Still at sea. Today was lazy. Although we had a barely early morning for a safety briefing. There are water tight doors in the lower areas that are big and can easily crush you. The safety guy couldn’t stress enough that we should never try to go through a door if it is opening or closing. If it moves, you don’t. There are multiple ways to open and close the doors (a switch, and a crank incase there is loss of power and the switch doesn’t work. As we were being shown how to use the door a cook walked through…a major no-no. There were a lot of other crew around and the safety manager had them stop the cook and tell him to come back. Busted! He had to stand around while we finished our briefing before he got a talkin’ to.
Other than that the day was very mellow. I did more laundry…which was a little bit of a fight for time with the machines because of it being a sea day. Everyone finds time for laundry on sea days.
I went to the crew store for the first time. Got lost looking for it, but I found it eventually. Mostly beverages and toiletries.
What else…hmmm. I fell asleep at some point.
Other than that we had our improv shows tonight. Good times. In between we managed to catch most of the JARs show. Tonight was special in that it was a rough sea day. They really had to stay on guard with the waves hitting the ship.
After the improv shows we stayed to watch the Quest…the game show where groups need to bring items down to the stage to get points. Early on a woman bit it pretty hard. This is not a game to play drunk. We then met up with Edge the juggler and had a nice dinner.
Pretty casual. Tomorrow should be just as exciting.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Day 15 pt 2: Forgotten Tales
A few things I forgot to mention…and even in just typing that I re-forgot one of the things. But the main one is remembered.
If you are not caught up, you’ll want to read Day 13 before continuing. Specifically, “Let’s talk about hair braiding…”
.
.
.
All caught up? Let us continue.
That lady with the braids in the Rascal? Yeah. She has been trumped. Last night while watching the Andre and Cirell show we noticed Jen and Larrance coming in late up in the upper section/box seats. A little later than them came a larger gentleman (who was very inebriated the night of our show) with dark hair who had the top of his head done in tiny braids with white beads. He could be one of those Budweiser “Real Men of Genius” guys. He would be Mr. Caribbean-beaded-braid-wearer. So, kudos, Mr. Caribbean-beaded-braid-wearer. You have helped make one lady in a Rascal look not so out of place.
Also, it is amazing how easily adults can turn into two year-olds. Not temper-wise, but lack of special recognition-wise. People will stop in the middle of a slim walkway and have conversations, press the elevator button and then back up so that they block the stairs, or even stop and just start walking backwards. One woman even stood out of the way, facing towards Deanna and I as we were walking, and once we were inches away just walked right in front of Deanna as if she wasn’t there. You know, like a two year-old running around as if they’re the only one in the world.
Another thing. Hey, soft serve ice cream machine…I get it. You’re free and delicious. Stop being so tempting already.
I remember the other thing I wanted to do…answer some comments. Pardon me if I get the names wrong as I am not actually online as I write this.
Dear Dad, your core is your set of core muscles like your abs and what nots…the stuff that keeps babies from falling over when they sit up. Unless they’re really young babies.
Dear Not-Zach-Thompson, stop reading Zach’s secret messages.
If you are not caught up, you’ll want to read Day 13 before continuing. Specifically, “Let’s talk about hair braiding…”
.
.
.
All caught up? Let us continue.
That lady with the braids in the Rascal? Yeah. She has been trumped. Last night while watching the Andre and Cirell show we noticed Jen and Larrance coming in late up in the upper section/box seats. A little later than them came a larger gentleman (who was very inebriated the night of our show) with dark hair who had the top of his head done in tiny braids with white beads. He could be one of those Budweiser “Real Men of Genius” guys. He would be Mr. Caribbean-beaded-braid-wearer. So, kudos, Mr. Caribbean-beaded-braid-wearer. You have helped make one lady in a Rascal look not so out of place.
Also, it is amazing how easily adults can turn into two year-olds. Not temper-wise, but lack of special recognition-wise. People will stop in the middle of a slim walkway and have conversations, press the elevator button and then back up so that they block the stairs, or even stop and just start walking backwards. One woman even stood out of the way, facing towards Deanna and I as we were walking, and once we were inches away just walked right in front of Deanna as if she wasn’t there. You know, like a two year-old running around as if they’re the only one in the world.
Another thing. Hey, soft serve ice cream machine…I get it. You’re free and delicious. Stop being so tempting already.
I remember the other thing I wanted to do…answer some comments. Pardon me if I get the names wrong as I am not actually online as I write this.
Dear Dad, your core is your set of core muscles like your abs and what nots…the stuff that keeps babies from falling over when they sit up. Unless they’re really young babies.
Dear Not-Zach-Thompson, stop reading Zach’s secret messages.
Day 15
Castries, St. Lucia. Boy, did things happen today. We started off heading out into the port. It is important to say our ship was well secured to the dock and we didn’t need to take tender boats…you’ll understand later. All of us AND Alexsandria (the ballroom dancer from the JARs, and I feel like her name is spelled differently) got a taxi to go to a beach. Both Jen and Andy have different Caribbean books that tell you tons of stuff about places. We chose a beach called “Red We” (spelled in a much more French way probably…I never saw the name in writing. This beach was pretty crowded, but we did find a nice spot. I spent most of my time in the water…it is a whole different ball game than the Oregon Coast or Lake Michigan. The water is warm. See?
We were there for a couple of hours. We saw a majority of the other dancers while we were there, but then headed back. We probably got back around 2:30 and then I headed up to the Garden to get food. I was sitting on the very back of the ship on deck 12 with Andy. Here is where it gets interesting.
The ship felt like it was getting hit by some minor waves, then bigger, then it felt like the engine was kicking into gear or something and the whole ship was shaking. Right next to the ship on the pier was a cargo crane that was shaking. Earthquake, dear readers. St. Lucia had an earthquake. And because we were well secured to the dock (remember?) the pier was basically shaking the ship. Everything was ok, but it was exciting.
After eating I planned on chilling out for an hour then working out. Well, I caught the very beginning of Nicholas Cage in Next…so I had to watch that.
Tonight we had a new (to us) act on the ship. Andre & Cirell. Two comedian/impersonators/singers who have been working together for 33 years. The show was definitely geared toward an older audience, but that is what they had and they got a huge standing ovation in the first show. Deanna and I then hustled of to our first Second City workshop. It was at night so we turned it into a jam (we teach a game and then others can play) with a Q&A at the end. It went over very well.
From there we met in the Spinaker Lounge for a show called the Liars Club. Four guest entertainers (Andy, and Larrance were two of them) are given a word. One of them gives the correct definition and the other three give fakes. The crowd tries to guess who is telling the truth in each of four rounds. That was pretty fun. Right after that was Ship ‘n’ Males. Crew doing Chippendales dancing. There were three cruise staff and one of the dancers doing the “male dancing”. The highlight was the host. Another of the dancers (Chris) in drag was the host. His hosting bits were great. There will be pics up of him with Deanna.
After that (see? Lots of stuff!) we went to a crew party in the crew bar with our newly given privilege. It was exactly the situation I don’t care to be in…cramped, loud, hot…but it was good to be able to hang out with everyone not in our cast in a more relaxed-for-them atmosphere.
Right now we’re on the sea, and we will be until we get to Miami on Sunday. It is Thursday.
We were there for a couple of hours. We saw a majority of the other dancers while we were there, but then headed back. We probably got back around 2:30 and then I headed up to the Garden to get food. I was sitting on the very back of the ship on deck 12 with Andy. Here is where it gets interesting.
The ship felt like it was getting hit by some minor waves, then bigger, then it felt like the engine was kicking into gear or something and the whole ship was shaking. Right next to the ship on the pier was a cargo crane that was shaking. Earthquake, dear readers. St. Lucia had an earthquake. And because we were well secured to the dock (remember?) the pier was basically shaking the ship. Everything was ok, but it was exciting.
After eating I planned on chilling out for an hour then working out. Well, I caught the very beginning of Nicholas Cage in Next…so I had to watch that.
