Caps row F

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Being only a few home hockey games left this season Teri and I decided to get tickets this week before everyone else realized this and prices doubled. I found lower level tickets for about face value on the website of a guy I've been buying from for awhile. I was surprised to see such good seats for the price so I snatched them up.

It was a good game. We were 6th row around the blue line of the visiting side. I haven't been that close in a long time. We have been getting club level seats all season and now I remember why. The lines were insane for both substance and waste on the lower level. It was great to see the faces of the players though. You get a much better sense of the speed and effort at that distance.

Ovechkin and Arnott came back after a few games off. Wideman got nailed right in front of us and ended up being injured. It ended as a tied game at 2 after both regulation and over time. Unfortunately the 'Canes won in the shoot out.

federal protection

Not sure if it was the Secret Service or FPS. As Teri and I got off I-66 in Rosslyn on our way to work from her place we came upon a large blacked out Chevy SUV with police lights. It caught our attention not because of the lights but because some big bald guy in a suit and sun glasses kept waving off cars from the back seat window. It was hard to tell what exactly he was trying to communicate. Then we noticed the Caddy it was trailing that had some VIPs inside. The security crew were trying to help block off cars so the Caddy could change lanes on Lee Highway. It was odd. We were directly behind them coming off the highway when they started waving at us. In rush hour traffic it would be impossible to keep all cars away. They were successful at keeping away cars from the SUV but the Caddy just drove as normal in to backed up traffic. After following them on to Lee Highway we then followed them on a right turn in Rosslyn. They were definitely checking us out. At the next intersection they stopped to go straight and we pulled up on the left hand turn lane with guys in both cars eyeing us. I wasn't able to recongnize anyone in the Caddy as we went by. I assumed they were going to a State Department office on the same block as my office but their destination must have been some other location in Rosslyn.

crappy cell phone pics

Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon and his five piece band came back to the State Theater on Friday. Teri and I each got a set of tickets due to some miscommunication. We finally decided to try to off-load one pair a few days before the show. Tickets were still for sale so people were offering below face value to get a good deal. I was trying to get them back up to $40 for both having spent another $8.20 on fees. We decided to try our luck on those in line to purchase tickets before the show rather than go out of our way to meet up and sell for under face value. It ended up being a wise decision as the show sold out the day of and all of the sudden I got a few more emails pleading for tickets. It took two seconds to sell each for $25 as we were walking in the show.

They took out a lot of the side tables and the venue was as full as I've ever seen it. They came on about on time and put on a great show. We got a good spot near the front of the left side during the first set. The band throws down some good grooves and solos. The guitar and keyboard player did a few great extended jams. Mike had a microphone on stage to direct the band on what to play next. The did two nice sets. We relaxed in the balcony during the second set. Usually I relax and rest my legs in the first set and get down during the second set but we had a great view and were feeling good.

The previous night Mike and the band had dinner at Argia's. He twitted the above pic within 15 minutes of us picking up our tix at the box office and were very tempted to stop in and say hi.

Poncho Sanchez at Warner Theater

After years of putting him on my concert calendar I finally got tickets and went to see Poncho Sanchez. He was at the Warner Theater and Teri got us tickets on the right side of the aisle in row J. We rolled in feeling good right before they started playing. I didn't know what to expect at his current age but I assumed he would at least have some good musicians along side. They did not disappoint.

I believe it was about as close as I've been to the stage at the Warner Theater. They played one long set. I recognized a few songs. I realized before the show I don't have any Poncho Sanchez music in my possession. The timbales player in back was the most vocal and toyed with the crowd a bit about getting up and dancing. All the musicians were great. The trumpet player was the arranger and he slide some nice notes. Eventually for the last few songs people stood up and started dancing in the aisles. We had a good time. Definitely a recommended show.

Band lineup...

Poncho Sanchez - leader and congas

Robert Hardt - saxophone

Ron Blake - trumpet

Francisco Torres - trombone

Tony Banda - bass

David Torres - piano

George Ortiz - timbales

Joey De Leon - bongos

Stanley Jordan at Blues Alley

If you haven't heard of Stanley Jordan he is someone you have to see to believe. Similar to Charlie Hunter, he plays two different guitar parts at the same time. While Charlie strums a seven string guitar in a somewhat typical style, Stanley plays a six string guitar by tapping rather than strumming. This allows him to play two different parts, such as the lead and rhythm, at the same time with both hands by tapping on the neck. Look him up on YouTube if you can't picture it. The guy is technically advanced and takes full advantage of his talent.

Teri and I got to Blues Alley about 35 minutes early for the 10:00 show and there was a bit of a line already. A couple drunk guys happened to get in line behind us. One was more drunk than the other. They were hanging literally on top of Teri while the people behind them stayed about 5 feet away. After denying the first option we got excellent seats at a front and center table with another couple. The guy had seen Stanley's previous show and had to come back with his girlfriend. The place was full.

Somehow Stanley was able to make it to the stage between the tables with his guitar. He played first before talking and revealing his soft-spoken self. He played some jamin' grooves, slower ballads, and some classical tunes. I believe during the last tour I saw he debuted the trick of playing the guitar and piano at the same time. This time though I was a lot closer and could see him switching hands to go up and down the keyboard while not missing a note. The drunk guy almost embarrassed himself too much with some comments. We ate the stuffed shrooms as an appetizer and then I had the gumbo while Teri had the stuffed shrimp. Teri got all of three shrimp. But they were quite stuffed. For the encore Stanley played Eleanor Rigby which is a favorite of mine by him.

birthday dinner at Birch & Barley

Teri took me to Birch & Barley for my birthday dinner. It is a favorite restaurant of ours with one of the best beer selections anywhere. The chef can put together some fine food to match. We had early reservations at 6:15 and had to boogie over after work. We started off with the Crispy Creamy Polenta that included Sauteed Mushrooms, Taleggio Fonduta, and Artichoke Hearts. It was like a delicious cakey cornbread with tasty mushrooms and some other stuff dripped on top. To accompany our appetizer I had the Great Divide Belgica on cask and Teri had the Huyghe St. Idesbald Blond. It was a great start to the rest of the dinner. We also ordered 4oz samples of the Starr Hill Cryptical for myself and the Mort Subite Kriek for Teri. The Kriek was sweet, light bodied, and pretty yummy. Their bread plate had some new items on it and was good as ever.

