Sushi Nari Columbia

Sushi Nari (Kings Contrivance Village Center)

There’s no excuse for why it’s taken me this long to write about Sushi Nari in Kings Contrivance. We eat there at least monthly, if not more often. In fact, last week, we ate there twice in the span of four days. It’s our go-to sushi and it’s my six year-old daughter’s self-proclaimed favorite restaurant (even if she eats only miso soup, avocado rolls, and edamame).

We mostly get carry-out, but we’ve dined in many times as well. The fish is always fresh, the presentation is great, and the service is friendly and efficient. The standard rolls at Nari are great. And we almost always order at least one tuna or tuna/avocado and one spicy tuna roll. But the specialty rolls are also great. Standouts include the Firecracker Roll (white and red tuna, rolled with sushi rice, flash fried and topped with a special sauce), the French Roll (shrimp tempura with real crab), and the Yummy Yummy (shrimp tempura and avocado inside with spicy tuna, tempura flakes, and special sauce).

The lunch special at Nari is the real hit. For $10, you get 10 pieces Nigiri (your choice), a roll of your choice, soup, and a house salad. The Nigiri pieces aren’t huge. If they were, I wouldn’t be able to eat 10 at lunch. But they are always fresh and delicious. And this way, I get a really nice variety of fish. And of course, the meal ends with Nari’s cinnamon tea.

Nari doesn’t have a website. But they have a Facebook page. And you can find their menu (and get delivery) via CarryOutMenu.com.

It was actually something my daughter said, that prompted this post. We got carry-out with some friends on Saturday and one friend mentioned that he thinks Nari is the best sushi in Columbia and that he will be heartbroken if they close. He says he’s almost always the only person in there when he gets carry-out. I’m always a little surprised at how uncrowded the restaurant is. But they seem to do good lunch business and good evening carry-out.

Either way, my daughter overheard the conversation and in the car on the way home said “I don’t want Sushi Nari to close. It’s my favorite restaurant!” So don’t break a little girl’s heart. Get out there and try Sushi Nari.  hocofood@@@

Snake Days of Spring

The P90s had dinner with some friends on Saturday. And while, playing in the backyard, the kids came across this little guy (or girl) hanging out in the basement window well. Apparently, they were looking for frogs/toads and found this garter snake instead. S/he's the fattest garter snake I have ever seen. Wondering if maybe that explains the absence of the toads...

Either way, it seems that my four year-old daughter and I were the only people present who like snakes. So I slowly removed him from the window well and we spent a few minutes just observing him/her. My daughter asked if she could touch/hold him, and I explained that it's generally not a good idea to handle wild snakes. We then let him go in the nearby woods.

Why is it not a good idea to handle wild snakes? Sure, the only venomous snake we're likely to find in HoCo is the copperhead. But that ignores the possibility of an idiot/crazy neighbor who might own non-native snakes and let them go (see South Florida) on purpose or accident.

But even the non-venomous snakes can bite. When I was a kid, I briefly had a pet garter snake (feel free to question the judgement of my parents). His name was squeaky and we fed him night crawlers. As a six year-old, it was really cool to A. have a pet snake, and B. watch him eat worms.

Over the weeks, I came to the realization that he was my best friend and that I should pet him. So one Saturday morning, I reached into the cage, and proceeded to pick him up. At this point, he decided to bite onto my arm and not let go. Doing the only logical thing in a situation like this, I raised my arm, and swung the snake over my head until he let go. Squeaky flew across the room and landed in the corner. My older brother then levitated onto the couch and began to scream like a small child. And since my father was terrified of snakes, my mother was left to put on her yellow dish-washing gloves and go about finding squeaky and returning him to his cage.

Needless to say, we soon returned Squeaky to his rightful place in the wild. And I got a hamster named Squeaky 2, who I'm pretty sure bit me on more than one occasion. But that's a story for another day.

Spring Songs 2013

Spring should be about “happy” music. The first warm and sunny days always have me running to grab the Best of the Allman Brothers, REM Green, and Matthew Sweet 100% Fun and Girlfriend. Of course, buried deep under the jangling (or sliding) guitars and the sugar-sweetened melodies lie some melancholy lyrics.

So today, while listening to Dawes, Stories Don’t End and The Music is You:  A Tribute to John Denver, the combination of sweet melodies and melancholy lyrics felt perfect.

