The Life of a Cruise Performer

2007-05-02T23:31:00.000-04:00

Drydock - Day 2

Cold shower this morning. Absolutely freezing water. What a way to start the day. Woke up to Sarah calling me letting me know someone was already taking care of our shuttle bus tickets into town - the ship hired shuttle buses but is making crew pay for tickets to subsidize them.

We took the bus into downtown Brest. Cute little city, not a lot to offer, but enough to keep us busy during the days I suppose. We walked around a bit, and found a cute place to get a sandwich for takeaway. While in line, however, TJ and Josh spotted a Zara, so I bolted. I love this store! I found a great t-shirt there, as well as other things I decided I didn't need to buy. I bought the t-shirt and continued up the street. We found a couple small malls, and swore we would just "map out" our route for tomorrow, but instead we went to H&M and dropped more money. Oh well. It's not like I can shop at H&M at home or anything.

On the way back to the bus we met up with the group and then ran like hell to make the shuttle. Once back on board, we tried to get a drink on the back of deck 10, but the computers weren't working. Instead, Sarah and I went to the gym. Afterwards, Josh, TJ, Mandy, Sarah and I played Pictionary. What an awesome game. Lots of fun ensued, and when Sarah and Mandy left, the three of us focused on a serious game of Scrabble.

I headed home (it was around 9:30pm at this point) and then met up with the group in the crew bar for Jermaine's sendoff (even though he's only gone for 4 days it was super dramatic). I just got back from Seaside with Ember, Nat and Sarah, where we had late-night burgers and dogs. So much for losing weight this contract.

Good night!

2007-05-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

Drydock - Day 1

We awoke to the port of Brest, France around us. The ship was docked in the lock, but we were still surrounded by water. Throughout the day, the lock would be drained and the boat would come to balance on a series of blocks. The Port Manning meeting went by without a hitch.

As the ship is being secured today, no one is allowed to sign off the ship and travel into town. Maybe tomorrow.

Today was another big day of Scrabble, food, gym time, some viewing of 24, and then drinking. Very productive - ha! I met the Kids Staff up at the bar on the back of the ship on Deck 10 for some wine. Before I realized it, I was pretty drunk. Fortunately at around 1am I realized they were serving chili dogs and burgers right inside at the buffet/grill. I refueled and headed to the crew bar. I danced the night away, made out with Katie, then headed back up to the buffet for some more dogs. I reckon I was about 46% processed meat at that point. Yum.

Oh, I forgot to mention that at 9pm tonight, all the hot water on the ship was turned off. I'm not sure how long this will last, but I don't exactly look forward to my shower tomorrow. Grrr.

2007-04-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

Southampton, England - Debark for Drydock

This morning, the passengers disembarked, but as we are heading to a 19 day drydock, no new passengers came on board. Hundreds of contractors boarded however, and the ship later set sail for Brest, France, where we will be living for the next three weeks.

In preparation, the housekeeping staff had to cover literally every walkable or sittable surface in common areas with cling plastic to protect them while drydock work is completed. All meals would be served in the passenger buffet area, and the staff and crew mess halls would be closed. Meals will be served nearly 24 hours a day - which is amazing. Additionally, only certain bars would be available during drydock.

One bar open is the Cova Cafe, a coffee and spirits bar located midship on deck 5. I had only been there once before, but we decided to meet there to grab a coffee and see what there was to do. Mandy, Josh, TJ and I decided to start a game of Scrabble in the nearby Card Room... it will likely become one of our favorite activities to kill boredom over drydock. Sarah and Des joined us and started playing too. After awhile we were asked to come back out to the cafe area, as the Card Room had yet to be plasticked.

Dinner was pretty good, and several of us got together for a movie night at Jermaine's. We watched Clue, the 1985 comedic murder mystery based on the board game. It was good times. Now I'm tired though, and have to get up for a meeting tomorrow re: port manning.

(Port manning requires at least 1/3 of the crew to be on-board overnight from 6pm to 6am in case of an emergency. We have to sign up so that we know in advance which nights we will get free from port manning. Fun.)

2007-04-28T20:37:00.000-04:00

Dublin, Ireland

Got up bright and early for Dublin today - it's Kinsey's birthday, and she wanted to set out for the Guiness Factory. Along the way we stopped at various landmarks and such throughout the city, including St. Patrick's Cathedral.

A few more blocks away, we found a small Irish pub called Grumpy Jack's. Once inside, we settled down for a pint - albeit 11am - and kicked back to watch music video programming. But it wasn't just any programming - this particular program was "So Awful But We Love It" and featured such hits as "Walk Like An Egyptian," "Karma Chameleon" and "Africa" by Toto.

We continued walking toward the Guiness Factory, but unfortunately when we arrived, the line was around the corner and almost a block long - we were told it would be at least an hour wait, and we were to meet the rest of our group back downtown shortly, so we turned back. Here's a shot of the outside of the brewery:

We figured the best thing to do after being turned away from a brewery was to visit a whiskey distillery. So, we headed to the Jameson's Distillery, also conveniently located in Dublin. I'm not much of a whiskey drinker, so it was slightly less exciting, but the inside looked really cool.

After chilling there, we headed back downtown to meet up with the rest of our crew (about 20 people) at the Temple Bar. There is an entire block of bars which is called "Temple Bar" - and most of the bars located there are called "Temple Bar" or include it in their name, which can make it confusing when meeting people at a central location... but after a short time everyone met up. I decided to go shopping with TJ and Josh (a deadly combination, as they have shopping addictions as well), and later joined everyone for a couple drinks before heading back to the ship.

When I got to my room, the voicemail light was blinking - I knew it was the message I had been waiting for about drydock - and none of our department has to do fire patrol, which is great. Now I don't have to quit!

Til tomorrow...

2007-04-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

Cork, Ireland

This morning I awoke to go to the "fire watch" training. I was told we would be working ALL of drydock with only 2 days off, for 8 hours each day with few breaks. Not cool. We would basically just stand around where work was being done and if fire broke out, either fight it ourselves or notify the safety team. Sorry, but that wasn't in my job description. We were shown how to use the various fire extinguishers, the fire hoses and our own Personal Protection Equipment.

Fuck that.

I went to speak to Renata the Assistant Cruise Director about this. Half the cast would possibly be exposed to dangerous environments as a result of the fire watches, and it wasn't safe for us to do so, especially with our roles as production cast members. She made some calls and told us she would take care of it. I hope we don't have to do fire watch... I vow to leave the ship if they make me do it.

All because the new Hotel Director has it out for the entertainment department. Whatever. She can bite me.

Anyway, after that drama in the morning, Mandy and I set out for Cork again - this time, focused on seeing the Blarney Castle. We took a train into downtown Cork, grabbed a cab, and enjoyed the ride through the Irish countryside. We arrived at the Castle, which was actually a large piece of property with gardens and other sights in addition to the Castle.

After climbing the narrow spiral staircase to the 10th floor, we kissed the Blarney Stone. I remember hearing that you kiss the stone on your back, but I had no idea that you had to lay curled backwards over the edge of the castle while looking 10 stories down. Nonetheless, I laid back, grabbed the handrails, and kissed the stone. I immediately wiped my mouth to avoid the introduction of germs into my system.

We then climbed back down the castle, bought some postcards, and strolled around the gardens. It soon came time to find our way back to the ship. We boarded a bus that dropped us back in downtown Cork. We had about 5 minutes to catch our train, so we got off the bus early and just started running until we couldn't run any further. Fortunately, the train was late so we made it. Upon arrival, we went back to The Quays, a restaurant right next to the ship, for some beer and chips (fries) - when I come back to the States, I'll be all screwed up with British vs. English terminology.

Here's a quick review...

chips = French fries

crisps = potato chips

Would you fancy that? = Would you like to do that?

More to come....

2007-04-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

St. Peter Port, Channel Islands, England

Went out today with Sarah (dancer) and Pete (Broadcast Manager) for a stroll around St. Peter Port. We walked around the small cobblestone streets and tried to find a breakfast place. After trying a couple places, we found a restaurant that served an all-day proper English breakfast. It was damn good... sausages, ham, eggs, mushrooms, and toast and coffee. We walked around the rest of the town and stopped in some small shops here and there.

After a great afternoon off the ship, I came back to my room and got a voicemail that I had been selected for "fire watch" during our upcoming drydock period. Ships go into drydock for maintenance... they dock in a water lock, the water is drained from the lock, and work is done all over, from engine and propeller repair or replacement, to reapholstery of fabrics and carpeting, to new cabins getting built. Anyway, as part of this drydock, the safety crew wanted portions of each department on board to participate in fire watch. I am not very happy that I was selected. I'm not sure what the commitment is, or how often I will have to work, but it doesn't seem fair that some people will be on the ship for drydock, not working, yet making the same money as I will. Grrr. We'll see tomorrow at the training.

2007-04-19T00:13:00.000-04:00

Sea Day #5

Two more days at sea! I'm starting to get a little cabin fever! I've been sleeping way too much lately... there's not a lot to do, even with our reblocking rehearsals and tech runs.

We opened Rhythm of the Night tonight. It went well, and I made my costume changes on time, which I was a little worried about.

2007-04-15T21:29:00.000-04:00

Sea Day #2

Today I had my first acupuncture treatment ever. My friend Nikki, who happens to be an acupuncturist on the ship, gave me a seasickness treatment. She placed needles in my feet, legs, stomach, hands and head to focus on the pressure points that are affected by seasickness. She placed the needles gently, slightly tapping them to get them to stick. Then she turned on some music and left me to lie for about 25 minutes. It was one of the most relaxing things I've ever experienced. Later we had rehearsal in the afternoon and I wasn't feeling so great (despite the acupuncture treatment) so I slept a bit. I've been told it takes awhile to kick in.

I felt a little better later in the evening, and went up to eat. That always seems to help.

2007-04-14T23:55:00.000-04:00

Sea Day #1

We opened "Celebrate the World" tonight. I really like this show.

The ship is starting to get a little rocky in the evenings as we've gotten away from shore quite a bit. I'm going to try to get an acupuncture treatment so I don't get seasick. More to come.

2007-04-13T23:35:00.000-04:00

Fort Lauderdale, FL

New cruise starts today. New guests, new faces, and some new crew as well.

We left the US today for Europe. The next seven days will be spent at sea. I've been told the trans-Atlantic cross will be the trip that weeds out anyone who will be seasick - ever - as the waters get pretty choppy that far out from land. It will be even worse if we experience any storms along the way.

Tonight was our "Bumper" opening - a 5 minute medley of rock tunes by the likes of Elvis. Our costumes are pretty cool, mostly silver and white with lots of bedazzlement. Before we went on, the managers from various departments gather on stage with the Captain to have a Captain's toast - it allows the department managers to introduce themselves to the guests and let them know what their department offers, such as Food & Beverage, Entertainment, etc.

After our Bumper, the a capella group, as well as the flyers perform short sets. After that the Activities staff introduces themselves in a well-choreographed number.

Oh, I lost my cell phone today too. That makes two inside of a couple of months. Great.

2007-04-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

OPENING NIGHT

At Sea

Just finished our first performance! The rest of our cast came to watch the show and met us backstage with lots of hugs and congratulations. The show went really well and we got a standing ovation. It's nice to be in a theater where people do that! (Although, if people did that at IA, they would get scoliosis.)

Earlier today we had a tech run with the old cast and then another one with the new cast. Doing this show four times is a lot of work, but it means we get tomorrow off - in Cozumel! I'll get a pic up as soon as I can of some fun costumes I get to wear in this show. Gotta run to my second show!

2007-04-09T17:29:00.000-04:00

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Whew. What a day. We had a vocal rehearsal in the morning. Singing in the morning isn't great, since your voice is still waking up and hasn't been warmed up by normal talking throughout the day. But it went alright. Afterwards we had lunch and ran back to the theater to finish blocking the Les Miserables section of our Broadway show.

Kelly (our choreographer) helped get through it quickly so we could get a chance to get off the ship and explore the port area in Puerto Limon. There were a bunch of shops peddling wares like t-shirts, Nike shoes and souvenirs.

It was really hot and humid, especially for just April - I can only imagine what it's like here in the summer.

We walked around a bit, found the beach - there wasn't really any sand and you couldn't lay out but the water was nice and there was a fun island in the distance. I don't know why I described it as "fun" - but having an island in the distance made the beach nicer-looking. Ok, forget it. The island was stupid. This is me with the fun-slash-stupid island.

We walked around a little more, then some of us settled down and had a couple beers.

A kind village gentleman came up to us and offered animals and flowers he crafted out of palm tree leaves. He was pretty talented and could even make a cricket sound while displaying his palm tree leaf crickets. That's Charlie, who took some convincing that this man's products met his lofty quality requirements.

