This is the last sea day of the crossing. Nothing but ports from here on out. Ric and I lead a workshop today that was interesting. Well, it was our normal workshop, but the people in it were much more interested in performing or seeing us perform. When we got to our Q&A at the end the questions were along the lines of “Do a scene for us!” to which we replied that we would be doing a show later on in the cruise. Then “Okay. I’ll give you a suggestion and you two make up a song about it.” I felt like Gui (for those who get that).
Later on we did a fun Liar’s Club. Josh did it for the first time and the stories he made up to lead into the definitions were full of opportunities for side commentary. I don’t know if he found that fun, but it was fun for the rest of us. I was pretty tired from not catching up on sleep and there was a juggler on board that I was thinking of going to check out. At the last minute Deanna and I decided to go. Not going to it would have been the worst thing ever because it was The Skinny German Juggling Boy, Hilde.
I remember someone telling me about him before…Jen or Ben or someone. He was hilarious. His juggling was good, but his constant interaction with the audience and overly cheesy jokes were what got me. If I was still reffing at Csz I would have a ton of new bits. If you see me in person remind me to tell you about “the hand is quicker than the eye”, the magic disappearing cracker, and how to deal with a leaving audience member.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
4/27/09: Day 184: Malaga, Spain
Crew tour TWO! Near Malaga there are caves in Nerja. The caves have the world’s largest stalactites and stalagmites. Sure, big deal, right? The award winners were 32 meter’s long. There was a huge section of the cave where this massive pillar supported the whole thing. The other amazing thing was learning that it takes 100 years for a stalactite to grow one centimeter. So…these things were old.
The similarity between the two crew tours is that 5 children discovered the caves (in 1959). It was such a find that the kids were awarded $3000 each. There was also a lot of evidence that primitive man lived in these caves. They are also deep enough that their temperature is constant at around 70 degrees regardless of winter or summer.
We got back in time to hit up the city, but Deanna and I were both on little sleep so we headed back to the ship for nap time!
The similarity between the two crew tours is that 5 children discovered the caves (in 1959). It was such a find that the kids were awarded $3000 each. There was also a lot of evidence that primitive man lived in these caves. They are also deep enough that their temperature is constant at around 70 degrees regardless of winter or summer.
We got back in time to hit up the city, but Deanna and I were both on little sleep so we headed back to the ship for nap time!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
4/26/09: Day 183: Cadiz, Spain
Cadiz is another place I haven’t been yet, so I was all set to just get out and walk around. Luckily they have walking tours with painted lines on the sidewalks to guide you through.
Deanna and I went to a Watch Tower and climbed to the top for the view. It reminded me of the video game Assassin’s Creed. Mostly because from up there you could see all the roof tops, AND they have a lot of towers. Part of the ticket price to get in included a tour via camera obscura. Sort of like a telescope, it lets light in through lenses and a mirror which gets focused on a big white dish in a dark room. By lifting or lower the dish the guide could focus on certain things near or far.
We also checked out an old Cathedral. Near this cathedral was a bar called MamaJuana that was hopping. Deanna and I had coffee at an outdoor café right near there. We saw a lot of crew, a homeless guy swearing at his clothes, and a guy tried to sell me a dog.
Deanna and I went to a Watch Tower and climbed to the top for the view. It reminded me of the video game Assassin’s Creed. Mostly because from up there you could see all the roof tops, AND they have a lot of towers. Part of the ticket price to get in included a tour via camera obscura. Sort of like a telescope, it lets light in through lenses and a mirror which gets focused on a big white dish in a dark room. By lifting or lower the dish the guide could focus on certain things near or far.
We also checked out an old Cathedral. Near this cathedral was a bar called MamaJuana that was hopping. Deanna and I had coffee at an outdoor café right near there. We saw a lot of crew, a homeless guy swearing at his clothes, and a guy tried to sell me a dog.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
4/25/09: Day 182: Lisbon, Portugal
There was a crew excursion today and I signed Deanna and I up for it. Instead of going into Lisbon we went to Fatima! I had no idea what was in Fatima, but Deanna is always hinting for me to plan things so I planned going on this.
It turns out that Fatima has a basilica larger than St. Peter’s square in the Vatican. It also turns out that Catholics are…well…crazy. No offense, but some of the things that were going on here…crazy. Let me start at the beginning.
Fatima. In 1910 three young shepherds (two girls and a boy. 10, 9, and 7) saw lightning and headed for home. Then there was another flash an in its place was a bright white lady holding a rosary…so, not necessarily the Virgin Mary, but “the Lady of the Rosary”. She told them to be good and stuff and said she would be back on the 13th day of the next few months. Supposedly 70,000 people were there the final time this happened.
In the place where they first saw the lady there is a small chapel. It is part of the larger basilica. The whole town is pretty much based around the church and the income from the 5 million visitors per year.
Not crazy enough? Let us dig deeper. There are all sorts of shops in town. Almost ALL of them sell a wide variety of statues of The Lady and the kids who found her…as well as toys for kids, and weirdest of all, candles.
What is weird about candles? The ones that are in the shapes of body parts that are taken to be burnt like offerings or something. And when I say body parts I mean we saw, arms, feet, legs, intestines, breasts, heads, children, kidneys, etc. Apparently they are burnt in this big fire pit area where you can also light candles. Burnt when you pray for something to get healed and it does…I guess.
Not weird enough? There is also a long sidewalk within the basilica that leads down a slope to the small chapel. There were several people traversing the 80-100 yards on this walk…on their knees. One lady was lying on the ground inching herself forward using only her feet.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something too. It was an interesting experience on multiple levels. Oh, of the three kids that saw this, two died within 3 years and the other lived a long time and became a nun, or she might even still be alive.
It was also raining a lot of the time. AND I shipped all my warm clothes home so I’m relying on the same three layers every time the temp drops.
It turns out that Fatima has a basilica larger than St. Peter’s square in the Vatican. It also turns out that Catholics are…well…crazy. No offense, but some of the things that were going on here…crazy. Let me start at the beginning.
Fatima. In 1910 three young shepherds (two girls and a boy. 10, 9, and 7) saw lightning and headed for home. Then there was another flash an in its place was a bright white lady holding a rosary…so, not necessarily the Virgin Mary, but “the Lady of the Rosary”. She told them to be good and stuff and said she would be back on the 13th day of the next few months. Supposedly 70,000 people were there the final time this happened.
In the place where they first saw the lady there is a small chapel. It is part of the larger basilica. The whole town is pretty much based around the church and the income from the 5 million visitors per year.
Not crazy enough? Let us dig deeper. There are all sorts of shops in town. Almost ALL of them sell a wide variety of statues of The Lady and the kids who found her…as well as toys for kids, and weirdest of all, candles.
What is weird about candles? The ones that are in the shapes of body parts that are taken to be burnt like offerings or something. And when I say body parts I mean we saw, arms, feet, legs, intestines, breasts, heads, children, kidneys, etc. Apparently they are burnt in this big fire pit area where you can also light candles. Burnt when you pray for something to get healed and it does…I guess.
Not weird enough? There is also a long sidewalk within the basilica that leads down a slope to the small chapel. There were several people traversing the 80-100 yards on this walk…on their knees. One lady was lying on the ground inching herself forward using only her feet.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something too. It was an interesting experience on multiple levels. Oh, of the three kids that saw this, two died within 3 years and the other lived a long time and became a nun, or she might even still be alive.
It was also raining a lot of the time. AND I shipped all my warm clothes home so I’m relying on the same three layers every time the temp drops.
Friday, April 24, 2009
4/24/09: Day 181: Sea Day 5
See those? Are they yours? There are really two people they could belong to…three if you count Ben Johnson, but I doubt they are his. This is the second ship I have been on where I randomly find undergarments behind drawers. On the Jewel our bottom drawer wouldn’t close all the way. I reached behind it and found a nighty, some pj bottoms, and some panties. I contacted the possible owners and returned them to Katie.
These little gems can only be Jen’s or Allison’s. I’m leaning towards Allison. Deanna took a picture of me in one of them for me to email Allison, but I thought “all I need is that floating around the internet.” It is dead and gone.
I got to the gym for the first time in about a week. I wasn’t taking any pills or drinking my shake, and it had been about 3 hours since I ate so I got tired pretty quick.
Later tonight we’re hosting or co-hosting a crew party. We were FINALLY going to do a crew show tomorrow night, but that mean making sure there is booze available to the crew. THEN we found out there was going to be a crew party the night before. Never follow a party with a party. So, we jumped on board with the party. I think it is the first one Second City has done while I’ve been on. Every party usually has a theme, usually involving dressing a certain way. Previous themes I can remember: 80’s, Camouflage, White Christmas, Black & White, Green, and Brett’s favorite…the Stop Light Party. For the Stop Light Party you wear Red if you’re dating someone, Yellow if you’re single but not looking, and Green if you’re single and looking. It usually ends up with a few people wearing red and everyone else just showing up for the free drinks.
Maria submitted a joke theme of Drink & Dance and they took it. So, we’re hosting the Drink and Dance party. More on that tomorrow.
These little gems can only be Jen’s or Allison’s. I’m leaning towards Allison. Deanna took a picture of me in one of them for me to email Allison, but I thought “all I need is that floating around the internet.” It is dead and gone.
I got to the gym for the first time in about a week. I wasn’t taking any pills or drinking my shake, and it had been about 3 hours since I ate so I got tired pretty quick.
Later tonight we’re hosting or co-hosting a crew party. We were FINALLY going to do a crew show tomorrow night, but that mean making sure there is booze available to the crew. THEN we found out there was going to be a crew party the night before. Never follow a party with a party. So, we jumped on board with the party. I think it is the first one Second City has done while I’ve been on. Every party usually has a theme, usually involving dressing a certain way. Previous themes I can remember: 80’s, Camouflage, White Christmas, Black & White, Green, and Brett’s favorite…the Stop Light Party. For the Stop Light Party you wear Red if you’re dating someone, Yellow if you’re single but not looking, and Green if you’re single and looking. It usually ends up with a few people wearing red and everyone else just showing up for the free drinks.
Maria submitted a joke theme of Drink & Dance and they took it. So, we’re hosting the Drink and Dance party. More on that tomorrow.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
4/23/09: Day 180: Azores, Portugal
Land! We arrived in the Azores today for our first official return to Europe…other than hearing The Final Countdown in an Arrested Development episode a couple days ago.
