taz_39 | Entries tagged with exploring: museums

Here's a mini-DITL for you.

I got up at 7am, got dressed and packed remaining toiletries and such.

Here is breakfast. I made overnight oats mixed with half a Koia protein shake, and brewed a cup of coffee in advance (it's in the Koia bottle which I washed for this purpose.) I prefer hot coffee in the morning but will sometimes brew it overnight to avoid cleanup (or to avoid drinking from nasty hotel coffee pots with months of used grounds, mineral deposits, and dust caking the parts, no thanks.)

I get dressed and pack everything but computer and toothbrush, so that I can enjoy the morning without worrying about leaving time for finishing up. I put all of the used towels into a pile for housekeeping, and all remaining trash into one bag too. I also wash the soap dish and wipe the sink area, and put anything that I've moved back to it's original spot. Hotel cleaning ladies have a limited time to clean each room, especially after a large group like ours leaves, so I try to leave things as clean as possible for them.

(I could not get that ironing board to fold back down for the life of me! Tried all week :/)

Onto the bus and off we went.

Jameson had his interview, and it went well. He has been invited to the second round, which was supposed to be scheduled this week but has now been pushed to next Friday. He was given a salary estimate and an approximate start date (mid-April which is perfect as it coincides with finishing his Master's program.) I'm very, very excited for him! I wanted to cheer, but it was quiet hours on our bus, lol.

A bathroom break at a Flying J, then onward to a Target for lunch.

As predicted I got hungry way before the 2pm lunch stop and ate a rosemary biscuit, peanut butter, and apple. At Target I found my preferred yogurt and a few pieces of fruit, and walked to Halal Guys for a chicken sandwich to bring along for dinner. Back on the bus, another bathroom break around 4:30 (which is when I ate my sandwich) and another hour and a half to reach the hotel fairly on time. I'd hoped to take a walk and stretch my legs but the weather was cold, wet, and windy, and then the sink in my room was clogged and it took maintenance a solid 30 minutes to unclog it...so forget it. I made a new batch of overnight oats and relaxed until bedtime.

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

Early EARLY morning on Tuesday, with a call time of 7am. I got up at 5:30 to have the "me time" and coffee that I need to keep my soul in my body. This hotel has free breakfast but not until 6am, and (**TMI, WARNING, here comes a TMI**) I prefer to eat more than an hour ahead of travel because that usually triggers a bowel movement while we're still at the hotel, as opposed to on a moving bus full of people. The things you learn after YEARS of traveling.

The bus ride was largely uneventful, with a rest stop at a plaza with a Walmart and a County Market. There was a China Buffet next to the grocery with good reviews, so I decided to treat myself to that for lunch.

Popped into the County Market and it's awesome! Lots of locally-produced goodies.
And this leek as long as my arm!!!

I enjoyed looking at lots of things and only getting a few things...I still will need meal options for upcoming one-nighters, but don't want to end up with an overage of stuff in my luggage either. I got a "honey water" from a local apiary; a "lemonade apple" which I've learned is a new apple variant out of New Zealand; a sample pack of Bourbon Vanilla Cream coffee from a local coffee roaster; and this absolute UNIT of an English muffin from the bakery section.

We arrived annoyingly late because our bus driver is incompetent (I'm sorry but she is. She had to call the other driver to ask how to put the bus in drive yesterday. And then today did not refuel until the time when we should have been leaving.) The hotel did not have any stairwells leading from the lobby to the rooms, so we all had to wait for the ONE working elevator, meaning it took 20 minutes to get to our rooms on top of being late already. Still, because I'm in the band my call time is not until 5pm, so I had time to (quickly) unpack and get a shower, and even call maintenance when I realized my fridge was broken (this is the second time this has happened on this short tour...is god laughing at me?)

Sound check was easy. This theatre is VERY small, so we sound very loud in it. And SO many props and setpieces had to be cut to fit on stage! Pretty much all of the tree props, and a lot of wagons and barrels and such too. The evening show went well, the audience was frugal with their general applause throughout the show but did give us a standing O, and we heard several nice comments as people were leaving, so maybe that's just the vibe here.

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

Wednesday, we were all THRILLED to have a full day to enjoy in Wausau!!
We still had a show at night, but the day belonged to us :)

I woke fairly early and got some free hotel breakfast, then off to check out Downtown Grocery. It's a cute little mini-organic grocer downtown, and while it had a lot of nice things I exercised restraint and didn't buy anything (there was nothing that I "needed".)

Next I walked a mile to Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum a free museum "only a mile away."
( CLICK HERE for Museum )

Walking back down the hill was significantly easier than walking up :P
I went to Lemongrass, a restaurant close to the hotel, and got some basic spring rolls and some hot sake.
The spring rolls where whatever, nothing special. The steaming, fragrant sake hit the spot after my chilly hill climb :)

With a nice buzz going I took a short nap, then got up to work on Foodie Finds for Kalamazoo before going back out to another County Market nearby. This one wasn't as nicely stocked as the one at our lunch stop, but I still found what I needed (more proteins as usual.)

The evening show was good...this audience was VERY responsive, laughing at a lot of unusual parts, and even after the show as we were packing up people were coming to the pit to ask where we were from, where we'd be going next, do we get to see the country, etc. I mean, this kind of thing happens in a lot of cities with one or two people, but this was like 20-30 people ringing the pit and watching us pack up. We can't often engage as much as we'd like while loading out of a city, but it was very cool to see how interested people were here, and see them smiling after the show :)

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

Next we have a load-and-go in Green Bay, WI, then Saturday is a travel day with no show to Kalamazoo, MI, and a show the evening after that. And then...Chicago.

I have been waiting excitedly for Chicago this entire tour! We are there for an entire week, AND it's St. Patrick's Day, AND we have a Golden Day on Monday! (Golden Day = day of both no shows AND no travel, a real day off!)

And Chicago is a foodie HEAVEN. There are so many options, it'll be impossible to do everything I'd like! But here are my foodie hopes and dreams for the week:

- Eataly: One meal + at least one hour of shopping
- 88 Marketplace, Chinatown: At least one hour of shopping
- Visit the Amazon GO no-checkout grocery store
- MCCB restaurant, Chinatown: Whole grilled Szechuan tilapia
- Chiu Quon, Chinatown: Steamed buns or cookies
- Russian Tea Time: Whole roasted quail and a shot of house-infused vodka
- Jinsei Motto: Omakase lunch experience + cup of rare sake (thanks to a gift card from my sister Raven)
- [If time allows]: Kyuramen: Omurice!!

It seems like a lot, but considering we're here for 7.5 days and 22-ish meals, eating five of them out plus snacks and groceries is pretty reasonable. And with this tour ending in a month, this could be my last chance. I might never see Chicago again after this. YOLO!

LONG post. You've been warned.

I had set an early alarm for Thursday knowing there'd be limited time to do things before our understudy rehearsal, but was so tired that I went back to sleep for an additional hour.

No matter. It was still a productive morning. I managed to make an appointment to get some testing done while we're in South Carolina; it's always a pain to do/schedule medical things while traveling for work. Then I sent a portfolio and resume to an opportunity I'm interested in. The opportunity isn't until 2025, but I want to be in consideration from the start because you never know what people will need and when. Maybe I'm being an annoyance, but I'd rather get my hat in the ring early than hear later, "Oh, we've already picked someone for that job."

Then, rehearsal. The call time was 12:15 and it ran until 4:30pm. The purpose was for the understudies--not just actors but also our assistant MD--to be able to do a whole show. Since it was for such a good cause I was happy to be there, but near the end my goodness we were getting hungry.

That pretty much took the whole day. I had time to go back to the hotel, shower, eat dinner, and decompress a bit before it was time to do the show.

Also, Jameson has applied to another corporate opportunity with Disney. I don't know if he has good odds of getting it, and after what happened last time (a string of interviews ending in no job offer and literal silence) I don't want to get hopes up. But still, a chance is a chance.

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

Friday, my stepmom and sister drove into town to visit!
After getting them settled into their hotel room, we walked over to Bae Bae's Kitchen, which is kind of mod-Korean plates and cocktails.

My pandan cocktail (with house-made pandan syrup!) and Kate's plum sour.

For the plates you could choose a protein and two sides. I did panko shrimp and two pickled dishes, white kimchi and yellow radish. Everything was fresh and delicious.

From there we took an Uber to Phipps Conservatory, a sort of botanical garden/greenhouse.

For the winter they have an orchid and bonsai tree display. There was also a miniature train set that was cute (didn't get a pic of that), a desert plants area, and many fruiting and spice trees/plants. We had a good time walking through and looking at as much as we could see!

We finished up earlier than planned because the outdoor sections were closed, and also frankly the displays were not as extensive as we had expected overall. I mean, orchids are lovely and everything, but after the fourth room of them or so it's kind of like...ok more orchids...got it...haha. But we did enjoy the experience :)

To kill time I suggested hitting The Strip for window shopping. The initial plan was to go to Prestogeorge's for coffee or tea, but the Uber dropped us off right in front of an Asian grocery and I knew Kate especially would lose her MIND in there!

An hour and a half later we marched out with all kinds of goodies to try! My sister and stepmom are from a rather small PA town, and while it has a small Thai/Asian grocery, there's not nearly the selection that you can find in a large city. I was so happy that they'd enjoyed new and exciting grocery items just as much as I did! We opted to walk back this time as it was only about a mile to the hotel.

After a brief rest and prep we walked to Gaucho, an Argentinian steakhouse where I'd made reservations for us.
Despite being a steakhouse it wasn't super-upscale; the food was certainly steakhouse-quality, but reasonably priced and there were small plates as well as the expensive wood-fired premium steak entrees. Oddly enough, I was the only one who got steak! A sliced steak sandwich with roasted veggies and chimichurri on HUGE fluffy ciabatta. Everything wood-fired and with a beautiful smoky sear to it, even the bread.

Kate got the seafood special which was seared scallops on a bed of pureed potato and turnip with crusty wood-fired bread (nobody took a pic somehow.) My stepmom got a roasted eggplant with roasted carrots, onions, beets, couscous, lemon ricotta, and pistachio gremolata. All of us tried it and honestly, I think it was the best dish of the three. The flavor was just incredible, between the smoke and the rich spices and the creamy lemon ricotta.

For dessert we had coffee and shared a banana dulce de leche bread pudding (as you can see, it was ALSO fire-roasted!)

Everything was amazing. I saved half my sandwich but everyone else crushed their meals. Good job us!
We walked to the theatre and picked up the tickets at the box office, then I left them in the lobby and went to the pit to do the show. It went pretty well, though I made some total weirdo mistakes, probably from being nervous with family there and also from being tired (socialization is draining on me no matter who I'm with or how much I love them.) After the show I found my fam in the lobby and we walked back to the hotel together. They had a great time and said they absolutely loved the show. Yay!

