Turkey Trip: See, Mom, I do take pictures of people!

My mother always complains that I never take pictures of people during our trips.  Mom, this post is for you:

Geeks getting ready for an early morning balloon ride

Geek Girl and goofy-looking guy at the Göreme Open Air Museum

Mama Geek looking dynamic as she navigates a slot canyon

Parental Geeks at the Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia)

Mama Geek and Geek Girl with the Hagia Sofia

Mama Geek and Geek Girl in their scarves at the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)

Geek Girl and Mama Geek on the Istanbul city walls near the Gate of Charisius, with the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque 

Mama Geek and me showing steep steps on the city walls

Mama Geek and me at the Topkapi Palace terrace, with the Bosphorus in the background 

Mama Geek looking pretty with the Bosphorus in the background

Geek Girl contemplates the frescoes at the Chora Church

Geek Girl being a Portal Lion at the Istanbul Archeological Museum 

Geek Girl with a cool dress we saw at the Archeological Museum

Penguin Day

[Note: GG wrote this last night, but we waited until now to post it...]

Right now, I am wearing penguin PJs. I think penguins pretty much sum up my day.

First, this morning, Mommy made me try on long johns and a parka that made me feel like a penguin for no apparent reason.

Next, I was reading a book that took place in a cold place. Penguins live in cold places.

Finally, we went to an ice skating rink where the thingies that less experienced skaters use for balance are penguins. I found out that I am very good at falling down on ice skates, and composed a (sort of) epic poem commemorating how it feels to have fallen down on your bottom on ice at least four times. Here it is:

Owie owie owie ow,

Ouch ouch ouch.

Owie owie ow,

Ouchie ouch ouch.

Ow.

Here are some pictures at the rink:

 With a penguin in the background:

And some videos:

Then, when we were done, we got cupcakes. Yay!

[Edit this evening: Some people Daddy follows on Twitter said it is #PenguinAwarenessDay.  Did you know that some penguins dive 900 feet down to eat squid? (I read that in Zoobooks.) ]

If only there were a way...

Today, I had a lovely experience on my morning commute. I decided to express my displeasure using the WMATA Metro comment system. Here was my letter:

Dear Metro folks,

I am a regular rider of the X and Y bus lines.

Today, at 7:09 AM, I used the NextBus system to check the next scheduled arrival at stops A and B, which are the two closest stops to my house. In a spirit of unrestrained optimism, I believed the NextBus system when it reported a line X bus would arrive at stop B in 9 minutes - perfect timing for my 5 minute walk there. The sheer joy of starting my week with such luck lifted my spirits more than I can tell you.

My optimism was rewarded by a glorious 25-minute wait during which NextBus cheerfully informed me the bus would be there in 5 minutes, then 3, then 2, and then 1 minute. Wonderful, except that the bus it was reporting never actually arrived. I assume the system was tracking the Lost Dutchman bus, which drives Route 29 like a spectre, never actually being seen, but still being reported.

Had I known the real timing, I could have walked (good exercise) or taken a different route, or even perhaps waited to see my daughter wake up. It is exceedingly frustrating to have a "NextBus" system that in fact does NOT report the next bus - which came on time according to schedule - but tracks an idealized version of reality.

Perhaps you could fix this. If only there were a technology available that would allow real-time positioning of moving vehicles, and if that technology were widely available, perhaps even in small hand-held devices that any consumer could purchase for under $100. What a wonderful world this would be.

Sadly yours,

Daddy Geek

I don't know...maybe some kind of global way of positioning one's vehicle...some kind of system...naah, that would never work.

The Importance of Diversification

Scene: Geek Girl's bedroom. Evening. A game of Monopoly Jr. is underway.

Daddy Geek looks down at the distribution of $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5 bills he has. He has no $5, but lots of $2. He decides to swap 5 $2s for 2 $5s.

A Geek who shall remain nameless, um, expels gas.

Daddy Geek: [looking at bills] I think I'll diversify.

Geek Girl: Does that mean fart?

Both parents burst out laughing.

Temporal Pedantry

Welcome to 2010 and the first 2.5 Geeks post of the new year.