I’ve been learning Italian pretty hardcore, picking up a little Spanish, and putting French in Deanna’s hands since she took it in school. Well, guess which country speaks Portuguese? Luckily Deanna and I were hanging out with Cherry and Serena and Serena knows Portuguese. As we first got of the ship we weren’t sure where the main part of town was. We decided to take a cab to the center of town and if it wasn’t far we would walk back. Serena, our interpreter, went out on her first task to ask the cab driver how far away town was…I believe her exact phrasing, and I may be off on the accent, was “How far away is town?” I didn’t translate that…that was what she said. I think the only Portuguese she ended up really saying was when a passenger asked the worker in the shop where the bathroom was, and he didn’t understand.
It was a nice little town and an easy day. The one hour time changes everyday are really starting to punch us in the face. I came back and fell a sleep for two hours.
Tonight was another new act. Moscow Magic. Stacey the pianist was raving about them saying they were great. They were. They had a lot less big tricks and more slight of hand. I don’t know if they are just on for this cruise but I would see them again easily.
Tomorrow is another sea day.
Oh, Jane and JJ left today too. Boo. We got to know them really well this time around. The nice thing is that we know for sure they will be back for our last two weeks so we’ll see them again!
I’ve been learning Italian pretty hardcore, picking up a little Spanish, and putting French in Deanna’s hands since she took it in school. Well, guess which country speaks Portuguese? Luckily Deanna and I were hanging out with Cherry and Serena and Serena knows Portuguese. As we first got of the ship we weren’t sure where the main part of town was. We decided to take a cab to the center of town and if it wasn’t far we would walk back. Serena, our interpreter, went out on her first task to ask the cab driver how far away town was…I believe her exact phrasing, and I may be off on the accent, was “How far away is town?” I didn’t translate that…that was what she said. I think the only Portuguese she ended up really saying was when a passenger asked the worker in the shop where the bathroom was, and he didn’t understand.
It was a nice little town and an easy day. The one hour time changes everyday are really starting to punch us in the face. I came back and fell a sleep for two hours.
Tonight was another new act. Moscow Magic. Stacey the pianist was raving about them saying they were great. They were. They had a lot less big tricks and more slight of hand. I don’t know if they are just on for this cruise but I would see them again easily.
Tomorrow is another sea day.
Oh, Jane and JJ left today too. Boo. We got to know them really well this time around. The nice thing is that we know for sure they will be back for our last two weeks so we’ll see them again!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
4/22/09: Day 179: Sea Day 4
Well, my partner and I didn’t advance in the bowling contest, but we made it interesting in the 10th frame again. All they had to get to beat us was 5 pins. They narrowed that to two pins with one ball left to throw, but it took them three throws to do it. They hit 8 pins with the last ball.
Having the bowling tournament at 2:00 every day has made the crossing fly by. It helps having something to do every day.
Tomorrow we’ll be in the Azores at 9:00am. So keep an eye out for that!
Having the bowling tournament at 2:00 every day has made the crossing fly by. It helps having something to do every day.
Tomorrow we’ll be in the Azores at 9:00am. So keep an eye out for that!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
4/21/09: Day 178: Sea Day 3
Still sick.
I wish there was a neti-pot for lungs. At some point before we did the crossing I bought Day-Quil and Nyquil. It was a recommendation based on not knowing if they would have those brands over in Europe. I just didn’t think I would use them ON the crossing. I have one more dose of Day-Quil left.
Yesterday, for no real reason, I woke up around 8:00am and stayed up. This is a good thing since we will be setting our clocks ahead one hour every day for six days in a row. So, it was really like I woke up at 1:00pm.
Also yesterday was Bowling with the Stars! We did this on the last crossing and I think Larrance won. I think last time it started at 16 teams of 2 and the 8 highest scores moved on. This time it was a bracket system. My partner and I took on Cletus and his partner ( who asked Cletus at the start “how do I hold the ball?”). Cletus and I were about even, but he was doing a little better. Those who know my bowling will understand the next part. Around frame 6 I decided to put away the normal style and break out the 7-pound spin. Last time I attempted this patented throw was with Brett and Ryan. They must have just oiled the lanes because the spin did nothing. This time I caught way too much spin…every time. Now, my normal tactic is to do a good job, but ease off just enough to not win, thus freeing me from coming back to bowl the next day. The bowling happens right in my prime gym time. But, I’m sick and haven’t been working out. I think in frame 9 I went back to bowling “normal” and got a spare. In frame 10 I got two strikes. With our combined score the other team needed 18 points to win. Cletus, who had been on a streak of spares…blew it on his first throw. He knocked down four random pins and didn’t have a good chance of a spare. Throw two, four pins. His partner, who had asked who to play the game, needed a spare and one point more to win. Double gutterballs. So, today at 2:00 I continue on.
I wish there was a neti-pot for lungs. At some point before we did the crossing I bought Day-Quil and Nyquil. It was a recommendation based on not knowing if they would have those brands over in Europe. I just didn’t think I would use them ON the crossing. I have one more dose of Day-Quil left.
Yesterday, for no real reason, I woke up around 8:00am and stayed up. This is a good thing since we will be setting our clocks ahead one hour every day for six days in a row. So, it was really like I woke up at 1:00pm.
Also yesterday was Bowling with the Stars! We did this on the last crossing and I think Larrance won. I think last time it started at 16 teams of 2 and the 8 highest scores moved on. This time it was a bracket system. My partner and I took on Cletus and his partner ( who asked Cletus at the start “how do I hold the ball?”). Cletus and I were about even, but he was doing a little better. Those who know my bowling will understand the next part. Around frame 6 I decided to put away the normal style and break out the 7-pound spin. Last time I attempted this patented throw was with Brett and Ryan. They must have just oiled the lanes because the spin did nothing. This time I caught way too much spin…every time. Now, my normal tactic is to do a good job, but ease off just enough to not win, thus freeing me from coming back to bowl the next day. The bowling happens right in my prime gym time. But, I’m sick and haven’t been working out. I think in frame 9 I went back to bowling “normal” and got a spare. In frame 10 I got two strikes. With our combined score the other team needed 18 points to win. Cletus, who had been on a streak of spares…blew it on his first throw. He knocked down four random pins and didn’t have a good chance of a spare. Throw two, four pins. His partner, who had asked who to play the game, needed a spare and one point more to win. Double gutterballs. So, today at 2:00 I continue on.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
4/19/09: Day 176: Sea Day 1
Today is the first full sea day. On the day of our last stage show (last Monday) there was a weird mildewy tinge to the air backstage. About 3 days ago I started getting a little bit of a cough. Today it is full blown. Not bad if you think about it. I’ve been sick maybe three times since October, and some of our current cast have been sick that many times already.
The magicians are gone, so things are a little quieter from next door. Currently we have comedian Bill Hildebrandt back on board for the first part of the crossing at least. They usually have people on for the first part and then replace them with more permanent entertainment mid-crossing. I know at least that we’ll be losing Jane Powell and JJ on the first port day, but we know they’ll be back at least for our last two weeks of the contract.
Three more sea days until a port. Our first show isn’t until Saturday. Plenty of time to not be sick anymore.
The magicians are gone, so things are a little quieter from next door. Currently we have comedian Bill Hildebrandt back on board for the first part of the crossing at least. They usually have people on for the first part and then replace them with more permanent entertainment mid-crossing. I know at least that we’ll be losing Jane Powell and JJ on the first port day, but we know they’ll be back at least for our last two weeks of the contract.
Three more sea days until a port. Our first show isn’t until Saturday. Plenty of time to not be sick anymore.
Friday, April 17, 2009
4/17/09: Day 174: Sea Day
Whoa…last night was ROCKY. Easily the rockiest it has been so far. Pair that with my cough that I recently got and you’ve got yourself some prime non-sleep.
Tomorrow is our final day in New York, and in the USA for that matter. I think we have four sea days before our first port. So, I’ll probably (or, in Italian, probabile) be in the gym a lot…hopefully.
There are a couple of guys in the buffet who I may have mentioned before. They are the greeters. As people are walking in for breakfast they are both saying “Goood MORNinnnng! Happy happy! Enjoy your breakfast!” It is too the point where every time we play blindline we get the suggestion “Good Morning.” Today, instead of saying “Happy happy!” they would say “Rocky rocky!” because of the weather and waves.
I guess after the last show tonight (I wasn’t there, but Deanna was) the cruise director was making his end of show announcements and found a surprise way to introduce some special guests. Those two guys came out from the sides saying “Goooood MORNinnnng!” and the whole place went nuts and got up on their feet. Deanna said after the show there was a huge line of people waiting to get their pictures taken with the guys. They are rockstars for simply saying good morning and being peppy. I hope this wasn’t their last cruise.
Tomorrow is our final day in New York, and in the USA for that matter. I think we have four sea days before our first port. So, I’ll probably (or, in Italian, probabile) be in the gym a lot…hopefully.
There are a couple of guys in the buffet who I may have mentioned before. They are the greeters. As people are walking in for breakfast they are both saying “Goood MORNinnnng! Happy happy! Enjoy your breakfast!” It is too the point where every time we play blindline we get the suggestion “Good Morning.” Today, instead of saying “Happy happy!” they would say “Rocky rocky!” because of the weather and waves.
I guess after the last show tonight (I wasn’t there, but Deanna was) the cruise director was making his end of show announcements and found a surprise way to introduce some special guests. Those two guys came out from the sides saying “Goooood MORNinnnng!” and the whole place went nuts and got up on their feet. Deanna said after the show there was a huge line of people waiting to get their pictures taken with the guys. They are rockstars for simply saying good morning and being peppy. I hope this wasn’t their last cruise.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
4/14/09: Day 171: Great Stirrup Cay
Technically we’re just about an hour into the 15th. Tax day. Got your taxes in?
Normally we leave the private island around 6:00pm and slowly loop around the water until we head for Nassau and get there at 8:00am. We’re super close, we just don’t need to be there until 8:00am. Well, tonight we heard something that is not good to hear on any day. In the crew hallway we barely heard the medical alert code being called. This can be for anything that requires further medical assistance/training than what the surrounding staff have been trained for. So, from hard falls to heart attacks.
About a minute later they made the medical alert call in the actual crew cabins. They never do this. This pretty much means “…and it’s serious.” The good news is we’re pretty sure no one died. We’re sure of this because we heard the steering motor sounds come on and checked the map on channel 22. We did one tiny loop in the water and made a bee-line for Nassau. We are now backing into the port and there is an ambulance waiting at the port. They live…they need help before 8:00am. I hope they end up being okay.
In other news, today is Deanna and I…my?..mine’s?...it’s our 9th anniversary! And the first one on a ship. For a secret present I am taking her to Europe.
Normally we leave the private island around 6:00pm and slowly loop around the water until we head for Nassau and get there at 8:00am. We’re super close, we just don’t need to be there until 8:00am. Well, tonight we heard something that is not good to hear on any day. In the crew hallway we barely heard the medical alert code being called. This can be for anything that requires further medical assistance/training than what the surrounding staff have been trained for. So, from hard falls to heart attacks.
