Bowling Date Night 2016

Date nights are awesome. We definitely didn't have enough in 2015. Though I think I creatively labeled some of our outings "date night" on the blog, we only had 7 solo dates in 2015. And only 1 in 2014 because we had a baby and Kevin had a book which is as bad as a baby. So we're trying to at least have 12 date nights this year. Sort of like a marriage New Year's resolution.

When Kevin suggested bowling I was super excited because I've never been bowling before (maybe once? I have a memory from a bowling alley but I don't know if I bowled?) and it's the perfect winter date night because it is always indoors.

Oh my gosh, it was so fun! I felt so awkward at first because I am so bad. But that was part of the magic of it. Remember how awkward everything used to feel when we were younger? Or how bashful you felt when you started dating. Well that's actually kind of novel and fun now.

My amazing technique

We were both awful at first, which was great because I was able to win the first game. Yay! Then I stayed awful and Kevin remembered how to bowl and won the next four games. Meanwhile we were drinking beer, I was loosening up, enjoying my "violence against the bowling lane." And then, at 9 PM, the lights went off and the teen music came on. It was amazeballs.

Rock and Bowl!

I started dancing in the bowling alley. No joke. I got a bunch of spares, and Kevin got an assortment of strikes and spares. When he got three strikes in a row the scoreboard announced TURKEY! We'd never heard the bowling term before and it made us laugh because we have an ongoing joke with James about how he's a turkey or Miranda's a turkey. 

This is what winning looks like

So yeah, best date night in 2016 so far. Hugely fun!

Charlottesville, VA 2015

We make a pilgrimage to Charlottesville about every other year, because we love it there. This year, since Kevin was giving a reading there, we invited EVERYONE WE KNOW. A lot of people actually came, and we had lots of fun, and we have now started a new tradition: Clou-a-rama! So the plan is that every year we can pick a location and date and get together! Like when you get invited to an out-of-town wedding and you go, because it's important. Prioritizing our friends is important! By changing the location and time of year it is more (or less) convenient to different people so it doesn't run up against the exact same problem for the same people repeatedly.

Our first picture in front of the place we met as a family of 4!

We arrived on Wednesday and went to the Christian's Pizza on Route 29. I'd only ever been to the one on the Downtown Mall but the one on Route 29 was just as delicious.

Kevin letting Miranda chew all the straws at Christian's Pizza

After we settled in at the little house we rented, we went over to Kevin's  reading at Virginia Festival of the Book. Unfortunately, because the kids were being disruptive I had to leave while Kevin was reading.  I passed Walsh on the way out.

We couldn't fit the double-stroller with all our luggage so I let James sit in the stroller and I carried Miranda in the baby sling. I told James that we left because he and Miranda were being bad, and he said, "No, Miranda was being bad. I was being good. Don't be silly mama." I thought that was funny so I didn't argue the point.

I got snacks and drinks for the kids and we sat around for snacktime for a little while, and then I went over to the chalkboard because I remembered he loved it on our last visit. This is what he wrote:

"JAMES MAMA bad Miranda"

I was thinking I was a pretty awesome mom managing both of the cranky kids on my own when James started chalking some guys shoes. So then I took him for a huge chocolate chip cookie at Mudhouse for dinner. While we were chomping away, we discussed such philosophical questions as whether he thought he would exist if Mama hadn't met Dada at Mudhouse (he guessed no) and whether sharing a giant cookie was better than hogging it (he wasn't too sure). Luckily then Kevin met up with us, and we had dumplings and noodles from Lucca for dessert I guess.

Best. parenting. ever.

Thursday morning Kevin went hiking and picked up sandwiches at Bellair Market for us on the way back. It's all about the "Jeffersonian."

Sunrise from the Turk Gap trail.

We got a babysitter for the evening and met Brady for dinner at Continental. Brady suggested the tuna and yum! I also had margaritas which led... obviously... to lots of inappropriate conversation. After dinner I went back, and Kevin and Brady at Courts Square.

Brady and the tuna!

Romantic night out with Brady!

Friday! Kevin felt kind of violently ill, but he had to give a talk to the Classics Department and then he had lunch with some professors. I was supposed to meet up with Cathy but she got into town late so while Walsh and Brady went to the Paramount Theater to watch the UVA game, I made Kevin come with me and the kids to the Discovery Museum. Sorry, Kevin. Also, thank you!

Besties at the Discovery Museum

 

Air ball!

 

Genius baby.

 

Little tykes on the prairie

 

Wheeling and dealing

Oh yeah, then we had ice cream for dinner. James loves Charlottesville! Oh don't worry I fed them mac n' cheese for dessert so it's all good.

