Let the fabulous costumes come out…

Annually on the Tuesday before Halloween people flock to 17th and R/P Sts to watch the men of the gaybrahood run down the street in their high heels: The DC Drag Queen Race. Yes, there is a heel height minimum of 2 inches and yes, they do measure. But, the actual event (the race) seems less exciting and lasts a very short time than what led up to the actual race—ah, the foreplay. Before the race the men strut their stuff up and down the street for hours prior to the 9pm race. These gentlemen are acting out their characters, posing for photos and simply appealing to the crowd. For those who think that DC is a city full of stick-in-the-muds, this event might change your perception. The crowd was huge. It was impossible to move anywhere up or down 17th Street especially if you arrived any where close to race time.

The costumes:

Looking to a few that stood out for me, there was a black swan and white swan all did up in their ballet outfits reenacting a scene from the movie where the black swan is attacking the white with a broken mirror shard. Love live theatre. Some of the men made quite gorgeous ladies and others…not so much see: winner of the race. But the effort and commitment to character was fantastic.  There were Pan Am girls complete with a drink cart with the logo on the side—very official. There was a man completely covered in blue paint dressed as Smurfette and a hidden man as the Washington Monument with eye slits that seemed impossible to see through. Then there were the usuals but done up in a most fabulous way, Tina Turner, sexy pirate, rollerblading fairies etc.

The accessories:

Speaking of costumes, the head pieces these men wore were true works of art—the higher the better.  Even the infamous hat worn by Princess Beatrice at the Prince William and Kate royal wedding made an appearance. Then on to the shoes, they too were extreme and fabulous. Yes, 2” was the minimum but very few stayed that short. Some of these shoes even Lady Gaga might think where too much for her.

The race:

The actual race was entertaining but quite short. Therefore, my discussion of it will be as well. All of the men lined up and a lot of them seriously ran their hearts out. The winner was done before half had even taken off. But watching all those men attempt to run down the street wearing heels and fabulous costumes did get the crowd cheering.

Truthfully I enjoyed the pre-race strut most--the runway costume show. It reminded me that I’ll once again be missing the Boystown parade on Halloween this year. So I urge for those in Chicago tonight, make your way to Boystown and let the fabulous costumes come out…

Go Chicago Fire Go...Win!

Last Saturday I went to a DC United vs. Chicago Fire game at RFK Stadium. The former Redskins, Senators and Nationals stadium named after Robert F. Kennedy now home to DC United. It seems all of my recent blog posts are about sporting events. I will try to switch it up but so far I have baseball, football and now soccer…all that’s left is hockey, the Caps. But, I digress, back to the soccer game…

I’ll start with RFK Memorial Stadium. Outside there were lots of people were entering the stadium, it was well lit, lots of ads and lights but then once inside the stadium was very odd as it felt abandoned. The entire upper sections were empty and half of the concessions stands were closed. The ones that were open had very limited options. There was a very eerie feeling being in that stadium. Luckily our section was packed. Fans we right on top of each other, decked out in their team’s gear, face paint, large flags etc. When DC United scored its one goal the crowd erupted and it almost (almost) reminded me of the game I saw in Spain with all the flag action. I don’t think I have even noticed a lot of flags at the Chicago Fire games I have attended but then again I am usually enjoying the packed stadium and very enthusiastic crowd.

For all those who like the travel advice, this stadium is also Metro accessible but I found that bus ride back was very enjoyable and dropped me off at the exact intersection that I was aiming to be. The bus system here is fantastic! Only negative was that a girl was dying to start a fight with me so I had to turn away from her the entire ride. At one point she threw her gum wrapper at me. Ridiculous. And I am still questioning her pregnancy as she shoved her way to the back of the bus and rudely sat down next to a poor guy stuck in the corner.

So on to the fútbol game. I’ll be honest, not much happened in the first 85 minutes of play. Then as the game was coming to a close, DC United received a penalty kick and scored. My guess is they thought the game was over as Chicago quickly answered back with a tying goal. Going into the penalty time the score was tied 1 – 1. Who’d thunk it that the Fire would score in the last minutes of the additional time? Increíble. I noticed only one group of gentlemen a few rows below cheering loudly for that one. I was very close to going down there and throwing my hollers into the mix but alas I was among the DC United fans and there were children everywhere. I didn’t want to trip over one of them.



Overall, I think the stadium is waaay too large for the crowd and they definitely need to open more concessions. But, the game was fun and yet again Chicago came out on top. Go Chicago Fire Go...Win!

United: 1 vs. Chicago: 2

I Heart Football Season…

This year I received an invitation to attend a Redskins game on September 18^th. I was very excited as this was my first non-Solider Field NFL game and possibly will be my only pro football game for the entire 2011 season.

Since graduating college I have made it a mission to go to at least one Chicago Bears game per year. Last year when living in DC I thought that it would be the first year that I would miss one but then I received an invite from the cousins for the day after Christmas game. I therefore willingly paid the $150 plane transfer fee to attend that game. So, that is my basis for comparison.

