spolay 2.0

Sporty Summer

2009-09-06T12:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of the fall soccer for Sam and Mason, culminating the Summer of Sports for Mason. The season included two soccer camps, a tennis camp and countless Whiffle ball games in the back yard.

Though Mason's team lost its game, the soccer camp dividends were evident. Mason played some great defense and when playing forward ripped off some length-of-the-field dribbles and some crossing passes to attempt to set up his teammates for scores.

You might also have called this the Summer of Face Paint. The finale of each of the two soccer camps was a World Cup tournament, with the instructors at Paul Turner encouraging the kids to show their international spirit.

Benjamin joined in the face-paint festivities, too, simultaneously honoring the Tour de France, which was happening around the same time.

For those keeping score at home, Sam's team won its first game. Sam had a hand in the victory, too, tossing the throw-in that led to the pass that set up the game-winning kick.

Benjamin still has one more year before he can join in the fall soccer fun and mayhem. He was pretty disappointed at the start of the day. "Dad, I don't want to sit around for two hours!" Like me, he'd much rather be playing than watching.

Provided that Sam and Mason stick with soccer -- and there's no reason to presume they won't, as they both seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves yesterday -- next year will be the first time all three boys will be playing the same sport in the same season. We'll likely dispense with the pretense of carting chairs around town and simply pitch a tent at the Wing School fields, calling them our second home. Feel free to stop by. No appointment necessary!

Benjamin and the Lobster Hat

2009-09-04T22:03:00.004-04:00

Benjamin and the Lobster Hat
Originally uploaded by spolay
At this very moment, Benjamin is talking
in a pirate voice, wearing his new lobster hat,
and yelling to the thunderstorm, "I'm going
to pinch you!"

Holy dying embers of summer, Batman! I've really not been keeping up with the family blog this summer. The Flickr photos and YouTube videos are plentiful... the words, not so much. So as we head into the kids' first week of school, allow me to play a little catch up, one blog post at a time.

Not only does this photo showcase Benjamin's crafting skills, but you can also see the remnants of the home addition/renovation project that had begin in February and finished up in July. Note the entertainment center still residing next to the refrigerator, and pay no attention to the BJs-powered restock of toilet paper and paper towels on the stairs.

At the point this photo was taken, we were days away from moving into the addition. Was so nice to get a large chunk of our house back! There's still a lot of work remaining: Painting and re-arranging upstairs bedrooms, re-installing a portion of the fence that had to come down during construction and removal of some trees to protect our investment (not to mention restock the wood pile). The downstairs, though, is completely reclaimed. More to come on that!

The Unknown Rock Star

2009-07-25T11:52:00.001-04:00

The rock star gene has been successfully passed.

Garden mittens

2009-07-18T12:05:00.001-04:00

DSCN1076
Originally uploaded by spolay

Benjamin was helping Brandy in the garden, and when he saw that she was wearing garden gloves he decided he needed to follow suit. Introducing garden mittens!

Brandy did shortly thereafter buy Ben his own set of kids-sized garden gloves, so that he could have use of all of his fingers. They are sure to make it into a future picture, though I doubt the Vogue-like pose in this picture can ever be exactly replicated.

Sam solos at the Sandwich Grade 5 Jazz Band Spring Concert

2009-05-06T21:00:00.001-04:00

Tequila! And a surprise "Sammy" Joy solo!

We had no idea the solo was coming. So glad I had the camera rolling! We asked Sam about it later, and he said he had simply wanted to keep it a surprise.

The conductor announced him as Sammy Joy, and ordinarily Sam does not like to be called Sammy. He later confessed, though, that he didn't mind, likely because he was so excited that he had successfully completed the solo. I told him it would simply have to become his new jazzy stage name, which he seemed to think was a good idea.

Apologies for the jerkiness of the camera. Benjamin was crawling on me a couple of times during the performance. Next time I'll bring the tripod.

We all love a parade!

2009-05-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

DSCN0738
Originally uploaded by spolay

The 2009 edition of the Sandwich Little League Parade inched closer to being an all-family affair. Sam marched with the band, and I joined Mason's team as the assistant coach. Another couple of years remain, though, before Benjamin can join in. Meanwhile, he is taking batting practice almost daily in the backyard to get ready.

