young?
There was a time I wanted to be a marine biologist. But then I realized I hated science.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?
Something outside. Kayaking, hiking, and having a little picnic.

What is your favorite game or sport to watch or play?
I’m not really a sports fan but my favorite thing about the Olympics is gymnastics.

What would you sing at Karaoke night?
Anything Shania Twain.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Soup.

Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? 
When I was younger, my parents called me noodlehead, because I loved pasta.

Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island?
My boyfriend. We’re already sort of stranded and don’t hate each other yet.

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
A time without technology. Or wait – maybe the year the dinosaurs died and find out what really happened.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Invisibility.

What's your favorite zoo animal?
I really like red pandas.

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Prince, Eleanor Roosevelt, Kate McKinnon and Angela Davis

What's your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving.

What's your favorite fast food chain?
Culver’s. Shout-out to the Midwest.

Who is your hero?
My mom. She’s taught me a lot about kindness and patience.

Dog Days of COVID

We’ve mentioned this before and you’ve probably noticed it among your neighbors, your social media feeds and maybe you’ve succumbed yourself - there is a serious pet craze going on right now! With everyone home for the foreseeable future, now is a great time to add a ‘Pandemic Puppy’ to your family. Our MAA family has grown considerably with our new furbabies. Read on to hear about our new additions.

Shorts (Haley’s dog)

We have now had Shorts for 4 months and I honestly cannot remember life without the little guy. When we first adopted Shorts, it was clear he was going to have some attachment issues. He followed us everywhere we went (at the time we were living in a 1-bedroom apartment so there really were not many places for us to go, but still.) We initially began crate training with him and did everything we possibly could for him to like his crate – if there was a trick on the internet, we tried it, trust me. Yet every time we would try and leave the house with him in his crate, he would bark and howl and absolutely lose his mind. He never tried to injure himself or anything like that so we knew it could be a lot worse, but it was very evident he had some form of separation anxiety.

Eventually, we tried to start leaving the house with him out of the crate, but he began jumping on the windowsill and knocking over plants/bookshelves we were worried he would injure himself. In the end, we just found it easier to not leave the house at the same time so one of us was always with him. In quarantine this turned out to be not so difficult, but it was definitely emotionally draining.

Evidence of Shorts adjusting nicely to alone time

We decided we needed to get a bigger place with both of us working from home so about a month ago, we moved into a row home with a lot more space. We were worried any progress we had made with Shorts’ training would have to start over with the move, but we were ecstatic when he seemed to settle in just fine. After a lot of research, we decided to talk to the vet about some anxiety medication to see if there was anything we could give him to help him in addition to all the training. The vet prescribed Prozac (yes, the human kind) and he has been taking ½ of a pill every morning for the past few weeks. During that time, we have started leaving him alone in the home office and he has finally gotten up to 2 hours of being alone. He still whines a bit but eventually calms down and seems much more relaxed. For a dog who couldn’t be left alone for more than a few minutes when we first got him, we could not be happier about his progress! A couple pics below because he’s just so cute.

Luna (Jacob’s new dog)

Luna & Jacob exploring Heritage Island!

Kristy’s (my fiance) sister has been trying to re-home one of her dogs for several months, and we recently made the decision to bring Luna into our home. Kristy’s sister lives in Vancouver, Washington and made the drive from Washington State to Washington D.C. to deliver Luna to us.

Luna is very loving and an all-around cutie pie. She loves long walks, runs around Heritage Island, and sleeping in our bed. We know she is still adjusting to the change of scenery, but everyday brings a new improvement and more of her sweet disposition out. Kristy and I could not be happier with the new addition to our home and are looking forward to years of happiness with her. Luna’s only ask is that the thunder storms subside - she has a tendency to get anxious and shake when she hears thunder outside. Good thing she trusts and loves us already, she always comes up to me or Kristy to pet and cuddle her during the storms.

Also Luna (Lexi’s mom’s dog)

It’s so crazy how having a pet can really help ease anxieties during a challenging time like this.

Starting at the end of March, I ended up spending the next three months quarantining in New York at my mother’s house with her 90-pound, 2 year old Great Pyrenees, Luna. Luna is SO friendly, cuddly, hilarious, and loving. She always puts a smile on my face when I’m not feeling my best. And being able to give her belly rubs and ear scratches while I made the challenging adjustment to working from home made the transition much easier. 

Often, my mom and I would watch the 7pm news and as we saw what was happening to our poor country, we’d start to tear up, sigh, and sulk. Luna would always hop up on the couch with us, lay down on our laps, and give us some slobbery kisses. I can’t explain how much that alleviates anxieties, fears, and negativity - at least to some degree! 

Lexi & Luna in New York

Research shows that not only are people happier in the presence of pets, they’re also healthier. Pets can alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness, fear, and social isolation. I swear that Luna kept me sane during this crazy time and the love, affection, and companionship was so appreciated as we all began to discover that our world was never going to be the same.

I’ve been enjoying being back in DC this last month, but certainly am missing my furry friend. I can’t WAIT till we are eventually reunited. In the meantime, I’m going to be borrowing Haley’s dog, Shorts, for an entire week, and I know that he is going to bring me so much joy!! 

My coworkers can certainly tell you how much I love dogs, and I have really come to have a new appreciation for them (and all pets!) during this wild time.

Archie (Molly’s new puppy!)

