Family Adventures: 14 Waterfalls

On Saturday, we went for a hike at Underhill State Park.  Here is My Wife's writeup:

Hike #13 - CCC Road to Maple Ridge Road aka 14 Waterfalls

There were indeed quite a lot of waterfalls on the hike.  My Wife is keen to try a hike to the Mount Mansfield summit but I am feeling timid.  I believe in working your way up to such things and I don't feel we're quite there yet.  I think I've convinced her that we need at least one more moderate hike before we tackle the difficult ones.

On Sunday, we spent a leisurely afternoon with the Mocks by their pool.  After a hot week, the day was a pleasant one for being outside.  We played a seven-hand game of UNO, one of my daughter's favorites, though we usually only play one-on-one.  It's completely different with a big group and a lot of fun.  Mrs. Mock won.

We played Pandemic, too.  We won but as the ever-observant Mock pointed out, we've been playing one rule incorrectly.  For those who know the game, we've been using the Forecast Card incorrectly, looking at the next six cards in the Player Card deck as opposed to the Infection Card deck.  The card, of course, clearly states what you're supposed to do but I think in our eagerness to avoid Epidemic Cards, we read what we wanted to read.  It's too bad.  I like our way.  I guess we'll have to play it the right way from now on...

We tried out a new restaurant on Friday night: Mimmo's in Essex Junction.  I love a dive Italian restaurant and while Mimmo's is a bit too upscale to qualify, it hit the spot.  My go-to dish for Italian food is Chicken Parmagiana and theirs was very good.  Our favorite dive Italian place in the area is Papa Frank's in Winooski.  We used to live within walking distance but alas, it's a bit out of the way for us these days.

Kickball was less successful this week.  We lost 8-4.  Part of the problem was that two of our most athletic players were out of town but we just didn't play well - self included.  I did get to play a lot due to the absences.  I think first base is still my favorite, though I'd like to get better at it.  We only have two more regular season games left.

Family Adventures: Nebraska Notch and More

On Sunday, we went for a hike on the Nebraska Notch Trail and the Long Trail.  My Wife's write up is here:

Hike #12 - Nebraska Notch Redux

A few bonus photos:

An uprooted tree, both sides:

Afterwards, we went for creemees at the Underhill Center Store - just vanilla on offer on Sunday but that was all we needed.  Summer and ice cream are an obvious combination anywhere but it's a particularly big deal in our proud dairy state.  My Wife makes her own and is currently teaching Our Girl to do the same.  Our Girl had been bugging me for creemees all week but I held off, knowing mom would be disappointed if we went without her.  So, we hatched a creemees-everyday-of-the-weekend plan.  Our Girl was surprisingly unimpressed when I told her.  "That's interesting," was her casual response.  Of course, she'd just had Friday's cone at that point.  But then, we forgot on Saturday and she was disappointed - figures.

In other news, Our Girl passed Red Cross Level 2 in swim class on Friday!  We're doing Level 3 in just a couple of weeks.  She's already worried she won't pass.  I told her we could practice at the town pond every day if she wanted.  Naturally, we're very proud of her.

We won again in kickball last night, a close battle: 1-0.  Our Girl came to watch for the first time, more or less out of necessity.  My Wife is out of town for a few days.  She enjoyed it, I think.  She certainly had a fun time running around with the other kids.  I got a "Good job!" and a high five after I got a hit in my only at bat.

My Favorite Athlete: Horse Camp

I love living in a small town. Last week at swim lessons, one of the moms invited Our Girl to attend her horse camp this week - total spur of the moment. Sure, why not, we said.


Image via Karen's Whimsy

We live in what has to be considered horse country, stables all over the place amidst the dairy farms. For her second birthday, we took Our Girl to visit one of them and she was pretty intimidated. I don't think she'd realized how big horses were. Since then, she hadn't shown much interest in riding. We were a little surprised by how readily she agreed to go. But heck, it's summer and it's gotta be more fun than hanging out at home with Dad!

It was a neat camp. They learned about the history of horses, the role of the horse in Native American culture, horse yoga (ya gotta love Vermont), etc. They'd already moved onto other things by the time I came for pickup but apparently Our Girl did very well with the riding. She's already asked if she can do it again sometime.

My Favorite Athlete: Swimming, Summer 2011

Our Girl took a Red Cross Level 2 swimming class this past week. Unfortunately, she didn't pass. I accept responsibility for that. Prior to this week, we didn't spend much meaningful time in the water this summer - one day in Mock's pool. That's it. Inspired by the class, though, Our Girl and I have been spending quite a lot of time at the town pool - really a pond. In fact, if we could have had one more day, I think she would have passed. Yesterday afternoon, after class, she was swimming up a storm. She even managed a convincing back stroke, which is beyond Level 2. Oh well.

She's not upset about not passing. Really, why should she be? She still learned a lot and knows what she needs to work on for next time. Besides, it encouraged both of us to get in the water more which she loves. I'm the one who cares about the levels. I think it's important for everyone to learn to be a strong swimmer. As such, I need to get more involved. So, I've already put in a request for two weeks of lessons next summer, combined with more time in the pool this year and next.

We had a difficult week on the family decision front. As it turns out, this coming year's dance class is on the same evening as soccer practice. Our Girl really wants to do both, of course. Dance is her passion and soccer is an important activity she shares with her school friends. After much hemming and hawing (on my part) we made her choose. It's a tough one. Her teachers for both activities are really great. Both have become important people in her life. We decided (more or less) as a family that she would regret missing a year of dance more than a season of soccer. It's not the last time we'll need to make such difficult choices. Perhaps we can take the opportunity to explore other activities she might enjoy.

On the Road: The Elusive Spanish Steps

Our Girl and I made our annual April DC trip this past week. Late April is a wonderful time to be in Washington. One misses the cherry blossoms, but one does get to see the second round of blooming trees, the dogwoods being the stars of the show. And, truth be told, the weather is usually better than it is during cherry blossom time. Springtime in the south is every bit as spectacular as autumn in New England and DC is definitely a southern city by botanical standards.


Photo via markdroberts.com

Our week was filled with the usual activities: swimming, sightseeing and urban strolls. The swimming highlight for Our Girl was learning to swim underwater. She had a lot of fun with that. We devoted our sightseeing time to art museums. We hit the Freer, where Grandma volunteers as a docent, the Sackler, the carousel and the National Gallery Sculpture Garden, all old family favorites. We also introduced Our Girl to the National Gallery, the East Wing and the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. There is only one National Mall museum I've never visited: The African Art Museum. I meant to go this time but we ran out of time. Our Girl has visited all but the African Art Museum and the American Indian Museum. We'll save those for another time.

I did go for an Embassy Row walk, following the walking tour outlined in the Lonely Planet Washington, DC City Guide, 4th Edition. The walk is shorter than in previous editions: 1 mile (1.6 km), as opposed to 2.5 km in the 3rd Edition. The walk no longer includes my three favorite stops: the Japanese embassy, the Islamic Center and the French ambassador's residence. However, it does still include the Spanish Steps, which I've never been able to find. As it turns out, Lonely Planet is one block off. They've always had the Steps on 23rd Street whereas they're actually on 22nd Street. I finally found them and dutifully climbed them.


Photo via Que sera, Sarah

Another embassy has been lost to Wisconsin Avenue. Cameroon has abandoned its digs at 2349 Mass Ave. It is sad to watch all of the old mansions fall into disrepair. Hopefully, someone with money and energy will devote some effort to restoring them and putting them to good use.

As I've previously written, I'm at a point of redefining my relationship with Washington, in theory, at least, the city I know best in the world. I hope that part of that will involve rekindling old friendships. The last several years, most of our family time in DC has been devoted to time with my parents and exploring the city in which they live. That is as it should be. But in truth, I know quite a lot of people in the DC area, people with whom I have shared some of the most meaningful friendships of my life. It has been years since I have seen some of my best friends from high school. I have not been intentionally avoiding anyone, of course. Life just gets complicated: my parents moved away from our house in Maryland making it more of an effort to see folks plus we all get involved with the goings-on of our own families.

But with my 20-year high school reunion coming up, I am reminded of the importance of old friends. My chore for the week was going through boxes of my old stuff which my parents have faithfully stored for me over the years. I unearthed quite a lot of old photos, including class pictures from elementary school which I posted on facebook. One friend, noting my presence in town, suggested we get together. She was, years ago, one of my best friends though I'd not seen her in ten years. She had, in fact, never met our daughter, though she has been very generous in sharing her Hello Kitty collection with her. She took us out to lunch and showed us around her office. Our Girl got more HK loot in the deal so she was happy. Plans to get together with another friend - Best Man at my wedding, in fact - fell through but I'm confident we'll find the time on another visit.

It's always nice to visit DC but it is doubly nice to get home. I am very grateful that we have decided to settle in a place like Vermont rather than in a big city. The fresh, if brisk, air when we got off the train was invigorating indeed. We're all happy to have the weekend together before we all head back to work and school on Monday.

Happy Passover and Easter to all.

My Favorite Athlete: Snowplow Level 2

Our Girl finished her second session of ice skating lessons this past week. She passed Snowplow Level 2 just fine but it seems she has lost interest in further lessons. I think a few issues are at play here. First, it made for a long day for her on Wednesdays. We'd get home afterward with barely enough time to feed her some dinner and get her to bed. Secondly, while she passed the requirements for the level, I don't think she was progressing as much as she herself would have liked. She expressed frustration one day that she can't go very fast, for instance, and gets nervous when asked to skate on just one foot. Finally, as she noted on the last day, she didn't have any friends in the class this time. Last year, she made a friend. That didn't work out so well this time.

Oh well. At least she has the basics now. She can get out on the ice, move around and not fall down. There's no point in continuing with lessons if she doesn't enjoy them. As a parent, I will only insist on a few things where activities are concerned. She has to do her homework. She has to take swim lessons in the summer. When the time for school band and orchestra comes in the fifth grade, she has to TRY playing an instrument but she doesn't have to stick with it if she doesn't like it. I owe my profession that much. If she takes lessons on the instrument, she has to practice. Beyond those things, everything else is up for discussion, as far as I'm concerned.

I do believe in winter hobbies. I think they help to keep people sane in the Great White North. My Wife and I would have to get better on the ice ourselves for skating to become a family endeavor. Snowshoeing is probably a better bet. We've got plenty of snow and we're getting more as I write. Perhaps we'll get out on the trails sometime this weekend.

