biking, Chilean mine exhibit, and ChurchKey

It was a nice day so I had to take advantage and get outside. I saw online that the Natural History Museum had an exhibit about the Chilean miners who were trapped and finally rescued. So I decided to ride down and check out that exhibit, ride past the new MLK memorial, and then up to ChurckKey for some new beers they had on tap.

I got to the museum around 4:00 about an hour before it closed. I hadn’t been there in awhile and the first floor ocean exhibit was new to me. The little special exhibit I was going to was in the geology section near the Hope diamond. I finally found it after checking out some other cool exhibits. It was interesting and laid out the geology of the area and how they mine the copper. There was a timeline of their time underground and a map of the mine. It showed how deep down they were and the three escape mines they drilled. The actual capsule used to bring the miners up was on display along with other artifacts donated by the miners. It was interesting to see the conditions they had to survive in. A video was playing of the rescue. Emotional stuff.

I walked around a bit more and checked out the Hope diamond and other gems. One of the coolest artifacts was molten rock that was in the shape of a projectile after it cooled and hardened while flying through the air.

It was getting dark so I didn’t ride over to the MLK memorial. I was also worried about getting a spot at ChurchKey. Sure enough when I walked in I got one of the last spots at the bar. I sampled a nice line up of beers while there. All the small 4 oz tasting size of course:

• Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Harvest Ale (w/ Sierra Nevada grown organic barley & wet organic cascade, chinook & citra hops)
• Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale (w/ fresh Yakima Valley cascade & centennial hops)
• Black Diamond Black Harvest Ale (w/ fresh organic hops)
• Ayinger Weisse
• DC Brau El Hefe Speaks!
• DC Brau The Public on cask with summit hops
• DC Brau The Public on cask with amarillo hops
• Brooklyn The Companion (55% wheat malt & 45% floor-malted barley malt)
• Flying Dog Wild Dog: The Fear (w/ pumpkin, squash, chocolate malt, spiced w/ cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg & clove)

Of course I had some food with this. I like their fully loaded potato croquettes with broccoli sour cream. I also had their pasta special which was very good. Don’t ask me to describe it now. I finished with their awesome arancini balls but I was getting full by then and it was hard to get the last one down.

After the ride home the Caps were playing so I watched that. Then at 2am it was time for the Formula One race live in Korea. I haven’t watched an F1 race live in awhile (timing being a big reason). It was nice to have the live lap times and twitter updates as the race was going on. That provides so much more information you otherwise wouldn’t get. I could only stay up for half of it and slept late of course.

DC Brau at ChurchKey

DC Brau, the first brewery in DC since prohibition, had a beer dinner at Birch & Barley along with special beers on tap up in ChurchKey. As I’ve said before, twice, I’m not a big fan of their beer dinners even though the place has excellent food and the best beer in town. But I did want to go try the DC Brau beers. It was Columbus Day so no work for me and the feds. After going on a bike ride during the day I met Sharon at the metro around 5:30. It was another great fall day. I’m beginning to think October is the best month of the year in DC. I wasn’t sure if the place was going to be empty or have a line out the door for this event. I figured it could have gone either way. These new local breweries have had a great outpouring of support. It turns out the place was rather empty.

I saw the DC Brau owners/brewers hanging out around the bar. We started off with three tasting size servings of The Public on cask each with a different type of hop: amarillo, citra, and summit. The Public is their pale ale. I think our preference was citra, amarillo, then summit. After that we tried their Helles Lagaer which was lagered for five weeks and hopped with US perle hops. Quite tasty. Next up was another local beer from up in Maryland the Flying Dog Wild Dog: Secret Stash ‘11. It is brewed with red wheat, sweet corn, potatoes, honey and fresh local cascade & chinook hops. It was only 5.5% which is low for a special beer but I wasn’t complaining. I thought it was a bit too carbonated though. Finally we had the DC Brau Citizen on cask and matured four months in Catoctin Creek Rye Whiskey Oak Barrels. The Citizen is the DC Brau Belgium pale ale. You could taste the whiskey from the barrels. I’m not in to whiskey beers usually.

We had one of their new flatbread pizzas with peppers and sausage and it was pretty good. Which isn’t surprising because that is what I normally get on my zzza’s. Not a bad Monday.

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.

biking and beers

Teri and I got out of work early on Friday being that the office was about empty anyway. We headed to Mad Fox for some good food and beer. My first beer was their Defender APA on cask which is one of my favorites. I also brought home another growler of Orange Whip IPA.

Then on Saturday Teri and I rode bikes to ChurchKey for a few beers. It was a nice ride there and not too overwhelmingly hot. Here are the beers I sampled at the bar:

Oliver's Cask Punk (dry-hopped w/ Amarillo and Citra Hops in the Cask)

Pratt st. Ale House - English IPA - 7% - full glass

Snake Dog on cask

Flying Dog - American IPA - 7.1%

The Public

DC Brau - American Pale Ale - 6%

Face Plant IPA

Lost Rhino - American IPA - 6.2%

Blanda Drops (blend of 4 different Haandbryggeriet ales)

Haandbryggeriet - Belgian Dark Ale - 5%

Aphrodite (Brett beer w/ raspberries and pears added in fermentation)

Ommegang - saison - 8.9%

120 Minute IPA (hopped for 2 hours, dry-hopped in fermenter for 1 month then aged one month on flower hops)

Dogfish Head - Imperial IPA - 18%

I believe I'm missing one of the beers I tried because their menu is out of date. Teri had a nice saison flight and a belgian blonde flight. We split the 18% 120 Minute so we could still bike home.

Lots of great tastes. We tried the cheese board for the first time. The bartender did a good job pairing the three cheeses with three beers. A smoked beer was paired with the cheddar. The Aphrodite was paired with a creamy cheese. And the last mild blue cheese was paired with some beer I can't remember. We watched the first half of the Manchester United vs Barcelona soccer game that was going on here in DC. Then we rode back to my place to watch the second half.

I think the Aphrodite was our favorite beer of the day.

Tuesday Tapping

On some Tuesdays Mad Fox will tap a new beer that isn’t currently on their rotation. Often its either a new beer or one they haven’t had in awhile. Previously Teri and I have hit up the Tuesday Tapping of their Strawberry Blonde. On this Tuesday they were tapping their very popular Orange Whip IPA. From what Bill and his bartenders tell me this is by far their customer favorite. The citrus hops give it that very citrus taste. As has been mentioned before on this blog I believe the reason he doesn’t brew it more often is the lack of citrus hops on the market.

I did the metro/bike combo a few weeks ago during the Mad Fox 1st Anniversary. They had some special food, some special beer, and a band playing that weekend. They had 250 1st Anniversary glasses that they gave out and went quick. It was a hot day but I took the metro to Falls Church and rode my bike the rest of the way. It was a short metro and bike ride. That day I hung out with a home brewer and ran in to Teri who was there to pick up a growler.

I did the metro/bike combo again today. It only takes about 35 minutes or less to metro or bike the whole way. It was crowded and there wasn’t any room at the bar. I asked to share a bar table and met an F1 fan and biker. The best part of the night was getting a growler of Orange Whip IPA for less than my pint. Their Tuesday Tapping special is half price on growler fills. The 2 liters of Orange Whip I took home only cost $5. Not bad for one of my favorite beers.

I was tempted to ride all the way home but I did jump on the metro. Now I’m enjoying an Orange Whip IPA at home in my Mad Fox 1st Anniversary glass. Having access to such great beer is a wonderful thing.

riding free

I wish I was a kid again...

Take Away The Worry

a couple fine fruit beers

On Tuesday’s Mad Fox often taps a new beer. On this Tuesday they tapped their first ever fruit beer. It took Teri and I forever to get there because a truck full of hay caught fire on I-66. Not too many people were there although they said the beer had been popular that day. It is a wheat beer made with strawberries called Strawberry Blonde. It was very mellow and refreshing. Perfect for the sweltering summer days. It reminded me of 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon Wheat that Teri was drinking at Super Ball. Probably because they are both wheat beers. Bill’s Strawberry Blonde was excellent though and I took home a growler fill. Teri dropped me off at the metro and took off to Michelle’s.

Once home I jumped on my bike and headed to ChurchKey. I hadn’t ridden my bike in the dark much yet this season. They had sent out a tweet earlier that day about tapping Founder’s Blushing Monk. This is a very special beer by Founder’s. They last brewed it in 2007 and it has been highly requested since. It is a Belgian Raspberry Ale made with real raspberries. It is 9.2% ABV. It was not as sweet as the Lindemans Framboise of course. It had the perfect carbonation. A bit of a tart after taste. It was very good. You could tell it was made with real raspberries. Definitely a sipping beer.

The next beer I had was DC Brau’s The Corruption. It was excellent. Dry hopped I think. I wonder if it was so tasty because of its freshness being a DC beer?

When I went back out to my bike I had a flat tire. Not exactly what you want to fix after a few beers in the evening. I’ve gotten quick at it though on my road bike and was riding home in no time. I had stage 4 of the Tour de France to watch that night.

a good Sunday

Sunday turned out to be a good day. The weather was great. Teri and I had breakfast with Beth and Matt before they took off. Kirby was in town for the weekend and since I missed ful we met up at Meridian Park to chat for a bit. Lots of people there being a nice Sunday. After catching up we checked out the drum circle and then I rode to ChrurchKey for some food and drink. I had heard they might have some sweet beers left over from SAVOR week and they did not disappoint. They did a Short’s night last week and still had a bunch of their very creative beers. I sampled the Bloody Beer which did have a very bloody mary taste. Next was the Anniversary Ale which is a blood orange wheat wine beer. I also tasted the Mamas Strawberry Milk which is a strawberry ale brewed with milk sugar aged in brandy barrels. And finally their Another Caucasian Gary which definitely has a white russian flavor.

Finally on Sunday evening for the first time I was able to sit on my couch, relax, and watch my new tv. A great week.

Memorial Day Weekend

The Memorial Day Weekend snuck up on us. It is freakin’ June already? I’m going to wake up tomorrow and be 40 and my life will be almost over (just kiddin’ Mom & Dad).

I’ve got a lot of things lined up in June so this long weekend was a good chance to relax. On Friday Teri and I took a long lunch and went to Mad Fox Brewery. I took a growler of their new Elixer to work for my weekly PMO status meeting with the client on Friday afternoons. The Elixer is a great German lager. The description:

The Elixer (6.5% ABV)

A deep golden-colored, light bodied seasonal lager. Pilsner, Vienna and Dark Munich malts balanced by Tettnanger hops gives this beer it’s toasty nose, smooth yet crisp character and late dry finish. Notes of light honey and Hazelnut.

Thankfully the client canceled so I brought in Teri and Lewis to join Robie, Woody, and I to swill the growler. Everyone thought it was pretty tasty.

On Saturday I watched a quick version of Formula One qualifying. Teri had a PMP class so I waited for her to watch it all in detail. I took off to Arlington Cemetery for something to do outside on the Memorial Day weekend. I’ve only been there about two times previously because you are not allowed to ride your bike through. It was packed of course being probably the busiest day of the year for the Cemetery. I walked the loop in the heat. Saw the Kennedy’s and the Arlington House. The Arlington House has a great view up on the hill. I’m sure it was quite the property a few hundred years ago. I walked up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier right when the changing of the guards was taking place. They also did an official wrath ceremony which I left in the middle of. The Tomb of the Unknown Solider looks out over quite a view. They really lined up the landscaping and the area that projects out towards the river and DC. I found myself actually in the center of this view and everyone at the wrath laying ceremony when I continued my walk down the hill during the ceremony. The road wraps around and past the area that projects out from the tomb. I felt the urge to distract everyone and divert their attention but that would have been most disrespectful.

Teri and I headed out to Mark and Michelle’s for some grillin’ and swillin’ that evening. We stopped by Mad Fox to bring a growler of that Elixer. Again everyone enjoyed it. Mark grilled up burgers, hot dogs, and steaks for four couples. Teri and I kicked some butt in corn hole.

One Sunday we watched all of Formula One qualifying and the race. Monaco is always an interesting race. There was also the Indy 500. I almost missed that thinking it was Monday. I did watch the second half. Boring like all oval races until the end. And this one had an exciting last lap. Bummer for the newbie.

After dinner Teri and decided to bike down to the Capitol and check out the free concert. We ended up arriving about when it was ending. I got a flat and fixed that real quick. Teri was swapping out her CaBi bike at each station as we cruised around.

Monday was a day of relaxing and getting stuff done at home. This is a big week of beer events leading up to SAVOR. The summer starts now for me and it’s going to go quick.

BikeDC

When I first heard about BikeDC a few years ago I thought it was a little crazy to pay $35 to wake up early and ride in the streets of DC as I do on a daily basis. I emailed the organization because I was curious about the entry fee. Most of it goes to the permit they need to shut down the major roads and highways of DC for a few hours. Last year I was thinking about doing it but it rained. This year there was a perfect weather forecast so I registered the night before. It was an intereting course starting at the Capitol building, going past the White House, past the Kennedy Center, across the river and up the GW Parkway, then around the Marine Corps Memorial to the Air Force Memorial, before heading back across the river and finishing in DC.

As I was riding across the river in to DC to the start I saw the first riders going up the GW Parkway. I showed up at end of the allotted start time but people were still arriving and lots of people still milling around the start. I took what I thought was a very nice picture of the Capitol building with many bikers in front. Later I realized I was missing my memory card. Along the ride I saw people of all ages and types including a lot of kids and kid carriers. The most interesting was a tandem bike with mom up front, son on back, and the younger sister on the kid-bike-attachment as the third person. Everyone was having a good time riding in the open streets of DC.

There was a little bottle neck at the VA side of the bridge because the exit ramp was split with riders going in both directions. The GW Parkway was nice. Longer than I expected when looking at the route. Lots of hills that some people had trouble on. The experienced bikers in the group were held up a lot by the more casual and slower people. We'd form small lines on the left and slip by when we could between the packed lane on our right and the on-coming traffic of riders on the left separated by a traffic cone on occasion.

It was my first time at the Air Force Memorial. It has a decent view of DC. People must have wondered what was going on with about 5000 bikers showing up. The Memorial was designated as one of the few rest stops with food, water, and bathrooms. It was a pretty nice event. The turnout was big and the weather was almost perfect. I only saw one crash or actually the crash aftermath. I saw a couple Capital Bikeshare bikes which would have been expensive and difficult to take up the hills. I'd love to do the event again next year and start at the beginning of the line.

GPS route info

Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day turned out to be a nice day. Lots of people turned up at the pit stops for free food and goodies. They had a stunt rider this year to entertain the crowd. I got my shirt this time unlike last year because I didn't register.

Since my client was on vacation and I didn't have my normal Friday afternoon meeting I took off the last few hours of the day and did my normal loop around Arlington. There was some water that closed the trail near the river but people were riding around it. You could also see that Four Mile Run flooded the trail and left debris. Not a ton of people out because of the threatening weather. I did get a few drops on me but it turned out to be a nice ride.

GPS of loop ride

Netherlands Carillon

It was a nice day so Teri and I rode bikes to Shirlington to have lunch. On the way past the Marine Corps Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery we saw that the Netherlands Carillon was open. I've been riding past it for years and this was one of the only times I've seen it open. The last time was years ago. Teri and I stopped and took the opportunity to go up inside and check out the view. Other folks there were saying that it was closed for a few years. I didn't have my camera with me but below is a phone picture. It was a nice view. The bells rang while we were up there but thankfully it was only a quarter after the hour. Teri got a little wheezy being up so high and we headed down before the bells rang again.

first bike ride

It wasn't my first bike ride of the season but it was definitely the warmest. It was in the upper 80's and stayed warm throughout the night. Around 5:00 I suddenly realized I needed to be out of the stressful office and on the outdoor carefree trail. I didn't make it on my bike till 6:30 of course but it was still bright and warm out.

The trail was filled with people. I wasn't too bothered as I need to work my pace back up. It was very windy. I didn't mind the resistance this ride too much for some reason and of course going with the wind you feel like Superman. I just made it to the airport and back; less than 10 miles. Looking forward to some hard and leisurely and hard rides on a regular basis this summer.

GPS data

Cherry Blossoms

It has stayed cool this early spring and it was odd to see the cherry blossoms open the last two weeks. The weather finally opened up on Sunday. Of course being a weekend it was a mad-house down on the mall and around the Tidal Basin. I don't think I've been down during the weekend in awhile during the Cherry Blossom Festival as I don't remember so many people. It was nuts. Teri and I biked down and had to lock them up because there were too many people to ride among. It is interesting to see the trees blossom in the city each year. It is a lot of color and you wish they would last for more than a week or two out of the year. I'll have to do another geo-tag ride some year. Not too many pictures this year. We saw a bride and flower girls. The Jefferson Memorial is being renovated on the outside and it was no fun having to walk all the way around to get to the steps. Hopefully the government doesn't shut down for the tourists this weekend or all the memorials and sites will close.

I took a few pics of kids being posed in the trees and I wonder what the parents must think as some stranger captures their kids.

pictures

We biked 4.45 miles to and from the mall and walked 2.46 miles around the Tidal Basin.

GPS data

4th of July

Teri and Ashley rented bikes for the day and we went on an initial bike ride during the afternoon. We took Ashley on a quick sight-seeing tour although we didn't have much time. The Folklife Festival was happenin' on the east side of the mall. We went in and out of security on the west side of the mall and took note of all the people already camped in their spot for the evening fireworks. There were a lot of people but the masses hadn't hit yet. People were crowded in the shaded areas and the Lincoln Memorial steps.

After our initial bike ride we met up with Matt and Kevin and we had a biking gang of five. Hell Burger had a line out the door so we went to Rhodeside Grill for dinner. Then we met up with Sonny at the office who only had Sam and Vanessa with him this year.

The five of us rode off to the mall. The sidewalks were covered with people. Every year you see this mass migration of people headed to the mall from every direction using every method of transportation. Biking is definitely the best. We got there pretty quick and heard about metro stations that were over flowing with people. We got a nice spot up front just as the show was starting. The fireworks were decent with a big finale.

The way back is always difficult because the streets are flooded with people. My bell came in handy. I followed a guy and his kid but lost the group behind me. It would be very difficult to stay together unless we were walking but then that's a waste of a bike. It took some time but everyone made it back to my place.

pics and videos

GPS route

bald eagle on Mt Vernon trail

I did the Mt Vernon Trail yesterday and saw a bald eagle hanging out next to its next. Those things are HUGE. As I was riding up I was checking out the tree knowing it was a bald eagle nest but I could only see a small white bird. As I got closer I realized that was actually the tail feathers of this eagle. It was bent over scratching itself or something. I've seen this nest before on a previous bike trip and I saw a bald eagle hunting the Potomac River as I was near in a canoe. They are starting to be a common site around the Potomac.

My ride went OK. It was a hot day and I tried to go early. My wheel was rather bent. I did better with food before the ride but need to have more than just my first meal in me before I go.