My kids have been working me for YEARS to get a dog and it only took a few weeks into quarantine that I finally caved. Archie, a Labradoodle, was born May 15 and he came home to us on Saturday - so we haven’t even had him a week yet! We are VERY lucky because he started crate training before he left his brothers and sisters, so the transition to our house has been really smooth so far. He is sleeping through the night! We can hardly believe it. We learned quickly that he has to be watched literally every minute because if he’s not getting into spots he’s not supposed to be, he’s chewing anything - shoes, corners of rugs, pawing at chairs, gnawing on furniture. But we’ve figured out he is easily distracted with his Kong toys or some fun play. My daughter keeps trying to dress him up or hold him like a baby. I’m redirecting her by giving her brushing duty, which I’m told is good to start early and keep up with so fingers crossed for establishing good habits! We’ll see how we keep these things up but the most important part above all is that he is silly, cute, happy and loved. This little ball of energy is definitely giving all of us the emotional support our party of five really needed during COVID. 

Enjoy watching Archie approach his first bone - endless entertainment for his humans!

Franklin (Jaime’s dog)

Jaime & Franklin on the day of his adoption

It’s hard to believe my first baby, Franklin, will be 8 years old at the end of August! There was never a time in my life growing up when our family didn’t have a dog, so after living in DC for some years without one to come home to every day, I just couldn’t stand it anymore and convinced my then-boyfriend (now husband) that we should adopt. We took our Frankie boy home at 10 weeks old and I tried to summon my years of dog ownership experience to get him settled in and properly trained. With so many people welcoming new fur babies into their lives with the extra time at home (including 1/3 of our MAA staff!), I’m happy to impart some of my totally unofficial advice for dog parenting!

Franklin, the elder statesman of MAA dogs

1. Take the dog outside very frequently at first, at least once an hour, so they get used to only going to the bathroom out there and not in your house. Provide a way for them to signal to you when they need to go. For example, Franklin will lightly scratch at the door to let us know he’d like to go outside (and will sometimes do this even if he doesn’t have to go just because he knows he’ll get a treat when he comes back in--see advice #2).

2. Positive reinforcement is key! Whenever the dog does something well (asks to be let out, follows a command, walks easily on leash, etc.) give a treat and enthusiastic verbal praise! Some of my favorite treats are the small, soft formula from Natural Balance brand because they break apart very easily into little pieces so you’re not giving too much when rewarding your dog frequently (and are less than 5 calories per treat).

3. Discipline. Conversely, when the dog does something you don’t want them to do, give a firm NO and follow through every time. Eventually they will learn and won’t repeat that behavior.

4. Be patient. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, they are still experiencing new things and adjusting to their changing environment. They sometimes just need time to adapt before settling into consistent good behavior.

5. Socialize! While more difficult these days, it’s important to let your dog meet other dogs and people, so try to find opportunities where you can do that safely.

6. Monitor their health diligently. Some dogs are more prone to health issues but for the most part, regular vet visits will keep them out of harm’s way. However, remember that they can’t necessarily let you know when something is wrong so it’s important to keep an eye out for anything concerning. Sharing from a scary experience, did you know that dogs do not bruise? While lounging with Franklin a few years ago, I noticed what looked like bruises on the inside of his ears. I snapped a photo and sent it to our vet and to make a long story short, Franklin was diagnosed with a rare blood platelet disorder and was put on medication to save his life. He’s in remission now but we make sure to check him extra carefully on a regular basis.

7. Give love! Your dog just wants to make you happy, so return the favor with abundant snuggles, kisses, pets and “whosagoodboy/girls”!

MAA’s Favorite Gear & Tips:

• Snuggle Puppy - One of our PAC friends (h/t Natalie Pontzer!) recommended this toy to help soothe your baby at night in their crate.

• Thundershirt for storms/anxiety inducing situations 

• Kong - a frozen kong filled with peanut butter or cream cheese can provide an hour of fun! 

• Interactive Food bowl - Helps to prevent your dog from eating too quickly!

• Exercise Pen - Since my husband and I both work full-time and our kids cannot really be trusted to watch Archie all day, we bought this pen to extend Archie’s crate for times when he wants to chill out but not be all the way in his crate. Plus, we can then cook dinner or be upstairs and not worry about what he’s getting into. This folds up and is transportable too. So far well worth it!

• Vet - Certainly based on where you live, but Friendship Hospital for Animals is the only 24 hour clinic in DC (I believe) and we also use it as our regular vet and have received excellent care.

• Doggy daycare - we take Shorts to Dogma and he loves it! You can tell they really love the animals there and he’s always so exhausted once we get him home. 

An American Hero

I went to bed early last night because we are picking up the puppy today and picked up my phone this morning to see what notifications came in. There it was:

John Lewis. Civil Rights icon. Gone at age 80.

I started crying and have found it difficult to stop. While I did not have the honor of working for him, I had the opportunity to meet him several times through our work with Congressman Sanford Bishop and was honored to hear him speak. He often told stories about how he would preach as a young child, practicing to the chickens, the only ones who would listen. And he always spoke of making trouble. Good trouble. Mr. Lewis was the embodiment of greatness, a living example of courage and of love and patience.

While it is so painful to lose such a giant, such an American hero, let us honor his legacy by following his example, by teaching our children, and by making change.

Mr. Lewis, we will honor you. Let’s all keep making some Good Trouble.

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

-CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS

So do you have any hobbies?

Now that we’re in month four of being home, we’ve been turning to some new (and old!) hobbies to occupy our bodies and our minds. We like to think of it as a silver lining to this challenging situation that we have time to explore some new interests and revisit some former passions!

Lexi: I’ve gotten very good at 500 piece puzzles! Never really been a puzzle person before this, but I have found it is a great way to unwind after the workday, and I feel so accomplished when I finish!

