![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Tootsie on Tour: Tulsa, OK
Mar. 14th, 2022 07:18 am**Disclaimer: The content of this post reflects my own personal views, opinions, and experiences.
This post does NOT express the views or opinions of my employer.**
The venue: Tulsa PAC
(stock images)
Covid Tests To Date: 67
TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday was a pretty normal travel day, our first flight was delayed but that wasn't so bad since we had a long layover.
The airport in San Antonio has a pizza vending machine. Naturally someone had to try it out.
Pro: You get a CUTTING WEAPON with your pizza!
Con: Burnt and barely edible!
Both flights were fine and we arrived at the hotel around 7pm.
Bobby (bass) and I shared an Uber to the nearest grocery because there are none within walking distance this week.
The protein shakes that my dietitian suggested are starting to stress me out...they are so difficult to find!
Most of the time stores carry them, but they are always shelved in different sections.
Sometimes they're in the "Nutrition" aisle with the protein bars, sometimes in the pharmacy with the Ensure, sometimes in the refrigerated section with the milk, sometimes in the "beverages" aisle with protein-enhanced waters, or sometimes in the "alternative milks" section because they are shelf stable and lactose free. And when I ask an employee they almost never know where they are either.
It's costing me an extra 15-20 minutes in the store to go up and down each and every aisle until I find them.
I might start buying a case and stuffing it in the band box.
That aside, I got mostly everything I need for food.
No exotic foods this week, Tulsa doesn't seem to have a lot of that in their groceries :)
I got my local bread at the grocery, from a bakery called Farrell Bread & Bakery.
It's a Tuscan loaf made with whole wheat, and while it's not my favorite bread (kinda salty) it'll certainly do for all of my sandwiching needs :)
(stock image)
I got home, unpacked, and settled in for the night.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, we had PCR and rapid tests in the morning, which I felt very wary about but my results came back a strong negative.
So I guess that drama is over, and I never had covid in the first place. Whew!
I needed a can opener so walked around downtown until I found a convenience store.
Downtown Tulsa is pretty nice, it looks like a "typical" midwestern city if there is such a thing.
The architecture--tall buildings and the city itself built on the highest point, and and high arched bridges--puts me in mind of Kansas City and Omaha.
I had Googled a place that had Vietnamese crepes and was really excited to get them.
Banh xeo are crispy, lightly fried egg crepes with shrimp and pork mixed into the batter, stuffed with fresh herbs and lettuce and bean sprouts and onions, with a tart dipping sauce on the side.
Unfortunately, despite the restaurant having good reviews, their crepes were pretty awful :(
The main problem was that they were absolutely swimming in grease. I'm talking tablespoons of grease in the bottom of the container, coating all the fresh herbs, soaking the crepes so that they were soggy and disintegrating. Yuck.
I used a ridiculous number of paper towels to try and blot off what oil I could, and ate what was edible because I didn't want to waste food, but it was very disappointing.
About that time some recommendations from the band started rolling in on our group chat.
Right next door to the hotel is a row of awesome restaurants, bars, and shops.
Yael (trumpet) found a great bakery, so I popped in there and I definitely shouldn't have because it is AWESOME and DANGEROUS and once again I want to eat everything I see. The layout and uniqueness of the treats reminds me very much of se7enbites in Orlando, actually.
I managed to escape with three macarons, a "crack bar", and a prepackaged caramel rice crispy treat.
The crack bar seems to be a cookie base with homemade marshmallow and caramel/peanut topping.
I cut a piece off and it was AWESOME.
The caramel rice crispy treat is decadent, again I cut a piece off and planned to give the rest away tonight at sound check, they are large and I don't wanna see them get stale as I ration them throughout the week. Better to let the boys scarf 'em down.
The macarons are Banana Toast, Blackberry Lavender, and Chocolate Passionfruit.
The flavors are so strong, they definitely taste exactly like their descriptions. What a decadent treat!
Sound check went well, this pit is more open and thank god there are no carpeted walls and ceilings here, lol.
I can see part of the stage but not enough to see any of the show. Still, it's nice to feel a part of the show again.
I had packed dinner and ate it at the theatre.
Our first show here in Tulsa went very well, nice rowdy crowd for a Tuesday night.
----------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, I must have been extra tired because I woke up late.
Breakfast and chatting with Jameson, who had a Disney corporate interview in a few hours.
I really, really hope something comes of this for him.
And even if not, I JUST hope that he is able to glean SOME positivity from the experience!!
He is talented, and smart, and deserving, and he does not feel any of those things right now, and I want him to so badly.
