In a word, "WOW!"

Judy and I took a much needed break from all the hectic stress of moving. Back in January or February, we planned a mini-vacation for July 21, 22 and 23. The plan back then was to take a couple of days off and relax with some day trips from our home in Frederick to celebrate Judy's birthday. (Today, July 23rd, is her birthday.) That was before everything turned upside down in our world. Since we no longer have a home in Frederick, we found a nice B&B in Old Town Alexandria called "Yesteryear's Treasures" Over the last couple of days, we went to the National Zoo to see the baby panda, Tai Shan (who doesn't look much like a baby anymore) and drove past Arlington Cemetary. Generally, we behaved like tourists, knowing that it would be a while before we got back to DC.

The centerpiece of the trip, however, was "The Lion King" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. I bought the tickets back in the winter and the show has been completely sold out for months. To say it was spectacular, breath-taking, beautiful, and truly awe-inspiring would not do it justice! If you only see one show in your lifetime, this is the show to see!!! We found out that we were particularly lucky because the travelling company will be scaling back the production after the Kennedy Center run, so we got to see the last full version of the show on the road.

As if that wasn't enough, we went with my friend Katie, her husband and another friend. I invited Katie because she's a puppeteer (actually, she has a Master's degree in Puppetry) and thought she would really enjoy the show. Well, the world of puppetry is apparently a close knit community. On the way out of the Kennedy Center, Katie ran into an old friend and fellow puppeteer. He happens to be working on the crew of "The Lion King" and invited us backstage after the show for a behind the scenes tour!!!! OMG!!! You can't even imagine how magnificent it was!!! I was so excited, I was shaking!! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a memory I will treasure forever. In a word, "WOW!"

So, in the midst of tying down loose ends at the library, keeping our fingers crossed that everything continues to go smoothly with buying the house in Albany, worrying about not having a job to go to and all the other stresses of our current situation, this was a welcome and much needed bright spot.