Candy

Martin Sexton is uhhhh-mazing!

Who else can yodel, make their voice sound like a saxophone and an electric guitar, has a four octave range and looks like a hobbit? No one else, that's who.

So we saw the show at the Birchmere, a very cool venue that's very small and intimate and serves you a great dinner with the show (not for free of course).

So, in general my favorite songs by most artists are not the ones that they usually play in concerts, i.e. Andy You're a Star- The Killers, Revelate-The Frames, and Candy-Martin Sexton. But tonight when he seemed just a bit lost on what to play next in his set list, I very subtly (or not) suggested that he sing Candy, and he did! It was great, just like getting a present, and I swear he looked out at me in the audience. Maybe not, but it's fun to think so.

Happy Madonna Day

I'm back- I know it's been a while, but I'm a busy girls. Infact, I just got home from New York last night. Miss Robin turned 20, or maybe 30, so she, kelly, Jen and I headed up to NYC for the weekend to see Madonna herself at Madison Square Garden.

The weekend started out very nicely with some shopping and a very nice, or not nice as the case may be, shopkeeper that hit me in the head with a shirt and then yelled at me. But no worries, the ladies at the next store were fabulous.

The next day Robin told us that her leg hurt- she'd had some problems the year before, but now the scar was swollen and it hurt. Jen, the pharmacist, made sure we checked it throughout the day, and after Legally Blonde (A fabulous show, and now I am grateful to Emily for making me watch the legally blonde reality show where they chose the lead) the infection started to streak- this is a bad thing, I've learned. So it was off to the emergency room.

Robin had a very nice visit with the doctor where she had to steer the conversation away from what she was supposed to tell her bosses about the war and back to her leg, which just happened to have a flesh eating bacteria in it. She got some anti-biotics, and all is well.

Monday was Madonna day. We ate at the oldest tavern in NYC where George Washington dismissed the troops, got manis and pedis, and then took a nap. (actually I took a nap every day of this little vacation, and it was fabulous!) Then off to Madonna.

She was amazing, and her dancers were even more so. Also on the amazing front, Jen managed to sit next to the only strait, single guy in the whole of Madison Square Garden.

On Tuesday I finally got to go to Serendipity and have some frozen hot chocolate. It was delicious and superfun. All around good times to be had by all.

Who let him out of the house like that?

If you look between the lovely Robin and Kelly, you'll see a man who needs the help of a woman when getting dressed in the morning. Apparently he met his girlfriend at the market.

Blue-Buck pancakes at Eastern Market are a DC tradition, and I've tried several times to partake in the syrupy goodness, but have been thwarted up until this morning.

They were indeed very tasty, below you will see Jen reaching across the table to sample some of mine. (Moments later, I reached across the table to sample some of her chocolate chip pancakes).

Kelly actually got in trouble from the owner for not finishing her pancakes, but he let her go anyway because she's cute. And if you look at the guy in the baseball cap at the very edge of the picture, he's famous and important in some government capacity. I just don't remember who he actually is.

Hello there

I went to see a Singaporean movie with some friends tonight called "Gone Shopping". I laughed quite a bit, but it was also pretty sad. The show was about a woman who bought clothes when she was lonely, shoes when she was lost and bags when she was sad. But then there was also a video gamer that caried broad sword around the mall so that helped to lighten things up.

Then, as I was walking back to the Metro I came upon this little fellow.




Now I'm not really sure what it's supposed to be, kind of looks like a little lizard ghost that got smashed in the crosswalk, but it was a pleasant surprise in the middle of Independence Ave.

I have creative friends

I have three friends that are all rather amazing and I love them dearly. Throughout the day we often send long strings of emails back and forth and they keep me thoroughly entertained. Miss Kelly is particularly creative and when there are slow news days (i.e. the convention is over) she comes up with gems like this:

In honor of Amanda who will see Les Mis and in memoriam of Coney Island for Robin. I give you the lyrics to I Dreamed a Dream, then Robin's - I Dreamed of Coney Island.

Fantine - I Dreamed a Dream Lyrics
[Fantine is left alone, unemployed and destitute]

[FANTINE]There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

========================================

Robin - I Dreamed of Coney Island lyrics
[Robin is with friends, recently promoted, but still sad]

There was a time when developers were kind
When Coney Island thrived
And the rides were exciting
There was a time, I'll forever remind
My friends 'bout the Mermaid Parade
And the Astroland lighting
There was a time
Now it will be gone

I dreamed a dream in times gone by
When the Cyclone was high
And the ocean breezes blowing
I dreamed this place would never die
I dreamed of hot dogs and Freaks worth Shooting
But my dreams were coldly cast aside
And Nathan's dogs will likely not get eaten
Who can I call to make this right?
Can Mayor Bloomberg be intreated?

But my friends will not desert
They press cold washcloths to my forehead
As I suffer through withdrawal
They feed me bites of cotton candy
They sit all evening by my side
And give me shoes and clothes to try on
From my agony they will not hide
And they distract me from the pain
And still I dream of Coney Island
That I will ride the rides forever
But oh my dreams, they cannot be
I must write a strongly worded letter

I had a dream but now it seems
Thor has turned my dreams to nightmares
So I take them back and now I scream,
I hate you Thor, but I'll always have my dreams

Optimistic

I just bought a lawn ticket to see an outside show..... with a hurricane approaching.

OBX

So, did anyone notice that it's September all of a sudden? I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but here it is. And as a last hurrah, I spent the final weekend of official summer at the outer banks of North Carolina and it was wonderful.

I was at an amazing beach house with 15 of my closest friends, or one very close friend and a bunch of very nice people that I didn't know before or at least didn't know very well. But it was great fun to meet lots of new people and spend a fabulous weekend relaxing, and swimming, and playing volleyball, and getting dipped cones at Dairy Queen, and taking naps.

The highlight had to have been swimming in the ocean at night because it sparkled. There was something in the water that lit up when it got aggitated (like in the waves or when we splashed or stepped on the wet sand). It was amazing to see the stars shining and the water sparkeling, it was all very surreal.

Oh, and there was a late night/early morning photo session with a frog named Celine.