Madison: I used to make bread for my dining co-op in college, but stopped because it’s just so time consuming. Now that I have all this time at home I’ve taken it back up, and I’ve been teaching my boyfriend how to make it. Here’s a recipe for a basic crusty loaf if you’d like to try it yourself! My final product:

Hannah: I’ve taken up tennis again. Last time I played was 17 years ago, and turns out it’s kind of like riding a bike - once you’ve learned you don’t forget it. And while my swing is a little rusty, it’s been great to get out of the house to play. It’s the ultimate physically-distant activity. I also tried needlepoint, but it didn’t take. I’m too impatient!

Jaime: Legos! My 3 ½ year-old, Sonny, was starting to get bored with the big duplo-type blocks, so we made the switch to real Legos and I forgot how much fun they are! We’ve done some really cool builds and I actually find it quite relaxing (let’s face it, Sonny is really the supervisor while I am the worker). His favorite so far has been Moana’s boat, which he was kind enough to share with his tummy time-ing, drooling baby brother. My favorite is a little toaster that really pops up!

Jacob: I’m growing green onions! Super easy and hoping this is the first plant to successfully live more than two weeks in my home.

Molly: With work getting busier and busier, I have less time for my favorite hobby, painting, but I am still following some amazing painters and teachers online! There are so many classes you can now take virtually and I took a great one from Art By Megan. I also follow Amanda Evanston and she has some great tips on starter supplies here and here. You can get all of your supplies on Amazon or other art suppliers and there are so many ways to start slow with either a watercolor kit or a starter acrylic set. I haven’t been brave enough to dabble too much with oils but that’s next on my list!

Summer Reads

We hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend! We were able to get some summer reading in so we thought we’d share our latest recommendations here. We hope you’ll find the time to get lost in another world and escape the COVID-turmoil for a while or take a deep dive in a new topic to broaden your mind.

By the way, the links below are from Amazon, which is certainly convenient and we are frequent shoppers, but if you’re looking to #ShopSmallBusiness, you might check out some of these shops:

• One of Molly’s college classmates is the owner of The Bookworm in Edwards, CO. You should check out her online store but might also find her recent press interesting regarding her experience keeping her small business going. Way to go, Nicole!

• East City Bookshop is a Capitol Hill favorite with an incredible selection and knowledgeable staff.

• Mahogany Books is a family-owned bookstore based in Anacostia. Run by a husband, wife and daughter team, Mahogany Books has been nationally recognized for their community work and making books and reading more accessible.

Happy reading!

The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz - Reviewed by Molly
I am a huge fan of Connie Schultz and love her columns, past books and her thoughtful stories on Facebook. She also happens to be married to Senator Sherrod Brown, whom I also adore as a native Buckeye. Connie’s first novel was an enjoyable read because she is such a gifted storyteller. I struggled with the characters because I quickly grew attached to them and rooted against the difficult choices they made or had to make due to their class and cultural obstacles. I found myself putting it down in frustration but then picking it back up because I had to know how it ended. Connie’s reader can really build a strong sense of empathy with these characters and, in the end, they find redemption.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - Madison is currently reading
Written in 1993, this dystopian novel takes place during a global economic and climate crisis in the mid-2020s. Is it the most comforting book to read in the midst of a pandemic/cultural reckoning? No. Am I thoroughly enjoying it? Yes!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - A favorite of Hannah’s 
Escape to the late sixties and get absorbed in the intersecting stories of Daisy, a girl coming of age and the members of The Six, a rock band on the brink of fame and fortune. The book reads as if Daisy and the band members are telling their story directly to you.

Dune by Frank Herbert - Isaac is currently reading
Dune is one of the best fantasy novels that I have ever read. It can be a bit difficult to get into as Frank Herbert throws you into his world without giving any roadmap or explanation but it is worth the effort. A science fiction/fantasy adventure following Paul Atreides through his journey on a new planet (could not give more information without spoilers). This book has been adapted to a movie coming out this year staring Timothee Chalamet. Would recommend reading before as it is a true page turner!

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander - Reviewed by Jacob
More relevant now than anytime the last 6-8 years. This is an eye opening dive into the prison system and how racially charged policies have locked away black and brown people and continuously denied them the opportunity to live freely.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano - Lexi is currently reading
This book tells the story of Edward Adler, a teenage boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that tragically takes the lives of everyone on board including his family. Following Edward's story as he comes of age and tries to heal from the tragedy has been beautifully painful. But on top of this, in alternating chapters, the novel returns to that flight in its final hours, which allows you to get to know some of the other passengers, including his family. The pain of knowing what ultimately happens to these characters has been difficult for me to get through, but it has been countered with the heartwarming tenderness of Edward finding his way in the world and learning to rise above. 

MAA Kid Reviews:

The Cool Bean by Jory John - Reviewed by Maren (age 5)
This story is about making new friends and being nice. This story reminds me to be nice to other people.

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs - Reviewed by Charlie (age 10)
This is a book for kids who like to read stories about action or suspense. The story starts with a normal kid, Ben Ripley, who dreams about being a spy and then he gets recruited to actually be a spy! It turns out that it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounded. Ben soon found that he was being tracked by an evil organization. This book is about an exciting adventure about junior spies in training (series of 6 books).

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey - Reviewed by Clark (age 9)
Meet Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha. This book is a very funny story about how four bad guys became good (book 1 in a 11-book series).

