theparkerfamily.org

Naebody in Particular podcast cover: a collage of old family photographs, handwritten letters, a magnifying glass and a fountain pen

Naebody in Particular

You won't find them on a shortbread tin, but our ancestors live on so long as we keep telling their stories. Scots, Yanks, Canucks and the Auld Enemy. Newest posts are the ancestors, but scroll for the living.

  • Wedding: Dueling Dinners


    Beacon Bar and Grill

    Local 16

    We have been scoping D.C. restaurants for the last month or two, working with a very patient, and gracious pair of friends (Sue and Jeremy) to find a couple rehearsal dinner spots that here located close to the church, that served good food, and had space for a private party.

    We are under this strange delusion that we might actually be able to walk from the rehearsal dinner, to the church, to the reception site (which doubles as the hotel) and back. Not sure it will happen, but that’s the goal.

    To make matters more interesting, my family has a strong background in dining (my father was a Chef for a number of years) and so mediocre food does not pass by an Parker unnoticed.

    Finally, D.C. isn’t exactly known for large spaces with plenty of private rooms for parties and events. Especially large spaces with private rooms that don’t look like the basement of the Hinkley Hilton.

    Anyway, what would be the point of the story if there was no happy ending? Probably to make you suffer as we have suffered, but fortunately that isn’t the case… Sue, Jeremy, The Lady Sparkler and I have two possibilities for rehearsal dinner spots that are looking promising.

    The first is the Beacon Bar & Grill, which is located at 1615 Rhode Island (the hotel/reception is one block west). BBG serves what it calls “Fresh Contemporary American Cuisine,” and (in some sort of incestuous irony) plucked its current executive Chef from 15 RIA (our receptions site) about a year ago.

    We took my parents her for a test dinner just this week (my mom was in town for her birthday) and the quality of the food and the service was just great. I had the pasta, and The Lady Sparkler had the fish. The place was a little empty for a Saturday night, but how many restaurants shut down in their first year of business anyway?!? (For the record, 25% in the first year. 60% within three years.)

    The other restaurant in the running is Local 16, a local, slow food, organic restaurant which is about four blocks up 16th street. We will give that a try in January.

  • foliage

    [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia]
    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    foliage, college of william and mary, williamsburg, virginia

  • Photos: National Zoological Park, Washington, DC

    The National Zoo just opened up a new Asian Trail, and I haven’t had a chance to check it out before today. My parents are in town, and we decided to take advantage of an “indian summer” day by spending it outside.

    The featured image for today’s entry is probably one of my favorites in recent memory. The pattern and the sunlight … Every once in a while you just get lucky.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    National Zoological Park, Washington, DC

  • Wedding: An excuse for total inaction …

    We have been in another bit of a lull, and this one wasn’t entirely our fault — our kitty (Emily) got sick.

    Not the normal, “take two aspirins” sort of sick, but the “in-and-out of the hospital for two weeks, start looking for things to sell to raise money”, wasn’t sure she’d make it through sort of sick

    Fortunately, it looks like she is going to pull through. Unfortunately, she has been on medication, every 8-hours for the last couple of weeks, so it has kind of kept us house-bound (and inwardly focused) a bit.

    We are lightly working on Rehearsal Dinner locations with our foodie-friends Sue and Jeremy, so hope to have good news on that front very, very soon.

  • convio 2006: online aquisition through a “gated” community

    Spoke at the Convio Summit, about how to use a gated community (our Great Places Network) to acquire and engage non-profit supporters online. This includes everything from registration forms, to offline marketing of online resources, to five or six different types of tests around engagement and acquisition strategies.

  • Hike: Meneka Peak, near Front Royal, Virginia

    It’s a long weekend for those of us on Federal holiday schedule … Columbus Day weekend. With the extra time, I decided to go a bit farther afield than I normally travel.

    A good friend of mine has always said great things about George Washington National Forest (and nearby Jefferson National Forest). Due to a slight trail mixup (and poor signage) I didn’t have enought time to do the ever-popular Signal Knob hike, but did an abbreviated version that went over Meneka Peak instead.

    Great hike, but about two weeks too early for any real foliage. I will have to come back a little later next year.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    Meneka Peak, near Front Royal, Virginia

  • Hike: Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia

    Things turned out so well when we decided to visit The State Arboreatum of Virginia based soley off its brown sign on I-66 that we decided to follow the brown signs to Sky Meadows State Park.

    It was fall festival, which filled up the parking lot a bit, but once we got out on the trails there was no real sign that there was anyone else in the park at all.

    As the name implies, the best bits of the park are the meadow sections. Grass, sky, clouds … probably the closest I will get to a real “prairie” this close to the Atlantic.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia

  • Travel: Road to Nogales, Arizona

    This photo set is kind of a hodgepodge of what was left after Patagonia and Parker Canyon were removed.

    Early snaps were of the stretches of Coronado National Forest between Tucson and Parker Canyon, later snaps were from the road between Patagonia and Nogales. We did catch a stunning sunset right on the outskirts of town.

    On the way back to Tucson, I got caught in yet another Border Patrol checkpoint. The agent stopped us, looked at me oddly for a couple seconds … I finally said “Hello,” he asked if I was a citizen, and then told me to move along before I responded.

    I wonder if maybe some of these resources should be reallocated to something like murder or domestic violence or something.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    Road to Nogales, Arizona

  • Hike: Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, Arizona

    After all that driving, it appears that the preserve was closed. Unfortunately, I kind of had to pee (and the gate was unlocked), so I decided to take my chances.

    We walked around a bit, saw yet another snake (NOT poisonous) and I was incrediably impressed with the preserve. It was well signed, very good literature, and obviously well cared for.

    As we were leaving, the preserve keeper came over to shoo us away (nicely, of course) … and we talked for a while before we drove off. Not that I am not already a donor, but if I wasn’t I think the whole experince was enough to inspire me to get my checkbook out.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, Arizona

  • Travel: Parker Canyon, Arizona

    Last day in Arizona, and I was determined to not have any bad wildlife experience between me and the plane home.

    The initial thought was to drive down to the Mexican border, stopping at a Nature Conservancy preserve along the way. Through the first part of the trip, however, we were innundated with signs for an Arizona State Park called “Parker Canyon.”

    Feeling a bit of familial loyalty, we took a detour and wandered around the *completely* empty state park.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    Parker Canyon, Arizona