DC trip

Somewhat appropriately, I spend this president’s weekend in our nation’s capital. Alas, instead of pissing on the National Mall or Stoop drinking at the Lincoln Memorial, I spent the weekend engages in activities theatric, not patriotic, occasionally alcoholic.

I left work and hit Penn Station for a 7pm train. I feasted on Roy Rogers, a treat that one can only seem to find on the trip between NYC and DC (if anyone knows the location of a Roy Rogers not between these two cities, let me know). A quick train ride and a successful navigation of the DC Metro, (which feels like you are traveling in an underground world lost in an earthquake or something), and I met up with the long absent Bourbon Samurai. Bourbon, who had been on a three month pilgrimage working at the Shakespeare Theatre of DC, had prepared for company by purchasing a 30 pack of beer and a bottle of Whiskey that was distilled three blocks down the road at a local liquor store. The whiskey in question was uniquely gross, as it had no bite or aftertaste per se, but still tasted like bad whiskey. It was like if someone had watered JD down on a molecular level. Bourbon and I drank, caught up, and watched two movies perfect for having on in the background while drinking, Serenity and Tombstone. The movies were occasionally interrupted by the sounds of the upstairs neighbor nailing the hell out of someone/something, which according to Bourbon is a big chance from the neighbor’s constant playing of Guitar Hero. Around 2 am, Teach and the Gymnast arrived and had a drink. Now, when the night was over, the 30 pack was gone, but Teach and Gymnast had two beers each. Yes, the Dream Team was back in action! Around 4 am, Teach, who was my roommate for the weekend, and I had a fierce rocks, paper, succors battle as to who got to sleep in Bourbon’s parents’ huge comfortable bed, and who got to sleep on the blow-up mattress on the floor using a towel as a blanket. I won, go me.

The next morning, I was awoken by Teach jamming out on one of Papa Bourbon’s civil war era bugles. I would be more annoyed if it wasn’t 11am, and kinda hilarious. After procuring lunch, we got down to business, which was working on the details of our new theater company, and namely the script of the first show. We did this for 6 hours straight, taking the occasional 10 minute break to pee and make sure no one threw a book at anyone. While intense and ending in the giant idea-explosion that seemed more awesome then helpful, we accomplished a lot. As Teach said of the 6 hour session, “This was thrilling and fulfilling, like sleeping with the headmaster's daughter”.

When it became clear no more work of worth was to be done, we all took a break from each other to nap/work on something else. I took a walk, and bought more beer for the evening. A little time later, we all met up, and began drinking and watching a movie I am ashamed to say I had never seen before, The Blues Brothers. It is a testimony to the brilliance of Akroyd and Belusi, as it is less of a film but more a 2 and a half hour adventure in things that the two love (Blues music, car chases, how freaking funny they are in any situation) yet it is still one of the greatest comedies ever. As the movie drew to a close, we met up with some people I had not seen in a long time.

First up was The Persian, who had been living in Virginia since the fall. He looked a lot better than he usually does, and I am not saying that because he came in with a bottle of Jameson, because in all honesty he usually had a bottle a Jameson with him. He is working at a gym from 5:30 am to 1pm, which is weird considering I didn’t think he went to bed until 5:30 am, ever. Next up was Sergio, who came into town because I was around, and his fiancé Tinroof. I had not seen Sergio in a while, and it was a treat. His fiancé was really cool, and any woman who can be in the same room with me, Teach, and Bourbon Samurai while we were on a guys night out bender is quality people. Finalizing the evening was an appearance of Mini-Roma, who is from Virginia and as it turns out is involved in the same theatre company as the Persian. We spend the evening catching up with old buddies, cooking up burgers at Midnight, and listening to Teach and the Persian argue over nothing and slam on the table. I tried to tell Tinroof every embarrassing story I could about Sergio, but she seemed to know many of them. Around 3:30, I admitted defeat to The Creature, lose the rocks, paper, scissors match to Teach, and went to bed.

Again arising at 11 am (and finding my new overcoat makes a better blanket than a towel), I began helping Bourbon clean up the dozens and dozens of beer cans that littered his parent’s home. After a first silo, we headed into town to see the show that Bourbon was an understudy for. The show was actually really good, and a great example of using theatricality to create magic onstage. Ironically, the biggest problem with the show is that the lead, who Bourbon was understudying under, sucked a nut. We ate at this great Thai place after the show, I helped Bourbon clean up the rest of his house, and then I headed to meet my train. I returned to my house in Queens around 3 am, filled to the brim with theatricality, patriotism, and beer.