Has anyone googled "Turning 30" recently, seeing if Turning 30...finally... was making me famous? No? No one else cares? Well, since I'm much too inept to install a sitemeter on my blog, my only gauge of success is how high up I am on Google's results. And how high am I? Not very!
Sadly, lots of other successful bloggers have taken the easy route and done a general interest, personal diary, type of blog with one lousy post about turning 3o. Weak. As far as I can tell, no one else has taken the initiative to write a daily blog for two whole months about their 30th birthday party! I can't imagine why.
Even worse, everyone else is completely humorless about aging. It seems that most people stay at home and cry, instead of embracing their new oldness in public with a fun party. Keg? Nope. Standup comic? Nope. Stories about other birthdays? Nope. Melancholy recollections? Some. Self-deprecating anecdotes? Nope. In short, this is the only blog where you can read about every single thing related to turning 30! Unfortunately, it turns out that there's not really 60 posts of solid material out there for me to write about, so you get bad ones like this.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
26th birthday revisited!
Today we're celebrating Brucetravis's birthday with a trip out to the country. We'll visit Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, VA, for a little private tour and then we're heading to Front Royal to tube down the Shenandoah River (made famous with the line "Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River..." in John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads"). Should be an insane time.
It's not unlike my 26th birthday, when Katherine and I made a similar trip. We drove out to Sperryville and checked out the now-closed Cooter's Garage, a wild tourist trap of Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia. In the age of Urban Outfitters and ironic t-shirts and kidults, I was glad to see some shirts with honest-to-goshness Confederate flags on the roof of the General Lee. Then we drove up the mountains and headed along Skyline Drive for a few miles, checking out the Shenandoah Valley scenery. Dropping down into Front Royal at the end of the Shenandoah National Park, it was off to Markham (I think) to pick some apples. Very nice, although September 27th tends to be a little late in the season around here.
Why doesn't everyone go to the country for their birthday?!
It's not unlike my 26th birthday, when Katherine and I made a similar trip. We drove out to Sperryville and checked out the now-closed Cooter's Garage, a wild tourist trap of Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia. In the age of Urban Outfitters and ironic t-shirts and kidults, I was glad to see some shirts with honest-to-goshness Confederate flags on the roof of the General Lee. Then we drove up the mountains and headed along Skyline Drive for a few miles, checking out the Shenandoah Valley scenery. Dropping down into Front Royal at the end of the Shenandoah National Park, it was off to Markham (I think) to pick some apples. Very nice, although September 27th tends to be a little late in the season around here.
Why doesn't everyone go to the country for their birthday?!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Old dudes love me!
The Wasmund and I were visiting a potential new account for happy hour last night and ended up sitting next to a delightful older gentleman. He was kind enough to point us the right direction on the menu (to the happy hour specials!) and we got to talking about Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky.
For some reason, The Wasmund told our new friend (whose name is Neil) how old he is and Neil asked if I was the same age. Now, I won't tell you how old RW is (hint: between 48 and 50, but not 48.5 or 49.5), but it's jarringly older than me. RW told him I was just a spring chicken, which isn't entirely true, but is relatively accurate considering the circumstances.
Finally, I told Neil I was 29 (after he initially guessed 40, then 35 after my visible dismay). He said, "Oh, you look older because you've lost your hair. But, you've still got a young bod!" It's true, he told me I had a "young bod" and that I'm "in great shape." I guess it's too bad that people don't judge age by body-type more often, so that those flabby dudes in college would be mistaken for 40-year-olds, instead of us bald dudes.
For some reason, The Wasmund told our new friend (whose name is Neil) how old he is and Neil asked if I was the same age. Now, I won't tell you how old RW is (hint: between 48 and 50, but not 48.5 or 49.5), but it's jarringly older than me. RW told him I was just a spring chicken, which isn't entirely true, but is relatively accurate considering the circumstances.
Finally, I told Neil I was 29 (after he initially guessed 40, then 35 after my visible dismay). He said, "Oh, you look older because you've lost your hair. But, you've still got a young bod!" It's true, he told me I had a "young bod" and that I'm "in great shape." I guess it's too bad that people don't judge age by body-type more often, so that those flabby dudes in college would be mistaken for 40-year-olds, instead of us bald dudes.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Party planning update!
You know what's probably the most annoying thing for a standup comic? Getting booked for a gig that is absolutely destined to fail. I mean, at least there's a chance that you've got a good line for whenever someone says, "Oh! Say something funny!", but there's just nothing you can do about a bad room setup filled with people who don't care. That's why it's going to be really funny if we can get a standup comic for the birthday party (on September 27th!). Ha ha, joke's on them!!
Katherine and I spent last night reviewing people at http://www.dcstandup.com/. The criteria for asking someone to perform at the party are:
1. A good headshot. These two folks were in the lead.
Katherine and I spent last night reviewing people at http://www.dcstandup.com/. The criteria for asking someone to perform at the party are:
1. A good headshot. These two folks were in the lead.
I think that's Paula Dellert on top and Christ White below. Very good headshots.
2. The person has to have a website that actually works and doesn't take forever to use.
3. They can't be already booked on September 27th.
Unfortunately, no one really met all the criteria, but I think we're on the right track. Does anyone know someone who's killed at a few open mics and wants to get some more experience?
Oh, everyone should also google Larry Poon. He's pretty funny, if your tastes are more in the Neil Hamburger line of things. Apparently he's on a "Poonified" tour of Europe during my birthday, although that might be a joke on his website.
Monday, August 25, 2008
B2S!