The Redskins you say… I’ll start with the stadium; I rode the Metro out there. To get to FedEx Field you have to find your way to the Blue Line Morgan Boulevard Metro Stop. A very crowded train on game day, I might add. From there it is about a mile walk to the stadium but it is very easy to find as you have with the entire packed train to guide you. The actual stadium is ok. It ain’t no Solider Field. The colors from the outside…FedEx colors, purple, orange and green…are not that appealing—just my opinion. Further the colors kind of clash with the fans’ uniforms and Redskins logos on the building. Sorry, done with the aesthetics.

For this particular game, I sat in the fancy seats—the club level. Indoors it felt like a hotel lobby with stadium concessions oddly placed on the perimeter. There were flat screen televisions throughout and leather chairs. I have a feeling that unlike my Bears adventures, I wouldn’t have to leave the game to go to the bathroom for the only purpose of simply standing under the small heat fan for 5 minutes so that I could feel my hands again. But being indoors was not necessary at this game as it was the perfect weather to be sitting outside.

The sideline entertainment is also quite different. Unlike the Bears who got rid of their cheerleaders, the Honey Bears, in 1985, the Redskins had a lot of very scantily clad ladies with pom poms rooting them on. The ladies even changed in to less clothing with white cowboy boots for the second half. In addition to the cheerleaders, there also was a full band playing in the stands. In general the sideline entertainment was great to see as all we, Chicago fans get is a Bear dressed-up like a pimp…I still don’t understand how that is “family friendly” and the cheerleaders were not.

One note, if the other team aka Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals has a great long pass and runs in for a touchdown, do not cheer very loudly. I had to throw in a “sorry fantasy” after voicing my excitement and luckily the Redskins won so this one little touchdown didn’t affect the outcome of the game.

It is truly hard to compare the seats and crowd to my experiences at Solider Field as it may have just been the fancy seats that brought about a very civilized crowd and comfort level. Even when I was cheering for Larry Fitzgerald, all I received were a few dirty looks.

Best part was that while we walked back to the Metro I was talking very loudly about how bummed I was that I didn’t get inside early enough to get the awesome white sunglasses giveaway. A guy heard this remark and removed the sunglasses from his head and gave them to me. It made my day. Thank you again, sir! 

Overall, it was a great game and a perfect day to be out watching football. The Redskins game just cannot compare to a day at Solider Field with the fans, “Bear Down” and the announcer asking us about the location of the flag—“On  the field!” But, with all that said, I truly enjoyed myself and I am excited to head back to FedEx Field for the Notre Dame vs. Maryland game in November. I heart football season…

Chow Down DC…Take One!

I have decided to post once a month with a few restaurant highlights. These posts will be quick mini reviews and entitled: Chow Down DC. I have been to so many new restaurants that I just want to share but not write full posts. For September I give you Dino, Coppi’s Organic, Tabard Inn and Touchdown.

 

The Good:
Coppi’s Organic: Italian Restaurant on U Street

Great food. This was the location of the ol’ 30th birthday dinner. The waiter had some great menu suggestions both with wine and the main course. First it was suggested to try the night’s special appetizer: corn. Sounds boring but it definitely did not taste boring. It was possibly some of the best corn I have ever had. We all ordered different pastas and tried them all. My butternut squash ravioli was amazing. There was a little mishap with the cappuccinos but the way the waiter handle the situation, brought us new ones and acted like this was possibly the most embarrassing moment of his life where he was personally offended by the incident totally redeemed the whole situation. And the birthday desert was great too. The menu changes here often so I will be returning.

Dino: Italian Restaurant/Enoteca in Cleveland Park

The Baci is AMAZING! All conversation stops when you pop one of these bad boys in your mouth. That sounded inappropriate. To use the description from the menu: “Baci ~ “Italian Kisses” ~ pancetta wrapped scallop, duck liver & date ~ 3 ginger & 3 citrus duck stock glaze” Order it. Now. In addition to having one of the best appetizers, there are good 3-course Brunch and Dinner options, good wine list and the bread and oil are excellent too. Even the desert was amazing. I plan to go back here often.

 

Tabard Inn: American Brunch near Dupont Circle

Word to the wise, on Saturday breakfast ended at 9:45am and brunch didn’t start until 11am. So my showing up at 10:20am guaranteed my name to be first on the list for walk ins but also had me sitting in the lounge area for 40 minutes. Next time I will bring a newspaper. Moving on, the food was excellent. The bread basket had muffins and delicious cheesy bread. After that we decided to continue with the carbs and go all out so for an appetizer we had their homemade doughnuts with homemade whipped cream. Then for the main course we split the Eggs Benedict (with house-made ham which had possibly some of the best hollandaise sauce) and their seasonal Pumpkin French Toast. If you are a pumpkin lover like I am, get to Tabard Inn and try that seasonal French toast—delicious. Our coffee cups were never even close to empty and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. It felt like we left DC and landed in some small quaint European town. No, I did not eat lunch that day and dinner was very minimal.