Pedantry time on two recent temporal topics.

The Silly Media Debate Point of the Week (TM)

"Is 2010 the first year of the new decade?"

In short, it's rather pointless to argue about this question -- the answer is obviously both yes and no. For the longer version, I offer the following thoughts.

(Now, I am going to assume here that we're discussing the Gregorian Calendar here, not the Chinese, Hebrew, Islamic, Julian, Mayan, or other calendars.)

Yes! 1 January 2010 (2010-01-01) was the first day of the current decade. Every year is the first year of some decade -- a decade is, after all, just a period of 10 years. And 1 January is the first day of the decade that starts with 2010.

No! 2010 is the last year of the decade that began on the first day of the Third Millennium CE, which was 1 January 2001. That decade runs until 31 Dec 2010. (Please don't try to argue that the Third Millennium CE began at the midnight between 31 Dec 1999 and 1 Jan 2000; if you think that, you're simply and indisputably wrong. Hint: there was no "year zero". However, that doesn't mean that the Great Rollover of the Temporal Odometer wasn't a great time to have a really really big party.)

Yes! 2010 is not the last year of the "aughties" (or whatever silly name you like for the period that started with the Great Rollover of the Temporal Odometer). That decade ran from 1 Jan 2000 to 31 Dec 2009. So 2010 is the first year of that new decade. What shall we call that one?

It's rather pointless - but then that's why the media likes debating it so much.

Happy Palindrome Day (Kinda Sorta)

Folks have pointed out that today's date - 2 January 2010 - is a palindrome. Well, that depends...

Today's date is a palindrome if you accept the ISO 8601 international date standard:

20100102

It is also a palindrome if you accept the U.S. date standard and don't mind the extra slashes:

01/02/2010

However, today's date is not a palindrome if you accept a widely used format in Europe:

02.01.2010

But I would like to note that if you accept that date format, February 1 will be a palindrome. (Of course, that isn't an official date standard even in Europe -- the EU has officially adopted ISO 8601 -- but it's very common.)

I mentioned this second issue to Mama Geek, and noted it wasn't totally correct to call it a palindrome despite several folks I had seen doing it online. I then noted that I was posting this and tweeting it. She said, "You have nothing better to do than correct people you don't know on the Internet about date formats?" I triumphantly pulled out this gem from xkcd. I can only describe her look as exasperated pity. Ah, dear, what would I do without you?

And yes, I am a Geek.

Daddy/Daughter Weekend Day 2

Sometimes, I get lucky and things come together by random chance and good moods. This was one of those lucky days.

Today was clear, crisp, and sunny: a perfect outside day. After breakfast - spent sitting at the table reading the Sunday Washington Post (with Geek Girl reading the kid's pages and stealing the comics from me when I wasn't looking) - Geek Girl and I decided to go to the National Zoo to introduce Wholegrain The New Kitty Santa Brought to Tai Shan and the tigers. We walked to the Metro to maximize sun time and chatted the whole way. Much of the walk was taken up with a very complex story involving the Animal Agents (superhero animals that save the day in myriad ways) that I won't try to repeat here.

Geek Girl kept wanting to know how many "points" she was earning -- she gets 100 points for every mile she walks, and the points are redeemable for whatever treats Mama Geek and I deem appropriate. She sometimes plays along with this, but often you can detect the eye rolling already underway. Today, she played along.

Geek Girl Magic Moment #1: "Daddy, I'm glad Mama and [Auntie Geek] are having fun. Mama takes care of me a lot. You don't get to take care of me very often because you have to work. We should have more days like today."

Once at the zoo, we walked through the Asia Trail, stopping along the way to see the fishing cats and watch the otters wrestle. Geek Girl read and asked about all the interpretive signs, and eventually we reached Tai Shan the panda, who was lunching on bamboo and soaking up the sun. Geek Girl "gave him a letter saying Happy New Year" (I just repeat it; I don't explain it) and then announced it was lunchtime. After a quick stop, we headed on down the hill, stopping in the Small Mammals building and the Reptiles building and for extended visits to the elephants, tigers, and lions.

