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taz_39**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.
This post covers the weekend.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Forgot to mention that our in-ears have mostly arrived! Everyone who did NOT get customizations received theirs a few days ago. Michael (key swing) and I were apparently the only two who went all-out, so ours will arrive in Indianapolis fingers crossed. My in-ears are 10+ years old and these new ones are a significant upgrade, so I'm really looking forward to that next week!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
I finished typing the latest blog post after 1am, fell asleep around 2am, then woke up around 8am. Thankfully this job is not a traditional 40-hour workweek, meaning I have the luxury to rest as much as I like today. (Longtime readers know, but the rest of you, TRUST, I have absolutely done my time as far as working jobs with long hours, low pay, and physical labor. Resume available upon request :p )
Yesterday had been rainy, dreary, and cold. Today was sunny and lovely with a high in the 60s! I wanted to go outside at some point but was having trouble deciding what to do. While figuring that out I enjoyed a slow breakfast, shared Indy Foodie Finds with the group, and finished up Madison Foodie Finds.
I also had a gander in the mirror. A few months ago I turned 42, and my body apparently took that as a signal to start mass-producing grey hairs. Specifically, I have my dad's pattern of greying at the temples.
On a personal level this is not a problem. I'm 42; it would be kinda weird if I DIDN'T have grey hair. But this summer I'm scheduled for at least a few days of playing the character "Phillipa" at Epic Universe. And when you're being paid to portray a character, changes to your appearance will impact the character's integrity. For example my character "Phillipa" is supposed to have her hair tied back in either a ponytail or bun, at the back of her neck. This means that before returning home in July I need to ensure that my hair is long enough to tie back. If I decide to cut my hair in a short bob or something, I will need to talk with my bosses about whether "Phillipa" can have a bob (she likely could since she's from 1930s Paris, it would just have to be cut/styled in a specific way.)
TL;DR for the first time in my life I had to tell management that my hair is now visibly greying and ask if they need me to dye my hair. Actors have to do this kind of thing all the time, but for me it's an age-related first :)
(And for the record, I will NOT have to dye my hair for "Phillipa." My natural appearance is fine. Yay!)
After lunch I was itching to enjoy the lovely weather but did not want to spend more money than I already have in this city. And then I recalled that I have never been to the Capitol Building here, and it's FREE! Off I went.
Crossing through the Commons, it was such a glorious perfect day. Lots of people out enjoying it.
The State House (Capitol)
I first walked around the whole outside of the building, but much of it is surrounded by apartments and quaint side streets. The one open entrance was at a plaza with memorials to firemen and police.
I don't usually take pics of these fluffy pink trees, whatever-they-are, but this one was really going all out.
The outside and inside of the State House features white marble with black veins, I thought it was very beautiful.
Note to tourists: all Capitol buildings in the US are supposed to be "property of the people," so you can walk in any time during government operating hours (some restrictions on where you may wander inside of course.) On the advice of a security guard I went to the 2nd floor. My timing was not good for joining a tour group, but I wandered around myself and discovered beautiful architecture, art, history, and of course politics. There was a big gallery full of yellowish marble and artworks that was roped off/closed, and the Great Hall had a private event going on so I couldn't see that either, but everything else was accessible from what I could tell.
First and most prominent was Memorial Hall. It's a big rotunda with a stained glass ceiling and a collection of historical US flags.
Most of the flags in the hall are actually "transparencies," not the real flags themselves, backlit for better viewing. This was the only flag that I photographed and the oldest one in the collection, having only 13 stars.
The stained glass ceiling depicts the seals of the original 13 states, with Massachusetts in the center.
The floor here and throughout the building features ornate mosaics designed by Charles Brigham, circa 1890.
The Main Staircase.
Nurse's Hall, which was built to honor nurses who served in the Civil War. Notice the black-veined white marble again in the big pillars and stairwell.
Doric Hall. I love the pale blue, and I guess the name "Doric Hall" is because of the architectural style of the pillars? There were some artifacts of the Civil War here, as well as samples of minerals and stones commonly found in Massachusetts.
Moving on to I think the 3rd floor, I took this artistic stairwell shot.
I don't know what this room was but it was pretty and cozy, and was housing a tribute to women who have made contributions to Massachusetts (nurses, poets, scientists, suffragettes, etc)
The House of Representatives chamber. This is a wide shot but if you look carefully there is actually a judge (he was dressed like a judge anyway) on the far side doing some paperwork. There was a security guard near him who stared at me the whole time.