Anyway. After breakfast I got dressed and went exploring, because Tulsa is a new city and there are some good things to see.
This is Black Wall Street, otherwise known as the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
In 1921, Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood became a hub for Black affluence.
It had a thriving business district and surrounding suburbs, which came to be known as "Black Wall Street".
One day, a black man rode an elevator with a young white woman.
Afterward, accusations of rape were made, and the black man was detained as an investigation was made.
Tension began building around this incident, anger and hate brewing until a large white mob had gathered around the courthouse, followed shortly by a smaller black mob determined to prevent the accused man from being lynched.
Police attempted to disperse the crowds, but shots were fired and the next 24 hours saw a horrific massacre take place.
The white mob descended on Greenwood in the early morning hours, killing people, looting businesses, setting buildings on fire.
It should be said also that the local police selected WHITE MALE CIVILIANS and gave them authority as deputies, to make vigilante arrests (and killings too, probably).
The National Guard was called in to intervene, which they did, but along they way they detained around 6,000 black people (because THAT'S really fair), some of whom were held for as long as eight days.
Meanwhile THIRTY-FIVE city blocks were burned to the ground, around 800 people were injured, and although there is not an accurate count it is believed that around 300 people were killed in the violence.
It is a disgusting, shameful piece of American history. And it's very important to remember this, so that it never takes place again.
With ANY race.
It was sad to see the remembrance plaques set in the sidewalks, where livelihoods once stood.
It was hard to imagine what might have been, on this site, if hate and hateful people hadn't come to tear it all down.
It was hardest to think about the horror that day, and the people who lost their lives for nothing other than being Black and Having Things.
It was hard, but it needs to be learned and faced and shared. And never, never repeated.
After this visit I knew I'd want to walk more and think about things, so I went across town to Boston Avenue Methodist Church.
Like Kansas City, Tulsa is all about that Deco architecture.
This church was completed in 1929, has 15 floors, and was designed by a local architect and a local artist.
There are much better pictures of it online, taken by drone.
After getting my fill of the visual beauty of this church, I walked the 30 minutes back to the hotel.
Along the way I saw many other examples of Deco in the downtown buildings.
There was even a small Deco museum set up in the lobby of one office building.
Something about this artistic style deeply appeals to me.
Something about the angles, the minimalism, the abstraction. The way it always seems to be have upward, skyward motion.
The "industrial-chic-ness" is somehow uplifting, and always makes me feel like the future is now.
Based on the visceral reaction I have when viewing Deco things, I often wonder if a small piece of my soul was gleaned from the 1920s.
Anyway, back home I ate lunch and enjoyed some chill time.
The show went well, the audience was a little more subdued than last night but I think they had a good time.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday is a matinee day!
It's nice to have the matinees spread out instead of back to back on the weekend.
I had a normal breakfast and didn't do anything special in the morning, just relaxed and watched Netflix and did job research and such.
For lunch I popped over to a vegetarian cafe called Chimera to try their carrot lox toast.
It was delicious! Crusty toasted sourdough with creamy cashew spread, marinated carrot ribbons, pickled pink onions and capers, and an egg on top. Really really good.
The matinee was not very well attended, but I think our show schedule was changed with perhaps not enough time for people to buy tickets.
We did our best regardless!
During the break I hustled back to the hotel because the wind was picking up and it was getting colder.
The evening show went well and was much better attended.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, I woke to a winter wonderland.
Yesterday was 60-something, and now it's 35 and snowing.
I lit a scented candle and made coffee and did my laundry, which all made me feel wintery and cozy.
This might be the last time I see snow this year, so I want to appreciate it.
After laundry, our rapid tests for the week and I wrote some emails, chatted with Jameson, and lounged around in pajamas until lunchtime.
Then it was off to explore Route 66 in the snow and sludge.
I have these silicone "booties" that cover my sneakers, but I think they are not meant for long walks because after about a mile I noticed there was water gathering in the bottom of one of them. So it's got a hole. Sigh. But my feet remained dry for the entire walk, so there's that.
I wasn't really going here to see Route 66, but to visit a Native American goods store and also Decopolis, a tourist-y shop mostly geared toward kids with bulk vintage candies and plush dinosaurs and collectible shiny rocks and such. I was looking for presents for my sister's daughter Elliotte, who will be turning three this month. Having no kids myself, I'm just kind of guessing what a little girl might like...or what I would have liked at that age. So...after asking Mom's permission, I ended up with a handmade Native American bracelet; a "magic rock" which is just quartz treated with titanium to make a metallic rainbow sheen (but I would have loved something like this as a kid); a smaller version of said magic rock, smooth for holding; and a small bird ocarina which she'll probably be bored with in about 30 minutes.