James's first clue that his mother is pretending to be an adult

Then at dinner he went back out for some sexy Virginia Book Festival literary event. Then he went straight to sleep. Luckily, Michele and Brandon came over our little house, and we opened the wine the owner left for us and we had more fun sexy times.

Picture actually from Saturday night but cute.

Saturday was the big day! Some of us went out for breakfast at Blue Grass Grill for Cory's birthday.

   

Birthday boy Cory, me, Miranda, and Robin

Brady and Kevin

For lunch we went to Citizen Burger Bar mostly because we heard they'd have the TVs on the basketball. All of Charlottesville was really crowded because of the book festival and a race that morning. We fit four adults and 6 kids into an 8-person booth, and 6 very uncomfortable adults into a 6-person booth (I failed to get a picture of them but they didn't look so happy anyway).

Miranda, me, James, Cathy, and Kennedy in the 8-person booth

Leo, Madison, Jack, Jen, and Rob in the 8-person booth

Then Cathy, Jenny and I took most of the kids for more ice cream. I'm pretty sure the kids enjoyed Clou-a-rama as much or more than the adults.

Cathy picked up a hitchhiker (Kennedy and James)

James, Madison, Jen, Leo, Cathy, and Kennedy at Sweet Frog 

Michele, Brandon, Kevin, and Miranda met us there.

Kevin and Miranda went back to the house for a nap, and I took James to Meade Park. We got a babysitter. Then 8 of us went to Mas for dinner. Mas doesn't take reservations and it was really busy even though it was early. We figured everywhere had a long wait though based on our experiences that day so we just started drinking and hilarity ensued.

Before picture: Brandon, Michele, Janice, Darren, Jaime, me, Brady, Walsh

Eventually, Janice and Darren had to give up, but they were there for some of the best of it anyway. We were seated, we ate a lot, we drank some more, and here's our after picture- note that Janice and Darren turned into Kevin, Robin, and Cory. Also, Jaime saved my life by suggesting we quit while we were ahead. Actually, I was way ahead!

 

After picture: Kevin, me, Jaime, Michele, Brandon, Walsh, Brady, Robin, and Cory

Sunday we regrouped at Mas for some coffee and snacking. James played a little made-up-chess with a little girl he met. Charlottesville is cerebral like that.

Snuggling with Jaime at Mas

 

Cory and James are besties

I've never seen the pieces move like that- it's like they're chess wizards. Ha.

Michele and Brandon went off for a fun day of hiking and wine tasting (I should have gone with them!) While the UVAers went to Champions to watch the UVA game. The extremely devastating UVA game. Extremely. On the plus side, the food truck outside was selling delicious BBQ, so there's that.

Brady, James, Kevin, Miranda, me (photo by Walsh?)

Cory, Robin, and Miranda

We thought we'd drive home after that, but Miranda had other thoughts. After a lot of screaming we decided we should stop in Arlington and tire her out. Janice and Darren gladly obliged. Jaime came over too and we took the kids to the park briefly. They were actually happier chasing Fudgie around the house than at the park anyway. After a big pizza dinner, we finally headed home. 

 

Janice welcoming the trouble-maker

At the park

 

Dancing disco together.

"NONE SHALL PASS!"

Let's do again next year! Where to? You're invited! Clou-a-rama!

• Charlottesville, May 2013
• Charlottesville, April 2012

Out with Friends in NYC- August 2013

Asking people  to go out in NYC with a week's notice, especially in the summer when most people have every weekend booked, well, it's not a good strategy. But our friends are awesome, so they worked us into their other plans. Since Kevin's mom was visiting we went out in the evening for dinner. We had salmon-and-cheese mazemen at Yuji Ramen Test Kitchen (Lower East Side), dumplings at Vanessa's Dumpling House (Chinatown), and then drinks with our friends at the Magician (back to the Lower East Side). Noodles were good, dumplings were good, and Peak Organic ale on tap- yum!

Jon and Becky had a concert that night, but they got to the bar early to hang out with us before they left. Becky and I delightedly gossiped about the Sister Wives show. Then, even though Rachel and Tim were celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary, they came by after their romantic dinner-and-a-show to hang out with us. How very sweet of them!

Rachel and Tim- seven happy years!

Then Jackie and her boyfriend Rob overlapped them a lot but also stayed for a while after Rachel and Tim had to head out. I haven't seen Jackie in ages, and I haven't met Rob before so it was great to spend time really talking and catching up. And it's not going to be forever again until next time!

Jackie and Rob at the Magician

Becky and Jon enjoying their night out! [Not pictured: Jon]

Going home on the LIRR- good night out!

Visiting Katie in Baltimore 2013

We went to Baltimore last weekend to visit Kevin's cousin Katie. We had lots of fun! We got tickets to the Red Sox and Orioles game, and even though it was supposed to rain, Kevin was fully confident they would play because he had already been rained out of a game in Boston. So we started in the early afternoon at Alewife and got some good beers on tap.

