goofball on a train

**Gentle reminder for those who are not subscribed: I post twice weekly now, on Thursdays and Mondays.
You can navigate back to read the Thursday post if you missed it.**

Thursday I did not have work, but did have an orthodontist appointment at 11am, which meant getting up at 9 for breakfast and the hour drive.

I was referred by my dentist, purely cosmetic.
My front teeth overlap, and while it hasn't been much of a problem for most of my life I have noticed that it HAS gotten worse over time, and I accidentally bite my lip with that overlapping front tooth a lot more often than I used to. It's annoying, and is also making me self-conscious. I really would like to correct it.

The problem is that I play the trombone.

The orthodontist x-rayed my horsey face, and we discussed my teeth.
He called them "immaculate" as far as hygeine. Oh my, I was flattered!
They may be horsey but I do take care of them.

I have an overbite, so I'm always going to have a gap between my top and lower teeth, he explained. He wanted to make that clear so I'm not expecting miracles (I wasn't). My options are to do metal braces, which are more accurate for placement yet cost less; or the clear alignment (Invisalign), which are less accurate for placement yet cost more. In addition, the braces can be put on within four weeks of consultation, whereas the aligners take six weeks because of the turnaround after the teeth mold is sent out.

Either way, this is not something I'll be able to do before the tour starts up again.
The earliest I could possibly get them on would be the last week of August, two weeks before the first rehearsal.
I'm not going to risk damaging my mouth or finding out I can't play with braces in right before a nine-month tour.
So, this will be a possibility for afterward.

Also, I am not at all concerned about the aesthetic of having metal braces at the age of 38.
Far as I'm concerned, being able to afford a cosmetic tooth alignment is a flex.

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On the way home I picked up more protein shakes and some vegetables, and some hot honey to try on our wings tonight.

Back home I ate lunch and chilled for a bit, then went to the gym.
I did the same "wussy routine" of 15 minutes on the elliptical followed by 15-20 resistance.
I did a lot of arm stuff, so when I was taking a shower back home my arms were trembling when I lifted them a certain way.
Cuz I'm a wuss :p
But that's ok. The goal is just to maintain, maybe slightly improve. I'm happy with what I have and want to keep it.

After my shower I had the sudden realization that I'd completely forgotten to reorder birth control pills.
I'm not sexually active, but have taken birth control for many years due to painful menstrual cramping.
In over a decade I have never missed a pack, this will be my first time.
I wonder what will happen...probably just some spotting and extra cramps.
Anyway the pills should arrive in a week or so, so I'm not worried.

I made the wings for dinner and they were great.
The hot honey was better added afterward as a drizzle, we decided. Cooked onto the wings, a lot of the flavor was lost.
The hot honey was also FANTASTIC drizzled on our pizza.
We have vanilla ice cream in the freezer, I'll try it on that and also in my oatmeal at some point.

Before bed I did my remaining data entry work so I won't have to worry about it tommorow OR so they can give me a new resident to work on tomorrow.

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Friday, another early morning for discount court reporting!
I woke up with a sore throat, but as it was mild I ignored it (internal freakout, commence!).

Wheat bread, egg whites, raspberries, peanut butter, half a protein shake, and coffee for breakfast.

I arrived early and was able to set up in room two, and also get my email issue sorted out in room one.
Then I got set up in room four for work.
For the first time, I was ready at the start of hearings!
And the Judge was ready!
And all of the phone numbers I'd been given were correct!
And everyone was ready when I called them!

After nearly two weeks at this job, this is the first time I've been able to start a case (actually all three cases!) on time.
It's a freaking Christmas miracle.

The Judge was great and easy to work with, the cases were normal, nothing dramatic or ridiculous.
I was so pleased. Wish every day were like that.

At the end of the day I found out that I'd been misscheduled for the 25th, so won't have work again until the 27th.
What to do! What I SHOULD do is more work for the data entry job.

On the way home I picked up a covid test (negative) and then went to Whole paycheck for ingredients for paninis.
Mainly I needed the fancy cheese and the ciabatta rolls.

Back home Jameson treated us to order-in sushi from a nice restaurant since he had a credit. I got sashimi, it was so nice.

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Saturday, I was still feeling under the weather but it seemed very much a sinus issue.
(TMI ahead) The sore throat was gone, and in it's place was some minor yellow boogers from one nostril and an eyeball headache.
Still, after consulting with Jameson I will test again tomorrow so he'll know whether it's safe for him to go to rehearsal.

While Jameson took a much-deserved lounge by the pool, I made my loaf of wheat bread for the week.
I am trying to develop my own recipe, of course using someone else's recipe as the base (this is acceptable to do, trust me, I researched it so I wouldn't piss anyone off or steal anyone's hard work).

My recipe will be similar to the one from Jenny Can Cook.
The changes I'm definitely making:

1) Add a Tangzhong roux
2) Add a second rise (surprising that there's not one already!)
3) Increase liquids to 255mL for the roux
4) Increase bread flour slightly to 70g
5) Add 1Tbsp vital wheat gluten

I think that is enough major changes to make it my own recipe.

Gave it a shot today.
Overall it went pretty well, up until I did two things wrong.
I underproofed it and it had a blowout along one side, which isn't a huge deal.
But then I also didn't oil the pan enough and/or used too much egg wash, causing the bread to stick.

This is the first time that has ever happened to me.
I had to free it with a knife and the results were not pretty.


Murdered loaf lol. But otherwise you can tell it would have turned out nice.


Stab wounds aside, the rise was good, the crumb was good.


For next time, I've GOT to stick to a minimum one-hour rise time.
Because the last loaf was overproofed I freaked out this time and cut the rise short.
Gotta STOP that! One hour minimum!!

The rest of the day was very lazy.
We watched Blown Away, which if you haven't seen it is a glassblowing competition and it is AWESOME.
The artwork is incredible and the process is fascinating. There are three seasons now, so give it a watch :)

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Sunday after breakfast I worked on my data entry job.
I picked a random profile and it turned out to be quite boring and easily completable (this still meant about two hours' worth of work). This poor person sounded quite depressed, and I hope that the completion of their profile will help staff at the nursing home to provide a better experience for them.

I picked another profile that sounded a little more upbeat, then Jameson and I had lunch and watched TV.
Deli chicken meat, mashed avocado, carrot sticks, wheat bread, and frozen cherries for me.

The afternoon was fairly lazy, neither of us went anywhere. I weeded around the house and felt jealous of the neighbor's pineapples.
They have two now and they both look lovely. Jameson says I can have a pineapple plant, but I don't dare until touring is over.


My vanilla is looking photogenic as well.


Back inside I got started on dinner.
"Dual Panini", I call it.


Here we have a caprese panini, and a ham and Brie one.
Caprese: basil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic drizzle squished in a ciabatta roll.
Ham: thin-sliced ham with mustard, Brie, spinach, green apple, and peach preserves, also on ciabatta.



There was something missing with the ham sandwich.
Maybe next time I'll make it a pseudo-Cuban and throw a pickle in there.
It needed acid or "bite", which I thought the green apple would provide but it was too mild.

The caprese was great, only I want to research how to make the tomatoes less drippy.
I know sun-dried is always an option, but we don't like those very much.

Overall, though, really tasty crunchy creamy melted-cheesy goodness. Not to mention super easy.

