Friday the 1st was the day of Nina’s show at acting camp, so Jill got the day off and we drove over to see an odd social media take on The Wizard of Oz. We drove separately so they could run errands and I came back home to keep working. Saturday was Jill’s birthday and after I ran errands like picking up beer at Aslin and more plants from Reston Farm Garden Market, we went over to Ford’s Fish Shack. Nina ordered a whole lobster like me, but wouldn’t touch it when it came so I got two! – I brought my own butter this time. She snacked off Jill’s fried seafood and then got her own fish and chips. Later we gave Jill her gifts.
Sunday I’d purchased some of the fireworks stand fireworks and Nina and I set them off in the backyard. Monday was the 4th and we went out on the lake and tied up with the Grunspans to watch the show. Nina liked setting off a Chinese lantern from the boat. Tuesday Nina was back at RA Camp, this time for her favorite Art Camp: My Mom Would Never Let Me Do That! Or it used to be – apparently after the time we signed up she decided it was for little kids, and was very upset to go. But we convinced he to try it out for one day, and she ended up making friends and stayed for the rest of the week.
Wednesday I went to Jammin’ Java for the first non-Nina show since the pandemic started to see Séan McCann (from Great Big Sea). He was Nina’s third concert, but it was just me this time, and he did a nice selection of his recent tunes plus some Great Big Sea classics and great stories. Friday I also had a concert, but for the first time since Jill’s been working in Stone Ridge, she wasn’t able to get out in time for me to go. So I brought Nina to her when she got out of work, and continued on my way to Jiffy Lube Live. I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to park as the concert had started, but I was so very wrong. By the time I got tired of waiting and forced a parking spot over the curb, the first set had ended. Still, I was in my seat with a tasty giant can of beer by the time Dead & Company returned, and they still played a good long time. When I met my friend Stuart, it was because of Eddie From Ohio, but we soon bonded over a shared love of jam bands. We went to Phish, String Cheese Incident & Allman Brothers Band, but had to see the originators as well. We saw The Dead, Furthur and Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music of Jerry Garcia, and the last show I saw him at was the first Dead & Company tour. Until this night, that was the last I’d seen any of them either, but it felt like it was time. So I said “Here’s to you, Stu.” (Janice, I hope I’m doing it right – I’m not drinking 6 of these behemoths)
Saturday Jill went to a drag bunch with coworkers and we had a family pinball tournament. Monday the 11th Nina was back at RA’s Day Camp Session. She got her new Invisalign braces that day. We ate outside at Little Beast on Friday the 15th. We were very busy on Saturday as Nina was leaving for her first sleepaway camp. We did some last minute shopping and prepared postcards and a care package that they would deliver later in the week. Sunday we headed over to the Fairfax County Government Center where we signed in and all the Girl Scouts got on buses and headed down to Camp May Flather. After Jill and I finished the rest of our weekly chores, we picked up cheesesteaks from Santinis before going to see Toad the Wet Sprocket, Gin Blossoms & Barenaked Ladies at Wolf Trap. I was delighted that show put me above 3000 shows at setlist.fm.
The week went by fast without Nina. The camp posted pictures to a private Facebook group, and it was the most pictures of her at camp I’d gotten since she was in preschool. I’d taken advantage of Wolf Trap’s perk for members to trade tickets with changing plans, and picked up 2 concerts that week: Gabe Dixon, Los Lobos & Tedeschi Trucks Band (they’d only gotten better since I’d seen them 6 years prior, but Los Lobos had a singer out with Covid and Susan Tedeschi sat in with them) and Quinn Christopherson, Julien Baker, Angel Olsen & Sharon Van Etten (the first show of their Wild Hearts tour, but only Angel Olsen & Sharon Van Etten performed together on the last song of the night).
I sent Nina an email every night. Here they are:
Sunday
Tonight we went to Wolf Trap. We had planned on taking you before you signed up for May Flather, but you would have been bored. Mommy even stood up and danced a lot, so you would probably have been embarrassed too.
