Blogged In

Wednesday the 3rd we confirmed our suspicion with Nina’s doctor that she has a severe egg allergy. Now we’re making sure she’s not in contact with anything with eggs in it.

Saturday the 6th I went to the Virgin Mobile Freefest at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Just me, but that was nice as I decided where to go. I started my day with Ben Folds Five at the main stage (seen Ben solo, but never the group before) from the lawn, then stayed for Alabama Shakes. I went looking for food, but the lines were crazy long and there wasn’t much I wanted, so I got a drink instead. I went down into the pit for ZZ Top, and they were the highlight of the festival for me – classic songs, and they can still rock. M83 and Jack White were good too, but it was getting pretty cold towards the end. I had a hankering for a hot dog though, and found Bold Bite in Bethesda (New York was very tasty).

The next day we took Nina to Georgia’s 4th birthday party at Walker Nature Education Center. It was fun, but it was close to naptime so we left kinda early.

Columbus Day was Monday and I worked from home, as the thundering of a 13 month old, a Husky and a Malamute above my head was quieter than the construction at work (and some toxic new carpet glue was nastier than any diaper I’ve smelled).

While I have long referred to useless CDs as “coasters”, Thursday the 11th was the first day I actually tried to use one in that manner. Verdict: surprisingly effective. Friday I heard “Enter Sandman” at the high school football field and realized it’s older than most of the people there.

Sunday the 14th we watched Felix Baumgartner’s epic jump from the edge of space on TV in the morning. Mom put Nina to bed in the evening while we tried Alegria, the new Mexican place in Vienna (sister of Bazin’s), then headed over to the Patriot Center to see Peter Gabriel. It was the 25th anniversary of So, and he was performing all of it – I’d never seen him do “Don’t Give Up” before, and love that song. Of course “In Your Eyes” was still the highlight, but props for performing a concert with a complete album and still giving us a show. The next day Nina climbed my face to get to the CD player on the lounge chair. I can’t decide if this is good thing or a bad thing.

I saw the new Led Zeppelin concert film Thursday the 18th in Tysons with Norm. Pretty great, except when they briefly cut to some cell phone video. Looks like someone threw up on the screen compared to the HD footage.

Jill and I celebrated my birthday at the Passenger in Columbia Heights on Saturday the 20th. We had a quick dinner there as we were late (the kimchi hot dog was divine, duck tacos also good), then we had a reservation at the Columbia Room, a private room inside where we had a three custom cocktail course. I’d parked at Ballston and we took Metro in, then we used Uber to get home – a great experience we would definitely reuse (if I could, I would have skipped the hangover the next day).

We celebrated my birthday with my parents at Mom’s on Saturday the 27th, eggless carrot cake was scrumptious. The rest of the weekend was not horrible , but I had a cold and we spent lots of time gathering supplies for the storm. I took Monday and Tuesday off as Nina’s daycare was closed for Hurricane Sandy. Monday morning the wind picked up, steady rain started, and there was a crazy running around baby. The mailman, trash guys, and dog walker were all out early – best part is mailman brought the big box of used toys I ordered. The wind got more intense throughout the day – I didn’t know Lake Thoreau could get whitecaps. I always wondered at what age finger licking started, now I know (after fried chicken for dinner). Jill was working late but got home safely, Nina slept in our room (nursery is windiest room in the house).

Tuesday I was home again as daycare was still closed, along with the schools (winds died down over the day, our area only got a glancing blow). We danced along to “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” as we were listening to Beatles Anthology 3, and I had this to say to Nina:
Dear daughter, while I agree catapults are wonderful things, a spoon full of mashed banana is not the medium to make one of. Also, she’s now saying “Hi”, likes to dance, and can climb on chairs.

On Halloween, Nina wore her costume, but we were too busy around bedtime to handle trick or treaters, so we put a bowl of candy outside (it was barely touched anyway). Later, we watched Halloween themed episodes of Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers (it was perfect and Gene had most of the good lines).

Sunday the 2nd was Nina’s first birthday, and we went big. Jill’s dad Bob, her sisters Melissa and Robin, her mom Sue and her oldest nephew Jake came down for the weekend (as well as all my family, so she had all four grandparents together for the first time), and lots of friends and family came over for the party. We had a big spread of food (including some eggless strawberry cupcakes Jill made). Nina loved her gifts and playing with the other kids.