April Fools Day 2009 recap

2009-04-02T13:50:00.005-04:00

We had a little April Fools Day mirth on the homefront, starting with a prank Mason had plotted a couple of days in advance to get the jump on his older brother. Inspired by something he had seen on television, Mason asked me if I'd help him switch the innards of two of our cereal boxes so when Sam thought he was pouring Honey Bunches of Oats, he instead would be surprised by the Cinnamon Toast Crunch that landed in his bowl.

Of course I was all too happy to be the accomplice, making sure to make the switcheroo after the kids had gone to bed the night before. I took it a step further in the morning by doing some suggestive selling, strategically placing the breakfast options out on the butcher block table that acts as our kitchen island so that Sam would be sure to choose cereal over his other favorite, bagels.

Worked like a charm. Sam, still sleepy and a bit bleary eyed, grabbed the cereal, poured it into his bowl, paused, and realized that he had been fooled. Mason and I let out a couple of belly laughs, and Sam gave himself the I-should-have-had-a-V8 forehead slap.

Later, after reading Velma's post about her family's April Fools Day exploits, I was inspired to try a version of kitchen magnet chicanery. While Brandy and Benjamin were at the library, I cleaned off of the refrigerator, and placed all of the magnets on the back of my car so that they would be the first thing Brandy saw when she pulled into the driveway.

Brandy is not a big fan of stickers on cars. Even the dump and beach stickers are an aesthetic struggle for her. Sure, she likes getting rid of the household trash and taking the kids to the beach, but if it could be done using some sort of E-Z Pass-like system or by flashing an ID, she'd be so much happier.

So I knew there would be some shock value in seeing all of those magnets on the back of the newest car in the family, but the ruse was more successful than I could have anticipated. Brandy couldn't stop laughing, and was doubled over so much she couldn't get out of her car for a few minutes. Benjamin, not quite sure what was going on, laughed along with her for a bit, but after a few minutes asked Brandy why she was crying. She explained she wasn't crying, just laughing too hard.

Success!

Later, during dinner, we were asking Sam and Mason about their days at school. Mason said he and his classmates had tried to play a trick on their teacher, by hiding under their desks after she had left the room. As we understand it, one of the classmates wasn't so sure about playing along, so the trick was not a complete success, but the students had fun. Brandy and I surmised that April Fools Day must be the worst day of the year for teachers far and wide.

The wheels were turning in Sam's head throughout dinner. How was he going to get his revenge on Mason? He confessed he had been making a mental list all day of tricks that he was going to play on Mason the following year. I reminded him in a whisper that he still had a few hours left. That sealed it: He decided to tie knots in the pant legs of Mason's pajamas. While Mason excused himself to go to the bathroom, Sam excused himself to head upstairs to prepare his ruse.

At the end of the night, as I was helping Benjamin into his pajamas, Sam came in to show me what he had done. He had only tied off one leg, so I recommended he do the same to the other leg.

I'm such a troublemaker. Any wonder from whom they got that gene?

Later, Mason entered the room to change his clothes. I almost ruined it for Sam, as I could barely keep a straight face. I had to look away from Mason, so he wouldn't think anything was amiss. Sure enough, Mason started to pull on his pajama pants, and for a few moments kept jamming his foot into the pant leg when the foot wouldn't go all the way through, oblivious to what was causing the impediment. I finally could bust out some laughter, and revenge was sweet for Sam.

May the rest of the April Fools Days that lay ahead be as fun -- and as harmless -- as this year's! I am sure they are all plotting their revenge on me for next year.

Benjamin Riding at the Cape Cod Canal

2009-03-28T21:36:00.001-04:00

Benjamin, on his second bicycle ride ever, heads for home along the Cape Cod Canal bike path.

Pay close attention to his countdown, which is a little out of sequence, but the intent is clear. He then takes a slight spill, bounces right back up, and then rides away from me. I had to run after him after I stopped filming.

He wanted to know why I didn't bring my bike. I told him I thought he needed more practice, and I wanted to be able to help him. Now, however, I think I must bring my bike next time just to keep up with him!