A Little Bit of Everything from the previous Dawes album, brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. And as long as I’m paying attention, it still brings on the water works pretty much anytime I listen to it. The only other things that can guarantee this are The Luckiest and Magic (by Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five respectively) and pretty much anything written by John Denver or Jackson Browne (at least up through The Pretender).

The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver
For Denver, it’s the melodies and chord changes as much as the lyrics. The songs remind me of being a kid and riding with my dad in our first cassette-player equipped car. This morning, while listening to Evan Dando singing Looking for Space, my mind was pretty much blown. Worlds collided as a voice from my high school years, sang a song from my childhood with lyrics about struggling to find your place in the world as a young adult.

And then a few minutes later, I looked into the back seat as my eldest had tears in her eyes listening to Sunshine on My Shoulders. And it was Train singing it! Train! Clearly there is no greater testament to a well-written song than when a band as craptastic as *Train can turn in a compelling performance.

Clearly, I have a vested interest in this album. John Denver holds a special place in my heart and the album features contributions from some of my favorite artists. But it’s worth a listen. My stand-out tracks are Evan Dando - Looking for Space, My Morning Jacket - Leaving on a Jet Plane, and Emylou Harris and Brandi Carlise doing Take Me Home, Country Roads. My youngest daughter has been requesting that we listen to Country Roads over, and over, and over again. I can't blame her.

Dawes, Stories Don’t End
Let me be clear. Stories Don’t End was my most highly anticipated release of 2013. Sure, I was also looking forward to Iron & Wine’s Ghost on Ghost and a few other releases. But the previous Dawes album, Nothing is Wrong, is easily my favorite album of the last few years. And Taylor Goldsmith may be the best songwriter of his generation.

At first listen, I was a little let down. The album didn't have as many songs that immediately hooked as Nothing is Wrong. But the more I listen, the more I love it. I read recently that Taylor had been digging into the Willie Nelson catalog as he wrote these songs. And I think I can hear the influence. I wonder if he was also digging into Elvis Costello. There's something about Just My Luck and Side Effects that reminds of King of America and Blood & Chocolate-era Elvis Costello. It's in the phrasing, the melodies, and the chord changes. Either way, I love it. But even with hearing these influences, I hear a songwriter finding his own voice. And if he can maintain this trajectory of writing, the next few albums are going to be amazing.

But seriously, go buy this album now! If you want just a taste, check out Bear Witness, Someone Will (my favorite song of the year), and Just Beneath the Surface.






*Train, for when Nickelback is too rocking but you need to find the worst possible music out there.

Gilmour Gurls

I have a new idea. When the girls are a few years older, I'm going to get all Murry Wilson and form them into an all-girl Pink Floyd and Big Star cover band called Gilmour Gurls. It. Will. Be. Brilliant.

A Little Bit of Everything - The P90's First Family Concert Experience

Dawes, at Long's Park in Lancaster, PA

I wrote a few months ago about how Mrs. P90 bought Newport Folk Fest tickets for my birthday and how we were going to take the whole family and how it would be an amazing first concert experience for the P90 girls. Well, about three weeks ago, we got cold feet and sold the tickets.

I was sad to sell the tickets. But considering the weekend would have cost us $2,000+ all said and done, I consoled myself by repeating “I’d rather regret not going, than regret going.”

A second consolation prize was that Dawes (one of the bands we were most excited to see), was playing a free show at a park about 1.5 hours away from our house.

Random – Dawes playing a free show at a park in Lancaster, PA. How did this happen? For my local readers, imagine Centennial Park. That’s pretty much about the size of this park, and the stage wasn’t a whole lot bigger. Either way, I give mad props to the Long’s Park Amphitheater Foundation.

So yesterday, we packed up the blue whale (pet name for the light blue Toyota Sienna that replaced the Arctic Blue Sport Wagon) and headed to Lancaster, PA. We got there about two hours before the show and were surprised to see a crowd had already gathered. We claimed a space near the stage and set off to find food and shade.

We killed some time at a playground and with 30 minutes till show time returned to our spot on the lawn. At this point, the three year-old turns to Mrs. P90 and asks “Is this almost over? I’m ready to go home.” The concept of a live band seems to have been lost on her and since there were roadies on stage and music playing, she though that was “the band.”

A few moments later, Dawes came on and the girls handled it well. They danced, they played, the three year-old climbed on Mrs. P90 and did what looked like a toddler version of crowd surfing. The eldest was bothered by the volume, but this is the girl that is afraid of the intercom in a store.  And she eventually rallied and even spent one song (Coming Back to a Man) on my shoulders up near the front of the stage.

