East Coast
Visionary Belly Dancing Caravan Tour
2003

Laura Rose/ Caravan Blog:

October 3

It's day three of our big adventure...day three of my re-starting my diet, but more on that later. The Syracuse airport was really cute, small, and quiet - we were outta there really fast. The Doubletree Inn has really yummy cookies - oops there goes ketosis for that day...some really nice bellydancers from the Syracuse area came out to hang with us while we ate dinner. Hadia had straight Tequila - my kinda woman.

The next day we spent a long time in Kmart. I realized at the Doubletree that there would be treadmills along my journey, but I didn't have any jogging shoes...so I got some really ugly ones at Kmart. They didn't have hardly anything in size 10 and nothing to sit on so I just plunked down on the floor to try shoes on - patrons and employees alike looked at me surprised and disproving when they passed my aisle. HA HA After a harrowing drive down to Freeville - heavy rain, snow and lotsa big trucks on a little 2 lane highway - we met Suzanne and Chris who checked us into there lovely bed & breakfast "The Foxglove Inn". It got sunny and the sky is super beautiful - yellow clouds and deep blue sky - like a Maxwell Parish painting. Then Zajal came and took us to Ithaca - a cute, old little town - reminds me of Olympia - small and college. We met Tom at the Community Music and Arts School (or something like that) where we will be preforming tonight. He took us out to a really super yummy Thai Restaurant where there is nothing Atkins, so I lost the diet there too. I did indulge in some coconut custard as well - freaking awesome. Tom spent some years in politics, including serving on the New Hampsire House - during one of his stories I learned a great new thing: "Mason's rules debate" Not only does it sound cool, but its neat - It's a form of debate where you debate by asking questions of your opponent, and you can only state answers to their questions - so there aren't really any rebuttals (exept in question form).

I started today off with a jog down the road to a tiny little cemetary in the middle of someone's field. It was 29 degrees out, but I got these shoes and need to get my energy up for the show tonight so I donned my big ol' Russian rabbit fur hat and jogged like a crazy person 'til I found the "vegetable experiments" place and the field across the road which said graveyard. There were only maybe 8 graves - several of them belonging to the Tucker family who experienced the loss of three teenaged children between the years of 1815 and 1830 - pretty old, but I can't wait to find the even older ones. I can't WAIT to get to New England. This part of New York is really very pretty though. I hope I have some time to explore Ithaca a bit more before our show tonight - My first one!! I'm super nervous, but I'm sure I'll be fine or whatever. I hope we have a good turn out. So far today I've stayed on track diet wise and asked my mother to steer us away from the ethinic foods for dinner - Suzanne made us a delicious breakfast. More later...


October 9

Wow, been almost a week - the days are flying by. We have been just moving constantly - not much time to run errands, use the computer or see these cities we're stopping in, but its been a lot of fun anyway. My mom and I drove from Ithaca to Pittsburg in two sections - staying the night in Olean, NY. We stopped in the tiny town of Bath, NY for coffee and were pretty amused when none of the McDonald's employees could tell us how to get back on our highway (we WERE right next to it) They didn't even know what the freeway's name was - guess they didn't get out of town much. Wierd. The next morning we had a fun diversion into the tiny historic town of Harmony, PA. I read in the AAA book that the town had been settled by George Rapp and his Rappite society in 1804, but they left it to the local Menonites when they left for Indiana in 1814 - it said their original cemetery was still there. I wanted to check it out. So we're drivin' through town and stop to ask this lady where the old graveyard is and shes's like "there's no cemeteries around here." A minute later she was like "Ohhhh, you mean where they shot Night of the Living Dead." Hell yes. It was just down the road - a cemetery started around the first Menonite meeting house in 1814, but at the back end there were far more current graves - so it is old and new, but very very cool - looked just like in the begining of the movie.