Tonight we had a new (to us) act on the ship. Andre & Cirell. Two comedian/impersonators/singers who have been working together for 33 years. The show was definitely geared toward an older audience, but that is what they had and they got a huge standing ovation in the first show. Deanna and I then hustled of to our first Second City workshop. It was at night so we turned it into a jam (we teach a game and then others can play) with a Q&A at the end. It went over very well.
From there we met in the Spinaker Lounge for a show called the Liars Club. Four guest entertainers (Andy, and Larrance were two of them) are given a word. One of them gives the correct definition and the other three give fakes. The crowd tries to guess who is telling the truth in each of four rounds. That was pretty fun. Right after that was Ship ‘n’ Males. Crew doing Chippendales dancing. There were three cruise staff and one of the dancers doing the “male dancing”. The highlight was the host. Another of the dancers (Chris) in drag was the host. His hosting bits were great. There will be pics up of him with Deanna.
After that (see? Lots of stuff!) we went to a crew party in the crew bar with our newly given privilege. It was exactly the situation I don’t care to be in…cramped, loud, hot…but it was good to be able to hang out with everyone not in our cast in a more relaxed-for-them atmosphere.
Right now we’re on the sea, and we will be until we get to Miami on Sunday. It is Thursday.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Day 14
Norwegian Jewel, Barbados. You might be thinking “Hey, ‘Norwegian Jewel’ seems like an odd name for a city.” Well, I didn’t get off the ship. We had a rehearsal scheduled for 2:30 and I wanted to chill out and drink water. Sounds like a real party, eh? I also needed to iron my show shirt so there was a huge 10 minutes out of my schedule.
We rehearsed and ironed a few more kinks out of our improv musical ending. This was sort of a new show for us because it had been 9 days since our first shows and we were changing the running order…we lost one sketch, changed an improv game and switched places of two sketches.
So today for me was pretty much all rehearsal and shows. We had a good 7:30 show and a great 9:30 show. The JARs saw our show for the first time since they’re finally done with their major rehearsing…some even managed to see for the second time as well in the same night. It’s nice to have them see what we do and not just have us be the strangers who keep trying to talk to them and congratulate them on shows they do.
Speaking of mingling. We just found out that we’re now allowed to go to the crew bar, crew store, and general crew areas. This is great because it makes it easier to get to know the other crew members. This means we have shiny name tags. Huzzah!
Since I didn’t really go anywhere today I’m also not really sure where we’re headed tomorrow off hand. Luckily there is a Freestyle Daily (the ship’s daily newsletter) that will tell us what is up.
One more note. We’ve had 5 days of anonymity…now we’re “Second City” or more likely “the comedy people.” It’s fun chatting up people after the shows…I hope it remains fun and doesn’t get creepy or stalkery. Stay tuned, dear readers!
We rehearsed and ironed a few more kinks out of our improv musical ending. This was sort of a new show for us because it had been 9 days since our first shows and we were changing the running order…we lost one sketch, changed an improv game and switched places of two sketches.
So today for me was pretty much all rehearsal and shows. We had a good 7:30 show and a great 9:30 show. The JARs saw our show for the first time since they’re finally done with their major rehearsing…some even managed to see for the second time as well in the same night. It’s nice to have them see what we do and not just have us be the strangers who keep trying to talk to them and congratulate them on shows they do.
Speaking of mingling. We just found out that we’re now allowed to go to the crew bar, crew store, and general crew areas. This is great because it makes it easier to get to know the other crew members. This means we have shiny name tags. Huzzah!
Since I didn’t really go anywhere today I’m also not really sure where we’re headed tomorrow off hand. Luckily there is a Freestyle Daily (the ship’s daily newsletter) that will tell us what is up.
One more note. We’ve had 5 days of anonymity…now we’re “Second City” or more likely “the comedy people.” It’s fun chatting up people after the shows…I hope it remains fun and doesn’t get creepy or stalkery. Stay tuned, dear readers!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Day 13
St. John’s, Antigua. Today was pretty easy. Most of us met for breakfast and decided to head into town on our own. We were at an actual pier today so it was easier to get on and off the ship. St. John’s had a lot of shops and a cool little public market near Heroes Park (pics to come to flickr). Deanna and I walked around on our own. We ended up getting massages and I got some shopping done for our upcoming Secretest of Santas.
There are a few things you can always count on when we port.
A) there will be at least 10 guys right outside the pier gate with laminated maps asking if you need a taxi. The map is theirs, but they can show you places on it to get you on a cab.
B) there will be someone selling necklaces and jewelry…usually the same jewelry you’ll see on every port and definitely multiple times in that city.
C) there will be women offering hair braiding. Someone will always get their hair braided in a port before coming back on the ship.
Let’s talk about hair braiding, shall we? It’s pretty much corn rows. Lots of little braids with beads on the end…ala Bo Derek in “10”. The braiders will try to get you in to braid your hair. If you say you don’t have time they will say they can do a partial…this is braids from the front of your head to the crown/back of the top of your head and the rest left alone. So, someone will get this done…it is nature’s law. Someone else will see that person and decide for some reason that it is a good idea and they will get their hair done as well. Today, while we were sitting at a coffee place we saw a lady from our ship. She is overweight, in her 60s, and was in a Rascal…with braids. On the one hand I feel like she might not have made the best choice. On the other hand, when will she get a chance to have her hair braided in the Caribbean again, right? She is living it up. No shirt, no shoes, no problem. I want to get a single braid at some point.
Tonight we did a few things. We watched Wii bowling from 7-7:30. I caught Edge the juggler (object manipulator) teaching a workshop to a bunch of people. If you ever are somewhere like a ship or Vegas and you see that Edge is doing some sort of juggling show…see it. He is great. We then saw the JARs show Country Gold. It was pretty entertaining considering I might have known one song they sang. They looked like they were having a blast up there.
After that we went for a walk and I saw a cool moon reflection. There were scattered clouds. One was blocking the moon so that we couldn’t see it, but we could see a silvery reflection on the water way out at sea. As if the moon was trying to tell us where the treasure was.
We have a lot of ground to cover to get to Barbados tomorrow. Jen said the ship would probably be moving pretty quickly and would probably be rocking more than usual. Right now it is, and I’m a little queezy. Luckily it is bedtime and I’ll hopefully sleep through it.
There are a few things you can always count on when we port.
A) there will be at least 10 guys right outside the pier gate with laminated maps asking if you need a taxi. The map is theirs, but they can show you places on it to get you on a cab.
B) there will be someone selling necklaces and jewelry…usually the same jewelry you’ll see on every port and definitely multiple times in that city.
C) there will be women offering hair braiding. Someone will always get their hair braided in a port before coming back on the ship.
Let’s talk about hair braiding, shall we? It’s pretty much corn rows. Lots of little braids with beads on the end…ala Bo Derek in “10”. The braiders will try to get you in to braid your hair. If you say you don’t have time they will say they can do a partial…this is braids from the front of your head to the crown/back of the top of your head and the rest left alone. So, someone will get this done…it is nature’s law. Someone else will see that person and decide for some reason that it is a good idea and they will get their hair done as well. Today, while we were sitting at a coffee place we saw a lady from our ship. She is overweight, in her 60s, and was in a Rascal…with braids. On the one hand I feel like she might not have made the best choice. On the other hand, when will she get a chance to have her hair braided in the Caribbean again, right? She is living it up. No shirt, no shoes, no problem. I want to get a single braid at some point.
Tonight we did a few things. We watched Wii bowling from 7-7:30. I caught Edge the juggler (object manipulator) teaching a workshop to a bunch of people. If you ever are somewhere like a ship or Vegas and you see that Edge is doing some sort of juggling show…see it. He is great. We then saw the JARs show Country Gold. It was pretty entertaining considering I might have known one song they sang. They looked like they were having a blast up there.
After that we went for a walk and I saw a cool moon reflection. There were scattered clouds. One was blocking the moon so that we couldn’t see it, but we could see a silvery reflection on the water way out at sea. As if the moon was trying to tell us where the treasure was.