You weren't allowed very far into the room. When turning to my right to leave I was startled to see a large wooden fish dangling above one of the gallery areas. I found out later that there is a pretty hilarious history behind this fish: it's called the Sacred Cod and has been a fixture in the Capitol Building since 1785!! I HIGHLY recommend reading about the hijinks surrounding this fish (CLICK HERE)
(stock image, I couldn't get a good angle from my spot for a pic and with that guard lazering me from across the room)
This was a Senate reception room. I caught up with a tour group here and got to overhear some of what the guide was saying. Notably, that Massachusetts currently has a Democratic supermajority. Cool beans.
The Senate chambers. Like the House chamber, you couldn't go very far into the room but there was no guard glaring at me and the tour group. I looked up and was once again surprised to see a fish, this time dangling on the chain above the central chandelier. See it?
Now I had to look THAT fish up. Turns out, sometime around 1895 the Senate was moved to this room after some water damage occurred in their original chambers, which is also where the Sacred Cod was. They could not bring Sacred Cod with them. The Senate went on with their business as usual in this room...but they missed their fish. So they commissioned another one to hang above the chandelier......and called it the Holy Mackerel.
I did not know that politics could be so ADORABLE.
There were lots of historic paintings depicting wartime heroics, murals honoring labor and industry, and portraits of all of the Governors lining the walls of the hallways. I am not much of a history buff so didn't take pictures of much else, but did very much enjoy looking at everything, reading about many of the things I saw, and scrutinizing architectural highlights like carvings on pillars and stained glass highlights elsewhere in the building. Overall I spent about an hour in there before popping back out into the sun. It was really enjoyable, and freeeee! If you are in a US capitol city, do visit the capitol buildings, they have a lot to offer!
Back at the hotel I had a snack and did manage to take a nap for once. The evening show was, ya know, fine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Our last two shows in Boston.
To sum things up as this is a pretty long post: both shows went fine.
Our wall tag was finished and available to sign. (reminder as always, click the pic to open in new tab, click again to zoom)
This wall tag was done by the amazing Emily Larger, who is Ensemble/Understudy/Lumiere's wife. This tag is special because everyone in the company, from cast to crew to management to musicians, have been included. It is difficult to capture the wonderful details with just photos so here is a short video. Notice that Mrs. Potts is pouring tea into the harbor (Boston Tea Party reference)!! And see if you can guess who the little black stick figures around the edges might represent! (Wardrobe, call board, lighting/sound, etc)
The band is of course along the bottom, as though in the pit :)
And here is little stick figure me!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
A rare weekend Golden Day! Normally we'd be loading out on Sunday, but Indianapolis is 947 miles (1524 km) away. We have five(?) company trucks that carry our stuff, and driving 947 miles takes about 14 hours WITHOUT counting stops for gas, breaks, weigh-ins, etc. They probably need the extra day to arrive before load in even begins.
And that's how we all got to enjoy an entire extra day in Boston!
But before that, let's take a moment to recap.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
During this visit and on previous visits, here are the things I've done in Boston:
Previous visits, sightseeing:
- Freedom Trail
- Historic Burying Grounds (2)
- MIT campus
- Harvard bookstore
- Faneuil Hall
- Boston Symphony concert
- North End
- Day trip to Salem, Mass.
Previous visits, eating:
- Flour Bakery + Cafe
- Mike's Bakery
- Faneuil Hall Boston Chowda Co.
- Boston Beer Works
Current visit, sightseeing:
- Chinatown
- Faneuil Hall
- Capitol Building/State House
- Parts of Freedom Trail
- The Commons/Gardens/Mall
- Berklee College of Music
- Fenway Park
- Newbury Street shops
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- New England Aquarium
- Boston Harbor/Waterfront
- Christian Science Plaza/Reflecting Pool
- Boston Marathon
- Maruichi Grocery
Current visit, eating:
- Bakey (2x)
- Tatte Bakery (3x)
- May's Cake Shop, Chinatown
- Potluck, Chinatown
- Windsor Dim Sum, Chinatown
- Nero Cafe
- Random Italian restaurant on Newbury St.
- Maruichi Select, onigiri
- James Hook & Co., lobster roll
- Faneuil Hall, Boston Chowda Co.
- Back Deck
- Maggiano's (company party)
- Hobgobiln (cocktails)
- Hotel bar (cocktails)
...plus performing 24 shows, laundry services three times, getting groceries, visiting with Jameson, and attending company events and outings.