There were a lot of graves in German - I took some pics - maybe someday we'll have time to post 'em. THEN these Menonites pull up in a minivan and this guy is asking my about my "gothic background". Not wanting to go into my rant about the definition of "gothic" I replied, "Meh, I just like to were black, you too eh?" Chuckle. Then he told me about his gothic vampire friends. Crazy.

So Pittsburg was fun - beautiful beautiful city. There courthouse and jail is a freaking castle. Or hotel was in kinda the hip part of town or whatever...our last night there I went out bar hopping and met some really nice, kinda spooky kids who I was able to talk into taking me into an old graveyard right in the middle of downtown, in the yard of a beautiful black church with red doors. Before taking me back to my hotel they gave me some much needed sea salt for my irritated piercings (they always go kinda bizerk when I travel). So that was Night of the Living Dead 2. I've been having a lot of pain in my back and sacrum, and chiropracter, Mark who was taking the drum class was really nice and got his table from the car to giver me an adjustment - Thank you so much! Then John of Gems of the world showered me with presents and gave me a rock treatment - I guess I don't really know what its actually called, but he had me hold different special stones which did different stuff to my body and made me feel fuzzy - the diagnosis: I have no root chakra - lost it when I was hit by a car while riding Lorraine's Vespa back in April. It was a neat experience. John's store is really cool - all kinds of neat treasures.

Saw the old family mill in Somerset, PA - see my mom's blog - I was feeling a little sick.

Philly was fast. The Casablanca restuarant we had the show at just beautiful - so nice and the food was delicious (and diet breaking) - I was really happy with my performance too. It was video taped but I didn't get to watch it. Najia and her husband Geoffery (who does chinese massage therapy and also worked on me - THANKS) were very nice and accomadating. Her house is just fabulous - this woman has serious style. She also gave me some really RAD presents from her days as a punk rocker. She showed us her drawings which are breathtaking and hyper-photographic. She did a really cool candleabra dance at the restuarant - A beautful, stylish woman and a very talented dancer - Thank you Nadia for all your hospitality.

I saw a giant truck shaped like a goldfish cracker - I wish I'd seen more of Philly, but aside from Najia's home and Casablanca that was really the coolest thing.

Yesterday was my best girlfriends birthday! Happy Birthday Lorraine!!!

We're at the Doubletree in Norwalk, CT right now - they have a treadmill so I got a jog in last night - yay! Off to Boston!!

*****


October 14

Ahhh, Boston was FABULOUS! - Just as I expected. Lorraine did an amazing job of putting it all together - every tiny detail attended to, every need and wish fulfilled, and I hear we were all quite successful too. The Boston area bellydance community is wonderful - very supportive, very willing to help, to come to these events - to just help out however needed. And they were all sooo friendly to boot. Aluma even gave us her house key and sent us off to find her house and take showers by ourselves! (Her husband and son ended up being home watching the game and were very gracious about letting use their bathroom and run). After that, just previous to the show, we went to the only bar in that area of Brookline to find it PACKED (seriously had to slide and push our way up to the bar) - The New York Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox was playing in Fenway park that night. The game was blaring and everyone a Red Sox fan (as I am now too). We were all screaming and clapping - it was a fun little slice of Boston culture I didn’t think I’d experience. Last night (here in Tiverton, RI) I watched the fourth game between the Sox and the Yanks with Barbara’s husband Mark, friends Joya and Colleen and Sergei from Germany/Russia. Sox won...Go Sox!!