We have a lot of ground to cover to get to Barbados tomorrow. Jen said the ship would probably be moving pretty quickly and would probably be rocking more than usual. Right now it is, and I’m a little queezy. Luckily it is bedtime and I’ll hopefully sleep through it.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Day 12
Tortola, British Virgin Isles. Today was a visit to Tortola. I barely took any pics here. We tendered into town and immediately got a cab for Brewer’s Bay. It is a beach that isn’t talked about by the excursion desk, therefore, not crowded. It was a 20 minute cab ride away up and over the island. This, dear readers, was my first snorkeling adventure. This spot is a place that Jen and Larrance found last year when they were here. What did I learn? I like having my feet on the ground. There was a lot of silt, I couldn’t see much, and I found it harder than hell to relax and breath. Luckily everyone there was supportive with reassuring “yep”s. It was like this for all of them too. Deanna was fantastic in helping me ease into it. They were seeing stuff further out. We went out for a second attempt, but I wasn’t quite ready. It’s actually nice to find something that I have a fear of so that I have a point of reference for when I make progress. The hardest part, I found, was circumventing the instinct in my body. When your face is in water, breathing is bad…that is the instinct. But snorkels are used for just that…breathing.
Anyhow, we were on this beach for a couple hours. I actually started getting a tan through all the sunscreen I’ve been putting on.
I’ve been working out a lot and eating a lot (Fuel the machine!)…this leaves me tired more than usual. Add to that a day at the beach and I was wiped out.
Also, if you want a good core workout, live on a ship. The constant slight rocking…you get a good core.
Tonight we ended the day with games. Jen bought a card game called Quao (cow). To explain it is to give away too much. It is fun. Tomorrow we’re in…St. John’s, Antingua.
Anyhow, we were on this beach for a couple hours. I actually started getting a tan through all the sunscreen I’ve been putting on.
I’ve been working out a lot and eating a lot (Fuel the machine!)…this leaves me tired more than usual. Add to that a day at the beach and I was wiped out.
Also, if you want a good core workout, live on a ship. The constant slight rocking…you get a good core.
Tonight we ended the day with games. Jen bought a card game called Quao (cow). To explain it is to give away too much. It is fun. Tomorrow we’re in…St. John’s, Antingua.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Day 11
Samana, Dominican Republic. A little town. Jen remembered it as a town with poor children selling trinkets, shrewd bargainers with wares, and wild dogs roaming the streets. Well, there were some kids offering to sell shells. There were a couple of little markets with jewelry, art, and other stuff. There were two dogs. So, things have changed a little Jen was here last. People were indeed trying to get your attention, but they were quick to realize when you weren’t about to buy anything. A major factor could be that I’m more intimidating than Jen and I’m really good at “aloof”. Deanna and I did buy a couple paintings and one is hanging on the wall right now…via magnet hook since the walls are all metal.
I had a little moment today. If you get a chance to do a job that lets you travel, take it. I was sitting on the bed watching part of that Julia Roberts movie where she’s an art teacher in a 50’s era all girls school…you know the one. I was eating a turkey burger, watching that, and then I turned to look out the window (see pics when I get them updated) to see an island with palm trees. I had momentarily been sucked into a normally routine of TV and food that snapped me out of “I’m on a cruise” mode. Why can I see palm trees out my window? We were using our own tender boats today so we had a clear view.
Tonight we get a chance to see “guest entertainers” perform. There are entertainers like us and the JARs who are on the cruise for an extended amount of time…then there are guest performers who just perform for the cruise. Tonight will be quick change artists. They have to change complete outfits. This is the gist of it. I’ve seen a quick change act on youtube once that was pretty amazing.
Speaking of youtube, I have two videos that I’ll be getting on youtube eventually. One is the final number of the cruise, and the other is Deanna dancing with the guy on the ferry back to Cozumel. So, keep an eye out.
I had a little moment today. If you get a chance to do a job that lets you travel, take it. I was sitting on the bed watching part of that Julia Roberts movie where she’s an art teacher in a 50’s era all girls school…you know the one. I was eating a turkey burger, watching that, and then I turned to look out the window (see pics when I get them updated) to see an island with palm trees. I had momentarily been sucked into a normally routine of TV and food that snapped me out of “I’m on a cruise” mode. Why can I see palm trees out my window? We were using our own tender boats today so we had a clear view.
Tonight we get a chance to see “guest entertainers” perform. There are entertainers like us and the JARs who are on the cruise for an extended amount of time…then there are guest performers who just perform for the cruise. Tonight will be quick change artists. They have to change complete outfits. This is the gist of it. I’ve seen a quick change act on youtube once that was pretty amazing.
Speaking of youtube, I have two videos that I’ll be getting on youtube eventually. One is the final number of the cruise, and the other is Deanna dancing with the guy on the ferry back to Cozumel. So, keep an eye out.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Day 10
Sea day. We slept until about 11am, but that is including turning the clocks ahead one hour. Today was a day of eating, working out, chilling out, and not much more. I finally saw Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer today. I thought it was ok. It helped that I thought it would really be awful.
Tomorrow were in Samana, Dominican Republic. I know little of what to expect.
Oh! We went to the VIP party. They have it every cruise for the people staying in the suites. We chatted up some fun couples. This is a fun opportunity for us to get to know them.
Boring blog. Oh well.
Tomorrow were in Samana, Dominican Republic. I know little of what to expect.
Oh! We went to the VIP party. They have it every cruise for the people staying in the suites. We chatted up some fun couples. This is a fun opportunity for us to get to know them.
Boring blog. Oh well.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Day 9
One cruise enters, one cruise leaves. Deanna and I took a Miami adventure today. We decided to get on the metrorail and go to Coconut Grove. On this journey we saw a fight. It was a stupid fight for a stupid reason and I wish I could have helped stop it, but it started right as the doors closed on the tram. It was irritating. I at least told a transit security officer about it.
We ate at Tutu Tangos…a Tapas place recommended by Marla…who also recommended Coconut Grove.
Once we got back on board with a fresh new set of passengers we found out some info. Our first show…is on Wednesday. It is now Friday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Tomorrow is a Sea Day, but the five days after that are all port days.
On our last cruise we were in western/southern Caribbean. This cruise we’re heading east. More on that as it happens.
Tonight we played our first match of Settlers of Catan. A board game worth researching. Also of note, last night we played in The Quest. It is a ridiculous game where they get teams together to do ridiculous things. We tied for second place. When they came to us as a team in the beginning we said “we’re second city.” To let them know they might not want us to play since we’re working on the ship. They didn’t care and encouraged it. We played enough to encourage people to compete, but not win prizes. They were thankful. Tonight Deanna and I stopped by Fyzz and danced in a dance like the electric slide but different. They were thankful as well. It’s fun to join in on these things to have fun and know not to become the focus. It also helps that we’re pretty anonymous until Wednesday.
Right now I’m watching Surf’s Up. A computer animated movie about penguins surfing. I remember the previews in theaters and thinking it looked like a stupid movie. It’s actually pretty good. It is all documentary style. I recommend it as a fun li’l movie.
We ate at Tutu Tangos…a Tapas place recommended by Marla…who also recommended Coconut Grove.
Once we got back on board with a fresh new set of passengers we found out some info. Our first show…is on Wednesday. It is now Friday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Tomorrow is a Sea Day, but the five days after that are all port days.
On our last cruise we were in western/southern Caribbean. This cruise we’re heading east. More on that as it happens.
Tonight we played our first match of Settlers of Catan. A board game worth researching. Also of note, last night we played in The Quest. It is a ridiculous game where they get teams together to do ridiculous things. We tied for second place. When they came to us as a team in the beginning we said “we’re second city.” To let them know they might not want us to play since we’re working on the ship. They didn’t care and encouraged it. We played enough to encourage people to compete, but not win prizes. They were thankful. Tonight Deanna and I stopped by Fyzz and danced in a dance like the electric slide but different. They were thankful as well. It’s fun to join in on these things to have fun and know not to become the focus. It also helps that we’re pretty anonymous until Wednesday.
