Heads Will Roll

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

It’s no shock that I’m a fan of comedy and one of my favorite comedy troupes is The Upright Citizens Brigade. On Aug. 1, I went with two friends to check out their show WHIP LASH, featuring five different comedians performing short sets. My two main reasons for going were A) to see the stage that had brought us greats like Amy Poehler and Will Arnett and B) to see Daily Show correspondent John Oliver, the night’s headline . Oliver killed it! I almost fell out of my chair several times. We got to say hi to him afterward and he sweetly thanked us for coming to see the show.

One of the coolest parts of the night was seeing Saturday Night Live’s Jason Sudeikus and 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski outside the theater. They, along with a few other SNL players, were leaving after an earlier show. I didn't get to talk to them, but it was neat seeing them in person.

Then, on the weekend of the 6th, I took a train to Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow, NY. As a fangirl of both Tim Burton and Washington Irving, I was really stoked to see the Hudson Valley and landmarks of the area.

First stop: Sunnyside, Irving’s home. The view of the Hudson and the mountains was absolutely breathtaking. The ivy-covered house, a mixture of different European architecture, was a picture perfect fairytale home. As we wound our way through the house, the guide told many great anecdotes about Irving’s life at Sunnyside. For example, the house was the destination on the very first celebrity sight-seeing tour and even Charles Dickens visited for an afternoon.

Afterward, I skipped over to Philipsburg Manor. The historic site was home to a farm, business center and gristmill owned by one of the wealthiest Colonial families. The tour took me back into the workings of the land and the life of the last Philips. (A world without the Internet…eww.) An elderly gentleman (in period clothing, of course), guided us through the gristmill. He explained the how grain was ground with the use of waterpower. The grinding stones were bigger than my car. Thank goodness I can drive the latter to a grocery store!

The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow was closed (Who closes at 4 PM?!). But I was able to peek in and snap some pictures through the window. Then I wound my way through the old cemetery until I found Washington Irving's grave. I left a penny on the headstone as a way of saying "Thank you" for such wonderful storytelling.

I would like to have seen Lyndhurst Castle, where they shot the exterior scenes for the film House of Dark Shadows. Oh Barnabus, maybe next time.

Great trip, great time and I got to keep my head.

Sunnyside

Part of Philipsburg Manor

Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow