Baltimore, MD and McLean, VA and D.C. - Labor Day Weekend

Business trip to Baltimore this week (and  I was also able to make a best connection at one of my favorite places, Hotel Monaco while there).  I met up with colleague Andrea Williams and we co-presented to a group of customers via "round robins". 

 

That night our customer treated the entire group to a boat tour of Baltimore Harbor.

Then I headed to Virginia the next day

 

to work the balance of the week in McLean.  One night we went to an awesome show at Blues Alley "The nations finest jazz and supper club" with some favorite friends / neighbors to see and hear Chris Thomas King. 

Me so excited to be going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

You may know him from his work and musical contribution to "O Brother Where Art Thou".  His voice is like silk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C49wU5EqT0

Next day it turned out that the National Book Festival was being held in Washington, DC which was a great surprise.  In the past it's been held on The Lawn but was moved to the convention center the last couple of years.  Having attended the Texas Book Festival for so long I have to say my venue preference is a mix of indoor and out but I loved getting to do this and pick up some books for friends and family members.

Lisa Scottline - an author that I have several books from thanks to Chelsea Israel and her high school connection to Lisa's daughter Francesca or "Kiki" - was one of the speakers at the festival and did a great job connecting with the audience.  I was also able to hear Walter Isaacson, Walter Mosley, John Meacham and a bit from Paul Halpern.











Labor Day - how awesome to have an extra day off.  We took the opportunity to head to DC again and check out the National Portrait Gallery.  We saw the Elaine DeKooning exhibit which featured a lot of men.  This painting looked a lot like the guy walking by.

There were tons of beautiful paintings and interesting exhibits to see

including this one that visitors could become a part of.




 

And the above center square with the bird is a piece of art that I got from an "art machine" which looked like an old cigarette machine.  For $5 you could get a surprise piece of "art in a box".  Check out www.wendyhuhn.com

 for more of her gorgeous stuff.

 

We even made a quick detour by the White House and I got to see the sniper on the roof (look close on the left side near chimney).

 

Big huge shout out goes to Jake and Gina for pet sitting Gem for the week. She's still learning the rules of the house but she is so happy to have a place where she is loved and cared for.

 

And thanks to the guy that makes my day.  So happy together.