After dinner we went outside to read because it was actually temperate out there for once.

Jameson was reading "My Bass and Other Animals" by Guy Pratt, session bassist and performer for Pink Floyd and Madonna among others.
And I read "Fall: Or Dodge In Hell" by Neal Stephenson. I freaking love Stephenson's works. I'm going to swear because that is how into this author I am: he is just so goddamned INNOVATIVE. He is an advisor to Blue Origin, and has also been working with Magic Leap, a startup dedicated to superimposing computer imagery over real-world objects using absolutely fascinating augmented reality technology.

In other words he is more than just an author. But all of the projects that he's involved in, and all of his genius, become so accessible, and heartwarming, and exciting, through his books. I love love love reading them, and rarely have the time.

Tonight, sitting outside with my favorite person, just reading quietly together while dusk fell and the bugs began singing in the trees...it was a real treat.

Monday, from what I recall, was pretty chill (I'm writing several days after which I don't normally do).

I used my new Tootsie schedule to update my Google map and foodie spreadsheet. That was fun!

Then I had to go back in Megan's Foodie Finds to fill in some of the cities that have been added.
Even though some cities are just one- or two-day stays, I still document the nearest grocery and pharmacy and at least one restaurant in case there's time.
I then went back through to look at the whole list kind of at a distance, to make sure I'm not including too much "New American" or like three burger places in a row or anything like that (I DID find a set of days where I had three burger places in a row! So I took one out in favor of a speakeasy with good food.

In the afternoon I freaked out about the food aspect of my new job...it's not clear that we get lunch breaks.
So I ran to Publix for some nonperishables. Jerky, edamame, meal bars. I have chicken pouches and fruit cups, but it's not clear whether I'll have time for things involving silverware. I nervously packed a bag with the food and another with paperwork, little portions of my 42-page instruction manual that I hoped would be helpful.

Then Jameson watched IT while I watched Stranger Things.

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I slept super poorly and was up at 5:30, because I have to be there an hour earlier than the first case. Sigh.
I ate the Osmanthus-flavored oatmeal from Yishi, and it was quite good (though still too sweet).
It was a floral, slightly bitter flavor.

Drove aaaaaallllll the way out to northeast Orlando. Usually a 40-50 minute drive, which I had planned for, but on the way a construction vehicle pulled out onto the highway and slowed us all to a crawl for at least a mile. I had to text my trainer to tell her I'd be late (I wasn't THAT late and she arrived at the same time as me so it was fine).

I don't know what I'm allowed to share or not, but to describe the workspace at least, it was a lot like any office building only the rooms were all deposition rooms. Each one had a mini-courtroom inside, with a judge bench and a big SSA logo on the wall. But there were no chairs for an audience or witnesses or whatever; just some conference tables, computers, TVs, and audio equipment.

My job was basically to facilitate a virtual deposition, while simultaneously recording the proceedings.
I watched my trainer do this and took lots and lots of notes.
As predicted, the hardest part of the day was not getting lunch and having to choke down food whenever possible.
As for the job tasks themselves, I think over time I will be able to do them. It's just remembering each task, the order of them, the completeness level that needs to be achieved.

It was a tough first day as far as sheer information overload. But, I've had so many many jobs in my life. This is just another one.

I got home around dinner time, and we ordered out.

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I woke with a start at 10:30. That's very late for me! I must have needed the sleep.

A normal slow day of blogging, going for a walk with Jameson, running to Ross for a legal pad and a binder.
I got a message from my data entry boss just checking in; I told her I'm fine and she basically said "Bless you, child!". I think other workers are perhaps complaining about the lack of work. We weren't promised consistent hours, folks. Welcome to the gig economy.

Then I got a much more stress-filled email from my discount court reporting trainer.
Apparently I didn't quite upload some things correctly, and didn't fill out things on the website correctly.
Right now I'm in training so it doesn't "matter", but it certainly will matter if I want to get PAID.
I was glad that they called to correct me, but annoyed that I had to focus on work things on my day off.
Welp, if you stop making mistakes, Megan, that won't happen.

Another night of ordered dinner, and packing quick-snacks, and watching Stranger Things while Jameson played Fall Guys with his friends.

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Up at 5:30am on Thursday. Breakfast and a sleepy drive across town to the SSA building.

Today I got to handle cases for the first time.
( Read more... )-----------------------------------------------------

Monday morning. My training with the data entry job was rescheduled for Wednesday which is fine.
We just ate lunch and I sent out the Beef on Weck shirt order, which took way longer than expected because I had questions that required a call to customer service. But it's all good, and hopefully people actually order them rather than sticking me with the cost of nine custom shirts.

Now I'm going to review some court reporter job stuff, because all of my cases tomorrow are in-person and I haven't done that kind yet.
If it doesn't rain we will go for a walk.

**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: Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts


(stock images)

Covid Tests to Date: 96

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE

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First of all, what a beautiful theatre to end our tour in! I mean look at that!

Too bad I won't get to join for a whole 'nother week!

That's a very strange thought. I've played shows feeling MUCH worse than the worst of covid.
For example in Brooklyn with the circus in 2015, Jameson and I both had what was possibly the worst flu of our lives (in the post I see I called it a "nasty sinus infection", but I had a 103-degree fever for a full 24 hours. It was a flu).
I could certainly have played all of the shows last week. It would have sucked, but I could have done it.

But, covid.

So now that I'm nearly better, it feels very odd indeed that I'm not allowed to rejoin the show for five more days!

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I barely slept on Monday night and woke up early Tuesday.
Sleeping has been difficult in The Golden Nugget anyway, as you can imagine.

I ate breakfast and made sure I was packed, then decided to go to the car rental place an hour early.
Good thing I did too, because it took nearly an hour to rent a car even though I was the only one there.
That is NOT an exaggeration.
There was only one associate, a young girl, and she was having to do everything by herself: fill new contracts, accept rental car returns, clean the returned cars, bring out cars for new rentals, and answer the phone. I felt bad for her and wondered why Avis doesn't hire just one other person for that location.

Eventually I got my car...and I was so, so relieved to get the heck out of Vegas.

4.5 hours later I checked in in Costa Mesa.
It is very odd that I'll be allowed to walk around and go where I please, but can't interact with the cast in any significant way.
But, thems the rules.

The rooms here are very nice. Each one has a little balcony with a great view.


After checking in I took the rental car for groceries.
First was H-Mart, but I did not spend NEARLY as much time as usual in there.
In the prepared foods I found a whole steamed squid with hot sauce, and got that and some steamed yams and garlic-sauteed spinach for dinner.
I ignored most other aisles and just hit the produce for some bok choy.
I also lucked out and found mangosteen!!
Then I did a lap of the drinks and found the most ridiculous mango yogurt milk in a real glass baby bottle.

Then off to Whole Paycheck, where it's much easier to shop socially distanced.
Most things I had already ordered and were waiting for me on a pickup shelf. I only grabbed the eggs myself, and also went down the beverage aisle because there are always new and interesting things there. This time, it was a cherry cacao seltzer! What the heck will that taste like??

Dropped the food at the hotel and returned the rental car, then walked back to the hotel (it was only a mile).

I was very hungry and nommed my squid hard. Felt like a ravenous sea lion chomping down prey, lol.


