Anatomy of an addiction

The best sight:

"My day has come!"

The WORST sight:

"I swear I just had 5 lives. How is this happening?"

Who's hangry*?

A year or two ago, I was out somewhere with my sister and niece and I was getting a little annoyed with Julia because she was behaving like a beast. Jen explained to me that Jules was just hungry and then she hit me with a real showstopper: "Think about how you behave when you're hungry."

Ohhhhh.

I understood completely.

And if there's a market for these cards, apparently I'm not alone. Perhaps I should stock up.

*Hangry - (han-gree) adj. a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state.

Stay classy, DC.

The emperor would like you to fix the broadcast. Immediately.

So, last night I headed downtown to the Shakespeare Theater to see a play beamed via satellite from London. About 15 minutes into the play, someone in the theater had a heart attack or something. They stopped the broadcast and about a dozen emergency personnel rushed in and took care of her, and then they announced they'd rewind the play's broadcast a few minutes and start it up again. Well, apparently they didn't know how to rewind it just a few minutes (something simulcast something something...) and they had to re-start it from the beginning. It was only 15 minutes. No big deal, right?

No.

People went nuts. It's amazing how quickly society can completely break down. Now let me just reiterate, this is the National Shakespeare Theater. People are dressed up. The median age is 63. The snack bar sells champagne in little fluted glasses. These are not rowdy people. Unless, of course, you make them sit through the first 15 minutes of a play twice. Then you better just hang on to your sugar-rimmed gingerbread cookies with the frosting portrait of William Shakespeare on the front because things are about to get sloppy.

Little old ladies started booing like spectators at the Roman Colosseum who want to see a gladiator beheaded. Middle aged gentlemen in bow-ties started yelling, "This is the wrong place!" and "Fix it! FIX IIIIIITTTTT!" It was like Lord of the Flies in there. I just kept quiet and scoped out the emergency exits.

That was until, about 10 minutes in, an actor entered wearing only a small pair of underwear. Then the elderly woman sitting behind me said, "Oh wait, this part we do want to see again."

It was pure class.

I love the British. I love the British so much.

"The pheasant, nicknamed Phil by Ms Hudson, lurks around from morning until night, and attacks her family as they go to and from their house, in Wentnor, Shropshire."

Yes, there is video.

"The unpleasant pheasant..." Marry me, England.

Look for the helpers.

 

 

Cherry Blossoms

So, what has been going on with me this last month? Work, work, work. Also, the DC spring allergy season hit me so hard, I'm wondering how much more pseudoephedrine I can put into my body without testing positive for meth.

One good thing about DC in the spring? The cherry blossoms.
So. Very. Lovely. They were a gift from the Japanese government in 1912. Did you know some were planted in Manhattan, too?

I went down this past weekend, when the Park Service predicted the trees would be at their peak, but the cold nights kept them as buds, and I felt very bad for all the tourists who had traveled so far to see them. However, even the buds are gorgeous. They're a deep pink color and lovely to see.

The biggest crop of trees were planted around the gorgeous Tidal Basin.

They were even pinker in real life.

There were a few trees here and there
that were blooming among the buds.

There were also entertainments,
such as this delightful Indian dance troupe.

I went down again yesterday to see the trees in full bloom. They are really impressive.

 

Quite a difference, eh?

 

I stopped at this bridge to set down my bag and change lenses.
That was when my 55-200 mm lens almost went straight into
the drink. It slipped out of my hands and began to roll into the
Tidal Basin. I caught it just in time and all I could think was
how Kristen is always so appalled at my lack of care with my lenses.

The Jefferson Memorial is my favorite, and so beautifully situated.

Did you know this? Very cool.

I've never seen so many cameras in one place. Everywhere you
looked, people were under the canopy of blooms, snapping away
with everything from iPhones to professional cameras on tripods.

Some of the trees were still very pink
and looked gorgeous next to the fluffy, whiter trees.

This city has never looked so good!