About a minute later they made the medical alert call in the actual crew cabins. They never do this. This pretty much means “…and it’s serious.” The good news is we’re pretty sure no one died. We’re sure of this because we heard the steering motor sounds come on and checked the map on channel 22. We did one tiny loop in the water and made a bee-line for Nassau. We are now backing into the port and there is an ambulance waiting at the port. They live…they need help before 8:00am. I hope they end up being okay.
In other news, today is Deanna and I…my?..mine’s?...it’s our 9th anniversary! And the first one on a ship. For a secret present I am taking her to Europe.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
4/12/09: Day 169: Sea Day
Another set of “lasts” is upon us. This is our last Florida/Bahamas cruise before we head back to Europe. So, we’ll have one more sea day before we have a LOT of sea days for the crossing.
On the last sea day, so two days ago, I went to breakfast right around 11:00 and saw a water spout. Which is like a mini-tornado at sea. A very narrow cone that went all the way down from the sky to about 20 feet above the water, but you could see a mist at the base of the water that let you know it was touching. Pretty cool. This was the day that all those tornadoes hit on land.
I also switched webhosts to more updated one, but I did it wrong. So, my email and website were dead for the past two days. They should be working now. It will be a couple more days until it actually transfers over to my new server. Getting it all sorted out meant burning serious minutes on my internet card. Day two of this cruise and I have less than an hour left on my card.
Poo.
On the last sea day, so two days ago, I went to breakfast right around 11:00 and saw a water spout. Which is like a mini-tornado at sea. A very narrow cone that went all the way down from the sky to about 20 feet above the water, but you could see a mist at the base of the water that let you know it was touching. Pretty cool. This was the day that all those tornadoes hit on land.
I also switched webhosts to more updated one, but I did it wrong. So, my email and website were dead for the past two days. They should be working now. It will be a couple more days until it actually transfers over to my new server. Getting it all sorted out meant burning serious minutes on my internet card. Day two of this cruise and I have less than an hour left on my card.
Poo.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
4/9/09: Day 166: Freeport
As you may have noticed, I added google ads to my blog. So, if all 10 of you click links every time you read, and I update frequently I’ll probably receive some money in 5 years or so. The fun thing is that it picks ads based on what is in the blog. Here is a test: I had a boss at CMD in Portland who was an Abraham Lincoln impersonator on the side. True story. If you don’t believe me check Ripley’s Believe it or Not. End test…oh wait: Tron.
Our Freeport stop is always brief. My typical morning on any day is waking up naturally around 10am and fake sleeping until 10:45 so I can hustle up and get an omelet before the breakfast buffet closes. Deanna is typically still in bed and now that she bought a shiny new iPod iTouch by Apple (another small test) she will play some games for awhile once she actually wakes up.
Today I woke up around 10:45. Deanna wasn’t next to me, she wasn’t in the office chair, and she wasn’t on the couch. She also wasn’t in the bathroom, yet I swore I just heard her moving around. Then I heard “Rance, close the curtains! There is a man outside the window!” On Freeport day the port is on our side of the ship and level with our window. Did I mention I heard Deanna’s voice coming from the floor? She had dropped to the ground and that sound was what probably woke me up.
In other news, Jet Li’s Tai Chi Master was on the crew channel today. Want to really warp your mind? Rent this movie. It is in Chinese originally, so set it to English Lanugage. AND…turn on the subtitles. That is how it was set up. Guess what? The dubbed English and the subtitles matched about 3% of the time. T’was bizarre.
Our Freeport stop is always brief. My typical morning on any day is waking up naturally around 10am and fake sleeping until 10:45 so I can hustle up and get an omelet before the breakfast buffet closes. Deanna is typically still in bed and now that she bought a shiny new iPod iTouch by Apple (another small test) she will play some games for awhile once she actually wakes up.
Today I woke up around 10:45. Deanna wasn’t next to me, she wasn’t in the office chair, and she wasn’t on the couch. She also wasn’t in the bathroom, yet I swore I just heard her moving around. Then I heard “Rance, close the curtains! There is a man outside the window!” On Freeport day the port is on our side of the ship and level with our window. Did I mention I heard Deanna’s voice coming from the floor? She had dropped to the ground and that sound was what probably woke me up.
In other news, Jet Li’s Tai Chi Master was on the crew channel today. Want to really warp your mind? Rent this movie. It is in Chinese originally, so set it to English Lanugage. AND…turn on the subtitles. That is how it was set up. Guess what? The dubbed English and the subtitles matched about 3% of the time. T’was bizarre.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
4/7/09: Day 164: GSC…or IS it?!
These are the last couple of weeks before we go to Europe again so it is all blending together and blanding together.
However…today the weather was too wavy so instead of going to Great Stirrup Cay we went straight to Nassau. We didn’t get there until 7:00pm, and we’re normally there until midnight on our normal days, but we didn’t have a show today so we were actually out at night!
Deanna and I went out to eat Indian food with Cherry and a couple others. It was a little bit of a walk. The reason I write is because on the was back a guy in an SUV with the music blaring pulled up next to us and said “You need a ride?!” to the other couple we were with. To which they said “no.” He turned down the music and said “What? I didn’t hear you! I didn’t hear what you said. Do you need a ride?” All the while driving right along side of us as we walked on the sidewalk.