Da Buff Macho Cheese Hamsters

2009-03-28T21:32:00.002-04:00

Sam's Destination Imagination team, Da Buff Macho Cheese Hamsters, perform their original "Astronauts vs. Aliens" skit as part of their 2009 entry in the regional competition at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.

Not only does Sam play the part of a rocket ship and a shooting star, but he was the time keeper and stage manager too. He tells us he had a whole signal system worked out with his teammates to let them know whether they should speed up or slow down. You'll catch glimpse of him a couple of times flashing signals and checking his watch while behind the curtain.

Rock to the Max, Mr. Sax - Part II

2009-03-28T21:26:00.001-04:00

I had to split the performance into two videos, because I realized halfway through that I ought not to hold the camera vertically. So this is the second half, with the camera held correctly.

I'll get the hang of this video thing yet....

Part I is here.

Rock to the Max, Mr. Sax - Part I

2009-03-28T21:23:00.002-04:00

This post is a bit tardy. I accompanied Sam a few weeks ago to the Pasta and Jazz Supper at Sandwich High School, where the Fifth Grade Jazz Band helped out with raising money for the high school band to attend a national competition.

Not only did Sam have a great time playing in the concert, but I traded him my cookie for his salad, so he got a double bonus that night!

Update: Part II is here.

Night with the Polays

2009-03-06T22:31:00.001-05:00

Just another sedate evening in Sandwich with the Polays...

Farewell, Pearl

2009-02-28T13:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a sad day at the homestead as we had to put our cat, Pearl, to sleep. We had discovered a tumor around her shoulder blade about a month ago, and it became clear the other night that it was becoming uncomfortable and affecting her behavior.

This photo was taken this past December as she was supervising the boys decorating the tree. It is emblematic of how far she had come in terms of adjusting to life as a timid cat among a houseful of boys -- and how much she loved my chair!

Brandy had rescued her and her brothers and sisters from a feral litter before we met. She and her roommate had found homes for most, except for Pippen and Pearl, the two sisters who stuck around. When Pearl moved with Brandy to Mashpee after Brandy and I had first met, Pearl hid for three days behind the water heater in Brandy's new apartment.

I've joked in the past that the dowry for Brandy's and my marriage was comprised of Pearl and Sammie, Brandy's other cat who was on the scene before Pearl. I'd always been a dog person, but Sammie and Pearl thankfully seemed to have approved of Brandy's choice of me. Had they not, Brandy and I might have had a much more uphill climb at the beginning of our relationship. Sure, I was allergic to them, but that was nothing a little Zyrtec couldn't cure. The things we do for love....

Pearl was a unique kitty. She had a little bit of dog in her, especially when she would drool when you pet her for more than a minute. Her nickname became Pearly-Bum, in large part due to the fact that when you were petting her she would eventually arch her back and make you scratch her bum -- also just like a dog.

When Sammie went missing five years ago, it was incredibly sad, but we had also thought it had been for the best -- and even may have been elective on Sammie's part.

Pearl really came into her own once she became the only cat in the house. She was much less timid around the boys' thumping feet as the years went by, and within the last year would great each with a meow and a "come-hither-and-pet-me" dance as they came downstairs each morning. It was Benjamin's chore to feed Pearl daily, and Mason often took it upon himself to spend a little time with her, whether it was playing with a string or a ball -- or simply petting her. And Sam's ritual was to call her over to him each night during prayers, when he would pet her until everyone was done talking about the best parts of their day. It was very likely one of Sam's unspoken favorite parts of his day.

So yesterday clearly had an impact on all of us, but most of all on Brandy, who took Pearl to the vet and said goodbye face-to-face during her final moments. Sam handled the bad news in his usual stoic fashion. Mason, who still mourns Sammie's disappearance, cried for a bit last night and I am sure we'll see the emotional after-effects for a while.

Most heart-breaking for me, though, was Benjamin's reaction. As Brandy was driving away with Pearl, he asked me, "Pearl is coming back, right?" When I tried to explain that wasn't likely, he said, "But the doctor has a car. He can bring her home." When Brandy got home, he asked her if she brought Pearl home. It's all I can do to stop from crying now as I recall it.