All of the above was very expensive, but also very fun and well worth doing! Jameson and I both did, saw, and experienced A LOT. It's been a very fulfilling visit. Boston will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to the time I got to spend here :)
All of that said, please don't give me a hard time if I didn't do something that you recommended. It's not personal, it's that I'm one human with one bank account and there's only so much I can do, you know? Thanks.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Anyway, SUNDAY. Because of all that I've already done in this city, I made ZERO plans. I have assuredly boosted the Boston economy quite enough, and probably paid someone's weekly salary over at Tatte Bakery too, lol.
I had a lovely chill morning, reading a book and listening to nature sounds while eating breakfast. Checked in for my flight, scheduled tomorrow's Uber, made overnight oats for Monday morning, and started gradually packing. For lunch I walked to Whole Paycheck and got things from the hot bar (whitefish filet, potato samosa, orange chicken, grilled veggies, rice) and a can of coffee for Monday morning so I won't have to brew any.
And that was IT, you guys. Oh, I had to revisit Madison Foodie Finds because I forgot to add coffee shops, and then worked on Knoxville Foodie Finds for a bit too. Most of the day was spent in pajamas, staring at my phone or computer, reading or napping or snacking. I have no problem chilling today because in Indy I intend to do a lot of walking. This'll be the first time I'm there when it's NOT freezing.
Dinner was random leftover groceries: the last of the PBfit, half a bagel, half a can of chicken soup + leftover grocery store chicken pieces, and some almonds. Jameson was similarly having a slow quiet day and sent me some videos of his new Roomba scooting around the house. When I get home I'm putting googly eyes on it right away :p
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Travel day to Indianapolis. Expecting to get there around noon, get groceries, settle in, maybe look around if weather allows.
Tuesday: Opening day in Indy.
This post covers the weekend.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Forgot to mention that our in-ears have mostly arrived! Everyone who did NOT get customizations received theirs a few days ago. Michael (key swing) and I were apparently the only two who went all-out, so ours will arrive in Indianapolis fingers crossed. My in-ears are 10+ years old and these new ones are a significant upgrade, so I'm really looking forward to that next week!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
I finished typing the latest blog post after 1am, fell asleep around 2am, then woke up around 8am. Thankfully this job is not a traditional 40-hour workweek, meaning I have the luxury to rest as much as I like today. (Longtime readers know, but the rest of you, TRUST, I have absolutely done my time as far as working jobs with long hours, low pay, and physical labor. Resume available upon request :p )
Yesterday had been rainy, dreary, and cold. Today was sunny and lovely with a high in the 60s! I wanted to go outside at some point but was having trouble deciding what to do. While figuring that out I enjoyed a slow breakfast, shared Indy Foodie Finds with the group, and finished up Madison Foodie Finds.
I also had a gander in the mirror. A few months ago I turned 42, and my body apparently took that as a signal to start mass-producing grey hairs. Specifically, I have my dad's pattern of greying at the temples.
On a personal level this is not a problem. I'm 42; it would be kinda weird if I DIDN'T have grey hair. But this summer I'm scheduled for at least a few days of playing the character "Phillipa" at Epic Universe. And when you're being paid to portray a character, changes to your appearance will impact the character's integrity. For example my character "Phillipa" is supposed to have her hair tied back in either a ponytail or bun, at the back of her neck. This means that before returning home in July I need to ensure that my hair is long enough to tie back. If I decide to cut my hair in a short bob or something, I will need to talk with my bosses about whether "Phillipa" can have a bob (she likely could since she's from 1930s Paris, it would just have to be cut/styled in a specific way.)
TL;DR for the first time in my life I had to tell management that my hair is now visibly greying and ask if they need me to dye my hair. Actors have to do this kind of thing all the time, but for me it's an age-related first :)
(And for the record, I will NOT have to dye my hair for "Phillipa." My natural appearance is fine. Yay!)
After lunch I was itching to enjoy the lovely weather but did not want to spend more money than I already have in this city. And then I recalled that I have never been to the Capitol Building here, and it's FREE! Off I went.
Crossing through the Commons, it was such a glorious perfect day. Lots of people out enjoying it.
The State House (Capitol)
I first walked around the whole outside of the building, but much of it is surrounded by apartments and quaint side streets. The one open entrance was at a plaza with memorials to firemen and police.
I don't usually take pics of these fluffy pink trees, whatever-they-are, but this one was really going all out.
The outside and inside of the State House features white marble with black veins, I thought it was very beautiful.