The yam and spinach were nice too. Went out of my way to pick nutritious and fresh foods.
And after eating those things I did feel quite a lot better.

( Read more... )

A week from today, I'll be on a plane headed back to Orlando, and this tour will be over.

There IS a second season planned for Tootsie.
Musicians are currently awaiting contracts and a confirmed tour route.
I have been offered the chance to return, but as a pessimist and especially in the post-covid entertainment industry, nothing is official until there's a signed contract in my hand. That said, I will keep my hopes up and will be very excited if I get to do this again!

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In the meantime, I will continue working my new part-time job while waiting to hear back about a second job as a Verbatim Hearing Reporter.
I'll be home to support Jameson as he goes through hernia surgery, and once that is over with I hope to cook and bake some new and exciting foods for us!

Alright, here was my "take two" with the rye sandwich bread.

The only change that I made was to replace some of the water with pickle juice and to reduce the onion powder by half.
Personal preferences that should not impact the stability of the dough.

Here is my beautiful little dough ball post-kneading, mostly in the stand mixer and a little by hand just to make sure it felt right.


Here it is after the rise. Looks totally fine.


I separated the dough into two equal lumps and added cocoa powder to one lump, making it look darker.
This time I separated out about 150g dough from each lump.
It seems that 750-950g is what is supposed to fit in my 9x4x4 loaf pan, so I aimed for around 800g.

The rest I rolled into a bun that looked hilariously like a baked potato because I put the darker rye on the outside.


I then rolled the dark and light loaf pieces out and laid them on top of each other, rolled them up into a tight spiral, and put them in the Pullman pan to rise.

This was the part where everything went pear-shaped with the first loaf.
I am pretty sure that either
A) my hands were wet while shaping the dough for the second rise and that may have weakened the gluten structure, or
B) I had it rising in the microwave with a mug of hot water, and that may not have been needed and it rose too fast and tore itself.
Plus the whole overfilling the pan thing.

Anyway, although the dough still looks a little lumpier than I'd expect, it thankfully did not tear and also filled the pan quite well this time.
It was a little tapered at one end so 850g is probably the magic number, at least for this particular loaf.

Into the oven for what seemed like an ungodly length of time, and I added the "potato" to the oven 15 minutes later and kept an eye on it.

Here is the finished loaf.


Much better than yesterday's, but still a bit lumpy for unknown reasons.
The lovely golden crust and sweet swirl and lighter crumb make up for the lumps.



Also, finally some straight sides!! YAY!! Love that Pullman loaf pan.


Here is the "potato" post-bake, still looking like a potato even with the scoring!


The inside of the potato! I might make something like this intentionally to give as gifts. Hilarious.


So overall the second attempt was successful and closer to what I was looking for, though still not "perfect", whatever that means in my brain. Both loaves are edible, just one is shorter and less dense than the other and doesn't look as ugly on top.
I need to seriously begin considering whether those differences are worth a new loaf each time they occur, just to appease my OCD.

Now we are drowning in rye bread but it's ok, I've still got two weeks at home and one loaf will be finished during that time.
I'll freeze half of each, this way when tour is over I'll have some bread to enjoy before making a new loaf of whatever-comes-next.

All that accomplished, I checked my email and was surprised to find an offer to take a 911 dispatcher evaluation.
I'm still pretty nervous about pursuing that avenue, but I feel like it's one of those things where if you can handle it/get certified in it, you will always have it as an option for work. I will take the evaluation this week and go from there.

The rest of my day was quite slow.
With no actual job and many of the house chores covered, and Jameson gone by 4pm each night, I find myself with a lot of down time.
I called the Maryland unemployment agency to try and get my application reopened, and filled out my calorie counter.
Read a little bit, watched some more Netflix.

Tomorrow is a busier day.

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Tuesday. Woke up early because the plan was to seal the deck today if it doesn't rain.
I have six bags of polymeric sand, and was going to rent a plate compactor from Home Depot.

Drove out to the HD, only to find that while the thing will probably fit in my car it is far too heavy.
300 pounds! Whoops. I didn't think it was quite that heavy.
Feeling embarrassed, I cancelled the rental and went back home to decide what to do next.
I put the deck furniture back out (at least it looks nice out there now that everything has been swept).

Talked it over with Jameson, and decided to wait some more.
I could have tried without the compactor, but there's no point doing this half-assed, we'd just have to redo it again in a few months.

That decided, I had a phone meeting with my bank about moving some of my meager savings around, then ate lunch, then went for a walk around the neighborhood. Saw a turtle in a pond, and thought about this and that.

Came home in time to receive a package: some pine cone jam that I'd ordered after seeing a TikTok about it.
(The TikTok is HERE)

Having had pine pitch honey before (which was intensely bitter and difficult to eat) I didn't think this could be much worse and wanted to give it a fair shake. Due to the state of things in Russia and Ukraine where pine cone jam is traditionally made, it is difficult to find at the moment. But I searched for it at random, and it randomly became available during this break. I'll have to decide whether to try it before I leave or after I come back.

Back home Jameson had gotten a call about getting a chest X-ray and bloodwork for his upcoming hernia surgery, he'll have those things later this week. I got a shower and read my book while Jameson played an MLB game. He left for rehearsal around 4, at which point I ran a cleaning cycle in our washer because it's starting to smell like mildew in there. I like to clean when Jameson's not home because he both works from home and relaxes at home, and I like to minimize annoyances for him if I can.

As the washer ran I researched more jobs, this time types that I could do while touring.
If I get to do the second year of tour, there are a lot of cities where we're only there for a few nights instead of the full week and I wouldn't have time to explore. But I might have time to bang out some transcriptions for someone or something.

I finished up the John Gacy documentary about the time Jameson got home.

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Wednesday, Jameson had to pick up some paperwork in the morning.
I got up at the same time he did, had breakfast, and randomly decided to take myself for a minor adventure.

First I went to the nearest Yankee Candle store to see if they had "Lush Berries", which is Jameson's favorite scent.
They didn't, and they didn't know if it would be discontinued either, so I bought one from Ebay.
It would be nice for him to have a comforting scent available after his surgery.

Then I tried to hit The British Shoppe because people keep telling me Crunchie bars are the same as sponge candy.
But since the pandemic their location has changed, and not knowing this I arrived to find their old location shuttered.

I gave up on that and went to Lotte Market instead.
Lotte is a small Asian grocery chain that's usually found in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, but for some reason there's this one store in Orlando. The store itself is large and quite similar to an H-Mart as far as selection. I only needed imitation crab for making crab chips for Jameson and I. But. It's an Asian grocery. If I thought I was JUST walking out of there with imitation crab, I was fooling myself.

Right at the entrance there were shelves full of carnivorous plants.
WHY. Did these people see me coming? Is there a correleation between people who like Asian groceries, and people who like flytraps?

I had to look, and the flytraps were absolutely gorgeous. They were big and healthy, with happy red traps and long stalks of white flowers. I wanted one SO BAD. But they were $15, and I already have flytraps, and I don't need to burden Jameson with any more.
Then there were pitcher plants. ARGH. There were large ones in hanging pots, but they also had small seedlings for only $8.
ARGH. I picked one up, I just had to. Those are easy-care and shouldn't cause trouble for Jameson while I'm gone.