Right. Back to Boston. I absolutely fell in love with our host family. We stayed in a huge, picturesque, three story house in Malden with the Carr family. Cecile and Mark were very sweet and accommodating - Cecile let me just help myself to the kitchen - make my own eggs every morning, as well as kept my weird dietary needs in mind every time she fixed meals. She is French and speaks to her children in French - very cool and sweet on the ear. Mark was also very friendly and supportive of these crazy belly dancers taking over his dining room. He also showed me how to use a couple of partnered websites to really get the best New York hotel deals. AND their children! Oh they were so cool - very bright and imaginative and beautiful - loved dress-up and dancing. They were very excited to have us. When we first came to their house Emilie (8) and Samuel (6) were running circles around us, showing us everything, and then this tiny little angle comes down the grand staircase - one step at a time, in cute little footy pjs no less and says, “Are you the famous belly dancers?” OH! I almost fell on the floor - overwhelmed with cuteness. As our stay progressed I loved playing with them and showing them costumes. We all danced together and Emilie even taught me her own Cleopatra defeating the Romans dance choreography - a very imaginative little girl. She reminded me of me when I was her age. I found myself wishing I had had the time to play some imaginary games with her - and I didn’t even think I liked kids! I put a turban on Samuel and showed him how to balance his plastic sword on his head and kick out his feet Russian style. Man these kids were so sweet. My eyes watered up when it was time to leave. Being around this family was just so fun and comfortable. When we first showed up and I saw the size and fanciness of the house, I was a little intimidated - what would these people think of me, some freaky, dirty, gothic/gypsy? But our stay was sooo comfortable! They made us feel really at home. Cecile and her children even helped me pick out what to wear to the ManRay - a fetish/goth club I went to with my mom one night.

Oh yeah, the ManRay - Mom and I had a blast. We wanted to stay all night, but we had to leave at midnight or we would turn into pumpkins! (actually we had early workshops). We got there early so for awhile we had the dance floor pretty much to ourselves - I spun and danced all over. Everyone in the room watched us - one guy even clapped after I got up after some floorwork - then my mom got in trouble for taking off her shoes. As the place filled we did a little shopping (there was a very talented leathersmith vending there) and got some really good deals on a kick a$$ leather face mask and ornate leather bra. Oh, did I mention it was pirate night? Well, it was. There were a lot of pirates there.

Our day off was Sunday - first day off on the trip and it was pouring rain. I had really wanted to go shopping in Cambridge (HubbaHubba in particular) but the driving stressed my mom out as it was, so the fact it was pouring and the streets were flooding (leaves clogging the street drains) made my shopping wishes out of the question. After a lovely little potluck hosted by Lisa (which included getting to meet a cute little chiquaqua puppy), I slept all day - I guess I was tired!

Soooo I already knew I loved Boston and now I still do. The driving doesn’t seem THAT awful to me. I could totally see myself living there some day.

On to Rhode Island. It was a beautiful day for a drive - and the landscapes we passed through were lovely. My mom finally gave into rule breaking and let me drive - much more relaxing for me, but I don’t know about her. So after getting a little lost and apparently going through some kind of twilight zone (we went too far down one road, turned around and suddenly found ourselves way back at the top of that road, but without having passed any of the stuff we had passed - facing the direction we were initially driving in!!) we finally got to Barbara Donahue’s house. The exterior is slightly misleading - a large, charming old farm house...but the alters and statuary all over the massive grounds begin to give you a hint of the decorative artistry you will find inside. We walked in and both our jaws dropped. The house, once divided in two is winding and labyrinth like - decorated with warm reds and yellows, all kinds of window drapings, sconces, antiques, photos (old and new) in rich middle eastern and northern African styles. It feels like a New Orleans bordello - very lush. With two stories, but three separate stair cases (all in a different style) I’ve already gotten lost once. One of the upstair bathrooms (which also serves as a hallway - I told you this place is maze like) has this HUGE bath tub with stairs up to it covered in tiny blue bead/tiles and the two walls are mirrored. It really has this fabulous intercontinental feel. Just lovely. I gotta get some video of this place. One thing that threw me off was as we descended from the top floor at the end of our tour into the front hall I fold myself surrounded by teenage boys - a little intimidating I must admit. Barb has two sons - one that just left for college and one in high school - it is a vacation weekend so they were all home - all visiting Barb’s sons...they’re gone now, but for a minute I thought they were all living here. I am suddenly reminded of a certain L.O.A song...heh heh heh...just kiddin'! Barb also has a beautiful daughter - I totally assumed she was 18 - my sister’s age, as she looks like my sisters friends - turns out she’s 13! Her name is Izabelle - I’d like to maybe hang with her some during our stay, but she does seem a little shy - and not too into bellydancing. Barb has been very friendly and accommodating as well (made me eggs this morning). She’s on the same diet as me, but we both totally broke it last night - I pigged out on baklava, ice cream sandwiches and bread with boursin. Ack - it's all still sitting on this very table...tempting me. We had a little party in Barb’s dance studio last night. Sirocco played some music - I tried to play zils along with them. I’m getting a little better, but still pretty much totally suck. I danced a little bit, but get kinda intimidated free dancing with my mom - she’s just so good, ya know? By myself I think I can get looking pretty cool, but next to her its like, why bother? I can’t do any of the stuff she can, nor do I have the stamina to keep up with her (I’m winded like halfway into a song). Anyway, I felt like Barb’s brother was laughing at me, and well, just felt really shy for some reason so I didn’t dance too much - the boursin was delicious though. Mmmmmmmm.