Right now I’m watching Surf’s Up. A computer animated movie about penguins surfing. I remember the previews in theaters and thinking it looked like a stupid movie. It’s actually pretty good. It is all documentary style. I recommend it as a fun li’l movie.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Day 8
Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a sea day and we’re in Miami tomorrow. Free internet! And that means there will be more photos up on my flickr (www.flickr.com, search Rance Rizzutto Photography). I may even have time to put some of them on my Not-So-Daily photo blog.
Last night Deanna and I went out to dinner with plans to go to ballroom dancing lessons and then a show. I, however, was beat. I was struggling to keep my eyes open at dinner. We came back to the room and decided to take a quick nap instead of dancing and then go to the show. I woke up from the nap still tired. Deanna went to the show and I crashed. I slept for about 12 hours. FREESTYLE CRUISING!
Tonight we’re all having dinner together and maybe playing games.
Last night Deanna and I went out to dinner with plans to go to ballroom dancing lessons and then a show. I, however, was beat. I was struggling to keep my eyes open at dinner. We came back to the room and decided to take a quick nap instead of dancing and then go to the show. I woke up from the nap still tired. Deanna went to the show and I crashed. I slept for about 12 hours. FREESTYLE CRUISING!
Tonight we’re all having dinner together and maybe playing games.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Day 7
Today…well…today was lazy. We ported in George Town, Grand Cayman. Today is the day that Beth and Matt left the ship. We’re on our own now. We saw them off and then got off the boat ourselves. The main/closest attraction is Seven Mile Beach. We walked toward it but we’re not sure if we ever got to it. We just sort of relaxed. The water was nice. We saw some fish jump out of the water a few times, a bird (a tern maybe?) dive in to catch fish, some other bird spear fish, a little sting ray right along the shore, even some wild chickens.
We then headed back to the ship and will be taking it easy.
I hope Beth made it back okay. There is supposedly snow in Chicago. I’m moments away from actually posting the last few entries…here goes!
We then headed back to the ship and will be taking it easy.
I hope Beth made it back okay. There is supposedly snow in Chicago. I’m moments away from actually posting the last few entries…here goes!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Day 6
Cozumel! Or, in our case, Playa de Carmen! Mexico, baby! We got off the ship around 9:30am and were dead set on making it to the 10:00am ferry to mainland Mexico. There was some sort of parade going on on the Cozumel side. A bunch of students representing their schools or something. See the photos (when I get them online).
We made the ferry. It was jumpy and 30 minutes long, but it got us to Playa de Carmen. A lot of shops trying to call us to their wares…people with animals they put on you for photos (we opted for the monkeys…again, wait to see pics).
**THIS SECTION FOR ZACH THOMPSON ONLY**
They had a TON of wrestling masks like the ones you have…AND one I almost got for Miette that was in the same fashion of the wrestling masks but it was clearly Dora the Explorer…I got pics.
**BACK TO EVERYBODY**
After being on the ship a little and having slightly rough seas last night I discovered something once we got of the ship. I had land sickness. I would be walking around the city and it felt like it was swaying. Be it vertigo or whatever…I’m calling it land sickness.
Our ferry back to Cozumel was with a different company because our initial ferry didn’t have one coming back when we needed it to. On this new ferry there was a three person band. One guy on congos, one on keys (playing trumpet sounds and setting pre programmed beats) and a lead singer. Salsa-esque/Hispanic music. Deanna was pretty much in the front row. At one point the congo player said something to Deanna in Spanish and then said “where are you from?” She said “the states”. He said some more in Spanish and people laugh good heartedly. At another point he got up and started dancing with Deanna…THAT gem is on video and will be on youtube soon.
Tonight we have our two improve only, or “scriptless” shows. More on that once we do them.
Post shows: They went fine. Matt played with us in the first one and that was a blast. We had to cut stuff out of our lineup in the first show due to time. We had to stretch in the second one. The second one is the “adult show”. There were a couple kids there and in our first game we got the suggestion of Kama Sutra. Andy then asked the person who suggested it to describe what it was. The person said “Sexual positions.” I got to watch a couple kids get awkward explanations from their parents. All in all it was great. Deanna had some hilarious stuff, as did we all.
Tomorrow we’re in George Town, Grand Cayman. It is the day Matt and Beth leave, and our first day “off”. The day after that? Thanksgiving.
Fun fact. Every night Deanna turns on the TV to a movie and falls right to sleep. Tonight she had coffee and was worried she wouldn’t sleep well. As I type there is a movie on the TV and a sleeping Deanna by my side. All is well.
We made the ferry. It was jumpy and 30 minutes long, but it got us to Playa de Carmen. A lot of shops trying to call us to their wares…people with animals they put on you for photos (we opted for the monkeys…again, wait to see pics).
**THIS SECTION FOR ZACH THOMPSON ONLY**
They had a TON of wrestling masks like the ones you have…AND one I almost got for Miette that was in the same fashion of the wrestling masks but it was clearly Dora the Explorer…I got pics.
**BACK TO EVERYBODY**
After being on the ship a little and having slightly rough seas last night I discovered something once we got of the ship. I had land sickness. I would be walking around the city and it felt like it was swaying. Be it vertigo or whatever…I’m calling it land sickness.
Our ferry back to Cozumel was with a different company because our initial ferry didn’t have one coming back when we needed it to. On this new ferry there was a three person band. One guy on congos, one on keys (playing trumpet sounds and setting pre programmed beats) and a lead singer. Salsa-esque/Hispanic music. Deanna was pretty much in the front row. At one point the congo player said something to Deanna in Spanish and then said “where are you from?” She said “the states”. He said some more in Spanish and people laugh good heartedly. At another point he got up and started dancing with Deanna…THAT gem is on video and will be on youtube soon.
Tonight we have our two improve only, or “scriptless” shows. More on that once we do them.
Post shows: They went fine. Matt played with us in the first one and that was a blast. We had to cut stuff out of our lineup in the first show due to time. We had to stretch in the second one. The second one is the “adult show”. There were a couple kids there and in our first game we got the suggestion of Kama Sutra. Andy then asked the person who suggested it to describe what it was. The person said “Sexual positions.” I got to watch a couple kids get awkward explanations from their parents. All in all it was great. Deanna had some hilarious stuff, as did we all.
Tomorrow we’re in George Town, Grand Cayman. It is the day Matt and Beth leave, and our first day “off”. The day after that? Thanksgiving.
Fun fact. Every night Deanna turns on the TV to a movie and falls right to sleep. Tonight she had coffee and was worried she wouldn’t sleep well. As I type there is a movie on the TV and a sleeping Deanna by my side. All is well.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Day 5
Sea day. This entire day was spent at sea on the way to Cozumel Mexico. It is also our very first show day aboard the Jewel. We ran rehearsals all day in one form or another. A full run through before there was something else scheduled in the theater. Some work on our musical improv ending. (I just noticed that Word tries to turn “improv” into “improve”…I may have missed some of those earlier)
We did our first of two shows for the night. There were a few audience members who kind of heckled…meaning, a couple of the times they yelled out stuff it felt like it maybe was a spot where it was ok to yell something, but barely. All in all it went really well. The second one as well.
As the night went on the water got a little more choppier. Right now as I write this I am feeling it pretty bad, but not bad enough to call it “sea sick”. I’m going to go to sleep and wake up to find us in Cozumel!
We did our first of two shows for the night. There were a few audience members who kind of heckled…meaning, a couple of the times they yelled out stuff it felt like it maybe was a spot where it was ok to yell something, but barely. All in all it went really well. The second one as well.
As the night went on the water got a little more choppier. Right now as I write this I am feeling it pretty bad, but not bad enough to call it “sea sick”. I’m going to go to sleep and wake up to find us in Cozumel!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Day 4
Miami day. Mental note…don’t try to sleep in on disembarking day. There are announcements all morning as each “group” is called to leave. We met for breakfast and to leave. I think we got off around 11am. It was a long walk to get from the ship into town, but short enough to not cab it.