So we've taken three steps inside the store and I'm already clutching something I had no intention of buying.
Off to a great start!

I managed to pry my eyeballs away from the cute food court and take six more steps, which got me to produce.
And of course right on the end is a fruit I've never seen before.
Something that looks like giant tennis ball-sized green and purple grapes, labeled "star apples".
I stared at them for a full two minutes, then walked past.
I found the imitation crab.
I walked back past the produce and somehow one of each color star apple was in my hands, along with the krab and the pitcher plant.

ARRRGH. Now I need a BASKET.

I got the basket and went up and down the aisles in a desperate sort of way, trying not to want.
There was a small package of grape gummies, Jameson would like those. Into the basket.
Oh, I wanted to share honey butter chips with him too. A bag of those.
Crispy dried squid? Don't mind if I do.
There's that peanut brittle that Jameson likes!

I got to the refrigerated section and found a mini tree ring cake, into the basket for Jameson.
And in the freezer section I definitely couldn't resist just one thing since I never have a freezer on tour so ice creams from the grocery are never an option. It was a hard choice but in the end I settled on a box of four chocolate taiyaki, wanting to pick something less weird so Jameson would enjoy it too (I badly wanted Melona bars but he wouldn't eat those).

Finally I escaped and drove straight home, annoyed with myself but also excited, I can't help being excited.


I opened the honey chips right away, and Jameson inhaled those grape gummies instantly.
Everything else was put away for now, which was about the time I realized I'd forgotten to check the krab for MSG.
Sure enough, it has it. ARGH. At least krab is already garbage so I won't feel bad about throwing it out and buying the MSG-free version at Walmart tomorrow. But it's pretty ironic that I went all the way across town for that just to throw it out.

I ate lunch and researched how to eat star apples, and looked at some more jobs.
A package arrived for me, it turned out to be the temari ball I'd ordered from Etsy.
I had found this one almost a year ago and when I saw it, my heart skipped a beat.



My mother made a series of three blue velvet pillows for me when I was little, with embroidered flowers exactly like these.
The same shade of blue, even. At the time I couldn't afford this, but did message the shopkeeper to ask that if she ever made another like it to please let me know. We both forgot all about it until a few days ago when I was looking for a Mother's Day gift for my stepmom and stumbled across her shop again. I ordered an origami flower bouquet, and the seller must have seen our old messages because she immediately wrote and said, "HEY! Do you still want that temari ball?". I cringed a bit at the cost, but figured it was now or never. I've already blown too much money on this break. It's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, anyway.

My phone interview with the ABC store wasn't an interview, it was just the manager asking if I could work weekends and holidays and could I lift 35 pounds. The pay is not what I would like but the store is so close--just a five minute drive--that it may be worth the lost dollar.

Then I went through all of my junk, most of which is stored in large Tupperware containers in the spare bedroom closet.
I do this once in a while to see if there's anything that I want to thrift or throw out, or to rotate things out or add to my memory scraps (programs from Tootsie, ticket stubs, etc). That killed an hour before it was time for Jameson to leave. After he left I went to Lowe's for weed killer and a small bag of potting soil to top off my houseplants, then Chick fil A for a market salad, then home to eat dinner and type this up and do a load of laundry.

Not working is weird and I don't like it.

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It's Thursday, right?

Breakfast, and I ate one of the "star apples", the purple one.
Here it is cut in half.


There is latex in the skin, so if you are allergic to latex don't eat this.
You're not supposed to eat the skin anyway. I scooped out the flesh with a spoon.
It reminds me of a persimmon, but with less "warmth" if that makes any sense. And with a mild flavor and texture closer to a lychee.
Not bad, but nothing particularly exciting. I wonder if the green one will be any different.


After breakfast I filled out a CapTel application. May as well just cross that bridge.
Completed some more applications and wrote some letters to my pen pals until Jameson had to go have a blood draw at 11, then I sped over to Walmart to get the non-MSG krab, boy do I feel dumb about that.

But look, you can get krab in a SNACK PACK.


Good lord! Do people like krab enough to SNACK on it?
Back home I still felt so anxious from not working. I can't even cook dinner really because Jameson has to leave so early each night.
Next week I'll get to make dinner for us at least twice, though.

Jameson did some work and played MLB.
I applied for more jobs, some of which had tests or evals attached.
I applied to the garden center at Lowes; to a cashier position at the Asian grocery; a customer service spot for a random real estate firm; a remote HR assistant job; a transcription and data entry job; a technical writer job; a cashier and confectioner for Kilwins.

I don't expect to hear back from anyone. I apply for about five jobs a day, and if I hear back from one a month that's "good".
This is what comes of having no value to society, kids.

After Jameson left for rehearsal I went to Publix for a PubSub for dinner.
Back home I ate it and then braced myself to take the 911 dispatcher evaluation.
The email said that it could take "up to two hours", and gave a vague description of the test sections ("information retention", "data entry", etc) so I wasn't totally sure what I was in for.

It turned out to be intense but interesting.
If you're an LJ friend, I've written an extensive post on what it was like.
If you're not an LJ friend, the TL;DR is that it involved multitasking and a balance of accuracy + speed, which had the same sort of feel as my work at CapTel, so I felt very grateful for my prior work experience. We will see if anything comes of this application, or if I could even handle such work.

The test took me somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour. Afterward I went for a walk to kind of de-stress.
Then back home for a taiyaki ice cream! It was very good but not particularly special other than being in a tasty fish shape :)
Next time I'll get a weird flavor and eat them all myself :p


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday I woke up naturally at 8am, perfect.
Coffee and oatmeal and yogurt and the green star apple, which was sweeter and juicier than the purple one but otherwise the same.

In my email was an invitiation to interview for the 911 dispatch position, meaning I've passed the evaluation.
The interview will be early Tuesday morning (I originally thought it was Monday but no).
But that certainly isn't all of it. If I pass the interview there are then many further steps to reach the point where I'd be considered for training.
A polygraph test, another evaluation, a background check, another interview, a SECOND polygraph test, and then even the training doesn't guarantee you'd get the gig. Whatever, I have nothing better to do, right? I'll go as far as I can with it.

For lunch I wanted to play with the air fryer.
I made the green beans first, tossing them in olive oil and salt and pepper, then sprinkling them with lemon juice partway through.
They turned out nice! No pictures because they just looked like charred green beans.
They weren't crispy like chips, and I don't think they were necessarily supposed to be.

Then I did the krab, carefully unrolling each stick...well, you can see the whole process by clicking HERE.

They turned out just like this, I had seasoned them with low-sodium Old Bay and they were pretty good!
Just, a little chalky, and a little too salty for Jameson to like them much.
I probably wouldn't make these again, but they were fun for just one time.

Didn't know what to do with myself after that, so boiled some pasta to eat later for dinner and then decided to separate my larger banana pup and put it in the ground nearby. If I don't want three banana trees I can always sell it when the tour is over.

The little bebe, separated from his mama:


My banana plantation, apparently.


After Jameson left for his show's opening night, I dusted off the ceiling fan blades and then vacuumed.
And then listened to 911 calls and asked myself if I could do this.
And that aside, what about the schedule? I've heard that it can be long hours, and any time of day.
Things to think about.