Today Barb and I drove down to the “open space” - a very lonely field that the “open space people” fight to keep. Tiverton is a small, very small town that doesn’t even really have a town - more like an area. In the interest of creating a community, Barb would love to see a community center built there - I’m with her. It did feel lonely. Barb and I had a little chat in the car. She is very down to earth - I like her a lot - feel like she’s the kinda lady I could just hang with, ya know. She’s really cute too - cute smile, cute way of talking - it's another situation where, like in Boston, I just feel immediately comfortable around her. She says "Whoa Babe" all the time - too cute. So she dropped me off at the “open space” where there was a grave yard with a stone wall around it just out in the middle of the field - the grave yard has trees - its actually very much like the one in Freeville I jogged to. Open field, stone wall with tress and a tiny run down cemetery inside. The graves belonged primarily to the Gray family - which coincidentally is a name in my family - the married name of my great aunt - Doris Gray (formerly Doris Flynn, RIP). I even got kind of a chill as I found graves belonging to two different Nancy Gray(s) - the name of her daughter (my second cousin) - a relative I happen to be very fond of. One of the Gray patriarchs was even a captain in the Revolutionary war. Then I jogged back to the Donahue’s and just passed it, visited Tiverton Historical Cemetery #2 - a small, well kept family cemetery belonging primarily to the Humpreys (with some more Rev. war soldiers - but also with Humphreys as recent as the 1980’s). Another kinda eery connection - the one couple I could read who weren’t Humpreys were the Holts from Andover, MA - a very small town north of Boston. The reason I know anything about this place is it is where a very very close ex-friend of mine was born and raised. This trip out to New England has made me think of her a lot as I know she’s living in Maine right now, but I thought maybe I’d run into her in Boston - as her parents are still in Andover...and then of course I find this Andover reference in a grave yard as I make my way out of New England. Anyway - it was a little spooky all around - but yet another beautiful day. So I’m writing this, waiting for go time to head out to where we will have the workshop and show today. Barb’s freaking out that it may be under attended - I don’t really care - I’m having fun anyway.

Next stop: Somerset, NJ and then NEW YORK CITY!!! Where I will see my friend Rachel - can’t wait! Oh yeah, I got us a great deal on a hotel with free parking 3 blks from Times Square too - Booyah!


OCTOBER 24

OMG I am having so much fun!!! And its been way too long since I’ve done one of these - so I’ll try to do it chronologically. here goes...

The rest of my time in Tiverton was both fabulous and sad. Barbara is such a fun character, but sadly, Hanya fell at our little show and broke her arm and had to fly home for surgery. My mom’s blog has the whole story. She was really cute when she was all high on meds though. I talked to her the other day and she said she’s doing great. We canceled the class I was supposed to teach - thank god! Barb and I went to see her kids’ games, which was pretty exciting, and then went shopping together to buy NINE LOBSTERS and fixings for a FEAST we had later that night. While she cooked, Sal taught me gypsy songs and we all chortled them out around the table. I also watched a couple Sox/Yankees games with her husband, Mark (and Colleen and Joya who pointed out how sexy ball players are). I gotta balance out all this crazy bellydancing femininity with something and I can’t work on my impala, SOOOO I’ve gotten into baseball. Rooting for the Red Sox, we headed for New Jersey.