Geek Girl Magic Moment #2 was the extended joyous amazement I felt while watching the flashbulbs of learning going off in her mind as Geek Girl alternated between intense reading of the interpretive signs and questions to me about various aspects of what she was seeing. "Daddy, what would you do if there was an elephant soooo big it could jump over the railing and walk around? Or soooo small it could duck under the electric fence and walk around?" "Daddy, what does 'om-ni-vor-ous' mean?" "Daddy, I learned that a woman's ov-i-duc-ts and a lizard's don't go to the same place. And *you* don't have o-vi-duc-ts! And what is a u-ter-us anyway?" (This exchange was particularly funny as there was a grandmotherly lady standing there reading the same sign and trying not to laugh, especially about me being informed I lack Fallopian tubes.) "Wow, that tiger sure looks hungry. I hope it doesn't swim across the moat and climb up here. You know, tigers are really good swimmers, Daddy." "Daddy, what would you do if the tiger came to get us? I think I'd have to fight it. I'm a Super Dragon, you know." "Daddy, that donkey was sooooo soft and fuzzy!" At one point, a random dad we had repeatedly run into said, "Wow, that sure is a little girl with one big personality!" That about sums it up.

We left the zoo only because it was closing and only after promises to return soon to see all the other stuff we didn't see, and walked up the hill into Adams Morgan where we found a small playground for Geek Girl to enjoy as the sun set. Next stop: coffee (for me), hot chocolate (her), and small snacks (both of us) while we warmed up, and then a walk to the Dupont Circle metro.

As we left the coffee place: "Daddy, tell me another Little People story! It's been sooooo long since you told me one." [For those who don't know: the Little People are really small people who live in our apartment and go on adventures around it, experiencing everyday objects as huge mountains, lakes, vines, fields, etc. Each story has a mystery Geek Girl has to solve, like the time the Little People visited the Cave Monster (my tongue as I snored with my mouth open) under Two-Cave Mountain (my big schnoz). The Little People first appeared when Geek Girl was freaked out about a small boogie boarding accident and I needed to calm her down by giving her a puzzle to solve. They've been a hit ever since. Desperate fathers take note: some spur-of-the-moment things are winners, but be prepared for them to last.] This time, the Little People went on a three-day journey from Geek Girl's bedroom, through her bathroom, and to the bananas on our counter for the Festival of the Yellow Tubes. This story carried us all the way back to East Falls Church, and then we walked home with Geek Girl talking about the different types of dragons and various other Animal Agents.

We stopped off for dinner at a local place where Geek Girl Magic Moment #3 happened: spontaneous consumption of vegetable matter. In mid-sentence, she looked down at her plate and said with immense seriousness: "I'm going to eat one of those carrots. Super Dragons don't usually eat carrots, 'cause we're predators, but I'm going to eat you, Mr. Carrot." And she did. I asked her to eat another one, and this time the response was: "Super Dragons don't usually eat carrots, but sometimes they will if their Daddies tell them to." "Good, sweetie, now finish that one, please."

We rounded out the day with a game of Monopoly, Jr. and a book before Geek Girl headed to bed. She fell asleep almost instantly and is now happily snoring away, which is hardly surprising when you consider that she earned about 600 points today and probably asked just as many questions along the way.

Daddy/Daughter Weekend Day 1

Auntie Geek is visiting us for a couple of weeks, and she and Mama Geek are off on a sister's trip to New York this weekend. That means Geek Girl and I are on our own for a Daddy/Daughter Weekend. I've really been looking forward to it, and I didn't realize how much Geek Girl has as well.

Yesterday was grey and damp, but above freezing for the first time in a while. Geek Girl and I drove Mama Geek and Auntie Geek to their bus for New York, and then headed into DC to pass a drizzly day. First stop: the National Building Museum, which we had heard was full of fun things for kids and certainly was full of families when we visited. Unfortunately, Geek Girl was bored by the activities, which were aimed at younger kids or kids more interested in buildings and architecture, so after about an hour, we headed off the National Museum of the American Indian, where Mama Geek and Auntie Geek lunched the other day; they highly recommended it.