----------------------------------------------------------

Saturday morning, and Saturday in general, were quite slow.
I couldn't even think of anything productive to do. Too early to get groceries or ingredients for next week's dinners.
All the main chores are done. Not a lot of new jobs to apply for once the weekend starts.
Too early to repack for tour.

So...breakfast, screwing around online, wiping my Meyer lemon tree with alcohol because there are scale bugs on it again.
When the sun goes down I'll spray it with Bonide or whatever.

Chatted with Jameson as we made lunch. He watched the Cubs game, I read for a bit then took myself for a walk.
I went off-roading, into the undeveloped area behind our development.
The only wildlife I encountered was a turkey hen with two chicks; she was so startled that she froze, while the chicks instantly dashed into the underbrush. Mom then strutted slowly away, clucking loudly, I assume to draw me away from the chicks.

It was a nice walk. The rest of the day contained nothing but watering the little banana and watching anime and a jaunt up to Sprouts just because I'd forgotten they'd built one near the Whole Paycheck and wanted to check it out. It was nice! I'll have to go there instead of Whole Paycheck more often. I got Jameson a healthy-ish grape soda, and myself some uniquely flavored seltzers from Aura Bora, one cucumber lavender and the other lemongrass coconut.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, Jameson had a matinee at 3pm and was leaving earlier than that to do some setup.
I had breakfast and moped around a bit (sinus headache) before getting dressed and insisting on taking myself to the Orlando Farmers Market out at Lake Eola. I've always wanted to go but never could because I was working. It was a nice day, still too hot but there are a lot of shade trees around the lake. It being Mother's Day also, people were out as family units, kids laughing and teasing the ducks and swans, lots of dogs on leashes. I saw a samoyed and sent a short video of it to Jameson, he likes that breed.

There were lots of things that I wanted including local goat cheese, spreadable caramels, bourbon wings, local honey, and bread from a local bakery. Exercising great self-restraint I only bought a few sticks of exotic jerky from a stand whose owner was ironically from Lebanon, PA (I found this out by recognizing a PA brand of jerky). Then it was just enjoying the walk and looking at the wares and the lake and the people smiling and having fun. That was really nice :)

Somewhere in there I kind of wondered if I should have friends.
Nah. Too much work :P

On the way home I stopped at a pharmacy for a rapid test because I've been feeling a little under since yesterday.
My sinuses feel snotty and my head hurts. Not really covid symptoms but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Test came back negative so I continued about my day, having a nice snack for lunch and just kind of contemplating life.

Jameson returned a little after dinner time, so we got to enjoy an evening together for once.
This means watching tv and/or him playing Xbox while I watch and/or me playing Spider.
We often don't talk to each other except to share thoughts here and there. Being in each others' company is enough.

------------------------------------------------------------

Monday.
Only one week left until I fly to Sacramento to rejoin the tour.
The last two weeks went both quickly and slowly.

I am excited to go back to work, but also upset that I'll be missing Jameson's surgery.
It makes me feel like a bad partner. Which I know I can't help the date they schedule him. It's just how I feel about it.

Today I have an interview for a part-time position as a Verbatim Hearing Reporter, which is kind of like a discount court reporter.
The posting was vague so I have quite a few questions, but this type of work could be a good "in" for court reporting in the future.

After that, grocery store for my last week of supplies plus ingredients for our meals.
I'll be making spaghetti with homemade meatballs and "mozzarella bombs" from TikTok, and salad, for one meal.
Another will be the fermented hot honey with fried chicken and some sort of sides.

Tuesday is the 911 dispatch interview and cooking.
Wednesday is sealing the deck, if it doesn't rain.
And the rest of the week is repacking and preparing for one last month of exploring out west.

**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: San Diego Civic Theater


(stock images)

Covid Tests To Date: 83

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE to view

----------------------------------------------------------

Monday's travel day was nicely normal.
We landed around 3pm California time, and go to the hotel around 4pm.

We are staying at The Westgate, which is rather upscale in appearance.
For one thing, we got a real key to get into our rooms:


You can see some footage of the room itself in the TikTok at the top of this page.

Once I'd checked on my fridge I immediately called a Lyft to go to the Asian grocery conglomerate I'd discovered just north of downtown.
As soon as we got to that area I realized, I've been here before.
Yes...in 2019, while performing on the Ruby Princess. But at that time I'd only had time to visit the Mitsuwa.
This time I would hit the Marukai and H-Mart as well!


The Mitsuwa was just as awesome as I remembered!
A lovely produce section, great options in the food court, lots of fun and interesting snacks to choose from.

Here's some produce:


Real wasabe is actually very expensive ($150 per pound, and $8 for this little piece!).
What we eat in the states is usually horseradish or mustard-based.


I was delighted to see a "tree ring" cake, which is made up of fine layers of cake batter slowly rolled on a big metal tube.
You can watch one being made HERE. I wanted badly to try it but knew I wouldn't be able to eat it all.


Marukai is set up a little differently and seems to be more geared toward American Japanophiles, with a lot of anime and pop culture-themed snack foods and not a lot of produce. There I found what seems to be a yogurt-flavored water which I'm excited to try.

Then the H-Mart, which is the largest of the three and has the best selection by far.
There were loads of things that I wanted there: miniature pineapples, and abalone sashimi, and brown sugar boba ice cream, and a massive variety of beverages in every conceivable flavor. But with my tiny hotel fridge, I knew I had to exercise some self-control and only buy what I could eat in a week or easily fit in the fridge.

So here's what I ended up with in the end:


Let's give it a try!

Tteokbokki - a chewy delicious Korean rice dumpling (similar to gnocchi) in a spicy savory sauce. I followed the directions using my electric skillet. It was pretty easy...you pretty much put everything in the skillet, add water, and stir for 5-8 minutes.
The ingredients: rice dumplings, red sauce, and fish cake strips.


Here's how it looked when complete.
The dumplings had absorbed much of the water and the sauce had thickened.
This was VERY delicious. I ended up adding asparagus and a poached egg and it was awesome.
Very glad I tried this because now I'm gonna keep an eye out for it!


Honey butter chips - people absolutely RAVE about these on TikTok, and supposedly they were sold out for a long time during the pandemic but are now making a comeback. I don't like potato chips very much, but when I got to the H-Mart there was a HUGE display of them right at the front with a sign proclaiming, "THEY'RE BACK!"

So. I mean, obviously.


And I gotta say...these are REALLY good.
The smell alone is fantastic. It smells like sweet and salty butter...like buttered rolls or something.
And they taste heavenly. It's difficult to describe but definitely addictive, even for someone like me who doesn't really care for chips.
They were SO light and crispy, and so flavorful, just the right sweet and salty that you get when you combine savory salted honey and sweet butter. Pretty amazing, and not expensive at all. If you have the opportunity to try these, it's well worth it.

Dried crab snack - Just what it looks like. Tiny little whole crabs. Dried and seasoned with a sweet sauce and sesame seeds.


Now before you fly off the handle about how "disgusting" this is or whatever, please note that if you have ever eaten a softshell crab, that is exactly the same thing, only larger. And if you have eaten meat AT ALL, you have eaten something with a face and eyes and limbs. So before you criticize me/this, turn that finger right back around and point it at yourself, and either get over yourself or go vegan, whatever you need to do, but leave me and my dietary choices out of it.