After some discussion we each ordered a pasta dish and agreed to share. Teri ordered the Hand-Cut Tagliatelle w/ Rabbit that included Sauteed Mushrooms, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs. I ordered the Ricotta Cavatelli with Roasted Pork, Broccoli Rabe, Pine Nuts, and Aged Provolone. Both were excellent. Teri's had wide long noodles with a slight nutmeg or cinnamon taste to it. Mine was a dumpling like thing that tasted great just like Teri's with all the ingredients combined. Teri had a Het Anker Gouden Carolous Classic with her dinner and I had a Bell's Double Cream Stout on cask. The Double Cream Stout was nice on cask but I've been spoiled lately with some velvety chocolate stouts. Teri's Gouden Carolous Classic was really good. It's a strong dark Belgian ale that had a some tart/sourness to it similar to the 2006 Goudenband I had at Birch & Barley awhile ago. It was well balanced and one I want to note to seek out again.

We headed to the P Street Whole Foods to check out the beers distributed to the District of Columbia. Goose Island is the main one I notice that I can't get in VA. We picked up some Stone Vertical Epic 10/10/10 and some Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Catamount Maple Wheat for the beer stock. The express line was about 100 feet long; it stretched to almost the back of the store but went relatively quick.

It was a good bday dinner. Teri got me some nice wireless speakers as well.

growler goodness

Shortly after Mad Fox opened last year in July I purchased a nice growler from them and have been filling it up ever since. Lately a few places started filling growlers in my neighborhood and it's been quite convenient. The 2 liter containers equal just over 4 pints or 5.5 12 ounce servings. My favorite at Mad Fox is the Orange Whip IPA. It is a most delicious beer made with citrus hops. I got Bill's Kolsch a few times as well being a great session beer. When Fire Works opened in my neighborhood I got access to a great pizza joint with over 30 taps, two hand pull cask set-ups, and a binder of bottled beers. Being that the draft brews are not often available at my local stores it adds a lot to my available selection. My local Whole Foods also recently installed four taps and is filling growlers. I'm starting to get it filled with a different beer each week for my Friday meetings with the client. I need a second flip top growler for special occasions.

Mmmmm fresh local beer in the most environmentally friendly packaging.

Mad Fox Barleywine Festival

My favorite local brewpub hosted a Barleywine beer festival all day Saturday and Sunday. Bill Madden usually only sells his own beers at his brewpub but this weekend he is opening his taps to some fine beers from near and far. Teri and I got there with perfect timing. The place was full around 2:30 with a 20 minute wait for a table so while on the wait list we wandered to the bar. There were some beer geeks that I recognized. I had already seen some tweets from folks who arrived before me. Even though the place was full with people standing around Teri and I managed to get two seats at the bar. We canceled our table reservation and settled in at the bar among all the other folks there to get a taste of some new beers. Other than their normal line up of Mad Fox beers they had 11 Barleywines from all over. Then at 3:00 they switched over to 11 different Barleywines. They served 4 oz glasses for $3 and we were able to sample beers from both sessions. Beers sampled...

• Brooklyn Monster 2010 and 2007
• DuClaw Devils Milk regular and aged in Jack Daniels Barrels
• Lagunitas Olde Gnarleywine
• Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Jack & Ken's
• Victory Old Horizontal
• Avery Hog Heaven
• Bearded Pat's Barleywine
• Climax Barleywine-Style Ale
• Duck-Rabbit Barleywine
• Mad Fox Wheat Wacker
• Weyerbacher Insanity
• Insanity Grand Illusion
• Mad Fox slobberknocker on cask
• Mad Fox Wee Heavy on cask (half pint)

The Brooklyn Monster was my favorite. It was simple, not over powering, and for some reason hit me just right. The 2007 was a slightly fiery example of the 2010. The 2010 was almost too drinkable thinking back on it.

The DuClaw Devils Milk was hard not to like with the brewer sitting next to me. He said the barrel version was aged for about 5.5 weeks.

The Old Gnarleywine had that distinctive Lagunitas flavor which I enjoy.

Bill's Slobberknocker on cask was better than expected.

Barleywines average around 9% or 10% alcohol so we were feeling good after those tastings. Sitting next to us was the brewer from DuClaw. I asked lots of questions and we talked about getting barrels from Jack Daniels, distribution, brewery vs bottling ratio, the growing craft brewery market, and others. Teri and I had the pulled big sandwich from a whole pig they grilled up that day. It had a light vinger sauce which isn't my favorite but I really enjoyed the sandwich. I talked to the co-brewer Charlie for a bit as he was running around switching the taps. He said they were out of my favorite Orange Whip because they couldn't find any citrus hops. I could tell from what he said and from what others said that it is a popular beer. I was dissapointed that it was no longer available but still filled my growler with some of their Saison. On the way out a Girl Scout and her mom were selling cookies. After passing them we reversed, parked, and stocked up on the first round of Girl Scout cookies for the year. $4 this year! I remember when they were $2.50.