Gone Fishin’

Confessions of a Teleworker is on vacation this week. We hope you get a little time off and enjoy the long weekend!

Get Ready For The 4th!

Next week brings some joyous dates for MAA - June 30th (the end of Q2!), July 1 (Molly’s son Clark’s 9th birthday) and Independence Day! We are excited for a day off and to celebrate, even if this 4th of July is going to be more subdued this year at home. So, we thought we’d compile some ideas for you to get ready and make the most of it!

Things To Decorate:

First of all, nothing says “America” like some enthusiastic (and perhaps a tad tacky) red, white and blue decor.

For your house or porch:

Red, White & Blue Fans
($14.98 on Amazon - with Prime shipping)

For your yard:

Flags, flags and more flags!
($19.99 on Amazon - with Prime shipping)

To wear or give:

Beads, Tattoos, Fans, Glasses
($17.95 on Amazon with Prime shipping)

Balloons:

You’ve gone this far… seems easy at this point
($9.28 on Amazon with Prime shipping)

Things To Do:

Although there will be no Independence Day parade in DC this year, a fireworks display over the National Mall is still planned - exact start time, launch locations and attendance details are still to be determined. MAA encourages you to WEAR A MASK if you go in person and Mayor Bowser encourages residents to watch from home. While the 40th A Capitol Fourth concert will not take place live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, there will still be a broadcast of pre-recorded performances hosted by Vanessa Williams and John Stamos, as well as a live showcase of the fireworks display. The National Archives' annual celebration will be entirely virtual, with the event streamed on the Archives' Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Since the above suggestions all involve a screen, here are some things to do in your backyard:

Spike Ball, Bocce Ball, and more ideas for lawn games.

Unicorn Sprinkler - we DO have this and it is 100% worth it (for adults and children).

Kiddie Pool - Most are sold out but this one looks like a treat!

And if you’re looking to get out, there are over 200 miles of trails in Montgomery county and these options in DC. Just remember - no public restrooms so plan accordingly.

Things To Eat:

Sparkling Red, White & Blue Sangria

Patriotic Punch (non-alcoholic)

Red, White & Blueberry Pie

Recipes for a Picnic

Endless recipes on Epicurious

Obama Turkey Burgers

Beyond Meat Burgers - for my vegetarian friends or anyone who is looking to cut down on their red meat intake. They’re delicious, juicy, and can fool most people into thinking they are eating actual meat!

Don’t want to cook? Order a full 4th of July spread from Hungry or Chef Geoff - cut off for ordering is June 29!

RFK, Long Drives & Drum Kits

It feels good to work for good people. And in our book, Dan Kildee is pretty awesome. Our D.C. bubble likely knows Dan succeeded his uncle, Dale Kildee, when he was elected in 2012. What you didn’t know is this is a guy who started his life in public service right out of the gate. We don’t want to spoil this great interview for you, so read on to get to know Dan Kildee a little bit better! (Interview conducted by MAA Principal Hannah Huey).

HANNAH: You’ve had a long career in public service, getting elected to the Flint Board of Education at just 18. Tell me a little bit about your career trajectory and what ultimately inspired you to run for Congress.

DAN: Well, in fact, just on Saturday, I marked the 43rd anniversary of my election to the Flint Board of Education. I was 18 years old, had graduated from high school, and enrolled at the University of Michigan and immediately launched my campaign for the Board of Education. I was a bit of a hippie, I had long hair --hard to believe -- a big beard, but I had really been moved by the activism that I witnessed growing up. I got elected in 1977 but I was this precocious kid who was really enamored of politics, partly because of my uncle who was in the State Legislature and then later served in Congress but, really, my mom and dad, who were really active. I was inspired by Bobby Kennedy so I thought there was something poetic about the fact when I came to Congress, I was elected with his grandson, and Joe and I have become pretty good friends.

That was the beginning for me and with the exception of several years that I was running a national nonprofit, I have been in elective office one way or the other, mostly local government. I feel like it literally and figuratively is in my DNA and I like it and I think I'm good at it, so, maybe in my next career I'll do something different but it's kind of getting to the point where I think I've settled on this.

HANNAH: When you took over the seat, your uncle, Congressman Dale Kildee, probably had a lot of advice for you. Are there one or two pieces of advice that particularly resonated with you?

DAN: There's a couple. I think the most important one was to be true to yourself - don't believe that somehow you get smarter after you get elected. I always felt like that about him and he gave me that advice by example. He also gave me some really specific advice -- one thing he said which is kind of an odd anecdote to come from him, he said, sometime in the first six months, find some procedural vote and miss a vote. He served for 36 years and lost or missed, like, 50 votes. I think he went 13 years at one point without missing a vote, he had a perfect voting record.

I say that only because I think what his advice meant was stay focused on actually getting things done, that the things you can get wrapped up in, like a lifetime 100% voting record is something to be careful about. He also said, see the world, don't make the mistake of pledging to never go to a foreign country as some did and he did. Don't miss the opportunity to be a good representative of this country and to learn from other people by visiting them in their countries, and so I've been able to do that as well.

HANNAH: Well, you've nicely tee’d up my next two questions for you. What is your proudest constituent service moment? 

DAN: The ones that really get our attention are when we can change somebody's life. We recently had a case - a member of the US military who was told that if he stayed in for x number more months that he would qualify for a VA education benefit that he could pass on to his children and so, he made the decision to stay in. That allowed his daughter to enroll in college and get a degree. As she was finishing her studies, somebody in the defense department made the determination that he was a few days short of the time required and this was one of those cases where we said, "No way. We're just not going to let this go." And we won that fight - we got some benefits for her, and rather than having to pay back tens of thousands of college debt, she's able to move on with her life.

I can think of other cases helping veterans. A constituent of mine who was injured and was not being allowed to get the benefit that he was due. People in military, when they sign up, they take out an insurance policy against the injury - a TSGLI insurance policy - and his was being denied despite the fact he's in a wheelchair due to an injury he suffered in service, in battle. It was one of those bureaucratic things and I remember telling some member of the top brass, that we won't quit. We're just not gonna quit until we win this fight, so, he might as well settle in because we're not gonna quit and we ultimately won that. 

And then bringing home my constituent, Amir Hekmati, who was imprisoned in Iran. In Amir's case, it was a big thing, but the cases that people never hear about, where we know that because somebody on my staff would not take no for an answer, that's some of the best work that we do. It doesn't make headlines but it changes somebody's life. That's what the job is about.

HANNAH: You've had the opportunity to participate in a few CODELs since getting elected to congress. Do you have a favorite trip?

DAN: Leader Pelosi, she was then the leader, not the speaker, asked if I would accompany her on a trip to Asia to visit with some heads of state. It included a trip to Hanoi and a couple of days in Vietnam speaking directly to the leadership of Vietnam. It occurred to me in that moment what a unique opportunity I was given to serve in Congress.  As a child, I was sort of an observer of the 1960s. I watched 1968 unfold before my very eyes - as a 10-year-old, I watched the debate over the war in Vietnam. And then to stand in front of the leader of the communist party in Vietnam, the person who is the embodiment of the battle itself and to talk to him specifically about human rights, about some of the issues that we were raising, it occurred to me what a unique and incredible experience it was and to be there, never imagining I'd have a chance to go to Vietnam and talk about my country and the people that I represent who still bear the battle scars from that place in one way or another. 

To go with Nancy Pelosi and to spend time with her and to get to know her early in my tenure in Congress was a pretty amazing experience despite the fact that a CODEL with her means no sleep. It's just nonstop but it was a great experience.

HANNAH: I know you've been driving back and forth between Flint and D.C. for votes. What do you like to listen to on those long car journeys?

DAN: Usually audio books, some really long histories. I just finished listening to Madeleine Albright's, book, Fascism -- pretty timely. Right now, I’m in the midst and will probably finish before I drive again, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book on leadership. I'm also anxious to get a copy of my former high school teacher’s book -- David Blight, who wrote what is now the definitive biography of Frederick Douglass. He was my high school history teacher.

He teaches at Yale and just won the Pulitzer Prize for his book on Douglass and he's been a good friend. I think it's long enough where I could maybe take a couple of round trips, but it's a good way to pass a long time in solitude without, you know, letting your mind get to mush.

HANNAH: If you decided to listen to music, what would it be? Do you have a favorite artist?

DAN: I finally got to see Cat Stevens at the Kennedy Center a couple years ago. I think he's just one of the greatest songwriters of all time. But if not Cat Stevens, I really love James Taylor. I'm a complete Beatles fanatic, so put me in that genre and I'm a pretty happy camper. 

I play the drums, so I often use that great old music in my headphones as I'm playing. For some reason, this last Christmas, my wife bought me an electronic set of drums which only plays into the headphones. I don't know if that was a gift for her or for me.

HANNAH: If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be?

DAN: Wow. That's a really good one. It’s hard to avoid somebody like Washington or Jefferson. That's a tough question. It really is. Certainly, Kennedy. I sort of tend toward the political…

HANNAH: You can have a dinner party and pick more than one person to sit at the table. 

DAN: One of my bigger regrets is that toward the end of his life, I missed the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela. I studied the situation in South Africa when I was in college. I was much enamored of him and I watched him walk to freedom. I was once in a place where he was right nearby and I could see him but I didn't quite make it over to say hello. He’s a person that I'm just fascinated by. I would have loved to meet him.

In honor of Dad’s everywhere, here are pictures of our wonderful fathers. Can you guess whose is whose? Read to the bottom to get the answers.

Answers: 1.) Hannah’s dad; 2.) Madison’s dad; 3.) Jacob’s dad; 4.) Rebecca’s dad; 5.) Isaac’s dad;
6.) Molly’s dad; 7.) Jaime’s dad

Juneteenth

We’ve lost count of the number of weeks of WFH, but we are counting down to the end of June (11 days to go!!). It is also Juneteenth - read more about its history here. We wanted to get today’s rundown in your inbox early, so we’ll get right down to it:

Things you should read:

• 150 years later, Americans have a chance to fulfill the legacy of Juneteenth.

• Supreme Court blocks Trump’s bid to end DACA, a win for undocumented ‘dreamers’.

• Amy Klobuchar urges Biden to choose a woman of color as his running mate.

Things to do for #BLM:

• Keep the momentum of the #BlackLivesMatter movement going. h/t Madison

• Shop online at Black-owned bookstores.

• Donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Things people are doing in their backyards:

• Google searches for bird binoculars are up 550% since March. You can get some here.

• This ex-NASA engineer built the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder.

• This rube goldberg basketball move.

Things you didn’t learn from elevator or water cooler chats:

• Elephants can get drunk. We didn’t know that, but now we do, and we thought you should, too.

• There’s a babushka pageant annually in Brighton Beach. (h/t for these tips: M.M.LaFleur)

Things to make you say aahhh:

• This peacock.

• These ducklings.

• This local artist is starting a collaboration where she will be offering high~quality curated art prints by professional female artists, because she believes that everyone deserves to have beautiful and interesting images adorning their walls.

It’s Friday, so it must be time for 20 Questions with MAA Person of the Week! This week, we bring you Haley Brown, Senior Associate who works with MAA on the Blue Dog PAC, Future Forum and California State Society. Haley joined MAA in January 2019 and we don’t know what we’d do without her!

Haley and her twin sister flew home to Ohio on Tuesday to surprise their mom for her birthday!

Who is your hero?

Hillary Clinton. Especially after watching her documentary on Hulu.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
DC. I love it here!

What is your biggest fear?
Failure.

What is your favorite family vacation?
Disney World with my Grandparents. We are hopefully going in August!

What is your proudest accomplishment?
Getting my Master’s Degree at the (GW Graduate School of Political Management) while working full time.

What is your favorite book to read?
Where The Crawdads Sing is my most recent favorite read but I’ve never re-read a book.

What was the last movie you went to?
Birds of Prey at  Angelika pop up theatre.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Taco Bell – the shredded chicken burrito and triple layer nachos.

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
1980 – so I could live through all of the 80’s.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Mind reading.

If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Michelle & Barack, RBG and Chrissy Teigen.

What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas.

What's your favorite family recipe?
Tuna noodle casserole.

What's your favorite movie?
Heathers.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Everything I ate in Taiwan.

Do you collect anything?
My plants – I have around 30 and I think of them more as my children.

If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce?
Everyone would have to say what they are thinking. No sugar coating. Say what you mean, mean what you say.

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
No filter.

What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
Ariana Grande.

Tell us something we don’t know about you!
I have a twin sister! Her name is Kinsey and we are fraternal twins, but we look pretty similar, so people are always confusing us. I just wave back when people think I’m her. It’s pretty funny.

Dads, Nixon & Bad Jokes

Did you know the first ever Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19th, 1910 in the state of Washington? It didn’t really catch on until retailers pushed it during the Great Depression and then it surged again during WWII as a way to recognize troops. But did you also know that we have Richard Nixon to thank for making it a sanctioned holiday when he signed Proclamation 4127 on May 1, 1972, which declared Father's Day as a national holiday? The first official celebration was on June 18, 1972. Incidentally, the Watergate break-in was June 17, 1972. Now you are ready for your next virtual trivia competition! You’re welcome!!

The calendar feels a little wonky these days (what doesn’t) and since it always falls on the third Sunday, it snuck up on MAA a little bit this year. Never fear – we are here for you with our last-minute gift ideas for local dads and dads further away from you.

Father’s Day Celebration Ideas:

• The 40 Best Movies About Dads to Watch on Father's Day

• Father’s Day Grill-Pack by Chef Geoff’s (delivered to your door)

• Custom-engraved bottle of bourbon from Republic Restoratives

• A custom print of your dads favorite books (from Ideal Bookshelf)

• Printable Coupons from Etsy

• DIY Personalized Grill Spatula and other DIY ideas

• 43 last-minute gift ideas (from the Strategist)

Golf has been one of the few approved socially-distant activities, so if you can, send your dad out on the links but call ahead to make a tee time - Sunday is likely to be a busy day!

We had to give a shout-out to this dad from Kensington, MD who made it in the WaPo for his bad dad jokes he started posting outside his house during quarantine. For more bad jokes, click here.

More Movie Recs

Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” Reviewed on The New Yorker - now streaming on Netflix.

Great Documentaries About Black Lives:

“I Am Not Your Negro” (Amazon) - In this Oscar-nominated film, Samuel L. Jackson reads writer James Baldwin’s piercing ruminations on race in 1960s America, particularly in light of the murders of Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcolm X.

“Quincy” (Netflix) - The astonishing career of composer, producer and arranger Quincy Jones, now 87. He shares memories of everyone from Frank Sinatra to Sarah Vaughan to Lesley Gore to Michael Jackson to Oprah Winfrey (he cast her in The Color Purple).

“13th” (Netflix) - Ava DuVernay (Selma, When The See Us) directed this incisive documentary about how America’s legal system is rigged to sweep black people off the streets and into the prison system. Commentator Van Jones is one of the experts.

“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (Netflix) - This is an affecting Oscar-nominated biography of the tremendously influential, deeply enigmatic singer and civil rights champion (1922-2003), who struggled for years with bipolar disorder. (source: People)

#LOVEWINS

ICYMI: Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down a huge win for the LGBT community with its landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. With the court ruling 6-3, and Gorsuch writing the opinion (!!!), the court has determined that gay, lesbian and transgender employees can no longer be disciplined, fired or turned down from a job based on their sexual orientation. Read more here.

Take Some Time!

Now that it officially feels like summer, that work-from-home is feeling has downgraded from hair-on-fire frantic to insanely busy (improvement!), and Zoom school for kids is almost over (praise the LORD), it really is time to start thinking about giving your brain and soul a rest. Most of us in the D.C. sector are extremely blessed to be employed during this challenging time. So I say, and to quote this article, "If you are lucky enough to have a job and the leeway to take vacation, do it!"

There are proven health benefits of vacations in normal times, so please consider what this much-needed break will do for you. A “staycation” is also much more budget friendly, so splurge on Rose’s Luxury home delivery and check out these DMV spots for some much needed solitude away from your screens. Are you an Angler? Maryland has a few free fishing days coming up on June 13 and July 4.

Some articles we read this week:

• Haley: If you attended a protest this past week/weekend please consider getting tested!

• We must do more than a hashtag: Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead).

• Madison: A good overview of what “defunding the police” really means from the Washington Post.