I've been working on my abbreviations, in the hopes that it fends off the post-30th-birthday senility. So, in case you're not keeping up with trends, "B2S" means "Built to Slaughter" (which I am) or, in this instance, "Back to School" (which I also am). Being 29 in business school is nice because I'm just about the average age. But, people tend to think I'm older, or at least more settled down, because they always ask about my kids.
Yeah, people assume I have kids.
I had one class today and have three tomorrow. Today was mostly about making small talk to find out what people did for the summer. So far I think I've talked to one person whose job was anywhere near as interesting as mine, but I can't tell you what he did because it's top secret information at the company. Zing! My job's not top secret, though: I learned everything I could about Copper Fox Distillery and tried to sell more Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky than I drank. An amazing experience and I wish everyone could spend a summer doing exactly what they wanted.
In other news, today is Brucetravis's birthday (speaking of other people who are Built to Slaughter). He's 33 and celebrated by sending me a list of hundreds of words that start with "th". No, "thenerd" and "theloser" and "thefattestcyclistinthemidatlantic" didn't make the list, even though they're appropriate to for the birthday boy. Happy birthday!
Yeah, people assume I have kids.
I had one class today and have three tomorrow. Today was mostly about making small talk to find out what people did for the summer. So far I think I've talked to one person whose job was anywhere near as interesting as mine, but I can't tell you what he did because it's top secret information at the company. Zing! My job's not top secret, though: I learned everything I could about Copper Fox Distillery and tried to sell more Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky than I drank. An amazing experience and I wish everyone could spend a summer doing exactly what they wanted.
In other news, today is Brucetravis's birthday (speaking of other people who are Built to Slaughter). He's 33 and celebrated by sending me a list of hundreds of words that start with "th". No, "thenerd" and "theloser" and "thefattestcyclistinthemidatlantic" didn't make the list, even though they're appropriate to for the birthday boy. Happy birthday!
(In case you've never met Brucetravis, here's a picture of him with his twin brother.)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Full night of age-related comments!
Hanging out with Katherine, Mary, and Marie last night led to two age-related conversations.
1. Mary noted that she and Katherine could easily pass for being younger than they are. In fact, she said, "We could all pass for younger than our age!" This was news to me, as no one has ever believed me to be anything less than five years older than my real age. Mary apologized for her mistake.
2. Everyone agreed that at some point you have to start cutting your hair short to be an adult, but no one really knows what that age is. I suggested 16, since that's when I started losing mine, which garnered much sympathy.
Not much else to report on the birthday party front. We're bottling the IPA tonight and moving the Oktoberfest to secondary. Will hopefully report on initial tastings later on!
1. Mary noted that she and Katherine could easily pass for being younger than they are. In fact, she said, "We could all pass for younger than our age!" This was news to me, as no one has ever believed me to be anything less than five years older than my real age. Mary apologized for her mistake.
2. Everyone agreed that at some point you have to start cutting your hair short to be an adult, but no one really knows what that age is. I suggested 16, since that's when I started losing mine, which garnered much sympathy.
Not much else to report on the birthday party front. We're bottling the IPA tonight and moving the Oktoberfest to secondary. Will hopefully report on initial tastings later on!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Dave Chappelle on being 30
Ohhhhh, last night I caught a Chappelle's Show episode I've never seen before. It's always good to see the Black White Supremacist bit, but this one did have a sketch on aging. Very nice.
The piece was about how Dave would react to the same situation at 18, 24, and 30. It all rang pretty true for me: the 18-year-old was a sensitive loser, the 24-year-old is all rock'n'roll, and the 30-year-old is stuffy. Best of all, the 24-year-old's life philosophy was "Hey, hey, hey, hey, smoke weed every day."
Does everyone else glorify their 24-year-old self? I imagine that at some point when I'm 40 I'll look back and think that guy was a loudmouth prima donna, but now he seems pretty cool. Meeting girls, making more money than I should, going out all the time, reading really challenging books, watching rodeo, and running in shorts all winter. As mentioned in a previous post, I also had a beard at 24.
Almost as curious, I wonder if 50-year-olds look back 20 years and think that person is awesome. I probably won't, since being awesome probably requires having a job.
The piece was about how Dave would react to the same situation at 18, 24, and 30. It all rang pretty true for me: the 18-year-old was a sensitive loser, the 24-year-old is all rock'n'roll, and the 30-year-old is stuffy. Best of all, the 24-year-old's life philosophy was "Hey, hey, hey, hey, smoke weed every day."
Does everyone else glorify their 24-year-old self? I imagine that at some point when I'm 40 I'll look back and think that guy was a loudmouth prima donna, but now he seems pretty cool. Meeting girls, making more money than I should, going out all the time, reading really challenging books, watching rodeo, and running in shorts all winter. As mentioned in a previous post, I also had a beard at 24.
Almost as curious, I wonder if 50-year-olds look back 20 years and think that person is awesome. I probably won't, since being awesome probably requires having a job.
My 24th birthday!
September 27th, 2002. This was a weird birthday.
I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the time, so I ran about 22 miles in the morning, then came home and ate a whole watermelon on the front porch. At some point, various people came over to the house for an afternoon party, although I'm not really sure who was involved. Justin Jarboe was definitely there, because I know he had pictures of me hitting a pinata.
This was my "beard" phase, so I have a red, scraggly beard in the pictures. Delightful.
All in all, it was a pretty good day, and as low-key as you can get and still have a pinata. I guess it's just one of those parties that you forget about over the years.