The Bad…and The Ugly:
Touchdown: Sports bar on U Street

Warning: Do not order the food here. Beer and college football is good. Food is bad. We all went the safe bar food route one ordered a hot dog and fries, I went with wings and the third ordered a chicken quesadilla. Instead of staying to watch the end of the game or going out that Saturday night we all went back to watch a movie and nurse an alka-seltzer cocktail.

More reviews to come this month…

Washington Nationals Games…just do it!

This year I have been to a lot of baseball games. To me baseball is only fun if you are actually at the game or playing yourself. Watching baseball on TV is unbelievably painful. I’d rather watch golf (I actually don’t mind this) so think of something worse…maybe bowling. Going to the Nationals games are fantastic and the entertainment provided makes it even more interesting than just being at a baseball game. What's better than sitting outside, drinking a beer and being entertained? Further the tickets are super cheap with a bonus of there being deals left and right as the ballpark is never sold out.

Speaking of the extras though, one of my favorite things is the music at the stadium especially the at-bat music. When the Nationals’ team is up the at-bat music picked by each player keeps the crowd moving and grooving--okay maybe me, the kids and a few of the older ladies in the ballpark. Then there is the infamous Presidents Race during the fourth inning. Four former presidents – Roosevelt (Teddy), Lincoln (Abe), Washington (George) and Jefferson (Tom)— four guys with giant foam president heads race around the bases.  There is quite a large following and even a twitter feed for Teddy as he has yet to win a single race. The caricature head presidents have reached local celebrity status here. Thoughout the game there is constant entertainment: t-shirts being thrown into the crowd, dance breaks with the fan cam, fan participation games. I am so bummed that I will be missing Danny Espinosa bobble head night. He has become my favorite Nat simply due to his at-bat music choices and his name is fun to say with the announcer Es-pin-ohhhhh-sah. 

Then we move to the food. The food options are fantastic too…Shake Shack, Ben’s Chili Bowl, The Sweet Spot, Capitol Candy, Hard Times Cafe, Foggy Bottom Diner, just to name a few and of course the classics, nachos, hot dogs etc. There is even a $1 hot dog night—which leads me to the price and deals. 

There are Nats promotions everywhere you look to try and get people to go to the games. It is crazy. See attached sign that I recently photographed as I thought it was hilarious. Not only do you get four for two season tickets but you also get the rest of this season free, this was as of August 17th. For my attendance this year, I have only paid full price to a couple of games (full price being much less than what I am use to). I went to a game with amazing seats for $30 which included a $10 food/booze credit (so only $20 for the game). There was a Double-Bubbler deal where you buy a $5 instant scratch lottery ticket and bring that to a select game (on a Sunday no less) and get a free ticket in the $30 seat section. I only know that as one of the guys with us had to pay full price as he did not go and buy a lottery ticket. Further, I have even gone to a game or two on a Saturday simply because the weather was nice. There I walked right up to the box office and could chose which section I wanted to sit in. According to my partner in crime one of those days, he claims I went a little too fancy regarding my seat choice but to me it was still so inexpensive. When was the last time you could just go to a game on a Saturday in Chicago because you felt like it (without paying double face-value from a scalper)? Also, just recently went to another game for a DePauw alumni event--$15. Just to give you an idea, you can spend $325 per seat if you really want the ridiculous seats but good seats range from $10 to $49. With the $17 to $34 tickets being just perfect and as previously mentioned there are deals all the time for discounts on tickets. I do love a good deal!
 

On to the location, the ballpark is located in Southeast DC. And, yes, it is Metro accessible. The area around the stadium is still being rehabbed. But, it is right at the Metro and there are a lot of people in the area during game time. There is a “bar” called The Bullpen which is right outside of the park that is simply a parking lot with a large fence around it but it is great for pre-game imbibing and it kind of feels like a tailgate in there: music, food, booze, games and new friends to be made. 

Regarding the Washington Nationals themselves, overall, the team ain’t half bad. Yes, I still go to the Cubs games here decked out in all my gear as I have way more items than games to wear it all to BUT when the Cubs aren’t in town I have found myself rooting for the Nationals and even have my eye on a red Nationals baseball hat.
 

So, yes, go to the games. Although please not all at once as I wouldn’t want it to get to a point where I am sitting on my computer in late February watching twelve different open virtual waiting room windows just so I can possibly buy tickets to attend one Saturday game the entire season…ahem Cubs. With all that said, I conclude, Washington Nationals Games…just do it!

