(Mary returns to DC. Photo by Jamie).

In the old DC, the one before air conditioning, August was traditionally the time everyone went back to there districts, or the shore. I don’t recall a milder Swamp summer in my thirty-something years living here (counting made me use four digits) and I am either getting more credulous, or dumber, in those decades.

Or likely both.

Upside this week? Old Jim’s widow Mary was in town for a mini-reunion of the Willow Refuges. a dozen or s of us gathered at the “1789” Restaurant in Georgetown where Tracy O’Grady s now Executive Chef. It was grand to see the old crowd and the food and drink were grand.

That would be the best part of a soggy and disconcerting week. Things continue on their surreal course here as our scandals, international negotiations and wars continue, along with the usual domestic strife.

Hottest issues? There is such a rich palate from which to choose!

President had an affair with Playboy Playmate, this before before Stormy Daniels. Yawn. I just think it must be chilly in the Residence upstairs at the White House. Michael Cohen’s tapes, recorded before The Donald decided to run for President, were a brief cause celeb, with the promise of another ten to come.

If my attorney was recording me, I might want to consider going elsewhere for legal counsel.

The drumbeat of accusations of Russian meddling in our last election continues but does”t seem to resonate beyond CNN. The fight between the network and the White House has devolved into a low-comedy Opera Buffe and is entertaining in a certain perverse Swamp manner. I will never shout at Jim Acosta quite the same way again.

I have followed Lizze Warren with interest as she probes her Presidential path, and the emergence of the Progressives lurching left looking for new face- or at least someone under 70. Not the President is a spring chicken. I have no idea where these geriatric people get the energy to do all this.

Are the NORKs complying with the general agreement to denuclearize? I don’t trust them further than I can throw them, but who knows?

The back and forth Tweets between The Swamp and Tehran are startling. I am hoping it is to war while my son is still active duty.

The Syrian border fighting has moved right to Israel, and a Syrian Sukoi jet strayed a couple miles into Israeli airspace and was shot down. Proximity has a certain urgency, you know?

That is by no means the limit of tension. Here in DC, the Mueller mess grinds on with more salacious allegations about things that have no connection to the reality in which some of us live. It is getting boring.

Mr. Rosenstein might start considering retirement options or the title of the book he will write.

I wonder what we will come up up next week. I am sure we can top this.

Copyright 2018 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com