We got really lost and mad at each other on our way to Rakasah - it was pretty stressful. (That was after out stop in Guilford though - which was awesome - Oldest stone house in CT!!) But we got into the Mariott right across the street and relaxed a bit - watched a movie, “The Hunted” with stud muffin, Benecio Del Toro. It was an ok film. Friday I got to go work out in the fitness center. Apparently that Mariott lets the old folks from the home next store also use the fitness room so I had to fight some elderly to get some time on the treadmill. Thur night was the Red Sox vs Yankees for the world series which I watched in the bar. I was alone a long time, but then David (who came to help Ali from Turquoise vend) joined me and bought us both some drinks on Ali - heh heh...Unfortunately he had to go get Ali before the game was even over. End of the first extra inning and it was still tied - I got too nervous and watched the rest from my room (waking Mommy - sorry, Mom). I called Justin for some moral support as the Yankees went to bat. He doesn’t care at all about baseball or any sports and just wanted to get off the phone.Then the Yankees got there home run and I was crushed.

I didn’t want to get out of bed the next morning I was so depressed. I don’t know what we did fri morning really - computer stuff, worked out I guess, but eventually Zajal came and the three of us headed out to the craziness of Rakasah East. My mom had to buy $75 dollars worth of these stupid badges to prove we were venders - what ever happened to good ol’ hand stamps. BUT as we walked in I learned that there was a dance spot for my mom available WITH Sirocco on Sun - she wouldn’t be there, so I got it! Fri night was pretty uneventful - actually I can’t really divide the days up too good so here’s highlights:
-I got showed off as “Delilah’s daughter” a lot. Fun to meet some other bellydance big wigs, but getting called “Delilah’s daughter” ALL DAY gets, well, a little tiresome.
-I met some awesome ladies.
-We partied at the bar - full of bellydancers and live music - it was REALLY fun, I danced and stuff, but had to go to bed kinda early.
-I met more awesome ladies.
-I danced on Sunday - they introduced me as Laura Rose from BOSTON, MA, which was really stupid cause they knew I was a different dancer than who was scheduled. Then the announcer lady wouldn’t correct herself. My dancing at Rakasah was pretty good, I think. Sal and Armando got up and we all went to the front of the stage with the big drum and the Zorna and Sal did Minnie the Moocher - really a crowd pleaser. A lot of fun - I hope we do it again sometime.
-Crazy coincidence with my dance spot: “Grand Dame of bellydance”, Za-Beth from Boston (who’d seen me dance and met me at the Boston show) was at Rakasah to dance with her daughter. Back in Boston she had told me how I reminded her of her daughter immensly: we were the same agae and wore the same stlye of clothes. We were both looking forward toward my meeting her daughter, Phaedra Rose. As it turns out Phaedra Rose didn’t make it - she had been in a motorcycle accident 1 year ago and was in too much pain (MY motorcycle accident was 6 months ago), and guess who’s dance spot I got? That’s right, Phaedra Rose’s!! When they introduced me as Laura Rose from Boston, MA, people who didn’t know my mom and I thought I was Za-Beth’s daughter. Crazy coincidences here. Za-Beth and I had a good time laughing about it. People kept telling Za-Beth how beautifully her daughter danced!! That evening when I was having dinner with Mom, Suliman, Suzanne Del Veccio, David and Ali; Za-Beth sent me $20 towards that Domba skirt I wanted: from my other mother ;) Thanks Za-Beth!!!
-I got to spend a little quality time hangin’ with Zajal while no one bought stuff at our booth.
-Sal and Armando were having a god awful time vending up front so they joined my table, yay!, sun evening - that was fun.
-Met even more awesome ladies.
-I went crazy with boredom Sunday evening and started doing cartwheels, handstands, and all around tom foolery. Sal noticed and said I need work cartwheels into my act...dog barking was also involved.
-I tried on this rad skirt from Domba, but couldn’t get it til Mom got back from NY - which was late and by the time I went back with the cash, the Domba slot was empty - so sad. BUT I saw one the venders (whom I later partied with, very very sweet girl, has a really cute little dog, can’t remember her name), and asked about the skirt. The girl who makes them VERY graciously came back in and sold it to me. I gave her an extra $10 for her trouble. I’ve been wearing it ever since (practically).
-Learned a little Arabic: Shut-up, please, thank you and I love you beloved.
-Ate a bunch of damn good but expensive food.
-Partied hardy with Nahela, Bronwen, and Cael from Shakra - a tribal DC troupe, as well as two of the Domba tribe, but I can’t remember their names! Damn I’m a jerk. Anyway, I got super schwilly - we went on the roof, I fell in a bush (uhhh, not in that order) - it was a good time. I hope I see ‘em again here in DC.