He spent the rest of the day periodically asking Brandy not to cry. When Brandy and Mason were crying at the same time last night, Brandy later told me that Benjamin said, "Great. Now you're both crying."

So while he understands now that Pearl is not coming home, his primary mission was to make everyone smile and laugh again. There's something to be appreciated in his naivete.

The boys have been asking for a dog for some time, but Brandy and I had insisted to the boys that we would not do so while Pearl was still with us. Now a dog is surely in our future, but for now we are savoring the memory of Pearl.

The house definitely seems a lot more empty without her.

Sam's Band Concert - Jan. 28, 2009

2009-02-13T13:18:00.005-05:00

The Henry T. Wing School Grade 5 Band does a song-and-dance number at its Winter Concert on Jan. 28, 2009. Sam is right in the center of things (watch for the identifying ballon at about the 20-second mark), but we were in the Sandwich High School balcony to compensate for a fidgety Benjamin, so it's a little hard to tell. That, and Daddy the Videographer did not have a very steady hand with his first Blackberry Storm video shoot....

The good news -- or bad news depending on your tolerance for video quality -- is I finally figured out how to transfer the video from the phone to the laptop via Bluetooth, and then convert it to a format for worldwide consumption. Lucky you, dear viewer!

----------------
Now playing: Rusted Root - Send Me on My Way
via FoxyTunes

Toothless Mason

2009-02-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

Toothless Mason 3
Originally uploaded by spolay

Mason lost both of his two front teeth within the last two weeks, with the second departing in the middle of the night after the Super Bowl while I was on the road this week. Took a few photos today to capture the look, as the big teeth are already emerging to take their rightful place in his smile.

Speaking of photo catch-up... here's the Best of 2008

2009-01-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

Clearly, we were having a good time in 2008. Video made with some help from Animoto.

Catching up on holiday photos

2009-01-03T10:10:00.007-05:00

The camera has been firing away throughout the holiday season. The blogging fingers, though, are a little behind. So here's a roundup of some of the camera's output:

I happened to be working from the home office during the week prior to Christmas, and that afforded me the opportunity to join Brandy in helping Mason in his classroom as they put the finishing touches on hand-made gingerbread houses. Wouldn't you know I forgot to bring my camera? Bad Daddy! The good news was we got to bring home the finished product ahead of Mason, so I could photograph it in my ~~studio~~ atop the butcher block table before the boys had a chance to tear into it (which I also captured as part of this set).

A week later, I also was able to attend Benjamin's first Christmas concert, as he and his preschool class put on a multi-song exhibition for the parents. Benjamin spent the rest of the week regaling us with is crescendoed version of "Jingle Bells." Ask him to sing it for you sometime. His enthusiasm is priceless and infectious.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, after we visited with Santa, the boys and I went Christmas shopping while Brandy babysat for some friends. Perfect opportunity to shop for Mom! When I asked the boys what they wanted to get Mom for Christmas, Benjamin said, "A shooting star!" Hmm.... Luckily, we were near Michael's, where I figured we'd get inspired to include something approaching a shooting star. We settled on making mosaic flower pots, with some stars added in as tiles. So on Christmas Eve, we sent Mom shopping so we could create. Of course, Daddy didn't plan enough time to completely finish the project before Mom got home, and Mom had to help apply the mortar the next morning, but the boys did most of the work themselves and did so with just the right dose of love. Note how serious they look in applying the tiles. Might have been the hardest I've ever seen them work on a project!

This shot was from Christmas Eve, when we attend a traditional gathering with some friends. It captures Mason being a helpful big brother to Benjamin, something we've been working very hard to influence throughout the holiday season. The effort has not been without its challenges, but the best part of this moment the completely spontaneous gesture on Mason's part. Bravo!

