Apple Cider Time

Today was our annual Cider Pressing day at Larry's house.

Fiona cleaning the cider press.

Fiona grinding the apples.

Fiona gathering the first cup of cider.

Mmmmm.... tasty tasty fresh apple cider.

Fiona was involved in every step of the cider pressing process with the exception of cutting the apples.

And, of course, she was the official taste-tester.

Zeppelin Rules!

I took Fiona swimming last night. She did really good. I tie a noodle around her and she swims around like she owns the place. She "jumped" off the wall into the pool. More like she slowly allowed herself to slip into the water, but in her mind it was like jumping off the high dive. Anyway, she jumped in and went WAY under the water and popped right back up, she coughed a little, wiped her eyes and blew water out of her nose. I told her what a great job she did and how awesome she is and she seemed pretty happy with herself, even though she was visibly scared and shocked by the experience.

When we got home, she told Amy all about it and was really really proud of herself. It was neat.

When we were at the pool, the lifeguard was a high school girl. The music on the loudspeakers was the Classic Rock station on satellite radio. Highlights of our swimming soundtrack were "Born to Run," and "Pretty Woman." Lowlights were "L.A. Woman." The Doors suck, and Jim Morrison was a pompous ass who wrote shitty poems and declared himself a genius. There, I said it. While we were drying off, Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" came on. "Going to California" is one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. It is a song I always use in my Led-Zeppelin-is-not-heavy-metal argument. Right when they were getting to the "Throw me a line, if I reach it in time..." part, the music changes to The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don't usually complain when the Chili Peppers come on the radio, but when they come on in place of Led Zeppelin, it kind of bothers me. About 3 seconds after RHCP comes on, it changes again to some sort of dance music... and that is where it stayed until we left.

Needless to say I plan on writing a strongly-worded letter to the Lititz Record Express about the impertinence of youth and how Led Zeppelin rules. Seriously, though, I am not planning on writing a letter of that nature.

And seriously, Led Zeppelin does rule.

BRUUUUUCE!!!

Every once in a while something happens that feels like a climatic moment in one's life. A moment when you can say "my whole life has been leading up to this moment." I have been very fortunate to have felt that way a few times in my life. The first time was when Amy and I sat in the front row of the Bruce Springsteen concert in Boston. The second time (which eclipsed the first) was when I was standing on the alter watching Amy come down the aisle. I am willing to bet you know what is coming next: The birth of Fiona and the birth of Patrick.

On July 27 I was at a pinnacle of my life. I took Fiona to see Bruce Springsteen. To be able to share something I truly love with my kid was something I had been looking forward since way before I was married.

I remember when Amy first got pregnant, I thought of all the cool things I was going to do with my kid... I'm gonna take my kid to baseball games and up to the cabin and hiking. And I'm gonna watch Cool Hand Luke and Star Wars and So I Married an Ax-Murderer with my kid. But above all, I thought: I am going to take my kid to see Bruce Springsteen.

I got to live that dream, and even though it was a lot louder than I had expected and Bruce did no play the five songs Fiona wanted to hear, it was the fourth greatest moments of my life. Yeah, top four. (Here's the top five in order: (there's a tie for first) 1. Fiona's Birth, 1. Patrick's Birth, 3. Marrying Amy, 4. Taking Fiona to see Bruce., 5. Front-Row Bruce Show.)

I only hope that Bruce will put out another rock-n-roll album and tour with the E Street band again in about 4 years so I can take Patrick to a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Concert.

Aunt Louise, Fiona, Me and Amy

rocking our Springsteen Uniforms for the Giant's Stadium

Bruce Sprinsgteen Concert on July 27, 2008.

Fiona and Me getting ready to rock with the Boss.

Fiona and Me listening to Bruce Rock "Radio Nowhere."

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, Bruce also played a concert at HersheyPark Stadium 23 days later! I took my mom with me to that one. It was The Best Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Concert I have seen.*

Bruce playing with the roller coaster in Hershey Park lit up.
Mom said it was like we were getting to see a Bruce Springsteen concert on the Boardwalk.

Me at the HersheyPark Stadium Bruce Springsteen Concert on August 19, 2008.

Mom was super stoked to hear "Thunder Road."
It was one of the higher highlights of the evening .

Me and Mom while Bruce rocked "Rosalita."