My Favorite Athlete: Soccer, Year 1

Our Girl's soccer season is over. The final record: 2 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss. Officially, it was a winning season. Good job, kids! They're still in the everyone-gets-a-trophy stage. Here it is:


I did ask if she wants to play again and she says she wants to play every year. I figure it's worth doing for as long as she continues to enjoy it. One parent tried to recruit her for hockey this winter. I'm not too sure about that one. It would be kind of cool to have a hockey-playing daughter but she just hasn't expressed much interest in the idea.


The big excitement for Our Girl this weekend was her personal makeover: a new, very cute haircut and (drum roll) getting her ears pierced. While my natural inclination is to discourage her from attaching too much importance to physical appearance, particularly her own, I do recognize that it's a big deal for a girl to start making her own decisions on such matters. Both of this weekend's big changes were her idea and the results are quite lovely.


Right after she got the ears done, she was admiring herself in the mirror as "True Colors" came on the sound system. Proud Papa just about lost it right there in the middle of Claire's. Fortunately for me, we were on our way out of the store.

Monday Update: Youth Soccer and So Long, Reds

Family Adventures: Soccer

Our Girl's team won its game yesterday, 1-0. I missed my chance at coaching last week as Wednesday's practice was canceled due to rain. I have to admit to being somewhat relieved. I'm sure I'll get another chance at some point.

Our Girl certainly enjoys playing but I have noticed that she tends to shy away from the ball when the crowd closes in around her. I asked her about it after the game and she admitted that she gets nervous. I reassured her that it should be easier as she gets older - kids won't clump around the ball quite as much. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have been the same way. I never took the I-have-to-be-the-one-to-get-to-the-ball-first approach to soccer. Maybe that's why I liked playing goalie. Just keep the other team from scoring: I was comfortable with that mindset.

One moment really made me proud of her. At one point, she fell down - a genuine face plant. But she didn't hesitate for even a moment to jump back up and keep running. She didn't even do that little kid thing of looking around to see if anyone had seen her fall. I figure that's an attitude that will serve her well in life, whether she sticks with soccer or not.

One more week to go - practice Wednesday, last game on Sunday.

Bold Proposal

The Reds are out of the playoffs so the bold proposal shall live to see another year. I expect that whoever comes out of the Rangers-Rays series will become my new rooting interest for the playoffs.

Family Adventures: Mid-September

Autumn is coming. The leaves on the maples are beginning to go slightly pale, a sign that they're getting ready to turn. School has begun for both Our Girl and me, too. It's also a time of year when weekends tend to book up quickly without much effort. I think it's a matter of everyone wanting to get out and do things before the weather gets cold.

Our Girl has also just turned seven, the age of reason. Life has gotten busier. Last year, we had her in dance class and one session of skating lessons. She's still in ballet and we plan on doing skating again but we've also added soccer now. She's in an after-school art program one day a week as well. I swear, it's not our intention to over-schedule her. It just kind of happens.

As I have written before, dance was her first love. As we were first looking to get her involved in activities, I really wanted her to have at least one athletic activity and one artistic one. The great thing about dance is that it satisfies both. Over the long-term, I do worry about the body issues. I knew a lot of dancers growing up and was not impressed by the toll on their self image once they hit puberty. Our Girl is a wisp of a thing now but that can change. We're in our third year with a wonderful teacher now and I don't worry about it so much with her. But I've said all along that if anyone ever tells her she needs to watch her weight, we're finished. We had her in two classes last year: ballet and tap. It was a bit much, especially with both on Saturday, but her teacher used the magic word to encourage her to join the second one: scholarship. Who can say no to someone who wants to teach their kid something for free?

The art program, fortunately, isn't really adding much to the overall schedule. We need after-school care four days a week anyway so the art curriculum is a bonus. I'm glad that she'll be spending time around people who know what they're doing. To be sure, she'll exceed our own abilities in the visual arts pretty quickly. Her handwriting's already nicer than mine.

Her soccer team had its first game today. It's a riot watching 6-7 year-olds play. The swarm follows the ball around the field, some trying to make things happen, some clearly not sure what to do at all. They lost 2-0. Our Girl said she had a good time. I'll reserve judgement as to her lasting interest until the end of the season.

We also went mini golfing with Mock and his family this weekend. It had been years since I'd gone and it was Our Girl's first time ever. There were seven of us in all: four adults, three kids. It was good fun and Our Girl did quite well, especially on the back nine. She had some frustrating moments but when it was over, she said she'd like to try it again sometime.

State of the Blog 2010

The Armchair Squid is one year old today. I started this blog with what I will admit was a rather amorphous vision. The idea first hatched as I was watching last year's Confederations Cup soccer tournament. During the last World Cup (2006), I served as commissioner for My Wife's work pool and wrote humble missives to help guide the uninitiated. It was good fun and I thought I might give it another shot in 2010.

However, as you may have already figured out, my primary sports enthusiasm is for tennis. Not long after my soccer thoughts, I was watching Wimbledon and thinking about how frustrating it is that the press follows such a small sample of the hundreds of players who participate in a Slam tournament. 128 players in a singles draw means 128 stories. I thought I might find a way to showcase some of the lesser-knowns and my Curtain Call idea was born. It was with these two ideas that I launched the Armchair Squid last August.