When the boys go back to school on Monday, and they are asked about their Christmas vacation, I would bet a lot of money on them leading the conversation with the Wii Santa brought. So this photo becomes the image that represents our 2008 Christmas Day. That said, there were a few other favorites in the set:

The festivities extended well past Christmas, as the annual holiday brunch gathering of Benoit, Booth and Polay children convened at our home. As everyone was readying to leave, we actually managed to get all of the kids to sit still long enough for a group photo. Planets or stars must have been aligned somewhere.

Finally, Mason had a friend sleep over and join us for New Year's Eve frivolity. Mason tells us he was awake at midnight, and he might have been, but when I checked on them at 11:30, they appeared to be out.

Happy holidays to all!

Favorite music and books of 2008

2008-12-31T18:43:00.004-05:00

Each year my friend, Geoff, leads the charge amongst a group of us longtime friends and shares his favorite songs and books of the year. His primary motivation is to inspire reciprocation, thus expanding his musical and literary horizon.

So tonight, while snowed in and sitting by the New Year's Eve fire with Brandy, I started preparing my ranking, in full anticipation of his e-mail in the next few days. Lo and behold, he was simultaneously preparing his list, and his hit my Inbox while I was in the midst of crafting mine.

Clearly we were on the same wavelength, which serves as further evidence why we've been such great friends for so long.

You'll have to ask Geoff for his personally. He certainly didn't anticipate his being shared with my small blog audience....

However, for anyone keeping score at home, mine is below.

MUSIC

A couple of notes:

I let iTunes do my ranking for me. My criteria is that the songs were added to my library in 2008, and they are then ranked by rating (four stars or better, a functionality I use throughout the year to mark my favorites). The number of times each has played throughout the year acts as tie-breaker.
Though these songs have been added within the past year, they may have been released in prior years. I think that's in keeping with how many consume music in this age of the Long Tail.
I'm sharing the list online because many -- though not all -- of these songs were downloaded for free via iTunes, Amazon, LastFM or the artists themselves. So the least I can do is trade the artists some publicity and back links.

With that out of the way, on with the music.

"Stranger Than a Stranger" by Oliver Future
http://www.myspace.com/oliverfuture
Free download of another track: http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/65863.html
"How To See The Sun Rise" by Ben Sollee
http://www.bensollee.com/
"Shine On Babylon" by Sheryl Crow
http://www.sherylcrow.com/
"Our December" by Thriving Ivory
http://www.thrivingivory.com/
Free download of another track: http://2007.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/30718.html
"Flowering Spade" by Sean Hayes
http://www.seanhayesmusic.com
Free download of another track: http://2007.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/42117.html
"Hometown Glory" by ADELE
http://www.adele.tv
Some other tracks available here: http://ultra8201.blogspot.com/2008/03/sxsw-spotlight-adele.html
"Eve, The Apple of My Eye" by Bell X1
http://www.bellx1.com/
"Bang My Drum" by Danielia Cotton
http://www.danielia.com/
Free download of another track: http://2007.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/31885.html
"You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" by The Submarines
http://www.thesubmarines.com/
Free copy: http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/69759.html
"Color" by Toby Lightman
http://www.tobylightman.com/
"Brotherhood Of Man" by The Innocence Mission
http://www.theinnocencemission.com
"Something Good This Way Comes" by Jakob Dylan
http://www.jakobdylan.com/
"Boys With Girlfriends" by Meiko
http://www.myspace.com/meiko
Free download of another track: http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/70468.html

BOOKS

These are in order of consumption, as they were the only ones I managed to read cover to cover (or listen to on CD) this past year. I did enjoy them all, but "Schulz" and "Dinner With Dad" were easily my favorites:

Please reciprocate with your favorites in the comments. I, like Geoff, look forward to expanding my horizons.

Adventures in tree decorating

2008-12-15T22:13:00.004-05:00

The plan was perfect. Pick up the tree on Saturday. Get it in the stand and let the branches drop a bit before putting on the lights on Sunday. Save the ornaments for the boys to do together when Sam returned from his mother's and grandmother's Sunday night.

Only the tree appeared to have different plans last weekend.

First came the adventure with the tree purchase. We had received a direct mail coupon for $5 off any Christmas-related purchase over $50 at Lamberts in Sandwich, where they also were donating a bit of the tree proceeds to Sandwich Youth Soccer.

