May

My friend Tony is a pinball fanatic – bought a brand new Iron Maiden game and is currently restoring an older one. Late in 2021, he let me know that the next big game Stern was making would be a Rush one. I preordered the premium version (middle option of the 3 offered) because it had my favorite art, and waited. And waited, as many were out there, but I wanted to wait for mine before playing. Then on Thursday the 5th the delivery truck came. I got it on my dolley and the driver and I wrestled all 350 pounds to the backyard (my arms hurt and I got a gigantic bruise on my triceps where it dug in on the hill).

pinball

I was working that day, but rain was possible, so I’d come out between cloud deployments to do the basic assembly. 4 chairs and my 2 ton jack lift later, I got the legs on. When Jill got home, we could barely lift one end. When the dads were out around dinnertime while the kids were playing, I was able to grab 3 of them to get it inside. I didn’t finish it until the next day, but I had a lot of fun with it (Nina and Jill enjoyed it as well). Besides the awesome music, they got Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson from the band to record voices for the game.

Nina

Friday I was outraged about the latest Covid numbers, because “outbreaks in schools, primarily the elementary grades, have increased rapidly. Last week, there were 74 classrooms that reported outbreaks of COVID-19 cases and this week there were 139.” So I ranted that we got rid of the governor who was a doctor and instead got a partisan hedge fund manager who promised his base he’d get rid of masks in the name of parents’ rights. Where’s my right not to have my kid get sick? We got takeout that night from Panda House and Nina decided she couldn’t go to Tae Kwon Do that night because she was “having a mid-life crisis”.

Nina

Saturday Nina went to a birthday party while I went to Merriweather Post Pavilion for the annual M3 Rock Festival. It was the smallest crowd I’d ever seen there thanks to rainy, cool weather, just a sprinkling of die hards on the lawn. Thanks to Covid Extreme pulled out the day before, but as I said at the time “It may be 45 degrees out and I’m wearing my winter jacket at a concert, plus the band I bought the tix for canceled (Extreme), but damn if Blue Öyster Cult isn’t bringing the rock hard here at. And the band just turned 50!” The earlier performance of Stephen Pearcy from Ratt wasn’t bad, but I left after Blue Öyster Cult as I was starving (the protein bar I’d packed was moldy) and I’d seen the new The Food Market on the way in and wanted to eat before they closed (and the lamb was delicious too).

Nina

Sunday the 8th was Mother’s Day and we had the day planned. In midafternoon we drove to Old Town Alexandria and Jill got a surprise shopping spree at her favorite yarn store while Nina and I went down the block to Fleurir Chocolates. Jill had asked for Mexican food, and the fancy places in Old Town were booked, so we ended up at Dos Amigos, which was perfectly fine (felt like Don Pablos). We went over to National Harbor and Nina had some Thai ice cream at Panda Tea House (she was bummed the place at Hunter Woods had closed) and Jill and I found goodies at Savannah’s Candy Kitchen (a gopher and a caramel apple). Then we parked at MGM National Harbor and walked to the theater. Companion was a good opening act (reminded us of First Aid Kit), then Tori Amos came out (with a band!). Great show, but still a school night so we left halfway through.

Kerry Jill Nina

Monday Nina started having an asthma attack as the tree pollen peaked, needing her nebulizer for the first time in months. We had to keep her home for a couple days before Jill was able to get her to the allergist and increase her medication. Friday the 13th I saw this and said goodbye to Landmark Mall. I didn’t shop there much, even when I lived nearby, but I definitely bought some concert tickets at the Tower Records there. We had takeout from Mehak, but Nina didn’t like their butter chicken (her usual).

Nina Kerry

Saturday the 21st we went over to our next door neighbor’s for a surprise birthday party, and ended up staying until it was dark as his oldest granddaughter (who is Nina’s age) was there to play and Jill and I drank brandy and chatted with neighbors.

Nina

Wednesday the FedEx freight hauler was very happy, as all he had to do with Nina’s new bed was take it off the truck and drop the pallet in my parking space (rain was expected). After dinner I went to the Kennedy Center to see Love: A Joni Mitchell Songbook. I figured it was just a selection of her hits with an orchestra, but it turned out to a more meticulously planned than that. Conductor and arranger of the evening Vince Mendoza was also the conductor and arranger of Joni’s albums Both Sides Now (classic covers) and Travelogue (her hits) and the evening consisted of songs from those two albums. I had bought the tix just for Aoife O’Donovan alone, but we also got Jimmie Herrod, Lalah Hathaway, Renée Fleming & Raul Midón as vocalists. A really nice show.

Nina

Thursday the 26th Jill’s mom Sue and her cousin Bets were coming to visit, and Jill was off, so in the afternoon we brought in the bed pieces from the parking lot. After dinner we got the basic bed assembled and Nina was able to sleep on it. Friday it was Sue’s choice for takeout, and after consultation with Nina, settled on Big Buns. Later I said I was always glad when people keep their word.

Nina Jill

For Memorial Day weekend, I grilled and took our guests out on the boat every day. Saturday Sue and Bets took Nina back to the Van Gogh exhibit. Sunday I slept in while everyone else went to Great Falls, then Jill took Nina and friends to the pool. Monday we had the traditional dogs & burgers, plus Sue made her delicious potato salad. Tuesday I took my Civic to Tysons Corner to get it inspected and have maintenance done, dropping Sue and Bets at the Metro there and driving Sue’s car back home. My car wasn’t ready until late and Sue and Bets headed to Maryland to see friends for dinner, so I had to walk to get Nina, and our first CSA produce pickup wilted some in the heat before Jill picked it up around 8.

Bets Sue Nina Jill