• Rebecca: “It’s So Surreal Thinking About How All This Started on Lake Street."

• Isaac: Why Minneapolis was the breaking point. (The Atlantic)

Jaime’s Perfect Day in DC:

As a household with now 2 little ones, our days start pretty early! My first activity would be to let my 3 ½ year-old, Sonny, tag along on my trip to a great little coffee shop my husband discovered. Büna Coffeehouse sits on an unassuming corner of Georgia Avenue and offers much more than coffee! I let Sonny choose from their yummy baked good selection and get a coffee for myself (and maybe a lox bagel if my willpower is waning).

We’ll then rejoin my husband and baby Ellis at home to prep for a family hike in Rock Creek Park. We like to take the Valley Trail off Beach Drive, just north of where it intersects with Military Road. It’s an easy walk but still has some small bridges and little climbs to make you feel like you got some exercise! After that we hit one of our favorite neighborhood spots for lunch, Taqueria del Barrio. Yummy tacos, festive atmosphere and unlimited chips and salsa – what more do you need? Then, because this is after all my perfect day and not an actual day, we walk just a couple storefronts down the block to Lulabelle’s Sweet Shop for some truly delicious ice cream. They also sell adorably packaged candy and little toys and things. While the boys hang with their cones or just outside, I wander to Willow to check out their current selection of clothes and jewelry. Honestly if you have not visited the 800 block of Upshur St. NW, you’re seriously missing out! (Timber Pizza Company ring any bells? That’s here too!)

After quite the filling lunch, Sonny will need a nap so I use this opportunity for some me time and head to my go-to nail place. While I sometimes wish it would take longer, a mani/pedi gives me about an hour to myself and I try to stay off my phone to really relax.

Back home we fire up the little splash pad for Sonny in the backyard, while my husband and I sip on homemade Moscow mules and marvel at Ellis’ fascination with his big brother. Everyone then freshens up before we meet up with some good friends at our favorite local family-friendly dinner spot, Moreland’s Tavern (as aforementioned in my MAA interview!). Super relaxed atmosphere, lots of outdoor seating and excellent wings make for the perfect evening! And since like I said, the day starts early, it also ends early so we make our way home for bedtime routines and some quiet no-kid TV time. A tame but lovely day in DC!

First Jobs & Family Service

Writing this blog has been really fun and we’ve had such kind and generous feedback from our friends who read it! To be honest, we’re still shocked we have more than 8 readers but believe or not, it’s quite a bit higher.

It seemed like a good idea to give you a spin on “Better Know A District,” for those who get that reference, and introduce you to some of the great Members we get to work with. Rep. Jimmy Panetta from California’s 20th District, represents Salinas, Santa Cruz and Carmel Valley. Jimmy was elected in 2016 and we’ve been honored to work for him since that first campaign. He serves on the Ways & Means Committee, Agriculture Committee, and Budget Committee, is a member of many caucuses, is a proud member of the Congressional Baseball Team, and co-captain of the Congressional Football Team. Read on for more!

After two days of use, I can highly recommend the 15’ Skywalker. It was more than we wanted to spend but I justified it by using our summer camp refunds.

Inspired by the first interview question, we are piling on with our first jobs so, here we go:

Haley: Lifeguard in OH
Lexi: Counselor at Camp Rainbow in NY
Madison: Hostess at a farm-to-fork restaurant in IL
Molly: Glasswasher at Abigail’s Tea Room in Lakeside, OH
Jacob: Jersey Mike’s sandwich maker in AZ
Hannah: retail at a small clothing store in NH
Isaac: bus boy at a local pub in England
Jaime: server in a catering hall in MD
Rebecca: retail at a small home decor store in SC

We’ve done some cool events, but this one was a special treat with Jimmy’s dad, Secretary Leon Panetta in September 2016. Also, I’m feeling very nostalgic for my back patio at 412 First Street SE even though it was 95 degrees that day.

MOLLY: What was your first paid job? What was the very first place of employment for Jimmy Panetta?

JIMMY PANETTA: When it came to summers for us growing up, it was “you're getting a J-O-B”. That's pretty much what it was. Now, for these kids these days, it's camps, it's vacations. For us, we had to get our summer jobs, so my first job was in seventh grade. I was a busboy/dishwasher at the restaurant that had the best '70s name because that’s when it was. The restaurant was right up here in Carmel Valley about two miles down the road and it was called the Velvet Fox.

I was a busboy until -- I'll never forget this -- I spilled tartar sauce on a lady when I was bringing it to her, and I was relegated to be a dishwasher subsequent to that. After that, I was a doorman and a yard boy at a local lodge here in Carmel Valley, and then I was a busboy at the local Mexican restaurant, Plaza Linda. I was a greenskeeper and a cart boy, because you had to work at golf clubs here, and that pretty much kept me sustained throughout high school and then throughout my junior college and it help me pay my way through college.

MOLLY: I would love for you to tell people about what really first inspired you to run for office because you've had more exposure to government service than most.

JIMMY PANETTA: It’s funny, a lot of people think, "Oh, what types of conversations did your family have at your dinner table?" My parents did a really good job keeping me and my two older brothers separate from their politics and their work as best as they could. Obviously, it was all consuming for my father who was a Member for 16 years, and then all the other things he did, but during those 16 years, my mom was his volunteer district director. They did the best they could to keep us separate. I guess you'd say it might be in our blood, but it wasn't in our heads, to be frank. It wasn’t until I got outside the house that I was really exposed to their work because people still come up to me and they don't talk about the work that my dad did as a director of CIA or SecDef or anything like that.