Note to tourists: all Capitol buildings in the US are supposed to be "property of the people," so you can walk in any time during government operating hours (some restrictions on where you may wander inside of course.) On the advice of a security guard I went to the 2nd floor. My timing was not good for joining a tour group, but I wandered around myself and discovered beautiful architecture, art, history, and of course politics. There was a big gallery full of yellowish marble and artworks that was roped off/closed, and the Great Hall had a private event going on so I couldn't see that either, but everything else was accessible from what I could tell.
First and most prominent was Memorial Hall. It's a big rotunda with a stained glass ceiling and a collection of historical US flags.
Most of the flags in the hall are actually "transparencies," not the real flags themselves, backlit for better viewing. This was the only flag that I photographed and the oldest one in the collection, having only 13 stars.
The stained glass ceiling depicts the seals of the original 13 states, with Massachusetts in the center.
The floor here and throughout the building features ornate mosaics designed by Charles Brigham, circa 1890.
The Main Staircase.
Nurse's Hall, which was built to honor nurses who served in the Civil War. Notice the black-veined white marble again in the big pillars and stairwell.
Doric Hall. I love the pale blue, and I guess the name "Doric Hall" is because of the architectural style of the pillars? There were some artifacts of the Civil War here, as well as samples of minerals and stones commonly found in Massachusetts.
Moving on to I think the 3rd floor, I took this artistic stairwell shot.
I don't know what this room was but it was pretty and cozy, and was housing a tribute to women who have made contributions to Massachusetts (nurses, poets, scientists, suffragettes, etc)
The House of Representatives chamber. This is a wide shot but if you look carefully there is actually a judge (he was dressed like a judge anyway) on the far side doing some paperwork. There was a security guard near him who stared at me the whole time.
You weren't allowed very far into the room. When turning to my right to leave I was startled to see a large wooden fish dangling above one of the gallery areas. I found out later that there is a pretty hilarious history behind this fish: it's called the Sacred Cod and has been a fixture in the Capitol Building since 1785!! I HIGHLY recommend reading about the hijinks surrounding this fish (CLICK HERE)
(stock image, I couldn't get a good angle from my spot for a pic and with that guard lazering me from across the room)
This was a Senate reception room. I caught up with a tour group here and got to overhear some of what the guide was saying. Notably, that Massachusetts currently has a Democratic supermajority. Cool beans.
The Senate chambers. Like the House chamber, you couldn't go very far into the room but there was no guard glaring at me and the tour group. I looked up and was once again surprised to see a fish, this time dangling on the chain above the central chandelier. See it?
Now I had to look THAT fish up. Turns out, sometime around 1895 the Senate was moved to this room after some water damage occurred in their original chambers, which is also where the Sacred Cod was. They could not bring Sacred Cod with them. The Senate went on with their business as usual in this room...but they missed their fish. So they commissioned another one to hang above the chandelier......and called it the Holy Mackerel.
I did not know that politics could be so ADORABLE.
There were lots of historic paintings depicting wartime heroics, murals honoring labor and industry, and portraits of all of the Governors lining the walls of the hallways. I am not much of a history buff so didn't take pictures of much else, but did very much enjoy looking at everything, reading about many of the things I saw, and scrutinizing architectural highlights like carvings on pillars and stained glass highlights elsewhere in the building. Overall I spent about an hour in there before popping back out into the sun. It was really enjoyable, and freeeee! If you are in a US capitol city, do visit the capitol buildings, they have a lot to offer!
Back at the hotel I had a snack and did manage to take a nap for once. The evening show was, ya know, fine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Our last two shows in Boston.
To sum things up as this is a pretty long post: both shows went fine.
Our wall tag was finished and available to sign. (reminder as always, click the pic to open in new tab, click again to zoom)
This wall tag was done by the amazing Emily Larger, who is Ensemble/Understudy/Lumiere's wife. This tag is special because everyone in the company, from cast to crew to management to musicians, have been included. It is difficult to capture the wonderful details with just photos so here is a short video. Notice that Mrs. Potts is pouring tea into the harbor (Boston Tea Party reference)!! And see if you can guess who the little black stick figures around the edges might represent! (Wardrobe, call board, lighting/sound, etc)
The band is of course along the bottom, as though in the pit :)
And here is little stick figure me!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
A rare weekend Golden Day! Normally we'd be loading out on Sunday, but Indianapolis is 947 miles (1524 km) away. We have five(?) company trucks that carry our stuff, and driving 947 miles takes about 14 hours WITHOUT counting stops for gas, breaks, weigh-ins, etc. They probably need the extra day to arrive before load in even begins.
