Manchester United, 2 : Barcelona, 1

It’s not every (weekend, month, etc) that us Americans get to play host to two of the best club teams in the world.  I’m fortunate enough to have a wife who thrives on gift giving and being aware of the best events around.

We bought our tickets on the day that they went on sale and have been looking forward to this weekend ever since.  Sure, Barca has had fortune on their side of late but I’m pulling for Man U.  We flew into Reagan early Saturday morning and spent the morning walking around Annapolis.  I was surprised to see that Rt-50 was wide open.  This is a different MD than I remember.

After the stores had been shopped and the crab cakes eaten, we headed for our newest temporary domicile: the Holiday Inn Express.  The Largo HIE is two miles away from the stadium.  Walking to/from was the plan but when it came down to it, it was too hot for us Bostonians…we drove instead.  On our way out of the lot, we took pity on four other soccer fans and decided to bring them along for the ride.  Judging by the looks of things, these guys were fully prepared to be the life of the party.

Our tickets included passes to the Ultimate Fan Experience tents and a parking pass for the Purple Lot (both a godsend in their own right).  This was the second time that I’ve had Dave’s BBQ.  It was just as good as I remembered.  We had great seats so we rushed to occupy them and decided to postpone shopping until halftime.

The P.A. announcer said that the game was sold out and that the attendance was 81k+.  Our family accounted for, at least, four of the attendees.  Mom and Matthew showed up for the game too: happy birthday, Matthew and, thank you, Mom for the gift from Italy.  We’re glad that you enjoyed yourself!

Even though the teams didn’t play their entire starting roster, the talent on the field was inspiring.  We were happy to see three goals, although, the first Man-U goal looked offside from our perspective.  We were rooting for Man-U so we went home happy.

Wifey and I are crazy about collecting our reward points:  Marriott, Hertz, JetBlue…it doesn’t matter, we love the points!  This time around, we were singing the praises of the Hertz reward system.  Our weekend ride only cost $4.47.  Gotta love points!

A Man on a Mission

An unfortunate truth of living in a city is the great reduction of private outdoor living space, specifically, the loss of my grill.  The day that I sold my grill was a sad sad day…

I’ve only recently discovered how to make lemonade out of this situation and wonder why it didn’t dawn on me earlier.  For my entire life, I’ve cooked steak on the frill.  I was surprisingly unaware that steaks are prepared in an oven at most steakhouses.  With this knowledge, I’ve become an inspired man on a mission: to prepare the perfect (non-grilled) steak.

A broiled steak has a different flavor than the grilled steak.  …one that I like (I like it a lot).  So much so that I’ve cooked steak three times in a ten day period.  I like mine marinated before hand and then broiled on both sides for five minutes.  I finish the filet on the stovetop (in a nice pool of hot butter).  The result is heavenly.  Like any aspiring chef, I’m only as good as my tools.  The final piece of the puzzle arrived this week.  It’s surprise gift from Wifey.

Oh yes; seven pounds of pre-seasoned, carnivore enabling, intruder bashing, cast iron goodness.  Thank you, Wifey.  Thank you, Ms. Dean.

Now, if I could only figure how to reduce the amount of smoke I produce…

Hey You, Check That Baggage

...pardon the following rant.

I've flown enough to develop a few perspectives and opinions about checked baggage versus carry-on luggage. As a business traveler, I am well aware of the advantages of carrying-on. I get it. Congratulations on saving 30 minutes by avoiding the lines on both ends of the trip...BUT your carry-on luggage is slowing all passengers down! No matter how awesome you think you are in the security line, it DOES take you longer to get through security, get your luggage into the overhead bins, and to deplane. Heaven forbid the overhead bins become full by the time you decide to board and we have to wait as you pass your luggage from row 24 to the front. If your carry-on is responsible for a total 2 minute slow-down and 100 people are on the plane, then your 30 minutes saved comes at the expense of 200 minutes to the rest of the plane. Ouch.

Second, I have a deep seeded disdain for those who extend themselves beyond the rules, boundaries, or their abilities knowing that their inconvenience on those around them will ultimately become a form of self serving assistance. Sorry ladies, this one's most frequently related you. :-(.

I'm sure you're familiar with this type of person: technically, they're carrying no more bags than the rules limit but each bag is oversized, overstuffed, and way too heavy for them to manage with their present company. I don't want to help you with your luggage so don't expect me too. I am perfectly content standing directly behind you in line, watching you struggle, and offering no assistance as you not-so-suddenly discover that you cannot get your stuff into the bins. By the way, in public, wearing the word "Juicy" on one's arse just draws attention to your obesity.

So, my plea to the world is this: next time you're heading to the airport, do me a solid and just check your luggage. You'll be surprised at how navigable an airport becomes and spacious an aircraft can be when your not wheeling your wares behind you.

...OK, I'm off the soapbox now.

Green Monster Madness

Thank God for the Misses. If it weren't for her, I'd be a corporate blob; glued to the glow of my HP laptop.  Fortunately for me, she's here to pry me away from the 9 to 5 (yeah...right) and save me from myself.

This weekend, we had tickets to the Red Sox - O's game at Fenway. Not just any tickets, Green Monstah tickets!  These are the 'once in a lifetime' seats at Fenway. Our seats were underneath the Sports Authority sign and did not disappoint.

As a thank you for our charitable donation, Fenway provides loads of extras for the Monster ticket holders.  For starters, Gate E and the Monster stairs are virtually synonymous. The lines were short and stairs were close (so close that we walked by them the first time).

Once we got up to the Monster section and through the second line of security, we found our way to our seats and then the Monster concession stands.  Do you remember that I'm trying to get below 200 lbs?  Well, Fenway Franks have never tasted so good. I had 3.

During last nights game Ortiz and Gregg got into a scuffle. Is it still a scuffle if neither landed a punch?  We were (sorta) glad to see that, despite a few hit batsman, the tempers had been tempered.

It was a good night for a ball game. It was cool, we were in the shade, had a great view, and the Sox won.  It's taken 6 years for me to be happy when the Sox beat the O's...too bad it's not a more of a contest.  ;-)

An added bonus for this game was that I got to play with my new megazoom point-and-shoot camera.  Here's the first pitch.

And here's a picture of the Red Sox announcers Don and Remmy.

Fenway is one of those great reasons to live in Boston.  We walked both to and from the ballgame.  No need to drive, ride, or otherwise take public transportation.  ...it's just a short stroll down Comm Ave. Ahhh, I could get used to this.

A Boston 4th First

I recall many memories of July 4th weekends while living in the DC metro area. The holiday was (and is) something for the record books. Our typical firework routine was to take a picnic dinner to Germantown to our favorite vantage point for the fireworks at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Every couple of years we would break from the norm and try a new location. I have trouble remembering the deets but I believe we made it to the National Mall one year. With these memories and expectations in tote, Ali and I (well, mostly me) prepared for the Boston 4th.

Boston expects to welcome 500k spectators on Sunday. This is not the weekend for running errands that require personal automotive transportation. My plan is to get out of the office early on Friday and find a weekend-permanent home for the car. If it can be helped, the car will stay put for the next 3.5 days.

Wifey and I have fortunate access to the heart of the action. The hatch shell is 2 blocks away and the fireworks are launched from only a short stroll down the Esplanade. In fact, the Esplanade is part of my favorite dog walk and jog route. We've gotten an insiders glimpse of the preparation in the days leading up to the 4th. Have you ever wondered what the barges look like?

The challenge for taking-in all the the event has to offer is to juggle the Boston Pops concert with a good seat for the fireworks. While the Hatch Shell is the best seat for the Pops and National Broadcast, the surrounding tree layer prevents a good view of the fireworks. Fortunately, the Pops do a full dress rehearsal (complete with Martina McBride) on the night of July 3rd.

On the 3rd, we were surprised that we couldn't hear the rehearsal from our window. We decided to cruise over to the Beacon Hill side of Storrow Drive. It was nice to be on the periphery of the chaos.

The big day/night finally came. The number of people that pour onto the Esplanade is astonishing. The people, coolers, tents, and food have been piling up since before the morning dog walk (8a). The boats have been anchoring in the Charles for even longer. We are SOO glad that everything is in walking distance for us!!

The wind was blowing the firework remnants directly at us (smoke, debris, etc). The smoke doesn't bother us and the debris is few and far between. Although, a guy to our right got hit with (what we believe was) an ember. This is the closet I've ever been to the fireworks - in Germantown, the fireworks were several times further away. Fireworks look a lot bigger when you're this close. ...the concussions are much bigger too. I loved it but felt sorry for what Jake must've been going through back at the homestead. I video taped the whole fireworks show from our vantage point but will spare you the 20 minutes of amateur video.

Now that it's over, I'm happy to have properly attended theBoston Fireworks Spectacular. Next year, we'll be free to do what the true Bostonians do: avoid the crowds by heading for the islands. :-)

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Sunday is here. We're excited to welcome our second year of marriage but we're also trying to avoid one inconvenient truth. We're leaving fantasy land and submitting to the gravitational pull of our regular life: e-mail, deadlines, and stress. We temper the sadness by knowing Jake is waiting for us on the other side. He makes it worth it.

Before we go, we'll enjoy as much as we can, one last time. Breakfast at LPL is magical. We're served on the large veranda overlooking the lake (of course overlooking the lake, everything is situated to take advantage of it's serenity). As hard as we try to avoid the pastries, the still warm croissants beckon to our cravings. For the second day in a row, I order the eggs benedict and wifey, two eggs over easy. This is the first EB that I've ever raved about that used ham instead of Canadian bacon.

After spelunking around the main lodge one last time, we're returning to our suite to breath in the fresh mountain air and begin packing. We agree that the suite is probably too big for our summer needs; we spent all of our time in the bedroom and on the patio (and very little time in the living room). If we come back by ourselves, next time, we'll downsize. If we bring Jake along, then we're limited to the larger (but cheaper) lakeside cabins - not to mention that we'll need to find a new motivation for returning home. We're also laughing about the fireplace/smoke ordeal from Friday night. Mental note, turn on the chimney fan before lighting either fireplace. We jest about our round of putt-putt on Saturday afternoon. She won, so I change the subject.

We finally make our way to the gift shop and down the road. On the way out of town, we're making one final stop at the 1980 Olympic Center, home of the greatest sporting event of all time, The Miracle on Ice. Once on the inside, it doesn't feel like a lot has changed in either of the two hockey rinks encased in the sprawling structure. The 1932 rink looks very unassuming. And the 1980 rink...well...it's hard to believe that I'm standing in the building where a handful of young amateur hockey players lived a dream. In case any guest has trouble recalling the final second of the game and the 'Do you believe in miracles!?' voiceover, the came is on replay in the onsite museum.

We've decided to take a different route home throughout VT and NH. We came around a turn and, to both of our surprise, we were being stopped at a border patrol checkpoint. The officers weren't messing around either. They even questioned why we were taking the less direct route to Boston (answer: to go through Woodstock along the way). What really got us was the German Shepherd that jumped up onto Ali's open window to sniff the cabin for drugs. After a bit more harassment, we were on our way. Apparently, NY Route 9 is a road frequently used for drug trafficking. Wood stock wasn't that nice...we're skipping that section of NY (and VT/NH) next time.

We're home now and looking through the Relais & Chateaux catalog of romantic hotel chains. It looks like we've found ourselves a bucket list! My only complaint about LPL is that 1) there's no place for carrots, celery, and the sort in a crab cake and 2) lump crab meat, LUMP.

The Natural

The weather forecast weighs heavy on our minds this weekend. I imagine that the weathermen sound like a broken record at this point. Despite their apologies and repetition, we were very fortunate yesterday. Earlier this morning, we canceled fishing on account of rain. After much reassurance that, 'fly fishing is better in the rain' and a steep price reduction, we're on our way out the door for our first ever fly fishing lesson.

Our guide has a few rough edges and is certainly upset that he had to pick-up, return, and then re-pick-up our waders at the rental place. He's spending a lot of time talking about his disdain for the people that are in town to train on the course for the upcoming Ironman. He's landed on an interesting topic, but the way he frames the conversation makes him sound petulant. I prefer that he discuss the economic impact of the event on Lake Placid and the surrounding area. Instead, he keeps whining about having to share the road with them...

It took about 30 minutes to exhaust his opinions of the Iron(wo)men. After which, he was quite personable. We pulled off the road onto the shoulder. If you're none the wiser, these pull-offs are a complete mistery. It turns out that they're here to provide parking access to the many rivers and streams that restrain the road and other human development. Wifey's making quite the fashion statement in her tan full length waders. We're heading down a trail to the river (hopefully). Standing in the river up to our waists is an odd sensation. We've finally got the rods in our hands and are ready to start fishing!

I try to be a humble person, but my skills are far too superior to downplay. Maybe it's our proximity to the home of The Miracle on Ice. Maybe it's the distance in between me and my laptop. Or, maybe I'm feeling inspired by our first year of marriage. Whatever the source, I AM A FLY FISHING PRODIGY. Our guide is gushing that, in his 37 years of instructing, he has never seen anyone pick-up the nuances as quickly as I. I liken my performance to that of the elegant deliverance a ballerina portrays as she guides the fickle streamer through the unassuming air. This infuriates wifey. At the conclusion of the session, she points out that she received more nibbles than I did. We are both content and head back to LPL in preparation for the afternoon.

We've been working to gain better control over our diets. In fact, we both have a weight goal for Sept 1 (200 lbs). If we're successful, wifey gets a very nice reward. To help us stay honest, we went to a trainer. To help us stay relaxed, we got massages. It was one of the best that I've ever recieved. I've decided that a good hands, arms, legs, and feet Massuse is better then having a good back, neck, and shoulders massuse. I never ever thought that I would have a preference. What's come of me? Wifey says that the city is making me soft. Does that make any sense?

Wifey and I have taken hiatus from kayaking and canoeing since a certain kayaking experience on thr Charles River. There's a light mist in the air but I'm feeling good about my fly fishing skills. Thus, today marks our return to the canoe. LPL offers a daily boat tour of the Lake, unfortunately, our schedule won't accommodate such an excursion. Instead, we're paddling out to get a few pictures of the lodge (and our room) from the lake. I have no injuries, close calls, or drownings to report. Life is good.

Our new diet keeps us from enjoying many of lifes conveniences. Tonight, we're having a romantic night to ourselves on the balcony of the Placid suite (courtesy of McDonald's and Heineken). How do you like me now, Diet?!