THE Earthquake that Shook Washington DC…

I thought I would write a quick post about the recent earthquake here in Washington, DC as this was definitely a first for me and well it happened in DC so it works with the whole theme here. This obviously is not going to be a recommendation of a place to go or thing to see but some have asked about my experience so I thought I would just write it down here. Now, I know some of you think that the city overreacted to the experience. But, you have to understand that DC is one of the if not the most targeted place for a terrorist attack and also earthquakes are quite rare. Supposedly people who were being evacuated from the Pentagon claimed that it felt exactly like 9/11 and the fear of a potential bomb explosion was also debated as the cause for the trembling by others. To me, it was simply something that I had never experienced so I didn’t know what it was except scary.

I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden it felt like a very overweight person was running down the hall. That doesn’t sound PC but it is the truth. Then it started shaking more violently and so I ran to the nearest doorframe and held on until the movement stopped. To me it truly felt like the building was going to collapse. After it was done, my knees gave out and I had a lovely mini panic attack. I’ll admit that I don’t do well with natural disasters. You can’t run from them, you can’t fight back…what will be, will be. But I tend to do better than a good portion of the DC community in dealing with the lesser ones (see: snowstorms). A co-worker got me laughing and off the floor by handing me the diarrhea medicine bag (long story there…someone left behind some things from a past assignment and we joke about its contents). From there we had no direction. No one told us whether we were to stay put or evacuate—tsk tsk building management team tsk. Our boss then made an executive decision to gather us all and leave the building. It was very calm.  No one was running down the stairs, no screaming, no pushing, nothing that would be defined as overreacting. We walked downstairs and out to Farragut Square where many others had gathered. Here we were all searching on our smart phones to see what actually had happened. My awesome Verizon phone was one of the only ones that worked in our group. Lame as it is, my hands were still shaking as I searched and found out that it was a 5.9 mag, 3.7 mile deep earthquake less than 100 miles outside of Washington, DC. Supposedly it was the most powerful one to hit the East Coast in over 67 years and over 114 years for Virginia. Our discussions then centered around where would you have not wanted to be during the earthquake, on the street, in a car, on the top of a double decker bus…for me it probably would have been riding the Metro between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom where you are literally in a tunnel below the Potomac River. No thank you.

a much needed cocktail

There wasn’t any real fear in Farragut Square or panic. People were just standing around talking and no one was sure of the next step. I, as were a couple others, was still a little shaken but doing ok. We did end up going back into the building but we were dismissed from work very soon after that. So, three of us, Sarah, Rachel and I, went to have an adult beverage outside. It honestly was the oddest thing. It came. It was scary. I was definitely shaken both mentally and literally :-) And then it was like nothing ever happened. We all went on our way. Even just standing outside in the sun right after the quake was odd. It was a gorgeous day, no looming clouds or anything to imply that a natural disaster had even happened. I am use to storms, winds, dark clouds, rain, funnel clouds, something almost sinister. This was just a freak accident breaking up a perfectly lovely weather-wise day—bizarre.

Some structures were unfortunately affected. Businesses and schools were closed the following day to make sure that the buildings were secure. The Washington National Cathedral was damaged and currently the Washington Monument is closed due to cracks at the top caused by the earthquake. So obviously there is evidence that it did happen but even today it feels like it was weeks ago and somewhat unreal. Therefore DC, it is on to the next natural disaster at least according to the news media…we’ll see if the hurricane hits this weekend. I am glad to say that I survived THE earthquake that shook Washington DC…

And thank you, Mark for dedicating your fantasy football season to me and the other survivors.

Andrew McMahon, call me...

Last night I went to my first Wolf Trap concert and it definitely lived up to the hype. In addition to the venue, I was very excited about the bands that were booked: Guster, my favorite high school/college band and Jack’s Mannequin my current love since I first saw them by mistake at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI about five years ago. The show also reaffirmed my school-girl crush on Jack’s Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon. So I will start with the bands…

First up was the opening band that actually wasn’t half bad, Lady Danville. Then next was Jack’s Mannequin. Love. Andrew McMahon former frontman of Something Corporate is Jack’s Mannequin, songwriter, pianist and singer. And yet again he and his band did not disappoint. They went from song to song with zero breaks, the occasional commentary but never slowed down for a minute. As I am somewhat removed from the music scene here in DC, I was very excited when Andrew announced that Jack’s Mannequin was coming out with a new album on October 4. One song in particular, “Hostage”, I am very much looking forward to being released.

For those who have seen a Jack’s Mannequin show in the past, can appreciate Andrew trying to get the crowd excited like he was going to break out into a Snoop Dogg ditty or get crazy like we should be banging our heads and then he would sit down and start tickling the ivories. I think that effect is hilarious and wonderful. And he was definitely up to his usual antics of jumping off the piano and even did a balance beam walk along the orchestra pit wall in to the audience. He even had Kate there for a moment when he was playing the harmonica at the end but then he started dancing around in his skinny jeans and he lost her. Personally I loved his vocal performance and theatrics.

  

After a 20 minute break, next on stage was Guster. The band was definitely a little different then I had remembered from the past. I am not sure when it was that I last saw Guster in concert. This much I do know, the last album I had purchased was released in 2003. The single from that album was “Amsterdam” which was now mainstream on the radio.

Yes, Brian still played the drums by hand to most of their songs and yes, they broke out a number of older songs. But, there definitely was a different sound. There was a second percussion player that would come and go and at one point I felt like shouting “more cowbell” to his random shaking instruments but I noticed that there was a permanent new band member that joined in 2010 that definitely contributed to the new sound. I don’t know how best to describe the change, it was more jazzed up and somewhat sounded like they added a synthesizer which is a long way from the acoustic show I saw in OH over ten years ago. I still loved the classics that they sang and found a couple of new songs to enjoy—one in particular was “Manifest Destiny.” It’s kind of sad how I lost track of them over the years.

My favorite Guster moment was when frontman Ryan Miller talked directly to his mom who was in the audience as he is from Baltimore about her suggestions for the show. After trying her idea he comments “I’m a 38 year old man working out his mommy issues in front of four thousand people.” It was great seeing Guster perform again. It was like visiting an old friend where you still love them and they definitely hold a special place in your heart but you notice how much the two of you have changed over the years.

The audience was a very vanilla one comprised of men and women of all ages. There were definitely more women singing along to Jack's Mannequin. But then there was that guy in front of us who knew all the words to every Jack’s Mannequin song and was definitely the dancer of the couple too. I think he was part of the small majority that actually dragged his girlfriend to this show. I noticed during Guster’s set that the two of them had disappeared. Although, I would love to give it to myself, he wins the Jack’s-Mannequin-Super-Fan award.

Bonus fact on both bands, they both have causes that they raise funds for and dedicate their time to. For Jack’s Mannequin it is leukemia for personal reasons. And for Guster it is green initiative campaign. So much so that even original member, Adam Gardner, started an organization geared towards touring bands travel in a eco-friendly manner. Sorry, just a few fun side facts.

But now let me focus on the venue, as I have seen both bands perform in the past. The venue, Wolf Trap, was brand new for me. I have wanted to see a show here since I moved in to town over a year ago. And after last night, I can't believe this was my first show. It is fabulous. It is set in a national park in Virginia—the first national park for the performing arts. Over the summer it houses bands and even theatre performances from May through September. For those from Chicago, it is similar to Ravinia in that there is a large grass area where you can sit, bring your own food, booze and sit on a blanket. But, the actual music venue, Filene Center, is quite incredible. It is an all wood venue fashioned to create amazing acoustics. Since this was my first show, and I do love these bands, we ladies opted to actually sit in the theatre. Row M seats 27 and 28...remarkable center seats with a fabulous view. This might be the most magnificent venue I have been at to see a show. Yes, Solider Field and Wrigley are fantastic but they felt huge. And House of Blues is fabulous but sometimes feels rather small. This while somewhat large (over 7,000 capacity) felt very intimate and while under a roof there was still the obvious presence of nature and a breeze from the sides.

Yes, I highly recommend going out to Wolf Trap to see a show. I hope I can return again soon. Back to this particular show, to conclude the night Ryan announces that the band will go off stage for 17 seconds and then return for their encore. Very amusing. Andrew from Jack’s Mannequin returns to the stage with Guster and has clearly showered since his set which Ryan Miller does not hesitate to point out. Together they do a Guster number and then the last song of the night they performed was a cover of “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John sung by Ryan and Andrew together with Guster. It was an excellent choice for both of their sounds and personalities. And so like I started, I end, Andrew McMahon, call me...

Screen On the Green...

Last Monday I experienced a well-known DC summer tradition—Screen on the Green. Washington D.C. residents pack a picnic basket, grab a blanket or two and head to the National Mall to watch a classic movie on a very large screen Monday nights in the summer. 

For us this was a well-orchestrated ladies night as six gorgeous "non-blondes" all headed out to see a movie entitled: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The group included: Kate-the organizer, Rachel-the space-saver, Christie, Cat, Rachel (yes, there were two) and myself. Excellent group!

One thing I love about DC is the truly fabulous people watching it supports. And Screen on the Green did not disappoint. There was a couple in front of us where the girl was putting make-up on her boyfriend. Then there were two ladies further up who did not listen to the announcement about being courteous with your chairs as not only were their chairs tall, they each had a roof. See picture to the right: 

For those who have never attended, if you want to be near the screen, you need to arrive no later than 7pm even though the movie doesn't start until about 9pm. By getting there about two hours early, it allowed plenty of time to snack, chat and sneak a couple glasses of wine. Also, just as a warning, there is a dance to the HBO/Comcast song. Everyone in the Mall was standing and jumping and waving his and her hands. I just stared at the mass quantities of people who not only knew this dance but, they knew it well and went all out. 

The movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was a wonderful musical featuring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Most of you are aware of my love for musicals and shockingly I had never seen this classic all the way from start to finish. If nothing else, you probably know the song and scene from the movie "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." The scene influenced Madonna’s “Material Girl” video and the song was made popular again by Nicole Kidman (Satine) in Moulin Rouge. But, back to this particular movie.

It was a lovely, witty film—Marilyn Monroe as the gold-digging ditsy blonde and Jane Russell as the more cleaver brunette seeking love over money. The lines are fantastic, such as my favorite from Jane Russell's character Dorothy : “The chaperone's job is to see that nobody else has any fun. Nobody chaperone's the chaperone. That's why I'm so right for this job.” I can see myself using that one in the future. Or another classic one from her: “If we can't empty his pockets between us, then we're not worthy of the name Woman."  

My favorite moment of the movie was the musical number "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?" Jane Russell performs the number while many fab-ulous chorus men in short-shorts sing and dance around her. Oh so wonderful and campy                              

Overall, it was another great DC experience. Get there while you can, it only runs for one more night this summer, Monday August 15, and the film is Cool Hand Luke. I highly recommend Screen on the Green…

What An Awesome Night...

APOLOGY: I want to apologize to my handful of loyal readers for my lack of posts. I have been mentally distracted for a few months now...to move or not to move, the worry of inevitable things to come and most importantly the individual that we stole our internet from moved out of our building or wised up to our tactics. But, things are looking up, I have decided to stay, moved and I even found someone at my new building to "share" their internet connection. But beyond all that, last night I was once again reminded how great this city is and I just can't help but want to share. So hopefully this post will bring my blog back to life and I will write more often as originally intended and had promised to all of you...

What an Awesome Night...

Performance at Navy Memorial

This city is an interesting one that I am not so sure about. And then sometimes it completely surprises you in a good way and catches you off guard--last night it did just that. After a super busy day and unexpected moment, I go to play softball on the Mall (as I have been doing every single week since the first practice in April). Every week I play in a league on the National Mall with the unbelievable backdrop of the monuments while sweating, drinking and playing ball but, I digress, softball is not what this post is about. I will write about that at a later time. 


On my way home from said softball game, I stumbled across a full band dressed in their white military uniforms performing in the Navy Memorial. From a distance I could hear people singing Africa by Toto so, naturally I had to check it out. It was even better than I expected; trombones, full percussion, guitars, clarinets, oboes, trumpets, saxophones, 20 singers, an announcer, a conductor and so on. Once I arrived there, I couldn't walk away. And yet again I am without my camera, hence the incredible phone photo to the left. 


The band went from "Africa" to "Defying Gravity" from Wicked to "Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong" and even a little "Danger Zone". Fantastic! As I listened I noticed that the weather was brilliant--yes, still hot but it was finally slightly cooler with the sun set and there was even a pleasant breeze. Everything was just perfection. The group then moved on to more emotional songs to honor those who have passed and songs about America. Finally they performed the theme songs for every side of the armed forces and asked members of the audience to stand while being honored through song: Air Force, Marine Corp, Coast Guard, US Army and US Navy. 


I didn't want to go home even knowing I had a 6am appointment at the gym. This is why I chose to stay in DC. This city still can surprise me,  make me smile, heavyhearted and fall in love all over again. What a truly awesome night...

Cherry Blossoms: Perfect day, well if it was 25 degrees warmer…

As this is my first spring in DC, this was also my first meeting of the infamous cherry blossom trees. So with my being out of town both “Cherry Blossom” weekends, I had to make a day of it during the week. I was told that it was a must to watch the sun rise over the tidal basin (and bonus no crowds) and then with my love of water and boat tours (this marks my third one here) I planned to see the blossoms from the other side from a boat after work.

The day started with me running to the train station, as I didn’t want to be late and miss the sunrise. From there I got off at the Smithsonian station and started walking down Independence towards the Basin. At 6am it is pitch black in DC and the roads aren’t well marked nor well lit. Yes, I know it’s not the best idea for me to do this on my own without the iPhone to guide me. I so miss that iPhone and it’s directional guidance. Anyways, I am walking down Independence and find my self at a crossroads and not in a good way. The sidewalk has ended and there are two roads (one being a highway) coming straight at me as I stand on a very small v-shaped peninsula where I somehow ended up. On the other side of the one two-lane highway road there is a field-like area and I can tell that the Tidal Basin is right there but well, there is a fence running the length of the road. So what does this very intelligent non-directionally sound person do? I decide to play chicken with the traffic. I had no idea where I came from, how to get back and further if I would ever be able to find the Basin again as it obviously took quite a few wrong turns to get to this point and it was still pitch black. Most importantly I was not missing this sunrise. So I saw a traffic light in the distance turn red and just booked it. I barely made it to the fence clearing as headlights were moving straight towards me. I think my white hat kept me safe and luckily I am alive to tell this tale J So after that stupidity, I found myself at the Tidal Basin while it was still dark out. It was just the photographers and me... 

I just start taking pictures, walked among the cherry blossom trees and enjoyed the gorgeous nature all around me. I love that time of the morning when all is quiet and the sun just starts to show. This once again affirmed that I am definitely a morning person. After having some quiet time to myself, I then meet up with a friend. We walk almost around the entire Basin, taking pictures and just enjoying the absolute beauty of the sunrise and flowering trees. After we have walked for a while and can no longer feel our fingers we head to the car to drive around Hains Point. The trees were all fluffy and beautiful. All morning Kate just kept saying that we picked the perfect day, sunny, bright blue sky, not a cloud in sight but it just didn’t seem right as we were bundled up (I had on 6 layers, including a vest, fleece and winter coat) as it was supposed to be warmer. After our drive I was dropped at work and just counting down the hours until the boat tour.

After work, I again ran to the train to head back to the Smithsonian station but this time, I a.) got directions, and b.) was heading south to DC Cruises right by the Fish Market. Sadly one of our crew did not make it in time for the boat’s departure due to DC’s ridiculous traffic. Kate we missed you!!! I will get you on another boat tour soon. And unlike my Monuments by Moonlight Cruise by the same outfit, this time there was actually someone on the boat pointing out what we were seeing from the water. I learned about how the first gift of cherry blossom trees was rejected by the US due to insects and so Japan sent another 3K. I also was told many more about the monuments themselves. I even learned a new word as the “heavliest” guarded building was mentioned. It was quite a lovely tour though and I finally got a great shot of the very low bridge that the boat travels under during the tour!

So when you go out to see the cherry blossoms in DC I highly recommend making a day of it and seeing the sunrise in the morning and then taking a lovely 60 minute cruise on the water after work. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day….well maybe if it was 25 degrees warmer. 

Dela-Where? I Am Okay With That…

So I know Delaware is technically not in the DC vicinity but as many know who live here it is almost a requirement to go for a weekend over the summer. The most popular places are Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach which are all located within about 15 minutes of each other on the ocean. And, I can now say that I have been to all three. The boardwalk in Rehoboth is excellent, the bar scene in Dewey is great fun and the serenity of Bethany is fabulous. Last year I there for Labor Day Weekend. It was a great, great weekend, lying on the beach, drinking Dogfish Head beer, hanging out with good friends and even now, I think of that weekend every time I hear All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaleb.

So, this past weekend was my second time out to good ol' D.E. As I now have permission to use this individual’s name in the blog (kind of), this weekend was thrown together by none other than my dear friend, Kate. Her cousins allowed her to have their home for the weekend and Kate invited five of us to join her. Sadly, due to the chilly weather there was no lying on the beach though. We attempted to sit on the beach but there was a fierce wind requiring us to all sit facing the same direction to avoid eating a mouthful of sand. In addition to it not being conducive to having conversations, it got real cold, real fast. At one point I was laying face down, hood over my head trying to hide from the sand/wind. I was doing an excellent job of practicing for my dream role of being one heck of a dead body on SVU. But as proven again this weekend, the beach is not required for a fantastic “beach” getaway.

Yes, the house was pristine (there was flip-flop everything—adorable). Yes, the dead-end street along a small body of water was delightful (minus the creepy life-like kid sculpture). And yes, the little grocery store/ bakery within walking distance of the house had the greatest pastries and coffee (excellent morning/afternoon treat). But, the true asset to this weekend was the women themselves. I drove to Delaware having never met three of the ladies who came to play. One thing I think I like most about DC is with it being a transient city, people are constantly coming and going, therefore, many are open and accepting of brand new people they have never met before. I am not saying that the friendships are better or worse than those I have made elsewhere but they seem to be made within a much shorter timeline as so many others are seeking new friends as well.

This past weekend I hung out with five fabulous women and bonus, I was not secretly wishing one or all of them weren’t there. I simply spent the majority of the weekend laughing. One of my favorite conversations was the discussion over guys making a phone call versus simply sending text messages—hilarious.  Pick up the damn phone and call us, boys! We do not want to be asked out via text or have hour long plus conversations texting back and forth J Everyone had hilarious tales to tell, some stories were a little graphic, Pole Pressure tracing lives on and I think I have five new career coaches. Best suggestion, by far, was for me to share my passion for my ebook-reading device by becoming an Amazon Kindle salesperson.

So overall conclusion, whether it is with this group or another, I highly recommend getting out of the DC area and going to Delaware for a beach weekend. Beyond the location, the best part for me was when I looked around the room this past weekend realizing that I was hanging out with some pretty awesome, single (as in unmarried), successful, intelligent, 30 plus (gasp!) women who were not talking about marriage or babies (not that there is anything wrong with that…love you all out there with that in your world). But where I currently am, I know that I am going to hit the big three oh this year without having either of those in my life and you know what? I am okay with that.

Hi. I'm in Delaware.

For Those Who Enjoy Opera…

I recently saw Washington National Opera’s production of Madama Butterfly at The Kennedy Center. Overall, great show, production and cast. For those who are unfamiliar with the synopsis of Madama Butterfly it is the story of East meets West. If you don’t want to know the whole story, skip to the next paragraph. Quick version: A sailor, Lieutenant Pinkerton, buys a home in Japan for him and his soon-to-be Japanese wife, Butterfly. Butterfly 15 at the time, yeah statutory rape, rejects her entire family and religion to marry Pinkerton. Pinkerton seems to simply be sexually attracted to her and eventually leaves to return to America after he gets himself some. Butterfly waits for him and becomes broke while waiting and pining. Pinkerton eventually returns with a new wife hoping that Butterfly forgot about him. Men. Pinkerton learns he has a son with Butterfly. And then Butterfly kills herself—The End.

Overall it was a great show. The only thing that bothered me was the casting of Butterfly. I know that this is going to sound very shallow but the actress just looked all wrong for the role. I’ll start by saying that I am not a big fan of the soprano voice/sound to begin with so that didn’t help her case. But, the woman playing a supposed gorgeous, Asian teenager looked 40 and was very obviously not Asian nor all that attractive the night we went. This miscasting was only made more obvious by the role of Lieutenant Pinkerton being played by a guy who looked to be in his early twenties. It was very awkward when Pinkerton was singing about his inappropriate, sexual love for a child and all I could think was he should be singing about his inappropriate love for his mother. But beyond the appearances, Butterfly’s voice was great for a soprano and I understand that there is a maturity required to have a voice that can hit those notes. It was just so hard to watch this woman in a role that she so obviously did not look the part for.

With all that said though, as previously mentioned, the show was incredible. There is this one moment where Butterfly’s servant, Suzuki, Pinkerton and Sharpless, the American consul, are all singing at the same time. There are no words to describe the true awesomeness of that unified sound. It truly gave me chills.

Sharpless was definitely my favorite character and this was all due to the actor, Hyung Yun. He gave a fantastic performance. His baritone voice was spot on. And in addition to the voice, he had the most perfect expressions and mannerisms that subtitles where not required to know what he was saying or implying. Hyung Yun was quite brilliant and I do hope to see him in another performance.

Finally, there was an additional bonus to this particular performance as we as an audience had the honor of seeing Plácido Domingo conduct the orchestra. For those who do not know who he is or why that is a treat, I highly recommend Google. My date for the evening was so excited to see Plácido that she told me that she would do her best to contain her Justin Bieber enthusiasm. He's old and tubby? Most of us ask.  Fine, she says—“more Plácido for me”. Conclusion: I highly recommend Madama Butterfly, especially the cast that we saw on March 8, for all those who enjoy opera and maybe even those who don’t.



A Unique Theater Experience…



Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream



I will start by admitting that this is not my first performance that I have seen presented by the Synetic Theater. Prior to moving to DC, I was treated to their rendition of Antony & Cleopatra. The play I saw most recently was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For those who are unaware of what exactly Synetic Theater is it is somewhat hard to describe and better to just go see. Synetic Theater is a physical theater company that was founded in 2001. The name is the combination of the two words, synthesis and kinetic. The shows are acted without words in a highly dramatic manner. The stories are told through movement, dance and instrumental music. The music is constantly changing to convey what is going on with the actors’ pantomime. You’ll occasionally hear a grunt or other such noise but there is no spoken word. It is really quite interesting. I understand that it is not for everyone but it should be noted that it is anything but boring. The two shows both completely held my attention the entire time.

The group’s mission is “to advance and enrich the theater arts in the Nation's Capital through its unique performance style, which fuses the classical elements of drama, movement, dance, mime, and music into a distinct form of non-realistic theater. This form is simultaneously avant-garde and accessible, with a broad appeal to a wide, culturally diverse, and cross-generational audience.” (Quote from http://www.synetictheater.org/).

Looking at the similarities between the two shows, their performances have overlapping casts as this is a theater company. The woman who played Cleopatra in Antony & Cleopatra was also Titani in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is actually one of the co-founders with her husband who is the director. A friend’s favorite cast member was Antony in the first show I saw and later became Oberon in the second one. Looking at the differences, for A Midsummer Night’s Dream I went to the actual Synetic Theater in Crystal City, VA rather than where I saw them first at the Shakespeare Theatre located in downtown Washington, DC. The theater in Virginia is quite small and cozy with images of their past performances in the entrance way.

Another reason I returned is that their original production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream received many award nominations for direction, choreography, acting and lighting, sound and costume design so; I was told that I just had to see this performance. I actually stalked their website waiting for the tickets to go on sale as it only returned for a very short while. Lucky for me I had a friend who was even more on top of it and had purchased five tickets for a group of us to go.

Personally, I very much enjoyed both performances as the storytelling was excellent and distinctive from what I am use to seeing at the theater. Therefore, if you are interested in seeing truly intriguing physical theater or are even just curious to see what it is, I highly recommend seeing a Synetic Theater performance. You are in for quite a unique theater experience…

Antony in Antony & Cleopatra