We heard the large group opening campfire was cancelled due to rain. We hope your small campfire went well. We love and miss you, and hope you have a great day Monday!
Monday
After the 3 storms we got yesterday, we only got one today, and I finally finished cleaning the boat (remember how bad the life jackets smelled?). I made ribs for dinner, and Mom and I took a walk around Audobon after dinner, but we were sweating as the humidity went right back up again.
We hear you have a little cooler weather and went creek hopping and did archery today. We hope you got to go swimming too. The time travelling all camp sounds like fun, can’t wait for you to tell us all about it.
Tuesday
Tonight I didn’t see your mom until 11 at night. She had to run errands after work, while I went to a show at Wolf Trap at 6. I saw Los Lobos & the Tedeschi Trucks Band. I saw one girl about your age who had a phone and noise cancelling headphones who gave her dad such an eyeroll she reminded me of you.
I was misinformed about the time travelling last night – instead you had the dutch auction that looked fun. You’ll have to explain to us why the stuffed animal was inside your poncho.
So you tie dyed and did the challenge course today? Fun. We can’t wait to see your shirt and hear what a glow tower session is.
It sounds like it was as hot there as it was here today. I only had to chase the geese away once before they gave up. I had breakfast for lunch (eggs and toast), then I was planning on having tacos for dinner, but Mom brought home some of Miss Arcelia’s chili, so we had that on hot dogs instead. I’m waiting until almost bedtime to walk outside.
Using slingshots sounds cool. I wonder if you’re as good with them as you are with a bow and arrow. I hope someone takes a video of your skit or song tomorrow.
I’m dreading tomorrow evening – I’m going to a long concert at Wolf Trap, and it’s going to be super hot. I was pretty hot last night (since I’m still wearing a mask), but tomorrow’s going to be worse. I’m thinking of bringing a bucket of ice and wearing it like a hat.
Thursday
So that concert at Wolf Trap? There was a big storm in the afternoon today, and it was the coolest concert of the whole week! It was a bunch of indie rock queens, but now I’m tired.
A sleep in breakfast and a Spa morning sounds like the perfect day for you. We can’t wait to see you when the bus rolls in tomorrow.
It’s Mom’s night to choose food, and we may just go nearby in Fairfax and eat there.
Love you and miss you,
Mom & Dad
Nina got back from camp Friday night and we ate at nearby Coastal Flats on their patio. I thought it would be hard to get Nina out of the house to go see the musical Six in DC the next day, but the songs had already earwormed her and she was playing them that morning. It was a hot day so I dropped them at the National Theatre while I parked near our final destination and walked back, joining them just in time for the matinee – I can’t imagine a more perfect show for a tween who likes both Hamilton and Blackpink. Afterwards we walked down to Jaleo, where Nina got her favorite Spanish food, seafood paella and Jill and I got lots of tapas to share. In spite of the heat, the shaded by umbrellas and vegetation patio was very comfortable (although the frozen sangria I got helped immensely).
Monday the 25th Nina started RCC’s Camp Goodtimes on the Road where they basically take a field trip each day. The week was going fine until she realized we’d be leaving for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival on Thursday night and she’d miss the trip to the water park on Friday (she was pretty salty about it until she went to the same camp the next week and learned they’d canceled due to storms). We did leave Thursday night as planned and ended up staying in the same hotel in Edison, NJ as when we did the same thing in 2019 (thanks, Hilton points). We did one bad thing, which was to try and get drinks from Sonic and food from White Castle, and ended up waiting nearly an hour as 3 huge dudes ordered a box of 100 sliders, then discovered that Sonic didn’t get any of our drinks correct.
We got back on the road and made it to Goshen, CT by early afternoon. We had a look around, then Jill helped me set up the tent and they hit the road to spend the weekend at Jill’s sister’s house and their improved pool. I was fine with hanging with the rest of our Shantytowne friends – a weekend watching live music and sitting around drinking beer is never overrated by me. I really liked my new finds of TEOA (The End of America) and the Oshima Brothers, and it was nice to see Crys Matthews again.
