Caps preseason

I went to a Caps preseason game to get in the mood for the season. There are lots of new players to get to know. I hooked up the tickets in an online group deal and scored lower level at a good price. I was on the side where the Caps shoot twice. I like getting the different perspectives around the rink rather then sitting in the same seat every game as I did early on with season tickets. I sat on the club level mostly last year so getting down to eye level was nice. During the second and third periods I switched sides for a different view on and off the ice. It wasn’t full but there was a good amount of people there for a preseason game. Thomas Vokoun started in goal. They played the Sabres. It was a close game but the Caps pulled it off after a shoot out.

beer at Rustico

As I sometimes like to do I hit Rustico in Ballston after work for a pint and some dinner. Of course being a fine beer bar with an excellent selection it is hard to just have one. It is not on the menu anymore but their NY Strip with garlic and mashed potatoes was yummy.

I started out with the Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter which is a traditional English-style Brown Porter with pumpkin added to the mash. I liked it because it was a light stout and didn’t have that roasted malt or coffee flavors. The pumpkin came out in the aftertaste. Like many of the preacher man’s beers it is a good one.

I also had one from New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series called Kick. I had this during the New Belgium beer dinner. I think I should let the brewers describe it...

New Belgium and Elysian are together again with Kick, a rich and tart pumpkin cranberry ale blended with wood-aged beer for a uniquely complex harvest season sour. The russet and orange of autumn shimmer through a slight haze like sunlight through the smoke from burning leaves. The taste and texture of pumpkin give way to the refreshing tang of cranberries and critters, satisfying and exciting with each swallow, finishing with an urge for more. 

Kim brought sour from New Belgium; Dick brought pumpkin from Elysian. You’ll get a Kick out of their collaboration. 

When they mention critters it reminds me of how Greg described the Liefmans Goudenband I got awhile ago. This was quite the complex beer. I didn’t taste the cranberry so much or the pumpkin. I wonder if it was served too cold. The sourness of those critters came through the most for me. I’d like to try it again.

They had both the Stone 15th Anniversary Ale and the Stone Sublimely Self Rightous. The latter was originally the 11th Anniversary Ale but it was so popular they made it a year round brew. It is one of my favorite beers. When I’ve shared it with friends I get similar reactions. But now they brewed this Escondidian Imperial Black IPA for their 15th Anniversary Ale. Seems to me to be an imperial version of the Sublimely which is fine by me. This is a wonderful beer. One of my favorites ever. You have to drink it fresh. I’m in to fresh hop beer these days. And this wonderful black IPA is the gift that keeps on giving that Stone’s co-founder often talks about. I’ll have to go back to the Sublimely some day when the 15th Anniversary is gone but I’ll wait awhile so I forget what I’m missing.

The last beer I had was a Weyerbach Fresh Harvest. Did I mention I like fresh hops? It was pretty good. Excellent maybe on some other occasion. Craft beer drinkers are getting spoiled these days and its great. I had a few harvest ales or fresh hop beers this hop harvest season. I’m looking forward to them getting more popular as it becomes possible for more breweries to get their hands on fresh hops. Those yummy sticky dank hop buds.

HEXAGON (KH-9)

Scott, Mark and I hit the Udvar-Hazy Center to check out a one day showing of a declassified spy satellite. I guess it’s not every day you can go check one of these things out so why not.

From here...

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and the National Reconnaissance Office hosted a one-day-only viewing opportunity of the newly declassified HEXAGON (KH-9) satellite in the parking lot of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Saturday, Sept. 17. This was the first time the public was able to view this impressive spacecraft, and it was the only opportunity to see it in the Washington area for some time. Sixty feet long and 10 feet in diameter, the HEXAGONs were the largest spy satellites the United States had ever placed in space. The satellites took photographs of the Soviet Union and other targets around the world from 1971 to the early 1980s. The one-day display is in conjunction with the NRO's 50th anniversary celebration.

We even got to bypass the outrageous $15 parking fee by arriving around 4:00 or so. They had some info around the satellite talking about how it took pictures and dropped the film back to Earth. Someone was there talking for a bit that was part of the program telling a few people about some of the interesting challenges. After checking out the satellite in a temporary tent in the parking lot we walked in the center for a bit. Mark didn’t know what an SR-71 was so Scott and I had to give him a history lesson. They were setting up for some big donor event inside. It was an interesting visit.