I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the time, so I ran about 22 miles in the morning, then came home and ate a whole watermelon on the front porch. At some point, various people came over to the house for an afternoon party, although I'm not really sure who was involved. Justin Jarboe was definitely there, because I know he had pictures of me hitting a pinata.
This was my "beard" phase, so I have a red, scraggly beard in the pictures. Delightful.
All in all, it was a pretty good day, and as low-key as you can get and still have a pinata. I guess it's just one of those parties that you forget about over the years.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Birthday week is coming together nicely!
All day I've been wondering what I was going to post about. There really hasn't been much good birthday blog material, what with me cleaning the kitchen (including the top of the refrigerator!) and getting a start on school work. Heck, my one outing was to deposit a paycheck at the ATM. Even Fuggles the Cat is bored with me, I think.
Then, I saw an e-mail announcing this amazing event: http://www.capitalcriterium.com! This promises to be a perfect start to the birthday week, with a big-time bike race in downtown DC on September 21st. Best of all, the prize list for the pro race is going to be $50,000. With that much money at stake, it's quite possible that I'll have a good chance to break out my Danny "The Pate" Pate t-shirt, last seen during stage 15 of the Tour de France!
Honestly, I think this event can be amazing. It shows what happens when the mayor, a well-connected cycling club, and some big businesses all get together. I never thought I'd see DC streets close for a bike race after September 11, especially so close to the White House, so this is a promising sign that a nice level of sanity is coming back to downtown DC.
Then, I saw an e-mail announcing this amazing event: http://www.capitalcriterium.com! This promises to be a perfect start to the birthday week, with a big-time bike race in downtown DC on September 21st. Best of all, the prize list for the pro race is going to be $50,000. With that much money at stake, it's quite possible that I'll have a good chance to break out my Danny "The Pate" Pate t-shirt, last seen during stage 15 of the Tour de France!
Honestly, I think this event can be amazing. It shows what happens when the mayor, a well-connected cycling club, and some big businesses all get together. I never thought I'd see DC streets close for a bike race after September 11, especially so close to the White House, so this is a promising sign that a nice level of sanity is coming back to downtown DC.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Still got it...never lost it!
I played golf with classmates Sam and Paul today. We knocked around the back nine at Rock Creek, which is extremely narrow. This picture on the right gives a pretty good idea.
It was especially appropriate for us, as Paul noted that the course description is something only an MBA could write: "The back nine is a true test of accuracy and perseverance. Dense woods on either side of the narrow fairways will show how much confidence you have in your driver. Postage stamp greens and large elevation changes combine to force risk/reward decisions on every shot."
Indeed. We weren't very accurate and spent a lot of time chasing balls in the woods, where I displayed my skill at finding balls. At one point, after finding four balls on one hole (none of which were ours), Paul said, "I don't care how old they say you are, you've still got the eagle eye!" Yeah!
See, it doesn't matter how old I get, as long as I don't lose my valuable skills. What other valuable skills? Oh, you know, things like looking good in khakis, keeping my hair cut short, reading the Post, and going to bed early. I think I'll adjust to being 30 just fine.
It was especially appropriate for us, as Paul noted that the course description is something only an MBA could write: "The back nine is a true test of accuracy and perseverance. Dense woods on either side of the narrow fairways will show how much confidence you have in your driver. Postage stamp greens and large elevation changes combine to force risk/reward decisions on every shot."Indeed. We weren't very accurate and spent a lot of time chasing balls in the woods, where I displayed my skill at finding balls. At one point, after finding four balls on one hole (none of which were ours), Paul said, "I don't care how old they say you are, you've still got the eagle eye!" Yeah!
See, it doesn't matter how old I get, as long as I don't lose my valuable skills. What other valuable skills? Oh, you know, things like looking good in khakis, keeping my hair cut short, reading the Post, and going to bed early. I think I'll adjust to being 30 just fine.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Vacation next week!
Just a head's up, Turning 30...finally... will be taking its first days off since July 27th on Monday and Tuesday. Katherine and I are heading to Tilghman's Island, where there have been recent sightings of the elusive "Chesapeake Watermen".
Long thought to be extinct, rumors are swirling that at least a handful of people still make a living off of fishing in the Chesapeake. Even more surprising, this is in addition to the enterprising souls leading northern snakehead fishing expeditions! We're hoping to see some of these few survivors of a bygone era and taste their delicious haul. I can't speak for both of us, but I plan on having hardshell crabs for breakfast.
It's a little surprising to think about places I've gone to chillax for a few days over the years. In college, almost any days off from school were an excuse to go to San Francisco. Then, in my early 20's (also known as the Bronze Age), Jack and I got in the habit of heading to Philadelphia on long weekends. Katherine and I have strangely become big fans of rural Maryland. We spend lots of time talking about the woods where they filmed the Blair Witch Project and looking at cool birds.
I guess this is what it's like to get old: you stay closer and closer to home. By the time I'm 35, I expect to never leave Ward 4 except for special occasions. Maybe Rock Creek Park will be our ritual birthday destination.
See you on Wednesday!
Long thought to be extinct, rumors are swirling that at least a handful of people still make a living off of fishing in the Chesapeake. Even more surprising, this is in addition to the enterprising souls leading northern snakehead fishing expeditions! We're hoping to see some of these few survivors of a bygone era and taste their delicious haul. I can't speak for both of us, but I plan on having hardshell crabs for breakfast.