Geek Girl Magic Moment #1 came on the way into the museum, when she spontaneously grabbed my hand and informed me very seriously of the top five things I do that show her that I love her, including this gem: "You take me to museums and explain things to me, even when I ask a lot of questions." (Have we ever mentioned she's inquisitive? An hourlong visit to a museum can easily involve a dozen or more "Daddy, why...?/Well, sweetie,..." exchanges.)

Geek Girl enjoyed her chicken fingers while I ate venison with greens and cornbread (yum!), and afterward, Geek Girl led us on a tour of one of the galleries. She was interested in the different interpretations of the universe that were held by the different cultures, and especially in the loop of videos showing traditional stories on stars and constellations. We also enjoyed some music and a little talking time before deciding to head home via Dairy Godmother in Alexandria (highly recommended). We had a low-key dinner and read books together before bedtime.

Geek Girl Magic Moment #2 came when she cuddled up with me on the couch, put her head on my shoulder, and said very seriously: "Daddy, I really love it when you read me bedtime books even when you're tired." A very nice way to end the day.

Hysterically funny hysteria

Via this post on this epic thread on reddit, I have just come across one of the funniest Web sites I've ever seen seen. Mama Geek and I spent several minutes laughing and giggling hysterically. Highly recommended.

Thanks, pigferret!

Windy City - Day 2

Our second day in Chicago was, shall we say, a bit more focused. We started off the day with a visit to the Chicago Children's Museum, followed by -- oh, who are we kidding? We spent the day at the Chicago Children's Museum, which was definitely worth every penny of the $10/person we paid.

Geek Girl and me at Navy Pier

Among other cool things about the Children's Museum is that they let adults play, too. Kids can just climb the stairs or take the elevator to the top floor to play. Or they can climb up a rope structure, across a rope tunnel bridge

and then along some wooden bridges to the same place. And they even let Daddy Geeks do the same...umm...not that I did that or anything...

The Children's Museum had a bunch of fun activities. Kids can dig for dinosaur bones, make flying machines out of foam rubber and then test them in a 2-story tower, play in the Inventing Lab, make skyscrapers, and more and more. They have some cool displays where digital raindrops fall from the sky and interact with your shadows - you can shelter each other from the rain, cup your hands to collect the rain, and more.

Now, a brief diversion. Back in Switzerland, Geek Girl loved Kindercity - a kid's museum just outside Zürich with lots of fun activities. In particular, Geek Girl loved the exhibit that let kids make artificial rivers, float boats down them, control the flow, etc. She liked it so much that she has asked us to take her there again more than once. And yes, she knows how long it takes to get there. ("Daddy, we just get on the plane and fly. And we can stay for a few days. We'll go to Kindercity and the zoo and see my friends. And then we can come home. Mama doesn't even need to go with us.")

Well, now we have found a Geek Girl-approved acceptable substitute: the WaterWays exhibit at the Chicago Children's Museum. We saved this room for last, knowing how she would react. And boy, were we right. Geek Girl and I spent several hours in this exhibit, playing with the big river they have, changing the flow and seeing the results, and as you can see, floating boats downstream:


We were here so long that Mama Geek was able to duck out for an hour and a half for an afternoon snack at Xoco -- and Geek Girl was unaware Mama Geek had even left. Of course, I had no fun whatsoever and was only faking it for my daughter's benefit. I mean, how much fun can you really have making artificial rivers, dams, and weirs, and then having a dam break and watching the flood run downstream. Honestly, I ask you. Yeah, about that much fun - we had a blast.

Geek Girl's review: "It was the best thing with water I've ever seen. I wish Daddy Geek could get me a water table like that with a lock!" (Note: she started dancing just now - three weeks later - when I asked her about it. Not that she's excited or anything.)