We have a tech run tonight at 10:30pm - it's going to be a long night, and we go forward one hour tomorrow. We need the practice though. Til then...

2007-04-08T20:45:00.000-04:00

Cristobal, Panama

Long day of rehearsals today. We're getting closer and closer to our opening night, and it seems like there is still so much that needs to come together. We had a blocking rehearsal for our musical bumper and our Broadway show, then a 2 hour vocal rehearsal. We didn't get a chance to get off the ship to explore the port unfortunately. More to come later.

2007-04-08T17:55:00.001-04:00

Oranjestad, Aruba

Woke up early today for a silly company presentation in the morning. Even cruise ships have ridiculous rallies for their employees to introduce corporate initiatives through the use of a catchy acronym. Celebrity's program is called STAR.

Boat drill came soon after.

After the boring morning requirements, we set off for Palm Beach in Aruba. The cab driver picked us up right outside the ship and took us about 10 minutes away to the beach, which hosted a variety of different activities like banana boats, tubing, snorkeling and scuba diving. We opted for laying out in the sun and drinking at the nearby bar that looked like a tropical hut. There were quite a few hotels along the beach, several under construction - perhaps still being rebuilt after Hurricane Ivan?

The beach was windy when we arrived, and sand kept pelting us as we laid out in the sun. The water was a little cooler than St. Thomas, but was really refreshing. Once the wind slowed down the beach was quite nice. A couple of us stayed the whole day. We left to find a cab and make our way back to the ship.

We went to the Radisson nearby because there weren't any cabs driving by on the main road. The bellboy called one for us, but when he arrived, refused to take us because we "looked wet." We weren't wet; in fact, we had been out of the water for over an hour and were almost completely dry. He was being retarded. We waited for another cab, and got back to the ship at about 5:30.

That night, we had a quick rehearsal up in the gym so that we could use the mirrors. Afterwards, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and some drinks at the Champagne Bar. It's nice being able to drink champagne for cheap.

Tomorrow is our run of Rhythm of the Night. It's my least favorite show. Of the few numbers I'm actually in, I don't really have any songs that show any range or ability, and the choreography is cheesey. We'll see how it goes.

2007-04-05T19:10:00.000-04:00

At Sea

Today we had more safety training. Super fun. I got to sit right up front because I was new to ship life. Even more super fun. At least the officer giving the presentation was kind of a character. The only remarkably annoying part of the training was his cell phone ringing every 5 minutes and him having to stop the presentation to yell at someone in Greek. Totes supes funs.

Anyway, after the training came our reblock of Rhythm of the Night. Yuck. I won't bore you with the details of it. Let's just say that it's a whole lot of Ricki Martin, Gloria Estefan, and nothing exciting happens at all.

The cool part of the day didn't come until much later, when the Celebrity Orchestra performed a couple of sets in the Crew Bar during their "Shakin' Not Stirred Jazz Jam." It was almost as good as New Orleans. Nearly all of the cast went, and our new friends in the a capella group as well as other new friends were there too. Good times. We closed down the bar and headed to bed in preparation for Aruba.

2007-04-02T17:49:00.000-04:00

Fort Lauderdale, FL

The rest of our cast arrived today! Mandy, Becci and I went to Target to pick up some supplies (I of course came back with too much stuff and $200 less than when I left). The cab driver on the way to Target nearly killed us 5 or 6 times, swerving and nearly hitting cars along the way. The mall we went to was kind of ghetto, but provided a few different options like Marshalls and TJ Maxx that turned out to be worthwhile.

On the way back to the ship (this time our driver was much more responsible and friendly, and even spoke English) TJ called to see where we were... the dancers were waiting to board the ship and moreso wanted to reunite. Our cab pulled up to the pier where our welcoming party of long-lost castmates was waiting. It was like we had been apart forever, everyone was so happy to see each other. I'm pretty fortunate to have a cast like this.

We boarded the ship (I barely made it through security with all my crap) and met upstairs for lunch. After lunch, we went to deck 11 (the sun deck) for a Corona while we sailed out of port. As we pulled out, all the passengers were waving to the onlookers from shore - people on porches waved back from their hotels/apartments as we passed.

It got me thinking, as this was my first Bon Voyage ever on a cruise ship... everyone on board was having a good time and waving at strangers.. and the strangers were waving back irregardless of whether they actually knew anyone on board. How did this tradition of waving to strangers as a ship is leaving, start? Who was the guy who said, "If you're on a cruise ship, wave. If you see a cruise ship go by, wave back."

Anyway, enough thought for today. After all, I _am_ on a cruise ship.

2007-04-01T10:51:00.001-04:00

We flew into Saint Lucia today. I've never been to the Caribbean before, and it was quite what I expected in a way. The tiny airport didn't have gangways at all... you simply exit the plane, walk along the runway, and enter the "terminal" to emigration. We waited a bit, but after we were all cleared, we gathered our luggage and attempted to get a cab. The luggage runners were more than happy to help everyone, and even tried assisting people who didn't want help.

The cab driver proceeded us to bring us from the airport to the cruise ship - unfortunately it was over an hour drive. But we were too busy checking out all the lush jungles, banana trees and panoramic ocean views. We followed one long road around the perimeter of the island, viewing seaside villages and tiny mountaintop towns. The pictures don't do the scenery justice.

We finally pulled up to the shipyard and got to see our ship for the first time. It was huge. Longer than a city block on Boylston Street. It has 11 passenger decks above the water, with 2 or 3 more for the crew above and below. It's huge.

We leave this afternoon for Barbados. We likely won't have time to explore because we have to jump right into costume fittings and rehearsals with the current cast. I will keep you updated, though. Internet on the ship isn't as fast as I would like, so bear with me as I post these updates.

2007-03-22T22:43:00.000-04:00

So we found out we're leaving early yesterday. Instead of leaving April 2, we now leave on March 27, and begin performing on the 30th. Eek. That's 10 days less rehearsal than originally planned. Oh well, we're superstars.

Rehearsals have been tough the last couple days. We started our third show, which is fairly more complex for the singers than the others... namely, more choreography. It's just been stressful, and after two straight weeks of being around each other, I'm sure some people are just getting a little tired of not being able to get away from work - ever.

Yesterday the singers went out for a couple drinks to relax after rehearsal, then went for a trip to the mall. Tonight, a trip to the supermarket was made. I came home to watch TV with my roommate Charlie and just relax. The next couple days will be a lot of work, but we will have Sunday off and a half day on Monday.

A lot of trust has been put on our cast - between sending the singers out early, and splitting up the cast so that the dancers have to rehearse for a week without us... the tension has been building. Thank God for the beer and hot tub provided by Residence Inn.

Til tomorrow...

(Hi Pat!)

2007-03-19T20:07:00.000-04:00

Found out this morning that the singers will be shipping out early. Woohoo! I am actually sort of nervous because I am still not off-book completely for the shows we've learned... in addition, we still have a whole other show to learn from scratch starting tomorrow. We're a talented bunch though, so despite the stress, we'll surely pull through and kick some ass.

We went to my FAVORITE Italian place tonight - Buca di Beppo... if you ever get a chance to eat there, GO. It's amazing.... family-style delicious Italian food. They even take you through the kitchen as you're being seated. Crazy, eh?

I really do enjoy spending time with my castmates. It makes the whole process so much more enjoyable, and distracts me from being nervous about not knowing exactly what to expect nearly all the time. I miss my friends from home, but rest assured everyone - this experience is already off to a great start!

2007-03-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

What a long week! I spent most of the week recovering from last weekend... so it was nice to get some rest this weekend. Our rehearsals were longer this week than last... learned another new show (Spotlight Broadway) and also learned I may be shipping out sooner than expected to replace a cast member currently onboard who will not be performing anymore. I find out this morning what the hell is going on.

We had another run-through of Celebrate the World on Friday - this time Gary came to watch and snap some pics. I do have to say this company is really great - everyone who works for Gary Musick is so supportive, encouraging, and professional... it ends up rubbing off on everyone in the cast. It's great.

Saturday - we blocked almost all of the rest of Spotlight Broadway in preparation for our first run-through on Monday. Got out at 3 or so... plenty of time to party. I did laundry, ran some errands, and got ready for the evening. We pre-partied in Becci and Mandy's room - Mandy's man came into town... headed downtown for a drunken mess of a night.