Katie and Kevin at Alewife

Afterwards, we went to Faidley's Seafood market where Kevin and I had the best crab cakes of our lives. They were amazing, huge, and beautiful. Even though I don't usually photograph food, I should have taken a photo of these crab cakes to show how huge and how totally composed of crab they are. Sadly, I ate it way too quickly to even consider such a thing. They are life-changing. I will dream of them forever. If you need a visual, here you go. Beware, if you go, they close really early around 5 p.m.

Crab cakes at Faidley's Seafood!

We still had a little time to kill after our very early dinner, so we went to Pickles, a large outdoor bar near Camden Yards stadium. We got some Miller Lites, and while Kevin was patting himself on the back for his superior intellect in carrying a coozie at all times, Katie and I whipped coozies out of our purses. Kevin said he'd never been so proud of his family. Haha.

 

Cheers to coozies at Pickle's Pub

Then it started raining. Really raining. And even though I had brought an umbrella to Baltimore, for some reason I had decided to leave it at Katie's. We got soaked at the outdoor bar cleverly selected for it's proximity to the stadium. But Kevin never lost hope, and sure enough the game started on time. Katie's friend Heidi met us there.

And what a game! Red Sox player Stephen Drew had an inside the park home run! Shane Victorino also hit a home run. And most notably, "Big Papi" Ortiz flipped out at a umpire and destroyed the dugout phone. It was amazing to see in real life. I could see the white bits flying of what at the time I thought was the wall. That was it for us. We'd done all our partying before the game, so we headed back. Thanks for a really fun time, Katie!

Camden Yards!

At the game

Special thanks to my mom who stayed with James for the weekend and for the first time by herself overnight! Thanks, Nana!

• Last time we visited Katie in Baltimore in 2010

Las Vegas, NV 2013

We drove to Las Vegas for a fun night out. I've never been to Vegas or Nevada before so I didn't know what to expect. I don't enjoy gambling and we weren't planning on seeing a show, so I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I did! It's hard to explain what I love about it, but let me try. First off, it's totally cheesy. This might sound like a bad thing, but I think there is a place for everything. Cheesiness invading day-to-day life can be threatening to living an authentic life. But cheesiness in Vegas is a fun release from real life. For example, our hotel was an Egyptian-style pyramid. Ridiculous but fun. The hotel next to us looked like a castle. The strip has replicas of both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower a short distance from one another, as if the two hotels were attempting to out-cheese each other. Feel free to use that as an expression: "out-cheese each other."

Welcome to Nevada!

See our pyramid in the distance?

The inside of our pyramid hotel (The Luxor)

The other thing I liked was that our room was really nice but extremely affordable. It cost less than we spend on economy hotels in other parts of the country. This because they expect that on average you will spend a lot more on gambling. Except I don't gamble, and on average, Kevin wins a little modest amount whenever he gambles.

Nice room with a  view (Kevin is bummed because we couldn't Facetime James)

Crazy view out of our window!

I also liked the general "fun night out" vibe of Vegas. We were only there in the evening, but the way the hotels and casinos are set up, they are dark all day long so it always feels like it's a fun night out even if it's early afternoon and you haven't even left your hotel yet. I feel like that has a lot of potential if you're body is still in a different time zone. It also has a lot of promise if like me, you prefer to party in the afternoon when you have a lot of energy, rather than in the evening when you're tired.

Drinks at Aurora, our hotel bar

The strip could have better more direct access over the highways or better signs through the hotels if you try to move inside, but generally, I liked being able to walk along the strip rather than having to drive or take a cab somewhere far away. I might have been a little sensitive though since temperatures were above 100 degress and my shoes were a little uncomfortable, but overall, walking up and down outside is part of  the fun.

Walking to the strip

Fun on the strip with Showgirls! Kevin looks pleased.

We had dinner at a Thai restaurant called Sea, and I was a little dubious because we have really good food in New York, but it was amazing. I wish it had been less amazing or that the portions were smaller because I definitely ate too much. It made the rest of my walk both more necessary and more difficult.

Fountain show at the Bellagio, walking along the strip after dinner

The strip at night

I even liked going into the casinos even though I didn't personally participate. Some of them are really fun to walk around. The Cosmopolitan was the fanciest one I saw, probably because it's relatively new compared to the others. It's cheese factor was low, however, compared to more playful ones like Paris where everything was designed to look like Parisian sites and bistros. Kevin did take advantage of the gambling. He enjoys being able to make random sports bets in Vegas since there are only a few places in the country where you can do that. He also won a little money at black jack. So overall, a very successful date night for both of us.

The Cosmopolitan casino