We left only because the museum closed for the day, and even then the only way we got her out the door was to promise to take her to the ferris wheel at the pier, where I took this picture of Mama Geek and Geek Girl:

and she took this one of me and Mama Geek:


Auntie Geek is coming for a visit in December, and she and Mama Geek are planning a trip to New York while she's here. Which of course means Geek Girl and I will be on our own. Geek Girl is already making plans: "Daddy, it's not very far to Chicago. We can just fly there, go to the water exhibit, play, and then we can fly home. We can even stop to have some pizza if you want. Mama won't mind. (bat eyes)"

Sunday Wandering

We've been a bit busy lately, so we haven't posted much recently. Time to catch up a bit.

The first week of November was very stressful for me, so when the following weekend came up, it was definitely time for some low-key relaxation. We spent a very pretty Sunday wandering around and stumbled across some (for us, anyway) unexpected treats.

First on the non-agenda: Geek Girl and I introduced Mama Geek to Theodore Roosevelt Island (not to be confused with that other Roosevelt Island to the north). There is a pretty 1.3-mile trail around the perimeter of the island, where a kind passer-by snapped this picture of The Geeks. Lots of nice fall foliage as you can see.

Part of the trail is along a boardwalk over a tidal wetland, where we saw lots of ducks and Geek Girl enjoyed looking for tiger tails among the cattails and reeds. Mama Geek took this picture of Geek Girl and me on the boardwalk:


After finishing the walk, we were ready for lunch and headed to Columbia Heights for pizza, followed by a meander around the neighborhood. It was an interesting mix of old and new buildings, including this brightly-colored house that caught our fancy:


Afterward, it was time to "go home", which of course means "stop for coffee and a snack", so off to Georgetown for a stop at Dolcezza, followed by a bit of hill-climbing to burn off the gelato. We stumbled upon the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, a very pretty old mansion at the top of the highest hill in Georgetown. It has a spectacular set of gardens that are free to wander in from November to March (they cost $8 the rest of the year), so wander we did.

First, Geek Girl practiced her tree-climbing skills:

(She notes: "I'm afraid of Daddy-longlegs - good thing there weren't any!")

Here's a shot of Geek Girl and Mama Geek being silly:


And a couple of garden shots for Grandma:



On the way back to the car, we uncovered a playground at Montrose Park, where Geek Girl played until we dragged her away to head home. Overall, we had a very nice day with no real plan.

Six-year-old Moments

It is sometimes easy to forget that Geek Girl is really only six ("six and a little more, almost six and a half, Daddy!"), but yesterday afternoon reminded us of it in a big way...

I left work early and we decided to go to the Zoo yesterday, when it was relatively cool and dry, rather than tomorrow when it is supposed to be 95 F and "oppressively humid". (Note: we have been told that when the local weather guys say "oppressive", any normal person would say "why am I living here again?" and stay in the A/C all day.) Geek Girl was initially excited by the idea, and then Six Year Old Moment #1 popped up and she played every stalling tactic in the world to not leave home to get there. Eventually, we more or less had to drag her out the door and carry her down to the car. Grumble.

Once on the Metro, things were relatively good until we had the Kicking the Seat in Front Crisis, followed shortly thereafter by the This Train is too hot Crisis. Once we got past those and arrived at the Woodley Park stop, all was OK until we reached the This Very Gentle Uphill Slope is too Steep Crisis and its partner in crime, the I Have to Walk on Every Wall, Curb, Planter, and Other Flat Surface That Isn't the Sidewalk Crisis. These collectively made up Six Year Old Moments #2 through #27 and kept us occupied until we reached the Zoo.

Finally some time of relaxation -- whee, the cheetahs came out! We learned that cheetahs cover 23 feet (7 meters) in a single stride at top speed, go from zero to 45 MPH in 2.5 seconds, and can top out at about 30 meters/sec (65-70 mph) for short distances. We also learned that Geek Girl tops out at about 3 meters/sec. We also visited the giant and red pandas, elephants, prairie dogs, zebras, and various other animals. And the misters set out to keep folks cool. And the Tiger Treats snack stand for a soft serve ("Daddy, this is not ice cream, so this doesn't count against ice cream for the day." Nice try, dear. Six Year Old Moment #28 and counting - but at least that was a good one.)

We had about 90 minutes of peace before it was time to slog up the hill on the way home.