It's a little surprising to think about places I've gone to chillax for a few days over the years. In college, almost any days off from school were an excuse to go to San Francisco. Then, in my early 20's (also known as the Bronze Age), Jack and I got in the habit of heading to Philadelphia on long weekends. Katherine and I have strangely become big fans of rural Maryland. We spend lots of time talking about the woods where they filmed the Blair Witch Project and looking at cool birds.
I guess this is what it's like to get old: you stay closer and closer to home. By the time I'm 35, I expect to never leave Ward 4 except for special occasions. Maybe Rock Creek Park will be our ritual birthday destination.
See you on Wednesday!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
My future novelist career
Here's a short list of birthday-themed erotic novels I plan on writing after turning 30. Note that these are not autobiographical, nor do I expect them to become autobiographical, unlike the series of ironic-t-shirt-themed erotic novels I've almost completed.
*The Man in the Pointy Hat Blowing on a Thing
*Oh, Yeah, I'm Hitting the Pinata
*Pin Your Tail on Me
*Twister is Weak
*Moon Bounce Adventures
*Moon Bounce Adventures 2
*P.S. Bring Your Friends
*Lawn Dart Stud (note: this one is also a thriller)
*Moon Bounce Adventures 3
*Birthday Suit
*The Only Gift I Want is a Hardy Boys Book (note: gay)
As you can guess, some of these will only get a novella treatment, since they're a little too simple for a full novel.
*The Man in the Pointy Hat Blowing on a Thing
*Oh, Yeah, I'm Hitting the Pinata
*Pin Your Tail on Me
*Twister is Weak
*Moon Bounce Adventures
*Moon Bounce Adventures 2
*P.S. Bring Your Friends
*Lawn Dart Stud (note: this one is also a thriller)
*Moon Bounce Adventures 3
*Birthday Suit
*The Only Gift I Want is a Hardy Boys Book (note: gay)
As you can guess, some of these will only get a novella treatment, since they're a little too simple for a full novel.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Who else is turning 30, finally? (Volume 2)
Apparently, this guy is turning 30 on September 27th.
For you non-cycling fans out there, this is a completely weird picture of people who still aren't 30 but are ridiculously accomplished. Left to right: TdF yellow jersey wearer Linus Gerdemann, winner of everything Tom Boonen, TdF winner Alberto Contador, handsome Dutch phenom Thomas Dekker, and all-around freak Andy Schleck (last seen smiling up L'Alpe d'Huez). For some reason, these guys are all wearing bathing suits before a race in Aruba. Check out Schleck's fancy tan lines.
Screw Curt Fortin, these guys are making 30 look old. Ouch.
Yeah, who knew, right? According to various internet searches, Curt Fortin is some sort of a Dutch celebrity. Born in Aruba, he's now living in the Netherlands and hosting a video show or something. Naturally, he appears to be a Miami Dolphins fan, which I also was at the ripe age of seven. I thought people grew out of being Dolphins fans and matured into cold-weather team fans (or at least Redskins fans). I guess I was wrong.
Anyway, it's always good to see Aruba in the news. In response to Greg Damage's comment on an earlier thread, I'm including more pictures relating to Aruba. Like this one:
Or, what do you think about this one?
For you non-cycling fans out there, this is a completely weird picture of people who still aren't 30 but are ridiculously accomplished. Left to right: TdF yellow jersey wearer Linus Gerdemann, winner of everything Tom Boonen, TdF winner Alberto Contador, handsome Dutch phenom Thomas Dekker, and all-around freak Andy Schleck (last seen smiling up L'Alpe d'Huez). For some reason, these guys are all wearing bathing suits before a race in Aruba. Check out Schleck's fancy tan lines.Screw Curt Fortin, these guys are making 30 look old. Ouch.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A great recent 30th birthday party
My friend Adam and a few other folks all turned 30 about the same time earlier this summer. Naturally, they threw a group party and it was a tremendous success!
Group parties can be tough things. Will the different groups of friends mingle, or will everyone stand around in separate circles? Will some people get lots of presents and others get none? Will one person's friends be lots better at pitching horseshoes?
Typically, horseshoe-pitching skills wouldn't matter too much, but Adam's neighbor has ingeniously installed a horseshoe pit in their backyard! Granted, there's no above-ground pool to go with it, but these are the sorts of things that make for a great party. Sure, anyone can have music and beer, but horseshoes take it to a whole other level. Oh, Adam and his friends also smoked a pig. That's not chips and salsa, folks, that's a whole pig!
I'm not even going to try to top Adam's party, but he has set the standard. Will a stand-up comedian measure up to a smoked pig? Will the go-go iPod mix measure up to horseshoes? Does having a blog add anything whatsoever to a party? Will it make my party better or worse if I spend all night crying? We'll see.
Group parties can be tough things. Will the different groups of friends mingle, or will everyone stand around in separate circles? Will some people get lots of presents and others get none? Will one person's friends be lots better at pitching horseshoes?
Typically, horseshoe-pitching skills wouldn't matter too much, but Adam's neighbor has ingeniously installed a horseshoe pit in their backyard! Granted, there's no above-ground pool to go with it, but these are the sorts of things that make for a great party. Sure, anyone can have music and beer, but horseshoes take it to a whole other level. Oh, Adam and his friends also smoked a pig. That's not chips and salsa, folks, that's a whole pig!
I'm not even going to try to top Adam's party, but he has set the standard. Will a stand-up comedian measure up to a smoked pig? Will the go-go iPod mix measure up to horseshoes? Does having a blog add anything whatsoever to a party? Will it make my party better or worse if I spend all night crying? We'll see.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Slowly but surely, getting the house ready
This morning I went out back to see how things looked in the alley and was dismayed to realize that our parking place was in a state of massive disrepair. Not good. In fact, it was embarassing when neighbor Ian walked by and just shook his head.
So, I headed out to Home Depot and bought 24 feet of 4x6's, got them cut to the right size, and put them out back. After about an hour of raking, digging, and trimming, I finally had the old border torn up and the new one put in. It's far from perfect, but it's a dramatic improvement.
This is the sort of thing we're going to be doing up until September 27 to make sure that everyone has a great time. Other small projects include painting the front porch and re-glazing some windows that rattle. And, if we're lucky, and if my guy Vinny comes over soon, we might have a VERY big improvement to show off...
So, I headed out to Home Depot and bought 24 feet of 4x6's, got them cut to the right size, and put them out back. After about an hour of raking, digging, and trimming, I finally had the old border torn up and the new one put in. It's far from perfect, but it's a dramatic improvement.
This is the sort of thing we're going to be doing up until September 27 to make sure that everyone has a great time. Other small projects include painting the front porch and re-glazing some windows that rattle. And, if we're lucky, and if my guy Vinny comes over soon, we might have a VERY big improvement to show off...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Preview of someone else's birthday!
Good friend and classmate Sam is having a birthday happy hour this evening. I don't know how old he's going to be, but I think he's a little older than me. Why? Because the last time we played golf I had to keep goading him into swinging harder and using a bigger club. I even called him a pansy a few times for not hitting the ball as far as he could. In a miraculous demonstration of courage that revealed his true age to be no less than 50, he didn't respond to my taunts and kept plugging along, dinking up and down the course. I hope I don't stop heckling people when I turn 30.
So, how will Sam be celebrating his 51st birthday? With a happy hour at Skye Lounge! I've never been to Skye, but it is a "lounge", which makes me a little apprehensive. I don't have any clothes to wear to a lounge. For instance, I'm wearing a new H&M t-shirt every day this week (just $5.90 each during the sales tax holiday!), but the Washington Post review of Skye says that most of the clientele are wearing suits. Hmmm...
To his credit, Sam did try to have this party at Pizzeria Paradiso, but decided it was too small. I like this thinking: boldly assuming you're going to have way too many people for a regular bar is great! And, his wife's e-mail also said they decided on Skye because it has outdoor seating and great happy hour specials, both of which are excellent decision factors. Finally, it's Metro-accessible. Great choice!
Frankly, I'm just glad it's not at the Tombs.
Happy birthday, Sam!
So, how will Sam be celebrating his 51st birthday? With a happy hour at Skye Lounge! I've never been to Skye, but it is a "lounge", which makes me a little apprehensive. I don't have any clothes to wear to a lounge. For instance, I'm wearing a new H&M t-shirt every day this week (just $5.90 each during the sales tax holiday!), but the Washington Post review of Skye says that most of the clientele are wearing suits. Hmmm...
To his credit, Sam did try to have this party at Pizzeria Paradiso, but decided it was too small. I like this thinking: boldly assuming you're going to have way too many people for a regular bar is great! And, his wife's e-mail also said they decided on Skye because it has outdoor seating and great happy hour specials, both of which are excellent decision factors. Finally, it's Metro-accessible. Great choice!
Frankly, I'm just glad it's not at the Tombs.
Happy birthday, Sam!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Great reactions to my age at a house party!
My good friend and classmate Paul invited us to a house party on Swann Street on Saturday night. Being a huge fan of house parties, he didn't have to do much convincing to get us to go.
It turns out the party was in a house Paul lived in way back in the late '90's. It's been a group house ever since, but the owner finally decided to kick everyone out, fix it up, and charge market rates for the property. Punk rock is dead on Swann Street. I guess I'm surprised it actually lasted this long.
(By the way, is Swann Street where that married man got murdered while having an illicit tryst with two gay gentlemen a few years back?)
Oh, so the party was pretty fun. They had an astounding SIX kegs! Not a chance of getting through those. They also had some very dusty bottles of madeira and some type of Greek licorice liqueur that were pretty foul.
The best, though, was running into my friend Carrie who I hadn't seen in years. I told her I needed our mutual friend's e-mail address so I could invite her to my 30th birthday party, at which point Carrie actually shot beer up her nose and all over the place, while exclaiming, "You're not thirty yet?!" It was awesome.
Someone else heard I was turning 30 and fantastically deadpanned, "I don't think you'll have a very big adjustment to make." I don't really know what he meant, but I appreciated it.
It turns out the party was in a house Paul lived in way back in the late '90's. It's been a group house ever since, but the owner finally decided to kick everyone out, fix it up, and charge market rates for the property. Punk rock is dead on Swann Street. I guess I'm surprised it actually lasted this long.
(By the way, is Swann Street where that married man got murdered while having an illicit tryst with two gay gentlemen a few years back?)
Oh, so the party was pretty fun. They had an astounding SIX kegs! Not a chance of getting through those. They also had some very dusty bottles of madeira and some type of Greek licorice liqueur that were pretty foul.
The best, though, was running into my friend Carrie who I hadn't seen in years. I told her I needed our mutual friend's e-mail address so I could invite her to my 30th birthday party, at which point Carrie actually shot beer up her nose and all over the place, while exclaiming, "You're not thirty yet?!" It was awesome.
Someone else heard I was turning 30 and fantastically deadpanned, "I don't think you'll have a very big adjustment to make." I don't really know what he meant, but I appreciated it.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday, Brewday Sunday!
With the big day rapidly approaching, I think we cut it pretty close and waited until today to brew the Oktoberfest. Our 'Fest is more properly called a "marzen", which is a lager style. It'll ferment for about two weeks, then sit at about 34 degrees (this is the "lagering" step) for another four weeks. We'll bottle it then and hope it's ready to drink two weeks later.
We designed the 'Fest to be pretty malty, with a base of pilsner and munich malts and a pound each of crystal 60 and victory for character. It's got a deep red color to it (just what we like in a marzen), a little chocolate-y taste, and very mild bitterness.
At this point, the only question is how the yeast comes through. We should have a good feel for this when we taste it in two weeks.
We also moved the IPA to secondary fermentation today, dry-hopping it with whole-leaf Cascades. It's wonderful at this point: amber color, very dry, nice pine-y bitterness, and a very clean yeast character. Excellent! Oh, it's 5.3% ABV. Looking forward to drinking this one.
We designed the 'Fest to be pretty malty, with a base of pilsner and munich malts and a pound each of crystal 60 and victory for character. It's got a deep red color to it (just what we like in a marzen), a little chocolate-y taste, and very mild bitterness.
At this point, the only question is how the yeast comes through. We should have a good feel for this when we taste it in two weeks.
We also moved the IPA to secondary fermentation today, dry-hopping it with whole-leaf Cascades. It's wonderful at this point: amber color, very dry, nice pine-y bitterness, and a very clean yeast character. Excellent! Oh, it's 5.3% ABV. Looking forward to drinking this one.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
28th Birthday!
Two years ago Katherine and I took the day off work on September 27th and went down to southern Maryland. Great place! It's very pretty, with lots of great local flavor. I can see why John Wilkes Booth ran away to there after killing Lincoln.
After an epic drive down the Suitland Parkway, we headed down Route 5 to LaPlata (motto: "Not Waldorf.") for lunch at Johnny Boy's Ribs. Johnny Boy's is just a shack on the side of the road with some picnic tables. The ribs were fantastic, with great bark on the side, a nice smoke line, and perfectly spicy sauce. Sides were okay, but not nearly as good as the ribs.
I finished off lunch by washing my face with a moist towelette. Don't think I'll do that again.
From there, we went out to Nanjemoy Creek for some birdwatching. Sounds boring, right? Wrong. It's awesome. We watched bald eagles for a while and saw some osprey diving for fish, then took a little hike and saw some young eagles fly past about twenty feet away. There are pictures somewhere, probably with the Hooter's waitress pictures from my 25th birthday. Gotta look for those.
After an epic drive down the Suitland Parkway, we headed down Route 5 to LaPlata (motto: "Not Waldorf.") for lunch at Johnny Boy's Ribs. Johnny Boy's is just a shack on the side of the road with some picnic tables. The ribs were fantastic, with great bark on the side, a nice smoke line, and perfectly spicy sauce. Sides were okay, but not nearly as good as the ribs.
I finished off lunch by washing my face with a moist towelette. Don't think I'll do that again.
From there, we went out to Nanjemoy Creek for some birdwatching. Sounds boring, right? Wrong. It's awesome. We watched bald eagles for a while and saw some osprey diving for fish, then took a little hike and saw some young eagles fly past about twenty feet away. There are pictures somewhere, probably with the Hooter's waitress pictures from my 25th birthday. Gotta look for those.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Who else is turning 30, finally?
In a new semi-regular feature here at "Turning 30...finally...", I'm going to profile someone else who shares my birthday of September 27, 1978. Today's special guest: Jon Rauch!
That's right, the tallest major leaguer in history and ex-Nationals bullpen stalwart has the exact same birthday as me. I think this means that we're brothers, which makes sense, since I was the tallest person on my intramural basketball team in college. And, my intramural basketball team was the worst team in our league, much like the Nats. The similarities are endless.
Of course, Rauch was traded a few weeks ago, but it's impossible to say who he plays for now. Every time I try to find out, I get distracted with stories about Lopez Lomong, whose brave flag-carrying has vaulted him to the top of the list of potential veep picks for both McCain AND Obama. Interesting.
Oh, but I digress. My point here is that very few actual celebrities share my birthday. Heck, without a big effort, I could probably make myself the most famous person in the world born on September 27, 1978. It's time to hatch a plan.
That's right, the tallest major leaguer in history and ex-Nationals bullpen stalwart has the exact same birthday as me. I think this means that we're brothers, which makes sense, since I was the tallest person on my intramural basketball team in college. And, my intramural basketball team was the worst team in our league, much like the Nats. The similarities are endless.
Of course, Rauch was traded a few weeks ago, but it's impossible to say who he plays for now. Every time I try to find out, I get distracted with stories about Lopez Lomong, whose brave flag-carrying has vaulted him to the top of the list of potential veep picks for both McCain AND Obama. Interesting.
Oh, but I digress. My point here is that very few actual celebrities share my birthday. Heck, without a big effort, I could probably make myself the most famous person in the world born on September 27, 1978. It's time to hatch a plan.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Blelvis
On a recent trip to Wonderland I had the pleasure of running into DC's two wackiest celebrities: Newt Gingrich and Blelvis. I couldn't think of anything clever to say to Speaker Gingrich, but had a nice conversation with Blelvis.
For those of you who don't know, Blelvis ("The Black Elvis") is a slightly neurotic street entertainer who's been around DC for years. Actually, if youtube is any guide, he's been around since at least 1988. (Does Blelvis have a wikipedia page? Why am I too lazy to actually check?) His schtick is that he knows the lyrics to every Elvis song ever recorded and he asks you to name a song for him to sing. Of course, you know you can't stump him and you sort of want to walk away, but then he asks you for one word and says he can sing a song about it. It's amazing. I think I've done "hot dogs", "Christmas trees", and "diamonds" and gotten a legitimate Elvis song every time. He also works in some jokes and gives a little story about his background, then you give him a few dollars and he goes on his merry way.
Seeing Blelvis is always a treat.
Anyway, I've been talking for years about having him be the entertainment at a party. Unfortunately, I just can't decide if it's a good idea. Like, no one has ever felt threatened by him, but there's always the risk that he's a drug addict who would steal stuff from my house. (It happens. Lindsay Lohan stole stuff from one of my friend's houses in LA. Addicts do stuff like that.) A bigger risk is that he wouldn't leave or would start sleeping on my porch or something. I have no idea.
The potential pay-off, though, is that I think I could force him to unveil his new character that he's been talking about for years: Blincoln. I'm totally serious. Is it worth it? Let the commenters decide!
For those of you who don't know, Blelvis ("The Black Elvis") is a slightly neurotic street entertainer who's been around DC for years. Actually, if youtube is any guide, he's been around since at least 1988. (Does Blelvis have a wikipedia page? Why am I too lazy to actually check?) His schtick is that he knows the lyrics to every Elvis song ever recorded and he asks you to name a song for him to sing. Of course, you know you can't stump him and you sort of want to walk away, but then he asks you for one word and says he can sing a song about it. It's amazing. I think I've done "hot dogs", "Christmas trees", and "diamonds" and gotten a legitimate Elvis song every time. He also works in some jokes and gives a little story about his background, then you give him a few dollars and he goes on his merry way.
Seeing Blelvis is always a treat.
Anyway, I've been talking for years about having him be the entertainment at a party. Unfortunately, I just can't decide if it's a good idea. Like, no one has ever felt threatened by him, but there's always the risk that he's a drug addict who would steal stuff from my house. (It happens. Lindsay Lohan stole stuff from one of my friend's houses in LA. Addicts do stuff like that.) A bigger risk is that he wouldn't leave or would start sleeping on my porch or something. I have no idea.
The potential pay-off, though, is that I think I could force him to unveil his new character that he's been talking about for years: Blincoln. I'm totally serious. Is it worth it? Let the commenters decide!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Born to be 50
Shortly before I left NRECA to go back to school, I was having dinner with my old boss. She's a really nice woman, and possibly a little eccentric, which makes hanging out with her always enjoyable. You never really know what she's going to say, but it's almost always going to be pretty memorable.
She was telling me that it was good to go to school now, do different things, go while I can, etc., etc., and asked how old I was. I told her I was 28 and she commented that I seemed older than that. Then, in an amazing moment, she said that her husband had recently said that he really enjoyed being in his 50s and felt like he had always been a 50-year-old trapped in a young man's body. And, she told me that I was probably the same way: born to be 50.
Good times! I would say I was probably born to be 35, if I had to say, but 50 seems a little steep!
She was telling me that it was good to go to school now, do different things, go while I can, etc., etc., and asked how old I was. I told her I was 28 and she commented that I seemed older than that. Then, in an amazing moment, she said that her husband had recently said that he really enjoyed being in his 50s and felt like he had always been a 50-year-old trapped in a young man's body. And, she told me that I was probably the same way: born to be 50.
Good times! I would say I was probably born to be 35, if I had to say, but 50 seems a little steep!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
No cask-conditioned ale for the party!
I was just going into the store to buy some cat food this morning and happened to notice a guy in a Troeg's shirt walking by. Always vigilant for party advice and assuming (correctly, it turns out) he was the local Troeg's rep, I accosted him and asked some pertinent questions. There are two big pieces of important information that came out of this:
1. It's prohibitively expensive to get a cask of Troeg's for a party, so we'll be going with a keg. He said that in the future, if I wanted to start getting cask-conditioned ales in my house, I should buy my own cask and get breweries to fill it up. Hmmmm, maybe next year.
2. The delicious Sunshine Pils is all sold out at the brewery, so anything I find now will be old by September 27. This means that even if we decide to go with a Troeg's product, it won't be the Pils. It sounds like Hopback Amber might be just the stuff!
Should I invite the rep to the party? More stuff to think about...
1. It's prohibitively expensive to get a cask of Troeg's for a party, so we'll be going with a keg. He said that in the future, if I wanted to start getting cask-conditioned ales in my house, I should buy my own cask and get breweries to fill it up. Hmmmm, maybe next year.
2. The delicious Sunshine Pils is all sold out at the brewery, so anything I find now will be old by September 27. This means that even if we decide to go with a Troeg's product, it won't be the Pils. It sounds like Hopback Amber might be just the stuff!
Should I invite the rep to the party? More stuff to think about...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Things to do before you turn 30
I thought I would cleverly start this post with a link to a search on Amazon for books telling you things to do before you turn 30. Unfortunately, searching for "before you turn 30" led to books about things to do before you turn 40 (?) and a lot of books about finding religion as an adult. I had no idea so many 29 year olds were concerned about their spiritual life, but apparently they are. Weird.
But, I do remember when Katherine turned 30 and kept seeing lists of things she was supposed to have already done, like go to Vegas without a hotel room or skydive or run a marathon. (Does any thought go into these books? As far as I can tell, the only thing you should definitely make sure you've done is lose your virginity before you're 30 and everything else will take care of itself. I've heard that if you don't do this, you're destined for a career as a butler or manservant of some sort.) Nonetheless, all those books are out there, and I'm always a little surprised that I've done nearly everything on the lists, or something very equivalent. For instance, I'll substitute "start going bald at 16" for "dye your hair a crazy color".