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

Saturday I was up early to work on Foodie Finds for Auburn because it's recently been pointed out to me that we DO have time to explore there. I wanted to add some downtown options in case people find the time/money to Uber there and check things out.

I met my stepmom and sister in the hotel lobby, and we walked to The Speckled Egg for breakfast. I was very thankful to have made reservations because we overheard the hostess say that there would not be open tables until 1pm!!

We were seated right away and enjoyed catching up with each other while eating bagels with lox, a crab and lobster roll, and "Hen's Hash," which was over easy eggs on potato, sweet potato, brussels, mushroom, and onion, with sourdough toast and a drizzle of house-made pineapple habanero vinegar. That was my dish, and it was simple yet the seasoning was perfect and it felt healthy to eat :)

When we were done eating we took time to appreciate the architecture (the restaurant is located inside the Union Trust Building which like many skyscrapers in Pittsburgh is historic and beautiful.)

We made sure to get selfies in the lobby!

I am extremely grateful for this time with family. Because of my lifestyle it is difficult to coordinate visits with family; time home is brief, so much needs to be done when I'm NOT moving all around, and then when I catch them during tour like this our time is limited. Which is why I'm so grateful that they drove four hours just to spend time with me, and see the show. And yeah, eat some great food!

Back at the hotel I walked them back to their room, then we hugged goodbye. I'll see Kate again soon when we do the sibling trip to Mexico! Then it was time to type this post and digest that exquisite breakfast before the 2pm matinee. It went well, and our assistant MD got to conduct the show for the first time and did a wonderful job.

(photo courtesy Laura, drums)

Between shows I finished fixing the Auburn Foodie Finds sheet, and tried to chill and drink tea because I was feeling a little yucky. Our French hornist has a cold (she says it's a cold anyway) and she'd BETTER not have given it to me.

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

Sunday was my birthday! The big 4-0!

I spent the morning responding to a barrage of well-wishes on social media. People are so kind! But today is certainly the day that I hate facebook the most haha.

Then, to my surprise, I got a message from one of the trombonists who sat next to me for Candlelight.
He was the musician from The Florida Orchestra, on the gig where I ran to my seat with only two minutes to spare before downbeat. He wanted to know if I'd sub for the orchestra on Trombone 2, for an upcoming Pops concert in May (Disco-themed!) I have nothing lined up so of course I said yes!

Here it is, you guys! The payoff! All of that finagling last year, and I actually get to sub with an established symphony orchestra. It may not seem like much, but to me it's the fulfillment of a dream (and also an absolute strategical win; my inner INTJ is CACKLING)
A fantastic birthday present!

Soon it was time to walk to the theatre.
There's an art installation on the way. It seems eerily meant for me.

I shared it to my socials, with the following caption:

"Today I am 40, and spending the day being a trombonist with My Fair Lady at the Benedum Center. Which is next to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where I performed with the All-Eastern Band as a high school student in 2001…hoping to become a professional musician.

"In a way, it’s a full-circle moment. I’m surprised, happy, and maybe even a little bit proud…that in the end, I really did get to be a musician after all. And on some pretty amazing gigs too. How wild is that? Looking back, it feels like a miracle.

"Today I’m playing two shows. And the fact that that’s “normal” to me is incredibly special.
————————————
"Edit to Add: It’s special because this wasn’t just my dream. It was my mother’s dream too. She passed away before she could see me realize it.

"She never once discouraged me from music.
She never once tried to bar my path.
She never once suggested I try something “safer.”

"She supported my dream of becoming a professional musician with no reservations.
And I have felt her love, and her unconditional support, every step of the way."

I don't feel particularly older, today. But giving my first masterclass last week made me realize that I AM older...and as a musician, I'm now considered to have "made it" in music. As I'm still struggling to find work and get gigs, this is surprising to me. And yet, from the perspective of a kid in college with no experience, I have done a LOT. I am surprised to look back and see so much. Life is strange. I'm grateful to be here.

The show went well. All of our shows here have been very well attended.
Between shows I partial-packed and did more responding to b-day wishes.
The evening show also went well. At intermission Company Management called me into the office to receive this loverly card from the cast! How nice! Several people took this time to thank me for doing Foodie Finds, which made me feel extra warm and fuzzy.

And then, the show was over. Did the usual pack up, typed up this post, and went to bed.

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

Tomorrow we fly to Atlanta, and from there it's a two hour bus ride to Auburn, Alabama.
I've never been there before, and we do get a little time to explore so I'm hoping to see the downtown and visit a restaurant.
But I also REALLY need to do laundry!

I was up early to have breakfast and finish packing before the charter buses arrived.
I tried the hawthorn Oreos, since it's not like they'd be BAD. Not sure about you, but I've never had a bad Oreo in my life!

These are Oreo Thins, and this is a limited seasonal flavor.
Hawthorn berries are popular in Asia for their antioxidants, documented health benefits, and tart flavor (they taste very similar to cranberries.) I've had hawthorn in many forms, mostly as candies and sweets, most memorably in a freeze-dried form while suffering with Covid in Las Vegas.

These cookies were very good! Just like a regular Oreo Thin but with a fruity tart flavor, and little pieces of dried hawthorn in the cream too. Very lovely and nice; they didn't taste artificial at all (looking at you, Lemon Oreos!) I'd definitely get these again if I saw them in the store.

Anyway, the buses loaded up and left about 10 minutes late. Typical.
I dozed but couldn't sleep, and at some point we stopped for a bathroom break at a Pilot.
Onward for another two hours or so until we hit a Target, where we had an hour for lunch.
I had packed a lunch of Travel Bagel, cashews, tuna, and veggies, so used Target to get Christmas shopping ideas and stretch my legs.

Back on the bus, late again because it's a statistical requisite that at least one actor has to have terrible time management. Then on for another two or three hours, watching the flat Iowa landscape roll by, speckled with cows and farms, wind turbines looming above all.

I also saw a herd of bison, presumably farmed, but didn't have time to catch a picture.

Eventually we made it, 20 minutes late. I was annoyed but tried hard not to be. Mostly I was irritated that we got in after the sun had set and it was 24°F with windchill, so I was forced to get an Uber to the grocery instead of walking when I'd already been on my a$$ all day. Whatever, I got some nice food for the week and unpacked and had maintenance over to unclog my shower drain (gross), then slept.

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

Tuesday I got up at the usual time and had breakfast, and before lunch decided to hit an Asian grocery I'd discovered nearby. I don't need anything but love to look, and of course you always find a FEW things to try!

( CLICK HERE for Asian Grocery Adventures )

In the evening, off to the theatre for sound check.
This is an Orpheum, and like most 1920s "palaces" it is ornate and extravagant.

(photo courtesy Operaomaha.com)

The sound check went well, I ate a packed dinner and was glad for it because the sound check had been long and everyone else had to go running around in the cold to find food, or order delivery. No thanks!

The show went well. It is so interesting to play this show without in-ears, and have to adjust your hearing and how you play so drastically for each venue based on how things are sounding. That's probably a good skill but eh, you do what you gotta do!

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

Wednesday was supposed to be the warmest day of the week, so I resolved to take myself to the Omaha Zoo!
But first, since I'd be doing a lot of walking, I wanted to have a good lunch.
So I went to Kinaara because they're the top-rated Indian restaurant in Omaha, and they offer a sampler platter on Wednesdays and Thursdays!

This is called Thali. It's a traditional sort of "sampler plate", and in this case it contains seven small dishes with three proteins, two vegetables, one dal, and one dessert.

Do I know what everything was? Nope.
Was it all flavorful, delicious, and fun to eat? Yes!

I recognized tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and naan and basmati rice of course. There was also what seemed to be fried okra (found out later that this is called bhindi masala) and a sweet yellow curried chicken of some sort that were both my favorites of the day. There was a kidney bean dish that was good but I couldn't eat a lot of it because it was intensely spicy, and I DO have to play a show tonight lol. And the white stuff was dessert, a rice pudding that was super thin (I guess that's how it's done in India) but very good, I could definitely taste cardamom strongly and loved it very much.

The smaller dishes held a green relish/chutney that was tangy and refreshing, and a yogurt dip.
The crispy chips were good, I was surprised by the shell-shaped chip as it had a briny fishy taste!

Everything was incredible. I ate about half and packed the rest up for another day (YES awesome leftovers!!) then dropped it off at the hotel and headed to the Omaha Zoo!

TL;DR, here's a compilation of videos that doesn't include any of the photos that I took (CLICK HERE to watch)

The dome, which dominates the zoo landscape:

This is one of the top rated zoos in the country. Their exhibits are unlike anything I've ever seen!
The big dome is a desert habitat on top, with a nocturnal habitat and full-on swamp on the bottom levels.

Some desert animals:

On the lower level, here are the cave and swamp habitats. Incredible, and huge.

There were LOTS of bats! So cool to see! So awful to smell! Lol (see video above)
I kind of zipped through the swamp portion because it was mostly alligators and turtles, which I can see just about any time in Florida :p Next was the African area, and I didn't expect much because even 50° is cold for African mammals, but to my surprise you could still view most of the animals indoors too! So I popped in and out to catch as many as I could! (See video above the cut for the elephants and rhino)

It was incredibly empty, so I enjoyed not having to mask and watching the animals go about their business in peace, without kids banging on the glass or shrieking. This time of year must be a pleasant break for the zoo. And for me, it just felt...special.

All of the walkways were decorated for Christmas, and I could tell that at night it must be a lot of fun to see everything all lit up! I didn't take a lot of pics of the decor, but here's a news segment on the "Zoolightful" event (new this year.)

Please see the compilation video to see flying fox bats, elephants, and some REALLY great gorilla footage!
I didn't get to see the big cats (they likely weren't out anyway) or the insect building (because there WERE school groups in there) but covered a lot of ground and definitely had a very fun day of animal-watching!

Back at the hotel I rested a bit and worked out some kinks with my sub trombonist's hotel room, then got dressed and went to the theatre for work. The show went just fine.

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

On Thursday I will likely mostly rest, do a little holiday planning and shopping, and go for a walk at some point if the weather is nice. Friday I'll have to do laundry, and will explore more as I can and as energy allows.

Once my sub gets here, things will be a bit stressful for me until I'm sure he'll be all right and everyone's happy with him.

A last thought to throw in: as my 40th birthday approaches, I kind of look back on all of the crazy, beautiful, stressful, expensive things that I get to do, and am amazed. Who gets to have a day, like I had today? And then look forward to MORE?

Honestly. Sometimes...it makes me feel both smaller and larger at the same time.

