Thing 91: The National Christmas Tree

I have a pretty intense NaBloPoMo hangover. After 30 days, I feel like I never want to blog again, which is a shame because I took a really awesome tour of the West Wing last weekend and I have pictures of me in the press briefing room and everything. But there is only one thing that could pull me out of my funk, and it is the National Christmas Tree.

I love the National Tree!! Located on the Ellipse, behind the White House, it is one of my favorite things about Christmas time in the District. Sure there is the great big tree, but what people usually don't realize is that each U.S. state and territory has it's own little tree surrounding the big one. They are all decorated by some charitable organization from that state in a way that is symbolic of that state. Plus there is a giant yule log fire pit and Christmas carols and lots of electric trains.

If you are not yet in the holiday spirit, throw on your mittens and head down to the Ellipse. And when you get too darn cold, you can head over to the Willard for a sugar plum toddy!

Thing 72: The High Heel Races

Speaking of celebrating one's birthday in style...


Welcome to the Dupont Circle's Annual High Heel Races. Traditionally held the Tuesday before Halloween (aka, my birthday), all the lovely ladies come out in their Halloween finest to strut up and down 17th Street and show off their newest wig.



Harkening back to the Capital Pride Parade, I was back on the sidewalk in front of the McDonalds to watch the gay times roll. Literally, roll.



There were cheerleaders working hard to the soundtrack of "Legally Blond: The Musical." Marilyn Monroe was there, showing her panties to the world. Scary Condi was there. Hillary was there. Bathing beauty queens and disney princesses and for some reason, even the Washington Monument.
The race starts at 9, but the fun starts around 6:30 when the crowds and the queens begin to trickle in. Everyone looks great and everyone has fun.



And when the race begins, oh boy do those queens book it!

Thing 43: The Capital Pride Parade

Well, we already know the end of the story -- I drank a bit too much wine on the street corner, ate a humongous haute dog and went home to bed.

But where did all this madness begin? On 17th Street, to watch the Capital Pride Parade, of course!

It's the most proud, well-dressed-and-yet-tacky, fabulous parade of the year! If you haven't been, mark your calendars for next year and get their early, because this parade puts the others to shame.

Good Friend David and I, along with two of our friends, Stephen and Jenny, chose to position ourselves on the corner of Corcoran and 17th, in front of the McDonald's and kitty corner to the liquor store. Prime real estate.

The rainbowed streets were jubilant and lively. There were the dykes on bikes:

There was the usual roundup of politicians -- Mayor Fenty, Chairman Grey, all the at-large council members, and of course, EHN, who took time from her busy schedule of not voting to walk the parade:



SMYAL was there:


So was PFLAG, always the most poignant of the groups, bearing signs saying "I love my gay son" or "my daughter deserves a wedding, too." There was also the group of children with gay parents, bearing signs of "I love my moms" or "I love my two dads."


There was a whole slew of churches and religious groups, decked out in rainbows, proclaiming that God loves all His children, and that there is room at the table for everyone. I get choked up even now, recalling it, and how every day this country takes a small step towards equality, love and diversity. It's easy to forget sometimes, in the midst of the bad news, but we're getting to the place where people can live happy family lives, regardless of what that family looks like.

Even when it looks like this:


Mr. and Mrs. Leather 2007 came out to play:



Results Gym had a huge, multi-tiered, construction themed float, with actual rock hard abs (oh, and the people they were on), doing various fitness activities small clothes. There was a mean looking group of silent men called the "Men of Discipline," and there were loads of fierce and fabulous drag queens. Everyone was throwing out beads, candy or condoms to the cheering (and tipsy) crowds.

A truly joyous afternoon.

Thing 9: An Early St. Patrick's Day

9 Things I learned at the DC St. Patrick's Day Parade this afternoon on Constitution Ave:

1. DC has a St. Patrick's Day Parade. It is in its 36th year and I had never heard about it. I am not the only one -- it is not particularly well attended. We arrived at noon as it was starting and easily found standing room with no one in front of us.

2. DC is just like any other small town. This claims to be "The 'Nation's' Parade," but during two hours of parade there was nothing that you wouldn't see in any small town parade. There were the fire trucks, police motorcycles, high school and middle school marching bands of varying levels of talent, dog clubs and sports clubs and antique WWII vehicles. There were floats made with crepe paper and dancing school children and people throwing tootsie rolls and stale bubble gum to kids on the sidelines. Except for the inclusion of the Air Force Marching Band, this was any other small town parade.

3. Shriners are weird. Their mini corvettes are odd, their fezzes are not at all protective and serve no discernible purpose. They don't seem to be having any fun as they zip about in their tiny cars. And they completely freak out the Boyfriend.

4. Every Irish school girl in the DC-MD-VA area attends an Irish dance school. There were no less than seven Irish dancing schools represented in the parade, some with a hundred little girls or more trailing behind the float and step dancing in near-unison. All the little girls wear corkscrew curl hair extensions.

5. Don't trust the program. The two entries I was most looking forward to, the Morehouse College "House of Funk" Marching Band and T.H.I.S Christian Rockers Marching Band did not show up. The Christian Rockers were scheduled to come third to last in the parade too, so we stayed until the bitter end only to learn that they weren't coming at all.

6. There are very low standards for entry into the parade. Irish step dance and emerald societies? Sure, that makes sense. Fire trucks and marching bands? Well, OK, they're in every parade. Bagpipes? Technically Scottish, but same region as Ireland, so what the heck. The Bavarian Folk Dance Society and Falun Dafa Traditional Chinese Dance? Um...what? I think I have discovered why the parade has over 100 entries and lasts more than two hours.

7. Leprechauns are terrifying.

8. The Greenbelt Dog Training Parade Marching Drill Team rules! I loved these guys! Their dogs were adorable and (obviously) well trained. The Washington Showstoppers Community Band, er, stopped the show. The band itself wasn't the best we saw, but their dancers were great and everyone actually seemed to enjoying themselves, which was not true of some the prize winning bands that had passed us earlier.

9. Guinness is good for you. Or at least it is wonderfully restorative after spending a couple hours on your feet and fighting little kids for tootsie rolls. Happy St. Patrick's Day to me!