Years ago, my mother asked me why I like sports so much. It is an interest which I developed entirely apart from my family. She wondered if it was my love for numbers. While I am certainly a numbers geek and the sports page definitely fed me plenty of them, I didn't think that was it. I believe that what I really love about sports is its wealth of stories. Every game is a story and if you watch (or play) live you get to watch the story unfold as it happens. But really, a game is a great confluence of stories. Every player has a story, as does every team, every coach, every season, every franchise, every city and on and on. Naturally, every fan also has a story, too. After the US Open finished, I didn't want to just twiddle my thumbs until the Aussie Open came around. I wanted to keep writing. And so, I decided that my story as a fan would be my starting point as I explored other topics.

This jumping around and dabbling here and there has been good fun but I'm now at a point where I'd like for the blog to have a better defined direction. It is my intention, therefore, to narrow my focus to a few specific areas rather than the entire sports world. At least for the moment, those areas shall be:

1. Baseball
2. Fantasy Sports
3. Tennis
4. Curling
5. Books
6. Family Adventures


Baseball

I'll definitely see my bold proposal project through to the end of the season. I have some ideas as to how the postseason would play out in my ideal universe. Whether I bring it back next season will depend on how things work out this season.

But what I'd really like to do is reconnect with the team I grew up with, the Baltimore Orioles. I've written a lot about the Cubs this season. I like the Cubs and I certainly like the fact that they're on TV a lot but I can't deny that I feel a touch disloyal. I'm not prepared to shell out for a broader TV package so my relationship with the O's will continue to be one of the long-distance variety. But I think of all those baseball fans in the pre-television era who never got to see their team in action. If they could do it, so can I.


Fantasy Sports

I'm still not sure what took me so long to get into fantasy football or fantasy baseball. Perhaps in my subconscious I knew the risk of addiction. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much before it was all Web-based but I'm sure glad it's a part of my life now.

I need to find some more specific directions with fantasy sports but it is certainly a hobby ideally suited for blogging. I will continue to showcase the players who do well by me. I also want to explore ways to be a good commissioner - the fantasy sports equivalent to a dungeon master - and to develop the perfect league. Stay tuned. This will take some flushing out.


Tennis

I definitely want to continue with the Curtain Calls, partly because it's a fun way to follow a Slam but also because it's really the essence of what I want my blog to be. I also feel that the Slams are the best point of contact for the casual fan. I'm still hoping to convert average sports fans to my sport of choice.


Curling

I was puzzled over what to do about this one as television coverage in the US is essentially nil. So, anyone with an interest would have access to all of the same Web resources as I do. How could I offer something different? Wouldn't you know, the Canadian Broadcast Company would come to my rescue. A TV series version of Men with Brooms is premiering this fall. While we don't get CBC in our satellite package, the network has an outstanding website on which one can watch programming. So, it is my plan to blog reviews of the show. Beyond that, I'll certainly check in with the world championships when they come around.


Books

Apart from actually watching sports, books have been my fuel this year. I have been delighted to find so much quality sports writing and fully intend to continue my exploration. I'll certainly share my thoughts on the books I find.


Family Adventures

We're sure to have plenty of them and I'll write about them when appropriate. In many ways, these posts are the most fun for me to write. My Favorite Athlete is also my favorite subject.


It is entirely possible that other subjects will creep in from time to time. I may, at some point, get off of the sports track but it's working for now so I'll stick with it.

I am tickled pink that anyone would read and enjoy my blog. To paraphrase Jon Wertheim, if anyone enjoys reading The Armchair Squid half as much as I enjoy writing it, we're all doing pretty well. I'm looking forward to Year 2. I hope you'll join me.

Squiddies 2010

My blog turns one year old today. As such, it's awards show time. And the Squiddy goes to...


Biggest Surprise: Curling

When the Winter Olympics began in February, I was not expecting to become a devoted curling fan by the end but it happened. I like curling for many reasons:

1. It is no end of quirky, as a sport with ice, 40-pound rocks and brooms could only be.
2. Basic sportsmanship is the rule rather than the exception. I particularly approve of the expectation that a team will concede once a win is out of reach. Nothing in sports is more boring than a blowout.
3. The relaxed pace. It's easy enough to imagine all of the curlers standing around the ice with beers in hand.

Anyway, I fell in love and will do my best to follow the sport in non-Olympic years, despite the lack of coverage on American television.

Honorable Mention: Fantasy Football, Butler Basketball, Francesca Schiavone


Biggest Disappointment: Washington Capitals

No contest here. They made quite a convincing impression of the best team in hockey for most of the season but finished with zero Olympic medals and a first-round playoff loss. With so much young talent, I certainly hope they're taking a long, hard look in the mirror this summer to figure out how to turn this team into a champion.

Honorable Mention: The Yankees Win the World Series...Again


Best Game: NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Final

It is not mere coincidence that Duke has played in so many of the great basketball games of the past 25 years. Whether you love them or hate them, there's no denying that the Blue Devils play the game as it was meant to be played. Win or lose, Coach K's teams always play tough, disciplined basketball.

To me, the definition of a great game is one in which both sides play hard and it's a shame that somebody has to lose. Butler's improbable run to the national finals was enough to cement their place in sports legend. But the Bulldogs came ready to play and gave as good as they got against mighty Duke. Let us not forget that Hayward's desperation heave at the end nearly went in. If it had, this would have to be called the best game ever. Period.