I think I actually slept all right, though had weird dreams about a huge crocodile coming after me in the water because I didn't give it an offering (this seems like a mash-up of TikTik account @fishingarret, which I did watch before bed, and the Mugger of the Ghaut from The Second Jungle Book)

Anyway, before I could run off and have fun I had to do my cooking.
Hello Itaki, it's been a while :)

I cooked my chicken breasts first, in a regular chicken broth and seasoned with Goldy's spice blend and black pepper.
Next were the tilapia filets from Harmon's, also given the spice blend and pepper treatment before going into a turmeric ginger chicken broth.

I have a good sense of timing for the Itaki, and pulled the fish at the perfect time. It was flaky and moist, and the seasoning was great! Ate some of it for lunch with a challah roll and veggies.

Then a whole bunch of emailing and blog updating and meal planning before getting an Uber to the Natural History Museum!!
( Museum Stuff! )

By this time I had spent a solid two hours in the museum, and was getting tuckered.
I was about to head back downstairs when I noticed some people going out onto a sort of patio, and decided to follow them and see what was out there. An incredible view, that's what. (CLICK HERE to see)

There was lots of signage describing the atmospheric phenomenons, cloud structures, solar impacts of blah blah blah, but I just wanted to fill my eyeballs and not necessarily understand the mechanisms this time. It was 3pm, and the sky was just otherworldly.

Imagine what the sunsets must be like.

Unedited proof that I was here.

After that I did call an Uber, which was supposed to take me to Walgreens but we got held up by a "Free Palestine" protest. I was only a few blocks away so popped out of the car in the middle of stopped traffic, watched the protest for a while, then continued on to Walgreens just for a jug of distilled water for my tea kettle.

Back at the hotel I made myself tea and had snacks, and chatted with Jameson while he got ready for the premiere of Jollywood!! I can't believe the show goes live tonight!! He is SO HANDSOME in a suit :D

If you'd like to watch the new Jollywood show CLICK HERE.
Jameson is on the left upper level, sitting across from the blonde female keyboardist.

For dinner I had decided to try Zest, a vegan restaurant around the corner from the hotel.
It had great reviews, but I got a bad vibe as soon as I stepped in. 5:30pm on a Saturday, with a vibrant night life in SLC and lots of events happening downtown, and there were TWO people in the dining room. That should have been my cue to leave, but I didn't take it.

Here's what I ordered from the menu: "coconut yellow curry w/forbidden black rice and sesame stir fry vegetables, mung bean "tofu", sesame seeds, and cashews."

Here's what I got: green curry w/plain white rice in straight-up unseasoned coconut cream, with overcooked squash, bok choy, and green peppers, and mung bean "tofu."

AND IT WAS $25.

As soon as it came out I said something (I mean when you order BLACK rice and it is stark white, and the curry is green not yellow, something is clearly not right), and the server said, "Oh, our menu changed, the yellow curry was a SUMMER dish, this is our FALL curry."
Yeah ok, but like when were you going to tell ME that? Never, I guess. He seemed surprised that I had said something. I decided to eat it anyway--I really shouldn't have, but apparently my self-preservation was in the "off" setting tonight. Not only was it not at all what I'd ordered, it just was not good. The green curry broth itself was flavorful and nice, but the rest of it I'm sorry to say was just LAME. Overcooked eggplant and zucchini, bland goopy rice...and for $25!!!

I wrote them a scathing review but have to wait until we leave town to post it (it's one of the rules of traveling with a show, not to start a stink and invoke repercussions that could reflect badly on the company.) Man, what a disappointment. It WAS edible, but I could have easily made that in my hotel room with the Itaki and done a better job of it. I feel like such a sucker out-of-towner. I should have REALLY looked around and realized that the locals have shunned this place, and there must be a reason.

Ah well. This kind of thing happens from time to time. I'll have to take it as a "fool me once."
The rest of the day was lovely, so if that was the worst part of it I can't complain!

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

Sunday was an early sound check because we had two shows, the first one being at 1pm.
So at 9am I was at the theatre warming up. It's a pretty one with a sparkly ceiling.

Sound check was fine, just running through a few numbers for the orchestra and then with the actors doing mic checks on stage. Back to the hotel for lunch, then back again for the first show. I thought it went well AND it was sold out, all three balcony levels were completely full! Yay! We did have a prop bouquet of fake flowers fall into the pit and hit Eileen (French horn), and it's not like a fluffy bouquet, it's a BATON with flowers tied to it, so she said it did hurt. That'll probably be an incident report. That's the second large object to fall into the pit so far, maybe we need a traveling pit net.

Otherwise it went well. Dinner at the hotel, then show number two, which also went well.

And then, opening night party!

It was at a restaurant a few blocks from the theatre, and what a nice setup we had!
Good food, really great mixed drinks (although I stuck with wine myself)

I tried to mingle but am not great socially, plus most of these people know each other already.

One fantastic surprise was my friend Tyler, who was my tour manager over a decade ago with another touring company and just last year was hired by my current touring company to do bookkeeping and tour management! I knew he'd been hired on, but didn't expect to see him here!! We haven't seen each other since 2008!! I didn't get a pic with him but should have! Ah well. We got caught up as much as we could in the loud environment, and it was just great to see him again. It is amazing that we met on tour so long ago, and our paths intersected again for the second time tonight. The entertainment world is a small one indeed :)

I drank and had some finger foods and a slice of cake, and chatted it up with mostly members of the band.
Somehow I managed to stay for almost the whole party (10pm-12am), but peaced out right before the end.
We were each given a lovely gift bag, which I checked out back at the hotel.

Inside were two luggage tags (obligatory, I've met people who use these as a sort of flex to display all of the shows they've been on) and a warm fluffy dusky-blue My Fair Lady hoodie! (It looks grey in the photo but it's not, promise.) I was impressed that they'd given me "my" size without having to ask me about it...I guess someone actually checked my existing records to see what size I am.

Not great photos but it was late at night and hotel lighting, you understand.
Everyone, male and female, also received these flower necklaces. I don't go in for jewelry but did appreciate how short the chains were, it will not interfere with my tromboning so I may actually wear it from time to time.

Overall, really nice party, and I appreciated the chance to interact with my peers outside of work hours :)

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

Monday is another day off! Wow!
I'm definitely going to go for a walk, where exactly is TBD.
We also have single evening shows all week so really every day this week is quite free and open, there's no need to cram a lot into one day just because the evening is free. I expect to have small adventures here in Salt Lake, see some sights, play some shows, and then fly back to Orlando for that pesky overnight rehearsal (omg I can't think about it, I'll freak out!)

Other stuff:

There is a pup at this theatre named Tuukka who greets everyone who comes backstage!

Someone stuck googly eyes on this stairs sign. Watch OUT for those stairs, they're gonna getcha!

So much for the art museum today :/

I had a bit of a rough night, mostly because I am absolutely terrified of getting sick right now (we have two band members with a cold/flu thing) and I woke up feeling run down and sneezy, so decided to take it easy today. Feeling sick, or having sick people around me, makes me supremely anxious, and sometimes I need to take a step back and grapple with that.

Understand that both my parents died of illness; I was punished for being ill when I was young; and I was raised to believe that you are a burden on others when you are ill. Just thinking about having to call in a sub during the last few weeks of tour horrifies me to no end. But I'm freaking out over the Worst Case Scenario. The much more likely reality is I'll probably get a cold and that'll be that.

Anyway, I took an allergy med to see if that would help.
Breakfast and working on this and that project, before walking down to Bavette La Boucherie for lunch.

They have a softshell crab BLT on the menu, but it sells out quickly so I was careful to get there early.
TOO BAD, though, because they were still completely sold out and won't have it again until next week after we leave. Argh!

It kind of works out, though, because another place that I wanted to try, Allie Boy's Bagelry, has so many great menu options that I had been considering eating there twice. Well now it's decided!

It's a cute little shop on a quiet corner.

Look at this tiny mouse-door at their entrance!

Inside the bagels were in baskets against the wall and I couldn't get a good pic.
I got there right at noon so it was quite busy with in-person and pickup orders.
Still, I didn't have to wait long for my sandwich.

The Rikki Tikki Tavi: grilled chicken breast tossed in a kale coconut curry, with pieces of apricot, date, raisin, almond, and tamarind-pickled onions, topped with crunchy friend shallots, cilantro, and mint. Served on a honey wheat bagel.

Very, very, very good. I would have eaten the chicken salad alone without the bagel too.
It was perfectly balanced. I like my chicken salads dry, and everything just had the perfect coating of coconut curry. The sweet dried fruits went beautifully with the savory pickled onion, and the crunchy shallots gave incredible texture.

I think this restaurant is fairly new because they don't have many reviews yet. This sandwich was WAY better and more sophisticated flavor-wise than I expected. I hope that this restaurant sticks around for a LONG time!

I was still feeling under the weather as I walked back, but tried to enjoy the beautiful sunny day.
And the wildflowers! Here is a thistle, one of my favorites.
This one is a "nodding thistle", and it won't have a fluffy "plume" like some other varieties.

And one of my mother's favorites, crown vetch. I was surprised to see it...it's been years since I've come across this flower in person.
I think of her every time I see it. She used to point it out to us on walks and ask us it's name, and we had SUCH trouble remembering.
Not any more, though.

Feeling down and stressed as I've been, it cheered me to come across it today.

Back at the hotel I drank lots of liquids and worked on my part for Spamalot before taking a nap.

I was awoken by the phone ringing; it was the Disney interviewer! The same guy who was supposed to interview me on Wednesday! I couldn't help but ask, "Hey, so...what happened with that!" He thinks something went wrong with the automated scheduling system. He says my interview never came across his radar, wasn't added to his calendar at all. This is quite believable because A) the scheduling AI doesn't have a human supervisor, and B) many people are looking at and choosing time slots at the same time, and if two people click on the same time slot at the same time weird stuff can happen.

Mostly I had been worried that I'd done something wrong, or that the interviewer had some sort of emergency. Gladly, neither was the case! So we had our interview, which was mostly just them confirming things like work authorization and scheduling me for next steps (background check, orientation, Traditions which is Disney's training/onboarding.)

After the interview I received a few emails with paperwork to fill out, which I did.
And now we wait. I'll hit the ground running with most of this stuff the day after I get back to Orlando.

The evening show went just fine. Paul's (drummer) parents have been sitting in the pit to watch us play, and I feel like I play better when there are people actually watching what we do :)

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

Saturday, we have two shows!

I was feeling significantly better, though still a little post-nasaly and headache-y.
Would love to continue NOT being sick in ANY way.

I wanted to go get another bagel from Allie Boy's, but the one I wanted had been removed from the menu this morning!

Lol.