Scott’s wedding

Almost 18 months after Beth’s wedding Scott picked 9/10/11 to get married. How you can get married on 9/10/11 and not do it at noon or midnight I have no idea. Thinking about it now if it was me I’d have the reception first and then have the ceremony at midnight with whoever is still around.

The wedding was at the Tides Inn in the northern neck of Virginia. I’ve never been in the northern neck before but have heard about it from boaters and locals. Basically that is the slice of Virginia that extends towards the Bay from I-95 with the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. I was sharing a room with Beth and Matt. They wanted to room up with me at a place a fraction of the price a few miles away but after all kinds of finagling we ended up staying together at the Tides Inn. Scott, Jen, and my parents arrived on Thursday I believe. The rest of the family all showed up before the rehearsal on Friday. Robert and his crew got about a 30 minute head start and arrived about an hour before I because traffic got progressively worse. I-95 between DC and Richmond is the worst. Especially on a Friday or Sunday. After talking to my Dad on the phone from the road everyone at the rehearsal thought I was stuck in traffic all day. Once I got off I-95 it was my kind of ride on rural highways. I picked up some beer on the way assuming that there would be some point during the weekend where alcoholic beverages would be in need. Of course that came to be true.

The Tides Inn was quite the little resort. They had a marina with boats, a sailing school that was unfortunately closed during this weekend, a beach, a pool, a spa, nine holes of golf, bikes, and the nicest staff. I pulled in and caught up with Beth and Matt. After getting settled I met Mom and some other family in the lobby. As my father and his brother get older they look more and more alike. We did the rehearsal. The weather was perfect after tons of rain the last couple of weeks. I get to make the initial entry in to the ceremony escorting Jen’s grandmother. After being the videographer at Beth’s wedding I got the job again at Scott’s wedding. So after walking down Jen’s grandmother I taped the rehearsal and tried to pick out good points of view that complimented Robert and Tiffany’s video camera.

Before dinner Matt, Beth, Robert, and I hit Walmart to load up on beer. We each got a 12 pack. This turned out to be a smart move later in the night. The rehearsal dinner was more time to catch up with extended family and friends of Scott and Jen’s that I don’t normally see. It was nice to hang out with Mike and Steve from Pburg. It was a buffet dinner. I sat with my parents, Beth, Matt, and others but hard to remember after hanging out and talking to so many people throughout the weekend. I do remember they had some fat slabs of beef for the rehearsal dinner. Afterwards all the youngin’s (or young livin’ folk) ended up at the bridal suite partying it up all night long. This is where the beer run earlier paid out because our beer was the only beer everyone at the wedding had to drink that night. Luckily we loaded up. We were happy to share to keep the party going and let everyone have a good time. After carrying my big cooler over I ran back out to grab my stereo to provide tunes for the party (does anyone else not think of these essentials?). While running up the brick steps in the dark I slammed my foot in to the steps and broke my big toenail. Nothing a few drinks couldn’t solve. We had a decent late night party. Cousins Beverly and Adam hung out with us after showing up a little late.

The guys went golfing around 9:30 the next morning. I was passed out in bed at 9:30 in the morning. Beth got up a little later and started helping out with the wedding set up. Lots of nautical themed items to place around. I eventually got up and presented myself around 11:00. After wondering around the grounds and asking people who worked there I still couldn’t find the dinner location where everyone was setting up so I had to call Robert to lead me. My Dad, Phil, and I decided to eat lunch at the place. I wonder if my brother and I will look so similar in 25 years? Robert was trying to get us to start the afternoon activities and after all kinds of meandering around the pool we eventually took out some boats. We took off in two kayaks and a little motor boat. Robert and I explored the coves around the property. Afterwards Steven and I (UK Steve not Sponseller) took off on a bike ride to the boat yard which was close by. The yard was pretty much full of sailboats that were stored out of the water which we thought was odd for this time of year. Maybe people pulled early with Irene coming in. After the bike ride I had less than enough time to make another beer run. I barely made the 4:00 meeting time for pictures. It wasn’t the worst experience I’ve ever had but by the end I was quite warm in my suit. I had to run back to the room and clean up before the 5:15 wedding meeting time.

