Many apologies for not making timely updates throughout the last week – I never really had a chance to sit down long enough to type anything out that made sense. I’m home now… well, I’m at work. I was home long enough to see the kitties and wash my hair before I had to turn around and come up to the office.

This past week was amazing. First thing I have to say is thank you so much to my brother, Michael for getting me the last minute plane ticket. To Brian, Marshall and Julie. You really took a huge load off my mind, watching the cats like you did. Also, thanks to Mike for lending me his camera.

Mad props to my homies.

I haven’t been so happy to spend time with someone in a long time, too long to remember really. Justin and I have probably talked to each other on average of once a day since we met January and being able to hug him again after all this time was such a thrill. It made the 2+ hour plane ride worth every agonizing minute. I’d do it again.

I did so much I don’t think I can remember it all, but I’ll try. If Justin or Alberto can fill in any details please feel free… I have terrible short term memory. (Probably from that one time I smoked pot… that shit’ll eat holes in your brain, I swear.)

Friday night: I got in a day early due to the flight, go me. Justin was at his production of Thoroughly Modern Millie and couldn’t join us. Alberto picked me up from the Airport and brought me to meet his friends at Recessions – an underground (literally) hotel bar near Dupont Circle. I tried not to drink for as long as I could, but his drunken friends John, Andrew and two others (James and his sister?) eventually talked me into a couple of cocktails… plus they were buying. I got home late and slept in.

Saturday: Alberto and I met Justin and Stephanie at the Cherry Blossom Festival, Steph was volunteering there and we had fun watching various displays of Japanese culture and stuff. Martial Arts exhibitions and some Japanese rock bands were present. Very cool. Justin and Stephanie both speak Japanese so Alberto and I each had our own private translator! :)

After the festival Justin had to get ready for the play that evening, and Alberto, Stephanie and I met met their friends for a birthday dinner at some mall restaurant that was very OK. Afterwards we went to see Justin in T.M.M. and we were all completely shocked at how amazing the production was. The sets were incredible, the singing was excellent and Justin looked adorable in his suit and suspenders as he tap danced around the stage. (I’m not sure he knows the extent of my ‘thing’ for suits and ties yet…. heh heh heh) Afterwards we went back to the mall for drinks. We discussed the fact that I’ve been in D.C. for two days and so far I’ve only been to bars and restaurants that were located inside of malls or hotels. Justin pledged to ‘not be as lame as Alberto and Stephanie’ (he was kidding) and he later made good on this promise.

Case in point: the next morning Justin and I went to eat lunch at the coolest middle eastern restaurant ever: Yazuzu. The decor is inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 – one of my favorite movies ever and the food was excellent. It was even served on little space-age cafeteria trays!

I highly recommend it. Justin and I agreed that the Pita could use some improvements.. but the owner explained that he has a problem getting a consistent supply from his delivery person and he cant heat it since he doesn’t have an oven. (He heats everything with steam.) Still.. get a microwave maybe?


After that the week was kind of a blur. I visited a few D.C. bike shops, ate all the Ethiopian food I saw, did as much as I could (that time allowed) with Alberto and Justin and managed to sneak in some sightseeing between it all: The Washington and Lincoln Monuments, WW2 and Korea Memorials as well as the Native American, Holocaust and Air and Space Museums.

The metro is incredible – I want to move there just to experience a functional public transit system.

The train ride home took almost 30 hours, as we were delayed by several freight trains. That sucked. Someone stole my toothbrush on the train. My used toothbrush. How nasty is that?

All in all I’m a little sad to be home. It was so nice to see Alberto and everyone again and a relief to know I’m not crazy for feeling the way I do about somone I met in a bar nearly 5 months ago and talk on the phone with on a daily basis. :)

I miss him already.