Honorable Mention: Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game


Best Story: Francesca Schiavone Wins the French Open

But alas, Hayward's shot did not go in. For two weeks in Paris, Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone made all of the shots when it mattered. I started following Schiavone at the U.S. Open. I really enjoyed watching her play. She is not a physically dominating player in any way but she plays with a competitive fire which is downright inspiring. No one could have expected her to walk away with the singles title at Roland Garros but she did it. Her team's t-shirts said it all: "Nothing Is Impossible."

Honorable Mention: Butler Basketball, Chicago Blackhawks


Best Read: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

One of the best unexpected consequences of blogging is that it has gotten me back into pleasure reading. I've read a lot of good sports-related books this year but I would consider A Walk in the Woods the best of them simply because I expect it's the most enjoyable without an initial interest in the subject matter, in this case hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Honorable Mention: Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi


Athlete of the Year: Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis is, of course, the San Francisco 49ers' Pro Bowl tight end. He was also the MVP of my fantasy football team last year. That really would have been enough to earn my praise but he turned out to be so much more. First I found out he was an art major in college which led me to his excellent website. The website led me to seek out other well-regarded athlete sites (I still say Vernon's is the best). Then, before the Olympics, he was named honorary captain of the U.S. men's curling team. Later in the year, he picked up a tennis racket and played doubles with Serena Williams at a charity event.

In short, he turned out to be a far more interesting person than I would have expected an NFL tight end to be. He was a great story to follow over the course of the year, very much in the spirit of my overall vision for the blog.

Honorable Mention: Francesca Schiavone, Josh Hamilton, Gordon Hayward


Post with Most Unexpected Consequences: South Africa 2010: The Orange Crush

The fact that watching the World Cup got me thinking about my own youth soccer experiences is not so surprising, nor is the fact that such thoughts inspired me to try to get in touch with the members of my first team. But the success I had in finding them and the enthusiastic responses I have gotten from my teammates and their parents have been nothing short of astonishing. Bear in mind, I have not seen some of these folks since the fourth grade. That was 28 years ago! Stay tuned. This story may yet be going places.

Honarable Mention: All Part of My Fantasy: Best 11th Round Pick Ever


Best Family Adventure: The Long Trail Project

My Wife has primary blogging rights on this subject (Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail) but I figure I can claim a tangential connection. What we're doing is wonderful for many reasons:

1. We're all doing it together.
2. We live in an outdoor adventurer's paradise and we're lazy bums if we don't get out on a regular basis to enjoy it.
3. It suits my larger purposes of getting more exercise.

Honorable Mention: Our Girl's Swimming Adventures, Tree Farm Vacation


Best Unexpected Benefit of Blogging: An Enriched Friendship

At the beginning of this past school year, I'd like to think that Mock and I were already on our way to building a solid friendship. But blogging has definitely played a role in helping us get to know each other better. For that, I am very grateful. If you haven't checked out his blog, you should: Stay on target...

Honorable Mention: Reconnecting with the Orange Crush, Renewed Interest in Pleasure Reading

On the Road: Central Pennsylvania

We just got back from a five-day trip to central Pennsylvania. As noted in a previous post, my family has a cabin in the State College area. Our cabin is part of a summer community which we refer to as The Tree Farm. It's not the sort of Tree Farm that sells Christmas trees. While there is an occasional harvest, the "Tree Farm" is mostly a tax designation.

At any rate, my family has been taking vacations at the Tree Farm every summer since I was seven years old. I've managed to make it almost every year since myself and it has been, without a doubt, a very important part of my life. The land has belonged to one family since 1940 and they've invited numerous friends to join them at their summer retreat over the decades. A few, including us, have built their own cabins. Our connection is that the original owners' daughter was my mother's roommate in college.

Ours is a very modest cabin - electricity and running water but no flush toilet. We use an outhouse instead. Through years of college and young adult wanderings, the cabin at the Tree Farm was the constant in my life. I have invited many friends over the years, including a group of guys in high school who made it back every year in one configuration or another for, I think, 14 summers in a row. But just as important to me is the other families who return every year. It is a community which has nurtured me both spiritually and intellectually for most of my life. I consider them to be part of my extended family.

Luckily for me, My Wife has always loved it, too. We were married there in a Quaker-style ceremony nine years ago this summer. I think of it as a truly magical place and the fact that we now live on the edge of a Vermont forest is not merely coincidental to the fact that I grew up loving the Pennsylvania woodlands.

As with so many things, my feelings towards the place have evolved over the years. I find myself in a funny relationship with it right now. It's a pretty good distance from where we live - we made it back in under 11 hours today, with stops for meals. So, with a day's travel each way, it's not a simple matter of popping up for a weekend on the spur of the moment. Also, I have to admit that now that I live in the woods, a vacation in the woods is not such a draw in and of itself. At our house in Vermont, we have not only flush toilets but also satellite television and DSL. Generally speaking, summer weather in Vermont is also superior.

Nonetheless, I find that it's very important to me to maintain a connection to the place, not only for the many people with whom it links me, but for the land itself. There's a meadow in front of the main cabin which might be my favorite spot in the whole world. I have spent many hours of my life there staring up into the stars and/or singing with my friends. I've done some of my best thinking out there. It's where we pitched the tent for the wedding reception.

Of course, now the fun is in sharing the place with our daughter. She experienced the sauna for the first time this year along with her first night swim in the pool. I learned to play ping-pong at the Tree Farm and as soon as she's tall enough, I intend to teach her as well. Otherwise, it's just a lovely place to relax with a book or a board game or take a walk in the woods. I hope she will learn to love it as I have.


Follow Up: Pennsylvania Sports

As I wrote earlier in the year, I can usually judge the relative popularity of Pennsylvania's sports teams by the availability of paraphernalia in State College stores. So, the verdict this year...

Wegman's: All Penn State football. Baseball? NFL? Never heard of 'em.

Target: Philadelphia wins this year. All Phillies. All Eagles. I guess the Steelers' off-season troubles haven't helped them in the product licensing market.

My Favorite Athlete: Red Cross Level 1

Our Girl passed Red Cross Level 1 at her swim lessons today. She takes her lessons in the backyard pool of a neighborhood woman, Swim Coach, who's been doing it for 30 years. Needless to say, Swim Coach has it down to an art form. Her instruction is very age-appropriate and she brings good humor to her process. Much like soccer camp, her lessons are a must-do in our community for kids of the relevant age.

Not all of the kids in Our Girl's class were doing Level 1 - there were some pre-schoolers, too. Swim Coach does a lot of little things to help the younger kids get comfortable: songs and other rituals, including body paint before they wash off to get in the pool:



As I mentioned in my skating post, Our Girl tends to do well in a situation when she is the oldest kid and that was certainly the case this week. She has, quite recently, become a pretty strong swimmer. All credit goes to Grandma for that. We were in DC for a week recently and Grandma took her to Wilson Aquatic Center everyday. I was taking a class and thus couldn't go along except for one day so reports of her progress came second-hand. Grandma -- a one-time swim instructor herself, as it turns out -- was very impressed with Our Girl's determined efforts to improve.

Our Girl's a real pro with the kick board at this point:



She even did it on her back unaided today:



Each of the past two days, there was practice in the deep end with life vests:



Afterward, a well-earned rest:



I'm hoping we'll have some more opportunities to practice before the summer's out. Once again, Our Girl was sad when it was all over. Quite an improvement from the last time we tried this! She'll be eager for Level 2 next year.

My Favorite Athlete: Soccer Camp

Our Girl just finished a one-week soccer camp yesterday. The camp is run by Homer, father of a friend of hers. I shall call him Homer not because of any likeness with Mr. Simpson but because he is a great storyteller. One of many hats he wears is head girls' soccer coach at our local high school. He coaches at this camp in large part to foster interest in the game for his daughters and their friends. Due in no small part to his involvement, the camp has become a must on the calendar for the 4-6 year-old set in our area.

This is Our Girl's second time doing the camp. She did it two years ago and I was not at all convinced at the time that soccer was going to be a long-term interest for her. She enjoyed kicking the ball around but on the last day of camp, she wanted to stay home. It didn't help that we were doing swim lessons the same week but her resistance stood in stark contrast to her reaction to dance camp. On the first day of dance, I felt like I'd introduced her to the man she was going to marry. I had a strong feeling right away that dance was going to be a part of our lives for a long time. On the last day of that camp, she was sitting on our front steps ready to go 10 minutes before I was.

And so, we didn't pursue the idea of soccer camp with her the following year. I didn't think she really missed it until one day this past year, on the way home from school, she asked me, "Daddy, what team am I on?" Confused, I asked her to clarify and she told me that her friend (Homer's daughter) had been talking about her soccer team at school and she wanted to know what her team was. She was crushed to find out she wasn't on one! Therefore, in planning our summer, we brought the idea of soccer camp into the discussion and she was all for it.

Soccer camp is as much a gathering for the stay-at-home and home-for-the-summer parents as it is for the kids. There was, in fact, a group of moms with strollers who came every day to hang out together with their younger children. I prefer not to hover in such situations so most days, I went home. But I went for most of the last day to take photos, watch Our Girl and marvel at Homer's talents in child wrangling.

Homer also teaches the third grade and is, from everything I've seen, a highly-gifted educator. He brings a lot of creativity to coaching. For instance, if all of the kids start crowding around the ball, as is their tendency, he'll declare the ball a magnet ball and toss it out of the game in favor of a new one. To get kids to look up while they're dribbling, he holds his hands above his head for kids to shout out how many fingers he's holding up. He also plans downtime well, including snack breaks and a walk down to the river:


But when we asked Our Girl why she was looking forward to soccer camp, she said "Popsicles!" Homer very cleverly plans two popsicle breaks every day. Pavlov would be proud.


Our Girl had a great week. She was genuinely sad that yesterday was the last day so we're thinking about possibilities for the fall. According to Homer, she did well. As a teacher myself, I'm always happy just to know that she's a good listener. Any successes beyond that are a bonus. What impressed me in watching her is that she seems fairly comfortable with both feet. She definitely favors the right but doesn't shy away from the left. That was a major shortcoming for me as an athlete. I'm extremely right side-dominant. It's one of many reasons I liked playing goalie - it didn't really matter. But if she keeps practicing with both feet, she may not have those issues. But most importantly, it was great to see her having such fun with it.

On the Road: Washington, D.C.

