July

As July dawned, we were on our way back from Hawaii. We had about a 3 hour layover in LA in the morning – Jill and I got breakfast from a food truck in the terminal. We were awake for the second leg, but it was uneventful trip back to Dulles, then Nina and I went shopping and she chose an Oreo cake for Jill’s birthday that night. Monday the 2nd was concert #21: Barenaked Ladies with KT Tunstall & Better Than Ezra at Wolf Trap. Hot night for a show, but still good performances from all acts. Nina was a trooper (soft serve ice cream helped too).

Nina

The most important thing about July 4th was Nina let us sleep until 12:30. We finally had time to really unpack and settle back in (and handle the yardwork), before we went out with the O’Riordans on the lake for dinner and fireworks (our boat wasn’t clean and their motor was broken). As Jill said “we enjoyed ourselves, while remembering that we are aiming for a more perfect union, and it is a fight we are not willing to cede. We live in the heart of the nation, where we were drawn to the diversity which makes our country so beautiful. Let’s not forget what has always made America great.”

fireworks

While reading an article about 20 Years Since “One Week” Friday, I was delighted to learn Barenaked Ladies had premiered “One Week” at the 1998 HFStival, which I was at. Saturday the 7th we celebrated a belated Father’s Day with Dad by the Bay, then Nina and Jill went to the crowded water park while I installed a new printer for him. We stopped at Bojangles on the way back before racing out to Leesburg for concert #22: Todd Wright and Ryan Wright at his always fun annual homecoming show in Leesburg. Dropping his new CD there was just a bonus.

Kerry Nina

Thursday this was the perfect accompaniment to this fine libation Nina chose for me for Father’s Day. Friday I got Nina from camp and we met Jill at Tysons Corner Center for concert #23: Matt Nathanson with Keelan Donovan. I don’t know who decided to put the stage right next to the pirate playground on the plaza there, but you, sir or madam, are a frickin’ genius. And Matty put on a heck of a show, even though he was suffering from “swamp crotch” in the heat. Big thanks to Linda for letting Nina stand with her front and center for a while.

Matt and us
Jill and I are at the bottom – right in the center, and Nina is leaning over the barricade halfway up next to Linda.

Saturday the 14th was concert #24: National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap. Just the afternoon rehearsal – Nina said it wasn’t her favorite, but some Tchaikovsky (Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23) and Beethoven (Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125) isn’t bad for her cultural education. Plus Inon Barnatan is a very talented pianist.

Nina

We were planning on visiting the Chambers family on the 21st and going to Hersheypark, but the coming storms looked ominous and we made a last minute decision to go directly to Pennsylvania after we picked Nina up from camp. We stopped in Frederick at Cafe Bueno for some fine Mexican food along the way. The next morning we got a couple hours in the park before the rains came (and a couple more attractions after that) before we were drenched and gave up. Nina was excited that she rode her first looping roller coaster. The girls played during the afternoon, and I headed over to the Brass Rail Deli for a panini as I’d skipped lunch at the park. We also decided not to go back home that night because of the many flooded roads.

Jill Nina

Saturday the 28th we got on the road early after a lot of last minute packing the night before. Traffic wasn’t too bad until New Jersey, but it still took us a while to get to Jill’s dad’s house even though twice Nina’s need for a bathroom made us realize upcoming traffic doom and avoid it. Nina got a late lunch with the fairies, then we finished our trip at Jill’s mom’s house.

Nina

Sunday Sue and Dave took us to Sylvester’s for breakfast where Nina and I managed to stumble across a Turn It Up sidewalk sale where I did very well. Later we drove near Boston to see my sister and her family. We followed them to Nantasket Beach so we could play near and in the Atlantic Ocean, then shared salads and pizzas at L Street Pizza.

Monday we drove up to the University of Massachusetts Boston so Jill could show Nina her alma mater and discover her favorite teacher was now a dean. We also had lunch in the dining hall there. We drove back to western Massachusetts after a quick stop at In Your Ear (not my favorite), this time staying at Jill’s sister’s house. After dinner the kids (cousins from Ireland were visiting as well) had a water balloon fight (Jill was collateral damage) and we all made s’mores.

Nina

Tuesday the 31st Jill and I took Nina and Ava to get ice cream and then run around at the Hampden Memorial Spray Park in the afternoon, then a big giant cookout for family in the evening (I got to grill the burgers, the only I cooking I did until we camped later). Sue took Nina and Ava for a sleepover that night.

Ava Nina