Later Sue’s friend Sterling came over and took some family pictures – Nina was remarkably well behaved for him.

Monday was Labor Day, and Bob and his wife joined us for the Herndon Labor Day Festival – Nina loved running all around the town green, while we enjoyed beer, wine and music from the Alternate Routes.

On Wednesday the 5th Jill and I belatedly celebrated our anniversary, going to National Harbor for the first time to have dinner at Bond 45, then watch Cirque du Soleil Totem (her first time for that too). The next day I managed to scare my fearless daughter. Apparently tying a balloon to a tractor turns it into a creature sent from the depths of hell. Friday Parkinson’s law (Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion) was demonstrated for me as Nina slept late in the morning and I snuck downstairs to get some things done. Turns out, those things included cleaning up a lake of dog urine. Thanks, universe!

Saturday the 7th Nina and I had an epic playground morning, then later we introduced her to Indian food (mostly fail). Sunday we went to see Morgan at Northgate Winery for a showing of her art. Of course we got in a tasting and Jill bought a big box of their wine. Later I went to see Rush on their Clockwork Angels tour at the Lube with James. It was a great mix of the new album and their late 80s music, combined with their first ever string section during the second set.

Wednesday the 12th I headed into DC to see Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra at the 9:30 Club. Her new album is really good (very 80s feeling) and she always puts on a good show, but that night proved she’s best with a band (and bringing new innovation to crowdsurfing).

Friday the 14th Nina learned to work the home phone (apologies, random person), then on Saturday we went to Great Beginnings to get new car seats, and stopped at one of the few remaining Chicken Outs in Potomac to get dinner on the way back. Traffic was ugly, and since the back way took us by Clemyjontri, we stopped there. It was Nina’s first time and she loved it. Sunday we walked around the lake and she walked about a quarter of the way.

Wednesday the 19th, Jill took Nina to Portrait Innovations for some 1 year old photos. They turned out pretty nicely.

Friday the 21st I was walking with Nina over to the Cabots Point playground when she walked down a slope too fast and took a tumble, resulting in her first bloody lip. A little scary, but she was over it quickly.

The next day we went over to the plane pull at Dulles, but managed to get there too late to Jill’s coworkers pull a plane. We did find it easier to get in and out by parking in long term parking there. Sunday I met up with my Dad to watch the Skins play and see RGIII debut at home. They lost, but always a fun day when we do that (the marching band covered “Edge Of Glory”, then “Can You Feel It”).

Wednesday the 26th Jill wasn’t feeling well and I got takeout from Pho Reston (pretty good). The next day Nina’s first word was “uh oh”. Friday we headed to Fairfax to see Neil Gaiman presented the Mason Award. We chatted with him briefly at a cocktail party beforehand, then we saw him again as we were walking into the hall debating what to read and Jill told him to talk longer. I really enjoyed his speech (and stories, creepy “Click Clack the Rattlebag” and an excerpt from the new novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane). We stopped for a late night snack at Stone’s Cove on the way home.

The next day Artsplay started up again (Nina loves it), then we took her to Lynn House (where my mom works) for their annual picnic and a tour. Sunday we took Nina to Fall For Fairfax, where the highlight for her was the petting zoo.

Sunday the 1st, Jill wanted to got to her favorite yarn store and to Rustico for her birthday. Due to the power outages, the Alexandria location was closed, so we ended up in Ballston for a late lunch. Everyone left ridiculously stuffed (even Nina), loved the brunch burger, then we discovered the Ballston location has a very kid friendly fountain between it and Buzz – next time we’ll bring a swimsuit.

Wednesday the 4th I got up with Nina in the morning, then when she went down for a nap, so did I, only I slept twice as long (over 3 hours). That night Nina had dinner with us (and her first burger). The best thing about it was she went to bed almost an hour and a half late, which meant she slept right through all of the fireworks (literally house shaking, monitor went off for each one). Saturday the 7th it was brutally hot, so we skipped a planned classical music rehearsal at Wolf Trap and stayed inside all day. Really hot days and rainy days are similar: lots of time indoors, mostly building a cardboard fort and napping.