I found out where bayside mall was, holiday inn, and I heard rumors of Walgreens. I had some web work to do so I went straight for the internet access while most everyone else went to Walgreens. We then met up and headed to the mall. I needed to hit up an ATM. You should tip the room stewards every cruise, and to do that I needed cash. I went to take out $100…I got a receipt but no cash, AND we were in a time crunch. I called the number on the ATM and the recording said to take it up with my bank. The number on my bank card isn’t in numbers, but in an easy to remember letter combo like 800-THE-BANK…only my phone doesn’t have the standard letters on the numbers because it is designed for texting. So, I had to write out the phone pad because every time I tried to do it in my head I would get distracted. THEN I realized I added the ‘Q’ which offset the remaining letters by 1. I dialed three wrong numbers before narrowing it down. Once I got through the recording said all the operators were busy and just said call back. I was pissed. I remembered the moment because there is a scene where I am supposed to get really angry in our show. I will now think of the ATM during that scene. As we walked back I got through to my bank and all should be ok.
We had another rehearsal and we are going to meet to eat tonight.
This is a fresh group of passengers and the first group that will see us. We perform tomorrow and Tuesday.
Other things realized this week…Thanksgiving is this week. I’m on a ship in the Caribbean for thanksgiving. Just like the pilgrims.
I found out where bayside mall was, holiday inn, and I heard rumors of Walgreens. I had some web work to do so I went straight for the internet access while most everyone else went to Walgreens. We then met up and headed to the mall. I needed to hit up an ATM. You should tip the room stewards every cruise, and to do that I needed cash. I went to take out $100…I got a receipt but no cash, AND we were in a time crunch. I called the number on the ATM and the recording said to take it up with my bank. The number on my bank card isn’t in numbers, but in an easy to remember letter combo like 800-THE-BANK…only my phone doesn’t have the standard letters on the numbers because it is designed for texting. So, I had to write out the phone pad because every time I tried to do it in my head I would get distracted. THEN I realized I added the ‘Q’ which offset the remaining letters by 1. I dialed three wrong numbers before narrowing it down. Once I got through the recording said all the operators were busy and just said call back. I was pissed. I remembered the moment because there is a scene where I am supposed to get really angry in our show. I will now think of the ATM during that scene. As we walked back I got through to my bank and all should be ok.
We had another rehearsal and we are going to meet to eat tonight.
This is a fresh group of passengers and the first group that will see us. We perform tomorrow and Tuesday.
Other things realized this week…Thanksgiving is this week. I’m on a ship in the Caribbean for thanksgiving. Just like the pilgrims.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Day 3: For Reals
We were in Nassau today. Briefly. We still had rehearsing to do, but we were able to get out for a little bit. Right in the port was a Navy destroyer and there were a couple Bahaman (Bahamian?) police in fatigues and carrying machine guns. Right in the water by the port there were fish in the blue blue water. I have pics coming soon.
We basically walked around the main part of town. Lots of little shops.
It was then time to go to Atlantis…the casino in Nassau. Catching a taxi is much easier than in Chicago…and it is pretty easy to get a cab in Chicago. If you even pause on a street and look towards traffic they will start honking and asking if you need a cab. We found one and went to Atlantis. They have a cool aquarium there…there is a public part, and then you can continue to the awesome part for $32. We were thrilled enough with the normal part.
After getting some food there and checking it out we ended up in a taxi with 4 other people. Our cab driver decided to give us trivia and bits. “To our right is a development of underground condos” (cemetery) “This cemetery has been around since the 1600s. Do you know how many people are in there?” No. “All of them!” Now, I think he should have said do you know how many dead people from the 1600s are in there or something like that. He then moved on to trivia. How many islands make up the Bahamas? Over 7000. What are the colors of the flag? I said blue, yellow, and black. I know I was right, because I like flags and had noticed the flags around town…but there was also a flag sticker on the windshield. What do the colors stand for? I guessed that the top and bottom blue stripes stood for the sky and water, the yellow stripe in the center was sand. I was right on the blue stripes. The yellow is sun, and the black triangle stands for the people.
All in all…a good time.
We came back and saw a lady and her daughter or grand-daughter jump in the water…and then swim towards the destroyer (because that is where the ladder was). We thought for sure it was a) illegal and b) they would get arrested. They got out with no problem.
Every port has a photo op as you get off the ship. In Freeport there were two people dressed as pirates (one at each of the two exits). In Nassau there were people dressed in bright clothes and dreadlock wigs. There is then a whole section of the ship where you can find photos the next day available for purchase. More on these as we see them…I did snap a pic of the Rasta day.
We had a great rehearsal and really nailed down some scenes. Deanna and I managed to catch the Jean Ann Ryan Company’s other show, Cirque Bijou before dinner. Something I managed to remember…in the pre-show music a song came up from my childhood. There is a strange album that my parents had that I doubt many other people had. It is called Oxygen (might be Oxygene) by Jean Michael Jarre or something really close to that. All synthesizer. The Yanni of his day I’d imagine. I used to listen to that album all the time as a kid…and one of those songs was in the pre-show music for Cirque Bijou. I’ve looked for this album on iTunes a couple times with no luck. This gives me hope.
We had dinner in the Tsar’s Palace and a photographer came around and took pictures of us sitting at our table.
Tomorrow is the journey back to Miami. We should be able to get a mailbox and some sweet free internet access.
We basically walked around the main part of town. Lots of little shops.
It was then time to go to Atlantis…the casino in Nassau. Catching a taxi is much easier than in Chicago…and it is pretty easy to get a cab in Chicago. If you even pause on a street and look towards traffic they will start honking and asking if you need a cab. We found one and went to Atlantis. They have a cool aquarium there…there is a public part, and then you can continue to the awesome part for $32. We were thrilled enough with the normal part.
After getting some food there and checking it out we ended up in a taxi with 4 other people. Our cab driver decided to give us trivia and bits. “To our right is a development of underground condos” (cemetery) “This cemetery has been around since the 1600s. Do you know how many people are in there?” No. “All of them!” Now, I think he should have said do you know how many dead people from the 1600s are in there or something like that. He then moved on to trivia. How many islands make up the Bahamas? Over 7000. What are the colors of the flag? I said blue, yellow, and black. I know I was right, because I like flags and had noticed the flags around town…but there was also a flag sticker on the windshield. What do the colors stand for? I guessed that the top and bottom blue stripes stood for the sky and water, the yellow stripe in the center was sand. I was right on the blue stripes. The yellow is sun, and the black triangle stands for the people.
All in all…a good time.
We came back and saw a lady and her daughter or grand-daughter jump in the water…and then swim towards the destroyer (because that is where the ladder was). We thought for sure it was a) illegal and b) they would get arrested. They got out with no problem.
Every port has a photo op as you get off the ship. In Freeport there were two people dressed as pirates (one at each of the two exits). In Nassau there were people dressed in bright clothes and dreadlock wigs. There is then a whole section of the ship where you can find photos the next day available for purchase. More on these as we see them…I did snap a pic of the Rasta day.
We had a great rehearsal and really nailed down some scenes. Deanna and I managed to catch the Jean Ann Ryan Company’s other show, Cirque Bijou before dinner. Something I managed to remember…in the pre-show music a song came up from my childhood. There is a strange album that my parents had that I doubt many other people had. It is called Oxygen (might be Oxygene) by Jean Michael Jarre or something really close to that. All synthesizer. The Yanni of his day I’d imagine. I used to listen to that album all the time as a kid…and one of those songs was in the pre-show music for Cirque Bijou. I’ve looked for this album on iTunes a couple times with no luck. This gives me hope.
We had dinner in the Tsar’s Palace and a photographer came around and took pictures of us sitting at our table.
Tomorrow is the journey back to Miami. We should be able to get a mailbox and some sweet free internet access.
Day 3: Teaser
Just a quick note or two.
a) I'm using internet on the boat. I've been blogging in word and then copying and pasting to save minutes.
b) I have a lot of photos that I'll be working on and getting ready to download when we're in Miami on Sunday (hopefully)
c) Hey, previous casts on the Jewel...what were all the t-shirts for in your prop bag?
a) I'm using internet on the boat. I've been blogging in word and then copying and pasting to save minutes.
b) I have a lot of photos that I'll be working on and getting ready to download when we're in Miami on Sunday (hopefully)
c) Hey, previous casts on the Jewel...what were all the t-shirts for in your prop bag?
