Honest Abelicious

Wow! I can't believe it's been almost two and a half weeks since I blogged - what can I say? I've been busy!

What started as another week or two ago (I'm really into a routine here) got a bit crazier and more fun as it went along, leaving me at another weekend Exhausted! It started like this...

On Sunday night we are always really worn out. We've been doing shows non-stop, and the weekend is where they just keep coming. It's like we live at the theatre! Because of this, Sunday's shows are usually filled with some tired voices and a little bit of sloppiness. We do our best though, to keep it fresh and energetic. On this particular Sunday it was easier to get our energy up, because Condelezza Rice was in the audience! Even though most of the cast was making death threats under their breath (hardcore democrats in the theatre) we all stepped it up and gave 100%. And when the night was over, I of course got my second "midnight wind" and wasn't tired anymore! So, some friends and I headed out to see the new Harry Potter movie. Now I love movies, and I LOVE the HP books, so this movie could only be fantastic. I loved every second of it, and was quite impressed with how some of those teenage boys are growing up! Hee hee.

Monday I jumped back into my routine of sleeping late and running errands. Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, a trip to the back... it's amazing how long it takes you to do simple errands when you don't have a car! I think my walk to the bank and then the grocery store was only a few miles, but it took me hours in the heat and humidity! But I need my rest, so it worked out well when I recover by sleeping for hours the next day. By Wednesday night though, some friends and I decided to have an adventure. Janice, Kyle, Dara, Sal and I headed out after the show to go to the Lincoln Memorial! We had to hike for about 20 minutes around highways and over one big hill, but eventually we got there! It was gorgeous at night, totally lit up with the hills dark all around it. You could see all the way across the reflecting pool to the Washington Monument, and we immediately started taking pictures. We climbed the pristine white steps and ooohd and aaaahd at the grandeur of Lincoln. I've always felt a special connection with Honest Abe, since we're birthday buddies! I totally recommend the monuments at night, because they're so peaceful and really just... monumental. It makes me want to be a good American.

On Thursday night for the show I dressed like a slob, totally forgetting that we were having a huge party with benefactors! Rich people who give money to the Kennedy Center love to tell their friends that they hung out with the cast, even if we don't really socialize that much at these things. I was wearing a stained tank top from 9th grade, so I challenged some of the ballerinas (who do NOTHING during the second act except watch tv and eat snacks) to make me an outfit out of found items in the dressing room. Jesse told me to wear my long black skirt as a tube dress, and make me a fantastic belt out of toe tape and toilet paper! It looked fantastic, and I got tons of compliments on my outfit. Project Runway here we come! The party was great, with fantastic food and fun drinks. We chatted a few people up, but mostly socialized amongst ourselves. Free food and drinks can always get our cast to bond.

Eventually the weekend was almost here, which is when we get reeeeally tired. On Friday or Saturday (it all blends together) I went to see Hairspray after the show with Sal, Adam, Janice, and Pamela. The movie was so much fun, I spent the whole time dancing in my seat. Then after the show, I was too excited to go home, so Janice and Pamela and I decided to hit up some bars in Georgetown! We went to Mr. Smiths, a great colleg-y piano bar, and stayed until it closed. Then we walked around and did some research on where to go on Sunday night. After the two shows on Sunday our old conductor Jonathan, who conducts the show in Vegas, was coming to visit, and we needed to go out.

So once again on Sunday night, exhausted out of our minds, we headed out. We ended up at a bar called Saloun, with a live Jazz band. Our group took up the whole back of the place, drinking beer and ordering pizzas. It was great to see everyone! By the end of the night, the "one drink" I was going to stay for had turned into more, and Jonathan, Sarah Lewis, Sarah Ford, Anne, Emily, Dara, and Sean and I were closing down the bar. Over the few hours we had met a celebrity (Shane Tallant, who hosts HGTV's Sell This House), I had gotten asked out by a limo driver named Saheed, and we had made friends with a woman named Linda who was too drunk to get out of the bathroom. The night ended with me getting Linda a chair, then coffee, and then helping the bartenders get her into a cab. Ridiculous! It was an amazing time, but I had to be up early the next day, so I headed home late and crashed! WHAT A WEEK!