Zach and I spent the past two and a half days at Fort Myer, VA with nineteen tuba and euphonium players from IUP. The occasion: the United States Army Band's annual Tuba and Euphonium Conference. We had a good time and I think the students did, too. Just imagine, two whole days of tuba and euphonium recitals, open reading sessions, and all the horns and mouthpieces you could wish to try!
Okay, so if you're like me, that doesn't really sound all that appealing. But I wasn't about to sit at home by myself for the weekend when the chance to explore Washington, DC was at hand! I went to a few performances with Zach, but each afternoon I took the Metro into the city to visit the Smithsonian. Friday I went to the National Portrait Gallery and Saturday I went to the Museum of Natural History. I think my favorite parts of the Portrait Gallery were the temporary exhibition about Katharine Hepburn (I learned that one of my favorite movies, Bringing Up Baby, wasn't very popular when it came out but is a hit now) and the Presidential portraits. The highlight of the Natural History Museum was probably seeing the gems and minerals section, including the Hope Diamond and a bunch of other amazing gemstones.
All that exploring really wore me out, though. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that at six months pregnant I don't have my normal stamina for sightseeing. Kudos to the Smithsonian museums for having plenty of benches.
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