Now, IF we needed a ride and had said “yes” while he was blaring his music do you think we would have kept on walking straight ahead? Perhaps confused on how to actually seal the deal on a cab ride? How do we get in this thing?! I DON’T KNOW!!! IF WE JUST KEEP WALKING HE’LL PULL IN FRONT AND SCOOP US UP!
Idiot.
However…today the weather was too wavy so instead of going to Great Stirrup Cay we went straight to Nassau. We didn’t get there until 7:00pm, and we’re normally there until midnight on our normal days, but we didn’t have a show today so we were actually out at night!
Deanna and I went out to eat Indian food with Cherry and a couple others. It was a little bit of a walk. The reason I write is because on the was back a guy in an SUV with the music blaring pulled up next to us and said “You need a ride?!” to the other couple we were with. To which they said “no.” He turned down the music and said “What? I didn’t hear you! I didn’t hear what you said. Do you need a ride?” All the while driving right along side of us as we walked on the sidewalk.
Now, IF we needed a ride and had said “yes” while he was blaring his music do you think we would have kept on walking straight ahead? Perhaps confused on how to actually seal the deal on a cab ride? How do we get in this thing?! I DON’T KNOW!!! IF WE JUST KEEP WALKING HE’LL PULL IN FRONT AND SCOOP US UP!
Idiot.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
April Fool's Day
I didn't really try any good jokes, but here is one that happened to our friend and ex-castmate Brett.
http://jeffgriggs.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-fools-joke.html
http://jeffgriggs.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-fools-joke.html
Monday, March 30, 2009
3/30/09: Day 156: Port Canaveral
Just a couple of random thoughts.
I saw Monsters Vs Aliens in 3D today at the mall. I liked it. It wasn’t the best, but it had moments that made me laugh…AND…3D!
Today after our show Deanna and I went to blue lagoon. It is Monday, March 30th. The band was playing some jazzy/bluesy version of The First Noel. I can’t figure out why. Close to easter? Good enough for Christmas songs?
One fun thing about being friends with actors is getting to not miss them while at sea. “What are you talking about, Rance??” I get to see friends in commercials and other stuff. Last year it was mostly Molly and TJ in Sonic commercials, and there have been some of those this year. We’ve also had the added bonus of seeing Molly in a Cheerios commercial, Sayjal and Katie in a Sonic commercial, Thomas in a preview for his upcoming movie (Splinterheads, I think) and in a Netflix commercial…but best of all was Joey in the news on Headline News AND CNN. He plays Rod Blagojevic (I’m not spelling that right) in a play produced by Second City. Well, Rod recently hosted a radio show for a morning and had Joey on for an interview. Because of the news following Illinois’ ex-governor on that day, Joey was on major networks! Well done, all.
Lastly, the only decent thing to watch late at night seems to be Cartoon Network. That being said, the very late night stuff is gear specifically towards pot smokers in that none of it really makes sense. Ridiculous and dumb…yet better than anything on the other channels.
I saw Monsters Vs Aliens in 3D today at the mall. I liked it. It wasn’t the best, but it had moments that made me laugh…AND…3D!
Today after our show Deanna and I went to blue lagoon. It is Monday, March 30th. The band was playing some jazzy/bluesy version of The First Noel. I can’t figure out why. Close to easter? Good enough for Christmas songs?
One fun thing about being friends with actors is getting to not miss them while at sea. “What are you talking about, Rance??” I get to see friends in commercials and other stuff. Last year it was mostly Molly and TJ in Sonic commercials, and there have been some of those this year. We’ve also had the added bonus of seeing Molly in a Cheerios commercial, Sayjal and Katie in a Sonic commercial, Thomas in a preview for his upcoming movie (Splinterheads, I think) and in a Netflix commercial…but best of all was Joey in the news on Headline News AND CNN. He plays Rod Blagojevic (I’m not spelling that right) in a play produced by Second City. Well, Rod recently hosted a radio show for a morning and had Joey on for an interview. Because of the news following Illinois’ ex-governor on that day, Joey was on major networks! Well done, all.
Lastly, the only decent thing to watch late at night seems to be Cartoon Network. That being said, the very late night stuff is gear specifically towards pot smokers in that none of it really makes sense. Ridiculous and dumb…yet better than anything on the other channels.
Friday, March 27, 2009
3/27/09: Day 153: Sea Day
Well…I guess it has been a week. Not really much to write about here. I just thought to myself “Hey, it has been awhile since I have written anything.”
I downloaded some old PC games and a DOS emulator recently and have been playing Bard’s Tale 1. I remember playing it when I was a kid. It has been a good time killer.
Other than that I have been playing around with my flash. I’m wayyyy more of a natural light photographer. If I can’t do natural light I prefer my strobes. I just never liked an on camera flash. Something about using it clicked in my brain recently and I’ve been playing around with angles and other variables. Once I apply these angles to something more than tests I’ll post a photo or two.
I’m watching CNN. It is all coverage of the flooding in Fargo mostly, but there was a little tid bit where some country blamed people with white skin and blue eyes for the economic downfall. So…sorry about that y’all. My bad.
I downloaded some old PC games and a DOS emulator recently and have been playing Bard’s Tale 1. I remember playing it when I was a kid. It has been a good time killer.
Other than that I have been playing around with my flash. I’m wayyyy more of a natural light photographer. If I can’t do natural light I prefer my strobes. I just never liked an on camera flash. Something about using it clicked in my brain recently and I’ve been playing around with angles and other variables. Once I apply these angles to something more than tests I’ll post a photo or two.