But by the ninth or tenth song in the set the girls were losing their interest and their patience. Like the 21st century parents we are, we handed them our phones and they played with the Easy Bake Oven app.

Were we sickened that our daughters were playing with smart phones while one of the best bands around was playing in front of them? Yes. Were we doing everything we could to catch as many songs as possible? Yes. We have a new credo. We’re reclaiming our lives. We’ve bent to our children’s wills for long enough. They are now old enough to be agreeable and do some things we want to do.

As the band kicked into Peace in the Valley, the three-year old began climbing on Mrs. P90 and doing something which looked not unlike toddler moshing. And at this point, I saw what we refer to as “belligerEmy” flash across her face. I realized that while there may be Peace in the Valley, there would be no more peace on the lawn. We quickly gathered up our belongings and raced back to the blue whale as she cried because she wasn’t holding her blankie. A woman in the crowd even offered her a balloon animal dog to ease her pain. She would have none of it. A threshold had been crossed. We were in the downward spiral of a full on meltdown.

We pulled out of the lot as the band broke into “A Little Bit of Everything.” It would have been nice to hear the last few songs, but being a parent is priority one over being a music fan. And all things considered, I saw one of my favorite bands play eleven songs in the company of my three favorite people. I’d say that accounts for a little bit of everything.

Chocolate Milk in School Cafeterias: Why?

Earlier this week, my eldest took a “kindergarten tour” with her pre-school class. She starts kindergarten in the fall, and this is a way to show the kids around the “big” school and get them prepared for the transition. As part of the tour, they get to buy lunch and eat it in the cafeteria.

As she was telling us about her tour and all of the cool things they did and saw, she offered this amazing nugget: “…and we had lunch in the cafeteria. They even had chocolate milk, but I had regular milk because chocolate makes me crazy. And it’s just so chocolatey.”

Chocolate milk?!  Chocolate flipping milk!

Can someone please explain to me why on earth they are still serving chocolate milk in schools? Stupid me, I thought we were smart enough to have stopped giving our kids useless added sugar at school.

Just last week, the president of our local health foundation wrote an op-ed urging parents to stop serving sugary snacks and drinks after sporting events. I’m 100% on board with that. In her op-ed, she stated “If we can eliminate even one sugary drink a day from a child's life, we can cut out pounds and save lives.” And no doubt, she’s right. But why on earth are we blaming only parents and focusing on cutting that sugary drink from sporting events? Shouldn't we also be cutting it from the place where every kid spends five days a week?

I realize that the issue of healthy school lunches (or lack thereof) is a Pandora's Box of misguided policies. But maybe we can start with ditching the chocolate milk?

And please don’t get me started on juice…

That's all for now. But as Pam said in Strange Brew, "Maybe you shouldn't have had that chocolate milk?" hocoblogs@@@

Of Monsters and Thrones

Best album of the Year? Worst album cover of the year?

I’ve been remiss. I haven’t told my two loyal readers about my favorite new band. I am head over heals in love with Of Monsters and Men. I’ve heard them referred to as “this year’s The Head and the Heart,” but I’m not feeling that comparison. If anything, I’d call them a magical cross between Belle & Sebastian and Arcade Fire. No matter who you compare them to, their debut album My Head in An Animal is easily one of my favorite 2012 releases and is chock full of great songs.

My favorites are probably Little Talks, Six Weeks, From Finner, and King and Lionheart. Even the girls love Of Monsters and Men, although my eldest says their name is silly. I tried to explain that all of the good band names had been used up by the mid-to-late 1990’s (*insert citation – Limp Bizkit, Hoobastank, Maroon 5) but that’s a hard concept for a five year old. Especially a kid who thinks this about Belle & Sebastian. But I digress.

Maybe it’s because I was late to the party and just started watching Game of Thrones around the time I got this album, but if there ever was a perfect song for Thrones, it’s King and Lionheart.

King and Lionheart
Howling ghost they reappear
In mountains that are stacked with fear
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.
And in the sea that's painted black,
Creatures lurk below the deck
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.

If I had to recommend just one song from the album, it's this one:

Where the Wild Things Aren’t

Here's a post that's been bouncing around my head for quite sometime. It's about a little girl who was afraid of Wild Things.

You see, a few years ago, when my eldest was about two and a half, I brought Where the Wild Things Are home from the library. I loved it as a kid and I thought she was at the age where she would really enjoy it.

Bedtime rolled around, I showed her the book, and she began to freak out. “What are those things? I don’t like that book. Those are scary. That’s a scary book daddy!” I tried to settle her down and tell her the book was about a brave little boy. She wasn’t buying it. Things escalated and she continued to freak out. Eventually, she demanded that I get in the car and drive the book back to the library. "That book is scaring me - take it out of my room - take it back to the library!" It was so scary she couldn’t even sleep in the same house as the book.

So I went out and put the book in the car, took a quick lap around the block, and came back inside. I like to think I’m a pretty good dad, but I’m not making a special trip to the library at 8:00 just to get Where the Wild Things Are out of the house.

She continued to talk about the “scary book” for quite a few weeks. Anytime I brought books home from the library she said “You didn’t get the scary book, did you? I don’t like that book!” Eventually she forgot about it.

Then, about a year later, someone gave her and my youngest daughter copies of the book. My youngest loved the book. She like the “monsters.” “Daddy – I like the one with the cow face – he’s like a cow. Daddy – you like the bird face one!” Eventually, my eldest warmed to the book and now we read it pretty frequently.

And that seems like the perfect reaction. Afterall, it's a book about helping kids understand their emotions - anger, sadness, and fear. So, without further ado, let the WILD RUMPUS START!

Egg Roll, The White House Kind

The P90 family is going to the White House Egg Roll on Monday. Mrs. P90 entered the lottery at random and we got tickets. How cool is that?

But seriously, this Egg Roll is crazy on about 1,000 levels. First, the Bay City Rollers are playing. Yes, as in "Heed - turn down the Bay City Rollers" and as in a Scottish boy band from the 70's!

S   A   T   U   R   D   A   Y    NIGHT!
S   A   T   U   R   D   A   Y    NIGHT!
S   A   T   U   R   D   A   Y    NIGHT!
S   A   T   U   R   D   A   Y    NIGHT!

And if that wasn't crazy enough, you have the most ridiculous list of prohibited items ever! Wait what? I can't bring this stuff?! WTF? Why wouldn't you bring fireworks, knives, mace, and weapons to the White House Egg Roll? Who do they think is planning to attend this thing? 50 Cent and the Michigan Militia? Did we really have to stipulate that you can't bring fireworks? Is there really someone reading this saying "ah $hit, I can't bring mace and firecrackers! what kind of lame-ass non blowing $hit up kind of easter egg roll is this going to be? I was gonna jam an M80 inside a chocolate bunny!"

Whenever I read a list like this I lose my faith in man kind.

Kids Love a Liquor Store

If you follow this blog, you no doubt have noticed that I really enjoy beer, wine, and whiskey. I like to think I’m pretty good at pairing wine and beer with food. So at many meals, I will comment to Mrs. P90 about how a certain beer or wine complements said meal. As a result, my young daughters frequently hear us talk about wine and beer.

I also happen to be a homebrewer. It seams that the girls see that as just another type of “cooking that daddy does.” It’s not unusual when they are playing house to overhear them saying “I’m making pork ribs, I’m making meatballs, I’m making beer.” And since the girls do a lot of shopping with us, it’s not uncommon for them to join us on trips to the beer or wine store. So sometimes when playing together, they will say things like “I’m going to Trader Joe’s and then the beer store.”

I try not to get weirded out by this. After all, I hope we’re leading by example and teaching the girls that alcohol should be enjoyed with friends, family, and good food, and not pounded in the alley or the back of a movie theater (i.e. there is no reason for a product like Four Loco to exist). My general philosophy is that if you are bothered about my kids talking about beer or wine, that’s your problem. It’s not like they drink the stuff, they know it’s for “mommies and daddies.”

However, recently, my five year-old started telling my wife that she “wanted to go to the liquor store.” At every afternoon pick-up, she’d say “mom, I want to go to the liquor store! We have not been there in a while.” She was saying this a lot, and it started to get a little troubling. So a few weeks ago, we sat her down, and explained that the liquor store is for adults and that kids shouldn’t really be talking about it. My five year-old burst into tears and ran away. We didn’t understand the severity of her reaction, but she did stop talking about going to the liquor store.