Friday, November 16, 2007
Day 2 Pt 2
The Edge’s show was great. I mostly enjoyed the way he engaged the audience was fantastic. Great reffing tricks for CSz.
We had a nice dinner at 9:00pm and then hung out. Tomorrow we’ll be heading into town and checking out our first island.
We had a nice dinner at 9:00pm and then hung out. Tomorrow we’ll be heading into town and checking out our first island.
Day 2
Today started off at 3:15am. Did it seem like yesterday started then as well? Yes. Deanna used her phone as an alarm yesterday and it was still set. I jolted out of bed to find the auditory intrusion. I grabbed her phone from where the sound was coming from…but I had her camera…and the sound wasn’t coming from her camera. I finally got it shut off and went back to bed. As soon as I got back in bed the phone started vibrating with new messages. Next time, the phone loses a battery.
The plan was to wake up at 8:00am, workout, shower, and meet everyone at 10:00 for breakfast and to find out what’s what. The 8am didn’t happen.
We met everyone and found out we had a window of time to work in the theater. I guess this ranked high up on the “awesome scale”…for different reasons:
1) Since Second City is not prop intensive (no “set design” being used…especially in comparison to the JARs reviews (reminder: JARs= Jean Anne Ryan dancers)…they are lower on the list to actually rehearse in the Stardust Theater. It just so happens there are about 7 or so dancers who are leaving (some today, some tomorrow) which means there are other dancers coming in who need to rehearse. So, we theoretically would be low on the list. We found out we could be in the theater from 11-3 because The Edge (a juggler) is doing a show tonight. He would be able to set up stuff behind the curtain while we did whatever.
2) The sound guys, Matt and Alex, were able to get us set up with our mics right before they left to head into port. Another big plus. So, at this point we’re on stage and we have mics.
3) We did a quick T&B (show terminology moment for family: T&B=Tops and Bottoms where we just run the beginnings and ends of scenes to make sure everyone is getting to the right places, with the right props at the beginning of the scene and moving props and getting off stage or to the next scene start place at the end) and went to lunch. Right before lunch we were about to go looking for our tech guy, Sean/Shaun/Shawn to see if Matt could start setting up light cues in the system. At about the same time we thought “we should call Sean” he walked into the light booth. While we were at lunch he started doing light cues and continued after we came back and ran White Guys (song with the guys) a bunch to fine tune it.
So, it is Friday. We were able to do a full run with set light cues and be done by 3:30…three days before our first show. On the ships that is called “ahead of schedule”. When I ran into Beth on our lunch break I said Matt was setting light cues and she was surprised in a good way.
Another good thing is we were in a port that everyone we talked to (on crew) said was basically shops and that you would need to take a 30 minute cab to get to the actual city. We were in Freeport. From the ship it looked like a port and Cargo loading facility. Matt was trying his best to get us done by 1 today but we all agreed we would rather work today and be able to get off the ship in Nassau tomorrow. Whether that happens I don’t know. I’m just glad we’re in a good place with the show.
After all was said and done I went to work out for the first time on the AND in a while. Pretty good. I’ve been trying to take advantage of the food and eat a lot, but keep it healthy.
One REALLY hard thing to get used to is not cleaning up after yourself. It seems like it shouldn’t be that hard of a thing since you never really bus your own tables at restaurants, but when your table is full of plates and you personally brought those plates there…it is weird.
We’re going to check out Edge’s show tonight and catch dinner with everyone at 9pm. Plus…IT IS FORMAL NIGHT! YIKE!
The plan was to wake up at 8:00am, workout, shower, and meet everyone at 10:00 for breakfast and to find out what’s what. The 8am didn’t happen.
We met everyone and found out we had a window of time to work in the theater. I guess this ranked high up on the “awesome scale”…for different reasons:
1) Since Second City is not prop intensive (no “set design” being used…especially in comparison to the JARs reviews (reminder: JARs= Jean Anne Ryan dancers)…they are lower on the list to actually rehearse in the Stardust Theater. It just so happens there are about 7 or so dancers who are leaving (some today, some tomorrow) which means there are other dancers coming in who need to rehearse. So, we theoretically would be low on the list. We found out we could be in the theater from 11-3 because The Edge (a juggler) is doing a show tonight. He would be able to set up stuff behind the curtain while we did whatever.
2) The sound guys, Matt and Alex, were able to get us set up with our mics right before they left to head into port. Another big plus. So, at this point we’re on stage and we have mics.
3) We did a quick T&B (show terminology moment for family: T&B=Tops and Bottoms where we just run the beginnings and ends of scenes to make sure everyone is getting to the right places, with the right props at the beginning of the scene and moving props and getting off stage or to the next scene start place at the end) and went to lunch. Right before lunch we were about to go looking for our tech guy, Sean/Shaun/Shawn to see if Matt could start setting up light cues in the system. At about the same time we thought “we should call Sean” he walked into the light booth. While we were at lunch he started doing light cues and continued after we came back and ran White Guys (song with the guys) a bunch to fine tune it.
So, it is Friday. We were able to do a full run with set light cues and be done by 3:30…three days before our first show. On the ships that is called “ahead of schedule”. When I ran into Beth on our lunch break I said Matt was setting light cues and she was surprised in a good way.
Another good thing is we were in a port that everyone we talked to (on crew) said was basically shops and that you would need to take a 30 minute cab to get to the actual city. We were in Freeport. From the ship it looked like a port and Cargo loading facility. Matt was trying his best to get us done by 1 today but we all agreed we would rather work today and be able to get off the ship in Nassau tomorrow. Whether that happens I don’t know. I’m just glad we’re in a good place with the show.
After all was said and done I went to work out for the first time on the AND in a while. Pretty good. I’ve been trying to take advantage of the food and eat a lot, but keep it healthy.
One REALLY hard thing to get used to is not cleaning up after yourself. It seems like it shouldn’t be that hard of a thing since you never really bus your own tables at restaurants, but when your table is full of plates and you personally brought those plates there…it is weird.
We’re going to check out Edge’s show tonight and catch dinner with everyone at 9pm. Plus…IT IS FORMAL NIGHT! YIKE!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Day 1
Early start. I, of course, tried to stay up until our 4:00am cab. No dice. I took a shower around 2:00am and went to bed around 2:30. I probably got about 30 minutes of sleep. Deanna and I lugged our luggage (luggage…lugged…same root?) downstairs and had the fastest cab in Chicago pick us up. He wasn’t going super fast, but fast enough over bumps to make someone with no sleep get angry.
At the airport we discovered that the Delta counter didn’t open until 4:30am. Deanna and I were the first of our group to arrive. We waited in the line that was already forming when we saw Andy checking his luggage outside. We opted for that. Jen, Larrance, and Matt were right behind us. There was one person in front of us. At the check in there were two guys working. One guy was probably 70, the other in his early 30s. The older guy (we’ll call him Pops)came out to help us because the younger guy (we’ll call him Speedy) was helping the guy in front of us. Speedy finished helping us and moved on to Larrance, Jen and Matt. It seemed like they were all taken care of and ready to go by the time Pops was asking for our names. Frustrating. After waiting and waiting Pops finally printed out our luggage tags and then…after all that…told us two of our bags were overweight. Now, we knew this. We expected it and were told Second City would cover the cost. So I said “Yeah, that’s fine. What’s the charge?” to which he said “you gotta go inside for that.” My frustration must have been visible because Speedy said, “I’ll take care of it. I’ll get you tags.” I tipped Speedy, and paid and sort of tipped Pops. All in all I paid $15 and had to wait a lot. It costs something like $25/overweight bag so Pops saved me $35.
We got to the first leg of our flight no problem. A quick 45 minute flight to Cincinati.All we had to do was get from gate A25 to gate C20 for a flight that leaves in 30 minutes. It meant catching a shuttle…time was precious.
We made it to the gate!...to find out it was delayed until 9:15…then 9:45…then 10:30. In the midst of all this something happened. But first, a story.
Joey travels a lot for Second City Touring Company. On one of his travels he saw George Takei…Sulu from Star Trek, but most recently Hiro Nakamura’s father on Heroes. Todd, who lives downstairs from Joey, went out of town and ran into the actor who plays Mohinder Surresh on Heroes. I joked with them that I would see one too. So who did we see while waiting through delays? Tim Gunn from Project Runway. We had all been up since 4am and looked like slobs or we would have got a picture with him.
Back to the delays. Around the “delayed until 10:30” mark they also let us know that we would need to change gates. We changed to A25. Back we went.
We ended up getting to and on the ship around 3:30 or so. It was a long travel day, but for some reason, non-stressful. We’ve already started making acquaintances with people who the veterans know. We ate buffet, slept, ate buffet, walked around, saw a show…in a nutshell.
When I woke from a nap I started around 5:00 I looked out our window…Oh! We have windows. They are obstructed by life boats, but I could see enough to know it was dark out and there was a city we were moving past. PS. We have Katie and Steve/Brendan and Beth’s room. Deanna was unpacking like crazy. I wanted to get out and watch land go away. As soon as I got out on the deck I felt my first major tip…and it wasn’t that major, but enough to tip water out of the kids pool. You can feel it every once and a while as we go…and yes, I literally mean you.
Tonight we saw The JARs perform their Band on the Run dance review. It was good and what I would expect. The best part was that we got to see a show AND see the stage we would be performing on all in one sitting.
I am now in bed and can feel the waves every so often. I’m trying to type up the blogs as I go and then post when I get access…so let’s hope for the best.
At the airport we discovered that the Delta counter didn’t open until 4:30am. Deanna and I were the first of our group to arrive. We waited in the line that was already forming when we saw Andy checking his luggage outside. We opted for that. Jen, Larrance, and Matt were right behind us. There was one person in front of us. At the check in there were two guys working. One guy was probably 70, the other in his early 30s. The older guy (we’ll call him Pops)came out to help us because the younger guy (we’ll call him Speedy) was helping the guy in front of us. Speedy finished helping us and moved on to Larrance, Jen and Matt. It seemed like they were all taken care of and ready to go by the time Pops was asking for our names. Frustrating. After waiting and waiting Pops finally printed out our luggage tags and then…after all that…told us two of our bags were overweight. Now, we knew this. We expected it and were told Second City would cover the cost. So I said “Yeah, that’s fine. What’s the charge?” to which he said “you gotta go inside for that.” My frustration must have been visible because Speedy said, “I’ll take care of it. I’ll get you tags.” I tipped Speedy, and paid and sort of tipped Pops. All in all I paid $15 and had to wait a lot. It costs something like $25/overweight bag so Pops saved me $35.
We got to the first leg of our flight no problem. A quick 45 minute flight to Cincinati.All we had to do was get from gate A25 to gate C20 for a flight that leaves in 30 minutes. It meant catching a shuttle…time was precious.
We made it to the gate!...to find out it was delayed until 9:15…then 9:45…then 10:30. In the midst of all this something happened. But first, a story.
Joey travels a lot for Second City Touring Company. On one of his travels he saw George Takei…Sulu from Star Trek, but most recently Hiro Nakamura’s father on Heroes. Todd, who lives downstairs from Joey, went out of town and ran into the actor who plays Mohinder Surresh on Heroes. I joked with them that I would see one too. So who did we see while waiting through delays? Tim Gunn from Project Runway. We had all been up since 4am and looked like slobs or we would have got a picture with him.
Back to the delays. Around the “delayed until 10:30” mark they also let us know that we would need to change gates. We changed to A25. Back we went.
We ended up getting to and on the ship around 3:30 or so. It was a long travel day, but for some reason, non-stressful. We’ve already started making acquaintances with people who the veterans know. We ate buffet, slept, ate buffet, walked around, saw a show…in a nutshell.
When I woke from a nap I started around 5:00 I looked out our window…Oh! We have windows. They are obstructed by life boats, but I could see enough to know it was dark out and there was a city we were moving past. PS. We have Katie and Steve/Brendan and Beth’s room. Deanna was unpacking like crazy. I wanted to get out and watch land go away. As soon as I got out on the deck I felt my first major tip…and it wasn’t that major, but enough to tip water out of the kids pool. You can feel it every once and a while as we go…and yes, I literally mean you.
Tonight we saw The JARs perform their Band on the Run dance review. It was good and what I would expect. The best part was that we got to see a show AND see the stage we would be performing on all in one sitting.
I am now in bed and can feel the waves every so often. I’m trying to type up the blogs as I go and then post when I get access…so let’s hope for the best.
Master Plan or Farewell to Blank
Dear (Person from Chicago),
Thanks so much for being awesome. I love improvising with you. Not just the good times like (time we did something fun onstage i.e. Multiple Savion Glovers under an umbrella), or the weirdly bad times like when (a weird thing happened between you and I on stage i.e. River of Milk). I also enjoy the preshow bits we always do like (Belly full of cous cous, back slap alley, boom shaka).
Mostly I'm just glad our paths have crossed.
I'm off to a four month adventure, but when I get back we can go (do thing we do) like always. Hell, let's do a show together.
I miss you,
R
--------------------------------
PS. Right now I have less than three hours until the cab picks us up for the airport (if it is on time). My plan is to stay up. Then sleep at the airport, on the first plane, and on the connecting plane. I will then get a coffee and head off to the ship. Also, check http://secondcity.com/?id=touring/ncl if you like. We'll be up on it soon and we may even end up as the Spotlight of the Week person at some point.
From this point on I can't guarantee frequency of posts. It all depends on internet speed and agility.
Thanks so much for being awesome. I love improvising with you. Not just the good times like (time we did something fun onstage i.e. Multiple Savion Glovers under an umbrella), or the weirdly bad times like when (a weird thing happened between you and I on stage i.e. River of Milk). I also enjoy the preshow bits we always do like (Belly full of cous cous, back slap alley, boom shaka).
Mostly I'm just glad our paths have crossed.
I'm off to a four month adventure, but when I get back we can go (do thing we do) like always. Hell, let's do a show together.
I miss you,
R
--------------------------------
PS. Right now I have less than three hours until the cab picks us up for the airport (if it is on time). My plan is to stay up. Then sleep at the airport, on the first plane, and on the connecting plane. I will then get a coffee and head off to the ship. Also, check http://secondcity.com/?id=touring/ncl if you like. We'll be up on it soon and we may even end up as the Spotlight of the Week person at some point.
From this point on I can't guarantee frequency of posts. It all depends on internet speed and agility.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
1 is the Dumbest Number
...because it is the number of full days until we leave, and because we're becoming dumb. Deanna can't find her debit card. I have no idea what I did with one of those zip up cd cases that has the DVDs I set aside specifically for the boats (Office, Arrested Development, etc).
Rehearsals have been great. Matt Craig is a great director. I think the thing I like the most is that he continually sees things from our side and keeps us in mind while still getting the show ready. Matt has done plenty around here. He has played for ETC and Mainstage (go to secondcity.com to figure out what those are if you don't know...family). He's played on the ships and I think he might have even directed a ship before. We might be his first ship that he has directed. Regardless, he has a great eye for the sketches and has helped me specifically with making different character choices in some points.
There are three things that go into your sketches in the beginning. You read them via script, you see them via DVD, and you make your own initial character choices. I tried to match the DVDs as much as I could and in some cases that was different than what he suggested.
We have our running order down pretty well. Today we worked on White Guys (a song) and our ending mostly. Tomorrow is our last rehearsal day and then we're on a plane at 6am Thursday.
Right now Joey is tracing his lineage back through time via ancestry.com. He's been on it since we got home.
Rehearsals have been great. Matt Craig is a great director. I think the thing I like the most is that he continually sees things from our side and keeps us in mind while still getting the show ready. Matt has done plenty around here. He has played for ETC and Mainstage (go to secondcity.com to figure out what those are if you don't know...family). He's played on the ships and I think he might have even directed a ship before. We might be his first ship that he has directed. Regardless, he has a great eye for the sketches and has helped me specifically with making different character choices in some points.
There are three things that go into your sketches in the beginning. You read them via script, you see them via DVD, and you make your own initial character choices. I tried to match the DVDs as much as I could and in some cases that was different than what he suggested.
We have our running order down pretty well. Today we worked on White Guys (a song) and our ending mostly. Tomorrow is our last rehearsal day and then we're on a plane at 6am Thursday.
Right now Joey is tracing his lineage back through time via ancestry.com. He's been on it since we got home.
Monday, November 12, 2007
3 Is A Magic Number...
and also the amount of full days we have left. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will have rehearsals from 10am-6pm. Our flight is at 6:something am on Thursday.
I shot my last headshot for awhile...at least in Chicago. I plan on going photo crazy on the boat so check out my photoblog or my flickr (search Rance Rizzutto Photography).
Today was spent doing the shoot, running stuff to the storage unit, and packing for the ship. Deanna had her last rehearsals for non-ship stuff.
We had a nice dinner at the Deluxe Diner on Devon and Clark. Deanna and I went there one day merely out of convenience. I think it was when she got back from Italy and was hungry for something that wasn't pasta or pizza. I had a Diner Combo of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and french toast. It was GREAT! We've been back at least 5 times and tonight was a tiny farewell dinner.
The service, which has been on the better side of moderate in the past, was awful. There was one guy working out front and one guy in the kitchen. It took forever for them to take our order and longer after that to get our food. I feel like I jinxed it by liking the place so much.
Sam likes this Chinese Buffet place and was really upselling us on it when we left for Maine last year. So we had a farewell dinner there. It sucked...big time. Sam still thinks it is awesome and we are dumb...but guess what...he is dumb...but only about the buffet.
In other news, stories of my dad's infamous Movie Title Flubbery are still making the rounds. Just yesterday Deanna got to tell the story of how he remembered "The Vagina Monologues" as "The Vagina Monocles".
More as I know it.
I shot my last headshot for awhile...at least in Chicago. I plan on going photo crazy on the boat so check out my photoblog or my flickr (search Rance Rizzutto Photography).
Today was spent doing the shoot, running stuff to the storage unit, and packing for the ship. Deanna had her last rehearsals for non-ship stuff.
We had a nice dinner at the Deluxe Diner on Devon and Clark. Deanna and I went there one day merely out of convenience. I think it was when she got back from Italy and was hungry for something that wasn't pasta or pizza. I had a Diner Combo of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and french toast. It was GREAT! We've been back at least 5 times and tonight was a tiny farewell dinner.
The service, which has been on the better side of moderate in the past, was awful. There was one guy working out front and one guy in the kitchen. It took forever for them to take our order and longer after that to get our food. I feel like I jinxed it by liking the place so much.
Sam likes this Chinese Buffet place and was really upselling us on it when we left for Maine last year. So we had a farewell dinner there. It sucked...big time. Sam still thinks it is awesome and we are dumb...but guess what...he is dumb...but only about the buffet.
In other news, stories of my dad's infamous Movie Title Flubbery are still making the rounds. Just yesterday Deanna got to tell the story of how he remembered "The Vagina Monologues" as "The Vagina Monocles".
More as I know it.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let Us Go
So...a few things.
1) it was just snowing outside. I'm glad I got to at least see snow before we leave for "Warm Winter". I like snows.
2) As much as I like christmas music...and I think I like it a lot...it started on the radio on 11/1. C'mon. 11/1? These DJs are going to kill themselves if they have to fake warm holiday goodness that long. Every year I listen to that station all season long. I can't bring myself to stick to it this year...too early. You really blew it, radio.
3) In other news... Deanna and I purchased snorkeling equipment among other things today. I also got a new suitcase more designed to accomodate a suit, but not a garment bag. It is bright orange. I dare myself to not find it in an airport. I also scored big time in the "clothes for tall people" department.
Awhile ago I went to DSW (Discount Shoe Warehouse) to look for shoes. It is usually pretty tough to find shoes there because pretty much every brand only fits me if it is a 14, and they generally cut off at 13. When I first moved here I went there with some people from CSz and happened to find a pair of Addidas cross trainers that were 14s. Perfect! So perfect that I've had them for at least three years...probably four. This year they were looking pretty ratty so I went to DSW to look. Nothin'. We decide to try again today while we're out and about. Deanna finds about 5 different 14s. She is a shoe whisperer. I ended up getting a very comfortable pair of black show shoes to replace my rockports (that I've had for close to, if not over 10 years...since my Swagat days), a pair of nice brown shoes, and a pair of Ecco hip blue shoes. Major score.
I also got two pillows. The pillows I have now suck...they SUCK. I hate them. The funny thing about one of them is that it used to be Deanna's and I'd always try to steal it to sleep on. I have it now. And it sucks. It is flimsy...I think feathers...and it sucks. I consider it a paper pillow. The other one I have I only used to put under the paper pillow because I need more...but this thing has become more like a rock. And it sucks. I was telling Deanna as we were looking for pillows that I should get a sharp and jagged one so I could have "scissors" to complete my trilogy of awful pillows. I got two and will be trying them out tonight. Wish me luck.
We found out what sketches we'll be doing. We were sent a running order and most of the scripts. Some of the sketches that we didn't have scripts for yet are ship specific...written for/on the boats. I can't wait to find out more about those. I think I had two or three sketches that I was really hoping we would do. #1 on the list is a song called White Guys, and IT IS IN! I get to do it. It was on the mainstage at Second City not too long ago, and one of the two guys who originally did it is our director. Double bonus.
So, we're excited to get crankin'. We can pick up our hard copies of the scripts tomorrow.
I may be leaving something out, but that is bound to happen.
1) it was just snowing outside. I'm glad I got to at least see snow before we leave for "Warm Winter". I like snows.
2) As much as I like christmas music...and I think I like it a lot...it started on the radio on 11/1. C'mon. 11/1? These DJs are going to kill themselves if they have to fake warm holiday goodness that long. Every year I listen to that station all season long. I can't bring myself to stick to it this year...too early. You really blew it, radio.
3) In other news... Deanna and I purchased snorkeling equipment among other things today. I also got a new suitcase more designed to accomodate a suit, but not a garment bag. It is bright orange. I dare myself to not find it in an airport. I also scored big time in the "clothes for tall people" department.
Awhile ago I went to DSW (Discount Shoe Warehouse) to look for shoes. It is usually pretty tough to find shoes there because pretty much every brand only fits me if it is a 14, and they generally cut off at 13. When I first moved here I went there with some people from CSz and happened to find a pair of Addidas cross trainers that were 14s. Perfect! So perfect that I've had them for at least three years...probably four. This year they were looking pretty ratty so I went to DSW to look. Nothin'. We decide to try again today while we're out and about. Deanna finds about 5 different 14s. She is a shoe whisperer. I ended up getting a very comfortable pair of black show shoes to replace my rockports (that I've had for close to, if not over 10 years...since my Swagat days), a pair of nice brown shoes, and a pair of Ecco hip blue shoes. Major score.
I also got two pillows. The pillows I have now suck...they SUCK. I hate them. The funny thing about one of them is that it used to be Deanna's and I'd always try to steal it to sleep on. I have it now. And it sucks. It is flimsy...I think feathers...and it sucks. I consider it a paper pillow. The other one I have I only used to put under the paper pillow because I need more...but this thing has become more like a rock. And it sucks. I was telling Deanna as we were looking for pillows that I should get a sharp and jagged one so I could have "scissors" to complete my trilogy of awful pillows. I got two and will be trying them out tonight. Wish me luck.
We found out what sketches we'll be doing. We were sent a running order and most of the scripts. Some of the sketches that we didn't have scripts for yet are ship specific...written for/on the boats. I can't wait to find out more about those. I think I had two or three sketches that I was really hoping we would do. #1 on the list is a song called White Guys, and IT IS IN! I get to do it. It was on the mainstage at Second City not too long ago, and one of the two guys who originally did it is our director. Double bonus.
So, we're excited to get crankin'. We can pick up our hard copies of the scripts tomorrow.
I may be leaving something out, but that is bound to happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
