I Do Stuff…

I don’t know how this saying came about, but your 30′s are called the “dirty 30′s.”  I have been in my thirty’s for a few years and there is nothing dirty about them.  I will say that most people have grown up and will continue to grow up while in their 30, becoming more responsible with each passing year.

The last of the 20-somethings, Nancy, had her birthday on Sunday so we celebrated with some friends and family at the house.  I was in charge of cooking and Nancy wanted ribs, mac and cheese, and grilled vegetables for the evening.  For an appetizer I cooked a kick ass brie dish that was completely gone in no time.  The mac and cheese receipt was taken from a grilling cookbook.  For the ribs I was able to use my new rib rack that Matt got me for Christmas and rib cook book that went along with it.  The three racks I purchased fit nicely in the rack and I got to cooking around 4pm.

I was busy in the kitchen prepping food when our guests started arriving about 5:30.  I was so busy getting things ready I completely lost track of the time and didn’t start cooking the ribs till almost 7:30.  We planned on eating around 8 so I blew that time out of water real quick.  In the end there where two 45 minute cooking seasons before the ribs were finished.

To prepare the ribs I used a maple and brown sugar rub and separate maple glaze for the ribs and I must say they were fantastic!  I was a little worried about the time it would take to cook everything and the ribs not coming out good.  In the end the cook time took longer than I estimated but the ribs where cooked perfectly and everyone loved them.  It was a good feeling that for 10 minutes the house was quit.  All evening the the house was filled with conversation and commotion, you could hear a pin drop while everyone ate the ribs.  We ate two racks for diner and later in the evening we finished off the last rack as a late night snack.  The only thing I screwed up was the timing, but that didn’t matter when the food was finally served.

I started the ribs off for 45 minutes of indirect heat on the grill, to this I added a handful of smoking chips to each pile of coil.  After the initial 45 minutes it was time to add more coals and start the vegetables cooking.  I got a second pile of coal going and put the ribs right over the head, flanked on each side by vegetable skewers.  I also used this time to apply a generous amount of glaze to the ribs.  Half way through the basting process while talking to Nancy I see the door open and someone yelling “there is a fire in the kitchen” with the fire alarm going off in the back ground.  I couldn’t believe it and being right in the middle of basting the ribs I couldn’t do much about it.  I asked Nancy to investigate for me and she confirmed that yes there was a fire in the oven.  The mac & cheese was suppose to brown under the broiler and I put the food to close to the burner so the crust caught on fire.  I never panicked, I just calmly put the lid down on the grill and walked in side.

Everyone was gather in the kitchen not sure what to do.  Tracy was desperate to put the fire out, scurrying around looking for a fire extinguisher I suspect.  First job was to stop that damn fire alarm, so I barked at Bobby to pull it off the ceiling and take it outside, now I could hear myself think.  I grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out the casserole dish from the oven, indeed it was on engulfed in fire.  Then as the calm person I am I blew out the fire, crisis over.  The mac & cheese was a little worse for ware but everyone was safe and the house was still standing with no damage.  I looked at Nancy and asked if that was enough excitement for her birthday.  The casserole didn’t look pretty, but I scrapped off the burnt crush, reapplied a fresh layer and put it back in the broiler much lower from the heat source.  After the only emergency of the night was over I went back outside to tend the ribs while everyone else went back to talking, smoking and drinking.

Another 45 minutes passed and it was time to pull the ribs off the grill.  At this point it was well past 9pm and I was nervous.  I had never cooked ribs before and I was not sure how they would turn out.  Would they be cooked enough, burned, taste like crap?  I didn’t know.  When I opened the grill lid to look a quick scan revealed the vegetables looked perfect and ribs didn’t look burn, but I was only looking at the underside so not a good judge.  As I brought the three slabs into the kitchen everyone has assembled to watch, which is typical when someone in the family grills.  I laid them on the cutting board and flipped them over…..they looked amazing!  The next test, doneness.  When I cut into the first one it was perfectly cooked with just a bit of juice.

After eating it was time for a nap, everyone was so full the food coma was quickly setting in.  To jolt use back to life the smokers all had a cigarette in the cold, another round of shots and time for a little dancing.  For Christmas Nancy got Dance Party 2 which we played for almost 2 hours.  Of course the the fellas didn’t fell much like dancing but after I got up there and showed them how it was done everyone loosened up.  We traded off between everyone and had a grate time shacking our booties.  I know Nancy took a few videos and I don’t even want to see what I look like, I probably look like a fool but it certainly was fun.

Another cigarette outside which brought us just past midnight and officially Nancy’s birthday.  A quick happy birthday and some awesome cookies Matt made and it was back in side.  This late in the evening we lost Nicole and Jeff but the rest of use stuck it out for a round of poker.  It is becoming something of a tradition that when the family gets together for a party we get at least one round of poker in.  The stakes are only $5 but it is a ton of fun talking shit.  We killed the last rack of ribs while playing, had to satisfy the midnight munchies and the ribs certainly hit the spot on that.

The next morning the ladies where not feeling well.  Both Tracy and Nancy had a lot to drink, I think it was the jello shots that put them over the edge.  Thankfully Bobby was feeling good and made some kick ass omelets for everyone using the grilled vegetables and left over cheese from the night before.  The rest of the day Nancy and I didn’t do crap.  It was a lazy day spent watching tv and getting a few things done around the house.  I personally couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday

For Matt’s birthday this year we got a few family members together to celebrate with dinner and cosmic bowling.  Tracy put together the dinner plans at Mike’s American in Springfield and Nancy hooked up the bowling for the after party.  Matt’s birthday was on Sunday so we got together to celebrate a little early on Saturday night.  It just makes sense to go out and party on a Saturday.  Plus, Sunday we got together again to officially celebrate at the house for a traditional Sunday family dinner that Matt ended up cooking.

outside the restaurant

Getting the troops together on time is always an issue when you are dealing with young children.  It was a little past 7 before Bobby and Tracy arrived with the grand kids.  My Dad and Pat offered to watch them all night so the 5 of us could go out and not worry about coming home any particular hour.  After a quick hello and goodbye we headed off to the restaurant for some grub.  The parking here is horrible so we were not expecting a miracle.  Bobby dropped us off at the front entrance while he made one last loop around the parking lot hoping for a spot.

What happened next made my jaw drop, I couldn’t believe what I was about to witness.  Settling in at the bar we ordered a round of drinks and that is when I noticed how lucky Bobby had become.  Someone was pulling out right in front of the restaurant and he was in line to get the spot.  After several minutes of cars going around the parked car was able to leave, unfortunately the direction he pulled out blocked Bobby as he pulled away and some asshole in a black Dodge Charger swooped in and ganged the spot.  Totally stole it when everyone new it was Bobby’s, i gasped.  I couldn’t believe it, everyone asked what had happened and I stood there with my jaw open.  It took me a while but I told everyone what I witnessed and we stared out into the parking lot.  Bobby hung around for several minutes waiting for the guy to get out of the car, but unfortunately the pussy never got out of his car.  He knew he was wrong and didn’t want to face his accuser.  Finally Bobby gave up waiting and found a spot across the street.  When he walked in I told him I witness the whole thing and still had yet to see anyone get out of the Charger.

inside of Mike's

We were not going to let this little parking fiasco ruin our night so we enjoyed our drinks and conversation while the restaurant prepared our table.  Saturday nights are always busy and even with call ahead seating we had to wait over 30 minutes before getting our booth.  When they walked us up to our spot on the second floor it was located in the corner under dim lighting, easily accommodating the 5 of us.  It looked right out of a gangster movie with Matt in the middle and the rest of us surrounding him.  The spot light for the table was right on Matt and the small candle in the center of the table provided a soft glow over everything else.

Dinner was fantastic and after enjoy a great meal and some more drinks we had of course sang Happy Birthday to Matt while they brought him is special dessert.  He got the warm white chocolate bread pudding and they scrolled “Happy Birthday” in chocolate on the plate.  Matt of course was embarrassed as hell and didn’t want us singing, but then again he had no say in the matter.