Our Girl and I took the Vermonter down to Washington this week to visit my parents. My folks live in the city now. When I first left home for college and people would ask me where I was from, I'd say the DC area, figuring that was an easier reference point for people than telling them I grew up in Maryland. But when my parents moved, that all changed. Part of it may have been a sense of loyalty to our old house but it's more a matter of realizing that the world where they live now is completely different from the world where I grew up. Since their move, I've always referred to myself as a Marylander.

My daughter loves DC. She's a huge fan of the Capitol Building, in particular, and also enjoys the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. But increasingly for her, DC time is all about time with Grandma. They've grown quite close over the past couple years and often seem to have little projects going when we're all together: making jewelry, learning about Japanese characters or just running errands around the neighborhood. This trip, in particular, confirmed this new reality in regards to our DC visits. Our Girl didn't do any sightseeing this trip. We never even made it south of Dupont Circle except to go to the train station.


Day One

The new exciting thing in my mother's life is the recently opened Wilson Aquatic Center, adjacent to Wilson High School in Tenleytown. She goes several times a week and has even joined a swim team. She was very eager to bring Our Girl along as they have a very nice kids' pool. Historically, Our Girl has been nervous around water but, as ever, was delighted to tag along with Grandma.

It was my intention to join them the first day but my mother had advised that I leave my wallet behind at the apartment as she did not have a lock for me to use. As it turns out, non-DC residents must have a photo ID to use the pool so I was out of luck. My mother initially offered to drive back to the apartment for it but as I was losing patience with the situation and sliding into a worsening mood, I suggested that they go without me. I would find other entertainment in the neighborhood. Feeling guilty, she gave me $20 to amuse myself in the interval. So, the ladies went swimming and I went for a walk.

In theory, Washington is the city I know best in the world. But without a map in a neighborhood unfamiliar to me, I decided to stay on Wisconsin Avenue and not stray too far down the side streets. I headed northwest towards Friendship Heights, a part of town I know far better from my teenage years.

DC is not the most accommodating city for pedestrians but it's good to explore it on foot from time to time. You miss things in a car: hole-in-the-wall shops and restaurants easily overlooked at high speeds. Who knew there was a traditional Arab dance studio?

Unfortunately, the walk I took is one from a reasonably colorful part of town to a ritzier but far more boring part. Back in the '80s and '90s, Friendship Heights was already well on its way to becoming the upscale shopping district in DC and there are plenty of new Gucci-esque stores in the area now. I made it all the way to the Maryland/DC line before heading back. I had half a mind to see if I could make it all the way to my old high school in downtown Bethesda and probably could have if I'd started at a faster clip from the beginning.

One wonderful change since my childhood: people wearing baseball caps for a Washington team. The Nationals aren't the greatest but they're here.

Meanwhile, Our Girl had a blast at the pool. Grandma reported that she grew increasingly brave the longer they stayed, particular when other kids were around to play with her. Our Girl said she wanted to come back to the pool everyday. I was also in a far better mood after my constitutional.

Back at the ranch, Our Girl settled in for a snack and some quiet play time so I headed out for some bookstore exploration. My parents live in Kalorama, allowing easy access to both the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle neighborhoods so there's no shortage of independent shops around. I had two goals: a used copy of Prince Caspian, since we had nearly finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the train ride down, and a book on teaching kids how to play checkers. I hit Idle Time Books, Kramerbooks and Second Story Books. I never did find a checkers book (does anyone have one to recommend?) but I did find a decent copy of Caspian.


Day Two

My father found a couple of extra padlocks so we all went to the pool the second day. It really is a very nice facility and extremely kid friendly with family changing rooms and, indeed, a very cool kids' pool. It's a bit like the ocean, starting at puddle depth and very gradually descending to 3 feet, allowing someone like my daughter to test deeper waters as her confidence grows. There is also an NCAA-regulation lap pool and a hot tub for adults. Plus, it's all free for DC residents.

Our Girl was a joy to watch in the water. She and I took a swim class a couple of years ago together and her greatest accomplishment was not screaming on the last day of class. She's like a different kid now, even brave enough to put her face under the water. We're planning to do a Red Cross level 1 class for her this summer and this seemed to bode well.

I am not much of a swimmer myself. I can get from point A to point B but the two strokes I use - crawl and breaststroke - are, I am certain, highly flawed. Plus, I'm horribly out of shape. In my more adventurous mid-20s, I took a scuba course in the Philippines and part of the certification was to swim unaided for, I think, 200 meters. It was a pathetic struggle but I did it. I vowed to get in better swimming shape after that but that was - gasp! - 12 years ago. One of my goals for this summer is to work exercise into my daily routine. Perhaps swimming can be a part of it. I did four lengths in the 20 yard pool at Wilson.

In the afternoon, Our Girl and Grandma went to run some errands so I headed out for another walk, this time taking the Embassy Row walking tour outlined in the Lonely Planet guide. It had been a while since I've explored that part of town and it has actually changed a bit in the past few years. A lot of the embassies have raised stakes and moved off of Massachusetts Ave. to a new compound near Tenley Circle, including the Pakistani Embassy as listed in the guidebook. There is another error in the 3rd edition: no Spanish Steps at 23rd and Decatur.