Sunday the 8th it was still hot, but we were meeting Dad at the Nationals game (not quite as easy to blow off). Luckily in planning for shade I bought club seats, which meant the area behind it was closed off and air conditioned. Jill and Nina stayed there most of the game, while I joined Dad for a while and went to Shake Shack for some lunch (burger was ok, shake was great). I brought Nina outside for half an inning which included an RBI and a forced out. Very exciting stuff, she jumped up and down. On the way home we drove through a storm brought on by a cold front that plunged the temperature 18 degrees in 3 minutes.

Wednesday the 11th Jill and I headed over to Wolf Trap for the Cracker/Big Head Todd & The Monsters/Barenaked Ladies show. I thought no one could mess with sign language interpreters like DaVinci’s Notebook – until BNL took the stage. Now I never have to wonder what “melted scrotum” looks like. It’s rare that I go to two shows in a row anymore, but I couldn’t miss Roger Waters doing The Wall the next night. Solo, so I got in some CD shopping and a lobster roll from Luke’s. Saturday the 14th we had our annual celebration of Mom’s and Jill’s birthdays and Father’s Day. We had it at Dad’s (but not outside due to the storms), and Nina was the star of the day, as usual. It was official this week that Nina had six teeth (4 upper, 2 lower).

Thursday the 19th we left early in the morning on our annual trip to New England (skipped last year for the first time since we started in 2003). Nina took two steps on her own the night before we left and wasn’t quite ready to try it again soon (especially since so many people wanted to help her walk). We took our first long stop in Edison, NJ to have a late breakfast at Sonic, then stopped at the Barnes & Noble in the nearby mall that has a huge kids section. The next big stop was in Danbury, CT at the nearest playground we could find, then we stopped for lunch at Desert Moon (a lesser version of Moe’s) in a strip mall with a Starbucks and a very nice beer store. After jumping off the highway for the third time due to traffic, we were close enough to the Brady’s to stop and visit with them, then we finally got to Holyoke, We had some fish and chips from Schermerhorn’s for dinner.

Friday the 20th we left for Vermont in the afternoon with Sue. We stopped in Putney for yarn and a late BBQ lunch at Curtis’ BBQ. We arrived in Waterbury at Kelly and John’s in time for a nice chicken dinner prepared by their friend Rose. After Nina fell asleep, Jill and I wandered over to Prohibition Pig (formerly Alchemist before the flood) and enjoyed several rounds.

The next morning Rose made us eggs for breakfast before we all went over to the train station to watch the train pull in and get coffee. We headed south, but had to turn around as we discovered we’d left some things behind, so by the time we reached Brattleboro it was time to stop. The Top of the Hill Grill was a nice break, I enjoyed a burger and Nina loved the hammock. That night I went to Stop & Shop and bought and grilled steaks for dinner.

Sunday we went with Sue and met Robin for lunch at Local Burger in Northampton. Afterwards we did some grocery shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, then Nina and I took a nice long nap. We went over to the Brady’s in the afternoon where Melissa made a nice chicken dinner.

Monday the 23rd we went to visit Jill’s dad and his parents, had a nice lunch, hit the Big Y on the way back. The Brady’s came over for dinner as Sue made spaghetti and we celebrated Jill’s and Melissa’s birthdays. The kids and I played hide and seek outside before cake.

Tuesday we toured Holyoke with Jill’s grandma, stopping at Pickle’s Pub for a tasty Reuben (Nina liked their grilled cheese) then we all rode the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round. Nina had the worst nap fail during vacation: screaming, diaper off, sheet wet. Of course she promptly fell asleep in the car as soon as Jill had driven two blocks going to get coffee at Dunkies. That night I had my leftover fish as it was girls night out for Jill, her sisters and her mom, got a chance to kick back and watch some TV.

Wednesday the 25th we had lunch at Grub in Northampton; I had the special (lobster roll) and Jill had the Castro, both delicious. We packed for our mini trip, then headed out to West Stockbridge where we stayed at the Pleasant Valley Motel. We had dinner (they have a nice covered porch), then put Nina bed, then I drove back to Holyoke. We’d forgotten some of the food, plus the combined stove/sink/refrigerator provided some cooking challenges. A quick stop at Stop & Shop and a round trip later and we were ready. The next morning we had breakfast, then headed over to our second home of Shantytowne at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. We spent several hours there hanging out, then headed back before it got dark to we’d have time to do dinner at the motel with Nina.