Stats:

Distance: 37.97 mi

Moving Time: 02:33:45

Elapsed Time: 02:47:19

Avg Speed: 14.8 mph

Max Speed: 25.3 mph

GPS data

Avon walk, Preservation Jazz Hall Band, & My Morning Jacket

Saturday was a busy day. I rode my bike out in the morning to the Avon Breast Cancer walk to support Teri and Alex. Of course when I went to meet up with them they were on the absolute far side of the course way up in Maryland. I had to get back to meet my brother for the concert that night so I didn't have much time but rode up to find them anyway. The Avon walk was an interesting event. Lots of walkers and volunteers all decked out and supporting each other. The guy on the Harley with pink Converse shoes jamin' out to the Village People was most entertaining. They walked 26 miles that day and 13 the next.

Scott picked up me up for the Preservation Jazz Hall Band and My Morning Jacket concert that afternoon and we headed over to Robert's. We had drinks and burgers from the grill. When we got to Merriweather the lot was still pretty empty. We had the best seats in the small general admission area right in front of the stage. The PJHB threw down. The tuba player had a sweet fro. The clarenet player was old and rocked out. The drummer was from the 9th Ward. They had four horn players, a bass, piano, and drummer. They finished with the guy from My Morning Jacket. It was a fun opening set.

My Morning Jacket played one big entertaining set. They jammed out pretty well but it was more of a group thing rather than much individual effort. Nothing wrong with that I'm just used to a solo on occasion.

It was a long ride home after a long day.

my Avon walk videos (can't find my pics)

Teri's Avon walk pics

bike ride GPS (Sat & Sun)

The Legwarmers

After seeing them on the schedule at the State Theater for years I finally went to see the Legwarmers. They play many times a year and I think they sell out most shows. I've heard about people coming to the show in some nice 80's gear.

Teri and I took my bikes. I rode my road bike and she took my mt bike. We took the metro to Falls Church and rode the rest of the way after a short break. We got there a little early and the place was pretty full. For the next 20 minutes we were entertained by the crowd as people in sweet authentic 80's clothes would walk past. I wore my Slippery When Wet tour t-shirt and was asked to pose for a pic. Denim jackets and cut-off shorts were all about. Lots of ladies were in spandex. The hair was big and locked in place. Everyone was getting in to it. Before the screen was lifted on the stage I saw one of the back up singers with short cut-off jean shorts hike his short shorts up while pulling the front pockets down and out. The band played all the hits from the decade. With the full band they were able to change it up from hair rock to Madona to the Talking Heads. The crowd enjoyed singing along. It is quite the gig they have.

Teri and I rode all the way home on the W&OD/Curtis trail along I-66. We did pretty good although she wasn't enjoying my bike seat. Not sure I'll be back to see the Legwarmers anytime soon but it was fun entertainment to do once.

first ride

I went biking for the first time this year today. It's warm and dry this week, just under 70, after a week of melting snow and rain. I rode my bike to work and for a small loop after work. There was some semi-truck stopped on Washington BLVD near the Memorial Bridge where it is not supposed to be with police and a huge backup.

Looking forward to warm weather.

ful, biking, Cajun, hiking, Birch & Barley

Today was a full day. I met Kirby for breakfast at Keren for ful as usual. Somewhat unusual she was on time and I was five minutes late. We had a good breakfast. Afterwards we headed to a tourist bike rental downtown because they had their full 2009 bike fleet on sale. They get new bikes each year. They were standard Trek hybrids and cruisers but for a good price. Kirby toured around on a 17.5” hybrid which was too short and a 20” which was too big. Then she tried the 18” cruiser and liked that. The hybrid had a guy’s top tube and the cruiser was good for her as she often rides in skirts. Her old bike was falling apart and she needed a new bike. We rode around the mall for a few and it appeared she was happy with her new ride.