But, I got to go exploring, and on a nice walk in the cold, and chat with my sister.
Back at the hotel I warmed up and got dressed for the show, then Downton Abbey and dinner and off to the theatre.
This was the coldest night of the week so I was bundled up tightly in multiple layers.
Next week in AZ it's supposed to be in the 80s, and I'd really like to send my winter clothing home.
The show went well, it was a good audience.
Oh, and we got our overage pay! Huzzah!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday was quite the lazy day for me. I saw no point going anywhere in the morning, so continued my job hunt and emailed family and chatted with my sister while watching TV. I sort-of packed up a little, but since we only have one show on Sunday I don't need to pack everything up quite yet.
Both shows were just fine. We had some understudies in to practice their roles, and they did an excellent job.
Josh (Key 1) conducted the second show and did a great job.
Meanwhile Jameson had callbacks for a production of SpongeBob happening in Orlando.
He said there are already a lot of laughs and good times happening, which is great. He unquestionably needs that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, daylight savings and I barely slept. Lots of stress dreams lately.
Maybe because the end of tour is coming and I don't have enough info to make a decision about what comes next.
Maybe because I miss Jameson. Or because I'm still angry about my dad's death in October.
Maybe because it seems like every loved one in my life is going through something right now, and it feels like a game of Twister and they're the dots that I'm trying to connect with, but I've only got so many limbs and there are only so many ways I can twist.
Anyway. I woke up fully around 8am new-time and decided to have hotel coffee to save myself some dishes.
Breakfast and typing up the blog. Packing 80% of my things. Picking up a nice grilled chicken banh mi for lunch from Lone Wolf down the street.
Our 1pm show was just fine. A decent audience to see us off :)
This month is the month of the "three T's": Tusla, Tempe, Tucson!
(And yes I HAVE been getting them mixed up lol)
Tomorrow we fly to Tempe. We're supposed to arrive before the hotel is ready for us, so maybe a quick outing to get lunch.
The hotel is college dorm-themed, so that should be fun.
We are pretty much right on the ASU campus, and there's lots of good food and beautiful areas around.
Mostly I'm excited that we are walking-distance from both a Whole Paycheck AND a Trader Joe's!
Not only that, there is a large H-Mart plaza only four miles away. Temptation abounds!
This post does NOT express the views or opinions of my employer.**
The venue: Tulsa PAC
(stock images)
Covid Tests To Date: 67
TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday was a pretty normal travel day, our first flight was delayed but that wasn't so bad since we had a long layover.
The airport in San Antonio has a pizza vending machine. Naturally someone had to try it out.
Pro: You get a CUTTING WEAPON with your pizza!
Con: Burnt and barely edible!
Both flights were fine and we arrived at the hotel around 7pm.
Bobby (bass) and I shared an Uber to the nearest grocery because there are none within walking distance this week.
The protein shakes that my dietitian suggested are starting to stress me out...they are so difficult to find!
Most of the time stores carry them, but they are always shelved in different sections.
Sometimes they're in the "Nutrition" aisle with the protein bars, sometimes in the pharmacy with the Ensure, sometimes in the refrigerated section with the milk, sometimes in the "beverages" aisle with protein-enhanced waters, or sometimes in the "alternative milks" section because they are shelf stable and lactose free. And when I ask an employee they almost never know where they are either.
It's costing me an extra 15-20 minutes in the store to go up and down each and every aisle until I find them.
I might start buying a case and stuffing it in the band box.
That aside, I got mostly everything I need for food.
No exotic foods this week, Tulsa doesn't seem to have a lot of that in their groceries :)
I got my local bread at the grocery, from a bakery called Farrell Bread & Bakery.
It's a Tuscan loaf made with whole wheat, and while it's not my favorite bread (kinda salty) it'll certainly do for all of my sandwiching needs :)
(stock image)
I got home, unpacked, and settled in for the night.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, we had PCR and rapid tests in the morning, which I felt very wary about but my results came back a strong negative.
So I guess that drama is over, and I never had covid in the first place. Whew!
I needed a can opener so walked around downtown until I found a convenience store.
Downtown Tulsa is pretty nice, it looks like a "typical" midwestern city if there is such a thing.
The architecture--tall buildings and the city itself built on the highest point, and and high arched bridges--puts me in mind of Kansas City and Omaha.
I had Googled a place that had Vietnamese crepes and was really excited to get them.
Banh xeo are crispy, lightly fried egg crepes with shrimp and pork mixed into the batter, stuffed with fresh herbs and lettuce and bean sprouts and onions, with a tart dipping sauce on the side.
Unfortunately, despite the restaurant having good reviews, their crepes were pretty awful :(
The main problem was that they were absolutely swimming in grease. I'm talking tablespoons of grease in the bottom of the container, coating all the fresh herbs, soaking the crepes so that they were soggy and disintegrating. Yuck.
I used a ridiculous number of paper towels to try and blot off what oil I could, and ate what was edible because I didn't want to waste food, but it was very disappointing.
About that time some recommendations from the band started rolling in on our group chat.
Right next door to the hotel is a row of awesome restaurants, bars, and shops.
Yael (trumpet) found a great bakery, so I popped in there and I definitely shouldn't have because it is AWESOME and DANGEROUS and once again I want to eat everything I see. The layout and uniqueness of the treats reminds me very much of se7enbites in Orlando, actually.
I managed to escape with three macarons, a "crack bar", and a prepackaged caramel rice crispy treat.
The crack bar seems to be a cookie base with homemade marshmallow and caramel/peanut topping.
I cut a piece off and it was AWESOME.
The caramel rice crispy treat is decadent, again I cut a piece off and planned to give the rest away tonight at sound check, they are large and I don't wanna see them get stale as I ration them throughout the week. Better to let the boys scarf 'em down.
The macarons are Banana Toast, Blackberry Lavender, and Chocolate Passionfruit.
The flavors are so strong, they definitely taste exactly like their descriptions. What a decadent treat!
Sound check went well, this pit is more open and thank god there are no carpeted walls and ceilings here, lol.
I can see part of the stage but not enough to see any of the show. Still, it's nice to feel a part of the show again.
I had packed dinner and ate it at the theatre.
Our first show here in Tulsa went very well, nice rowdy crowd for a Tuesday night.
----------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, I must have been extra tired because I woke up late.
Breakfast and chatting with Jameson, who had a Disney corporate interview in a few hours.
I really, really hope something comes of this for him.
And even if not, I JUST hope that he is able to glean SOME positivity from the experience!!
He is talented, and smart, and deserving, and he does not feel any of those things right now, and I want him to so badly.
Anyway. After breakfast I got dressed and went exploring, because Tulsa is a new city and there are some good things to see.
This is Black Wall Street, otherwise known as the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
In 1921, Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood became a hub for Black affluence.
It had a thriving business district and surrounding suburbs, which came to be known as "Black Wall Street".
One day, a black man rode an elevator with a young white woman.
Afterward, accusations of rape were made, and the black man was detained as an investigation was made.
Tension began building around this incident, anger and hate brewing until a large white mob had gathered around the courthouse, followed shortly by a smaller black mob determined to prevent the accused man from being lynched.
Police attempted to disperse the crowds, but shots were fired and the next 24 hours saw a horrific massacre take place.
The white mob descended on Greenwood in the early morning hours, killing people, looting businesses, setting buildings on fire.
It should be said also that the local police selected WHITE MALE CIVILIANS and gave them authority as deputies, to make vigilante arrests (and killings too, probably).
The National Guard was called in to intervene, which they did, but along they way they detained around 6,000 black people (because THAT'S really fair), some of whom were held for as long as eight days.
Meanwhile THIRTY-FIVE city blocks were burned to the ground, around 800 people were injured, and although there is not an accurate count it is believed that around 300 people were killed in the violence.
It is a disgusting, shameful piece of American history. And it's very important to remember this, so that it never takes place again.
With ANY race.
It was sad to see the remembrance plaques set in the sidewalks, where livelihoods once stood.
It was hard to imagine what might have been, on this site, if hate and hateful people hadn't come to tear it all down.
It was hardest to think about the horror that day, and the people who lost their lives for nothing other than being Black and Having Things.
It was hard, but it needs to be learned and faced and shared. And never, never repeated.
After this visit I knew I'd want to walk more and think about things, so I went across town to Boston Avenue Methodist Church.
Like Kansas City, Tulsa is all about that Deco architecture.
This church was completed in 1929, has 15 floors, and was designed by a local architect and a local artist.
There are much better pictures of it online, taken by drone.
After getting my fill of the visual beauty of this church, I walked the 30 minutes back to the hotel.
Along the way I saw many other examples of Deco in the downtown buildings.
There was even a small Deco museum set up in the lobby of one office building.
Something about this artistic style deeply appeals to me.
Something about the angles, the minimalism, the abstraction. The way it always seems to be have upward, skyward motion.
The "industrial-chic-ness" is somehow uplifting, and always makes me feel like the future is now.
