Our Nation's Capital

Welcome, welcome!  Vacation has ended and I'm back on tour with the "family."  Actually, the "family" and the family - big brother Matt lives just outside DC, so there have been quite a few reunions in the past two weeks.

After a gorgeous wedding and a brief tryst with my lover, NYC, I hopped in the car with my parents and drove down to Washington DC: home of the Obamas, some old buildings painted white, and my oldest childhood friend, Miss Catrina Rorke.  Beansie and I have been friends since we were in the womb, alternately knocking on our mommies' bellies and listening to the splish splosh of the world through water.  Now we're old ladies who own houses and make yogurt-strawberry-raspberry popsicles in our spare time:

I'm sure you can guess who's who.

Catrina opened her home to me, which was a huge savings and a huge amount of fun.  I didn't know they made couches with pull out air mattresses, but now I want one of my own; its far more comfortable than those springy messes you usually sleep on.  The house is three levels of stunning 200-year-old wood and refinished tile.  I always knew the Rorkes had fabulous taste, but watching them renovate a house has confirmed my notions above and beyond.

Catrina wasn't the only one with a beautiful home, but she was the only one who could take credit for it.  I went to a party at Ray, Miguel, Cam, and Andy's vacation rental, and dear god was that place decorated.  Click on photos to enlarge and see more detail:

Can we talk about the moose head?!

Crazy red chandelier:

LIGHT-UP PATIO FURNITURE.  I mean, really?

Had to get a little closer:

It takes a lot of trust to rent your home out to strangers, but a place like that?  I wouldn't rent it to anyone but family, and even then I would be strict.
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My parents and I did a little DC sightseeing together:

We headed over to the Museum of American History for an afternoon.  Mom was very excited about the old Good Humor truck parked out front:

Daddy and I looking dapper:

Enjoying our expensive but altogether delicious salads at the museum cafe:

Here's Daddy and George Washington (in his god-like phase):

Standing up for equal rights with a live show:

Talking about the sit-in at Woolworths:

The original American flag!  Low lighting to preserve the colors and fabric.  It was HUGE:

Of course:

A history of music:

There was an entire exhibit dedicated to Jefferson's slaves (including the one he had children by):

Behind him are the names of all the slaves he kept over the years.  Despite his arguments that slavery was wrong, Jefferson never managed to do anything about it personally or politically:

In the First Ladies exhibit, we got to see pieces of china dating back to our first presidency:

Love this:

Enormous dollhouse:

This is a cool effect... no flash:

With flash:

After wandering around town, it was time to head back to work at the Kennedy Center.

Met up with my associate conductor Chris at the entrance:

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I got to see a number of people I didn't expect to see in this city.  First and foremost, my darling Jon Lutyens - also known as "West-Me" due to the fact that he lives in Seattle and could be my twin:

We met up for lunch at Union Station.  Here is our Republican Candidate face:

After lunch with Jon, I met up with my next door neighbor from New York, Bill Coyne.  We walked over to the National Portrait Gallery to take in some fine art.  You're not supposed to take pictures, but I couldn't help snapping one of this oil painting... the glasses look so real:

Bill serving you some cowboy sass:

Snuggling before I head off to work:

 That night, I went on in Christy's track because our Morticia had injured her back.  Normally I would say, "No biggie."  Unfortunately, the next day I woke up and my eyes were bright red and completely infected.  The dasterdly eye bugs have struck again!  I was on for two more shows on Saturday, and by then I knew I had a serious problem.

Here I am looking pissed off in the emergency room because I had to call out of Sunday afternoon's show.  I'd never called out before:

While waiting to see my second opthamologist, I daydreamed about things I'd like.  These:

And maybe this, for a laugh:

I also did a bit of reading into the Chick-Fil-A debacle:

It really is unfortunate that a fast food company feels the need to publicly discriminate.  I'm glad to see the Jim Henson Company's response:

As always, isn't it better to support love and equality?  I'll never understand the other side of that argument.

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After my second eye doctor appointment, I jumped in the car and headed to Ashburn, VA to see my family.  Stella is always a breath of fresh air:

We enjoyed dinner at the family table, and then headed out to see The Dark Knight Rises.  Arguably the best of the Christopher Nolan series, I highly recommend it.  Plus, I had Milk Duds, so you know it was a good night.

The next morning, I rolled out of bed and back into the car to hit the stage as Alice for the first time since the role was recast with Gaelen Gilliand (also known as the woman with a voice of steel - so consistent).  I'm not allowed to wear contact lenses until my eyes are completely healed, so this conversation happened:

I put my glasses on to admire Roland's new shoulder pads.  He's serving you NFL chic:

I took off my glasses and put in my prescription drops before heading onto the Kennedy Center Stage:

I knew I would have a few people in the audience, but I had no idea how many it would actually be!  My mom, dad, brother, Erica, Aunt Wendy, Andrea, the Sensibaugh's, Catrina and two of her friends... it was a collection of people from all areas of my life and it was the best cheering squad EVER.  I wish some bootlegger had been there to take footage, because the audience was alive and hopping.

After the show, I took everyone backstage and showed them as much as I could (the Kennedy Center shuts down the stage access fifteen minutes after the curtain drops).  Then I kissed everyone goodbye and headed over to the Georgetown Inn for a slumber party with Andrea.  Since we were hungry, we hit up the little crepe window a few blocks from the hotel:

This, my friends, was an excellent decision.

A sugar-butter-cinnamon-strawberry crepe?  Yes, oh yes, please!

We devoured our food and watched tons of YouTube clips while gushing about musical theatre and iPhone games.  You know, typical girlie stuff.  This was made all the more fun by the fact that Andrea had been upgraded to a suite, complete with king size bed, living room, and his/hers sink bathroom:

The breakfast in this place was outstanding:

Who doesn't love a bidet?

THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, MY LOVE!!

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Andrea's train home left at noon, so I had plenty of time to meet up with Catrina and a few of her friends at lunch hour:

I felt a little underdressed considering I was wearing the clothes I'd worn to the theatre the night before.

The food at the Hamilton was FANTASTIC.  I wasn't expecting sushi to be on the menu, but I'm so glad I ordered it:

I wish I'd asked the waiter to take a picture of us all, but it felt like a classy joint.  I didn't want to make a scene.
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Someone was throwing away golf clubs at the theatre.  I can't help wondering what they were doing at the theatre in the first place.

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Friday morning, a group of us headed down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to take a tour inside the White House:

Again, no pictures are allowed inside, but how could I resist an Obama's eye view?

Here we are posing in front of the house itself.

And here is the First Dog, Bo Obama!

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My parents have been married 33 years as of July 29th.  Pretty good run, don't you think?

We went out for a celebratory dinner of gourmet pizza followed by my favorite, PIE:

They call them Cuppies, but I always called them Puffins:

This is one of the better cherry pies I've had.  Second only to Bubby's TriBeCa, of course:

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What entry would be complete without my latest Draw Something adventure?

Particularly fond of this one:

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Now we've arrived in Pittsburgh.  I have a follow-up appointment with an opthamologist tomorrow morning, but for now its Taco Bell time.  See you soon!