JD says: (4/18/13 9:56 PM)
Also, this might be a good time for me to alert folks that you may be finding my output even slower and more semi-retired than usual. I haven't wanted to really talk about this publicly, but my mother has been ill for the past 18 months, and is unfortunately continuing to decline. My father is her primary caregiver, but I am shuttling to their house a lot these days.

There is no potential happy ending to this story, and it's been a heartwrenching experience, watching this force of nature fade away as she lost the ability to speak along with the marked decline in other areas of her life. We then got hit with an additional whammy of her also falling victim to ALS, but the version that primarily strikes a person's throat and chest, so that now her swallowing abilities are severely compromised.

Then last week my dad fell off his bike while riding on the Rock Creek Trail and dislocated his shoulder, so he's in a sling for another couple weeks.

(and I won't even mention my 15-year-old cat's current maladies, which necessitated an emergency trip to the vet on Monday)

Needless to say, the space in my life for blogging has shrunk considerably, and there are also a lot of times when I just don't have the drive or the concentration to do much more than sit on the sofa and try to come to terms with what we're dealing with, and what is on the not-too-distant horizon.

So, if I disappear for a while, or don't post about stuff you think I should still be posting about, or my posts seem short and perhaps missing some detail, there really is a good reason.

thedofc says: (4/19/13 12:01 AM)
Hi JD,
I'm a long-time reader, but rare commenter. Thanks for the phenomenal work you do and I'm hoping the best for you and your family.

B in DC says: (4/19/13 9:27 AM)
I'm really sorry. Thinking of you and your family.

Packinblackandred says: (4/19/13 9:33 AM)
Best wishes, JD. You certainly don't have to explain yourself to us!

conngs0 says: (4/19/13 9:56 AM)
JD, thanks for the information about your current tribulations only because it provides an opportunity to wish you well at such a difficult time.

With respect to your wonderful website here, the fact that you do such a tremendous service of informing folks about the neighborhood's development does not confer an obligation to continue in the same detail and vigor (or at all, for that matter). I sincerely hope that you continue to the extent that the project remains rewarding for you, and (selfishly) because I value the updates that you provide along with your insightful commentary and perspective. But I don't think that anyone would fault you for allocating your energy where it is needed more.

Best wishes over the course of this trying time ahead. And in the event that a little news and friendly comment-section banter provides a constructive diversion for you, I know the folks who view this site will be here for you.

mletschin says: (4/19/13 12:40 PM)
JD, Our prayers are with you and your family. You have been an invaluable source of info over the years and a great asset to the neighborhood and the least we can do is throw our prayers your direction

Andrew in DC says: (4/19/13 2:36 PM)
JD, I can only echo Mike's and all the other comments above. Our thoughts are with you. Take care.

JD says: (4/19/13 4:00 PM)
Thanks all, I very much appreciate the good thoughts.

And I do know that people wouldn't hammer on me (too much!) if I had just slipped into 75% retirement here and there, but I did feel like an explanation helps *me* be less stressed about feeling like I need to do some JDLand work when maybe it's not the best time.

F says: (4/19/13 8:05 PM)
JD,
You've been a godsend to our neighborhood. You've done so much for us. Let us know if we can do anything for you in these times.

Our prayers are with you and your family.

F

Sally M says: (4/19/13 9:30 PM)
Just a word from another fan. You're an invaluable source of news and of our sense of community. Since you've confided in this forum, please do let us know if there's any way we can help you. That's the other part of what neighborhoods do. My best to you and your folks and everyone who's going through this with you.

SM

PTV-23 says: (4/20/13 6:54 PM)
JD,

I had to investigate the password reset function to be sure I could join your friends in saying I wish the very best to you and your family.

You have given me a new perspective on life here on the Hill. I find myself monitoring bridges, construction sites, city planning meetings, and restaurant openings to a degree that my friends and colleagues now think I am a bit obsessed.

I will think about you and your family as I watch this great part of the city experience a renaissance.

Mark on the Hill

JD says: (4/21/13 12:24 PM)
And I'll just sneak in that today is Mom and Dad's 51st wedding anniversary. For those who came in late, my dad wrote a series of posts for JDLand back in early 2011 on their life on the Hill from 1959 to 1969:

link