Leaving the restaurant we waited outside while Bobby went and got the car, dumb fucking Charger, and ran into two grandmothers who were anything but traditional.  One had flown in from the Midwest visiting her friend and these ladies cracked us up.  Both were obviously drunk and the life of the party, it was almost a shame to leave them.  We extended them an offered to come bowling but they needed to get back to their families after their cigarette.

trippy man

The bowling alley was pretty empty by the time we arrive so we had our choice of lanes.  We got suited up and started rolling those heavy ass balls down the lanes.  It had been years since I bowled and I was obviously rusty, never getting above 100 in the two games we played.  I did get a strike which I was very proud of and never got a cutter ball.  Everyone got at least one strike and our resident professional, Bobby, was the only one to get a gutter ball, three times!  The star of the night was Bobby in the last game.  At the end of the set he got six strikes in a row and had a score of 224, he completely crushed everyone.  Come to find out he and Tracy would bowl often when they first started dating as well as when they lived in Colorado.

By now it was well past midnight and we dropped Matt off at the house.  No one had to be home so after a quick cigarette we headed inside for a quick round of poker.  The basement was a mess with Christmas gifts stacked to the ceiling covering everything.  The game went rather quickly as we all started to fade fast.  Tracy was the first to bail and headed to bed without loosing all her chips.  Then again she was sleeping so it was not like she was playing.  The rest of us finished the game and I ended up winning the pot with Nancy coming in second place.

Bobby the King Pin

Another quick cigarette and it was time for Nancy and I to leave.  She wanted to stay and celebrate a little longer but we still had to drive 30 minutes home and I was getting tired.  It was well after 2am before we left and almost 3 when we walked into the house.

It was a great time celebrating Matt’s birthday and we all had a lot of fun.  After Matt’s birthday comes Christmas, the annual New Years Eve party in Rehoboth Beach, Tracy’s birthday and finally Nancy’s birthday.  What a wild and crazy 4 weeks it will be!

PS: In fact as I finish writing this post all but Nancy’s birthday has happened and her party will be this weekend.  I am just a little behind on writing, but as you can see I have been very busy with family events.

it was a night for beer

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After nursing a hangover from the night before, Nancy and I got a late start on our trip to Baltimore. As a surprise Nancy got a hotel room in the Inner Harbor for the night.  We planned to spend the evening out eating and drinking, not having to worry about driving home. Getting a late start we did not arrive in the city till after three o’clock, plenty of time to check in and get settled in before heading out for the night.  We got an upgraded room, still the king bed but got moved to the 18th floor. The view was pretty bad, we looked directly into the court yard between two close buildings.  But then again we were in the city not for the room but to eat and drink. What we did get out of the upgraded room was a free happy hour and breakfast the next morning.

After parking the car we “relaxed” in the room for a few minutes and then headed down to the hotel bar for some drinks. While checking in the guy gave us a free drink ticket when he found out it was my birthday so the first round was on the house.  Plus we had some time to kill before the hotel happy hour so we enjoyed another round before heading up.

Once 7pm rolled around we packed it up and headed for the happy hour for some more drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the 17th floor.  Here the beer selection was down right horrible and there was no red wine.  But my mission of drinking all night was not going to be interrupted by this little fact and I plowed through two Amstel Lights.  The one saving grace was the hors d’oeuvres which were actually really good.  There was a fruit and cheese platter and these awesome mini burgers that Nancy and I both filled up on.  This actually helped solve one problem, what to eat for dinner.  Now we could focus on drinking!

James Joyce Irish Pub

Late in the evening we headed for the Inner Harbor to start bar hoping.  As many times as I have been there I didn’t have any places in mind on where to drink.  I like to wing it most of the time when it comes to finding food on trips.  We agreed that I would pick the first place and Nancy the next, going back and forth till we found our way back to the hotel.  Shortly after arriving to the Inner Harbor I saw a sign for Sullivan’s.  I didn’t know what it was before walking up, but the sign outside looked inviting and they offered a terrace so we could smoke.  When we walked in it was a swanky place, felt out of place being there.  We talked to the hostess and she said we could sit outside and a waitress would eventually come out to take our drink order.  We sat on the far side, right next to a three piece jazz band playing at the bar, I saw that and got excited!  Nancy smoked a cigarette and then I started harping on her to go inside, it wasn’t freezing out, I just wanted to hear the band.  We got a seat on the far side of the bar, ordered another round of drinks and a plate of oysters Rockefeller.  Nancy is not one for sea food, but she does love this dish.