Friday the 27th we spent most of the day at the festival. Napping there was a failure (Jill ultimately drove her around in the car, don’t think camping would have worked for us this year). Nina got to see some main stage music, but her favorite thing was popping giant bubbles thanks to Chris. Saturday Sue joined us for lunch at Shaker Mill Tavern in West Stockbridge (nice burgers and the Jack Daniels wings were great), then she took Nina for a day so we could enjoy the festival. I saw a lot of music but really enjoyed the twin bill of Eddie From Ohio and Girlyman in the evening. No late night shows this trip, and unfortunately a bunch of rain Sunday morning while we packed up, but the crepes for breakfast and the best Gospel Wakeup ever with Eddie From Ohio, Girlyman and Brother Sun cured that.

When we got back to Holyoke, Nina took some pictures with Sue before she and Dave headed off to Maine, then we started packing in the afternoon. Bridget had us over for a fab grilled steak and chicken dinner, then we headed to bed early. Monday the 30th we were up early to head home. It was a bit shorter trip back, although we had a 2+ hour stop at the fun Can-Do Playground in Wilmington, DE (the rangers there are great, Jill left her phone there and they found it and mailed it back) and some tasty takeout from Capriotti’s (gotta have the Bobbie, Thanksgiving on a sub). Nina started the work week off the next day by waking up at 5 and then falling asleep in my arms, then did it again 30 minutes later.

If you know me you know I love beer, and I’m a long time fan of Dogfish Head. You’d also know I love music and food too, and once Dogfish Head announced a release combining all three, you know my ears perked up. Positive Contact is an ale brewed with apple cider and spices, based on the favorite ingredients of Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030. It was only released as a box set of six champagne bottles, with a vinyl EP of Deltron 3030 remixes, and the album cover had a list of Deltron 3030-inspired recipes from a small group of renowned chefs (including Mario Batali and Momofuku‘s David Chang.

Although I missed the first shipment, thanks to the frequent Facebook updates of Lee at the Beer Market in Whole Foods Fairfax, I got my hands on a box when they got another one. After getting it home and checking it out, I decided I wanted to have a dinner party based on the recipes. Except we were running short on time before vacation, and it would have to be that weekend. So I invited a couple folks, and headed out to the grocery store Friday night June 29th. Of course that was the night the derecho hit us, but I bought everything I needed, and we didn’t lose power so I was able to stay up very late cooking.

The biggest pain was the Momofuku fried chicken, as there were three cooking steps spaced out. But between staying up late and cooking most of the day (much to my daughter’s disappointment), I got everything done by the time folks arrived (the Jewells came a bit earlier than the Norwoods as they were without power). For the main meal, in addition to the chicken I made the zucchini fritters as well as a fruit salad with a blueberry rhubarb sauce (not a pairing but good with everything else); the Norwoods brought some zucchini bread. I also had the the audio tracks playing in the background (ripped from the vinyl).

Dessert was a trifle made from three separate desserts: brownies, a pudding (made with the beer, and not burned off, so had to make a separate one for the 3 year old), and caramelized apples. Very nice paired with the beer. It was an epically long preparation, but an excellent meal and nice to share with friends.

Saturday the 2nd I headed out in my kayak to meet up with other volunteers to clean up Lake Thoreau. 3+ hours later, and with two bulging sacks of trash, I was done. Jill and I took Nina to the Herndon Festival, sitting with the Jewells and Bettis and watching Honor By August and Liz Longley. Sunday, I was back at the fest all day starting with an Irish breakfast at O’Sullivans with the Jewells. Jill and Nina came for Delta Rae, then Sue and Dave joined us for Red Molly (Nina loved watching the kids roll down the hill). Sue and Dave headed home the next day.

Friday the 8th the great new Rush album arrived and Nina and I listened to it. The next day was long and tiring – it included an early trip to the farmer’s market, Nina losing her fear of grass and two baths. Thursday the 14th Mom cam over to babysit and Jill and I headed over to to Wolf Trap. I was very grateful for the new pedestrian bridge, as Bonnie Raitt was sold out and we had to park at the Barns. Great show, and she came out during Mavis Staples’ set for a duet of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”.

Friday the 15th I had a great early Father’s Day with Dad. He met me at Merriweather Post Pavilion in the early afternoon, where we waited in line, then went in and watched them soundcheck. Playing the hits was nice, but I really enjoyed them adding new lyrics to “Isn’t It Time” off their surprisingly great new CD. We got a photo op after that (and I was scolded for speaking to them), then left backstage and got lobster rolls from The Lobster Truck (been waiting to try them, good as advertised). The concert itself was fabulous, can’t think how the remaining five could have done it any better.

Saturday the 16th we took Nina to the Taste of Reston, where we enjoyed some tasty food and Jill named the pub we’ll have to open for fellow parents: The Bib and Business. Later that day, we celebrated Olivia’s graduation with a party at Stuart’s dad’s, where Nina showed a voracious appetite for mac and cheese. Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day with brunch at Bilbo Baggins and frolicking in the riverside park. Wednesday the 20th Jill and Nina met me at work, and we went out to lunch at Eggspectation where I had some tasty crepes and Nina made a righteous mess (my tip amount has increased).

Sunday the 25th we had a lovely time at the wedding of Eric and Ami, it was great seeing Billy again and everyone said how nicely behaved Nina was. Good thing they didn’t see her subsequent total meltdown on our way home. It was extremely hot the following weekend, happily it held off long enough for killer sets by Josh Ritter and Brandi Carlile at Wolf Trap Thursday the 28th, including a jaw dropping cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Brandi. I’ve been wanting to see them both for a while, so glad they were both worth the wait.

Friday the 29th I was leaving the house to get groceries around 10PM. Jill asked if I knew there was a storm coming, but I didn’t think it was a big deal since we get thunderstorms all the time. I didn’t have any indication anything was going on until I was in the freezer aisle at Safeway and the lights flickered and went out (it would make an excellent storm shelter, never heard anything). They came on seconds later, but by then we were being urged to check out. I saw my the radar on my phone the storm was almost over, but very heavy. I waited a couple minutes, then got in my car and drove home. The first indication it was a different type of storm was all the branches on the road, then when I got home Nina was awake (first time she’s ever woken because of weather) and Illa (and Jill) were panicked. Turns out it was a derecho (not something I ever remember seeing), but we suffered no damage and never lost power. Good thing as I started cooking for hours, and we had a dinner party planned the next day (details in next entry, but leaving out Nina enjoying her first piece of toast).

Sunday April 1st we stayed in. Nina demonstrated she was a real clotheshorse by going through four outfits, I did three hours of yardwork and finished Catching Fire and started Mockingjay after seeing The Hunger Games the day before. Saturday the 7th we celebrated Dad’s birthday party over at Mom’s, had a very nice dinner.

The next day was Easter and we went to church, then took some pictures of Nina in her Easter best. Wednesday the 11th we had a bonus day as Nina was in daycare (she’s usually there Monday, Tuesday and Friday). Jill got to do her thing all day, and I had an excellent afternoon playing hooky. I was the last customer at the Lemongrass food truck (and got an extra taco), bought a pile of used CDs at the CD Cellar in Clarendon, got some fresh Wee Heavy at Mad Fox, then bought a bigger pile of used CDs at the CD Cellar in Falls Church.

We weren’t able to make the Falcon Ridge preview tour, but we saw a pretty good substitute on the 12th: Robbie Schaefer (and Owen and Ethan) on a great cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, then Ellis Paul joined by Radoslav Lorkovic. We hit Angeethi for some tasty Indian before the show. Nina crawled for the first time on Friday the 13th and that weekend it started getting warm – on the 16th I turned on the air conditioning for the first time (never so early). Monday the 17th I was treated to a front row seat of the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery as my office is across the street from Dulles.

On Saturday the 21st I headed over to Record & Tape Exchange in Fairfax to see Colin Hay (from Men At Work) do a free show for Record Store Day, then met Jill and Nina at Tippy’s Taco House for an early dinner. We were supposed to go see the Nationals vs. Miami on the 22nd, but the game was rained out and we got new tickets for a game in July. Friday the 27th I got a fleeting glimpse of the space shuttle Enterprise leaving. Saturday Nina managed to make me use three pair of jeans in less than 24 hours, and she enjoyed the new jump up I got her; Dad stopped by on Sunday the 29th to see her.