I Think I'm Addicted...

to Wolftrap!  Yesterday morning (July 29) I was looking for something to do on a Friday night.  I looked at a lot of different websites and nothing looked interesting enough or there was nothing going on at that place last night. Then I saw something that talked about Wolftrap and I immediately thought why didn't I think of that earlier?!

So I looked up what was playing last night and it was the National Symphony Orchestra with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Stephanie J Block.   And I contemplated going and heard that some of my co-workers were going and then contemplated some more and then decided I should go.  I called up Emma (since I had promised to do something with her last night) and asked her if she would like to go with me instead of watch a movie and she said of course.  We went and it definitely did not disappoint.  It was awesome! Marvin Hamlisch and Brian Stokes Mitchell are highly entertaining and Marvin Hamlisch is hilarious!

And this Saturday (September 3), I am once again going to Wolf Trap with Emma. We are going to see Peter Pan.  It should be good.  I am way excited about it!

I have been to or will have been to four different events at Wolf Trap since I moved here in March.  Our President's Own marine band on Memorial Day weekend, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert, the National Symphony Orchestra with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Stephanie J Block and then to Peter Pan on Saturday.  Did I already mention that I love Wolftrap?   Well I do.  I'm glad that it is relatively close to my house.  Well that is all. 

"A Quake! A Quake! The House Begins to Shake..."

Today I felt my first earthquake!  It was crazy.  I heard it before I felt it.  I was washing my hands in the bathroom at work, when I heard a noise.  Then I felt the shaking.  At first I thought maybe it was a big truck that hit the building or something.  I didn't think about it being an earthquake until I came out of the bathroom and the ground started shaking some more. I walked toward my office while the ground was still shaking and all of my co-workers congregated in the hallway. It's funny because none of us ran to a doorway or ran outside, we just all went to the hallway and started talking about it. (I guess the only thing is that my co-workers who worked upstairs ran downstairs when it started.)  It didn't last for very long but it was undoubtedly an earthquake.

I went outside a minute or two after it happened to bring something to the recycling bin and all of the other people who worked in our building were outside.  They excitedly talked to me about how they all ran outside as it was happening and they asked us what we did when it happened.  It was all pretty funny in my book. Oh and the richter scale said it was a 5.9 earthquake, which is pretty big for this area.

Well I think that's all for now.  I am tired and need to go to sleep.  Good night.

P.S. Peter and Mika and family and Matt and Karey and family are all fine.  Pete works on the 17th story of a high-rise building and he really felt it.  Matt works on the 5th floor of a building and felt it too.  Mika and Karey both felt it and were at their homes when it happened and all are doing fine.   

"To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Question."

A couple of weekends ago (July 30), I went with some friends to Staunton Virginia.  You ask, what is in Staunton VA that would make us want to travel the 2 hours to get there?  Well only the most awesome Shakespeare theater ever! 

No seriously, it was awesome! It was a smaller theater set up as it would have been in Shakespeare's time. We saw two plays and the actors that played in "Hamlet" were the same actors that played in "The Importance of Being Earnest" that same evening.  During the intermission, some of the actors would entertain us by playing the guitar and sing modern songs, such as "Love Shack," "Going to the Chapel."  It was awesome!  The actors could act, sing, dance, and memorize lines for two plays.  I was highly impressed!

I had a huge smile on my face the whole time :)  Awesome plays, awesome company, awesome music, awesome little town of Staunton, Virginia. 


P.S.  In between the plays,  we had a picnic in a park, on a gazebo, in the rain, and a duck pond.  What memories!  Thank you friends for inviting me!   

P.P.S.  This was my first time ever seeing, hearing, or reading the story of Hamlet.  I was surprised by it.  It wasn't as dark as I thought it would be.  (The actors were good at lightening up the mood when they could).  Hamlet was crazy, the grave digger was funny, and everyone died at the end.  I found it very interesting. 

 

Thank you stauntonbedandbreakfast.com for this picture.   

This is the theater.  We were sitting on the center balcony behind the person taking the picture and to the right.  (This picture was not taken while we were there.)  It was the perfect seat.  The theater was so small, that really any seat would have been awesome, except behind a pillar or something ;) 

There were audience members sitting on the stage too :)  The actors would turn to the audience members and talk to them as if they were part of the show.

I'm Stressed!

I'm a little stressed out right now and I'm having a hard time staying positive and realizing that what I am going through is a learning and growing experience.

How do I stay positive and submit cheerfully to the will of the Lord?  Do you know of any good talks or do you have any thoughts on the matter?  

I like this picture!  Isn't it awesome?!   Thank you film gab with Werth and Wise for this picture.

 I also like this too. Thank you kkbn.com for this image.

Masonic Memorial!

On Saturday July 23, I took a field trip.   It was super hot that day but I went anyway.  I hopped on the metro and went to Alexandria.  There was maintenance on the metro, so at West Falls Church, we all had to get off the train and then catch a free shuttle bus to East Falls Church.  It was exciting ;)  Something different.  (I am very glad that I brought my book with me for the trip (because I almost didn't), because I ended up doing a lot of waiting today and the book was lovely to have. Back to topic.)

I got off at the King Street metro stop and headed to the Masonic Memorial not too far from it.  I loved it!  I took a tour and it was totally worth it.  It was so fascinating.

Freemasons encourage their members to be charitable to all people and to show charity by becoming involved in their community. When they enter their temples, they leave everything about themselves at the door.  They leave their worries behind.  They are not the President of the U.S. or a research assistant or handicapped when they enter the temple, they are just themselves.  Just George or just Franklin or just John.  In the memorial, they have one of the only photographs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt with his braces on his legs in his wheelchair.  They have a picture of George Washington without his wooden teeth.

Freemasons strive to improve themselves and reach enlightenment.  Their temples show the path they need to take to reach enlightenment.  They believe their bodies are the greatest temple. 

I learned a lot more on the tour today, but alas I cannot tell you all.  (If you do decide to go, you should definitely take the tour.  It's worth it (it's only $5) and it's fascinating!)

I would love to go there again! So if anyone comes to the area and would like to go, let me know and I will come with you.

 Thanks to the Masonic Memorial website for this picture!