If you need me, NOW you will all know where to look...

I apologize to all of my avid followers out there…all two of you…that I haven’t written in a long while. To renew my blogging energy, I thought I would write about the pool as that seems to be my main activity these days. More specifically, the Vida Penthouse Pool on the roof of my gym where, since April, I have spent almost every Saturday and Sunday. Needless to say I am the tannest I have EVER been and August is about to begin. When I look back and say, how in the heck did I get skin cancer? I will have to remember that I did this to myself the summer of 2012 in Washington, DC of all places. So let’s dive in to the main elements of the pool and what makes is so ridiculously incredible and kinda pretentious….

THE SCENE:

PEOPLE WATCHING: The pool deck is amazing for people watching. It reminds me of Miami or some all-inclusive place in the Caribbean with lots of European tourists. The men’s bathing suit options are board shorts, trunks (slightly shorter), briefs and bikini briefs (see also: speedo). The majority of men at this pool are in the two latter options. And even better are the ones that look like they would NEVER wear such suit i.e. the larger, tatted up man that is walking around in a pink speedo. FABULOUS. I’ve noticed that these men have started accessorizing too…parasols, conical Asian hats, one guy even whipped out a fan…literally opened it like you would expect a proper English woman who was feeling faint to do so.

THE MUSIC: I think they throw on the same play list every single weekend day and holiday. It starts out quiet and you may here a monk chant here or there and then around 12pm it turns into a pop rap/techno club music. Occasionally they will forget that they just played Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone, which you got very excited about the first time out as you haven’t heard it in years. Eventually you realize that they just played it for the third time that day and sometimes even in a row.

THE BATHROOM/NEGATIVES: There is only one bathroom on the pool level—MEN. I think it is because they realize that if the bathroom is any further away they would all be peeing in the pool. Us ladies have to trek down a flight of stairs to go enjoy some very weird chime/chant music (not sure “music” is best descriptor) while using the facilities.

SERVANTS (I mean) WAITSTAFF: So yes, there are waiters and waitresses that come to your chair or king-sized daybed to take your drink/food orders and to make sure that you are never without a pitcher of skinny lemonade. They even deliver to the pool. When you think about it, it is all quite ridiculous.

COMMUNICATION: My favorite part of this pool membership is that you get an email from the gym telling you to eat healthy and come exercise more…sign up for classes, boot camp, training sessions etc. and then not even ten minutes later you get an email from the pool promoting a food and drink special for that day or upcoming event while encouraging you lay all day—seems very contradictory. Yet AMAZING.

With all that said, if you need me, NOW you all know where to look...

SpeakeasyDC: Maybe one day...

SpeakeasyDC. Simple concept: Step up to the microphone and tell a story. But, it is not so simple knowing the time and effort people put in to perfecting their storytelling craft to be a part of this group. I am thoroughly impressed with the talent and confidence the people involved in SpeakeasyDC have in telling a story, and telling it well, to a 100-plus person audience. The stories are real and usually very relatable. The ticket to attend only costs between $10 and $15 and is a great way to spend an evening with friends and simply be entertained. Every month there is a themed SpeakeasyDC storytelling night usually held at Town Danceboutique. One by one people step on to stage and tell us, the audience, a story based on that evening’s theme. To quote their website directly: “Our mission is to give voice to people’s life experiences, support artistic expression, build community, and contribute to DC’s cultural capital and creative economy by promoting and teaching the art of autobiographical storytelling. Since time immemorial, storytelling has served to entertain, teach, touch and capture the human experience.”

Now to go back to the location, yes, the performances are held at “the largest gay nightclub in Washington, DC” So, not having been there on a weekend night yet, I am going to assume that the stage that holds the storyteller and a microphone transforms into a dance platform/stage on the weekends. Next goal is to hit up Town when it is actually a weekend night and experience the dance party scene which I hear is a must (especially for me). But this is definitely a more subdued evening, and the dance floor is filled with chairs facing the stage and plush couch-like seating around the perimeters.

The SpeakeasyDC events are well-attended therefore, arrive early. It is a bar so you can throw your coat on a seat or in my case ten seats, grab a drink from the bar and eat your dinner, read a book or make new friends. Town does not have a kitchen so you have to bring with you, but I find that more enjoyable. Also, the bar usually arranges for a food truck to be right outside its doors for those who forget to bring in their own food.

Bottom line, this is a D.C. gem and highly entertaining. I have always enjoyed live show with unknown talent and the stories I have heard at SpeakeasyDC more often than not, make me laugh. This group/show definitely impressed and was well worth the ticket price. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get up on stage to tell one of my many embarrassing stories…