Because of traffic or a number of other reasons people were showing up right until the last minute. Again the weather was perfect after a forecast of some rain. The band were two of Scott and Jen’s friends playing keyboard and acoustic guitar. They were quite good. I didn’t hurt that they played music I enjoyed. I heard some Grateful Dead and other classic tunes. They learned to play the wedding song the previous day. The ceremony started pretty much on time. I opened the show so of course all eyes were initially on Jen’s grandmother and I. After seating her I picked up my stashed video camera and attempted to capture the live event. It is not easy to capture a live event without much rehearsal. I remember I kicked the camera stand at one point while trying to change locations. I did get Adam knocking over the aisle lantern and taking 10 minutes to pick it back up. The ringing of the bell was a bit awkward for the parents and new couple. Scott and Jen’s ring was the worst. Another classic shot I enjoyed taking was the family getting up from the front rows and exiting after the new couple. Matt had a drink in his hand. It reminded me of Scott drinking during the rehearsal. I like a relaxed wedding.

We took more pictures while everyone else hung out on the patio and had cocktails and snacks. I took video as well. Mostly of the youngin’s playing on the croquet field. It was quite the setting. During this time and all the others when there was an open or cash bar I was either handed beers or I grabbed them out of my cooler in the trunk of my car. I’d have to say I was a rather cheap quest at the bar that weekend.

At first I thought the dinner set up was odd as it seemed to be separated between different rooms but then as the sun went down I saw that we all had a wonderful view of the sun setting over the river. The courses seemed to take their time but dinner was good. Eating a little over a long period of time suits me well so no complaints. The cake was nice with the wedding couple in a small sail boat on top. Afterwards they had the typical DJ. It is as if all these guys had the exact same training and play the exact same playlist. A big topic of conversation was when I was getting married and my three year plan. It is anyone’s guess when that will happen. I promise that I will not have a typical wedding DJ at my wedding. I am very much a music person and there is nothing worse than the party being killed by some crappy song. A crappy song played LOUDLY. It completely turns me off. I’m planning on a live band at my wedding and I’m leaning towards a full latin ensemble. I went to a wedding with a Guatemalan bride and the latin band closed out the reception with only about a dozen of us guests long after the wedding party left and only after an encore. That is how my reception will end. We did get down to a few good songs. Everyone remembered James Brown the next day. And most of us remembered Tiffany doing the Jersey Turnpike. The Tides Inn staff and I literally were rolling on the floor laughing. She was thumpin’ it perfectly.

After a few bad songs I solicited Scott for after-hour plans. I was ready to ditch the reception and relax in a setting where friends could converse and good music was in the background. It was close to the DJ ending so Scott gave us the key and after a stop for supplies we eventually met back up with Scott at the suite. Not as many people showed up as the previous night. The party didn’t rage too hard or late.

I was told to be at brunch between 9:30 and 10:00 the next day. I was there close to 9:30 but not too conscious. I sat with the wedding party and friends. It was the final time to see the extended family and others I don’t normally run in to. There were lots of kids and they were entertainment during many of the events throughout the weekend. After packing up and checking out my parents and I had lunch at the local cafe. As we left the wind was pushing the rain on top of us even though the clouds weren’t directly above us. The weather held out for the whole weekend. I enjoyed taking the Maryland route home and saw some flooding damage.

the car is legal

Living on the metro, within walking distance of pretty much everything I need, and having friends that drive me around has allowed me to park my car for the last few years and not drive it at all. Once the registration and safety inspection expired it was hell trying to get things legal again. Today is the first day in almost five years that my car has been legal. I’m still not used to the idea.

The biggest hurdle has been my aftermarket catalytic converter. Toyota wanted to charge me $1100 and instead I ordered one online for $125. Of course I didn’t realize at the time the Celica’s catalytic converter and the down pipe to the back of the car was all one piece. The dealership originally said they would install the aftermarket one for me. Then when I showed up with the part they said they couldn’t because it required welding. So I had to take it to an exhaust shop which put it in for me. Then I had the common problem that everyone with an aftermarket catalytic converter has to deal with: the check engine light. The car’s computer can sense a change from the factory mixture coming out the exhaust and throws out an error even though the aftermarket piece is fine. I can’t pass inspection with a catalytic converter code being triggered. So my car sat for a few years.

