A Tall Order

I couldn't help but notice that people were staring at us as we entered the McDonald's in downtown Durham on Saturday morning.

They stared at us again as we made our way out.

And then I learned why: They thought I played basketball at Duke.

Tall ... white ... I suppose I fit the profile.

As I reached the door, one of the men asked, "What are you, about six-eight?"

I explained that I'm actually 6'4", and I played at Rutgers, which established a connection. Turns out the guy's daughter is the director of basketball operations for the women's basketball team at Rutgers.

It's a tall world after all.

Afternoon Swims and Morning Coffee

Matt and I are trying to enjoy the little things in each day, and the last two days have brought much to enjoy.

Yesterday, we took an after-work trip to the pool at Woodcroft, a neighborhood just down the street from us. We joined the Woodcroft Club a couple of months ago, giving us access to their pool, tennis courts, and other activities they organize. It's been a really nice treat, so we're glad we joined. And even though distant thunder cut yesterday's trip short, we still had a nice time.

This morning, in lieu of a trip to the gym, Matt and I got up and enjoyed the first 45 minutes of our morning on the back deck. We made ourselves cups of coffee, dried off the patio furniture (it rained last night), and relaxed in the cool morning air. It was a great way to start the day.

Only in Durham

Only in Durham would you see a message like this:
















Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and Durham native David Garrard threw out the first pitch at Friday's Durham Bulls game (it was much better than Obama's All-Star Game toss) and then settled down underneath the Snorting Bull for an autograph session.

Wedding Day Do-Over

It's inevitable to think of things that you would have done differently on your wedding day if given the chance for a do-over.

This is now on my list.

I See the Bull Moon Rising

This weekend we explored some excellent new restaurants (Rockwood Filling Station - which happened to be celebrating its first anniversary with live music and free dessert - and Rick's Diner) along with a delicious frozen yogurt spot (Local Yogurt, or "LoYo" as the cool kids call it). We also took care of some projects at home because, well, we don't want the good folks at Home Depot to forget about us.

On Saturday night we were among the more than 500 participants in the Bull Moon Ride to benefit Habitat for Humanity. The Bull Moon Ride weaves a 17-mile course through Durham, starting with some of the city's main streets - courtesy of a police escort (more on that later) - and finishing up along the American Tobacco Trail. It was a unique opportunity that we thoroughly enjoyed. How often do you get to ride your bike unimpeded through city streets underneath the stars?

Since the Bull Moon Ride isn't a race, we were able to enjoy two rest stops along the way. The first, at Duke Chapel, featured live music from a kids string group and the second included a DJ and some healthy snacks.

Most local residents cheered us on throughout the course. The primary exception occurred midway through the event when we had to deal with some unhappy drivers on a main road through town (which I guess means we weren't riding entirely unimpeded). This was the lone exception to a fairly well-coordinated effort by event organizers and the local police.

The Bull Moon Ride finished up back at the DBAP where we enjoyed an after party featuring good food, live music, and the company of a friendly couple we met during the event.

Now it's back to reality as Erica heads to D.C. for most of the work week and I face some creeping deadlines at my job. We'll both start counting the days until next weekend as soon as the alarm clock goes off bright and early on Monday morning.

Erica is Now a Board Member at the Durham Literacy Center

I want to offer a quick, public congratulations to my wife for being invited to join the Durham Literacy Center's Board of Directors. Her name is not on the organization's website yet, but here's the link to where it will appear. Given her expertise, Erica will serve on the public relations committee.

The DLC's mission is "to empower Durham County residents who want to enrich their lives by improving their literacy skills." I have seen that mission in action through Erica's volunteer efforts during the past several months. I would argue that she is not just enriching her student's life; rather, she is changing it.

In addition to instilling a deserved sense of dignity to an adult who wants to learn to read before his young son realizes that he can't do so, Erica has spent added time working on her student's resume and helping him to conduct a job search. She brings the same concern to this process that she would if she were helping a family member. As a result, she is opening up opportunities for this man that previously were not there.

I have been known to complain about volunteering with or donating to causes where you don't see the direct impact of your efforts. Having worked in the non-profit and development worlds, I know this is a concern on the other side of the fence as well; organizations want to demonstrate a tangible return on investment to their donors. Erica's work is a clear example of directly affecting a person's life and providing a significant return on his investment of time and dedication.

Beyond her tutoring efforts, Erica has spent many hours advising the Literacy Center on its public relations and marketing strategies. Just last weekend I watched as she juggled a demanding workload from her full-time job with a volunteer project for the DLC. Sitting poolside, she balanced (volunteer) work and leisure as she considered various messaging strategies for an upcoming fundraising effort.

It sounds like I'm nominating Erica for an award. In truth, I just want to share my considerable pride and admiration for all that she has done. Many of us (myself included) fail to make an impact on a community where we've lived for a considerable length of time. Erica has made an impact on the Durham community in a period of just months living here.

She won't brag about it, but I will.

A Catonsville Fourth of July

Like Ron Burgundy, Catonsville's annual Fourth of July celebration is "kind of a big deal." Local residents place their chairs along Frederick Road a week or more before the parade, which this year featured 50 floats and 18 bands. The latter included entries from North Carolina and Nashville, so any place we could call "home" was represented in the parade. For me, there was no better place to be on the Fourth than in the place I still consider my true home.

Altogether, Catonsville's celebration cost $100,000, and was entirely funded by community donations. No stimulus money here.

Here's a quick rundown - including photos and video - of the weekend's activities:











It's a short walk from "Pop-Pop's" to Pete and Michele's house, the two places we spent the most time during our weekend visit. Somehow we managed to get Emily, Lindsay, and Madelyn to smile for the picture above without any of their favorite funny "style" poses.

Since we drove to Catonsville on Thursday night, we had time on Friday to visit Rollingwood Pool. Aunt Erica kept the girls entertained poolside and chatted with Michele; meanwhile, I took to the water and alternated between the roles of personal flotation device and springboard. You can see Emily and I demonstrating the difference between a regular pose and a "style" pose in the pictures above.

Pete and Dad also participated in their fair share of pool activities, which - as you can see in the video below - wore them out.




When we were done at the pool we dined at Shannon's, where Madelyn enjoyed some ice cream.








Saturday - the Fourth - started with kids games at Catonsville High School.

Aunt Erica and Uncle Matt overslept a bit, but the extra rest served me well as I claimed first place in the parents' sack race. If anyone had realized that I'm not actually a parent I could've been disqualified and stripped of my medal. As it is, I own the title for the next year. Pete gracefully bowed out of the race when they ran out of sacks, although some might (fairly) suggest he didn't need much convincing to pass up the race.

As for the actual kids at the kids games, Emily participated in a variety of competitions, including a "leap frog" effort with her her cousin Matthew. Ryan also made an appearance and received hearty cheers from his proud aunt and uncle.




















The afternoon featured Catonsville's newest Fourth of July tradition, the Duesenberg's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Unfortunately, I learned about the event after the registration deadline had already passed.

I'm pretty sure I could've beaten the 11 hot dogs in 10 minutes that earned first place in the competition; I'm less sure that I could've beaten Michele's dad, Mr. Dave, given how quickly he devoured his dog in our post-contest photo.










The parade kicked off at three o'clock, and we came prepared with signs, pictures, and costumes to celebrate Squire Frederick's appearance in his official role as Baltimore County Town Crier. You can get the full rundown, including video of the Squire hard at work, on dad's website - SquireFrederick.com.

We were all so focused on my dad that we missed Maryland's governor, who walked in front of him. From what my dad tells me, the governor needed some love after all the boos he heard along the parade route.



Our post-parade activities included a cook-out with Michele's family. Erica and I enjoyed some downtime, but the post-parade enthusiasm was hard to miss. In the video above, Pete and Michele's niece, Sierra, teaches me a dance routine she picked up from watching the Edmonson Steppers make their way down Frederick Road.

Finally, no Catonsville Fourth of July would be complete without the fireworks display. Space was limited given the construction at the high school, so Pete and I reserved what was likely our best-ever viewing spot by putting down a tarp in the morning. The view didn't entirely go to waste, but I know of at least three little girls who missed a good show.















Crane your neck to the side and see some of what these sound sleepers missed in the video below.