But that's ok, they have sooooo much great stuff on their menu.
The bagel I'd wanted was a dessert one: deep-fried carrot bagel rolled in spiced sugar with raisin walnut cream cheese, toasted coconut curd, meringue, and crumbled gingersnaps. I mean COME ON. Who wouldn't want that??

What I ended up with was a tartine, a pumpernickel bagel with chicken liver mousse, date molasses, chicken skin granola, bacon, and green onion. My god it was so good. Again, the combination of flavors and textures was perfect. Smooth earthy chicken mousse, crispy salty bacon and granola, and the sweet smoky molasses. OMG. And it was only $7!! Milwaukee is lucky to have this place!!

I may or may not have also picked up an enamel pin, because seriously, this food has been so good that I want to remember it for all of time!

Anyway, the rest of the day was fine. Two shows, probably the best audiences we've had all week!

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

Sunday, today the weather was about 20 degrees colder and windy and rainy, but I finally felt better.
The change in weather may explain why I have been feeling crappy; I'm often ridiculously sensitive to barometric pressure changes.

In addition to the two shows I did all of my usual pre-travel stuff, like packing and wiping surfaces in the hotel room and Googling groceries, restaurants, and laundry for the next city.

Since it was an uneventful day, here are my reviews of the snacks I picked up at the grocery this week:

- Japanese BBQ Jerky: 7/10 The flavor is very good, lots of sesame and umami with BBQ! However the texture is surprisingly WET for jerky and may take some getting used to. This brand is better eaten with a fork than your fingers.

- Brothers Nuts Spicy Basil Pepitas: 8/10 Flavorful and crispy! They'd be awesome on a salad. I had them with plain wild rice and they were a wonderful texture and flavor element.

- Banana Bread Crisps: 7/10 Tasty! You have to use your imagination for "banana bread" though, they mostly taste like sesame/tahini. Nice texture and overall a nice snack.

- Moo-less Strawberry Shortcake: 9/10 It blended very well and was not chalky at all, AND it didn't hurt my stomach or cause any kind of lactose reaction! The flavor was kind of artificial-y to me, but mixed with a smoothie or some oatmeal it may not be as noticeable and I'm excited to try the other flavors. Definitely a product that I'll look for in the future.

- Sweet Earth Plant-Based Turkey: 2/10 I hate to waste food but I had to throw this out. The smell was so bad, and so strong, that I immediately checked the expiration date after opening it. I couldn't believe it's supposed to smell this way but other reviews online complain about the same thing. The smell was like dog or cat food mixed with a LOT of garlic powder. It took three days for the smell to dissipate from the tupperware I'd stored it in. I did eat some and it was "ok", but the smell was really difficult to overcome. Definitely avoid, get Tofurky instead.

- Byte bars: 5/10 These are ok but they have a sandy texture, I assume from added fiber, that isn't very pleasant. I also feel like for the cost, there are other bars that offer a better flavor and texture with similar nutritional profile. Nothing special and not really worth the cost of eye-catching packaging.

- Lenny & Larry Strawberry Shortcake Cookie: 7/10 pretty good! I still like Snickerdoodle better, but this one has a good flavor too

- NuGo Protein Bars: 8/10 Nutritionally pretty balanced, good texture, filling, and delicious! I only wish there were less sugar, otherwise these are a really good choice and I'll keep an eye out for them in the future when I don't have time for a meal.

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

It's Monday and we're leaving late because the bus ride to Madison is only 90 minutes.
The hotel may not have rooms ready because we're arriving before 3pm, but that's ok if they'll let us drop luggage off.

Today I hope to walk to Madison Sourdough for my bread for the week, then to a local co-op.
For dinner I might be indulgent and have Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, since we don't have a show and I'll have a full day to recover from any lactose effects.

For the rest of the week I have a few more foodie finds to enjoy, and then there are thrift stores, a botanical garden, and a vintage toy store that I'm excited to explore!

Random photos:

A cliff swallow that I found sitting in some mulch next to a sidewalk.
There were no apparent injuries but it seemed dazed, perhaps hit by a car or flew into a window.
It did flinch away when I picked it up, but I only wanted to move it to a safer location.
I found a hose nozzle on the side of the apartment building and trickled some water into a leaf for the bird, left it within reach, and set it gently in that quiet corner to go on in peace, whatever that may mean for it.

Mural near a brewery:

Cute paddle boats on one of the rivers that feed into Lake Michigan. It has been fun to watch these ferrying drunk tourists and college kids all over, and to watch the bridges and street-bridges raised and lowered for yachts and ferries much larger than this.

Another thistle, this one is creeping thistle which is considered an international problem because it can blight entire fields of crops.
Wow! I still love it.

I left my phone unattended for like five seconds, and the trumpets got their grubby little hands on it and used it to take selfies.

So I gave them a makeover.

As-planned on Thursday, I did a few hours of data entry before allowing myself to go explore.

The weather was a bit colder but nice, 50-something degrees and sunny.
First I went to the Knoxville Art Museum, since it's FREE.

It's small, but there was some great art on display!
The bottom level had mostly glassworks, which were difficult to photography so I'm sorry I can't share them :/

The middle level had a special display on lithographs.
I had NO IDEA how complex lithographs used to be!
What's this about having to use LIMESTONE?! And run it through a scanner/printer multiple times?? Crazy!!
(See a great short description with GIFs of the process HERE)

Here was my favorite lithograph of the day. I loved the texture the artist got out of it.

The top level featured an entire gallery dedicated to student art!

This was awesome. Kids are so creative!! Many pieces of art resonated with me, more than I could photograph, but here are some of my favorites of the day:

( Arts )

Back outside I walked over to Cruze Farms for some ice cream!
They're a local dairy farm, and they sell soft serve made with their own milk and cream.
They also sell milk, pints of ice cream, and lots of merch in the form of shirts and stickers and pins and such.
And they partner with local businesses to include some of their goods in the ice cream, too!
(I was so tempted by the red velvet shake, omg)

The flavors are seasonal, so right now they've got "iced hot chocolate" and "candy cane" and such.
I chose a swirl of butterscotch + snow cream (it's just vanilla):

The texture was VERY good, super smooth and no ice crystals.
And the butterscotch flavor was just perfect. I could have eaten that all day haha.
I continued walking as I finished my cone, but didn't go far because I had to type up this post and have a little rest time before the show tonight.

The show went well, I think we all did a good job and the audience gave a standing ovation.

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

Friday I woke up at 7am to walk to the Marriott to do laundry (our Hyatt has an agreement that guests can go over there for this service).

The woman at the front desk seemed either not very bright, or out of it.
I explained to her that I was coming over from the Hyatt. She nodded like she wasn't surprised and then asked if I needed quarters. I said yes please, and handed her a $20. She looked absolutely astounded. "Do you want me to break this into smaller bills?"
I said, "No, I want a roll of quarters for $10 please, and $10 back."
But she still seemed super confused, so I dug around until I found a $10, and she seemed relieved and got the quarters.

Then I continued standing there, and she raised her eyebrows at me and said, "Can I help you with anything else?"
"....Yes," I said, "Don't I need a key card to access the laundry room?"
"Yes," she said, nodding, and made me up a key card.
Then more raised eyebrows, so I had to ask where the laundry room was.

It wasn't just me either; as I walked away I heard the woman behind me asked where they gym was located, and she was given the gym's hours and rules...but not where it was located. She had to ask a second time.
Maybe front desk chick hadn't had her coffee yet. Just weird.

Anyway, laundry was boring, I spent the time updating my Foodie Finds sheets for upcoming cities and responding to some emails.
Back at the hotel I put away clothes, breakfast and data entry until it was time for lunch with Sam (keyboard).

We went to Potchke, a Polish/Ukranian/Jewish deli that just opened in March.
This restaurant didn't come up in my food research probably because it's so new, but the cashier at Mast General Store aggressively insisted that I "HAD" to eat here, plus I overheard people talking about it straight up on the street, PLUS they have amazing reviews. And then Sam said he wanted to come along...so off we went!

We almost didn't see it at first--it's a pop-up restaurant, so it's using a borrowed space--but I spotted a paper in a window that read "POTCHKE", and that was it. It was a sunny little cafe and in the display case right when you walked in were the most perfect, unreal babka buns I have ever seen.

They had chocolate, plain, orange pistachio, and even a savory "everything" babka.
It was so, so, SO hard to grit my teeth and tear myself away from buying one. But I did it, barely.
Sam got some potato blintzes that looked delicious, while I had the matzo ball soup.

This isn't traditional matzo; it's zhuzhed up with loads of herbs, amba (a type of mango chutney), and chili crisp.
The sweet tart mango and the spicy chili bits made this SO GOOD. Super flavorful! I absolutely loved it.

It came with a small "vitamin salad" which was shredded carrots, celery, cabbage, beets, peppers, and apples in a tarragon vinaigrette.
It was tangy and VERY good.

That matzo ball was gigantic, and I felt bad that I couldn't eat it all, but I managed 2/3rds of it.
We walked our meal off, chatting about this and that, musician stuff, tour stuff, career stuff.
It was nice to have company, and learn more about one of my awesome coworkers :)

In all honesty, I had just walked back to the hotel with Sam to be polite!
As soon as we got back I turned back around and started walking to Knoxville's Old Gray Cemetery.
It's the second-oldest cemetery in Knoxville, and has many big monuments and small unmarked graves.

As I wandered I tried to find "the oldest grave". The oldest one I found today was someone born in 1902.

This monument to a child was beautiful, even more so with the effect of the light on my phone lens.

Someone had put coins in her lap. Standing next to her did feel oddly like standing next to a person.

Most of the stones here are made of marble, which is softer than granite so decays more rapidly, BUT can be carved deeply and intricately into more beautiful designs. As demonstrated by the Mead monument.

This one was carved to look like a tree. There were other headstones similar to this but this was the most ornate that I saw. Most of the tree-shaped ones had Mason or other "secret organization" symbols somewhere on them, so I suppose it was a popular headstone style for those types of groups at the time.

This one REALLY caught my attention.
It depicts a train crossing a collapsing bridge.
I tried to read the words but it was very difficult.
Upon resesarching at home, there are several victims of the 1904 New Market train wreck buried in this cemetery.
That didn't involve a bridge, though, and I haven't found more about it yet.

It was a lovely walk, and put me in a peaceful frame of mind.
I walked back to the hotel and chilled out until showtime.

The show went well, and Clayton (reeds) is going to be moving on to play for Beetlejuice, so his replacement was in the pit auditing.
His name is Christian, and hopefully he'll enjoy working with us!

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

Saturday was nice and chill. I had breakfast and did data entry in the morning, and watched some anime, and ate lunch.
Then a show at 2pm, and we had an excellent audience that was enthusiastic and laughed their heads off :)

Christian has already asked to be added to my Foodie Finds! Someone clued him in haha.

During the break I had a light dinner and watched anime and tried to plan for the travel day. Mostly meal planning, deciding how much food to bring vs how much to buy at the airport, checking the weather for a walk to a grocery once we're in town, stuff like that.

The evening show went well, another great crowd.
It was Clayton's (reed) last show with us, and he informed me later he'd saved his last homemade caramel as a treat for when his run with us was over. Awww!

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

Sunday. I didn't sleep well, on one hand because people came back to the hotel at 4am being super loud and obnoxious, on the other probably because I went to bed hungry and my tummy woke me up to complain. And also, my brain chose that time to remind me that I'd left my Tootsie umbrella at Olibea. Sigh. And of course it's RAINING this morning so I'll have to walk in the rain to go get it. Irony!

Had breakfast and snagged a bagel and apple from the hotel breakfast bar, to be eaten on the travel day.
The bus arrives at 6:30am, so it's gonna be an early one.

It was already starting to pour around 9:30 so I decided to wait to go get the umbrella.
Meanwhile I started packing, did some data entry, and watched anime.

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

Other stuff:

Walk to the theatre with me! (CLICK HERE)

I've uploaded a clip of myself playing Willie Colon's "Idilio" on the Ruby Princess in 2019 (CLICK HERE)
This is just the trombone highlights for portfolio purposes; if you want the full uncut song, it's HERE.

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE to watch

A Thursday of laundry, emails, coordinating holiday visit with family, cooking big chunks of seasoned pork in the Itaki.

I got to try my graham cracker apricot vanilla pop tart, and it was just as amazing as it sounds :)

It was sunny and warm, like 60F, so I did want to go for a walk before the show but had a surprise nap instead.

Boom! Sometimes it just hits ya.

The evening show went well.

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

Friday was a nice slow day. Dreary and cold outside, but a gaggle of starlings came tapping on the window to cheer me up.
I put out a handful of oats for them (yes birds can safely eat oats in small quantities) and they did stick around to eat some.
I even got a song for my troubles! CLICK HERE to watch

Later in the afternoon it was clear that it wasn't going to get much warmer out.
I sucked it up, bundled up, and walked to the botanical garden just a few blocks from the hotel.

Myriad Botanical Gardens. I was here once before in 2012, so about a decade ago, and enjoyed it very much then.
Today was their grand reopening after several years of renovations to the inside.

It was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and there was a harpist playing on the balcony overlooking the greenhouse.

I recognized and remembered the general layout, but the new features are prominent too.
I don't recall there being a waterfall, for example.

Plants were also grouped by type or similarity, which they hadn't been before.
Fruiting plants were together--bananas, pineapple, starfruit, limes, mango, and more.
Spice plants were together, tropicals and desert plants in separate areas.

( Read more... )

On Monday we have two flights on small commercial jets to get to Springfield, IL for a one-day stop.
From there we go to Tysons VA for four days, then Akron and Toledo for a few days each.

I'm not deeply looking forward to any of these cities.
Tysons should be fun because of proximity to DC and some exciting and fun food options, but we also only get four days there so time to explore will be limited.

And Ohio is Ohio.

I think because we are so close to the Christmas break, that's all I can think about right now.

Long post again b/c I love Grand Rapids.
Sorry not sorry.

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

Thursday it was still cloudy and rainy, and it's getting colder too.
I'm going to have to start getting used to walking in the rain and cold again.

I made a TikTok for the first few days in Grand Rapids (HERE)

And here's one that can serve as a TL;DR for the below blog, since I know people don't like reading and actively thinking about things (HERE)

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to put forth the effort to make these videos on top of everything else.
But every day while I'm traveling between cities, or eating great food, or exploring, or doing meal prep...whatever I'm doing, it's always in the back of my mind that I wish everyone could experience all of these things. Both the good and the bad. To me, it's a privilege and a dream. To others it's probably a horror show lol. Still, I want to share as much of it as I can for those who are intrigued or interested or want to be here but can't.

Anyway, I had a slow morning of creating the TikTok, taking the weekly covid test, and doing some data entry.

For lunch I had planned to get a lobster roll from Downtown Market...but can you guess how much lobster rolls are going for these days?
THIRTY-FOUR DOLLARS. Yeah, no, not paying $34 for a sandwich!!

So instead I walked to Two Beards, an infamous local deli where they've got around 100 sandwiches to choose from, all named after celebrities (or musicians, or politicians, etc).

Cute cafe-like setting, and it was very busy right at noon. Construction workers, students, dudes in suits, DoorDashers...the locals know this is where to get a great lunch at a good price.

I chose the Samuel L. Jackson: grilled chicken with smoked gouda, roasted apples, spinach, and walnut honey mustard on white roll.

Tasty as heck! And also a HUGE sandwich; the piece I'm holding there is half of a "half"!
My only regret is that I didn't swap out the white roll for a pretzel roll instead. Note to self if there's a next time.

After that tasty lunch I had a nice walk to the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
It's a pretty small museum with only three floors, but a nice selection of art that gets rotated out frequently.

My favorite two arts of the day:

I think this was called "Dawn Launch" or something, and the artist was from Maine.

This one struck a chord with me, because of the lighting in the painting making it seem like the long shadows of fall:

...and also because there were images hidden under the paint.

People as part of the land.
Maybe because I'm currently reading The Grapes of Wrath, I felt something when I looked at this artwork.

The main draw today, however, was The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited.
( Read more... )

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

On Monday we are leaving rather late, and we have two flights and a long bus ride, so won't arrive in Wilmington NC until 8 or 9pm.
We're stopping at a Pilot on the way, so that's where I'll probably have to pick up dinner and breakfast for the next day.
Then Tuesday we'll have one show before moving on to Lexington, KY for four days.
That flight is late too, so these will be long travel days.
The goal is to endure all that, play some great shows, and make it to Providence RI, where we will have a 6-day stay.

Monday was a "golden day".

This is what theater people call a day off...because "day off" can mean no shows, but it can still mean a day of travel, or a day of rehearsals.
"Golden day" means you really do get the whole day free with no company obligations.

I was wide awake at 7am, because I am the type who would rather do a lot in the morning so I can have no worries in the evening.

First, breakfast and packing up a few things that I'm done with (tupperware, the Itaki, the aeropress, misc cooking tools).
Next I loaded my small suitcase with laundry and headed out to the laundromat.

It was raining so the walk was uncomfortably cold and damp, but not unmanagable.
I stopped at the co-op for some breakfast items for tomorrow.

Laundry was uneventful. An hour later I folded it all up, packed it into the suitcase, and walked to Original Grains for a poke bowl.
This place wasn't on my foodie list; it just looked healthy and was on my way back.
I got tuna with a variety of veggies over herbed basmati. It was larger than I expected, and very good.

Back at the hotel I put away the laundry and did 90% of my packing.
All that's left out are some toiletries, the kettle for tea later on, some food, and my computer.

The rest of my day was relaxing. I did some data entry work, napped, watched anime and Food Network with Jameson.

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

Tuesday morning I woke up super early, having slept SO poorly.
I really hope the next hotel is QUIETER.

Had some breakfast, and at 8:30 packed up the last of my things and got on the charter bus.
Our flights were on time, retrieving luggage was fine, the 40-minute ride from Boston to the hotel in Marlborough was fine.
And despite what our info sheet had said, we DID get refrigerators in our rooms! Score!

I walked to the nearest grocery and stocked up on some nice things, but we have a long commute this week so there will be less fancy cooking. I did get some fancy Al Fresco chicken sausages (precooked), a lemon pepper raw chicken breast, and some local eggs to steam in the Itaki. But most of my veggies and some of my other food items are nonperishables in case there's no fridge at the theater.

Once that was done I unpacked for the week, using the desk as my cooking space and a small side table for my coffee station.

One of our rental cars was reserved under my name, so I picked up the key and went to Kennedy's Restaurant and Market for a takeout dinner. I ordered the "Carolyn's Favorite", which was described as a popover "stuffed with warm roast beef, served with au jus and horseradish sauce". What I got was a very soggy halved popover, buried under lukewarm beef and congealed gravy, no horseradish sauce to be seen.

I rescued the meal by buying a fresh popover unmarred by gravy, rinsing most of the nasty gravy off the beef, and adding steamed veggies. This restaurant is on my foodie list and I'm having second thoughts about it, but there are very few restaurant options in the area. Plus, many of their other meal options still look quite good.

And the additional popover that I bought was VERY good. Clearly freshly baked, light and eggy and wonderful.

Inner texture. If you've had a Dutch baby, a Yorkshire pudding, or a French cruller, the texture is similar.

I'll leave Kennedy's on the list for now, solely based on this heavenly popover and for lack of better options near the hotel.

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

Wednesday was, weirdly, another golden day.
Last year I could count on one hand how many golden days we got, and this year we have two nearly back to back!

No matter. Since I had a rental car, and since no one else asked to use it, I woke early to drive to downtown Worcester.
First I drove to the theater and the parking garage so I could see what they were like, so I'd be less likely to get lost on opening night.
Then I went to BirchTree Baking Co for breakfast.

( Read more... )

It's Thursday and we'll finally get to have opening night.

Some things that I haven't mentioned:

For travel this week we were broken into two groups, and while our group arrived with no issue the later group had an issue with their plane that delayed them by like five hours.
Also Jared, the guy who plays Jeff in our show, fractured his foot (DURING the show, worker's comp) so now the whole cast has to go back into rehearsals to figure out how to cover.

We only have one show on Friday but I expect the actors and a lot of crew will need to rehearse for much of the afternoon.

The info sheet for Athens, GA has already been given out...we are only there for one day.
This will be my first time doing a "load-and-go" with only one night in a city. I imagine it'll be rushed and stressed.

I still made a MFF foodie sheet for Athens, but it only has the VERY nearest grocery (a Target), nearest pharmacy (a CVS inside the Target probably), and two suggested restaurants listed as "One Shot Stops" for people to consider if they get time to order out and want to make it something special/local.

Anyway, today I'll do some data entry work and take a walk and pack a dinner to bring to the theater since we have a 20-minute commute.

**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: Buell Theatre

Covid Tests To Date: 80

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE to view

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

I had trouble sleeping on Monday, not sure why but perhaps because my body is used to waking up early to travel.

It felt strange to stay in bed as long as I liked (which wasn't long) and to take my time on a Monday morning.

I had a nice breakfast and goofed off.
Bobby was at the airport and we chatted a bit. I wish him luck in all of his future ventures.
My sister wants to have breakfast together tomorrow, and I think that's a great idea because our covid tests have been shifted to Wednesday and Friday and there's a matinee on Thursday this week, so Tuesday may be our last chance to hang out.