Now, I use "slog" advisedly here. To be fair, the far end of the National Zoo is down a fairly long steep grade into the bottom of the Rock Creek watershed. To get back, you have to go up and there isn't really any easy way to get a whiny, hot, tired, whiny, and hot six year old back up the hill but to grit your dang teeth and do it. Did I mention she was whiny, tired, and hot? How do we know that? Because, Six Year Old Moments #29 through #856 happened on the way up the hill: "I'm hot." "I'm tired." "I'm hot." "I'm tired." Yes, dear, we heard you the first 800 times. We've also suggested many solutions to the problem, and you didn't want to use them. So, enough with the hot and tired bit, OK? Yeesh. (I know, I know, she's six, and she whines. But man-oh-man, was this in the winner class for her...) Can you hear the teeth gritting?

Finally at the top and heading for the Metro. Now comes the choice: baseball game or straight home? Geek Girl wants baseball game, but she is also six (did I mention she's six?) which means baseball games sometimes get boring for her. And in the prizewinning mood we had last night, we decided we needed to consider that one carefully. So we told her: If you stop whining, and start doing what we ask, we can go to the game. "OK, Daddy!"

Now, here, you should start hearing ominous music, perhaps something like the Toccata and Fugue or maybe the theme to the Terminator, because I'm sure you see what's coming next.

Six Year Old Moments #857 through #998 involve Geek Girl not ending the whining and not doing what we told her to do. #999 involves refusing to get up off the floor of the Columbia Park Metro station. Moment #1000 was total meltdown at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station - crying, running away from both of us, kicking Daddy when he retrieves Crying Six Year Old. Quite the scene.

Needless to say, we did not go to the baseball game - we went home. Which led to The Crying on the Train Crisis and the I'm Really Angry and Going to Make Huffing Sounds for 15 Minutes Crisis and finally to the I Am Now Going to Admit What Daddy and Mama Have Known for the Past Hour Which is That I'm Actually Tired, Not Just Whiny Tired Crisis, which was resolved by the Daddy Carries Me to the Car While I Rest and Cry on His Shoulder Maneuver.

Thus endeth the Crises for the day.

In the end, the only thing that we could do was laugh -- grimly -- and I enjoyed running the following bit of dialogue from Vacation through my head (RIP, John Hughes):

Well I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much f*cking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our g*dam* smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of your....

Sorry, this is meant to be a family blog, after all.

OK, so lessons learned. Geek Girl really is still only six and can be a world-class whiner. Daddy Geek needs to start drinking heavily or at least visit the doctor for meds that change whining into bluebirds and sunshine. Mama Geek has patience beyond that of mortal mothers. Or maybe she already has those meds and I just need to find them.

Department of Redundancy Department

What does it say about your area's transit system when they feel it's necessary to make the following announcement:

The following is a special message. All elevators are currently in operation.

Hmmm...

Sweets at the bakery

The other day, she and I had a fun afternoon together. I picked her up from an art class and we walked home together. Along the way, we stopped by the park near the class where she and her classmates went to play, and then we stopped off at a nice little cafe for Zvieri. I had an espresso, she had water, and we shared a small chocolate tartlet. Yum.

In the background, they were playing classical music, and Geek Girl really liked it. At one point, she leaned forward and sweetly told me, "Daddy, this music makes me remember how much I love you and Mama. All the way to Narnia and back!" Awwww...

She can be a sweetie, that's for sure.

A new set of wheels

We're about a 25 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride to the metro station. However, the bus doesn't always arrive at the scheduled time and sometimes the ride takes a little longer because there are not dedicated bus lanes, so if there's traffic, the bus is late.

Girl Geek and I decided to get Daddy Geek another set of wheels for him to get to the metro station. An early birthday present. Here he is modeling it.


Daddy Geek and Geek Girl went on a water park adventure today, so I took the scooter for a ride to the post office. And I managed to stay alive, despite one point when I was desperately grabbing for the non-existent hand brakes. It was fun. Hmmm... maybe this was one of those gifts that was intended more for the giver than the recipient?!