Next I rode up Mass AVE to meet up with Sarah to enjoy the nice day. I forgot to turn on to Wisconsin and went a bit too far but made it to her place a little after 3:00. The plan was to check out a Cajun dance at Glen Echo park. Sarah drove there and it was an old person party as expected. Sarah and I, and the band, were about half of the average age of the people there to dance. We missed the lesson but it didn’t look like this type of dancing took much practice. We hung out for a few songs, walked around, and then decided to hit Great Falls before the sun went down.

We drove to the Virginia side of the river since I haven’t been there in years. I forgot about Scott’s Run Preserve which was crowded. We stopped at the next area. It was a small parking spot and trail. We went on a stroll for 30 or 40 minutes and made it back at dusk. A couple guys were on mountain bikes which makes me wonder if it’s a possible spot. They didn’t look too serious though.

After the hike we hit Birch & Barley. Kirby and I were going to hit this the night it opened but things didn’t work out. We didn’t go upstairs to Churchkey but downstairs was quite nice. I started off with a Stone/Brewdog Bashah. It is a nice black Belgian IPA. It was very tasty. Sarah and I began dinner with the octopus and it was excellent. We were basically served one big tentacle. It wasn’t the slightest bit tough. Very tender and delicious. Sarah got the burger and I got the pork cheeks. Her burger looked good but she asked for medium rare and it was well done. My pork cheeks were small but good. They were fall apart tender in some mashed potatoes with other good stuff. The manager almost insisted we return Sarah’s burger and promised to bring out some munchies to hold us over. After a few they brought out the funky cornbread, mushroom, cheese appetizer that we asked our server about. Now I assure you that “cornbread”, “mushroom”, and “cheese” were nowhere in the description. This was a fine dish. They also brought out a mustard duck pizza. I wasn’t a fan because of the mustard. It wasn’t too bad but not something I was in to. The second burger they brought out for Sarah looked like it was cooked medium to us. It was definitely not medium rare. They flavored it with something decent though.

My second beer was a Brewdog Hardcore IPA on cask. That was pretty darn good too. Sarah liked both as well. I think I was only supposed to get a 12 oz snuffer of that being 9% but they gave me a full pint. I was able to top this most excellent beer with my third though. I ordered a Brooklyn Brewery Manhattan Project. This is a strong ale. I’m not a huge fan of strong ales but I am a fan of Brooklyn Brewery. I didn’t realize until just now that this was Garrett Oliver’s latest Brewmaster Reserve. It is not listed on their website. Sarah and I thought it was awesome. A not over the top strong and complex brew. Hopefully I’ll be able to find this beer again. Here is the description:

Just as good restaurants will often feature the Chef’s special new dishes, every two months our “Chef” creates a new draft beer for our Brewmaster’s Reserve line. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver certainly loves beer best, but many good things provide inspiration. In this case, it was the realm of traditional cocktails. So Garrett decided to conjure up something unique with his friend David Wondrich, America’s top cocktail expert and winner of the 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award. A few years back, David introduced Garrett to the classical version of the Manhattan, made not with bourbon but with rye whiskey, red vermouth and bitters. It quickly became Garrett’s favorite cocktail, and it spawned an idea. A robust rye beer, partially aged in Rittenhouse 100-proof Bonded Rye barrels from the Heaven Hill distillery, and then infused with the herbs and spices that flavor red vermouth and bitters. Then a dash of tart cherry, and the result is THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, a tasty new beer showing echoes of New York’s most famous cocktail, the Manhattan. It is great as an aperitif, but also with game dishes, especially duck.

Malt: Malted Rye, Crystal Rye Malt, Canadian Two row pilsner malt, British Maris Otter

Hops: German Perle

Other sugars: Caramel syrup, brewer’s sugar, Organic cherry juice

Other Herbs/spices: Bitter Orange Peel, Sweet Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Gentian Root, Cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cloves.

ABV: 7.5%

It was a good Sunday with excellent weather for some biking, hiking, great food & beer, and even some music.