Before lunch I walked to Whole Foods to replenish my grocery supplies.
I got berries, grilled chicken, peas, shredded brussels sprouts, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, some protein shakes, eggs, smoked salmon, and some interesting soups from a company called Something Good to Eat. The butternut squash soup from last week was theirs, and I've had their pomegranate beet soup as well (enjoyed it but the lentils were WAY undercooked) so I thought I'd try their other two flavors: Spicy Mushroom with lemongrass and quinoa, and Hearty Tuscan with veggies and buckwheat. I also got a can of "pineapple spice" low-calorie soda, just because it was an interesting flavor. I already have my bread for the week, and barley that I can cook as well, so carbs are covered.

Back home I ate lunch and treated myself to the little mini-bottle of peanut butter whiskey I've been dragging all over the country ever since Greenville. It's a day off, after all!

In fact, for the rest of the day I didn't do much at all. I cooked some barley to use in coming days, and I did my meal planning, and bookmarked some more jobs to apply for. I watched Netflix and read a book and had some snacks and dinner.

On tour, we almost never get a true day of rest. There were only three "Golden Days" on our schedule; that's only three true days off that were not layoffs. Usually we have at least one show per day, and the "day off" is spent at the airport or on a bus, dragging luggage around or getting delayed or packing/unpacking at the hotels. It is rare for me to do nothing all day, but I think it is justified, and I definitely appreciated it.

Other folks on our tour went hiking out on the Flatirons, or visited Red Rock, or went skiing, or went out to eat together.
A lot of people have spouses or loved ones in town to visit since we're actually sitting still for a significant time.
I hope everyone had a beautiful day, just as beautiful as mine was :)

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

Tuesday, I got up just slightly early to have breakfast with Kayle, Elliotte, and Drexel!

We decided on Jelly Cafe since it was one of few places open before 11am.
They had a lot of great-looking food on the menu including pancakes, grain bowls, benedicts, and little mini donut bites in a variety of different flavors. Kayle got the veggie benedict, and I went for the veggie biscuit. We are so "healthy", lol.

But seriously, this is just what appealed to me today. A nice fluffy biscuit with an herb gravy made of pureed rutabaga, parsnip, turnip, carrot, and onion. It was lighter than you'd expect, and very good.

The company wasn't bad either :)

Wrangling kids is tough at any meal, but both kids were reasonably well behaved for long enough that we could eat.
Drexel started thrashing and howling partway through, but surprisingly when Kayle passed him to me he sat calmly for a solid five minutes so she could wolf down her eggs. We went to the window where we could see multiple tow trucks lining up to drag away unfortunate cars that had been parked on the wrong side of the street for cleaning day. Kids love flashing lights.

A quick stop at my hotel so I could grab my coat because it was very windy and drizzling, then Kayle drove me to the Denver Art Museum and took off to meet another friend at the history museum for a kiddie play date. It was great to see the kids again!
But forever and ever, I'm eternally glad that I don't have kids :p

The museum is an interesting building indeed.

The inside is angular like the outside, and although it's a bit dizzying it's also a fun effect.
I wonder how many people fall down these stairs because they get disoriented!

The circles on the angled walls are an art installation themselves; the circles light up in a pattern of LED numbers, though I'm embarrassed to say I forgot to note what they signified.

The exhibit rooms themselves were like a work of art.
I love to think about how much effort and care went into the wall colors; the lighting; the frames; the height and placement of each work. Consideration for the impression a visitor would get upon walking into a display area for the first time.
It was quite beautiful.

The simplicity in this one is so powerful. I felt my heart vibrate to see it. I felt closer to my own god.

( Read more... )

**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: Orpheum Theatre

(stock images)

Covid Tests to Date: 57

TL;DR TikTok:

TikTok by @tromboneontour

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

We had the usual type of travel day, split into two groups again.
I was in the earlier group that left around 8:30am. Which is great because I appreciate getting to the next city as soon as possible.

The flights were just fine. We had a layover in Chicago, and I got this beautiful footage of the frozen lake.

https://instagram.com/p/CZ96qDFJhUc

Then, while we were waiting for boarding, I got a text from my former Production Manager on Ringling Bros.
She happened to be on layover in Chitown as well...at the gate right next to mine!!

What are the odds of THAT happening?

By the time we realized we were in the same airport, my flight was already boarding so we unfortunately didn't get time to chat.
But how fun it was to see her! How random and great.
The entertainment world is vast, and also small. And I love that.

We got to the hotel on time I think. It's an older hotel and I am hearing from other members of the cast that some rooms are not so great, but I feel that mine is pretty decent. My only complaints are that the water drains insanely slowly from the tub (gonna ask for Drain-O), and also there was no fridge.

Granted, our route sheet did warn us that this hotel didn't have fridges, so I was mentally prepared at first. But Steve (trumpet) had called ahead and had been told in no uncertain terms that we'd have 'em, so I had gotten my hopes up. And then walked into my room and immediately knew there was nowhere for a fridge to live. This is why I'm a pessimist, folks.

BUT, in circumstances like these, it's important not to give up.
I immediately rang the front desk and asked if there were any fridges available. And there WERE.
One was brought up within the next 30 minutes.
There are not enough for everyone, and when that happens it's just first-come, and Rules of the Road.
I feel bad or selfish at times like these, but also, if this is something that's important to me I will take extra action.
That's all; it's nothing personal.

Stocking my fridge, though, turned out to be quite the escapade.
I decided to walk to the nearest Kroger.
And gosh...Memphis is NOT a very safe city. Like, I was in the circus for five years, living in some of the worst parts of each major city, so I have a lot of experience walking through truly dangerous areas. And this was BAD. Like, Anacostia-level bad.
I'm still gonna walk around, but I'm gonna be REALLY careful. More vetting of the areas I'm walking through this week for sure.
Less time with my face in my phone.

But still, I made it to the Kroger unharassed, and it was "ok". I managed to get most of my groceries.
And then I couldn't for the life of me get an Uber.
When I finally did get someone, after the app searched for a full five minutes, they were 30 minutes away.
I waited and waited as it got dark and cold, alone in a VERY sketchy part of Memphis.
45 minutes later...no Uber.
My parents would kill me if they were alive, and my boyfriend will be angry, but...some random guy who had been grocery shopping recognized my situation for what it was and offered to drive me to the hotel. And I accepted. MOSTLY because the security guard greeted him by name and saw me get in his car. (Yes, there are security guards or cops often hanging out at grocery stores in sketchy areas.)
I insisted on paying him in cash, and he was a perfect gentleman. And I realize that was a bad situation.
And I won't be putting myself in that situation again this week.
Daylight walking only, and now I know: AVOID POPLAR ST IN MEMPHIS.

Anyway, got the groceries and got unpacked, and had a much needed glass of wine to relive stress. That was my Monday.
Tomorrow, adventures!

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

Tuesday, I woke up feeling exhausted physically but mentally ready to go.
( Read more... )

**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: Fox Theatre

(stock images. The Fox is beautiful so it gets an extra photo!)

Covid Tests to Date: 49

TL;DR TikTok:

TikTok by @tromboneontour

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

We had a late travel day, not leaving the hotel until noon.
I had time to eat both breakfast and lunch before boarding the bus.

Then our flight wasn't until 3pm, so a few hours of hanging out at the airport.
But we made it to Atlanta in good time, then to our hotel.

This is a nice hotel room (they've all been nice, ya know?) but it definitely wins the Smallest Bathroom Award!
Even smaller than the bathrooms on the train AND on the cruise ship. My knees almost touch the sink counter.
I feel bad for all the big guys on our tour this week.

Once we arrived I did my weekly routine: find and evaluate the fridge; walk to nearest grocery for the goods; walk back and put it all away; unpack and get settled in. I want to start budgeting now that the holidays are over, so we will see how I do with a spending limit of $240 per week.

I've been looking forward to Atlanta for several reasons.
For one, I've played the Fox before and it's a beautiful theatre and always a pleasure to perform there.
Also, Atlanta is a great city for foodies.
Finally, the Georgia Aquarium is one that I somehow missed when we came through with the circus, so I've been really excited to check it out!

Budget tracking: $75 of $240 spent so far

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

Tuesday!
I woke up semi-early, decided to have a little fun with my oatmeal by adding some dark chocolate and raspberries.
No microwave this week, and while heating things up is more time consuming in the skillet it also allows for more creativity as the food cooks.

Our covid testing has been changed to mornings, which I'm personally happy about. It allows more time for everyone to know people tested positive and react by reblocking or getting subs or whatever. Finding out an hour before the show has seemed kinda risky. I got my tests and then started walking to Ponce City Market.

I had hoped to visit Root Baking Co., but the info that I could find on their site and social media was vague about whether they were actually open and actually making bread on weekdays. Sure enough, I arrived an hour after they had supposedly opened to find the door locked and the lights off. Oh well. The rest of the market was pretty cool, a very hipster vibe, a lot of art and locally made/produced goods for sale. Loads of good restaurants.
( Read more... )

Next week we have a layoff, so I'll be returning to Orlando to spend the week with Jameson.
He'll be having a normal work week, so there's nothing special planned.
I'm going to make lemon bars, and possibly peanut butter bread to stick in the freezer for him, and we're excited to try the bananas foster rum that I ordered way back in Greenville. I'll check on my plants and get some clothing hemmed and get my luggage sorted and some winter clothes packed. Because after this break it's off to Des Moines, which I imagine will be pretty frigid this time of year.

Stay tuned :)

(stock photos)

Covid Tests to Date: 25

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

TL;DR: A slapdash TikTok summarizing the week in DC.

TikTok by @tromboneontour

For the past week I have been home visiting family and trying to help with my dad's funeral.
As you can imagine that took up a lot of time and energy for all of us, and so I didn't keep up with happenings on the tour while they were in Baltimore. But according to all sources my substitute trombonist did well, and there were no problems, just a regular week. Yay!

Being home was difficult. Not only because we were mourning my dad's passing, but also because so many in our hometown are STILL not vaccinated, and still seem to believe that covid-related deaths have nothing to do with them or their choices. It was very frustrating, especially since a lot of these folks are good friends who I've known since I was a toddler, and they are people that I care about and wish would take these incredibly minor steps to protect themselves.

As the daughter of someone who refused to vaccinate and is now dead because of that decision: if you are unvaccinated, please reconsider vaccinating. Everyone has their own reasons for not doing so, so I'm not sure what each person might need to hear in order to rethink this. But if you need to talk about it with someone, absolutely message me any time. Maybe there actually is a good reason for you personally to vaccinate. Or if someone in your life has not yet vaccinated, and has no medical reason for not doing so, please continue to respectfully offer information and perspective to that person. I would really, really hate for anyone else to have to go through what my family is going through right now (although I know a lot of people have already).

Thank you for considering, and again, please reach out if this is something you'd like to talk about.