Can't go home anymore

The day after Geek Girl's last day of kindergarten, we flew out to San Diego for a long Father's Day weekend. And a farewell to my ancestral home. My parents have sold the house they lived in for the last 31 years and we were happy to be there to help with the final clearing out.

We also went to the beach as often as possible. (And a baseball game).

Daddy Geek and GG posing in front of the sea wall after a Father's Day breakfast at Brockton Villa.


GG riding a wave on a boogie board.


GG happily playing in the sand.


GG and Alice the Tiger at the coast. Yes the water really looks like that.


Note: GG was tired of being referred to as Little Geek Girl in the last blog ("but I'm a big tiger") so we have promoted her to Geek Girl in this blog. However, now when I see GG want to pronounce it Gigi, which means at some point I might revert to Geek Girl.

A Capitol Third

One of the best parts about living near Washington DC is that there are lots of very cheap - or free - cultural events going on. We can just pop into the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum or National Museum of Natural History for a couple of hours (or, like the other day, bail out right away when they are much too crowded, knowing we can go back). Or go to the National Zoo, or just take a walk along the National Mall and watch people fly kites.

Every Fourth of July, there is a huge concert and fireworks show on the Mall: A Capitol Fourth. It attracts a giant crowd, so if you want to see it in person, you have to be willing to go really early and sit with many thousands of your closest friends. Or go watch the dress rehearsals on 2 July and 3 July, like we did last night at Mama Geek's urging.

The concert is held on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. We got there about two hours ahead of time, found a spot to spread out our blanket and break out the picnic, and settled in to pass the time with books and Geek Girl's horse cards, a Christmas present from friends in Colorado. We had a great view of the Capitol:

and the Washington Monument:


We had time for a Geek Family Portrait or two:



The show started with a briefing from the head of the organizing committee, then Jimmy Smits did his emcee bit and introduced the various acts. We got to see Aretha Franklin perform the National Anthem and later, R-E-S-P-E-C-T and a medley of other classics. We got to see a video message from President Obama. We got to see them perform the 1812 Overture with real cannons. We got to listen to Raphsody in Blue. We endured Barry Manilow, which led to (a) me realizing that a disturbingly large number of people seem to really like Barry Manilow and (b) Mama Geek noting: "I guess you really do love me."

There were also some other special guests, including this large yellow guy as guest conductor:


He brought along some friends, and I got to torment Geek Girl by singing "C is for Cookie" in my best Cookie Monster voice. (I've been playing Cookie Monster for years; ask Nai Nai about The Racetrack Incident.) GG also loved the trash song from Oscar the Grouch. Thankfully, she finds Elmo mystifying.

The highlight, though, was definitely MG and GG dancing a duet to the Jersey Boys' rendition of "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)":





After the show, we walked for a bit along Pennsylvania Avenue to see the White House at night before hopping the metro home.

Tonight, we get to go see the fireworks show from a friend's apartment - on the 20th floor of a high-rise building with a great view directly up the Mall. It should be good fun.

Fourth of July First Post

Welcome to 2.5 Geeks, our new blog to go with our new life back in the United States. This will probably be a lot like our previous blog - random bits from life starring Daddy Geek (DG), Mama Geek (MG), and Girl Geek (GG). From time to time, Auntie Geek, Nai Nai, and other folks will hopefully make appearances...

The short version of the past 10 weeks is:

• We've found a place to live near Washington, DC and have started the usual process of setting things up here. We've managed a few small trips and events along the way (more posts on those to come), and are starting to find some restaurants we like nearby. And the nearest Trader Joe's.
  
• Daddy Geek has started settling into his new job.
• Geek Girl started, and finished, US kindergarten. She's now looking forward to going to first grade when summer is over.
• Mama Geek is also looking forward to Girl Geek going to first grade when summer is over. She's also reconnecting with old friends in the area and making new ones, plus working out the lay of the land and dealing with daily life. She already wants a GPS to handle the irregular road layout nearby -- DC is on a grid, but where we live is decidedly not.
  

Watch this space for upcoming posts on the Geek life.