With a wicked hangover we headed off for NEW YORK CITY!!!! Our hotel was nice, but the movie choices were very poor. I took a quick nap and drug my mom out the door to go try to get into the Daily Show without tickets (I couldn’t get any as they were booked out months in advance). We had the wrong address and when we showed up, everyone was already in. This cute aspiring actor kid was standing around outside, “I got here too late too!” But Henry Kissinger (the guest the evening) had just been there and the kid had gotten his autograph...weird. Our hotel was only blocks from Times Square so we cabbed back there and went make-up shopping at Sephora. Times Square is crazy big & bright - hard to not just stop and star. If you go the NY, you must check it out at night - its crazy. Oh, did I mention I was sorta wearing a bellydance costume? Well I was so I got a lot of weird stares and people stopping me to gawk and compliment. Anyway we ate at TGI Fridays and headed home. On the way we ran into Mezdalene from Jareeda (see mommy’s blog). Crazy!

Tues Mom did lot of business, then we raced to the Met for a super fast tour of it - We took a city bus up there, but the Subway back. Then we had to QUICK get ready for the show - which we did in good time and cabbed Downtown to the Lafayette bar and grill. There were a lot of guys there who had no idea about the show but were quite taken with Mom and I. I hung out with ‘em a bit and had some drinks bought for me. I was explaining how Sal wanted me to do cartwheels and that I was thinking about it to this guy - Christopher - and he pulled out all his cash, counted it and slammed it on the table. “I got $100 you can’t do a cartwheel.” He was calling me granola cause I was from Seattle - next time maybe he’ll think a little bit when he meets a Seattle girl - I had a great show which ended in a triumphant cartwheel - only payed me $80, but, hey, that was an 80 dollar cartwheel...sweet. After the show the bartender kept harassing me to go out and party with him. Finally I was just like, “NO, dude, I got plans and yer too old for me.” He was really getting too up in my face about it...all “you don’t know what your missing style”. Yuck. But the owner, Dino, was WONDERFUL and had them cook us up a big meal which even included yummy food I could eat! Yay! Nadia was very very sweet and we shared a cab up to the East village where I met up with my friend Rachel! Yay!

