Quiz #48. Mayday, Mayday
It's not a distress call, but this is not your standard Steve's Stay-at-Home Coronavirus Quiz on May 7, 2020.
If there was ever a time to send out an international distress signal, it’s now.
At the end of this week, I am simply out of gas. Nothing in the tank.
I just don’t have the bandwidth for the typical Stay-at-Home Coronavirus Quiz. Still, I worried that not sending out a quiz at the end of the week might be seen as some kind of distress signal. Rest assured, we’re OK, no one in the family is infected and we’re looking forward to that Friday question, “What are you doing this weekend?”
At lunch today, Thursday, May 7th, Sara suggested that I just send out some photos instead of a full-blown quiz.
It occurred to me that one year ago this Friday, May 8th, Sara and I were headed to Syracuse to celebrate Will’s graduation from college. Fast forward a year—and no one is going anywhere. Not being part of a graduation ceremony is a huge loss for the kids—and families—that are part of the Class of 2020. It’s one more part of this pandemic that just plain sucks.
If there had been a graduation in Syracuse this weekend, it would have been interesting—and remarkable. After lunch, Sara texted the quarantine text chain that we have going in the house to let everyone know that there’s snow in the forecast this weekend for Syracuse. The forecast is for an “historic May snowstorm” to hit the Northeast with some spots expected to get 6-8 inches of snow. Will texted back,
Spring doesn’t exist up there. It’s fake news.
So, as we continue to look back on the past and reminders of when things were normal, please indulge me as I take a trip down memory lane for college graduation pictures of the 5 children in our blended family.
Betsy and Annie, University of Hartford, 2004
Annie, University of Hartford, 2004
Ted, Ohio Wesleyan, 2008
Betsy, Ted and Annie, Ohio Wesleyan, 2008
Sara and John, Syracuse, 2015
Will and John, Syracuse, 2015
Betsy, Michigan State, 2015
Ted, Erica, Annie, Steve, Betsy and Sparty at Michigan State, 2015
Will on the Lincoln Statue outside the Maxwell School at Syracuse, 2019
Will and the @601Boyz, Syracuse, 2019
What did NOT happen?
A. At Annie’s graduation, the ceremony almost needed to be stopped because students were throwing a red beach ball (seen with the school mascot, a Hawk, above). Someone sitting next to Annie asked, “I wonder what kid brought the beach ball?” She told him, “It was my Dad;”
B. Teddy’s graduation speaker talked about the need for the nation to prepare for pandemics from unknown viruses;
C. John and Betsy graduated on the same weekend in different states so Sara went to John’s and I went to Betsy’s;
D. Betsy’s graduation speaker was the Michigan State football coach, Mark Dantonio;
E. Will and his friends were surprised when Steve was able to get onto the field at the Carrier Dome just minutes after graduation to take the last picture here of Will with his housemates, the @601boyz. He told them the key was “to act like you were allowed to be there.”
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Want more?
Here’s the next quiz in the series: Quiz #49. Cookies and Milk.
Here’s the previous quiz in the series: Quiz #47. Hungry.
Here’s the first quiz in the series: Quiz #1. Stella and Social Distancing, March 13, 2020
Here is an archive of all the quizzes.
The quiz is explained here: Steve’s Stay-at-Home Coronavirus Quiz.
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