I drove it on occasion to the grocery and beer store. As I kept up on police technology I knew my days were limited. The local cops were getting more and more license plate scanners. All they had to do is drive by me and an automatic flag would pop up on their computer telling them to pull me over. Sure enough that happened one day last year on my way to the beer store on I-66. A lady cop was just sitting on the shoulder scanning all the cars that drove from DC out in to Virginia. I couldn’t see if she had a scanner mounted on her car but as soon as she pulled in to traffic a few seconds behind me I knew that was the reason why. She cruised up to me and pulled me over. She wasn’t happy to hear that I didn’t have any registration and my plates were so old they weren’t even in the system. My safety inspection was expired. I did have a valid license though! For some reason she let me off, give me a light ticket, and told me to drive to the next exit and immediately park at that gas station. She said if I drive home and get caught I will go straight to jail.

So I drove home. What else could I do? How was I supposed to get home from Falls Church? The chances of me being pulled over again was rather low. I thought about it for many seconds. Almost a minute I bet! I knew I could take a different and relatively safe route home. No worries. The car didn’t move after that. It collected so much dust I had to wash the windows to drive it this week.

With a track car and a street car that I never drove I often had to deal with dead batteries. So I have my own battery charger. I charged up my Celica battery and she started right up. I'm not used to it; I'm used to Corollas. When I open the door and sit in the seat it always seems so low compared to a normal car. Until I pull up next to a Corvette and I feel high.

First I got insurance. I’m supposed to be in the standard category as opposed to the premium category because I haven’t had insurance for the last 6 months but for some reason I’m getting the normal rate. Then I rode my bike to the DMV to get a 30 day temporary registration so I could take the car in for inspection and other fixes. After waiting a good 30 minutes the guy that finally took care of me was worthless. I think it took him 30 minutes to take care of me. He had no idea what was going on. The guy next to him had to stop with his customer (citizen?) and help him every few minutes. When he finally got the correct commands in the computer to issue me a registration he found out I was not eligible. You can only get one temporary 30 day registration per car per person. I had already done this previously years ago. So now they need to go through the process to issue me a trip pass. From what I understood from the guys inability to communicate the trip pass is only valid for one day. I had no idea what day I could get in a shop or even what exactly I had to do until I got to a shop. So I picked Thursday (today). You have to declare your destination so they can document it. So when a cop pulls you over for no registration and you are not inbetween your residence and that destination you are busted big time. They advised me to pick someplace far away so I said Manassas. Turns out its a 3 day pass and it started on Thursday. That would have been nice to know.

I took today off to deal with getting the emissions and safety inspection along with whatever hoops I’ll have to go through to get my catalytic converter past the state laws. After getting a much needed car wash I hit Jiffy Lube and got the works. They washed out the engine and gave me new transmission and radiator fluid. There was a Shell station a few doors down so I decided to go give it a try and see what happens. I assumed they would turn me down because I hadn’t driven enough miles since I reconnected the battery for the car's computer to get a diagnostic reading. I was very confident when it did finish its diagnostics it would throw a code for my catalytic converter as it has done every time in the past.

Things didn’t go well in the start. I couldn’t understand this guy either. Everyone else in the shop spoke Spanish but I’m not sure what this guy spoke. He found that my wheel was loose. I had to wait for them to put it on the lift and check it out. Luckily for me they were able to tighten the wheel bearing (after an hour or so). Then I got the best news ever. The car passed both the emissions and safety inspection. I was shocked. I’m still shocked. I’ve only driven about 18 miles and I’m pretty sure that is not enough for the ECU to get a reading. I didn’t ask questions. I paid and left with a smile.


After stopping home for lunch I hit the DMV. I knew exactly how to fill out the form. The lady knew exactly how to serve me. Once I was called up I was out in five minutes with my registration and temporary plates. I got temp plates because I’m getting the ‘bicycle enthusiasts’ plates and they didn’t have them in. VA has a ton of special plates.

I guess I can make it to my brother's wedding now. It will take a bit to get used to the fact that I can just jump in the car and take off somewhere. Road trip anyone?