Then yesterday she said to my wife “I want to go to the store where we got the Halloween stuff and the batteries* for daddy.” My wife said “Oh, you mean the dollar store?” Five year-old responds “The dollar store? That’s what I thought was called the liquor store!” I guess that explains the tears when we told her she couldn’t talk about it and it was for adults only…

*I don’t know why $150+ fuzz pedals sound better with crappy dollar store 2-for$1 9-volt batteries, but they do.

ThirtySix

Apologies in advance for what might be a rather rambling post… I turned 36 on Thursday. I’m fine with this. It doesn’t make me feel old. What made me feel old was registering our eldest daughter for kindergarten the day before. How did that happen? It seems like she was born just a few days ago.

But back to my birthday. I got some pretty amazing stuff (Mrs. P90 kicks ass as a general rule). The girls got me some Star Wars action figures (including an RT-D2 that makes beeping sounds) and I got a cool little iRig interface for plugging my guitars into my iPhone (because why wouldn’t you plug a guitar into a phone). But more importantly, we got tickets for the whole family to attend the Newport Folk Fest.

I don’t think I could be more excited. The lineup is amazing – My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, Deer Tick, Dawes (playing as Dawes and then backing up JACKSON BROWNE!), the list goes on. And the girls are also pretty excited. Actually, the youngest had a bit of a fit when she realized we’d only be watching/listening to the Head and the Heart. She wants to be in the band.

One Fish, Two Fish

Last Saturday morning, my three year-old daughter woke up and asked Mrs. P90 and me if we could go back to the “smelly place.” We had no idea what this “smelly place” was, or why on earth someone would want to go back to a “smelly place.” But it continued. “I want to go to the smelly place we went to last weekend.” “The smelly place with the fish!” We thought she meant the Aquarium, but we hadn’t been there in ages. Finally, she said “the smelly place with the lobsters!” That’s it! She meant Frank’s Seafood Market in Jessup!

To be fair, Frank’s is only “smelly” to kids. Sure, it smells like fish, but that’s because it’s a fish market. After being on our “list of places we need to go” for ages, we finally went to Frank’s for the first time two weekends ago. Sure, we’ve had excellent crabs from there a few times, but somehow we never had to be the person buying them. Hmm, free crabs. Lucky us.

The selection at Frank’s was amazing and most of the fish looked extremely fresh. We kept things simple and went with ocean perch and Alaskan salmon. I made fish sandwiches with the perch using Mark Bitman’s oven- “fried” fish filet recipes. One of the pieces on my sandwich had a few pin bones, Mrs. P90 didn’t encounter any pin bones. Either way, they were delicious and made a winter evening feel like a summer day at the beach (especially when paired with some New Belgium Dig).

I went a little crazier with the salmon. I hot-smoked it using oak chips that I had just pulled from the carboy in which I was making an oak-aged IPA. I gave the salmon filets a quick soak in orange juice and soy sauce and then placed them in a smoky grill at 350 for 30 minutes. Generally, with fish, I like to do minimal seasoning and just get out of the way and let the fresh flavor of the fish shine through. They came out perfectly with just a touch of smoke flavor.

So, if we’re asked to go back to the “smelly place” tomorrow, I’ll happily go. hocofood@@@

Kids Music that Doesn't Suck

Belle

Sebastian

Once upon a time, Belle & Sebastian meant something different to me. Pre-kids, they were a kick-ass little indie rock band from Scotland. Post-kids, Belle is the princess from Beauty and the Beast, and Sebastian is the crab from The Little Mermaid. Holy crap - how my life has changed. But luckily, I have found a way for them to peacefully co-exist! And yes, I agree that this is an odd post for 11/11/11 - Nigel Tufnel day...

At first, my oldest daughter had great taste in music. In her first few weeks of life, the only thing that could keep her from crying in the car was listening to Turn on Me by the Shins. As soon as the Phil Specter drum beat played, she’d settle right down. Later, the sure fire way to get her to sleep in the car was to play Sky Blue Sky by Wilco (insert joke about Wilco being boring dad rock here, I won’t take offense). She’d always fall asleep mid-way through the noisy guitar solo in Impossible Germany. She had really great taste. And then it ended.

Belle & Sebastian

Shortly after her first birthday, and during a particularly miserable car trip to Hilton Head, we broke down and bought our first “kids music” cd. It was a Backyardigans cd. And as far as kids music goes, it’s pretty good. And it did make for a much more pleasant drive back to Maryland. But then came the “silly songs,” the princesses, the Disney this and the Disney that, we were awash in a sea of aural crap and forever hearing “I don’t want to listen to adults music, I want kids music.”  Side note - Suffering through numerous repeats of Part of Your World has given me much appreciation for my father’s tolerance of Nine Inch Nails and Jesus & Mary Chain that he suffered through for 8th and 9th grade me…

So, imagine my delight last year when my four year-old asked “Daddy, who sings this song?” and I responded by saying “it’s Belle & Sebastian, like the princess and the crab!” She went for it, and said “I love this song!” And it’s not that I dislike the Backyardigans or the Imagination Movers, but I was thrilled when listening to Write About Love became our morning ritual for many a month.

So now, we walk a fine line between kids music and adult music. And thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba and a few compilations we have some kids music songs that are awesome. Case in point, from the Gabba soundtrack, All My Friends Are Insects by Weezer is without a doubt the best Weezer song since the green album, maybe since Pinkerton.

So if you’re up to your ears in kids music, here’s a playlist that can save you. Enjoy. Don't be surprised if the Band of Horses and She & Him tracks end up on my Best of 2011. And the Mark Kozelek track is nothing short of amazing.

All My Friends Are Insects - Weezer



Bunny Hop - The Hollow Trees

Out in Nature - Band of Horses



If You Ever See An Owl - The Terrible Twos

It's Okay, Try Again - The Shins

The Ninjas - Barenaked Ladies

So Long - She & Him




Jump Up! - Imagination Movers


Bedtime Lullaby - Mark Kozelek

Dogfish Dash - My First 5K

On Sunday, I ran my first 5K – the Dogfish Dash in Milton, DE. It was better than I expected. The middle mile was rough and I had to walk for a few minutes, but all in all it was good. I managed to finish in 39:59. I realize this isn’t a remotely impressive time. But for the first race of a 35 year-old who always bailed on the mile in middle school and high school, I’ll take it!

And I never could have done it without my playlist. My playlist could not have been better. My “power song,” Mr. Brightside by the Killers kicked on right as I was doing the uphill section of the last mile. And yes, I realize that anything by the Killers should be considered suspect as a “power song.” I can’t help it. The song sets the perfect cadence for me. Even better, as I rounded back on to the Dogfish property for the last .2 miles, Surrender by Cheap Trick came blasting out of my ear buds. I felt like Conan O’Brien running from NYC to LA.

And the best part, my wife and daughters were waiting at the finish line and cheering me on. I thought they were happy for me. Turns out they were just eager to get their hands on the green re-useable water bottles that all of the runners that beat me were using.

Bat Strat

On Saturday, I went with the girls to the craft store. That's not usually something I can handle. It's not that I'm too manly. I can rock the craft store with the rest of them. It's just that combining a four year-old and a two year-old with a store full of stickers, glue, glitter, play doh, and the sort makes for a very long and arduous journey. Brains start to short circuit when they are forced to choose which things they want to buy. Every craft in the store calls out to them.

FOAM STICKERS! SCARE CROW KITS! PAINT YOUR OWN PUMPKIN! It's too much.

I went with them. It took forever. But I bought some sweet bat stickers (which may or may not be Martha Stewart brand) and now my MIM beater strat looks like Smashing Pumpkins circa 1991.

The Beach-Free Summer

Ok, I’m going to come clean on squandering proximity to the beach. We’ve been to the Fenwick Island area about five or six times since May and we have spent maybe three hours at the beach. It feels wrong to spend the weekend at the ocean and not spend anytime there, but I partially blame nature for keeping us away. If it’s not raining, it’s a land breeze day and the green heads are unbearable. And if that’s not the case, it’s a heat index of 115!

Oh, and then there is the realization that taking a two and four year-old to the beach is almost more trouble than it’s worth. It was one thing making the annual trip to the Outer Banks and being within a two minute walk to the beach. But packing the kids and car, lugging the crap over the dunes, setting up the umbrella, sweating through your shirt only to then be attacked by the flies – it’s a tough sell.

The last time we were at the beach (a few weeks ago) we bought the yearly pass for the Delaware State Parks thinking that it would encourage us to make short trips to the beach since we wouldn’t be worried about wasting $8 on a botched 30-minute trip to the beach. Well, as soon as I paid for the pass, carried all of our “gear” down to the beach, set up the chairs and two umbrellas – the green heads struck with a vengeance! And they always strike the same way – they start biting me first, then they bite our four year-old, and then they bite the two year-old. And when the girls get bit – they lose their freaking minds! So, within the span of 30-45 minutes, we’ve paid $50 for an annual pass and lugged four chairs, two umbrellas, numerous buckets and sand toys, and 65+ pounds of children over the dunes, down the beach, and back again. Good times.

We tried the beach again the next day. This time, we are blessed with a sea breeze and the flies are nowhere to be seen. But now, my two year-old makes it abundantly clear that the ocean is a terrifying thing (at least in her mind). She won't get within 30 feet of it, and when my wife goes for a swim, my daughter just shouts "mommy, mommy, come back. I scared, I scared." It's as if she's been watching Jaws rather than Yo Gabba Gabba and princess movies.

So maybe I'm throwing in the (beach) towel? Is taking young kids to the beach is just more trouble than it's worth? I'll try again this weekend. Here's hoping for good weather, sea breezes, and patience.

HoCo Fair - Baby Animals and Deep-fried Oreos

On Sunday, Mrs. P90 and I took the kids to the Howard County Fair. There really is nothing like the fair to remind you of the diversity of Howard County. It’s the great equalizer. And it’s so much fun to walk the kids around, show them the animals, let them play in a vat of feed corn, and then dine on deep-fried Oreos.

Yes, you read that correctly, Deep Fried Oreos. Oreos in their “natural” state do nothing for me. However, if you dip them in dark chocolate or deep fry them, they take on a new life. And deep fried Oreos are a treat best consumed warm and only once a year.

If you’re a fan of Oreos and funnel cake then deep fried Oreos alone are worth the price of admission to the fair. There’s just something about the crispy exterior, the way the Oreo itself melts, and then the way the icing melts even further.

Aside from the Oreos. You can’t go wrong looking at all of the animals, especially those in the Kids Barn. Baby pigs, baby ducks, baby cows, baby bunnies, you get the idea... And then of course, there is the giant vat of feed corn for the kids to play in. We made it into the Kids Barn just as the deluge started yesterday afternoon. 1. You haven’t heard rain until you have heard it beating down on a tin roof. LOUD! 2. Kids can spend an inordinate of time rolling around in feed corn. Who knew? My kids spent about 20 minutes playing in the corn and we found no less than nine kernels in the washer and or dryer last night after we washed their clothes.

The fair runs through Saturday. Go. See Animals. Eat deep-fried Oreos. And figure out just who this HoCo Mystery Sheep is. hocoblogs@@@

My Daughter had a Black Tooth (or How I Learned to Stop Being Over-protective of my Kids)

I wasn’t always crazy and obsessed with safety and risk management. I’m blaming it on parenthood and working at various public health nonprofits. However it started, by the time my daughters had turned one and three, I might as well have bought the entire stocks of One Step Ahead and Whole Foods. I was a helicopter parent – making sure to feed them the right foods, stepping in to catch them before they fell, saying “be careful” when I caught them jumping on the couch.

And then one night after dinner, preparing to take the girls to the neighborhood playground, I “indulged” my then 3.5 year-old allowing her to wear her orange Crocs rather than securely laced sneakers. Two minutes later we were standing on the front porch fumbling for the keys while blood was pouring out of my daughter’s mouth. Somehow, between the front porch and the driveway, she had managed to face-plant and smash her front tooth into her gum. My wife wiped up blood, comforted my daughter, and I freaked out calling the dentist and the urgent care center.

It was the blood bath to end all blood baths - a cross between Fight Club and True Blood. My daughter was fine by the next morning. But I woke to realize that no matter what we do, we can't protect our kids forever and the last thing I want is for my kids to turn out like the millennials... Btw, remind me to tell you about the book I'm writing entitled "The Worst Generation." Hint, it's about the millennial's parents.

So a few weeks ago, as my two year-old was repeatedly climbing in and out of the pool and ignoring my requests that she stop, I didn't make a big deal when she smacked her tooth against the edge and took out a big chip. What could I do? No matter how careful and protective I am, my kids will do stupid things and they will get hurt. The best I can do is provide a nurturing environment, teach them right from wrong, and hope they listen to 10% of what I say.

Oh, and about the blood bath, my daughter's tooth turned gray, then bluish gray, then dark gray, the pink, and is now normal again. Apparently, kids have extremely resilient teeth.

Anthems for a 60 Year-old Man

Five years ago today my father died. It was sudden to say the least. He had been in the hospital to have surgery for prostate cancer. It went fine. He came home and started experiencing swelling in his right leg. He went back to the hospital. They said they thought he would be fine.

On the evening of July 8, 2006 Mrs. P90 and I were heading off to see Broken Social Scene and Belle & Sebastian at Merriweather. I spoke to my father on the way to the show. He was feeling fine. My wife was pregnant at the time, and my father was highly amused by the food comparisons Babycenter.com used to explain the size of the developing embryo. I ended the call with my father and he said "Tell the raspberry that grandpa is thinking about her."

We went to the show. Broken Social Scene was a little boring, but they ended with Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl (see below) and it was great. We walked towards the bathrooms and I saw that I had three voice mails and numerous missed calls from my mother, brother, and sister. "This can't be good," I thought to myself. As I was listening to a voice mail from my mother asking me to call her, my brother called and delivered the news. I couldn't really process what he was saying.

With nothing I could do, and being 600+ miles away, I went back to my seat and watched the Belle & Sebastian show. I tried to keep my mind in a positive place knowing the next few days, weeks, months would be rough.

The show was good. I remember they played Dirty Dream #2 and it was awesome.

I don't think it fully hit me until a few months later when my daughter was born. It was so strange to not be able to share it with my father. Losing a parent is such a weird thing. I don't know if you ever fully process it. I know I haven't yet. At least I was an adult. My dad was only 60, but he wasn't the picture of health. He was overweight and smoked like a chimney. If there is a moral to this story it's that I need to take better care of myself so that I will be around to meet my grand kids someday.

The Unspoken Perils of Parenthood

Seems that many people around me just had babies. To be exact, three people I know had babies in a 24 hour window last week. Whenever I hear about people in the early days of parenthood, I am overcome with a sense of pity and then relief. Pity – I’ve been there. Relief – I’m not there now!

One of the things that always astounds me, and that I forget so quickly is that babies are nocturnal. Seriously, why doesn’t anyone warn anyone else of this? Correct answer – A. we must continue the species, B. no one told us about it, and we're not telling the rest. It’s like that hamster I had as a kid – he slept all day and ran on that creaky wheel All Freaking Night Long! Except, the creaking is crying and you can’t just carry his cage down to the basement and ignore him.

Whenever a friend is about to have a baby, I say this. “It sucks! All the stuff about how great it is – lies! The other parents just want to trap you! But it gets better… then worse, then better, then worse, and then eventually better until someone gets a stomach bug…” But seriously, it kind of sucks. But then one day you adjust, and it’s totally worth it, and you can’t imagine life any other way.

Another friend mentioned being so tired they felt drunk. I remember that. I remember walking into a wall in the middle of the night carrying a dirty diaper to the trash. Boom! Luckily I didn’t break my nose or drop poo all over floor.

And then there’s the vacuum cd. If you are reading this, I hope you will never need a vacuum cd. Our eldest daughter had colic. She was a perfect baby - for three weeks. And then a switch went off inside and she started crying every night. For four or so hours at a time. She’d start crying around 6:00 PM and if would just go on, and on, and on. It was the saddest thing ever. We rocked her, cradled her, everything we could try. One night we turned on the vacuum and it calmed her down. We downloaded a 60 minute MP3 of a vacuum. It was in every cd player (there were these things called "compact discs," they were like iPods, oh, never mind), every iPod, in every car. We listened to it for hours nightly. We shouted conversations above it. We sent friends and family screaming from our home. They couldn’t handle the vacuum cd! We watched tv with subtitles. To this day, I still haven’t heard the dialog to the final season of the Gilmore Girls.

Another of the friends who had a baby last week commented on Facebook that their toddler wants the baby returned to the baby store. I can sympathize. I have been oft quoted as saying that the two best days of my life were when my daughters were born. The two worst days – the days we brought them home from the hospital. You're working on no sleep, and suddenly you have to care for this helpless little baby. One word – terror. There's no owners manual, no warranty, nothing. If there were a return policy, I might have tried.

But luckily, there is no return option. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it through the hellish early years/months. So if you're behind me on this journey, consider this your warning. And if you're ahead of me, don't tell me what's around the corner. I choose ignorance. Something tells me I'm just writing the first chapter on this. And it's bad enough knowing that I will eventually share my home with two teenage girls...