I’m watching CNN. It is all coverage of the flooding in Fargo mostly, but there was a little tid bit where some country blamed people with white skin and blue eyes for the economic downfall. So…sorry about that y’all. My bad.
Friday, March 20, 2009
3/20/09: Day 146: Sea Day
We’re on our way back to New York. Can you believe we only have less than a month until we go back to Europe? Well, you should…because it is true.
Today I am inspired to write because of the crew channels. All of the crew cabins get an extra 3 channels that usually show movies and TV series repeated for the whole day. Recently the person in charge of scheduling these changed and we lost some variety. For instance, it used to be that one of the movie channels might have an action movie and the other would have comedy or drama. So, different genres going on. Keep that in mind.
First: Hell’s Kitchen. We watched the finale of season 1 of Hell’s Kitchen today. The person I thought would win was the winner. This is a great show and apparently on season 5 in the real world. It is mostly good because of chef Gordon Ramsey who puts up with nothing in his kitchen and always bitches out everyone during service. It is unedited on the DVD version, but we’re curious how it was aired on any TV station…there would have been a lot of beeps.
Now…the movie debacles. Yesterday started the new regime of “same-genre-day” or so it seems. Yesterday our two movie choices were Beverly Hills Chihuahua (which is an awful piece of crap movie…if you like this movie you also probably like wearing dog crap as jewelry and makeup) and Madagascar 2: Back 2 Africa (an animated movie with a slew of celebrity voices). Both very similar in that they both have talking animals and are gear towards kids. I actually liked Madagascar 2…it had some funny bits all throughout the movie.
Today? Well our two movie choices today are a Baliwood film about two guys in Miami who pretend they are gay to get a good apartment in a “women only” building (modern Bosom Buddies), and Mama Mia. The Baliwood movie is slightly less musical, but equally in the realm of “chick movie.”
Hopefully we’ll get some diversity back.
It is pretty rocky today. Jen and Larrance sometimes said they were required to close their porthole. If you’re reading: how did you know when it was rough enough to close it?
Today I am inspired to write because of the crew channels. All of the crew cabins get an extra 3 channels that usually show movies and TV series repeated for the whole day. Recently the person in charge of scheduling these changed and we lost some variety. For instance, it used to be that one of the movie channels might have an action movie and the other would have comedy or drama. So, different genres going on. Keep that in mind.
First: Hell’s Kitchen. We watched the finale of season 1 of Hell’s Kitchen today. The person I thought would win was the winner. This is a great show and apparently on season 5 in the real world. It is mostly good because of chef Gordon Ramsey who puts up with nothing in his kitchen and always bitches out everyone during service. It is unedited on the DVD version, but we’re curious how it was aired on any TV station…there would have been a lot of beeps.
Now…the movie debacles. Yesterday started the new regime of “same-genre-day” or so it seems. Yesterday our two movie choices were Beverly Hills Chihuahua (which is an awful piece of crap movie…if you like this movie you also probably like wearing dog crap as jewelry and makeup) and Madagascar 2: Back 2 Africa (an animated movie with a slew of celebrity voices). Both very similar in that they both have talking animals and are gear towards kids. I actually liked Madagascar 2…it had some funny bits all throughout the movie.
Today? Well our two movie choices today are a Baliwood film about two guys in Miami who pretend they are gay to get a good apartment in a “women only” building (modern Bosom Buddies), and Mama Mia. The Baliwood movie is slightly less musical, but equally in the realm of “chick movie.”
Hopefully we’ll get some diversity back.
It is pretty rocky today. Jen and Larrance sometimes said they were required to close their porthole. If you’re reading: how did you know when it was rough enough to close it?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
3/18/09: Day 144: Nassau
One gross!
Really, I have no idea what new has been going on. I bought a nice little PC in Florida on Monday. It seems like we’re always looking for internet. My laptop is old (going on 5 years!) and heavy, low on space, and a little slow. Carrying it around usually means that I am in port strictly for internet. I say that because I am very unlikely to walk around town with the weight on my back.
Well, my new computer is about the sizes of a Harry Potter hardback, and I’m talking about book 1 or 2…not the thicker ones. Plus, it has 3G. I got it for $99 at Radioshack when I signed up for the AT&T 3G network. It will work great in New York, and FL, and where ever I am when we’re home. It will just be useless…as far as 3G is concerned…in Europe. BUT, it has wireless too. So…Win Win.
The only problem is that the 3G has a 5gig/month download limit and I already caught Deanna on it in Florida. RED HANDED!
Everything else is fine. I text dared some CSz folks the other day. I don’t know if I explained text daring before. We started this one day on a drive back from a remote. Unfortunately, it usually means that at least one person is clueless. Not that it is at that person’s expense…it just seems to them that everyone is behaving oddly/”like improvisers.”
I usually try to combine my dares so that the single dares are harder, For instance, one time Martin had a bag of M&Ms. I dared Tamara to steal the bag unnoticed. When she succeeded I dared Martin to constantly offer Josh M&Ms. Also I had dared Josh to only refer to Martin as “brutha.” Once I see those in effect I dare Tamara to sneak the M&Ms back unnoticed. So Martin is trying to find his M&Ms to offer them to Josh. Josh is saying stuff like “It is okay. I’m not hungry, brutha.” And Tamara is trying to distract Martin so she can put the M&Ms back.