Here are a few pictures of myself with my sisters' kids.
I'm never having kids, can't stand 'em, but it was nice to have a little time and see how much they've grown over the past two years!

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

After the service was over I traveled back to Baltimore, returned my rental car, and checked in to a hotel.
The next morning I dragged my luggage to the lobby of the tour's hotel, where Erin (our Covid Safety Officer) was waiting with a rapid test for me. We sat and waited while it processed, and eventually it showed a red line for negative. Now I could safely get on the bus and ride with everyone to Washington DC!

The ride was short, only an hour, and we got there at noon.
Surprisingly the hotel was ready for us that early. It was also a very nice hotel, modern and clean, with a microwave and minifridge in each room. It's amazing what a difference these two appliances can make convenience-wise!

I dumped my luggage and took a walk to the nearest grocery, which this week happens to be Whole Paycheck*ahem* I mean, Whole Foods.
Oh, Whole Foods during the holidays!
So many temptations. Holiday themed products, unique and inviting pastries, so much fresh delicious produce!
I got all of my usual suspects: eggs, yogurt, chicken, veggies, fruit, water, plant milk, and replenished some nonperishables. I also found my local bread for the week in the form of a rye teff rustic loaf from Bread Furst.

This was kind of cheating...Bread Furst was over three miles away, and I didn't want to walk all the way there and back :P But Whole Foods often carries locally-baked breads, so I lucked out! According to the bakery's website, teff is an ancient grain that is gluten free, and it's also the smallest grain in the world. It has a sweet and complex flavor like molasses or dark chocolate. The loaf was indeed very dark, and also flatter than other loaves I've had, probably due to a lower gluten content. The crumb was tighter too, but it was still very delicious bread, slightly bitter in the crust with a sweet middle. This will be very enjoyable to eat :)

Friendly reminder that when I buy a loaf of bread each week, that is pretty much my main carbohydrate for the entire week, almost all 18 meals. That is how I'm able to get through a loaf of bread in a week. I'm not sitting over here munching on a whole loaf in one sitting, lol.

Anyway, because there are always exciting new things to discover at Whole Foods, I also got an ume plum soda (which was fantastic), a jar of pomegranate beet soup (intriguing!), and a bar of pine-and-berry scented holiday soap! I'm out of soap this week anyway, and who doesn't want to smell like a Christmas tree ;)

Back at the hotel I put everything away. It's always satisfying to see the fridge stocked for a week of shows.
Then I walked to what was supposed to be a nearby Christmas market but it was closed so the vendors could restock. So instead I picked up some pork bao buns to have for dinner later. DC has an incredible Chinatown, and I intend to have a few delicious Asian meals before we leave!

( Read more... )

**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.**

Note:
Due to an ongoing family emergency, there are times where I may post less regularly or with less content.
Thank you for your understanding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The venue: Saenger Theatre

(stock images)

Covid Tests to Date: 17

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

Monday. I woke up early. I always wake up early on travel days even if we're leaving late, because I'm EXCITED.
Same thing used to happen on the circus train. You'd hear those air brakes come off early Monday morning, and your heart rate would increase just the slightest bit. On to a new city and a new adventure.

I packed my luggage differently than usual, cramming more of the things from my backpack into my suitcases and keeping a tote bag out. All this because we'd been told we'd get to the hotel before our rooms would be ready, and I wanted to have everything I'd need to explore for a few hours without having a backpack full of junk I didn't need.

The bus came for us around 9am and we piled on, fighting traffic to Orlando International.
Our flight was more or less on time and very smooth, lovely weather for flying.
The pilot (or perhaps one of the flight attendants) was a big Broadway fan, so they announced on the plane that "The cast of TOOTSIE is flying with us today!" and made everyone clap for us. It was kiiiinda awkward, but also kinda sweet.

We arrived slightly late but not too bad, then once we'd retrieved our luggage it was a fight through traffic to get to our hotel, just one block off of Basin Street. Right in the middle of the action.

If you're a night person, you will LOVE downtown New Orleans. Bars and live music and ghost tours and booze and restaurants galore.
I am not a night person, and I'm very much an introvert. Plus, I've been here before with the circus and have done quite a lot of sightseeing at that time (those posts can be found HERE if you're interested). There are still things that I want to do and see here, just not at night when there are rowdy drunks all around. Not my scene.

So we got to the hotel, and as predicted they did not have all of the rooms ready. I was able to stash my luggage with the bellhop and--impatient and hungry, without waiting to see if anyone wanted to hang--went right back out the door and into the busy street.

See, this is why it's hard for me to make friends.

I walked to the nearest place where I knew I could find a muffuletta, which at that time of day was Cafe Beignet on Decatur Street.
I had breakfast at the airport, but now it was almost 2pm and I was very hungry!
Muffuletta isn't something I would normally crave. It's a sandwich made with a special 9" round bun topped with toasted sesame seeds. Inside are ham, salami, mortadella, mozzarella, provolone, and an olive salad (pickled olives and misc veggies). I usually try to avoid overly salty, fatty foods. But, well...you only live once, and I wanted to try it!

It was better than I expected! Sure it was salty, but not excessively. And the olive veggie blend on top really was something special. It gave the whole sandwich a tang and crispness that elevated it so much. Although I probably wouldn't eat these frequently, I'd certainly eat one again the next time I'm in NOLA.

( Read more... )

(stock photos)

Covid Tests to Date: 13

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

TL;DR: an abbreviated version of this post via TikTok, I know people are opposed to reading so here ya go.

TikTok by @tromboneontour

For those who read:

We all woke up early for our flight to Tampa.

While getting to the airport was easy, we hit a few small snafus along the way.
Travel troubles are inevitable and should be expected, especially when traveling with a big group like ours. Our second flight was delayed. Then upon arrival in Tampa it was raining (welcome to Florida y'all!) and we had to wait a bit for the rain to die down so we and our luggage wouldn't be soaked. Finally, the hotel was not ready for us when we arrived, so there was a bit of a campout in the lobby as the rooms got sorted.

These are all really minor snags, everything worked out just fine in the end. I'm mentioning them not to complain, but to illustrate that traveling to a new city and a new hotel every week is not always the romantic, carefree adventure that people envision. Stuff happens!

Also, it's the bumps in the road along the way that make for the best tour tales later on :)

Once I was settled into my room and had a look at the fridge (another small square unit) I walked to the Publix only 1/4 mile away to get my groceries for the week. This time I was a little smarter about vegetables. Libby's vegetable cups can be stored without refrigeration, come in convenient single-serving cups, and won't go bad like fresh produce. I also bought less meat because with the grocery so close I can go back partway through the week, avoiding spoilage and allowing for more variety. And I got a full-size jar of almond butter, because I eat enough of it that it's worth making room for it in my luggage.

After dropping those groceries at the hotel I went looking for local bread, but was unable to find it where Google Maps had told me it would be. Turns out the bakery had moved, so that would be a project for Tuesday morning. Back at the hotel I overheard someone getting a microwave delivered to their room! Ohmigosh!! The skillet is great and all, but a microwave is SO much more convenient! I requested one right away.

The rest of my evening was spent relaxing, watching TV and checking on family.

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

Tuesday I woke up too early, and did not sleep well. No particular reason.
I had a very slow morning because I was just not in the mood to go anywhere in the Florida heat.
I had a nice relaxing breakfast of yogurt and oatmeal with raspberries, then did some family stuff and made travel plans.

Around lunchtime I walked to the theatre for my first covid test of the week.
We are being tested by both the theatre and the production company, so there will be some extra testing!
I don't mind, if it makes us all safer and protects my job, let's do it!

This was the little testing booth. I checked in at security and in no time at all someone came out to help me do my rapid test. It only took a few minutes, and afterward I was given this vaccination card that is good for 48 hours.

Then it was time to find my local bread!
( Read more... )

This week I worked, 10-6.

I'm starting to understand things a little better at this point. I'm adding more products to the website, variances for each product, etc etc (if you've ever done retail stocking/inventory you know what I'm talking about, if not, don't worry about it). I've listed several instruments for sale on the BAC site and Facebook and Craigslist and all over, but have not sold anything this week. It happens. Part of the problem may be my pricing, which not surprisingly is not accurate yet. Then there's also demand, which I really have no control over other than to promote my brains out and hope someone needs what's being sold.

But anyway. I enjoy the organizing aspect of things. I've gotten to proofread some flyers and such for my boss, and that's something I like doing as well. Kristy (repair tech) and I are getting along pretty well. She's the only other girl on the retail side and I'm glad she's there. We seem to have similar ideas about keeping things clean and having cookies around and such ;) Plus, I really enjoy watching her work. When a customer comes in with a repair that can be done while they wait, she gives them her full attention and then masterfully repairs the instrument in minutes. What a cool skill.

Matt (my boss) is an awesome repair tech as well. In fact everyone in the store can make repairs except me it seems. I'll have to learn! But first I've got my own stuff to do. There's just so much to be done, and customers coming in at random, so some days it feels like I've accomplished frustratingly little. But I'm convincing myself that things are still getting done, it just seems slow because I'm having to flit from one thing to another rather than wiping out one thing at a time. It's good to have multiple things going...if I get brain-tired of one I can spend time on another.

Here are Kristy and Matt tidying up the repair area while I work on adding products to the website.

Outside of work, I don't have much to report. The big excitement this week was discovering a stuffed animal that I'd had as a child and thought I'd never see again. His name was Peaches. I was reading an article about the circus closing, and at the bottom of the article was a link to this unrelated story featuring a picture of the stuffed dog. I was very shocked to see it. I think the last time I saw this toy was when I was eight or ten years old? Twenty years ago. Anyway, now that there was a picture, it was possible to find the toy again. I did a reverse google image search and found the brand, name, and year of production. With that information, I went to Ebay and Etsy. I found only one for sale, and it wasn't tattered and worn by time either...a woman in Florida had lovingly restored it to like-new condition. Yeah, there was no way I was passing up the chance to have a beloved childhood friend with me again. Peaches II arrived in the mail on Monday.

I've been trying to keep track of my circus family as they scatter to the winds. Many people are using this painful time to take road trips, travel, explore. I enjoy seeing their adventures. Some fortunate ones have already found work in other entertainment venues, and are rehearsing or preparing for upcoming performances. Way to go, y'all :) Others are at home with their families. Still others seem to have disappeared. With fewer updates on facebook, it's hard to know what everyone's up to.

At this point, I'm really focused on visiting Jameson. Geez. It upsets me that I don't know when I'll see him next. Being patient is haaaaard. Neither of our schedules are solid enough for visits yet. I'm determined to make it happen during the summer. But in the meantime. Waiting. Sucks. At least he seems to be doing well. Other than the frogs coming to get him...