Came home at like 3:30 am, hit the hay, and woke up yesterday not feeling too bad. In the afternoon, I took the guys to the mall, made some exchanges, came back to the hotel and just relaxed. It's been cold out lately so no hot tub unfortunately. Now I'm up early to charge my iPod and go for a run.

Not sure what is in store for me at rehearsal today - will I be leaving on Friday? eek!

2007-03-13T19:30:00.000-04:00

We had our first run through today of Celebrate the World. It was a little stressful, as some of the office folks were watching. But we had a lot of fun, kept our energy up, and did a great job. I'm really excited to be working with this group - everyone is passionate about what they're doing, but more importantly, are supportive of everyone else in the cast.

2007-03-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

First weekend in Nashville was a success. The cast is almost complete - the Russian dancers arrived on Friday and have started learning the shows. And last night, we all gathered after rehearsal for drinking and a trip downtown.

We called the front desk for a bunch of cabs, but instead the concierge offered to call a limo. We all piled in, had a nice (yet cramped) ride to downtown Nashville. We went to this bar formerly called Red Iguana... kind of a western style bar with live music... by the time we got there, the band was striking the stage - making room for all of us.

We were all dancing and having fun, showing off a bit... the rest of the people there were all watching us as we took over the stage, throwing each other around and dancing like crazy. It was a lot of fun...

Then some of us headed over to Tribe/Play for some more dancing. It was an awesome time.

2007-03-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

After rehearsal a bunch of us went to Target. On the way we noticed a truck had overturned on the off-ramp (picture forthcoming). We returned to the hotel, had some dinner (and free beer) and decided to go in the jacuzzi. It's amazing what free beer can do to a group of singers and dancers looking to bond.

2007-03-07T18:35:00.000-05:00

Drove to rehearsal today. There were 12 of us in the van I believe, the most people I had ever driven somewhere. We arrived and had our orientation.

We met the production team, including Gary Musick himself (the company I am working for is named after him). The usual paperwork for a new job commenced, although I was diligent in completing mine before I got here, so I just got to sit back. After everyone was finished with that, we got to watch a fun industrial video about "Life Onboard" the ships. It's always irritating seeing people on those videos who can't act, knowing I've auditioned for a bunch before and never got cast. Such is the way.

On each cast's first day, the company takes them out to lunch at a restaurant called El Chico, about 5 minutes away from the rehearsal studios. I was excited to be able to eat outside! It was about 65 degrees, sunny, and slightly breezy. Myself and my castmate Josh were trying to decide what we wanted, when he realized there were some hefty combo meals available... two items plus dessert. Of course since I am a pig, I elected for that option.

Everyone's meals came (more or less) and I ate my entire plate, plus fried ice cream. This wasn't a necessarily good start to my big plans for dieting while on contract, but whatever. We came back to the studios after lunch and broke out to work on music.

They move fast here. We have to learn three shows in three and a half weeks... basically one show per week. Myself and the other three singers (one is still awaiting arrival) ran through the whole book, got some solos assigned, and learned backup harmonies. The music is really great, which is nice.

After rehearsal, we headed home and made a run to the supermarket. I of course headed to the Whole Foods-esque store across the way.

2007-03-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

First day in Nashville. Arrived in the afternoon at around 2:00, got picked up at the airport by a gentleman named Garris. It was my first time meeting him in person - I had sent him emails and called a couple times over the last two months, but finally met for a ride to the hotel.

I arrived at the Residence Inn in Brentwood, TN to find our rooms weren't available. The previous cast who was staying here before us was delayed in leaving due to flight cancellations, so the rooms still needed to be cleaned. I was told to drop my luggage off in a room where other cast members were waiting for their rooms. I approached, knocked on the door, and introduced myself to three of my castmates. I dumped my bags and quickly noticed they were watching "24." I knew at that moment this whole trip was the right thing.

We watched TV, I grabbed some Chinese, and we talked a little here and there... members from another cast stopped by (many of the actors from my cast had worked with other cast members on prior ships) and hung out for awhile. Finally at around 5:30 our rooms were ready, I and my new roommate Charlie began unpacking shortly before heading to the lobby for dinner.

Each weeknight, the hotel hosts dinner with *FREE* beer. Yes, free. It's Bud Light - and normally I don't drink Bud Light outside the city limits of New Orleans, but this is a time of change in my life, so I'm being open-minded. After dinner and beer, we retired to our rooms to continue unpacking and watch TV. I have my first rehearsal tomorrow. Not sure exactly what to expect. I'm the designated driver of the company van - it's a huge-ass 5-row van. Wish me luck.

2007-03-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

I left today. It seemed a bit surreal to be leaving the city I've lived most of my life in for a destination I knew nothing about, and a job I knew very little about... but for some reason, I feel calm about it now.

My flight was at 8am. Of course, with my luck, the departure time kept getting pushed back because of a mechanical issue. No trip to the airport would be complete without the business travelers who absolutely had to talk to everyone on their PDA about the meeting they were going to miss because of the plane being delayed... or just "checking in" with a client or vendor simply because you're at an airport with a $600 phone their company gave them and a roomful of strangers to impress. Not that I'm bitter or anything, I just hate guys in suits who think they're more important than people traveling in jeans. Which is what I wore. Which is usually what I wear all the time. OK, so I'm angry.. let me tell you the story.

This guy I immediately noticed upon sitting by the gate was just yap-yap-yapping away on his cell phone. "Rdslfht afjbaks astnbadskjtb _client meeting_ dfklj;hda adfjhdf adfwruer." Boring looking guy, thinning hair but still enough to do something with, light blue shirt and "power tie" - then I saw what I had been anticipating (call me prejudiced) - PLEATS. Why do guys who weigh 145 pounds soaking wet need pleats?! It immediately signalled to me that this guy was a douche.

Over the course of the next two hours, he would repeatedly go to the counter to speak with the service rep, "Is this flight leaving soon, I have an 11 o'clock meeting." She would apologize and say that she wasn't sure when, but it looked optimistic, and he would get frustrated and go make another phone call. Later, when I went up to see about getting put on standby for another flight just in case, I was waiting while a rep was on the phone, and the douchebag cut me in line, realized he had done so, and made no mention of it to me, no apology or verbal recognition that he was a douche. I just glared at the back of his head - hard enough to virtually burn through it.

Nonetheless, we finally took off at around 11:30am. As an appreciation for people's patience, they offered everyone booze. Now that's what I call service.

2007-02-07T18:31:00.000-05:00

So I finally told my boss today. I felt horrible that I was leaving. I've only been at my current job for about 5 months, and I feel like I've really made an impact and started making traction in getting things done and making a difference. In fact, I had my "review" on Monday and got a lot of positive feedback about my performance, as well as a decent compensatory raise.

After my boss went over my review, he asked me what my goals were, whether I was interested in property management, and whether I enjoyed the job. I responded positively to these questions, but had to remain vague so that I didn't make any perceived promises about my intentions, knowing I would be telling him just a few days later that I would be leaving.

It's always hard having to leave anything behind. But having to turn down a job that has been going well, that you enjoy, and that values you in return - near impossible.

But I had made my decision to go, and I needed to finally just give my notice. So I did. He was pretty bummed, but completely understood my position and how this opportunity was important for me. It's good to have support like that; it validates who I am and what I do when I've been able to establish a level of respect from people. All in all, this whole experience will probably just teach me more about who I am... it's already starting to and I haven't even left yet.

2007-02-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

So I'm back. This time I have a real purpose to keep my blog going. A lot has happened since my last post in August. Most importantly, Season 6 of 24 is on finally, and it's a new year. That, and, I just found out last week that I will be leaving for seven months to work as a performer on Celebrity Cruises' ship Constellation.

I'm horribly excited for the opportunities and experiences this trip will afford me. I'm also terribly nervous that I will be leaving behind my friends and family, my theater, my roommate and apartment, and that I will also be missing some important events (such as my good friend from college getting married, and the 10th anniversary reunion show of Sheer Idiocy, my college improv troupe - they were the ones who got me into improv) as well as all the comforts of a New England summer.

So now comes the hard part: telling my boss that I am leaving after only being at my job for 5 months. I chickened out twice this past week... mostly because I haven't received a contract from Celebrity yet, but also because I finally found a job that I like and that I'm good at... where the work isn't hard but it's still challenging, if that makes sense. It can get boring here sometimes, but then again any job can get boring if you're getting paid well enough. But I feel I am really starting to gain some momentum on doing my job well and settling in, so it's hard to just throw that all away and ask for a 7-month leave of absence. We'll see what Monday brings.

As for the trip itself, from what I understand, the singers get their own individual cabin (read: small) and have elevated crew status. Which is nice: I don't have to hide in the bowels of the boat, and have free reign over the ship and do not have a curfew. I can't imagine having to be in bed by a certain time. It seems so militaristic.

Based on Celebrity's website, this is a list of the locations I will embark on:

Halifax, Nova Scotia
St.John'S, Newfoundland
Quebec City, Quebec
Portland, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Boston, Massachusetts
Newport, Rhode Island
Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Nj
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Cozumel, Mexico
Cristobal Pier, Panama
Oranjestad, Aruba
George Town, Grand Cayman
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Berlin (Rostock), Germany
Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany
Copenhagen, Denmark
Cork, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Cornwall (Falmouth), England
Dover, England
Southampton, England
Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland
Helsingborg, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Oslo, Norway
Paris (Le Havre), France
Riga, Latvia
Saguenay River
Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy)
St. Peter Port, Channel Isl
St. Petersburg, Russia
Stockholm, Sweden
Tallinn, Estonia
Visby, Sweden

Pretty crazy, huh? I really truly cannot wait. Because of the short notice, I had to have a Passport renewal expedited. It usually costs around $60 and takes 8 weeks. In order to have it ready sooner, though, they charge about $200 including pictures. I went the other day to get it taken care of. What a process. I guess it's good that they take time to ensure you really are a US citizen, but I already had a Passport years ago. I guarantee I was born here.

Anyway, the final preparations are being made... I have a ton of paperwork to do, plus get a medical check up, immunizations, a drug test, a state and federal background check; not to mention buy luggage, decide what to pack, and go to Nashville for a month for rehearsal. I also have to find time to say good bye to all my friends before I leave. Some of them I won't see before they move away themselves over the summer. But as the years go on, now that I've been out of college and high school for awhile, it's getting easier to say good bye. Mostly because if I say good bye to a good friend, and it ends up being good bye forever, that's ok.

Oh and by the way, if your mom has any scary articles about "Cruise Ship Danger" make sure she doesn't tell my mom.

2006-08-27T23:28:00.000-04:00

24 just won the Emmy Award for Best Drama Series! I almost crapped myself. Keifer Sutherland also won as Best Actor in a Drama Series. I am very relieved that the 5 days I spent watching the series to date has not gone to waste.

2006-08-27T15:24:00.000-04:00

Was just chilling in my apartment, located just a few feet from where people are celebrating Saint Anthony's Feast, and I heard a marching band playing "Phantom of the Opera." It was slightly random, being that "Phantom" has nothing to do with Saint Anthony or Italy at all, except the fact that Italian opera is a thing. Hmm. I just wasted all this time worrying about something trivial.

*Shrug*

2006-08-27T15:14:00.000-04:00

Oh my. Ryan and Micah's last show was last night. In tradition, they selected older sketches to bring back and perform one last time together. Jeremy regaled his role as the Foreign Exchange Student, and per usual, avec wardrobe malfunction.

It has been a pleasure performing with both Micah and Ryan. I'm sad to see them go, but it made me realize how much I truly did learn by performing with them since I came up to the Mainstage. Thanks, guys.

2006-08-24T00:29:00.000-04:00

Went to Lucca tonight. Just wanted to re-live some funny ongoings while in the bathroom.

The bathroom I used had a large glass mirror covering one of the walls, so that when you stand up to pee you are watching yourself. I remember each time I went back to the bathroom being more drunk and just looking at myself thinking out loud, "You're lookin' good" and "I like this place" and "People here treat me well."

Oh well. It was funny in my mind. And when I told the story at lunch today it was funnier too. I can't always tell a winner.

2006-08-24T00:26:00.000-04:00

Went to Goody Glover's again. I dunno why but I just don't really like the place anymore. It's not a good match. It used to be so much cooler... Home now. Lonely internet perusals are turning up nothing. Time to re-evaluate.

2006-08-23T20:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, I used to use Blogger a long long time ago, but as with most things that require concentration, I dropped it. But I'm back (for a limited time).

So... hmmm... talking about what I do every day is kinda weird after not blogging for so long.

I went to do laundry with Sarah today. I decided to cart it twice as far as I would normally go so we could look at each other's panties together. Tres fun.