Rachel didn’t know what to do on a tues night so she took me to the crappiest little nasty dive bar in the village - it was awesome. She said its where the kids hang out - like friends and scene and stuff hang out. It was fun. Then we left to try to find some kareoke, she had to pee so we stopped in another almost empty bar - I almost put my bag down on top of a cat who was curled up on the bar stool...no kareekokee...so we cabbed to this place I’d read about called “show” in Times Square - CLOSED. So she knew another ok, kinda scene bar near my hotel - we walked and on the way she took my picture with some of New York Finest: two guys workin’ the beat for the NYPD - mmmm yummy. The whole night, although it was mellow, I had a fabulous time - we just talked non-stop, about all kinds of things and walked about New York, stopping her and there for drinks. It was soooo rad - I’m really sad I didn’t get to hang with her the following night. :( If you read this Rachel - you betta come out to Seattle soon!!
This crazy girl was at the last bar - clearly out of her head on drugs and spouting all these lies about owning a bar in France and shit - I led her on - it was kinda funny. The bar reminded me of The Mekha (or is it Mecca) - in Seattle - metal playing, and weird people all around. It was cool. When I finally started feeling my drinks we went to a diner and had our picture taken...my Cobb salad didn’t have avocados on it - poop. The evening was wonderful - I’m so glad I got to hang out with Rachel while I was there.

Wed I woke up and could see the my mom had so much business to do, she had no plans of going out into the city. I was not going to spend one of my 2 days in New York in our dark little hotel room. I went shopping! I subwayed over to the East Village where Rachel had pointed out some cool shops the night before. I tried on a lot of stuff at Trash and Vaudeville, and ended up getting this rad army/fetish style shirt. Then I went across the street to Religious Sex and tried on some $400 corsets - man they were beautiful - one of a kinds from England. Ooooo how I wanted one. I ended up getting a cheep one instead, one that I already have in red, but have always been wanting in black - Ist veddy nice. Then I looked at my watch and realized I’d better hustle if I as gonna get my mom out the door to try to go to the Daily Show again. As I descended to the platform I saw Michael Showalter from the hilarious MTV comedy sketch show, “The State” and the film “Wet Hot American Summer” - I was staring and he saw me and knew that I knew so he kinda smiled and mouthed hello. I didn’t want to bug him, but I just couldn’t help myself. I asked him for directions (actually I asked how to get on the other side of the tracks as I thought I was on the wrong side, but he assured me this was the uptown train). Then he went and got on a different car - can’t blame him. On my way out of the system I was accosted by a woman with a thick Spanish accent. She was walking fast my direction (into the system) and stopped immediately upon seeing me, “Jesus loves you! Jesus loves you!” She started screaming in fast repetition. Ahhhh, what a NY experience. Lovely. I took a deep breath of the nasty air and thought, “I love this place.”

I got back, got dressed up and mom and I left (VERY EARLY THIS TIME) for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart studios. We waited in line with this chic who was waiting for her boyfriend to join her (maybe if he doesn’t show up, I’ll get his ticket, I thought). Some guy opened the door so people could use the restroom. I went in and asked about standby tickets. He said it wouldn’t happen - that they purposely over book the show then only let the first 100 people in. He used the words “very rarely”. Hmmm, well I am very rare - this will work. It has to...I MUST GET IN. Oh yeah, let me set the scene: it was freaking FREEZING - like seriously really really cool - my mom didn’t have a coat OR SOCKS, and I was wearing a mid length skirt with no tights or anything - we were hopping cold. We saw Ed Helms and Louis Black arrive and I got my picture with senior correspondent Ed Helms. He was very nice to do it cause he was in a hurry to catch a plane I guess. So we were standing out there, waiting, and Mom’s like, “what if someone just gave us tickets?” I rolled my eyes, “Yeah right mom, NOT in New York.” Only a couple minutes later a man came up and whispered, “You girls need tickets?” I looked at him, “What? Really? Yes!” He said, “Sometimes angels are men” and handed us two tickets.” “Oh my god! Really?! These are Real!? You’re not selling them?!” He was actually giving them to us and they were actually real. Knowing they would only let in the first 100 (and there were over 100 people there) we got back in line with the girl we’d been waiting with earlier. A gorgeous stage manager man came by and asked our names...”I knew this would happen, “ I thought. I gave him Flynn, but of course it wasn’t on the list. Damn. I was found out. He was like, “You got these from someone in line?” Meanwhile my mom was running to find out the names - she gave them two him but it was no good - he already knew we had NOT gotten advance tickets. “Wait over here” he told us. Then he got the entrance cards and passed them out to the line. He walked back over to us and handed us cards numbers 99 and 100 - we got the last two seats!!! I was ecstatic. We met back up with our angel, Neal Moskowitz and his friends (two lovely women who’s names we can’t remember but would love to stay in touch with) inside. I just wanted to kiss him right on the cheek I was so happy - but I stopped myself. Turns out he is a doctor and a musician and a really rad guy. Neal and mom exchanged business cards. Thank you so very very very much Neal for the tickets!!!!