Anyway, I guess the reason I'm not panicked about turning 30 is because I don't feel like I have anything else I need to squeeze in, partly because I've had some good adventures so far, but also because I don't really see adventures stopping. Like, I can't work at my current job for the rest of my life, because I don't have a job. Take that, world.
But, I do remember when Katherine turned 30 and kept seeing lists of things she was supposed to have already done, like go to Vegas without a hotel room or skydive or run a marathon. (Does any thought go into these books? As far as I can tell, the only thing you should definitely make sure you've done is lose your virginity before you're 30 and everything else will take care of itself. I've heard that if you don't do this, you're destined for a career as a butler or manservant of some sort.) Nonetheless, all those books are out there, and I'm always a little surprised that I've done nearly everything on the lists, or something very equivalent. For instance, I'll substitute "start going bald at 16" for "dye your hair a crazy color".
Anyway, I guess the reason I'm not panicked about turning 30 is because I don't feel like I have anything else I need to squeeze in, partly because I've had some good adventures so far, but also because I don't really see adventures stopping. Like, I can't work at my current job for the rest of my life, because I don't have a job. Take that, world.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Brewday Sunday!
Katherine and I brewed a batch of our house IPA today, in anticipation of the party on September 27. We were ably assisted by an extremely hungover Brucetravis, who I think was only sticking around the house until he felt confident he could make it home without throwing up.
Why was he so hungover? Because yesterday's party practice was a raging success! I think we need to work on food (a slice at Manny and Olga's may not have been enough), but everything else was excellent. Drink selection and pacing was extremely impressive. Somehow, we mixed together Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Miller Lite, and Jameson's and kept it rocking until a stunning 3am! We might have rolled even later, but The We Are Scientists kicked us out of their dressing room so they could drive to Columbus, Ohio.
The trunk show was a smash. Great turnout and the Barking Irons guys are fantastic. Big ups to all the Wasmund's fans who came out. In case anyone's curious, the drink I was serving is: mint muddled in a glass, a shot of Wasmund's, two shots of Honest Ade Orange Mango, a shot of club soda, and ice. Or, you can always use Wasmund's to make my favorite cocktail: a glass full of whisky, with a dash of witty conversation. Enjoy!
Why was he so hungover? Because yesterday's party practice was a raging success! I think we need to work on food (a slice at Manny and Olga's may not have been enough), but everything else was excellent. Drink selection and pacing was extremely impressive. Somehow, we mixed together Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Miller Lite, and Jameson's and kept it rocking until a stunning 3am! We might have rolled even later, but The We Are Scientists kicked us out of their dressing room so they could drive to Columbus, Ohio.
The trunk show was a smash. Great turnout and the Barking Irons guys are fantastic. Big ups to all the Wasmund's fans who came out. In case anyone's curious, the drink I was serving is: mint muddled in a glass, a shot of Wasmund's, two shots of Honest Ade Orange Mango, a shot of club soda, and ice. Or, you can always use Wasmund's to make my favorite cocktail: a glass full of whisky, with a dash of witty conversation. Enjoy!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Movie about old people
Short post today, on account of it being the weekend. Katherine and I just saw Step Brothers, which, while not themed around birthdays, is at least based on characters who are over 30. Some good moments, some slow moments, probably not as memorable as Talladega Nights.
Extra bonus: the large drinks at the Georgetown theater are 44 ounces, which is a LOT of Diet Coke. It almost lasted me the whole movie. Impressive.
Extra bonus: the large drinks at the Georgetown theater are 44 ounces, which is a LOT of Diet Coke. It almost lasted me the whole movie. Impressive.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Practice for my 30th birthday party
Much like you can't just show up at the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, without ever having ridden a bull before, you can't expect to just show up at my 30th Birthday Party without ever having practiced. So, tomorrow (Saturday) is the first official practice for the party. Note that this is the first official practice; you're expected to be practicing on your own at least five days a week.
Practice will start at 5:30pm at Redeem, the clothing boutique on 14th St. NW, between R and S Streets. Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky is sponsoring a trunk show for Barking Irons. Barking Irons is two New York guys who make clothes based on the '90s...the 1890s. I guess it's more Gangs of New York than Grover Cleveland, if I had to say. Anyway, I'll be there pouring Wasmund's until about 8 or 9 or something.
Then, the second part of practice (yeah, we do two-a-days this early in the season) will happen across the street at the Black Cat. Everyone's favorite two-piece-plus-two We Are Scientists is playing. In case you don't know what they're all about, here's a pretty informative video of them.
Of course, We Are Scientists isn't playing at my party, so this is mostly to practice our heckling. See you there!
Practice will start at 5:30pm at Redeem, the clothing boutique on 14th St. NW, between R and S Streets. Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky is sponsoring a trunk show for Barking Irons. Barking Irons is two New York guys who make clothes based on the '90s...the 1890s. I guess it's more Gangs of New York than Grover Cleveland, if I had to say. Anyway, I'll be there pouring Wasmund's until about 8 or 9 or something.
Then, the second part of practice (yeah, we do two-a-days this early in the season) will happen across the street at the Black Cat. Everyone's favorite two-piece-plus-two We Are Scientists is playing. In case you don't know what they're all about, here's a pretty informative video of them.
Of course, We Are Scientists isn't playing at my party, so this is mostly to practice our heckling. See you there!
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