Anyway, yeah, tiny little crabs. Most of the legs had broken off, but the claws were still on a lot of them, and the eyeballs and everything were more or less intact.


As with all dried seafood snacks, there was an unpleasant briny fishy smell when opening the bag.
These came in a cute little boat-shaped container, and it was easy to pour them into a Ziploc for later.
The coloring of the seasoning made me think they'd be spicy or savory, but actually they were entirely sweet.
Which was weird. I think I would have preferred at least a little salt.
They were good though, and had quite the intense crabby flavor, but they got chalky as you chewed them and I didn't really care for that texture. Wouldn't buy them again, but glad I tried 'em.

Yogurt flavored water - I wasn't sure at first if this was water or soda or seltzer.
The label claims "zero sugar", but there are 120-some calories in there, that came from SOMEWHERE.


I cracked it open and it was not carbonated. And it also did not taste at all like yogurt.
The flavor was like if you melted some Smarties candy into water and then drank it.
Did not feel bad about dumping this down the drain.

Boss flash-brewed coffee - This is supposedly one of the best canned coffees on the market. It's been difficult to find in the States so I'm excited to try it for the first time. The claim to fame is that they flash-brew their coffee; it's brewed using the pour-over method, directly into a chilled container to instantly cool it and lock in the flavor. I forgot to take another picture of this but rest assured, it's coffee in a can :p
It was actually really good, smooth and strong and delicious. I just wish they sold it in larger cans!

Longan fruit - related to the rambutan and the lychee. Looks like a grape once you peel it and is like a chewier grape in texture.
The flavor is kind of floral, and reminds me of champagne or some sort of light mild fruity/floral drink like that.
I've had these from a can I'm certain (at misc Chinese buffets) but never fresh.

Unpeeled, it looks like a nut.


Peeled and cut in half, it looks like an eyeball.


Cape Gooseberries - I've had these before, you can find them in American grocery chains as well. Despite their name they are not gooseberries at all; they are related to the tomatillo and grow encased in a shell similar to that of a tomatillo. Once this shell is removed you can eat the whole thing just like any berry. They are tart and bright, just a little sweet, weirdly like a cross between a tomato and a citrus fruit. This week I will eat them as a snack or add them to my breakfast cereal.


Poached eggs - these are eggs that have been poached in the shell. I don't know why American grocery stores don't sell these!
I carefully cracked the fat end of an egg on the counter. There's usually an air bubble on that end so I figured that might help in getting the soft egg open without the contents spilling everywhere. And it worked, I was able to continue peeling until I had about a third of the shell removed.

At that point I upended the shell over my dinner. A perfect little poached egg rolled out.


To heat it, I just put the lid back over the food in my skillet for a few minutes, then scooped everything onto a plate.
Delicious! I love it! Sell these at Publix please!

Onigiri - I ate these for dinner while I was doing my shopping. I got both salmon and tuna (not raw but cooked and mixed with mayonnaise). Onigiri is a handheld snack made of sushi rice stuffed with a filling (meat or vegetables) and wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed. Delicious, simple, and a great grab-and-go meal.

Here's the salmon one, which I saved until I got back to the hotel. This is before I wrap the nori around it.


I had a lot of fun finding these unique food items, and enjoyed looking at everything even if I was limited in what I could get.
There are so many things I'd like to try someday! For now, I'm really grateful that I can afford to sample these snacks this week!

After that I took a trip to a regular grocery to get my usual stuff, but there seems to be an egg shortage here in San Diego and I also couldn't find my protein shakes, so it'll be a walk to Albertson's tomorrow. I unpacked and stayed up as late as I could to counteract jet lag.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, I was wide awake at 5 am. Joy -_-

Our covid testing was put off until after tonight's show.
I had a breakfast of hot buckwheat cereal with gooseberries and greek yogurt, then walked to the Albertson's.
It was a pleasant walk, the weather is very nice here. But as in too many cities on our route, there are SO many homeless people. Just, everywhere, on every block and every corner.
I don't know what the solution is especially with the current housing crisis. It's frustrating and sad.

At the grocery I was lucky to get the very last carton of egg whites, and found my shakes, then went right back to the hotel to see if I could nap or something. No nap, but I did have a few relaxing hours before lunch.


There is a Little Italy here in San Diego. The buildings are brightly colored and the sidewalks are lined with flowering trees.
Almost every restaurant and cafe has a patio or sidewalk tables so you can eat outside and enjoy the weather, and see the ships in the harbor. I went to Solunto hoping to get my loaf of local bread for the week, but once again because it was a Tuesday there were no fresh loaves to be had.

The bakery cabinet, on the other hand, looked incredible (see the TikTok post).
I somehow managed to avoid the temptation of everything in there and instead got myself a "Positano" sandwich: grilled chicken with sliced onion, zucchini, tomato, and mixed greens on an Italian baguette with pesto and mayo. Fairly simple, but fresh and delicious.


Down the street was a small Italian deli, so I popped in there to see if they had bread.
It was very crowded, mostly with people trying to get Italian meats. Weaving my way between big Italian dudes who were shouting at the clerks, I saw that there were several types of bread lined up on top of the counter: mini ciabattas, some nice-looking baguettes in paper bags, and large hunks of focaccia. The ciabatta would have been the healthier option, but I liked how the focaccia looked. Grabbed a block of it and got it home.



This isn't very traditional; it's big and fluffy, and real focaccia is actually rather flat. But I don't care, and I think it's fair to say both types of focaccia are considered Italian. The rosemary smells wonderful and I'm excited to indulge in this bread this week.

The rest of my afternoon was restful. I still didn't nap, but at least felt relaxed and enjoyed typing this post up in my luxurious hotel room.

Sound check went well, this is a nice theatre. A deep pit so I can't see the audience or the stage, but spacious and fairly comfortable as far as pits go. After sound check Bill (trumpet) mentioned that the lighting down here was "awesome", and so I asked him to take a picture of me. Bill isn't a photographer, but he has a damn good eye for it, and every once in a while he sees an opportunity for a good shot, and sometimes I get the benefit of that.

Here's the photo he took. Probably the best photo I've had in years.


Our evening show went well, it sounded pretty well attended out there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday I was happy to "sleep in" until 7am, which is 10am EST, so that might be the best I can do while we're on the west coast.
I had breakfast and filled out my MyFitnessPal food tracking for the week as best as I could, typed this blog up, and did a little cooking for coming lunches and dinners. Jameson's clinic in Maine is going well, it sounds like he is very busy every day. He's meeting new people and pouring a lot of effort into this project, and I hope it's satisfying for him, and that he comes back from it somewhat refreshed. It's good to get into a new environment and gain some new experiences, especially after the two years of stagnation we've all been through.

My big excitement for today was visiting Salt & Straw to try their unique ice creams!
(hence the importance of tracking calories!)

Salt & Straw is a chain based in Oregon, and it started as a food cart.
In 2011 they opened their first actual storefront, and from there their popularity grew until they were able to expand down the west coast.
They only have six locations currently, but you can order their ice cream to be shipped directly to you (probably very expensive).

They offer a flight of four kid-sized scoops, so that's what I got in order to try as many flavors as possible without having to eat a mountain of dairy. It still looked like a mountain of dairy to me!



I had not been able to just choose 1-2 flavors. These were all so interesting!

Lavender Honey - This one was my definite favorite. The texture was incredibly smooth, and the lavender flavor was incredible.

Pear & Bleu Cheese - Least favorite, not surprisingly. I don't like bleu cheese but wanted to give it a chance in a different format. It was still GOOD, I ate several bites of it, but after that just picked out the delicious candied pear bits and moved on to the other flavors.

Strawberry Honey Balsamic w/Black Pepper - This was a very intense flavor. The balsamic cut through everything else very strongly and burned with acidity, but the creamy strawberry counterbalanced that nicely. I couldn't taste the black pepper at all, and kind of wished they'd had packets of pepper to sprinkle on top or something (that's such a weird thing to say haha).

Marionberry and Coconut Sorbet (v) - No dairy in this one. It was more tart than sweet, which was helpful for cleansing my palate between flavors. Marionberry is pretty much a special cultivar of blackberry with a less sweet and more earthy flavor. It was good!

As I often do when I "indulge", I felt kind of guilty for getting all this ice cream.
So I scrolled back through my Instagram...and you know what I realized?
I've only had SIXTEEN desserts, total, since this tour started.
That's about two desserts per month.

Now this is not counting a hard candy here and there, or a square of dark chocolate once in a while.
I'm talking scoops of ice cream, and lemon bars, and cookies, and croissants filled with whipped cream.

Sometimes I am tricked by my own Instagram into thinking I'm "overdoing it".
Sometimes I let the Peanut Gallery get into my head.
But the truth is, while I'm indulging in treats, I'm doing it thoughtfully and responsibly.
And I'm glad I took a moment to remember that today.

Because this ice cream was delicious, and each flavor was well worth enjoying!

The walk back to the hotel was nice and gave me a chance to digest.
I had a light lunch and didn't do much, just job hunting and watching anime and researching the next city.

Our evening show went well, with an enthusiastic audience.
After the show I noticed EMTs standing around the homeless camp outside the theatre, and heard a woman screaming.

---------------------------------------------

Thursday, I woke to the unpleasant discovery that the water was not draining from my sink.
Maintenance came and worked on it for a solid half hour, but by the end of it the sink was free again so I ate breakfast and did the dishes.

Then a few job applications, then it was time for a Zoom class with Maestra, an all-female artists group that I've recently joined.
It was a nice presentation summary of what it's like to be on tour, including types of contracts, living and traveling situations, and suggested stuff to bring or to think about. As someone actually living that life right now I thought it was well done.

After that I made lunch, cleaned up, and went for a walk to Maple Canyon.
There are lots of public parks around including the very popular Balboa Park over by the San Diego Zoo, but I was curious about this park and how much of a "canyon" it actually was. I suspected a dry riverbed.


So it was! But a very nice dry riverbed, with lots of flowers and interesting plants, and dried eucalyptus leaves underfoot so that there was a fragrant smell as I walked. I didn't do the whole trail because I'm lazy, but walked as far as this big yellow bridge before turning back around.


It was such a nice sunny day, cool in the shade and not too hot.
Back at the hotel, a small snack and then a restful afternoon while the sun went down and it got cooler out.

The evening show was nice, no drama in the homeless camp that I could tell.
However there was a small earthquake, which we all felt in the pit. Whee!

I texted back and forth with Jameson, who was out at a martini bar, which made us both think of Slick, our trumpet player in the circus who passed away of cancer while we were still on that gig. I'll never forget the last time I saw him, or the fun times we all had together.
I want to live a life worthy of his memory.

-------------------------------------------------------

Friday. Good Friday, even!

Usually I get up early to do laundry, but I was feeling VERY over that this morning.
I "slept in", which was 8am, and had a good slow breakfast.

I decided to cut into my big peanut butter Easter egg now, because although my inner child squees at the thought of gulping down the whole thing on Easter Sunday, my outer adult knows that would give me a tummyache on a two show day. So, half of it today and half on Sunday.



I can see that it's not going to be quite the same as a "church egg"; it's not as creamy.
But, it's the closest I can get this year. And it's rich and delicious and fudgy, so what's to complain about? :D

Turns out I was in QUITE the mood today.
Perhaps it's because this tour is drawing to a close. Or because it lowkey pains me to not have work for the upcoming three-week layoff.
I feel like I need to be doing something, but I'm not sure what.
I've been networking as hard as I can, and applying to jobs, and bookmarking other jobs that it's a little too early to apply for right now. I have a plan for what to do over the layoff, including job applications and interviews and cleaning and house upkeep and cooking and filing for unemployment in two different states. There's really not much else I could be doing on these fronts.

I guess it's just that I'm PLANNING these things now, but not actually getting to DO them yet. And that makes me feel impatient.
What that boils down to today is not doing laundry, and not eating out, and only going outside to pick up a few filler groceries, and then drinking a glass of wine randomly in the middle of the day. Just because.

The evening show was fine. It ended around 11pm, which is around 2am EST.
I'm keeping that in mind for the layoff...I will have to adjust back.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday I woke up early, determined to do laundry.
There is only one laundromat walkable downtown, and with the large homeless population I had a feeling that it would be busy, but not until later in the day (idk if anyone else has noticed this but homeless folk tend to sleep in until the sun is well up). I managed to find some quarters at a convenience store and had the laundromat to myself until my things were in the dryer, at which point, as I suspected, homeless people started filtering in to do their wash.

Which, there is nothing wrong with that. It's only that it's a small laundromat, and the smell from many unwashed bodies can be strong.

Soon enough I was done and glad that it's one less thing to worry about next week.
Back at the hotel I put my clothes away and cleaned up from breakfast, and did a little nothing for an hour until lunchtime.
Heated some food, had the matinee which was just fine.

During the break I felt very tired and didn't get much done, just dinner and watching Downton Abbey and planning what to eat on the travel day (I've gotten into the habit of trying to buy breakfast and lunch before getting to the airport if at all possible, to save a little money).

The evening show went well. And tomorrow is Easter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Easter, if you celebrate it!

I was hoping to hear birds singing this morning, but alas, all was quiet.
But, in fact, that was a magical thing too. San Diego is a very noisy city.
The lightrail runs all night long and chimes chimes chimes, and the people in the homeless camp scream and fight, and cars drag race in the street, and cruise ships blow their horns out in the harbor.
But this Easter Sunday morning, for once, it was noticeably quieter than it's been all week.
Fewer trains, and no ships, and perhaps the homeless folk were appeased by some ministry.
Whatever the reason, it was pleasant to wake to a quieter morning.

In addition to breakfast I treated myself to the rest of my peanut butter egg, and listened to a church service online.
My sister posted pictures of her son visiting our mom for the holiday :)


After breakfast I began packing up some things.
We had a 1pm and a 6:30pm show, both of which went well.
We haven't gotten any overage pay in several weeks, so I will continue not to rely on or expect that money.

After the shows we all packed up as usual, and I returned to the hotel to watch TV and pack some more and try to sleep.
I went to bed on an empty stomach which was a stupid idea, as I was wide awake at 4am absolutely starving and had to eat a snack.
But, now it is morning and I'm having the last of my groceries and some coffee as we wait for the charter bus.