Only Lamberts would not honor the coupon, because the tree's price was $49. After tax it was $51.45, but they refused to take the $5 off. Bah. Humbug. After a bit of a testy conversation, we departed with the tree (but left behind the extra bow Brandy was going to purchase, too), because the kids would not have understood us standing on principle and leaving the tree behind. We simply vowed never to shop at Lamberts again.

Later, Brandy and went on a Sunday date, primarily just to spend time together, but also to finish up a little Christmas shopping. As we were driving down Route 132 in Hyannis, a black cat darted across the road, at about the only time on a Sunday afternoon in the height of Christmas shopping season when it could without being hit.

"Lucky cat!" I said.

"Well, hopefully it won't be unlucky for us," Brandy commented.

Moments later, we pulled into the mall parking lot, and found a space almost as soon as we arrived.

"Maybe it really was a lucky cat," I remarked as we pulled into our pot behind Best Buy. "Although the day is still young."

Later, as I was stringing up the lights, the tree decided it was time to take a nap. As it slowly fell away from me, I did manage to snag just enough of a bough to keep it upright. Luck reigned again, as we shifted it and then turned the screws in the stand a little bit tighter.

The rest of the night went without a hitch. Brandy parsed out the most fragile ornaments to keep them out of the hands of slippery little fingers, and let the boys go nuts hanging the rest (you can see their ration behind Sam and Mason in this photo). I fired away with the camera, of course. Brandy offered me a few ornaments to hang myself, but I declined. The boys were having so much fun (and were equally serious about it at times), I just enjoyed watching. They were done in about 20 minutes.

Flash forward to 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

"Sean?"

"Huh?" I murmered, coming out of a deep sleep, faintly aware of some distant noise.

"I think the tree just fell again," Brandy said, gathering herself to go have a look.

"Again?" I asked while bolting upright, as if the question might reverse reality.

Sure enough, we arrived downstairs to find the tree was on its side on the tiled entryway adjacent to our living room. Miraculously, only a couple of ornaments had shattered. Brandy had hung most of the fragile ones near the top of the tree, and many had managed to stay in place.

So we righted the tree, adjusted it in its stand again, wiggled it a few times to see if it had a propensity to lean over again, and all seemed well.

We'll never know whether it was our darling black cat, Pearl, who had somehow rustled the tree, or the jinx of the black cat darting across our path on Route 132 the previous day finally catching up with us. We just hope that's the end of the Christmas tree adventures.

Sam's best weekend ever

2008-11-09T22:14:00.003-05:00

P9132093
Originally uploaded by spolay

Friday: Report cards came home and Sam made high honors -- first time in his scholastic career he could be designated as such. He'd have qualified for that distinction just about every report card from Grades 1 through 4, but the performance management scale in those grades isn't as formal. Expect Samuel Joy's name to appear in The Enterprise soon, and for many years to come.

Saturday: Team Italy in Sandwich Youth Soccer's Grade 5 league won both of its games in the first two rounds of the season-ending World Cup. Added bonus: One of the parents brought a dozen from Dunkin Donuts, supplying the kids with a little boost between the first and second games. Sam seemed equally as excited by his Boston Creme donut -- his favorite variety -- as he was by his team's wins.

Sunday: Team Italy wins the championship, 1-0! It was such a great game, in spite of the muddy conditions. Each player contributed, whether it was heads-up defense, great saves or needle-threading passes. Sure, I'm biased, but that was one thrilling soccer game! Congratulations to Coach Mike Caggiano and the boys. A very enjoyable season to watch, in addition to Sam seeming throughout the season to renew his love of soccer. After Sam had collected his championship trophy, he was sporting among the biggest grins I've ever seen on him.

Sam has had a lot of great weekends in his nearly 11 years, but I'd be hard pressed to name one that boosted his self-esteem as much as this one. We are so proud.

Happy Halloween - 2008

2008-11-01T00:56:00.004-04:00

PA310017
Originally uploaded by spolay

Brandy and I are beside ourselves with joy. This was, by far, the most happy Halloween yet.