Based on the visceral reaction I have when viewing Deco things, I often wonder if a small piece of my soul was gleaned from the 1920s.
Anyway, back home I ate lunch and enjoyed some chill time.
The show went well, the audience was a little more subdued than last night but I think they had a good time.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday is a matinee day!
It's nice to have the matinees spread out instead of back to back on the weekend.
I had a normal breakfast and didn't do anything special in the morning, just relaxed and watched Netflix and did job research and such.
For lunch I popped over to a vegetarian cafe called Chimera to try their carrot lox toast.
It was delicious! Crusty toasted sourdough with creamy cashew spread, marinated carrot ribbons, pickled pink onions and capers, and an egg on top. Really really good.
The matinee was not very well attended, but I think our show schedule was changed with perhaps not enough time for people to buy tickets.
We did our best regardless!
During the break I hustled back to the hotel because the wind was picking up and it was getting colder.
The evening show went well and was much better attended.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, I woke to a winter wonderland.
Yesterday was 60-something, and now it's 35 and snowing.
I lit a scented candle and made coffee and did my laundry, which all made me feel wintery and cozy.
This might be the last time I see snow this year, so I want to appreciate it.
After laundry, our rapid tests for the week and I wrote some emails, chatted with Jameson, and lounged around in pajamas until lunchtime.
Then it was off to explore Route 66 in the snow and sludge.
I have these silicone "booties" that cover my sneakers, but I think they are not meant for long walks because after about a mile I noticed there was water gathering in the bottom of one of them. So it's got a hole. Sigh. But my feet remained dry for the entire walk, so there's that.
I wasn't really going here to see Route 66, but to visit a Native American goods store and also Decopolis, a tourist-y shop mostly geared toward kids with bulk vintage candies and plush dinosaurs and collectible shiny rocks and such. I was looking for presents for my sister's daughter Elliotte, who will be turning three this month. Having no kids myself, I'm just kind of guessing what a little girl might like...or what I would have liked at that age. So...after asking Mom's permission, I ended up with a handmade Native American bracelet; a "magic rock" which is just quartz treated with titanium to make a metallic rainbow sheen (but I would have loved something like this as a kid); a smaller version of said magic rock, smooth for holding; and a small bird ocarina which she'll probably be bored with in about 30 minutes.
But, I got to go exploring, and on a nice walk in the cold, and chat with my sister.
Back at the hotel I warmed up and got dressed for the show, then Downton Abbey and dinner and off to the theatre.
This was the coldest night of the week so I was bundled up tightly in multiple layers.
Next week in AZ it's supposed to be in the 80s, and I'd really like to send my winter clothing home.
The show went well, it was a good audience.
Oh, and we got our overage pay! Huzzah!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday was quite the lazy day for me. I saw no point going anywhere in the morning, so continued my job hunt and emailed family and chatted with my sister while watching TV. I sort-of packed up a little, but since we only have one show on Sunday I don't need to pack everything up quite yet.
Both shows were just fine. We had some understudies in to practice their roles, and they did an excellent job.
Josh (Key 1) conducted the second show and did a great job.
Meanwhile Jameson had callbacks for a production of SpongeBob happening in Orlando.
He said there are already a lot of laughs and good times happening, which is great. He unquestionably needs that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, daylight savings and I barely slept. Lots of stress dreams lately.
Maybe because the end of tour is coming and I don't have enough info to make a decision about what comes next.
Maybe because I miss Jameson. Or because I'm still angry about my dad's death in October.
Maybe because it seems like every loved one in my life is going through something right now, and it feels like a game of Twister and they're the dots that I'm trying to connect with, but I've only got so many limbs and there are only so many ways I can twist.
Anyway. I woke up fully around 8am new-time and decided to have hotel coffee to save myself some dishes.
Breakfast and typing up the blog. Packing 80% of my things. Picking up a nice grilled chicken banh mi for lunch from Lone Wolf down the street.
Our 1pm show was just fine. A decent audience to see us off :)
This month is the month of the "three T's": Tusla, Tempe, Tucson!
(And yes I HAVE been getting them mixed up lol)
Tomorrow we fly to Tempe. We're supposed to arrive before the hotel is ready for us, so maybe a quick outing to get lunch.
The hotel is college dorm-themed, so that should be fun.
We are pretty much right on the ASU campus, and there's lots of good food and beautiful areas around.
Mostly I'm excited that we are walking-distance from both a Whole Paycheck AND a Trader Joe's!
Not only that, there is a large H-Mart plaza only four miles away. Temptation abounds!