Next we go to San Jose. After this week the band has a three-week layoff while the show continues on to Los Angeles.
The Musician's Union in LA has a contract with the Dolby Theatre to use only local musicians, which is why we're getting the boot.
I'm trying not to be too bitter about it, and just enjoy the break and the time with Jameson (which I really DO appreciate!)
This time will also be helpful in preparing for the end of the tour. Either I will find a new job, or I will return to CapTel.

As for the week in San Jose, I've got some exciting food adventures in store that I hope you will enjoy along with me!

**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: Centennial Hall

(stock images. could not for the life of me find a good pic of the interior.)

Covid Tests to Date: 73

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE

---------------------------------------------------------------------

We had a nice relaxing bus ride to Tucson, arriving at the hotel around 2:30.
This is a normal modern hotel, and although last week's dorm theme was fun and memorable, it's also nice to have a decent number of wall sockets, and enough counter space for my food, and a shower with good water pressure!

After checking in I was handed the keys to one of the band's rental cars for the week.
We're six miles from the theatre so it's not walkable, and when that happens we get cars to share.
But I don't like being asked, "Can I borrow the car?" at random times of day, so when Steve asked if I was going to the grocery I was happy to pass the key to him right away.

And it was so nice out, sunny and windy but only 70 degrees! I decided to walk the 3-ish miles to Fry's, a local Kroger-related chain.
The only closer grocery is a Trader Joe's about 2.2 miles away, so I couldn't have done much better.
I got what I needed and Ubered back, unpacked, and hit up a Vietnamese restaurant next door for some spring rolls and chicken skewers.
Then I had a massive headache, possibly from squinting into the sun during the walk, so I drank loads of water and enjoyed a quiet night in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Tuesday I made sure to wake up early because I wanted to visit Barrio Bakery.
Usually before visiting any city, I Google around to find out where people like to eat; what are the most interesting restaurants, or the local specialty foods, or the most unique dishes. And of course, where are the best local bread bakeries!

Barrio was at the top of EVERY list, including a lot of websites having nothing to do with bread.
They've recently been nominated for a James Beard award, so there's that.
And the owner, Don, Guerra, was given a USDA grant to further his work with local farmers and the preservation of heritage grains.

In case that doesn't paint a complete picture for you, here was the line when I arrived at the bakery right at opening time:


That must be some REALLY good bread for people to queue up like this on a random Tuesday!
I waited patiently, and the line moved quickly; I was probably only waiting for about 15 minutes.
During that time Yael (trumpet) texted to ask about getting bread (she'd expressed interest earlier) and I promised to get her a loaf as well.

As I approached the counter, a wall of fresh loaves greeted me.
If only I could try every single one!


At the register was a happy-looking guy, smiling pleasantly while taking everyone's orders.
(I realized later on that this was the owner himself. He actively bakes the bread, makes deliveries, and runs the register WHILE running the whole business and applying for grants apparently! WILD.)

I requested two loaves of the "heritage" bread, and it was handed to me in two paper bags, still piping hot from the oven.
Need I mention that the smell of fresh roasty wheat and yeast around the counter was absolutely fantastic??

I got back to the hotel and got Yael her loaf, then had a little photoshoot with my own loaf and did more research on the bakery (which was about the time I realized the owner himself had waited on me).
Barrio Bread's "heritage" loaf is a crusty whole-wheat sourdough made with local heirloom grain flour.
It is stenciled with an outline of the state of Arizona, with a saguaro cactus enclosed within.


Cutting it open was an explosion of crumbs due to the lovely crust :)
The interior was SO incredibly soft. It was actually very difficult to cut because I had to press to get through the crust, but couldn't press too hard or risk crushing the delicate interior crumb. I think I did a good job!


The flavor is tart like a sourdough, and rich like a whole grain wheat bread.
I had it with sliced turkey, fresh avocado, and cracked black pepper. And it was incredible.

There is something magical about truly fresh, same-day, still-warm rustic bread made with LOVE.
It makes the experience of eating something as ho-hum-daily as bread, a moment to be treasured and remembered.
This is definitely a bakery that I will never forget, and I'm very grateful that I got to taste their beautiful signature bread today.
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**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: Bass Concert Hall


(stock photos)

Covid Tests to Date: 60

TikTok: Was too tired to make one this week, too bad for you :p

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Our travel day turned into a 15-hour slog due to a "mechanical issue" with our plane.
I'd much rather endure a delay than have the plane I'm on fall from the sky!
However this did make our day a lot longer and more stressful than expected.

All three meals at the airport, a few flight changes as our tour manager and American Airlines tried to get us where we were going.
Eventually we got to Austin in separate groups, with the earliest group arriving around 9:30pm (that's me, lucky) and the latest arriving I think around 11:30pm or midnight (oof).

I unpacked and went straight to bed, but did note-to-self that my refrigerator does not seem to be working very well...it's definitely hovering around 50F in there, which is not safe.

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Tuesday, I woke up early because I was stressed out.
This week the theatre is 3 miles from our hotel, and we have been given rental cars to share, but it still means extra time to get to and from the venue each day and extra planning for all sorts of things like meals and show prep and warm-ups.
That and the fact that I hadn't been able to get groceries yesterday AND dreams about my lukewarm fridge all had me up at 7am.

I went to the front desk first to report the fridge for insubordination, then walked to Easy Tiger, a local bakery right down the street from our hotel.

As soon as I stepped outside I felt better.
It was one of those magical pre-spring days; overcast, the air cool and humid, but there was a hint of warmth to come, and the birds were singing their heads off in anticipation of the haze lifting for the sun. It's the kind of morning that reminds me of Easter Sundays at my mom's house...of being gently shaken awake at 5am for sunrise church service, but feeling excited rather than annoyed about the early hour.

With this calming aura of times past around me, I had a very nice walk to the bakery.

Founded in 2011, Easy Tiger is a beer garden slash bakery that makes rustic breads and German pretzels and beautiful pastries, and also serves a few egg items for breakfast, and also holds events and baking classes. The breads are made each morning with local ingredients, on site.
I wanted to take pictures of the baking equipment and pastries, but there were four employees staring at me and I didn't want to be a weirdo.

Torn between a 40% rye/sourdough blend and a sourdough quinoa, I finally settled on the quinoa just because it's slightly more unusual.


It has a lovely texture, the toasty quinoa grains have a crunchy pop.


After a brief stop in my room for coffee and to pray for maintenance to come look at my fridge, I walked to Target for groceries (and a bag of ice to preserve said groceries). I'm grateful to be within easy walking distance of a Target this week! It was a surprising 86 degrees out, so by the time I got back I was all hot and bothered, but maintenance was there to swap out my fridge just as my bag started to leak from the ice so that was perfect.

But I still wasn't done. After all, I got up at 7 and it was now only about 10am.

I went walking again, this time to 99 Ranch Market.
It's an Asian grocery chain--like, one of the really big ones.
I knew that I would love it. And I did.


No, I didn't get any Peking duck, but I sure wanted it!
And there were soft fluffy castilla roll cakes in the bakery, and succulent-looking bites of seafood in the back, and exciting and exotic ice creams and dumplings in the freezers. I wanted it all, so so much. But, we are only here for a week, and I have a tiny baby fridge.

So I window shopped and that was fun. Then I picked out what I could carry back and eat for the week.


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