And that's how we all got to enjoy an entire extra day in Boston!
But before that, let's take a moment to recap.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
During this visit and on previous visits, here are the things I've done in Boston:
Previous visits, sightseeing:
- Freedom Trail
- Historic Burying Grounds (2)
- MIT campus
- Harvard bookstore
- Faneuil Hall
- Boston Symphony concert
- North End
- Day trip to Salem, Mass.
Previous visits, eating:
- Flour Bakery + Cafe
- Mike's Bakery
- Faneuil Hall Boston Chowda Co.
- Boston Beer Works
Current visit, sightseeing:
- Chinatown
- Faneuil Hall
- Capitol Building/State House
- Parts of Freedom Trail
- The Commons/Gardens/Mall
- Berklee College of Music
- Fenway Park
- Newbury Street shops
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- New England Aquarium
- Boston Harbor/Waterfront
- Christian Science Plaza/Reflecting Pool
- Boston Marathon
- Maruichi Grocery
Current visit, eating:
- Bakey (2x)
- Tatte Bakery (3x)
- May's Cake Shop, Chinatown
- Potluck, Chinatown
- Windsor Dim Sum, Chinatown
- Nero Cafe
- Random Italian restaurant on Newbury St.
- Maruichi Select, onigiri
- James Hook & Co., lobster roll
- Faneuil Hall, Boston Chowda Co.
- Back Deck
- Maggiano's (company party)
- Hobgobiln (cocktails)
- Hotel bar (cocktails)
...plus performing 24 shows, laundry services three times, getting groceries, visiting with Jameson, and attending company events and outings.
All of the above was very expensive, but also very fun and well worth doing! Jameson and I both did, saw, and experienced A LOT. It's been a very fulfilling visit. Boston will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to the time I got to spend here :)
All of that said, please don't give me a hard time if I didn't do something that you recommended. It's not personal, it's that I'm one human with one bank account and there's only so much I can do, you know? Thanks.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Anyway, SUNDAY. Because of all that I've already done in this city, I made ZERO plans. I have assuredly boosted the Boston economy quite enough, and probably paid someone's weekly salary over at Tatte Bakery too, lol.
I had a lovely chill morning, reading a book and listening to nature sounds while eating breakfast. Checked in for my flight, scheduled tomorrow's Uber, made overnight oats for Monday morning, and started gradually packing. For lunch I walked to Whole Paycheck and got things from the hot bar (whitefish filet, potato samosa, orange chicken, grilled veggies, rice) and a can of coffee for Monday morning so I won't have to brew any.
And that was IT, you guys. Oh, I had to revisit Madison Foodie Finds because I forgot to add coffee shops, and then worked on Knoxville Foodie Finds for a bit too. Most of the day was spent in pajamas, staring at my phone or computer, reading or napping or snacking. I have no problem chilling today because in Indy I intend to do a lot of walking. This'll be the first time I'm there when it's NOT freezing.
Dinner was random leftover groceries: the last of the PBfit, half a bagel, half a can of chicken soup + leftover grocery store chicken pieces, and some almonds. Jameson was similarly having a slow quiet day and sent me some videos of his new Roomba scooting around the house. When I get home I'm putting googly eyes on it right away :p
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Travel day to Indianapolis. Expecting to get there around noon, get groceries, settle in, maybe look around if weather allows.
Tuesday: Opening day in Indy.
no subject
Date: 2026-05-04 01:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-05-04 01:07 pm (UTC)I've been listening to a podcast on the American Revolution, and it's kind of hilarious how humans don't change and were silly and petty even back then (Samuel Adams held grudges like no other).
no subject
Date: 2026-05-04 07:30 pm (UTC)It is so weird how humans can be more horrible than any other living thing, and simultaneously the most adorable goobers. We are so odd.
Even in ancient Greece and Pompeii they were drawing or carving dicks everywhere :D
https://www.vintag.es/2021/05/pompeii-phallic-carvings.html
In the 1100s in China they were writing poems about how annoying their cats were :D
https://cdn8.openculture.com/2020/09/08230320/chinese-cat-poems-3-e1599629633175-1.png
https://cdn8.openculture.com/2020/09/08230410/catpoem4-e1599630381625-1.png
Silly and petty to the end!
no subject
Date: 2026-05-05 01:15 pm (UTC)