I had expected to work on Saturday at the factory, sorting some instruments they've got languishing in the attic. Instead, thanks to a last-minute repair demand from an area school, the repair department found itself ultra-busy and I found myself with a three-day weekend. I'll make the most of it!

Saturday, I woke early thanks to my recently reset internal clock. I used the time to cook food for the week and clean up a little. While I was cooking it began raining pretty hard. We were under a tornado watch. In this video you can hear a whooshing sound...I thought it was thunder at first but it was constant. I think it was wind in the distance...

( Read more... )

Before heading to Pittsburgh we visited a really awesome museum: The Strong Museum of Play! It's only a few blocks from the Rochester arena! Never knew!

The Strong Museum is primarly a children's museum, featuring a lot of play areas, a small library, and lots of hands-on exhibits. We were there on Halloween day and there was a special trick-or-treat event for toddlers. We saw lots of cute kids in adorable costumes!

But the real reason we were there is because the Strong Museum houses thousands of video games. The entire second floor is like a giant arcade. Some games are free, others require tokens, either way it's a great time. Most of the games are not on display, but are held in the archives and rotated out into the display cases every once in a while. When you've got tens of thousands of items it's hard to show them all at once! Here are some of the vintage gaming systems we got to see.

Game Boy, of course!

An Apple II computer, complete with floppy disk drives. (Yeah that link is for you Millenials who never experienced the "joys" of a piece of wax paper that held 0.5k data and could be erased with a fridge magnet :P)

This is pretty cool, it's a Nintendo cartridge specifically designed for gaming competitions. The parameters of the games can be controlled by the chip in the upper left. Supposedly these are quite rare and go on eBay for thousands. Cool!

This is one of those ET games that was ditched in a landfill after losing tons of money for Atari (it was a news story a few years ago when they dug 'em back up).

This is just a small sampling of what we saw. In addition to video games, there were displays of board games, puzzles, dolls, and other types of toys.

We found a giant Battleship board and played a game. I won!

That's ok, he won at two player Tetris later on :)
( Read more... )

Since the overland to DC was so short, Jameson and I made plans to spend Monday at the Natural History Museum. We'd both been before but not recently. There were some new exhibits, including two photography galleries showcasing National Geographic's "20 years of Nature's Best Photography" and specifically the photography of Frans Lanting. The images were displayed without frames, in an intensely high quality. A summary to the side of each photo described the conditions under which the photographer took the photo, equipment used, and their thoughts and feelings as they captured the images.

Because it was spring break, the museum was VERY crowded. We inched our way through a display of skeletons of various animals, saw the bugs (but couldn't get into the butterfly dome because there was a waiting list), and enjoyed the hall of gems and minerals.

( Read more... )

We drove to Chattanooga and spent the night. The next day we went to Bluewater Grille for lunch (we remembered it from two years ago). After a delicious meal we visited the candy store across the street, just because we could. This particular store specializes in weird sodas. Flavors ranged from the normal root/ginger/butter beer and fruit flavors to the bizarre and sometimes downright gross. Ranch dressing? Gravy? Sweet corn? Eew!

Jameson was brave and got the PB&J soda. He has yet to try it. I got an almond-flavored one and will check it out sometime this week.

Then we drove to Nashville. After checking into the hotel we decided to do some looking around. First stop, Gruhn Guitars to check out some amazing and rare instruments! I don't know much about guitars, but this was a very impressive collection. Jameson really enjoyed looking at them and playing a few.

After poking around in a nearby antique mall, we decided to get dinner at the highly recommended Hattie B's. I was skeptical that fried chicken could be anything but plain ol' chicken...but this was something special! You choose your chicken portion and the heat level you want. Neither of us were brave enough for "Shut the cluck up" spice, but we both enjoyed the "medium" heat. The chicken was SO good, juicy and tender. The sides were delicious as well, especially the black eyed pea salad. Don't leave Nashville without stopping in for a bite!

We were both pretty tired, so decided to just enjoy the hotel that night. Just as we were falling asleep we got a call from Rebecca (wardrobe) who lives on our car. Apparently the train came to an emergency stop, causing a lot of things to go flying around in everyone's rooms. Soon after, smoke started coming from Jameson's room. It turns out a bottle of (ironically) Jameson fell onto the stovetop knob, turning the burner on. A stick of deodorant fell on top of the burner and caught fire.

Fortunately we've got some quick thinkers on our car. Rebecca called train crew while Chaz (drummer) got into the fuse box and turned the power off to Jameson's room. Rebecca was kind enough to take some photos of the area around the stovetop. It's fortunate that none of the other flammable items lying around caught fire.

(photo courtesy Rebecca)

Jameson was very relieved, and thankful to everyone who helped to take care of the situation while we were traveling overland. Thank you Rebecca and Chaz, and everyone on train crew, for looking out for us. One emergency is hard enough to deal with, much less a second unexpected one. Thank you.

( Read more... )

I flew home on Monday. This adorable service dog was on my first flight.

Both flights were easy. The weather was unusually cooperative. I actually fell asleep on the second flight, a rarity for me.

My Dad picked me up and drove me home. It was great to see my Mom, who I haven't seen since May. She had a major head surgery over the summer and I couldn't make it home to see her through it. She is recovering well but she's photo shy so sorry, no pics :P It was nice to be home.

I was DYING to check out the new trombone! It was packaged very well and came in a brand new ProTec case. Looking at it in person, I can't believe the excellent shape it's in. This horn was probably made in the 70s and it looks like it's never been played!!

The grip is slightly more curved than Brett's Minick, so I'll have to get used to that. It also has two leadpipes as opposed to the three that came with Brett's. But they're both original; one has an "M" scratched near the bottom. I played the horn for a little bit, and thought it felt just like the other Minick. The deeper grip means a small adjustment, but that will take a few days to overcome at most. I can't wait to play both Minicks and compare them! Huge thanks to JoyBrass and Yoshi, and BrassArk and Noah, for making this happen. I'm very excited to see what this horn can do!

The next day I got to sleep in. Glorious sleep. Mom and I ran errands and she prepared dinner. When Dad got home we ate, and after that he went downstairs to work on the unfinished basement. They're going to turn it into an office.

When we came to a stopping point it was time for ice cream! Mom got us some Yuengling ice cream (I had no idea there was such a thing) and it was amazing. Another must-have treat from home :)

Wednesday, more errands and shopping. Shopping is not a favorite thing of mine, so after a few hours we came home and ate lunch, and chilled.

On Thursday Mom had several medical appointments, one for eyes and one for her foot which has been bothering her. Between the appointments we rested at home.

That night I visited my sister Kate and her fiancee Pat. We all went to dinner at The Blind Pig, a new place downtown. The food is all local and fresh. I had sweet potato gnocchi with apples, squash, pesto, and goat cheese. I really enjoyed it :)

On Friday I had breakfast with my Aunt Nicole and Mom at Perkins. After that we ran some errands, then all went home to play cards. Dad came home around dinnertime; we had leftovers, then chilled.

The next morning Kate picked me up, then we drove to Shippensburg to get my brother Jonah, then we three drove down to North Carolina to visit our Aunt Chris and Uncle Andy! My sister Raven flew down and met us there. It's the first time we've all been in the same room together in AGES. Jonah is so TALL. My Aunt was throwing a party so several of her friends were there. We enjoyed some amazing finger foods, and a variety of seasonal adult beverages! A fun time was had :)

After saying goodnight to the guests, we all enjoyed a good night's sleep. The next morning after breakfast, we decided to visit the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Almost as soon as we stepped inside we were ushered into a live animal presentation. We got to view a flying squirrel (in a box, they're quick buggers), pet a hissing cockroach, hold a small black rat snake, and view tiny week-old mice.

After that we went to the butterfly room and enjoyed watching lots of butterflies, big and small, fluttering around bowls of fruit and sugar. We also saw snakes, whale skeletons, and laboratories where DNA samples are analyzed. The museum is free and takes charitable donations. It's worth a visit!

When we were finished at the museum, our aunt and uncle took us to Busy Bee Cafe. They've got a pretty awesome menu that changes pretty often. Kate got a "spinach burger" that turned out to taste way more fantastic than it sounds. My aunt and I got a chicken sandwich with pears and a BLT made with house-cured bacon (it looked more like pork belly!) and we each had half of each sandwich. The food (and drinks) were delicious! Company was pretty good too :)

(photo courtesy Uncle A.)

Now we're all back at the house relaxing. Tomorrow I think our only major plan is trivia night with some of our Aunt's friends. And that's just fine. Chilling with family is what the holidays are all about.

Other stuff:

Meanwhile in Florida, the circus train has arrived and the animals are enjoying a lovely vacation!

One animal was not so happy, however. This poor little alligator got himself caught on a rope hanging from a dock where the circus trailers were parked.

(photo courtesy Claudia)

Claudia (wardrobe) saw him and ran to get help. Pretty soon several members of animal crew had arrived and were working to free the alligator. The bald guy is Jonathan, he works with most of the circus animals and has experience with reptiles. The partially-bald guy is Terry, our head elephant handler and trainer.

(photo courtesy Claudia)

Claudia got this great footage of these two gents pulling the gator from the water. Terry uses an elephant goad/bullhook to help lift the animal, and Jon covers it with a towel to calm it down.

Finally the little guy was all taped up and ready for release back into "the wild". Great job everyone, especially animal crew. You guys are awesome.

(photo courtesy Jonathan)

Profile

taz_39

June 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Syndicate

Page Summary

Style Credit

Base style: Ciel by carisma_sensei
Theme: Bold Enough by krja

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jun. 12th, 2025 08:49 am

goofball on a train

(adventures of a touring musician)

Entries tagged with exploring: museums

My Fair Lady - Wausau, WI

My Fair Lady - Pittsburgh, PA part 2

My Fair Lady - Omaha, NE Part 1

My Fair Lady - Salt Lake City Part 1 (cont'd)

Tootsie Yr2: Milwaukee, WI part 2

Tootsie Yr2: Knoxville Part 2

Tootsie Yr2: OKC Part 2

Tootsie Yr2: Grand Rapids, MI Part 2

Tootsie Yr2: Worcester, MA Part 1

Tootsie on Tour: Denver, CO Week 2

Tootsie on Tour: Memphis, TN

Tootsie on Tour: Atlanta, GA

Tootsie on Tour: Washington DC (long post)

Tootsie on Tour: NOLA

Tootsie on Tour: Tampa, FL

The New Normal

Circus Xtreme Pittsburgh, PA - Retro Gaming, PA Party, Change on the Wind

Circus Xtreme Washington, DC - Yummy Dumplings and Fun Crowds

Circus Xtreme Cincinnati, OH - Nashville, and Jameson's room burns down

Circus Xtreme - December Break week 1

Profile

June 2025

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags