The Banner that started it all

Some things are just meant to be. But every once in a while, it takes a sign from up above to get you moving on something. This is that sign, er well banner:

Woah! Wait! Who's that there in the bottom left hand corner? Could it be RENEE FLEMING?!! As a matter of fact, it is.

Last summer - July to be precise - I was in DC for a little vaca. Michelle, Sean, Lauren and I went to the Kennedy Center to see Shear Madness. Upon exiting the Kennedy Center, I noticed this banner ruffling in the breeze and it sent me a-pondering. "Hmmmm," I thought, "maybe I could see Renee Fleming in concert. Note to self, see when she's touring." So as soon as I got back to Arizona, I checked Renee's concert schedule, and the rest is history. I saw her in Denver on September 30th, and when I moved to DC in the winter, I saw her portrayal of Desdemona in the Met's Otello on February 22nd. And now I'm going to Massachusettes this weekend to see her in a concert performance of Eugene Onegin. Plus Lucrezia Borgia in November at the KC and hopefully Thais and Rusalka at the Met in 09.

So were it not for this banner, I probably wouldn't have seen the Denver concert. Which means I more than likely wouldn't have known to check the Met's schedule for Otello. Not seeing Otello probably would have kept me from meeting my new opera buddy Leah. So thank God for little (and big) signs (or banners)!

For the record, this picture was taken July 29th, Mel's birthday, and our little excursion to the KC for the Lion King. More on that for sure!

Just so you know...

...I will be getting back to the blog soon. It's been wicked busy these past few months. And although August brings unbearable weather here in the nation's capital, it also brings a month long recess for us Hill Staffers.

Here's what's on the agenda: A weekend trip to Boston and Lenox, MA, a weekend getaway to NYC for a Yankee's game, and a week long furlow back in hot, but dry Arizona. I've never worked an August in DC before, but I hear our work schedule is slightly less taxing than what we've been previously accustomed too. So that should equate to ample blog time to get caught up. This time I mean it. But don't start looking for regualr postings until mid-August.

Jumping Back In

Whoa!!! So busy, where to even begin? I haven’t had a chance to consistently blog since April. And now it’s almost August. The summer has just flown by and I can’t even believe I’ve lived in DC for almost 6 months. CRAZY!!! But I love it. Now I’m going to attempt to get caught up on what I’ve been doing between May and now. Here goes…

Update

The computer got fixed. God bless the IT guys at work. Nothing was lost. So it should be no time before I get all caught up on the blog. Keep checking back.

Give Teddy a chance

One of my favorite parts about going to the Nats games is the running of the Presidents Race. The race is very competitive between four of our country's beloved presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. I root for Teddy. Every time. And he breaks my heart, just like those darn Nats. Everytime.

I went to the game on Tuesday to see the Nats take on my own Diamondbacks. Never really following D-back baseball while in AZ, I left my loyalties to lie with the Nats. Not breaking from tradition, the Nats lost 2-0. Although the game wasn't too exciting, the Presidents Race was pretty riveting. Teddy held the lead for 80% of the race. Again, not breaking from tradition, Teddy lost a shoe, tripped, and lost the race to Abe. Another bitter loss.

A fellow blogger and Teddy enthusiast is following the Presidents Race very closely. Since the inception of the race back in 2006, Teddy has not won a single race. But I'm not giving up hope. Run Teddy, run!!!

Go here for the Teddy blog: http://blog.letteddywin.com