After a quick drink it was time to head to the next bar.  I thanked Nancy for indulging my jazz music tastes and we headed deeper into the harbor.  We passed several promising places but nothing that sparked interest from Nancy.  Searching on her phone turned up an Irish pub, James Joyce, not to far in Little Italy.  Here we spent several hours drinking and talking.  This place was much more lively than Sullivan’s with a crowd that knew how to drink and a band playing traditional Irish music.  We bellied up to the bar and ordered a round of Guinness, this was my staple drink for the rest of the night.  Nancy even meet the lead singer from the band on one of her smoking breaks.  She leaned over after the set break and told me she just smoked a cigarette with the guy, real cool and down to earth.

National Aquarium

By now it was getting late and we both were getting hungry for some food and another round.  When making our way to James Joyce we noticed a place called Roy’s with the description of “Hawaiian Fusion”, this sounded interesting.  Unfortunately when we walked in after 11pm the kitchen had just closed down and they where only serving drinks.  We didn’t much fit in with the crowd and we got a cool reception from the bartender.  No need to stay where we are not wanted so we walked out, still looking for food.

One place that I love to stop by late at night in Baltimore is Sabatino’s, right in the heart of Little Italy.  The prices are reasonable and the food is pretty good.  Considering they are open till 3am on Fridays and Saturdays I hit it up regularly after shows.  Nancy and I settled in for another round of drinks and some late night pasta with tiramisu for dessert.  One thing bugged me while we were here, I noticed this guy in the opposite corner from our table and I just kept staring at him.  He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him.  It was about 30 minutes before it dawned on me, we saw Mickey open up for Joel McHale at the Warner Theatre a while back.  Mickey is from 98 Rock and he was having a late dinner with a couple of his friends.  I thought he was funny as shit when we saw him.

Unfortunately like all great things this too must come to an end.  We walked back to the hotel but we were certainly not done drinking.  The hotel bar was still open so we plopped down for another drink and shot the shit with the bartender who served us earlier in the night.  Finally it was time to head up to the room and catch a few zzz after a long night of drinking, in fact a long weekend of drinking.

frog from the National Aquarium

The next morning we woke up refreshed and headed to the free breakfast buffet on the 17th floor.  After checking out of the hotel we headed over to the National Aquarium to check out the fish.  I was planning on going here Saturday afternoon when we arrived, but the previous nights festivities delayed our arrival in the city so we had to postpone it till Sunday morning.  It had been years since either of us had been there, in fact it was probably 15+ years for me.  Some of the exhibits has been updated or rotated out, but basically just like I remember it from so long ago.  Another quick meal at Dick’s Last Resort were we got some decent food and a whole lot of bad attitude.

We arrived home late in the afternoon and both of us were exhausted from partying all weekend long.  We settled in for a movie but that was short lived.  I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, which I did for a few minutes on the couch, but I had to get up and head out to Vienna with Jeremy to see Charlie Hunter perform.  The performance was forth getting out of the house for, but I certainly felt like crap till I got two cups of coffee in me.

I was surprised by the trip Nancy planned for my birthday.  We had a kick ass time bar hoping and taking in the sights of Baltimore for the night.  There is so much to do we could certainly go again, maybe next year for my birthday?

post for MMW@9:30 Club

It has become an annual tradition that I try to see a show on or around my birthday. For the last few years Medeski, Martin and Wood has toured in late fall and hit the Washington DC area on or within a few days of my birthday and I have been lucky enough to catch a couple of the shows. The one I missed and still kick myself over was when they played with John Scofield, tickets sold out before I could purchase them.

This year I saw the 9:30 Club listed for November 12th and agreed with some friends we were going to the show at any cost. I will admit, I got tickets a few weeks in advance but it was not an issue purchasing three tickets for Nancy, Jeremy and myself. Being my birthday show we decided to make it a night on the town and head to the city early to grab some dinner before the show. Doors didn’t open till 10 and I figured the show would not start till at 11 so needless to say we had plenty of time to kill.

Seeing as the 9:30 Club is right near U street I wanted to eat at some restaurant along the corridor. Over the last few years the whole neighborhood between 14th St. and Vermont Ave. has been revamped. Many of the rundown buildings that dotted the street and surrounding areas have been demolished and new high rise condo/retail spaces have been put up. You can still find Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, and Ben’s Chili Bowl along side a bunch of yuppie cafes and boutiques. When we got to the city we cruised down U St. and quickly realized there was not going to be any street parking so got a pay lot for $15 which ends up being a deal for a guarded lot all night long. Now the hunt was on for a place to eat.

As I lead the group down the street I scanned both sides trying to find some place that looked good but was also within budget. Half the places looked like slum pits but probably had some good food and the other half were to shi shi and I would not be allowed to step foot into the place because of my attire. Quickly loosing hope we crossed over 14th and I found U-topia. From the outside it looked like a whole in the wall but inside the place was packed with patrons. Looking at the menu on the window we certainly could find something for everyone. When we walked in I was surprised by the decor splattered on the walls and low ambient light. The artwork was a nice touch and gave you something to look at and I immediately felt very relaxed and welcome when we sat down at our table.

U-Topia Bar and Grill

Getting a waiter to take our order was a bit slow but once he arrived things came in rapid succession. For an appetizer we got the mussels in lemon caper cream sauce that was amazing. Nancy is not much of a sea food fan but she tried it and actually like it, eating just as many muscles as Jeremy and I. For the main course I had….actually I don’t remember, the appetizer was that good. After a few beers and some time talking we walked to the club for the show.

When we arrived just after 10pm there was a line outside the venue, the doors had yet to open with the line wrapping around the block. Waiting only a few minutes for will call tickets we got inline to actually get into the venue with everyone else. When the doors finally opened we grabbed a beer on the mail floor and headed up stairs to take up residency near the center stage bar. There was one stool remaining that Nancy took and Jeremy and I stood. It is nice to be close to the band but from the balcony we had an unobstructed view of the stage and all I needed to do was turn around to get a bar, so it worked out well.

With the late doors MMW didn’t get on stage till 11:15. Here it is close to midnight and MMW had yet to appear on stage, this was going to be a late night! Jeremy and I were debating on a two set performance or one long set. In the end it was one long sets. As the night got going I was feeling good and the music was great. Jeremy and Nancy kept feeding me beer and I was feeling just right, so when the groove of the base hit and Billy starts hitting that drum line followed by the high pitch whine of John’s keys followed suit I was in heaven. I wish I knew what the set list was but all night the song selection kicked ass. The grooves were tight and vibe was strong. After attending the MMW show with Jeremy at the Norva we were expecting a light turn out but the floor was packed well into the set. People did start dropping like flies as the time approached 1am. Jeremy and I both agreed this was a killer show and certainly in the top three of all MMW shows we have seen. It is still hard to top the double encore night at Rams Head Live! from so many years ago or the late night set at Bonnaroo in 2003, but this one came very close.

Ben's at night, Michael Williamson

When the show ended I was exhausted but satisfied. The boys put on a worthy show, well worth coming out for and staying up well past everyone’s bed time. Not wanting to end the night so soon, and being hungry, we headed back down to U Street for Ben’s Chili Bowl. I got the chili cheese fries and split them with Nancy, Jeremy ended up with a chili dog. Let me tell you, that hit the spot after a long night of dancing and drinking, making the long drive home to Stafford just a little more bearable on a full stomach.

When it comes to MMW shows I have never been disappointed with there performances. Sure they have their off nights *cough* Norva 2010 *cough* but never a bad performance every. This one is near the top of my list all time and being a birthday show made it that much more meaningful. I hope they tour again soon, still trying to make it out to a show in another country, and hopefully a return to DC around my birthday in 2011! I can’t thank Nancy and Jeremy enough for coming out and partying with me all night, especially for all the beer and extra special for Nancy driving my drunk ass home that night. When we finally did get home around 3am my ass crashed hard. The following day we were headed to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore for a special night to celebrate my birthday further. I will get the details of that wild night posted shortly (Update: finally got that post written).

Set 1 starts at 11:14pm
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ends at 1:22am

encore starts at 1:25am
ends at 1:42am

Happy Birthday Everyone! copyright: pinkcakebox.com

My niece turned three a few weeks ago, two Saturdays ago was the party to celebrate.  Wolf Trap has a Theatre in the Woods which holds performances geared towards kids.  On Saturday Rocknoceros was playing the final concert of the year and we gathered to celebrate Ellie’s birthday with close friends and family.  The show itself was pretty cool, certainly entertaining.  As I looked around the venue it was funny to see all these adults and kids rocking out to some crazy music.  The lyrics are nothing complicated, teaching kids about the state of Virginia, or counting to 10 on their fingers.  After the performance we had a picnic in the woods which was  nice.

The following week was Pat’s birthday and my Dad planned a surprise dinner for her at the Heart in Hand in Clifton.  Pat knew about the dinner, she didn’t know that everyone showing up to help celebrate.  By everyone I mean everyone.  Bobby, Tracy, Matt, me, Nancy, Stephen and Audry all made it out to celebrate.  Nancy and I managed to arrive way early so we bellied up to the bar for a quick drink, shortly after Bobby and Tracy arrived.  We didn’t know it at the time, but my Dad got a drive to drop them off at the restaurant.  Bobby and Nancy were outside smoking and didn’t see the Lincoln Town Car pull up as the two of them got out, so much for the surprise.  Just about the time Pat arrived my brother and his girlfriend showed up.  While waiting for Matt to arrive we had another round of drinks before sitting down for some dinner.

The food there was great, the restaurant is certainly rustic on the inside and rather empty for dinner.  Besides our party of nine, there was only one other group seated for dinner.  Around 8:30 there was a live band and the bar area started to fill up quickly for that.  The locals don’t eat there, but they certainly use it as a watering hole.  After dinner I spent most of my time outside catching up with Stephen.  I don’t see him enough so when we do meet up I have a lot to talk about.  After disappearing for a while we decided to head back in, I was hoping to get one last class of an excellent Chilean wine, but the ladies polished the bottle off right proper.

Ellie blowing the candles out

After dinner we debated what to do next.  Bobby and Tracy didn’t have the kids, Nancy and I wanted to have a little more fun, plus it was a Friday night.  No sense in turning in early on a weekend.  We quickly made a call to Lulu Cafe to see if they had any private rooms available for a little karaoke action.  Surprisingly they had room for us so we quickly went from Clifton to Centreville to sing our hearts out.  We lost Stephen and Audrey but we managed to have a great time singing to classic songs everyone knows by heart but wont admit to knowing.  Late into the evening it was time for everyone to head home.

The following day was the last celebration for the week, for Nancy and I.  Her sister’s birthday was coming up on Monday so we took her to dinner Saturday night.  Her husband was in New York with his daughter and Maggie’s kids were with their father, she was all alone and we couldn’t have that.  She almost didn’t want to go out that night, but we twisted her arm to go to Bone Fish just down the street from her house.  We had a great time over drinks and a well prepared dinner.  Afterward, just like the two other birthdays this week, we headed out for drinks.  We didn’t go anywhere special, its cheaper to drink at home, so we opened a bottle of nice wine and settled in for a few hours of conversation.

In the span of seven days we celebrated three birthdays from the very young to the young at heart.  Each party was a blast and a chance to catch up with family and friends, some of whom I don’t see often enough.  I can’t remember the last time so many birthdays happened so close together.  Makes me wonder who’s birthday it is next?  I feel like a little partying!