The sea of Bruce Fans.
I always feel at home when I am surrounded by 30,000 fellow Bruce Springsteen fans.

*The Solo, accoustic concert I saw on the Devil's and Dust tour was the best Springsteen Concert I have ever been to. It was just freaking amazing. And, of course, the concert where we sat in the front row was the best over-all Bruce Concert Experience. But as far as just pure musical enjoyment and awesomeness of the band, the HersheyPark Stadium show was the best.

updates

after numerous complaints that i haven't updated my blog in a while (and by 'numerous' i mean 'one'), i will bring you up to speed on the life of michael p. holland.

we went to the shore - it was awesome.
we went to the cabin - also awesome.
dad helped me fix a leaky pipe - awesome
i fixed the leaky toilet... actual work - not awesome... not having a leaky toilet - awesome.
i fixed the other leaky pipe - awesome
on saturday i got stung by a bee - not awesome
sunday amy, fiona, aunt louise and i went to see bruce springsteen - awesome.
tuesday - bought a new washer - neither awesone nor not awesome
wednesday - new washer was delivered - awesome.

other awesome things that don't really have a date attached to them:

1.) apparently one of the pumpkin seeds i threw in the compost last october has taken root and it appears as though i will have my own jaco-o-lanterns to harvest this year. TAKE THAT, PUMPKIN FARMERS!!!

2.) my mommy and i are going to see Bruce Springsteen in hershey.

3.) i started saying "peace out brussel sprout"

that is all for now, BUT i will be updating my listville site, also, so check that out.

peace.

Philly Phanatic

YO!

I don't usually post on here just to link to a website, but this should be checked out for 2 reasons:

1. It is kind of about the Philly Phanatic.

2. It was written by Dritsas.

Good Stuff.

http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2007/11/15/spitting-image

VERMONT/MASSACHUSETTS TRIP

We had a great trip to vermont and massachusetts (hereafter refered to only as "mass").

In Vermont I did get to do a miniature version of my Gastronomic Tour of Vermont. I will first list where we ate in order:

SATURDAY

Al's French Fries - Pizzaburger, Fried Clams, French Fries, and a Coke.

VT Pub & Brewery - Reuben, Chips and something they called "Grand Slam Baseball Beer"

SUNDAY

Breakfast at Joe & Tammy's

Apple Turnovers at Sam Mazza's Farm Stand

Lunch and Dinner barbeque at Tim & Nicole's

MONDAY

Breakfast at Joe and Tammy's

Snacks at Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Cheese, and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill (donuts and cider)

Patrick has his first taste of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. The free sample was Mint Chocolate Chip (or as I call it, Chocolate Chip Mint) which you may or may not know is my favorite flavor of ice cream. I had never had Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chip, and I will tell you this - it was pretty darn tasty.

Fiona took this picture of a German tourist.

"Guten Tag!" Wohen geht diese Youth Hostel? Ich bin sehr hungrig. Haben sie zwei oder drei Dollar fur eine Ben und Jerry's Eis Sahne, bitte? UBER!!!Veile Dank!! Tschuss!!"

Family Photo in front of the Ben & Jerry's bus. (The little girl on the left is Marnie Russo.)

Fiona having a sample of cider at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. She said it was good, but not nearly as good as the cider we press out up at Uncle Larry's house.

Me, Nona and Patrick at Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Me and Nona two years ago.

This apple thing was the highlight of the day for the kids. Several kids in our group went into hysterics when some other kid wanted to play with it. An Ice Cream factory, mountains and mountains of free cheese at Cabot, and literally thousands of gallons of fresh apple cider were trumped by this thing. Bizarre.

Fiona and Owen



Fiona and Ava

Marnie, Patrick, Fiona, Owen and Ava.

The Shed - Shed Burger, french fries, and a Mountain Ale. Sweet merciful Crap that is a good beer! (at this point in the tour, I started photographing my meals)

My Shed Burger, Fries and beer.

My burger was good, but not as good as I have had in the past. The mountain ale, however, was so good that it made up for the sub-par burger.

NOTE: Joe bought a beer that had an 8% alcohol content, so they said they could not serve him a 22-oz glass. They did, however, have no problem giving him a second pint serving of it when he finished the first.

Pizza Dinner at Joe and Tammy's with a Mazza's Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream Desert.

TUESDAY

Breakfast at Libby's Blue Line Diner - I had eggs. potatoes, toast & coffee. Amy had buttermilk pancakes with real maple syrup, cornbeef hash and coffee.

My Breakfast at Libby's.

Amy's fan-freaking-tastic breakfast.

Due to a bad Maple harvest this year, Maple syrup is over $40 per gallon. So quit complaining about gas.

Family portrait at Libby's Blue Line Diner.

Lunch at Al's French Fries - Pizzaburger, fried clams, french fries, and a Coke

MMMMM.... Al's French Fries.

Beer Snack at Magic Hat - not nearly as good as it used to be. I had samples of Lucky Kat, Circus Boy and something else that was forgettable. I hate to sound like a crazy old man, when clearly I am just a crazy early-middle-aged man, but Magic Hat isn't as neat as it used to be. When we lived up there and I'd go there to get samples and fill up a growler, it was a really inviting place where they were happy to give you 4 or 5 decent samples in a glass glass. Now it is served in tiny paper cups, the kind mental hospitals put medicine in. Also, when I asked for a second sample of Circus Boy, the girl looked at me as if I had just asked her if I could borrow a couple pints of her blood. AND, if all that wasn't enough.... they stopped brewing Fat Angel - one of my top-five favorite beers. Yeah, well... Yuengling is still brewing Lager, Sam Adams is still brewing Boston Lager, Summer Ale, Old Fezziwig's Ale, Winter Ale. (Wow, I guess I really like Sam Adams.) And Makers Mark is still making outstanding Whisky, so I guess I will survive.

Komrads in the back seat.

Fiona and Patrick getting a little sick of sitting in the car for hours and hours and hours.

Dinner - Trattoria Delia - Spaghetti alla Pescatora. (AKA Spaghetti with clams, calamari, scallops, shrimp.) Fiona tried the calamari but did not care much for it.

Wednesday morning we woke up early and hit the road for Mass. Breakfast was Dunkin Donuts in New Hampshire some where.

In Mass, Amy painted a picture of Peter Rabbit on the wall of Andrew's new room. Amy is wicked wicked talented. She went in there, sketched it on the wall, and then painted it. And it looks really good. She amazes me. And she does it with such confidence - no dilly dallying - she gets the idea and executes - she takes no prisioners.

You look at that and you know it is Peter Rabbit

It's not like you look at it and Amy sez: "It's supposed to be Peter Rabbit"and you say "Oh yeah, I can see that. Yeah, that looks like Peter Rabbit."

.

Bumble Bees.

Andrew meets his new rabbit friend.





I suggested a painting of Pop-Pop in his hunting gear aiming his 12-guage at Peter Rabbit. It was vetoed.

I also suggested a couple of B-12 Bombers, you know, just for fun.

On Friday, we went to Fenway to tour the stadium. It was a lot of fun. Even though I don't care much for the Red Sox, it was neat to be inside that stadium. It is such a huge part of Baseball History. Every great player the game has ever seen has played on that field. All the way back to before Babe Ruth. I don't want to make more of it than it is, but those truly are hallowed grounds when it comes to baseball.

Fiona at the Fisk Pole.

Really cool mural inside the stadium.

Patrick and I inside the press box. This wasn't as exciting for me as sitting in Harry Kalas' chair in the Phillies Press Box, but it was still pretty cool.

Patrick really is a cute kid, isn't he?

This is the same photo before I manually removed that lady in the background.

Seriously, I don't mean to brag about my kids and all, but Fiona is just so cute.

Andrew noshing on some breakfast.

Dinner at the Lobster Trap. Again - Pretty darn tasty.

Fiona standing next to a gigantic wooden fish.

Reen Makes dinner on the grill.

About an hour away from home Fiona started asking "are we home yet? are we home yet? are we home yet? are we home yet?" At that time we called in the re-enforcements - the Muppets DVD's on the portable DVD player.

After we did get home, Dad, Chris, Samantha, Sara, Fiona and I went to the Reading Phillies. Fiona at a hot dog, cotton candy, french fries, dippin' dots ice cream, a soft pretzel and a sodey pop. By the time we went back to Mom & Dad's house, picked up Cisco and got home, it was 11:15. With the exception of a few cat-naps in the car, Fiona had been up since 4:30.






Check it out!!! Behind us at the Reading Phillies was Amy Winehouse!!!

No! Wait, it is Jane's Addiction singer, Perry Farrell!

Peace

MPH