Embassy Row is really quite a lovely neighborhood as many of the embassies are housed in beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century mansions. A couple of my favorite buildings in Washington are on the route: the Islamic Center and the French Ambassador's residence. The Islamic Center is unique in Washington and is probably best viewed from Rock Creek Park as one sees the minarets rising above the trees. The mosque is there to serve the diplomatic community though it is evidently a bit snobby, as embassy service staff is generally turned away. The ambassador's residence may be the most impressive looking house in town, White House included. The one embassy that has personal meaning for me is the Japanese at 2516 Mass Ave. It is where my own Japan adventure began.

The diplomatic community is a strange one in Washington: in the city but not exactly of the city. I am reminded in wandering around, however, that it's not too far removed from the life my own family lived until I was 3. If my father had made different choices in his career, I could have lived more of my childhood in such isolated neighborhoods in foreign capitals. Rome would have been his next assignment. He turned it down in favor of a career in the domestic service branch of his agency. As such, I got to spend 15 years of my childhood in one house. For that, I am grateful.


Day Three

Back to the pool. I got a bit braver myself, swimming a single length of the 50 meter pool. I will admit to getting a bit freaked out in the deep end with 13 feet of water under me. I started to worry about my wedding ring, which has flown off in class a couple of times in my more exuberant teaching moments. What a pain that would have been to retrieve! Note to self: leave it in the locker room next time. If I were to get more serious about swimming, I'd want to take a lesson or two to clean up my strokes.

In the evening, I made the highly disappointing discovery that my parents don't get the sports channels in their TV package. Not even ESPN! There is, of course, no reason why they should as I'm the only person in the family who would ever watch but it was very frustrating in my effort to catch a glimpse of Game 7 of the Capitals/Canadiens series. In the end, I had to settle for the live box score on versus.com.

Even without television, it's a very different experience to follow a team when you're in the hometown. For starters, no publication is as brutal towards a team as is the local newspaper. Some of the best sports writing I've ever read was in Washington Post columns about the Capitals' disastrously poor history in the playoffs. The Post staff was in rare form this week as yet another season unraveled before our eyes.

I can't believe the Caps blew it yet again. All of the criticism being leveled at the team, the coach and even Captain Ovechkin is richly deserved. It has become clear. Of the Big Four, Ovechkin and Backstrom are the keepers while Semin and Green just don't have the guts to be leaders in the playoffs. In the off-season, a trade for a top-notch goaltender is a must and digging up a few battle-tested defensemen would be good, too. The blue liners don't need to be superstars. They just need to be willing to do the little things it takes to beat the league's best when it matters most. Mike Green, for all of his talent, just isn't that guy. There's simply no excuse for playing so well in the regular season only to implode in Round 1 of the playoffs. It's embarrassing. Just wait until next year? I'll believe it when I see it.

But back to our trip...

I think it's wonderful that Our Girl has bonded so completely with her grandmother. In truth, people are far more important than places and I'm glad she has found this meaningful relationship in her life. For me, however, I still feel as if I've barely scratched the surface in DC. There are parts of the city which I don't know at all and it would be a shame not to explore them, if only on my own. But perhaps I should take a hint from my daughter and invest in relationships at the same time. I'm sure I could convince my father to come along for some of my explorations. A new Lonely Planet guide has just come out, perhaps a good occasion to begin a new relationship with the city.

My Favorite Athlete: Skating

I am the proud father of a Snowplow Level 1 ice skater. Our Girl finished her first skating class and is more than a little disappointed that she's going to have to wait so long to go again.

Our attempts to expose our daughter to athletic endeavors have met with mixed results. We tried soccer and tennis camps when she was younger but neither really took. The one thing that we have absolutely insisted that she must do is learn to swim and we're working on that. This is not to say that she does not have interests in physical activity. Dancing is already a very big part of her life and I expect it will be for many years to come. Organized sports haven't taken hold with her in the same way.

While I won't be disappointed if she never becomes a jock, I do think it's important for everyone in the Great White North to have a winter sport. Winters are long and intimidating in Vermont and if you don't get out and enjoy it, it's easy to feel trapped. We snowshoe and we've tried cross-country skiing and sledding but nothing was quite as exciting for her as when she went skating with her grandparents in November. She was nervous at first but once she got ahold of a couple milk crates, she could not be stopped. Grandma, the best skater in the family, could barely keep up with her. "This is the best thing ever!," Our Girl could be heard to say. It seemed we had found a winner.

And so, I lobbied for skating lessons as a Christmas gift and she got them. We're starting a bit late. Our Girl is already 6 and I think most, if not all, of the kids in her class are younger. She, however, is not troubled by this. She usually flourishes in a setting where she's the oldest kid and skating has been no exception. She needed a lot of help in the first lesson but by the seventh and final week, was getting around pretty well. I don't think I saw her fall once last night - no small accomplishment with all of the equally inexperienced boys flying around and crashing on purpose.

I don't know where this will ultimately take us. She has said that she has no interest in hockey and I'm a bit surprised that she's not more interested in figures, though as I've written before, she does have another outlet for her artistic side. That lack of interest will be much easier on the family budget. Instead, she seems fascinated by the speed. Will I be driving long hours so she can skate on ovals someday? I kind of doubt it but she's a very determined little girl. Anything's possible.

Far more importantly, from first week to last, Our Girl could be found rushing to offer a hand to a younger skater who had fallen down. Those are the moments that make my eyes well up. I love that she's that kid.

Proud father? Every single day.