I began to worry early in the day. In past years, the amount of palpable excitement in the air was a sure sign of over-excitement later. I worried about the previous history of streaming tears, erupting tantrums and feelings hurt by perceived brotherly slights. So when Benjamin asked me at 9:15 a.m. if it was time to trick-or-treat yet, I thought for sure we were due for a repeat.

I continue to experience the most wonderful parental moments, though, when our children pleasantly surprise us.

There were no tears, no angst and no stress tonight. The only worrisome moment was when Benjamin would let neither Brandy nor I help him with a Halloween candy bag that was practically bigger than him, and therefore was dragging on the ground and tripping him up when he insisted on holding it by the rope handles instead of grabbing a fistful of bag. We got through that thanks to Brandy's clever knots. Benjamin spent the rest of the night collecting the candy at each door, and then handing me the candy and the bag to make the deposit. Once that was complete, he'd grab the bag back, and run to catch up with his older brothers. He was happy with that routine the rest of the night.

No dogs scared Mason. There were no people jumping out of trash cans this year to scare all of us. There were neither too many cars nor too many people in Sandwich village to overwhelm anyone.

I even had a chance to duck into The Brown Jug for some treats for Brandy and I: Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout for me and Mason Cellars' Sauvignon Blanc for her.

(Appropriate, right? Something chocolaty to go with the occasion, while the other shares a name with one of the little ones, for whom this occasion holds the most meaning. Purely subconscious, I assure you. I was just trying to quickly find two things we liked, and catch back up with the family before I lost track of them. I could not have planned it that well if I had tried.)

When we got home, the boys were patient while we sorted through their candy, tossing the most dubious looking pieces. We then told them they could each have three pieces of candy, and Benjamin said no, he only wanted two. Once we got over the shock of that request, Brandy and I dug into our Sweet Tomatoes White Shrimp Pizza while the boys ate their treats and talked about their favorite candies of all time.

Credit the crescent moon. Credit the salt my friend, Ron, threw over his shoulder last night while we were hanging out after the conclusion of the NENMA conference. Credit the fact that the two older boys wore their costumes to school today, while Benjamin got to partake in costumed Halloween festivities at his preschool yesterday -- perhaps easing the buildup just enough.

Whatever the cause, we loved the effect, and we're grateful. I think Brandy and I enjoyed this Halloween about as much as the boys.

As I write this, I just heard the telltale middle-of-the-night footsteps of Mason, who has now crawled into my customary spot in bed. Chances are pretty good that I am relegated to the couch or his bed tonight if I want a good night's sleep.

If that's the cost of this Happy Halloween, I'll pay it.

Popcorn and chopsticks

2008-10-03T20:43:00.002-04:00

PA022124
Originally uploaded by spolay

The younger boys decided to have popcorn for dessert last night, and given that Brandy and I had been eating sushi, they decided to try their hands at chopstick skills, too.

I couldn't help but whip out the camera.

At first it was just Mason and Benjamin, with Mason earnestly trying to master the use of chopsticks while Benjamin used them more in a tossed-salad fashion before finally grabbing fistfuls and stuffing his face.

Sam had opted to for ice cream in lieu of a salty dessert, but joined in the fun, too, showing some chopstick skills I did not previously know he had!

It's a tad trite, but I truly do believe a day is not complete until one new thing is learned. It's even better when you learn it about (or from) the children.

Reliving Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Live at The Wilbur Theatre, Sept. 25

2008-09-27T10:11:00.007-04:00

Brandy and I were able to go on our second date this month (our pace is usually one per month), meeting a friend in Boston Thursday night for dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery before heading across the street to The Wilbur Theatre for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

When we arrived at the upper level balcony, our usher informed us that the show was being taped, and the sound folks had set up their gear right in front of our seats. The good news was she did not expect the balcony to be crowded, and invited us to sit a few rows back.

(The photo was taken by one of sound folks before the show started. I didn't have my camera with us.)

All was well in the end. Not only did we not have to peer through the microphones to watch the show, but the seats in front of us were not occupied, so we could stretch out a bit.

Here's the buried lede: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals rocked the house! The show was fantastic. There was not a single disappointing moment. The band was tight, and the performance energy was top-notch. It was clearly the band's A game.