They always tell me a personal story how they had an issue with the federal government, they didn't know what to do, they went to their Congressman and they got service that actually affected them for the rest of their lives. It's amazing how many constituents come up to me now and talk about a story, an issue they had 40 years ago where they went to my dad and were served. And that's what inspired me because you actually can see that in this job, it's this case by case constituent casework where you can actually affect people's lives. And I pride myself and my staff on the work that they do to help people.

MOLLY: Any particular proudest moments of constituent service that come to mind?

JIMMY PANETTA: Yeah, there's a number of them. That's what's great is now I'm hearing stories not about what my parents did. I'm hearing stories about what I did, what my office did, what my staff did, which is phenomenal and that's how it should be. Obviously, it took a few years to get to that point because of the work that we've been doing. It's not overnight. I mean, we had the conversation earlier, Molly, about a lot of people want instant gratification these days. That's not getting the job done, unfortunately, a lot of the times it's grinding it out especially when you're dealing with the bureaucracy of the US government. It's a grind, it's that constant pressure of letting the government know you're not going away because you have an issue with them in order to help this constituent of yours. I'm starting to hear these stories about the good work that my staff is doing. One in particular really just kind of tells you what it's about.

One lady came up to me and said, "I had an issue where I wanted to get my fiancé here. He was an immigrant. He was coming into this country before Christmas and they were holding him up and I'm a teacher at a school. The immigration service was holding him up. We contacted your office, your office made some calls. Next thing you know, not only was my fiancé brought into this country, he's allowed to stay here with a proper visa and work here as a psychologist in the same school that I'm working at." So, you see, you not only help that relationship of them getting married and that family, but you helped the children at that school by having another psychologist in that school. So you see the ripple of effects of just helping one person, you can really help the community. So that's what it's about and I cannot stress that enough.

 MOLLY: What's been your favorite CODEL you've been on?

JIMMY PANETTA: I've been on some cool ones. My favorite one was the one I did last summer in August 2019 where I went to West Africa. We started off in Stuttgart, Germany at AFRICOM, we got an overview of AFRICOM and the special forces operation. We then took a plane directly to Niger, went out to a couple forward operating bases, we then went to Nigeria, then went up to Mali and went out to a couple of places there, and then we ended up in France, in Paris talking about the special forces there.

I don't know if you remember the unfortunate tragedy in Niger where four special operators were killed in October of 2017? One of the reasons why more people U.S. service members weren’t killed was because of our allies. Africa is so big and it's hard to have a quick reaction force. And so, during that tragedy, we had to rely on our allies. If it weren’t for the French Mirages, the planes that flew in really low and scattered the attackers during that incident, more U.S. service members would have been killed.

Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who represents Fort Bragg, came on that CODEL and so, when we got to Paris, we set it up so he was able to present to one of the three pilots a certificate thanking them for their service, so that was a real highlight of the trip.

MOLLY: Tell us something we don't know about you. What about your favorite musician? What's your music?

JIMMY PANETTA: That's funny. My wife will kill me because she is a music person. I'm not really a music person. My songs are about what I can listen to on the plane to be honest with you. When I take the red eye back, give me my classical music that I can put on my Bose headphones to knock me out and not wake me up. And then coming back, I like to do work and I need to songs that kind of drive and get you going without distracting you.

MOLLY: I love hearing stories about your wife [Superiour Court of Monterey County Judge Carrie Panetta]. How did you meet?

JIMMY PANETTA: It was at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in Berkeley, California. We worked there. She had worked at a civil firm in San Francisco. She could've become a partner, but she felt the drive to serve. She had heard that if you wanted to get in public service, you want to be a prosecutor, and Alameda County is the place to do it, and I say that in my biased opinion, but it's true. Alameda County is a great office. And so, she came over and fortunately, we were able to meet.

Although she was in the Oakland office at the time, she was often hanging out with my classmates. I would always make it a point to go from Berkeley to have lunch with them over in Oakland and to hang out with her and eventually, that led to the relationship that we have now.

MOLLY: And I can't believe your girls are now in eighth and ninth grade!

JIMMY PANETTA: Crazy. But you know, I got to tell you, one of the silver linings of this pandemic is that I am catching up on a lot of dinners that I've missed. An hour before dinner or an hour after dinner, we usually have outside time in which my youngest daughter, Gia and I will go out and play three games of how many free throws we can make, who has the most free throws out of 10 and then we do around the world and then my other daughter is over there hitting the softball off the tee and I'll join her as well because I got to keep up my swing for the congressional baseball game. That's been the nice thing to be honest with you is that we've actually been able to spend some good time here at home. My wife is back at work and I'll be going back to the office in the district because we've been opening up offices around California these last couple of weeks.

So it's been nice that I've been able to be here and to really get some quality time and reconnect with them in their lives right now. I look forward to continuing to do that as we continue to endure through this pandemic.

MOLLY: When do you think we go back to “Normal” again? Until we have a vaccine?

JIMMY PANETTA: Well, that's the question is what is the new normal going to be and when is it going to be here? In order to see this disease without a vaccine it will require more testing. Business can open up but is it going to business as normal? We have to provide confidence to people to continue going out, to give them an assurance that they're not going to get sick if they go out. Testing will aid that and will better inform how and when economies open back up. I think we're going to do what we do best and that's adjust, adapt, but continue to advance. We always go forward and I think we'll do that in one way or the other in order to get through this.

THANK YOU, JIMMY!

Jimmy at the 2019 Congressional Baseball game.