Wicked, Samurais, Near-Murder by Hillbillies, etc.

Since we didn't go anywhere this summer for vacation (due in large part that we were vacation-broke from the spring break cruise), we planned a weekend getaway to Louisville.  It was supposed to be a worry-free-Kyle-and-me only sort of weekend (i.e. no school worries), and for the most part, it was.  I did do some grading on the way down, but Kyle allowed that.  And for the worry-free part, we did most of that too...except for the part where we got lost in Clarksville about three different times.  My question is how can you not get lost in Louisville but you can get lost in Clarksville?  Still don't know how that happened!  Anyway, here are some pictures documenting the trip.

KING SIZE!  Kyle and I have NEVER slept on a king size bed!  The queen at home is roomy enough, but this bed sure was nice!  For some reason, hotels think it's cooler to put a two-queen room up for cheaper than a king room, so we've never gotten the king.  I like it!  Kyle and I didn't have to be all up on each other's side of the bed AT ALL. 

Last year for my birthday, my in-laws got me a voucher for Across Broadway tickets.  They figured we'd (I'd) be interested in going to see Mary Poppins, but alas, it was during spring break last year, and we were already planning on being out of the country.  Hmmm...what else could we see?  When I saw that Wicked was on the fall lineup, I about shrieked for joy.  I've always wanted to see Wicked.  And so that's what we saw!  It was seriously the best production I've ever seen, hands-down.  Although Spamalot is pretty darn close! I know for a fact I had "Defying Gravity" stuck in my head all weekend.  Best part, though?  Saw it courtesy of Gary and Michele (thanks guys!).

Whitney Hall in Kentucky Center for the Arts.  Waiting for them to open the doors for Wicked!

Broadway-show-attending attire.  Isn't he handsome?

New scarf and accessories!  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out my last post.

SO EXCITED!

This photo was strictly FORBIDDEN.  But I took it anyway because I'm a sneak.

The show was beautiful and I'm pretty sure I cried.  We got out super late and headed back to Clarksville.  And MAYBE we played Batman a little bit...you know...approaching our car cautiously in case Joe Chill was going to pop us off after we left the theater?  Putting my seat down completely as Kyle sped over the bridge out of Louisville, pretending my fear toxin was wearing off and I had no idea where I was?  Blaring the Dark Knight soundtrack in the background (Kyle's idea to bring that one as his "driving music")?  Worrying that the convicts were going to escape Gotham (I mean...Louisville) before we were?  Okay, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, go see the new Batman trilogy....

Anyway, we got back to Clarksville okay, then got lost trying to find the Kroger for morning doughnuts and water bottles.   We ended up on some dead-end, one-way street (how does that work?) with a lot of creepy houses and stray cats roaming around.  With the Batman music playing the song in which the Joker is approaching, I seriously thought we'd be murdered by hillbillies.  We saw several walking strangely around in Clarksville all alone, and then a group of teenage boys who ran at our car when we stopped to let them cross the street.  Probably one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. 

Thankfully, we lived.  The next morning we visited the Frazier Museum in Louisville.  This museum is British and American history.  Awesome!  With our free admission tickets that we got online, it was even better!  The exhibit I really wanted to see was the Princess Diana exhibit.  They had tons of her dresses and personal effects, including her wedding dress!  Yes...I saw it in real life!  As usual, pictures weren't allowed, and I was not about to take chances because they were kicking people out for it.  Kyle was most interested in the Samurai exhibit.  Thank goodness we went when we did, because it was the only weekend that both overlapped!  Check out our pictures from the museum:

Of course, Kyle was all over the ninjas.

The only part of the Samurai exhibit that was cool to me...Harakiri is called seppuku in Japanese, and for my World Literature class in college I did a paper over the short story "Patriotism" in which a husband and wife commit seppuku.  Ten years or so after the short story was written, the author himself committed seppuku.  Gruesome, I know, but it's sort of how Kyle and I got to know each other better (right before we got together).  He knew a little bit about Harakiri, I found out, and I asked him to proofread my essay before I turned it in.  The rest is history!

I wanted to see this historical interpretation of the beheading of Anne Boleyn.  One of my favorite sections of British history.  Way cool!

This actress portrayed one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting. 

 A reproduction of the sword that chopped Anne's head off.  And I got to hold it!  Very, very heavy.

Kyle wanted to see the Arming of the Knight Interpretation.  It was this kid's birthday, so he got to act as squire and help dress the knight.

Queen Elizabeth I and I are BFFs.  High-five!

Pocahontas and John Smith

And of course, at the end of the day, we had to see this Samurai vs. Ninja historic interpretation.  It WAS pretty cool.  Kyle and all the other boys under 5 were on the edge of their seats.

Ninja takes a blow from the Samurai while the Japanese woman (same actress from Anne Boleyn) looks on in dismay.

Reproduction Jackie Kennedy jewelry.  Cool!

All in all, a successful trip to the museum!

We also got to do some goooooood eating and made it home safely (no getting lost).  A very, very good weekend trip.  I think we need to do this again sometime!