For those not familiar with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, they're a cross between Bonnie Raitt and The Black Crowes. During the show I was flashing back at times to when I saw the latter at the Hollywood Bowl more than 15 years ago. I would classify neither the Nocturnals nor the Crowes as jam bands, but man, can they jam!

The 11-minute version of "Over Again" to close the set was outstanding. So too was the 7-minute "Stop the Bus." Covers of Erma Thomas' "Pain In My Heart," Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," which was a great meld with "Sugar", and Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" were all great interpretations.

I especially enjoyed the latter. Grace shuffled the lyrics some, but does it really matter with that song? I've done the same when I've performed it over the years. The key was that the whole band owned the song, and made it theirs -- the path to success with any cover tune. Made me want to go home, pick up the guitar and do the same.

There were two encores, which Grace announced was rare. I was grateful for the second one, as I was starting to worry I wouldn't get to see them perform, "Big White Gate," my favorite of theirs.

But it was the first encore that really punctuated the show. Not only was "Sweet Emotion" trotted out to close that encore, but they kicked it off with an extended edition of "Nothing But The Water," bisected by an all-band drum solo that was the most unique take on the rock show tradition that I have seen. All four band members pounded out syncopated rhythms that combined to make one outstanding, unified beat. I hope someone got a video of it. It was something to behold. You couldn't help but clap and stamp along.

(Update: Bless, YouTube. I found a video of the drum solo! It starts about 3 minutes into this clip.)

Best of all? The full concert was online at archive.org the next day. That was the ultimate payoff for giving up our front-row balcony seats. Now we -- and you -- can relive the show as often as we'd like.

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Now playing: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Here's to the Meantime
via FoxyTunes

Omnivorous pursuits

2008-09-23T21:36:00.005-04:00

Learned of this omnivore meme -- The Omnivore's Hundred -- via C.C. Chapman. Given that I share C.C.'s love of cooking and food in general, I feel compelled to participate.

Here's the deal: Bold = things I've tried. Strike-throughs = things I'd never try. The rest are the to-do list. Italicized notes are my additions or explanations.

1. Venison (In a chili. I'm presuming that counts...)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (In a sausage. I'm presuming that counts...)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
~~26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~ (In my younger days, perhaps. But age and the acquired wisdom that comes with it has taught me that I much prefer enjoyable, torture-free food experiences.)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (Only if they are well seasoned or covered in chocolate.)
~~43. Phaal~~ (See note on Scotch Bonnett pepper earlier. I've actually made chicken vindaloo, and that was hot enough, thank you.)
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (I think this vault's to the top of my to-do list.)
46. ~~Fugu~~ (I won't play football on Sundays since I tore an ACL, so not going to take the bigger risk of pufferfish. Call me a wuss if you will... I can take it.)
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I am not proud...)
56. Spaetzle
~~57. Dirty gin martini~~ (Bad gin experience as a youth led me to swear it off. Vodka martinis only for this fella.)
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (I can't imagine this is good for my cholesterol, and if I won't take a risk on pufferfish, why would I keep this on my to-do list? I'm a sucker for comfort food. Crazy, eh?)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
~~63. Kaolin~~ (No desire whatsoever, at least not purposefully so.)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
~~75. Roadkill~~ (If what you're serving me is actually road kill, don't tell me.)
76. Baijiu
~~77. Hostess Fruit Pie~~ (Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I also don't happen to like most fruit pies in general, much less any Hostess variety.)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor (Hard to imagine a New Englander such as myself has never tried this, but I don't remember a specific instance, so I leave it on the to-do list. I'll put it at number 2, after the $120 bottle of malt whisky.)
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

So 48 items down, and 45 items to try. Excellent. I look forward to (most of) the latter.

Back to School - 2008

2008-09-02T22:26:00.002-04:00

P9022072
Originally uploaded by spolay

Sam headed off on an earlier bus this year, marking the first time Mason was riding a different bus than his older brother. Both boys took it in stride, of course. It was we, the parents, who worried the most.

Coming soon: How we spent our summer vacation! Meanwhile, though, here's the full set of photos from this morning.