This Is Worse Than The Minivan, Sarah

Yes, you are officially old when you are the parent of a high school graduate. But what a great graduate, my cousin, Ella Rae Paul. Congratulations Ella on a stellar high school era, but perhaps more impressively, living 18 years in the same house as your mother, and 15 with your sister. At least there's Tom. Thank God for Tom.

Best of luck next year at Butler. I'm sorry that goofy looking basketball player who all the girls thought was dreamy is already gone. I know you'll do great anyway.

happpy grad

MHS Class of 2011

Some other highlights of the trip to Martinsville, in no particular order: the sweat on the back of my neck; Peri's directions back to the house after graduation, Riley puking in the hotel pool; bikini search at Wal-Mart; the sweat in my armpits; and 30 pounds of cheeseball.

More pics.

Reunions

Two weeks ago Kelsey and I met in San Francisco for a long weekend to celebrate the end of her semester, finals week and everything. It was also our first trip back to San Francisco since our first date. This trip was different from the first in nearly every way. Well every way but fun, food, and more fun. Our first time was spent mostly in Golden Gate Park enjoying music, but this time we got around to a lot more of the city and were able to dive much further into the culinary offerings that abound. Favorites include meatballs at Tomasso's (even better than I remembered), Vietnamese coffee ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe's, and everything at Tornoado Bar. I'm sure Kelsey's favorites are much different than mine, so she'll have to leave those in the comments. (But definitely hitting Red's next time.)

meatballs and more meatballs at Tomasso's

cured meats - and more meatballs! - at Molinari's

We also took in a Sunday afternoon game at AT&T Park, which is one of my top baseball park experiences so far. The weather was great all weekend, but especially nice during the game, and that park is really a gem (Jem?). McCovey Cove, the brick wall, and all the weirdo San Franciscans made it just a really unique experience. Plus the garlic fries were actually good. Oh,... and The Beard. Kelsey added another team to her long list of supportees, thanks mostly to the crazed antics of one Brian Wilson. Kudos. Well done, sir. And though I remain a steadfast follower of the birds on the bat, I gotta say, I get it. I'd go back.

game time

McCovey Cove

We also got to meet up (and I just plain meet) Kelsey's friend she met during her island years, Bianca. She was very nice, and I very much enjoyed the time we spent together. I could tell the two girls were fond of each other, though the words escape me to define precisely what I saw from them. At times they seemed to be of one mind... and me of an other entirely.

they deny it, but i know they coordinated outfits

I can't wait to go back again (soon?). After all Kelsey still hasn't got her dim sum (even though I offered about 40 times as we passed a place). She did, however, manage to get her filled sesame pastry (even though she pronounced it wrong) at one of the dirtiest food establishments I've ever been in - a pigeon flew in and hung out for a while, not discouraged by any of the staff - from a lady I'm pretty sure was blind (didn't stop her from yelling words I did not understand at people in a room we were not in). So there was that.

holding likely violations of the health code

well... almost

So, to recap: great trip. Pics.

Myles To Go Before I Sleep

I was back in Walton last weekend to meet the 20 pounds of fat in a 10 pound bag that is my new nephew Myles. Seriously his eyes look like they're ready to pop out of their sockets due to the intense pressure by his chubby cheeks. Chubby, chubby cheeks.

Of course my cheeks are probably a little chubby now too since the other thing I did that weekend was eat. B & K, Sycamore, Bruno's, Haps, huge early Easter feast. I'm getting full again just typing this out. I gotta go take a nap...

More pics.

On Shifts, Lupulin Threshold and Decadal

I'm a little late in posting this, but I'm not going to just let it past since you all have been begging to hear about it. Well that and I don't want to miss a chance to remind Erik that he is really, really super old. So, Erik, listen up... You're really, really super old.

Erik decided to cash in his "I'm turning 30" chip in for a weekend in Santa Rosa for the release of Pliny The Younger, or P The Y as it is affectionately known. P The Y is an uber rare, triple IPA and also happens to be the world's perfect beverage. Unfortunately it is only brewed once a year in limited quantities. Last year Jeff and I did a 15-hour road trip to bring some back to the southland, but due to some greedy jerks selling it on electronic bay.com last year, it was only being made for serving at the brewery bistro this year (no takeaways). On the bright side, we didn't have to drive the 15 hours all in one day, and we got to spend a beautiful weekend in NorCal making fun of how old Erik is.

We did still want to make it there for the opening, so we still left insanely early Friday morning anyway. But it was worth it to be there for the first serving of the world's best beer (and they're not kidding Buddy The Elf). Saturday we went into San Francisco during the day for sandwiches and chocolates before heading back to Russian River for afternoon and dinner.

P The Y release is becoming one of my favorite weekends of the year, and February can't come again soon enough. Hope to see you all there next year. Imagine how old Erik will be then.

a beautiful thing

Molinari Special's by the Golden Gate

Erik doing what Erik does on road trips;
don't wake up the old man - it's his birthday

More pics.

A Yabba Dabba Doo Time

A gay old time indeed. Apart from that first night when Kelsey burned her hand on the skillet, and I thought we would have to go to the hospital. But the rest of the time was total bliss... OK, maybe when the wind kicked up to 60 mph whipping the tent around and making it bitter cold. But really, other than those two times... Well there was that time when that tarantula crawled inside my pants... All right, so that last one never happened. And the first two weren't all that bad anyway. It was a really, really great time.

Kelsey and I went out to Joshua Tree for a couple nights of camping the last weekend of her spring break. It's a wonderful place, so unique... well, because of the Joshua Trees and all. Perhaps not creatively named, but unique nonetheless. It's east of LA in the high desert and famous for rock climbing, Joshua Trees (duh), and rock stars staying in sleazy motels and doing all sorts of drugs. Also it can get really really cold, really really hot, or really really windy. Though Kelsey may tell you it got really really cold, that was not the one (of three) extremity it reached. It did get windy, but only for about 15% of the time we were there. And mostly at night. Which isn't so bad, but it's hard to sleep when your tent is doing this:

Thankfully the second night was dead calm and the sleeping was easy. And though Kelsey did burn her hand, it was for a good cause: my dinner. I'm sure the potatoes would have tasted just as good with or without seared human skin, but I digress. The new cast iron cookware was the bomb, as the kids say, or "le bomb," as the French kids say. So thanks to the parents Brown for those.

Other than eating, we drove around seeing the sights (tried out the 4-wheel, yee haw!), scrambled around on the rocks, took a couple very cool hikes (to some abandoned mines and the best sounding mountain I ever heard of), and enjoyed the scenery and diversity the national park has to offer. Can't wait to do it again!

Bedrock

Desert Queen Mines

meat and potatoes

hike up Ryan Mtn.

Ryan Mtn. hike log

Kelsey at Arch Rock

night falls at Belle Camp

The rest of the pics.

Breakin' Away

Kelsey came out for her spring break a week ago, and even the fact that we are collectively about two decades from our prime SB years couldn't stop us from having a good time. And I'm almost recovered. Most of those years are mine, you know. But the springtime of youth is replaced by the wisdom of age, giving me, among other things, the knowledge of the best places to eat: Rinaldi's, Boogaloo Cafe, South Bay Deli, Fleming's, the list goes on (though Second City was a little disappointing this time).

We kept it low key throughout the week (not all of us were on vacation) but managed to get out both weekends, Wabash baseball and a drive-in the first weekend followed by camping the next. Here's some of the fun, in pictorial form.

Wabash @ Redlands

driving in the San Bernardinos

at the drive-in!

More pics.

Another Year Older...

...and deeper in debt. Isn't that how the song gos? Well I did just buy a new motor carriage, so maybe they're right.

So the weekend I went home for Ella's big swim also just happened to be my birthday. You all, no doubt, have just seen my magnanimous gesture of supporting my little cousin for what it really was, my desperate need for attention, presents, and cake. So sue me.

It was decided that the party's theme would be "my favorite things." So naturally we had Bruno's, Happy Burger fried chicken, and chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. As the kids are prone to say now: winning. It was great to be home to celebrate with Kelsey and all my family. Thanks everyone.

great cake, kels!

A few more pics.