In Florida I did the following (since I wasn’t sure who was around who), just to give you an idea of how my mind works:
Sam: Dare: Work “Order up! Ding ding!” in to 5 of your next 7 sentences
Tara: Dare: Yell “1, 2, 3, FART CONTEST!” and look like you’re trying really hard to win
Rich: Dare: Ask a stranger where the nearest 5 & Dime is. If they don’t know say “what’s the date…THE YEAR!?”
Martin: Dare: Turn around 180 degrees, point and exclaim “Pretty sneaky, Sis!” regardless of whether there is a person there or not.
Those are all pretty close to what I texted. Sam was the only one who dared back “Use something as a toothpick and comment to a stranger about how well it works.”
It’s more fun if you’re actually there to watch the dares.
Really, I have no idea what new has been going on. I bought a nice little PC in Florida on Monday. It seems like we’re always looking for internet. My laptop is old (going on 5 years!) and heavy, low on space, and a little slow. Carrying it around usually means that I am in port strictly for internet. I say that because I am very unlikely to walk around town with the weight on my back.
Well, my new computer is about the sizes of a Harry Potter hardback, and I’m talking about book 1 or 2…not the thicker ones. Plus, it has 3G. I got it for $99 at Radioshack when I signed up for the AT&T 3G network. It will work great in New York, and FL, and where ever I am when we’re home. It will just be useless…as far as 3G is concerned…in Europe. BUT, it has wireless too. So…Win Win.
The only problem is that the 3G has a 5gig/month download limit and I already caught Deanna on it in Florida. RED HANDED!
Everything else is fine. I text dared some CSz folks the other day. I don’t know if I explained text daring before. We started this one day on a drive back from a remote. Unfortunately, it usually means that at least one person is clueless. Not that it is at that person’s expense…it just seems to them that everyone is behaving oddly/”like improvisers.”
I usually try to combine my dares so that the single dares are harder, For instance, one time Martin had a bag of M&Ms. I dared Tamara to steal the bag unnoticed. When she succeeded I dared Martin to constantly offer Josh M&Ms. Also I had dared Josh to only refer to Martin as “brutha.” Once I see those in effect I dare Tamara to sneak the M&Ms back unnoticed. So Martin is trying to find his M&Ms to offer them to Josh. Josh is saying stuff like “It is okay. I’m not hungry, brutha.” And Tamara is trying to distract Martin so she can put the M&Ms back.
In Florida I did the following (since I wasn’t sure who was around who), just to give you an idea of how my mind works:
Sam: Dare: Work “Order up! Ding ding!” in to 5 of your next 7 sentences
Tara: Dare: Yell “1, 2, 3, FART CONTEST!” and look like you’re trying really hard to win
Rich: Dare: Ask a stranger where the nearest 5 & Dime is. If they don’t know say “what’s the date…THE YEAR!?”
Martin: Dare: Turn around 180 degrees, point and exclaim “Pretty sneaky, Sis!” regardless of whether there is a person there or not.
Those are all pretty close to what I texted. Sam was the only one who dared back “Use something as a toothpick and comment to a stranger about how well it works.”
It’s more fun if you’re actually there to watch the dares.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
3/12/09: Day 138: Freeport
Today we went to a crew safety drill that we probably didn’t need to go to. They have them every cruise, but we get excused from a majority. We go once a month. This time there was a confusing sign in the hall that said all supernumeraries were supposed to meet in the Spinnaker lounge at 9:50…but we didn’t get our usual sheet of paper delivered to our cabin with our names on the list. Regardless, we were there.
Like two weeks ago, they wanted us to be passengers…but this time they wanted us to act more like passengers. Instead of going to the sections he gave us we were told that we were supposed to ask crew where “G” was and see if they could assist us. Then the safety director said “Is there anyone here who is unable to walk?” in a loaded way. I said “Do you need someone who can’t walk?” To which he replied, “I think YOU can not walk.”
So, I had to wait. The alarm sounded and no one left the lounge. The safety leader for that section came in and told us all that we needed to go to our sections. I said I needed a wheel chair, and so did another guy. After awhile two teams of four collected us in wheel chairs and took us to safety. It was kind of fun. A nice little way to mix things up.
Later in the day we met for an improv rehearsal. It is way different preparing for improv now. Everyone is on way different pages since we don’t all have the common thread of ImprovAcadia. This week Ric is making the lineups and has picked some games that I love and some I’ve never heard of. Both are nice.
Seems like time is flying now. Before I know it April 18th will be here and we’ll be on our way back to Europe!
Like two weeks ago, they wanted us to be passengers…but this time they wanted us to act more like passengers. Instead of going to the sections he gave us we were told that we were supposed to ask crew where “G” was and see if they could assist us. Then the safety director said “Is there anyone here who is unable to walk?” in a loaded way. I said “Do you need someone who can’t walk?” To which he replied, “I think YOU can not walk.”
So, I had to wait. The alarm sounded and no one left the lounge. The safety leader for that section came in and told us all that we needed to go to our sections. I said I needed a wheel chair, and so did another guy. After awhile two teams of four collected us in wheel chairs and took us to safety. It was kind of fun. A nice little way to mix things up.
Later in the day we met for an improv rehearsal. It is way different preparing for improv now. Everyone is on way different pages since we don’t all have the common thread of ImprovAcadia. This week Ric is making the lineups and has picked some games that I love and some I’ve never heard of. Both are nice.
Seems like time is flying now. Before I know it April 18th will be here and we’ll be on our way back to Europe!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