The show was a lot of fun! Before a show taping like that, where they don’t use a laugh track, someone called a “warm-up monkey”, a comedian, usually one of the writers comes up and does a bit of stand up - works with the audience really. He was quite taken with me (as I was all exotic tribal style and, thanks to my new corset, had cleavage about up to my chin) so I got a lot of attention during that part. He asked me what I did and of course I said I was a touring bellydancer and told him and the audience about the tour. After the show some of the sophomores from Notre Dame in the audience wanted their picture with ME! ha ha - funny. Anyway, then Jon Stuart, whom I have a major crush on, came out. Its kinda complicated to explain how I ended up talking but I did again and got more direct attention from Jonny himself - he was all, “What kinda crowd is this we got Notre Dame Mexicans over here and a bellydancer over there!” “And a doctor who wants to work for you!” Neal exclaimed. He’d sent Jon a letter via Louis Black proclaiming how they needed a medical advice guy - there was a bribe in pesos included. Jon had not yet read the letter, but said he would after Neal told him there was money in it.

After the show I sauntered up to the sexy stage manager and asked, “If I hung around do you think I might be able to get my pic with Jon?” Unfortunately Jon had to be in a meeting but the stage manager let me in on the fact that Jon usually left the building around 8:30. SWEET! Mom and I went around the corner for drinks (probably the WORST martinis we’ve ever had), then I bought mom some socks at a corner store and at 8:05 there we were, on a dark street, outside the Daily Show studios freezing our proverbial nuts off. Man it was cold. We trying shimmys and dancing around, but then I just got exhausted. I kept thanking my mom for doing this with me, freezing as it was. 30 minutes we waited and then we heard the door open above us. A group of men came down the stairs, rounded the corner, and I was FACE TO FACE WITH JON STEWART!!!! Actually it was more like forehead to chin as he is a short man, but a very very fine one. He graciously gave me his autograph and posed for a picture. I told him the story of how we got in - he was super nice. As he left he thanked the doorman for walking him out - how nice. Oh it was soo great. I met the one celebrity I have the biggest hots for. Lalalalalalala wheeeeeeee.

I was supposed to get together with Rachel again that night, but we missed each others calls and it didn’t work out - bummer. Then we were kept up all night by some crack heads in the next room. Mom woke me up by TICKLING MY FEET at 5:30 am. Grrrrrrrrr. We packed up and headed out...Goodbye New York!!!

Quick, surly drive to Maryland. Got manicures and pedicures - I was nervous about not going to Cindy, but they did a great job - didn’t use the topcoat I like though. We ate at a great Greek/Italian place “Chef Theo’s”. I had baked lamb that just melted in my mouth - practically liquid lamb, yummy yummy. Laurel’s apartment is very nice - lovely decorations and stuff. I’m really sad aunty Laurel isn’t here though. I’ve known her all my life, but haven’t gotten to see her in years. I’m sad she won’t see me dance. Also I wish she’d call cause we can’t find a phone book. One of her cats, Rosco, is very sweet and cute and fat (and right here next to me) - the other, Esther, I’ve only glimpsed once or twice - she is very fast and likes it under the couch. Also she won’t eat her wet food. Today we did laundry...tonight there’s a private lesson we’re into town for I guess. My neck really hurts from typing all this and letting down my hair - which is freaking heavy...I wonder what DC hold in store for me!

Neal - our angel!

Ed Helms!