Abingdon and back again

We have been doing a bit of travelling lately. First, we were down in North Carolina a couple of weekends ago to see Next to Normal and then also to see Rachel graduate.

I (Mike) was silly and bought an iced coffee (I don't drink coffee) and a cup full of donuts holes (I shouldn't eat cups full of donuts, especially right then since my Navy physical fitness test was coming up that Friday)

Rachel is one of those blue ants!

We were able to meet a lot of Rachel's friends and hear Carson's band play. They were so good that I felt like an impostor when one of them asked me what I had majored in in college and I said "music." 

Watching the show.

When I got back from North Carolina I finally got around to decorating my office.

I (Mike) should have asked for help when moving the large pieces of furniture, especially right then since the Navy physical fitness test was coming up that Friday.

On Tuesday, Kelsey's nonprofit had an event for all of their new college scholars. While there, some of her graduating students gave her a card.

She refused to open it in front of them because she knew that she would cry.

Friday was National Bike to Work Day! Kelsey didn't have a bike...

So she just went and walked on a treadmill.

I, however, had my sister's old bike, which I have since learned is a genre of bike called a "beach cruiser." It is so called because it is designed for cruising on a flat surface. A beach, for example. For that reason, it only has one brake, located on the front wheel, and it has no gears.

Since it was National Bike to Work Day, I hopped on it around 5:30AM and promptly biked fifteen miles to work. It was mostly successful.

Except for that moment when I was reminded what happens when you only have a front wheel brake and you are going down a hill. (Please do not send concerned texts or e-mails. I am fine. My knee is fine. It looks perfectly normal now.)

Anyway, remember how National Bike to Work Day was on Friday... and how my Navy physical fitness test was also on Friday? And how I had apparently not ever used the muscles necessary to power a single-geared bike up hills until that day? 

So there I was doing the running portion of the physical test. I was out in front of my entire command trying to stay ahead of Dan, the fastest person from my ODS class, for just a few seconds. I made it through lap one of six with 1:26 split, which is exactly what I was going for, and Dan and I were running right next to each other. 

It was at that point, right after the first lap, that the long-unused bike muscles in my legs tightened up. I improvised and began running somewhat like the tin man rapidly losing his oil reserves. Unimpressed, my legs went into shutdown mode and I stopped in the middle of the track, wanting to move but finding myself entirely unable. My entire command passed me and expressed concern as I very very slowly collapsed to the ground. 

After everyone finished I explained what had happened to my skipper and she laughed and laughed (most of my office, once they realized that I had never been in any sort of serious danger, also laughed). Then she told me that I could retake the test on Monday- today- which I did. I did not bike into work today so I passed with a very wide margin. 

Over the weekend, though, Kelsey and I went to Abingdon, Virginia- a place so rural that our weather app on the way there just said this:

It's not wrong.

I had thought that Abingdon was much closer than it actually was, but we had a lovely drive through the mountains on Saturday and an equally nice drive on the way back. Plus, I got to see one of my oldest friends starring in a professional production. She has starred in many professional productions since beginning her career, but this was the first one I have been able to see.

We were very excited and didn't get any pictures of the actual theater. Just us.

And of course, a picture with the star!

We would have gotten a picture of us standing with Em standing with herself, but they shut down the lobby before she was done getting changed. 

This coming weekend we are staying right here. No more driving right now. And no more biking. Well, maybe a little bit of biking. I think I have the hang of it now and the trip to work was really very pretty. And there isn't another fitness test for six months or so, so I'm safe.

Pictures: Recent Eats + Mothers Day Round 1

The most beautiful smelling flowers in Georgetown one day after work!

One of my favorite pictures of Ashton recently:)

How I know I'm ready for summer....doesn't get much more refreshing...

I've been super into avocados lately and sent Mike a recipe for chilled avocado soup with crab meat, which he lovingly prepared in our Vitamix without too much recipe experimentation besides putting ALL the crab meat in it.

Happy Mother's Day to my lovely mother!!! I was so glad to see her and Courtney this past weekend since Mike and I will be in Chapel Hill this weekend for Rachel's graduation!

Great pic of Court and Ashton by the pool even though the water was a little cold still.

Love this pictures of Courtney and Ashton:)

THEN, the highlight of this post: watch me teach Ashton to say Mike! (It's unfortunately easier to say than Kelsey or Auntie right now.)

Ten Years Later

A couple of weekends ago was my ten year reunion at Woodberry. This was also the weekend of Kelsey's show, so I made sure to see that on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and then went down to Woodberry on Saturday. Since I couldn't use Kelsey's car I had to get a rental. I ordered the economy car. When I got to the car place, they didn't have any economy cars. I grudgingly accepted the free upgrade.

And Beau made me take a picture with it.

The thing that I love about Woodberry is that it never changes in any real way. Sure, some buildings are torn down and some others have been built, but the spirit of the place remains the same. I walked into the Walker Center and saw Cirves directing a show. A group of us went to the Fir Tree and got the same milkshakes and curly fries that we would order as students. Naturally, this is exactly the kind of feeling that Woodberry wants to elicit in its alumni when they return.

Some people I have seen more often than others in the intervening ten years.

Other people I have seen less often, but still- nothing much has changed...

I mean, we still look basically exactly the same, right? Willy wasn't at the reunion because he was in Japan or some other terrible excuse like that.

Also of note, Kelsey and I returned (again) to 1789 to celebrate the paying off of her student loans! 

She made me take exactly one picture, so that we could remember the crème brûlée forever. 

What I Learned in Pirate School

I'm officially done with my 2nd GGSS show! Even though I haven't quite caught up on sleep yet, I'm still so incredibly glad I did it. I believe there was a noticeable difference in my anxiety levels on stage. One of my friends actually said after a show one night that I seemed really comfortable on stage. Add that to the list of things I never thought people would say about me. Other things: apparently my biceps were a little out of control during this show and also I make a cute boy. 

All in all, I had an amazing time and am sad it's over. There was one point during show week where I told Mike he would have to take the GGSS torch because I was retiring.  But now I'm not so sure I won't want to do a victory lap:)

Just find whatever makes you happy!

Mom-in-law Leslie and Michael! Leslie, my coworker loved meeting you:)

Nanny (Mike's grandma): "Kelsey, aren't you going to take a picture of the food!?" Of course, Nanny!

Oh, oh. This was the point at Saturday's potluck where Noah began plating things. Goo was understandably distressed. I was too until I began shoving orzo-stuffed tomato with balsamic reduction in my mouth.

There was a round two that involved tiny homemade truffles in the shape of seashells and ships. The salt on top (I'm sorry, I don't remember what kind of fancy kind it was) was extremely on point..

View from the G12 roof at Saturday's party! Beautiful.

                     

When I was late for strike and Mike was at his reunion, but he still helped me find my keys in the morning<3

Pirates shirt!

Costume Crew completely beasted our costume closet. Re-organizing this guy was the most fun I've ever had at strike. That's not sarcasm.

Forward, ho!

I would also insert a picture of the coconut cake that Ween and Daddy Jim brought us when they visited on Friday, but, and don't be disturbed by this, there is no evidence of it left. If Mike and I had nothing in common but our love for that specific cake, I think it would be enough haha.

This week, we are planning on resting and finding new "normal" schedules. Mike has to wake up at 5:30am now. So far, I've been resisting waking up that early and sleeping in, but eventually I want that to become my morning gym routine.

Hope everyone has a great week and thanks for all of your support throughout the show!

                                             

I'm In Production Week!

Last night was opening night and I'm feeling the love of production week. Josh, Absi, Ross, and Mike were a little cheering section together and the cast always feels especially funny when Josh and Ross's laughs boom out over the audience.

The hardest part of the week seems to be getting enough sleep, but we actually have a work event on Saturday so I have today off and was able to sleep in which was glorious. And now I get to spend today hanging out with Mike's mom and grandma who came into the city to see the show. Mike thinks it is hilarious that Nanny decided to travel down to see the show before she even knew Mike was also going to be back from NJS at the time. He told me that she said she was going to be brave and take the trip down by herself because I was being brave by being in the show. I definitely got teary when he told me this, and have been striving to be even braver with my acting/singing/dancing every night I'm out on stage.

Kelly and Alex are also coming tonight, and somehow Kelly has managed to send me tiny texts of encouragement right when I need them. The other day she sent me a picture of Jack Sparrow which later became my inspiration for what I do to my hair. (I was later told I actually just looked like Legolas from LOTR which I can live with.) I don't know how Kelly always texts me right at the exact moments I'm freaking out, but that's why she is my person.

Mike's other grandparents are coming Friday night, and although I won't be able to see them I'm glad Mike will. I also have coworkers coming every other nights of the show with their significant others. It means so much to me to share this experience with other people.

I know Mike would ideally like to be in the show too. Instead of being onstage, however, he is serving as house manager every night but one. He will probably end up getting even less sleep than I do this week. And still last night he got me a drink, met all of my new friends, and let me stay at the party as long as I wanted to celebrate opening night before driving us home. Sometimes that's what love looks like.

Pirate ladies!

Backstage pirate party!

I'm Not In Production Week!

This is Mike, obviously, because I'm not in production week. But Kelsey is.

Kelsey is an actress.... and I'm in the military.

Makes sense, right?

A year ago around this time I was in production week and not in the military, and even though I had been told that my commission was going to happen I didn't believe that I would ever actually get in and be able to actually do things. I was also not married. Or engaged. I was, of course, very hopeful that the year would go... exactly as it has gone. I had a plan for it all somewhere in the back of my head, but having that plan actually work out is a great birthday present.

For my actual birthday I insisted on cooking because I am still recovering from my 67 days without anything but a microwave. We grilled some burgers and I made Pina Coladas our new vitamix (named Dalek Goo in honor of Emily Goo and to continue our theme of giving appliances Dalek names). Kelsey was a wonderful hostess and made a dessert of angel food cake, strawberries, and whipped cream (made in Dalek Mix, which thankfully took over my normal job). Then I ate way too much and had a lazy Sunday, which is how I like to do birthday weekends.

Today I took the bus/metro to work but decided that it was such a nice day that I should jog back. I knew that the map said it was something like twelve miles but I felt that the map was exaggerating a bit.

It was not. The red dot is not where we live, it's where my legs said "time to walk" and I turned off my running tracker in shame. On the plus side, I learned that 95% of the run from work to my house is on bike/pedestrian trails. So if I ever get a bike, there's that.

I'm very proud of Kelsey for doing the show, but it gives me the feeling that I should be doing something too. Work is very slow so far and I forget that sometimes I should not be so eager to take the mountain of assignments right at the start. Maybe I'll learn eventually. Probably not.

Right On Time

It turns out that spring, spring break, and MJ all showed up right on time. "March Madness" is officially over at work, I'm so so glad to have Mike back home, and I'm incredibly grateful that that his 10-day house-hunting leave overlaps with my 4-day spring break. 

Best things so far about having husband back:

• Getting home from rehearsal at like 10:30pm and collapsing on the couch because there is pain in forgotten muscles and I'm beyond exhausted. Then, Mike quietly tells me he made gnocchi today (yes, MADE it) and asks if I would like some. I would almost just prefer going to bed at this point, but I try just a little bit and it is absolutely the most delicious comfort food with a roasted carrot cream sauce that I just decided to eat a whole bowl. I think he thought I wouldn't like it, but unfortunately, I liked it so much that I'll now be requesting it on the regular.
• Running dates where we don't take our ipods because I ramble and then Mike tries to teach me cadence callbacks.
• Running mundane and annoying errands that turn into adventures because you have a buddy.
• Watching all of Season 2 of Orphan Black (not by facetime). 

This is exactly how I felt this past Saturday...

A picture of Ashton at his first Easter Egg hunt. Too cute.

On Thursday Mike, Josh, and I went to see Man of La Mancha by Shakespeare Theatre Company. This season has been REALLY incredible. The last 2 shows were pretty spectacular, but MJ had to miss out due to NJS. Man of La Mancha was possible the best show to celebrate his homecoming. We all got pho for dinner and then the boys got Rita's for dessert. Since I prefer ice cream or frozen yogurt to custard, I sought out finding my own dessert before the show. Luckily, I have vast knowledge of places where you can find ice cream in this city and Luke's Lobster had just brought back their cherry ice cream cookie sandwich (everything is cherry themed in DC this time of year for the Cherry Blossom festival). It was delicious and I made the boys try it.

On Saturday evening, Mike and I had a dinner extravaganza with Jessie and Duncan. I had been at Jessie's the night before for a show party and realized that all four of us had been wanting to try Hank's Oyster Bar for happy hour. So we decided to go on Saturday and have some wine and oysters. Raw oysters are delicious and I even ate some without cocktail sauce. 

After oysters and drinks, we decided we needed a real dinner and Mike wanted to introduce them to Medium Rare: a place in Barrack's Row that has a pre-set menu of salad, steak, and fries. I feel like I've been there a lot, but it's still good every time. However, we've never had room for dessert there. It does help when you have 4 people to split dessert between. Since dinner was so good, I was honestly expecting the sundae to be lackluster, but it was absolutely delicious!!! Add this to my list of places to get ice cream in the city:)

Mike and I went home for Easter and had a great time spending time with my family. Ashton is starting to say words and he is so animated all of the time. We watched a movie and ate smoked salmon, pasta salad, and eggs: both the hardboiled and Reese's variety. 

I just really liked this quote from Rob Bell about "resurrecting love"...

Because my mom is always asking how Rupert is doing, here is a video to demonstrate the kinda life he has going for him right now: