Chris' Waves to Broadway

Potato Soup a la Grab Bag....

2010-12-28T00:05:00.002-05:00

So I decided to try a little experiment. In a case of inspiration a la Alicia (my friend the gourmet) I decided to stop by the local bodega and pick up 2 cans of chicken stock to mix with the cup and a half or so of garlic mash (with sour cream) leftover from Christmas dinner. I didn't want to buy an onion and go through the whole process of chopping, and I didn’t want to get some bacon to mix in as well. That would involve way too much cooking. It might be better to do that next time. Instead I used the leftover black eyed peas (already flavored with bacon) and used onion powder. I mixed everything together and began to cook. There was some leftover pepper jack cheese too so I threw that in with the leftover garlic goat cheese. I just dumped it in and let it simmer. It started to smell sooooo good. Then I saw the leftover roasted potatoes and pumpkin wedges from the holiday brunch. They were already infused with rosemary, mustard seed and cayenne pepper. I dumped those in and let it cook until soft. Then I pureed everything and added milk. This was now a thick and hearty soup and I was tasting like crazy. It was so incredible. THEN I saw the feta sitting unopened in the fridge from the holiday party. Since no one used it on their salad (the only healthy thing besides the fruit that day) and I didn't know when we'd use it again, I just dumped it in. OMG!! Whoa! That kicked the flavor up a notch. It is soooo rich and hearty. Wow! I must say that I impressed myself this time. Like I said. This will have to be recreated and perfected. Then I will make a recipe of it. Right now it’s a little heavy on the feta and some of the flavors are a little off balance, but it is so delicious I keep tasting it. Nothing will be like the first time though. So much dairy. Oy! I’ve never had a potato soup that tasted like this. A group of us are going to have to have a taste test so I can get opinions. ;)

New York 'Tudes

2010-08-10T08:04:00.001-04:00

Wow. It has been 8 MONTHS since I wrote something. Right now what disturbs me about being in New York is the damn attitude that gets thrown around here. People who live here long enough get this attitude like the world revolves around them. Some are not afflicted with this disease. Most are because of the “dog eat dog” nature of the city and the amount of people here visiting. I see it more so since I’ve been working in the customer service side of things. I have been guilty in some cases, and so have my friends, but not to the level of temper tantrum sort of childlike behavior that these people are demonstrating. There are still social rules to follow no matter who you are or where you are from.

For instance; Timeliness. In my realm of work, if you are late, you are penalized. If I am late for work, I get a series of warnings that could lead to termination. If a customer is late for an appointment though, suddenly it’s a different story. In order for our system to work we only hold appointments for a certain amount of time. Just like in the work situation, if you are late after so long you are deemed absent. Yet I have heard all sorts of excuses. On some occasions the customer acknowledges they’re late and reschedules without much complaint other than their own self-bashing for how they arrived late. In other cases, which I have seen a lot of lately, they throw a fit. “But I am here!! I came all this way!! I demand!!” BULLSHIT! You are late! So what! Acknowledge your error and move on. If you are late, we are late. Then you complain even more. Blah blah blah blah. So you’re cancelled move on. Don’t demand from me. The world owes you nothing. I owe you nothing. Whatever. When I see a child throwing a fit and then getting appeased by candy or some other form of “reward” I just scoff at those parents. It’s those children who are going to grow up and continue their temper tantrums into adulthood. I actually had one instance where someone was more than 25 minutes late to an appointment just demand I get someone to help her right then and there. I almost laughed in her face, but just smiled and explained the situation. Then she wouldn’t let me talk because she wasn’t hearing the correct words in her head. I kept breathing and getting in moments when I could. The time was clicking by and eventually I was not giving her the answer she wanted to hear and asked for a manager. The manager gave her the same answer and eventually she rescheduled and went on her merry conceited little way. There are instances like this every day. I just don’t get it. If I were late, I just wouldn’t show up to such an appointment since there would be nothing that could be done except reschedule and that I could do on my own. Another instance of timeliness I saw was at the yoga studio where I practice. Class starts on time for a reason. There is a set series that work in succession and to interrupt would disrupt the peace and focus in the room. Yet people still manage to come late and expect to get in. WHAT!?! I overheard how one person even got in because he made a reservation, he was late, it was cancelled, and the room was full. Max to capacity. Yet he snuck by the sign in desk and went to class anyway. This causes all the other yogis to try and fit someone in that really cannot fit. Why do people do this and not know the repercussions of their actions? Ugh!

Rules in general are in place for a reason. I recently read an article in the paper about a Jet Blue employee who flew off the handle because a customer went for his bag before reaching the gate while the plane was in motion. COME ON!! I don’t blame him. He went up to the gentleman to ask him to return to his seat and wait for the plane to stop. The man mouthed off and told him to “fuck off” and the bag hit the steward on the head. The cabin steward then went nuts and told everyone to “fuck off” on the loudspeaker. Then he grabbed a beer and went down the emergency chute. Granted the employee went a bit too far, but I can see where he was coming from. What gave that man the right to think he was special above everyone else and just get his bag. The rule is there for a reason. Safety. What if there was an accident, a jolt, or anything that caused that man to fall and drop his bag on someone. People do not think. They are just in too much of a hurry to think. It’s just like when the subway pulls into the station and the idiots are lined up outside the doors to get in before you get off. I had to push some people out of my way the other day since they didn’t give me a clear path at all to get off. Usually people stand to the side to at least give a path. This time they just crowded. Come on people. Show some respect here.

These are just a few instances of New York madness. I’m sure it happens all over, but I think because of the density of the city I see it more frequent. My limits are being tested everyday. If I didn’t have my yoga, I would be in the same boat as the guy who just lost it on the plane.

Religion = Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot

2010-01-14T00:38:00.001-05:00

What has awaken me from my blogger sleep? Right-wing religious fanatics. I don’t understand it. I grew up in a time when religion meant community, fellowship and sharing a common belief to relate old stories and lessons to current situations. A feeling of good. Now religion is as dirty as the Las Vegas whores who patrol the streets getting anyone they can to buy their goods. I once learned in school that the government was formed to rule as a separate entity from the church. See, there was this big problem in history using mystical beliefs and stories passed from generations to rule lands based on an ethereal being and killing people for not having a unified belief. There needed to be some separation and based on what is happening today I don’t see it. I see religion now as a group of people clinging together to preach hatred and discrimination. White power. Arab rule. Sexism. Racism. Terrorism. That’s just to name a few hot topics that come up regularly in the press. What gives Norma Jean of Hillbilly, KY the right to tell me how to live my life based on her version of God? What if I believed in the Wiccan version of God and Goddess, which has NOTHING to do with her Christian values. Or what if I were Buddhist? She has no right to tell me I’m going to hell if I believe in rebirth. This is really getting sickening seeing how much Christianity and Mormonism in particular are influencing our government.

What am I really peeved about? Marriage. First of all, marriage should NOT be defined by our government at all for any 2 people regardless of the union. Marriage has many definitions based on the individual religious belief. The government should be formulating a law of Civil Union. If they (as in the government) are going to give tax breaks and special benefits to people who commit themselves together in monogamy over a period of time, it should be a license of Civil Union. Such license would give each partner the ability to act as each other’s security blanket in a crisis instead of calling on distant family members who may have been removed from the partnership for whatever reason and are now making claim because they are “family.” Two people who love each other should be considered “family” anyhow. Why do we deny these rights to particular individuals? At one point rights were denied to people of different races. Why?!?! They ARE human and they DO love each other. What is so wrong with the color of their skin?!?! Now we are denying same sex partnerships the right to a recognized family. Why? Once again. Dirty religion. Religion that has become commercialized and bastardized. Any God would be ashamed of Its people who shouted such absurdities in Its name. So the egotistic, racist, sexist and hypocritical bigots of our nation who would deny two humans the right to a loving bond who themselves abuse marriage can tell everyone else that marriage is this Holy sanctity that only certain individuals are allowed. If marriage is so sacred and precious, why do we have places in Vegas where you can get married like ordering at a McDonald’s? Our country is just so backwards anymore.

If we could just accept that when we decide to enter such a partnership that we get a license of Civil Union (no exceptions) our world would be a better place. Let the church decide if it will recognize the union as a “marriage” under their God. Let’s not define marriage in our judicial system at all and give that definition to the churches. That way those churches that want to be more exclusive and right-wing can have such a right to do so. After all we do live in a country where we have freedom of choice in religion. This way it is group-specific and not law. You can choose to belong to such a fellowship of people who don’t recognize your union under God or not, but they MUST recognize your union under the law. So if your doctor belongs to such a group, they can’t legally impose their beliefs on you and deny your partner rights as “family.” To do so would be injustice. They can however keep their precious “marriage” definition and say they do not believe in your union under their God. You can then acknowledge their belief and express your own under your God. Both parties can then agree to disagree, but no one is shortchanged of their constitutional right as a partnership.

However here in America we are governed by the ole greenback. Everything is money. Church groups provide money and endorse politicians in their backhanded ways. Huge corporations impose their beliefs and give funds to sway votes a certain way. Nothing is fair is it? Not in our country. We may have free enterprise, but capitalism and greed run our country. No politician really looks out for the people, but only for themselves and their pocketbook. They keep their job based on what groups they favor rather than what the collective people need in our country. Until a true humanitarian steps up to battle and wins, we will be forever lost in a country of bigots and scandals based on religious fanatics, fear of change and power hungry idiots. The sad reality is that true humanitarians are knocked down and scandalized by the bastards fighting to keep their power base. Just look at our former president. A prime example. Meanwhile we sit here in America falling behind on the movement of social progression around the globe. Other countries have already accepted it. Hell, even a few states like IOWA have already accepted any couple who wishes to be united. As a country we are weak. We let our fears run our political system. The biggest culprit being fear of change. It just frustrates me that people in our country who think “travel” is going into the next county and staying in a motel as an idea of vacation and exploration are deciding our social order. They have no idea of what else is happening in the world other than what news stations tell them, and with stations like FOX news out there that is just scary.

I stand patient now since I have no rush to be united with someone at this moment. However I feel frustrated for my close friends who have found that someone in their life and cannot be recognized as a union. They have no rights under law as a partnership other than best friends. This doesn’t hold any clout in major life decisions as in purchasing a home, making medical decisions, joint medical care or liquidation of assets (heaven forbid). Emergency contact? The only substantial one to make a decision would be the closest living relative who may be thousands of miles away and have no idea what to do.

As we approach Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial we can be thankful and honor his words that MOST of what he fought for has come to fruition. We have our first colored president. Yet, we are still fighting for equality in different ways. It took us 41 years to get that far. I hope we don’t have to wait another 40 years or longer for same sex equality in our future.

Wasted...

2009-07-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

Time has a way of eluding you in New York City. The months just pass by and 6 months later you’re still sitting in your apartment almost as undecorated as the day you moved in. It has been a slow process placing things in my room and out in the common areas to make it feel “homey.” After a busy audition season where I was spending a max of 7 hours a day being in my apartment other than sleeping to now just a mere 3 hours a day. That’s with an average of 5 to 6 hours of sleep. Other than the day job I have classes, social events, and travel time. Travel time is what really makes the hours pass by. Getting from A to B you can lose up to 2 hours of time or more. That’s a lot when you have multiple destinations. Needless to say, my apartment is still not where I like it and apparently I’m not the only one. A friend of mine has just put curtains up after 2 years in her apartment and they have been sitting there for a while. The abode is more of just a sleeping quarter than anything here in the city. Occasionally a place to have a gathering. It’s no wonder people live in closets. Why get a large space and worry about it all the time when you only spend 2 hours of wake time there?

Once in a while I do miss the slow lifestyle that accompanied my time on the cruise lines where I could spend a whole day lounging, working on projects, or just meandering through my place of residence (an entire ship). Especially when I’m twiddling my thumbs with no work in a cold office here in New York. Meals prepped and ready to eat, room cleaned on a daily basis, a new city every day even if it is repeated every week, and time to kill. There are drawbacks to every situation though. In New York I see time whisking by at an unbelievable pace, but I have my friends at my fingertips with many social events happening around me. I could visit family whenever I choose to (only lack of funds keep me from doing it so often). On a ship you have all the time in the world with a lax lifestyle, but there are rules, inspection, and lack of communication with the outside world. I guess there’s no ideal situation until retirement.

I walk around the city a lot. It’s what you do here. Who needs a car? The subways and busses (cough) take you everywhere. Subways mainly. The busses are just about as bad as having a car. Traffic. Traffic underground is far less worse than traffic above especially with the new pedestrian extensions in major tourist areas. In my walks I find several annoyances that just don’t make sense to me. One major gripe is the litter. I know a bit of it can be caused by overflowing trash cans with high winds (especially after major events). This is no excuse though. There either should be more cans (I often find myself walking several blocks before finding one) or more pick ups. Some of us are TRYING to be respectful and put our trash in a bin, but it’s difficult when the slimy mess is piled up and over and falling all on the streets and walks. Besides factors that are uncontrollable because of city budgets and high traffic areas there are the litterbugs. Because the trash can situation is such a problem to see someone just let a plastic bottle just fall to the ground or pitch a wrapper out of their car window is just flat out rude. I will hold on to my trash until I get home if I can’t put it in a city bin. Is it that hard? Lollipop sticks, hamburger wrappers, soda containers and gum even just dropped to the ground. Disgusting. It makes me despise the comforts of food packaging that we create so much garbage and don’t even dispose of it properly. Another big annoyance is the water issue. Mostly I find this annoyance around high end stores or apartments. Why is it that in California there are bans on water to prevent people from watering their lawns and flower beds and wash minimally yet here in New York City its okay to water the PAVEMENT? Concrete is not a living/breathing organism. Why does it need to be watered? Power washing is the worst? Why? To look pretty? It’s Concrete!!! Such a waste. I am not only trying to walk on the sidewalk and there’s some putz working for a rich shmuck watering the damn sidewalk. One morning it even rained (and I mean hard) and after my yoga class of 90 minutes the sun was out. The pavement was still moist and some idiot was watering the pavement. Watering the PAVEMENT! I saw him water the flower beds at least, but not like they didn’t just get a drink 90 minutes ago. Oy!

In general I think Americans are just wasteful. At least that’s what I’m finding. On a recent trip home we went out to a restaurant where everyone was walking out with Styrofoam containers of food. First of all, Styrofoam. Need I say more. The portions on this menu matched most of the clientele in size. I mean, whoa! It was a beer brewing place and you could tell by all the guts pouring out over the belt buckles. Reason? Because an appetizer was more food than I could imagine. An APPETIZER!! Something people usually order in ADDITION to their meal and I was carrying home a doggy Styrofoam of leftovers. How is this possible? How can an appetizer be more than a meal? Granted I took it home and it was consumed, but how many people just leave it? Or forget it? There are several buffet style lunch places here in the city. Some within a few stores of each other. In fact in the area I work (and I’m sure several other places) there are 2 right next door to each other. There’s a lot of food and at the end of the day where does it go? Then on a totally different matter from food I was listening to NPR radio this morning and there was debate about military spending. OMG!! Let us just not dive too deeply into that wasteful spending. Evidently in this instance there is a plane that took a quarter of a billion dollars to build and $50,000/hour to operate. $50k per hour?!?! What!?!?! What kind of plane is this and what do we need it for? The defense wants to commission 7 more! Holy #&$@!!! We’re in a hole so deep financially and the defense thinks we NEED this plane and 7 of them to top it off? Obama is threatening a veto, which the broadcasters said would start a Senate battle. Good! Go Obama!

I just don’t understand our mindset sometimes. In Europe there are some fabulously clean cities with excellent trash management and people actually respect the land. There are small and decent portions in restaurants. It also seems to me that Americans in general have poor money management. Credit cards and the housing bust. Need I say more. Plus our hotheads in the defense. Also they seem to have the ticket on an effective work day where people have time to just lounge during the day and still work efficiently without spending 8 hours in a cold dark office at the beck and call of some superior. We need to step up here and stop being like locusts eating up all of our resources or we will end up being led by a major corporation and leaving the planet while robots attempt to clean it up. Wall-E is not far from the truth that could be our destiny.

Funnel Cakes & Fun...

2009-05-18T01:04:00.001-04:00

I had one of the greatest weekends away in a while. This weekend a bunch of us took a day at the theme park. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. I hadn't been to a theme park in a few years and I was totally excited about being on some thrill rides to boost that adrenaline rush. The weekend started out calm and sketchy. All week the forecasters were predicting thunderstorms and rain for the weekend. It figures. A weekend at the theme park always spawns some threat of rain. Well the Thursday night drive down to the Jersey shore with my friend started to make that threat a reality. When we arrived it was cooler and there was a fog rolling in for the evening promising lots of moisture and cool temps for the next day. Upon awaking the next day, the forecasts were confirmed. A thick fog had settled on the area and it was drizzling and cold. Boo. Thank goodness that Friday wasn’t the day we were going. My friend and I only went down early since he was expecting a furniture order to arrive the day before we all met for Six Flags. I hadn't seen his beach place yet and needed a get away from the hustle and bustle. No computer and no TV. While he waited for the order I went for a walk just before noon. Suddenly the fog was lifting and even though I bundled up for the stroll I started to sweat. By the end of my walk the sun had peered through and the fog dissipated to nothing. Suddenly it was around 75 and sunny. I guess the forecasters were wrong about Friday or the rain got pushed to the next day. Oh no. It was still a wonderful day on the beach and the weather was absolutely stunning all through the day. It got cooler again at night and the fog rolled in. The worry started over.

I was up bright and early on Saturday. We were meeting at the local Wa-Wa before heading into the safari portion. It didn't look good. Rain, fog, and cold. I bundled, but brought extra light clothing just in case. It pays to be optimistic. By the time we were on the road it had just become cloudy and the fog was almost gone. No rain. The sky looked promising. All those times as a kid I woke up every hour or so to check the outside weather in anticipation of the next day. Here I was doing in many years later and still excited. We got to the Wa-Wa and met up with the rest of the group. By now the sky was just patchy with bits of sun and definitely warmer. No more jacket. Yay!! We went through the safari in 2 cars. It was good for the first 45 minutes and then I was ready to ride. We all were. The safari was fascinating especially since they come right up to your car. The more dangerous or "damaging" animals (baboons) were caged up. I guess at one point in time the baboons were free and jumped on people's cars and such. We did have some elk blockading us in at one point though and some very curious giraffe sniffing at the windows. We were through the safari. We only got busted a few times for having the windows down. Oops. Now on to the thrill rides. We had our park passes and another one of us got the fast passes. These enabled us to cut through the lines and make appointments for rides. We also discovered it gave us updates on broken down or temporarily closed rides. Neat. The threat of weather kept away enough to keep the park half full. Still enough, but not crazy. The fast passes worked very well on some rides. We got in and started off slow for some of our beginner riders. It turns out that our first encounter was broken down shortly after we got there. Boo. So we went to Nitro. The big guns. Oh well. 300+ feet on the first go. Let's do it!!! That ride was like an elevated Millennium Force. It seated 4 across and the seats were kind of elevated above the car. Freaky!! Awesome!! We made our way around movie town hitting the various thrill rides and then the arcade. We headed across the park to ride the great El Toro, but we were deterred by hunger. After a nice healthy meal or pulled pork, ribs, slaw, baked beans, and over ripe fruit, we were ready to tackle some more. A few of us went on the mine ride right away despite the ingestion of all those delicious morsels of theme park goodness. It was fine. I as a bit jostled, but okay. We took a reprieve and saw a masterpiece of theatre that only a 4 year old could have written at the dolphin arena. It was only 15 minutes, but I swear we had a full 2 hours there with intermission. The sun was baking us now and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Hurrah!!! It was a theme park dream. We made sure to douse ourselves in sun block to protect our fair winter worn skin from the sudden shower of UV rays. It was off to El Toro (a new wooden coaster at the park). The first drop was nearly straight down. There appeared to be no safety brakes throughout the ride and it was smooth. I rolled side to side at the end like a bucking bull. It was AWESOME!! We did a few rides on that one. We took in the rest of the rides including a vomitous spin on the ole teacup ride. Some of that was my fault, but I had a compatriot who was just as guilty and we were spinning that teacup like mad. I felt sorry for our third passenger. I never really get sick on those kinds of rides, but after putting out the effort of spinning it AND getting spun, I was even feeling nauseous. So if I was feeling nauseous, anyone a little squeamish was feeling worse. Oops. After a totally fun day and 2 more fast pass rides on Nitro in darkness (YES!!!), we all were spent and headed home for a good night of sleep. We were all going to sleep so well.

Today I woke up to the same dreariness, only this time it was a reality. No more fog lifting. It was cold and stayed that way. It was all good. I just took in my book and enjoyed the peace. My friend and I fell asleep in the car on the drive back. I felt bad for the driver, but that always happens to me in the car anyhow.

It was a fabulous weekend all around and I wish I could do it all over again. Now I'm feeling a bit of the low of such a high weekend as the new week approaches. At least this weekend for me was the kick off to summer. A start to festivals, outings, and skin burning weather.

The College Try...

2009-04-13T16:53:00.000-04:00

Easter came and went. The audition season is about to fizzle out for the musical theatre jobs and I still sit with no gig. I DID give it my best effort though. I must have gone to over 100 calls for various things. I got good responses, but for the most part it was a luke warm response. A lot of it had to do with the crashing of the American economy. Quite a few Broadway shows, mostly musicals, closed in January and February. As I showed up for auditions more and more I noticed the Broadway folk were showing up for anything and everything. Summer seasons were packed at chorus calls. Principal appointment times were next to impossible to get unless you were in line at 6am. It was just insane. As the season began to fizzle so did attendance. One of my friends suggested that most might not be hiring because they already found people they wanted for this season from last season. I have no footing here in NY and from my observation it was mainly about whom you know and whom they trust. I know no one really. I saw lots of hugs and recognition of important people behind the table with my fellow peers. It was also about resume. One suspected that if you knew the show they were doing, your chances of getting seen for that show were greater. Theatres wanted shorter rehearsal periods to get the shows up making them cheaper. Also fewer contracts are being offered to union members since it is an expense to hire us. All these factors come into play in my first real audition season in NY. I've been here before for other seasons, but I've taken it casually since I had so much debt at those times. My survival (temp) job came first and it was 9 to 5. Almost all auditions happen right at peak working times. Just after 9 to 5ers start and just after the lunch break. It rarely goes into post work hours. You have to have an evening job, no job, work from home, or a VERY understanding employer to take full grasp of the audition season. Auditions are still happening, but now far and few between. From now until October is a time to train, make money from a survival job, and rethink material for next season. So it's back to the drawing board for next season. I'll try again, but this season really hit hard on the ego. When I lived in San Diego it didn't take me long to get on my feet and once I was in it, I networked like crazy and made connections. New York is a much bigger playing field with a plethora of players and they just keep flocking here every year. I hope to find something soon. Otherwise my next plan of attack will be to travel at sea for a while if possible and then settle somewhere. I've discovered I can only take so much of this constant pressure lifestyle before the Midwest in me surfaces and says: "whoa, what's happening?" I think those that grew up here are used to it all through life and can take more. The rest of us have a bigger battle.

So now the weather is perking up and it's time to shift focus. I DO have a show coming up at the end of the month with some friends of mine. We decided to call ourselves Harmonic Proposal and our show Enjoy The Journey is about living life to the fullest throughout and experiencing new things. It was fun and frantic to put together, but now it's finally coming along and we have just over a week before it's presented. I'm excited and nervous since it will be my first gig in the city taking place in the gayest part of town, the West Village, at the Duplex. For years we have been playing around at the piano learning parts and singing our favorite musical theatre songs and now we get to have a venue for it. Other than a small apartment and once in a while at a themed party. It was a learning experience getting to this point with promotional material, composition, and just pure business. A crash course so to speak. I hope to see it successful.

My yoga classes in the city are what has been keeping me not only sane, but fit. I started Bikram Yoga class in November after studying it in Seattle every Sunday I could over the past summer. Once I got into it after my intro month, I decided to take a plunge and work/study for my classes. In short I clean house for 5 hours every Friday and I get 5 classes in return (a savings on my budget of $180/month). I managed through my 30-day challenge this way. 30 days of Bikram yoga in a row. It was definitely challenging. More so on the scheduling side than on the physical side. Although the physical exhaustion came into play roughly around day 20. I was in the home stretch and feeling it. Every muscle was changing in new ways and I was working through it all. Now I practice at least 5 times a week or try to. My heart rate gets up so high and I sweat so much there's really no need to go to the gym. Especially since I take dance classes as well. I just need to focus on getting more protein now so I don't lose my muscle mass. That 90 minutes of pure focus though and escape from all that has happened throughout the day does help mentally. I always come out cool and collected and ready to face all the distractions of the city. Without it, I would have probably run out of here screaming.

Getting Treated...

2009-02-23T01:13:00.000-05:00

Life in New York City sure does get hectic. It's been a while since I posted here, but I feel I should share my thoughts a little now that I've completed the 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge. I started this challenge in January and it is such a challenge because the practice is done in a room heated to about 100 degrees with 26 postures. Each posture has an active and passive benefit to it. For instance in the standing head to knee posture you actively work on strengthening your quad muscle by engaging it to maintain balance. You are also activating your abs, gluts, and pulling with your biceps to bring your head to your other kicked out leg. However passively you are stretching your lower back and hamstrings as well as your calves if you are kicking out strong enough. Each posture has its benefit to the operation and cleansing of the body. Most of the cleansing comes through restricting blood flow in the postures. By restricting the blood flow to an area for a short time, you allow a rush of blood to go through that area when it opens up healing any damage and flushing away build up and toxins. Over time, your body becomes healthier due to this detoxification and healing process. Also because of the heat and intensity of the Hatha Yoga postures used in the series, you detoxify by sweating immensely. The goal of the practice is to surrender your mind to the instruction and focus on the corrections to the postures while making them stronger. You want to eliminate the other negative thoughts that creep in and activate the "fight or flight" response. The "fight or flight" response is what makes you hyperventilate, feel dizzy or even nauseous. I have been there in the beginnings of my practice. Before I started I thought it would be difficult physically. Sometimes it was depending on the week I was having, but more often than not the real difficulty came in scheduling the class. Needless to say I made it. I had moments in the period where I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I persevered.

I went to get a massage today as a treat for my hard work. I had a gift certificate still from the commercial shoot I did back in November. When I was in the men's locker room I saw a scale in there and was curious. I hadn't seen my weight since staying at my friend's place in Queens. Everyone had been saying I was losing weight. So I stepped on to see and lo and behold I lost 10 pounds!! I couldn't believe it. All that sweating I'm sure. I was floored and vowed to keep up the practice at least 4-5 times per week. Well, I went in for my Shiatsu/Swedish massage. The lady asked me to tell her if it was too much. She started and I thought it was to light, but know how these things go so I didn't say anything. Then she proceeded to dig and grind. I just breathed through the pain. When she was in my rough areas (shoulders, neck, sciatica) I winced a little, but tried to relax as much as I could. Then came the big stuff. Suddenly I felt the weight of her step up onto the table. Yes, step up. She stood, yes stood, on my back and kneaded with her whole weight starting at my calves to my upper back. WOW!! It was amazing. She was laughing because she kept asking if I was okay and I kept saying I was fine. She must have known how much pressure she was applying and how her other clients might be screaming at this point. I was really fine. Thanks yoga. After that she began to flop me around like a rag doll. I just tried to stay relaxed as she pulled and twisted me stretching out all my muscles. Hence why I felt like such a rag doll. The hour went quick and the only moment I told her to back off a bit was when she was pushing into my hip flexors. Damn those hips. They just don't want to let go. The area just above the back of my neck was wonky too and when she was in there I got a little headache, but just breathed through it as much as possible. All the while a soothing Asian mix of music was on cooling the senses. I can almost hear the bamboo waterfalls in the background from someone's Japanese garden and it made me yearn for the simple cruise life again where I have these amenities at my disposal 24/7. Afterward I just felt amazing. I could curl up and fall asleep right there. Now I'm ready for another week.

Actor Panic...

2009-01-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

The first week of auditions for the year is over and the next week starts today. Last week was definitely an eye opener as to how the economy is affecting the entertainment market. Along with 9 Broadway shows closing last Sunday the announcement came that Carousel Dinner Theatre in Ohio was closing. Also North Shore Music Theatre in Boston is said to be in trouble and threatening to close its doors. Carousel has been open now for about 35 years and North Shore about 55. It's sad that these long standing institutions of theatre are closing because of the economic hardships right now. People are beginning to eliminate fun out of their budget. I remember the old saying that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Of course with the advent of new technology (Wii, Blue-Ray, and recorded live performances) who needs to go out anymore? What aggravates me though is that people take for granted the things they have at their disposal. Live theatre right now is suffering because people are panicking about spending too much and staying in. It'll still be there when this is over right? No. If you don't get out of the house and have a nice evening out once in a while enjoying live theatre or any event outside the home, it will disappear. Theatre IS a business. Once it's gone people reminisce about how good it USED TO be. It didn't have to go extinct if people saw the good that was right in front of their faces. The last show of "All Shook Up" at Carousel played to a packed house. Most Broadway shows that close play to packed houses as well. Why wait until something is on the verge of extinction to fix it. Fix it now. Go out and see a show, an artist, or something live. Let's not live the rest of our lives with our money tucked in our mattresses and our view of the world through an electrical box in our living room. These are tough times, but if we keep pulling back out of fear, then it only fuels the situation. Especially the young. No one under 60 should be stuffing money in their mattresses, but should be investing in the market or fueling the economy somehow. Even those over 60 can take small chances with hopes for a return in the next 4-5 years. If we never leave the protection of our shelter, how will we ever know we're clear of the storm?

A lot of people think what I do is child's play. I always get the response of "Oh you're an actor, but what is your real job." Play-acting IS my real job. Just as stock market traders trade on Wall Street as their real job. Both industries right now are in trouble because of the current state of our economy. Thank you Bush Administration. I can feel it here in New York. Last week actors were out en masse trying to score the next job wondering if the theatre they were auditioning for would be closing in the near future. Myself included. I was just out as I normally would be trying to have a good audition. I haven't "lived" the "actor in New York" lifestyle yet, so I had planned on going to every audition I could anyway. Some of the more seasoned actors though are out just trying to land anything they can despite their connections. In the union there are 2 types of auditions posted. One is a principle call that requires you to make an appointment and usually runs all day in 2-minute slots. The other is a chorus call where you can sign up on the list a week before and then just show up at the audition a half hour beforehand to get your spot in line. When things are smooth in the world, the appointment days (depending on the theatre or show) are usually easy to get into no matter what time of day. I wouldn't necessarily have to be there an hour before sign-ups begin to get an appointment, but I could just show up during the day and get an appointment for within a half hour of me being there or for later in the day. Lately it's been that I have to show up at least 2 hours before appointments begin their sign-in, which means I'm arriving at the sight at 6:30am or earlier. Yikes! Chorus calls have still been crazy. Over 200 guys show up to fit in a tiny holding room. Even though you're on the list it still affects the call because instead of a standard 16-bars of music, you get reduced to a type-out, 8-bars or music, or scales even. It's crazy. Hundreds are showing up for small theatres in Lancaster or Maine. Anywhere a job is available. Theatre IS a business and people are out of work. I wonder what this week will entail. Some Broadway and Off-Broadway shows are auditioning as well as some small theatres in Long Island and upstate New York. The rooms are going to be stuffed. I hope we get out of this economic slump soon.

A Full Weekend to Start the Year...

2009-01-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

A packed weekend has ended. After a crazy New Year's beginning and a nice relaxing dinner the next day with friends on New Years at a place called "Lasagna" (the portabella mushroom lasagna was primo), the weekend was eventful as well. I started out Friday during the day pretty low key. Phil had brought over some extra things he had in the apartment after moving everything out of it for the kitchen and such. More dishes, pots, pans, and art. Goodie. Now I can feel more at home. The cupboards are now full as I type. Almost overloaded from the Bed, Bath, and Beyond excursions to unloading storage and extras. My room is coming together as I have put things on the wall and put things away. Some things are still out and awaiting their trip to the Salvation Army. That evening I started my work-study position at Bikram Yoga NYC. Once a week I will donate about 5 hours of my time to get 5 free classes for the next week. Sounds like a fair trade to me. Better than losing $135/month when I can work it off AND meet people at the same time with the same interest. I would've used every possible moment each week to take class if I were paying the amount, but that also involved a minimum 6-month commitment, which made me nervous if anything popped up and I had to leave. Now I can just go guilt free if I need to without losing any money. The hours flew by that night since it was a 5pm-10pm shift and it is one of the busier shifts for classes. Tons of people. Also all the regulars in addition to those trying to fulfill their new resolutions after the holiday binge. My regular slot will now be on Friday at that time. Sounds good to me. That ended and I went to bed.

Saturday was filled with gift card shopping, lessons, and errands as well as small organizing projects by day and then a farewell to Forest Hills party at night. A group of us got together to say goodbye to the said residence in Forest Hills. It was strange to walk into the apartment and see the place almost entirely bare. It was very reminiscent of the way Phil and I found it 5 years ago only without the fabulous kitchen and the color on the walls. A new group of friends helped close out the place with one oldie from the beginnings. We had a blast as we toasted many times and ate pizza on the floor. The night went into 1:00am as we chatted and just enjoyed the company. It was louder in the rooms with no furniture and stuff to absorb everything. We took pictures in every room, but the most memorable was when we stuffed ourselves in the closet. I thought I came out years ago, but apparently I was back in last night.

Today I had a fabulous time as well. On a whim I decided to see "Boeing Boeing" at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway. Today was closing day. A lot of shows are closing today on Broadway because of our suffering economy. A lot of new ones are coming in this year as well. I hope they stay strong. This was a delightful surprise though. I had seen this show listed on the TDF (Theatre Development Fund) website all during December and had chances to get $40 seats for a normally $110 seat. I just never found the time. Well, it had been taken off the list. Fortunately in my subway ride home last night a friend at the party recommended a site called Broadwaybox.com. I checked it out and lo and behold there were promotional seats for today's show. Thank you Bogdan!! I got a seat for slightly more and slightly higher in the air, but when I arrived the place was packed full. It was the first closing I've been to. Starring in the show was Christine Boranski (Mamma Mia, Chicago, and countless Broadway Plays), Mark Rylance hailing from the West End in London, and Greg Germann. The three fabulous flight attendants were Paige Davis, Rebecca Gayheart (from horror movie fame of Scream 2 and Urban Legend), and newcomer to Broadway Missi Pyle (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory [Violet's mom], Soccer Mom, and 50 First Dates). I was thrilled at the cast list. I had heard mixed reviews so I was interested at what I would see. I was overwhelmingly happy with the show. The timing was near perfect. The physicality was hilarious. The 3 leads had such chemistry on stage it caused a snowball of laughter throughout the entire show. All 3 stewardesses played their roles so fabulously each one just stood out in their own way. Particularly Missi Pyle with her German interpretation. I could not believe the sounds coming out of her mouth and how Amazon she looked on stage as this boisterously masculine German blond. I was peeing my pants with laughter and guffawing at every wrong turn these 2 guys made. Christine's character (Berthe) was so outrageously funny I laughed at some mere entrances and exits. She was so delightfully 1960s French!!! I love the farce and this group of people played it so well. I loved laughing as hard as I did today. I wish I could have discovered this earlier and took some friends to it to share in the moments. The only downer of the whole show was this lady behind me. She was just too particular to be sitting where she was sitting. I fidget and sometimes lean forward for comfort. Evidently she had trouble seeing because of that. She tapped my shoulder and expressed her urgent request for me to sit back. It wasn't a kind request, but a very New Yorker catty request. Okay, so some people can't see when the others in front of them lean forward. We were in the balcony at a steep angle so I obliged, but was just very annoyed with her attitude. I just avoided her during intermission. The show was SO phenomenal; I arose to my feet at curtain call to give the respectful standing ovation to a job well well done. As a fellow actor, this is giving respect in my opinion. I was shouting praises and applauding their efforts. Well, it was a long and choreographed curtain call and that same lady I guess felt she did not want to stand. The tap came again with the overly rude request for me to sit down because she could not see. I barely heard her because of the rousing applause and shouts of praise in the house. I reluctantly sat down and held my tongue. I wanted to turn to her and comment on her rudeness for not showing respect for standing up. After all, if she stood up she'd be able to see whatever she wanted. However, I must be too nice because one never knows what her situation is. She walked out of the theatre fine I noticed, but it would have been horrible to unload my frustration to find out she couldn't stand up for medical reasons or something. Oy!! People sometimes. Maybe if she was nicer about it I wouldn't have gotten so aggravated, but she just got to me. These New Yorkers sometimes.

Leaving 2008 in Style...

2009-01-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! I can't believe it's 2009 already! Whoa does time fly. I'm sitting hear typing this at 2:30pm and I just woke up about a half hour ago. My New Year's Eve in NY was so much fun to say the least. The day was pretty lax since I woke up, organized my room, and worked on some projects. So I was in my jammies until 6:00 or so. Then the night of craziness began. I got dolled up to meet my friends in the lower east side at a place called Open The Sesame. It's a Thai place and my friends who set it up said we could BYOB, so I went and got a bottle of wine. When I stepped out my door I was flabbergasted to see a dusting of snow on the ground (since I hadn't been out all day) and the wind on my street was fiercely cold. I swear my whole being was going to freeze right there at the doorway as I walked out. I got a Malbec at the wine shop, a grape from Argentina that my friend suggested if I was to bring wine. I went back to my place to get the small wine opener I forgot just in case the restaurant was not equipped. If it was BYOB, I could only assume that it was a little dive without wine and such. The wind on my street again as I turned the corner was hitting me like a hundred stinging bees. Oy!! It was bone chilling cold last night in NYC. I felt sorry for all the peeps in Times Square, but with them all being huddled together they probably created warmth.
I was the first to arrive in SOHO (a common name for the lower east derived from SOuth of HOuston street). I was not familiar with SOHO, so I was wondering around in the biting air for a while asking everyone I could where the street of the restaurant was located. See, all the streets in SOHO are NAMED unlike the ease of mid-uptown where everything is by number. I had no idea where N W E or S was and where to find these streets. I was dying in the cold. I finally found it my nose dripping excessively from the cold. Tonight is a night of decadence and people can either choose fashion or function. I was somewhere in between, so I was still cold. The others arrived leisurely and we started with the cheap champagne toasting the evening. Once we finished off that bottle we cracked open the Dom Perignon. Yes, you read correctly, Dom Perignon. A friend of a friend came to join us that night and he won big at a slot machine in Atlantic City, so he decided to splurge for the occasion. We cracked it open early so we could appreciate the taste while still sober. It was very smooth and sweet champagne. I don't particularly think it's worth its price tag, but it was an experience I had never had and wasn't sure if I ever would. I don't believe in spending that much on a single item of alcohol. We still hadn't eaten or ordered yet and I was already feeling the effect of the champagne on an empty stomach. We were basically just going around and talking about the good and bad things of 2008 and what our resolutions for 2009 would be. After much socializing we FINALLY ordered and had a semi-fabulous meal. The food I ordered I thought was good, but no Pam Real Thai. I do love that place. I was happy with it though. Others were not so pleased so the verdict on Open The Sesame is a mixed review. During dinner we managed to crack open the Malbec wine and that was yet another experience. I had never tasted this grape before and the wine it was contained in was spicy with a fruity finish. Perfect for the food I was having since my tongue was on fire from the chili spice. We had 1 other bottle of wine left and 2 bottles of cheap champagne that remained unpopped. We all braved the cold again to take the wine back to my friend's car and make our way to the Sapphire club where we were on a guest list to get in. Two of us wimped out and took a cab the 2 blocks to the club, but the rest of us attacked the chill. My ears were ready to fall off from the wind.

We got in and the placed HAD to be over capacity. This tiny club was overstuffed with people thrashing about and crowding the bar. You could pay $25 to get in ($20 if you were a couple or female) or stiff the $80 for the open bar. I opted for the cheaper entry and was glad I did after seeing that it would be impossible to get to the bar all night without much aggravation and delay, and then have little success getting an unspilled drink back to wherever we were dancing. We checked our coats and proceeded to the dance floor where we thrashed out until midnight. A few drinks were spilt, a few of us had a hard time standing after getting thrashed into, and a few crazy people roused some of our tempers, but all in all we had a blast with each other. We did manage to get one drink away from the bar through the night and that was about it. The New Year came in and we hugged and kissed rejoicing the friends we had in our presence.

After this club we parted ways. A few went to a party uptown and some of us went to G (a gay bar in the West Village). Here the club was also packed to capacity and we had to wait outside in a line to get in. Typical NY. We waited for about 30 minutes. Two more minutes more and I would've called it a night. My ears and face were buzzing from the cold. We finally got in and checked our coats. It was definitely packed. We managed to get to the bar for another drink to toast the New Year and after finishing that one, we had another. That was it for me. Or so I thought. I was definitely feeling it now. I was socializing around with my friends and another guy started talking to me. Him and his friend were flight attendants in town from Air Italia. They were from Rome. We started talking about Rome and then they wanted me to come with them to another bar in the West Village called Splash. This was the big gay dance club. I think other than a place in the Meat Packing District it was the only "dance" club. All the other bars are more hangouts. The Roxy used to be a dance club in Times Square, but it closed a while ago and the only other dance place was Studio 54 in the 70s. I decided to go and my other friends decided to go home. It was now 3ish and I was on the move with a few nice strangers to another club. After all dating is meeting strangers to see if you have anything in common, so these guys seemed nice enough and trustworthy to hang with so I went. We had a common link to Rome and Italy. I do love Italy. We got there and I thought the cover charge for the evening would be lifted since it was past 3:00am, but it was just reduced to $40. What the hell I paid it. It was New Year's Eve. We got in and I checked the heavy stuff again. My new friends bought me a drink. Definitely the last one, and I danced clear until closing, which was 7:00am! I had NEVER closed a bar in NYC since they do tend to stay open all night. Hello. This is the city that never sleeps. Well, I closed it. I was on a train dosing and feeling the spirits all the way to Harlem. I got out of the subway in the bone chilling cold one station past mine (since I was sleeping) and walked the 15 blocks back to my place. Whoa! It was cold and sunny. I was still in my previous night's clothes. It kind of reminded me of that night in Russia. Only not so cold. I stumbled into bed around 8:00am this morning and now I begin my new year in 2009. What a night!!! Christmas comes down today, or so I attempt.

Tomorrow I start the regime of NYC busy life again. I hope 2009 is prosperous in many ways. My resolution is to LET GO. I found in 2008 (well I knew this for a while) that I was a bit of a control freak and have difficult time in new situations and things that seem beyond reach or beyond my boundary of a safe haven. This affects me as an actor since the whole point of an actor is to engulf a character and bare your soul. Without letting go, I cannot fully succeed as an actor/storyteller. So, I plan to train, train, and re-train in 2009 to get my mind and body in shape for auditions and shows. I want to explore more creative outlets and submit to things I would normally bypass such as film and print. I already started my resolution in 2008 in December and hope to carry those ideas into 2009. Cheers to letting go.

Change...

2008-12-30T16:59:00.003-05:00

The year is winding down. Another year gone. Another new beginning. Hopefully 2009 will bring change in so many ways in my life as well as the lives of everyone across the globe. We have new leadership in America. Companies are now more focused on green energy. A new air powered car looks to be coming out in 2009-2010 that could change the oil economy in a heartbeat. It's a sleek design, small, and AFFORDABLE coming in only around $18k. Check it out:

AIR-POWERED CAR

The company claims the car gets 75hp, up to 96mph (way more speed than we need to be driving), and 100 MPG!! ONE HUNDRED!!! You won't have to worry about filling up the car until after 800-1,000 miles of drive time! The 8-gallon tank runs on regular ethanol based fuels or even biofuels for the upcoming changes. I hope in 2009 we come up with more energy efficient ideas like this one. I already saw a local company at home running their electricity off solar panels. We are growing to get away from the pollution that is devastating this precious planet.

Speaking of being home, now that the holidays are over and the travel has ceased for the time being, I'm kind of feeling the slump that usually accompanies leaving a cast after a contract. I got a little choked up the other day as I packed the car with all my things and new things for the apartment. I realized that I was leaving the comforts of home and now really embarking on an adventure that I should have had eons ago, but now accomplishing at 35. Once I left the cruise ships in 2000, I left on a great new adventure to the west coast, but with someone who was very familiar to me already. I soon became very adapted and later we moved to NYC. I was still sheltered because I was with someone who had all the comforts of home and we just moved it. Now as I come to NYC, I come alone. I have friends here yes, but I go to my own apartment where I have to provide things I once had, but no longer have because I'm on my own. When I come home, I come home to a roommate, but often I come home to an empty apartment. I thought this would be nice, but I crave the company of someone just being there sometimes. At the moment, I haven't a job since I'm auditioning to get one and taking classes to refine my craft. It can be a little unnerving when I'm used to working all the time. So when I was about to pull out of the drive last Sunday with all my wares in tow, I realized that my unsheltered life was about to begin. The holidays were a wave of memories with meeting old friends over Thanksgiving for a get together and going through all my stored things at home (pictures, old dishes, etc). I remembered the simpler times when all I had to worry about was getting to a Singing Angel concert, studying, or even in college just getting involved. Now that I live on my own without assistance, my retirement plan in the works, and budgeting for future endeavors, I make that transition from the simple life to real adulthood. I'm thankful I don't have children to think about at the moment, so it kind of still "feels" like college. My friends though are getting married and having kids all around me. It's kind of freaky. Especially when I look at the old photos and see and remember those times rather than the current ones. I call New York my home now, but I'm starting to yearn for the non-vagabond life. I give myself another 5 years in this business. If things don't turn out like I hope, then I will refocus on a more family lifestyle.

Determination & Defiance...

2008-12-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

I am DETERMINED to make life in New York City for a while. These past few days have been extremely hard and my heart was just screaming to go back to Ohio or somewhere quiet and live a peaceful and non-exiting lifestyle (well what would be non-exiting to me is still pretty eventful for others). So yesterday the weather rose to the 60s only to combat it with intermittent rain showers. This was okay since it was just sprinkles, but I was amidst all the holiday shoppers and dealing with subways so it was not fun. My schedule has been packed with dance classes, voice lessons, yoga classes, and auditions. On top of that I've been doing holiday events and just TRYING to get organized in my new abode. I'm still half in half out. My stuff is still at the storage unit and I'm realizing that the stuff I left there I should have figured out how to bring. I could not even imagine having a job right now, which worries me for the upcoming year. I come home and crash only to get up and start all over again. Today I bailed on my Yoga class since the weather has been causing a muscle to ache that may have been tweaked during my long drive in after Thanksgiving. The day didn't start well since I found ants carrying on in my room today. They were in a small area of my floor by the desk and I was flustered trying to get them all. I didn't want to come home to a line or a colony as I once remember happening in San Diego during a big rainstorm. Needless to say, I think the RAID did the job. No colonies or ant lines when I came home. I was worried I'd have to take everything out of my room and just clean house. I will do this when I get organized, but was not looking forward to doing it at the moment. So with the small pain and the worry of ants, I decided to not attend Yoga. So I feel a little defeated.

I am beginning to realize that my previous lack of training is beginning to catch up with me. At 35 I refuse to admit that I am less flexible, can endure less, and can't just live off minimal sleep and nourishment (don't worry mom, I AM eating well just at odd times). Who needs to eat anyway when you're schedule goes from 8:00am to 11:00pm and packed with travel, classes, and auditions? Back to flexibility and endurance. I have been taking Bikram Hathra Yoga, which is where the room gets heated to 100 degrees and you do a series of Hathra strengthening poses in the room. It's been great and my flexibility has gotten better. Or so I thought. I was in Pilate's class the other day and I noticed my core sucks. I couldn't hold a damn thing. I was cramping and my muscles just didn't want to stretch. I was shaking all over since my abs were like "what are you doing? We haven't been worked in ages." Then I was in ballet and jazz classes realizing that my turn out and flexibility there (a different flexibility needed) were just not great. I can execute moves, but my technique suffers from stiff muscles. My upcoming New Year's resolution is to resolve that by stretching as much as possible and trying to relieve all this tension. Quite the task while living in New York City. The cruise life seems to beckon me more now. It was an easy and carefree lifestyle. The bathroom was always clean, the room was always clean, I could eat without preparation or paying (most of the time without paying), and I had LOTS of free time. Yet that was an extreme for a while too. The other extreme. What I crave I guess is somewhere in between. This becomes a catch 22 when trying to be a performer. You have to be in New York or L.A. to do this career. New York is definitely the bear of the two. I am determined to overcome the extreme negativity here. I guess at the moment with the fall of the economy, high tourist season here, and the holidays things are a little emotionally heightened. Hopefully things will resolve more once I get back to the city after Christmas. By then I will be out of storage completely, be done with holiday madness here in the city, and have some down time as I've heard January is a little slow in the entertainment industry. I guess the city becomes a little less bustling in January since people go away. I will see. In the meantime I have to call upon the Gods of mental endurance.

Holy S#%T!!

2008-12-10T02:27:00.001-05:00

Whoa does time fly in New York City. Especially when you're in between two places at once. As of today I will be in one place though and that is at my new place in Harlem. It's not what you've heard. It's actually an up and coming area and the deal I got was amazing. I just put up my Christmas tree today so I feel a little accomplished and settled. Now the holidays begin for me. I still need a bit for my apartment though so I can effectively store things away. Right now everything is kind of scattered about the room. It's a little unnerving to look at. I can't believe I have so much stuff and there is more to pull out in storage.

Auditions are beginning to quiet down for the time being. I went to 3 whoppers though. I decided to try going to some of the dance calls. It was at these calls I started gaining confidence again. Each call got harder as I went along, but I kept up with the sequence. I may have looked funny during some of it or couldn't execute a move, but I didn't stray from sequence and I performed the piece to my best ability. I felt I did well in most cases. The first was for Mamma Mia. It was a 10:00am call for the guys and even the choreographer noted that usually the guys are in the afternoon. My brain was not quite yet awake. She started right away with some pop-lock hip-hop style choreo. Whoa. I was thinking to myself that I was not ready for this and hip-hop is the hardest sequence for me to memorize. There are so many specifics with arms and accents that sometimes just trip me up AND it's funky. While learning it, I was kind of lost. I pulled it together though by the time we started breaking up the groups. I got the swing of it when I was called to the floor for the actual audition. I performed it and was sweating like mad. No one was called to sing that day since they were only seeing dancing. I felt I did very well and some of the guys couldn't get it down very well, so I felt uplifted. I felt that if it came down to a technical audition (ballet or jazz), these guys may dance circles around me, but I killed the sequence and I performed the moves no matter how funky. I just wonder how I looked doing them. The next one was for a new musical called First Wives Club. I truly had no idea what to expect since I couldn't see clips of the show on You Tube or anywhere else. I went and there were more guys there I just knew as dancers. Okay. I did fine at the Mamma Mia audition, I kept my chin up and went in with the first group. The choreography started off bluesy and sexy. It was very lyrical and flowed well. I could perform this. Then it got very technical with turns and jumps. So far nothing I couldn't accomplish. There was one jump that I had never executed so it was difficult for me to just find in my body and that one I didn't execute very well. I remembered the whole sequence though, had a blast, sweat hard, and didn't mess up the sequence. All I did was fall out of one turn that came after the jump that was new to me. So it was a technical audition and harder than the previous one. I still felt I did well. They called people back to sing, but I had already sung on a previous day. I'm sure they remembered that, or at least I hope they did. So the other day I auditioned for yet another new show, Spiderman the Musical. You read correctly. The show will feature aerial acts and heavy acrobatic choreography. I knew this going in. What I didn’t know was that I'd be dancing for Daniel Ezralow who choreographed the sequences in Across the Universe. This audition topped them all. I thought the last one was hard. Well this one was just flat out ridiculous. We started out in groups of 10 just on the floor doing 30 pushups to a slow count. Some were showing strength by clapping in their pushups or lifting a leg. I was just happy enough to get through the 30 'cause I almost didn't. I held my form though. I knew they were coming since the girls walking out from the morning audition said that was how their audition started and they did 20. Okay, so pushups were over, what next? The basic tumbling portion. We did across the floor in groups of 4 with a forward roll, back roll, jump from back on floor to feet, handstand and come down to stomach slowly, and then slides on the hips to the other side of the room. Okay, the rolls I could accomplish, but it was the jump from my back to my feet that I had trouble with and the slides I just didn't get. It was very "Spidey-like." The combo came next. It was a style of dance called crumping. It's a mixture of modern, hip-hop, and street jazz from what I experienced. It was VERY thrashy. Once again, I got through the sequence and the only thing I couldn't really do were the slides once again and this roll to the floor. It was very fast, fun, and just thrashy. The background behind it was that we were the bullies taunting Peter Parker, so a lot of the movement had fighting moves in it. I sweat like mad from that one and was just exhausted. Still I came out feeling good. If anything I just learned a new style of dance and met a big time choreographer. I googled some of his work later and realized that his style requires A LOT of strength and endurance. Hence the pushups at the start. I'm very interested to see this show now.

I've been training like mad since I've been here. I'm starting at the beginning so I can focus more on the stretching parts and the technique. Sometimes the sequences are boring and not challenging, but I can really focus on the technique in them. Sometimes a new dance move comes into my brain and I have to process it even at the beginner level. My tap class was like that tonight. Just when I was thinking last week I should step up a level and see what I could do, I was re-assured tonight that I should stay at my current level for now since there are still rhythms and patterns that challenge me. My voice lessons are getting better. My teacher is really opening up my voice to become a stronger instrument. The feeling is so weird though since I learned to sing in a children's choir that at the time didn't focus on singing healthy, just singing out. I never thought to get lessons since I was doing well with them and felt I didn't need them. Now while I'm trying to untrain my bad habits do I realize why I should've gotten an outside lesson in when I was young. I also blame the peer pressure of adolescence for quitting dance when I did. I lost SOO much flexibility, vocabulary of dance, and ease of sequence by leaving when I did. Oh well. We all make mistakes. All I can say is that I'm 35 and still dancing like a 20 y/o though as far as endurance. I'm determined to keep up.

Crazy Life & Annoying Drivers...

2008-12-02T01:18:00.002-05:00

Wow. I haven't written in a while. Time on land seems to go by much quicker and there's so much more to do. Ever since I arrived in the city back at the top of November, I've just been on the go looking for apartments, auditioning, looking online for jobs, and just meeting with friends. I really haven't had a clear mind to sit down and write. I still don't (especially after yesterday), but I figured I'd let some thoughts out so my mind had room to breath.

First I have to get off my mind my crazy driving experience on Sunday. In the event of rising airline prices and restrictive baggage requirements I decided to rent a car and drive back to New York City from Cleveland. All week long my mom and grandma were watching the news and weather and agonizing over the dreadful day when I got the car. They have a right to be worried since I no longer handle long drives well. The car seems to lull me to a state of blissful sleep. Not good while driving. Also the impending weather conditions and holiday traffic were not sitting well with them. So all week long I got the updates. It wasn't looking good. I managed to get a decent car with okay gas mileage. The perks were amazing though. It had a G.P.S. inside as well as Sirius Radio. Sirius meant one radio station (or channel swapping between stable channels) all the way through. No static!! Also a G.P.S. meant that I wasn't going to be referring to my printed Mapquest paper especially upon arrival into the madness that is the New York City thruways. I was told where to go all the way and if there were gas stations nearby in case I got into a jam. I packed the car with what I could. Mapquest and the G.P.S. lady told me that it would take approximately 8 hours to complete the trip in good conditions. I was off and it was rainy. The temps most of the way were above freezing so I was fortunate to stay clear of icy conditions. The drive started well with okay conditions and light traffic. I was making good time and I was busy trying to figure out the car so I was active and not feeling drowsy at all. I hummed along to the top 40 hits I never heard before and even dabbled into the Broadway station for a bit. I love Sirius. So then the toll came when I left interstate 80 in Ohio and that's where the dilemmas began. A long line cued for the toll. Oy!! I got through that with minimal delay. Now I began my quest on the most tedious art of the journey. The drive through PA. Straight shot all the way on I-80. Yikes! It started off okay and then it went down to two lanes. It was then I discovered that American drivers have no respect for the road. I was perfectly fine with my cruise control in the right hand lane cruising just above the speed limit. Occasionally I'd stumble onto a trucker and have to edge around them. They travel at slower speeds. HOWEVER there were the truckers that would just speed down the expressway in the left lane. Sometimes they couldn't go as fast as the cars so they held up traffic a bit. Truckers should STAY in the right lane and only go left if they are passing, and not cruise in the left lane. Really NO ONE should cruise in the left lane on a 2-lane road since it should only be used for passing or allowing oncoming traffic onto the expressway. There aren't many exits/entrances so staying right is fairly easy. However you got the speed demons that just zoom along in the left lane inching up on the tails of those just trying to pass someone. Like an accordion they zoom up at top speed and brake when approaching a slower car trying to pass. The brake lights cause other cars to brake and this leads to congestion. These are the same drivers in packed traffic that will weave in and out of lanes not leaving any safe distances just to get ahead by seconds. Even in stopped traffic they try to inch over to the left lane. Frustrating? YES!! Besides the impatient driver there are the slow left land cruisers. Ones who should NEVER be cruising in the left lane since the right lane is going much faster. Come on!! Respect people! Get over!! They cause problems especially with the impatient driver weaving in and out and the truckers cruising along in the left. The weather kept getting ugly then better in a cycle like the traffic was a cycle of open road to stopped traffic. My mind was active trying to find a pace and figuring out the traffic puzzle so I wouldn't be caught behind a truck, slow cruiser, or be faced by the weaver. My hands were gripping the wheel at times of intense rain. Intense rain and truckers all the way don't mix well. Together they cause a spray on your windshield that's just overbearing. On the flip side all these aggravating things were good for my travel drowsiness. I couldn't imagine wanting to close my eyes and my brain was active all the way keeping me very alert and constantly thinking. By the time I arrived at the George Washington Bridge coming out of New Jersey I was relieved to be out of the mess and finally heading home. I had my trusty G.P.S. lady telling me exactly where to turn and merge. She lost me once, but got right back on. I made it into Forest Hills 3 hours behind schedule. Yikes! Parking was a disaster so I ended up finding a temporary spot, unloading, and then taking the car back that night. I just wanted it off my hands. I did enjoy the Sirius Radio though. I hope I have one on my next drive for Christmas. Yes, I am insane enough to do it again.

Besides the craziness of driving I had the craziness of New York and the holiday before. I had an intense 3 weeks in New York auditioning like mad, getting extremely nervous, and taking voice lessons and classes. I was diving in all the while looking for a new place to stay, a job to sustain income, and keeping up with friends. New York was a frenzy. I did find a place, which I will be moving into this week amongst the lot of auditions planned. I managed to get paid work while here in that time. My commercial can be viewed below. Do enjoy and if you're in the Long Island area you can see it locally. Take a visit to the spa. They ARE good. I will be using my earned gift certificate real soon.

I also was busy over the holiday. My mom had me baking up a storm getting ready for the Christmas holidays. I was also working on a New York project while at home and trying to catch up on some old friends I hadn't seen in over 15 years. I went to a gathering at home of people I knew over 15 years ago. Wow!! There are families now and the kids I once knew as kids are now grown adults (although some still act like they did when they were kids). It was fun revisiting that time again. Also that weekend I was dealing with Christmas madness at home as my mom & grandma wanted to get all the decorations out while I was home to help. Christmas went up in practically a day. The house was transformed from Thanksgiving to Christmas just like that. I was sure I'd be sitting down to Christmas Eve dinner by Sunday, lol. On Saturday we all celebrated my grandma's 80th and I saw relatives I hadn't seen in over 15 years. What's with the past revisiting this holiday season? My mind was overloaded. When I finally got back to the city after the drive, the events of the 3 weeks in NY, and the events of the holidays, I was just exhausted. So exhausted I didn't want to do anything today and didn't. The most I did was go and sign my new lease and do a bit of grocery shopping. That was all. The rest of the day I vegged on internet TV catching up on my Heroes season. The madness begins again tomorrow. I feel I will finally be calm once the second holiday is over and I'm settled into my new abode. Here's to the New Year.

Politics and Auditions....

2008-11-06T00:24:00.001-05:00

A very historical day after a rollercoaster of emotions yesterday. Last night I hung out with some friends here for dinner at my favorite watering hole on 49th and 9th called Pam's Real Thai. Not only does this place give you a good portion, BUT IT'S CHEAP!! The food is phenomenal (especially since Pam was there herself last night in the kitchen). She has 2 locations. One is that one we went to and the other is on 47th and 9th called Pam's Encore. I particularly like the one on 49th the best even though it's smaller and noisier. Pam's Encore sprouted after I went to sea and I just favor the other one better. After eating with my friends last night they said that somehow the food tastes better, it has larger portions and smaller prices at this one too. After we spent a good 2 hours there we decided to walk the avenue and hit up a Japanese Dessert bar that one of the girls was curious to try. Kyotofu was the name of that place and it was a gem of a find. A fabulous date place. The menu is so eclectic that you would really find out some interesting traits about the person you decided to take there. The desserts are phenomenal ranging from tofu ice cream to warm miso chocolate cake. Nothing had any dairy in it and it was all fresh, new and tasty. The atmosphere was so warm and hip at the same time. It was an adventure for the senses. Afterward we bid adieu to two of our friends and headed uptown to watch the election unfold. It was a night of nerves, cheers and tears. As we watched the sea of blue take over the country, relief came into our hearts since we knew the country would now be in good hands. The emotional pinnacle came when states that would normally vote Republican swayed Democrat and McCain gave his concession speech. It was a very heartfelt speech congratulating Obama on his achievement of winning the white house. The crowd was not so forgiving, but McCain's message stayed on the right path with no slander against Obama's race and it was touching. Obama'a acceptance speech was moving. He still vowed to fulfill his campaign goals. He made a promise to listen to the people (unlike Bush). It was so moving to see we have finally made a change in our historical path. One change leads to another so I feel our country is now headed in a positive direction.

After the excitement of last night, today didn't start off too well. I set my alarm for "too damn early" in the morning. I was used to living a life of getting up around 9:00am and THAT was early. I needed to be up today because there was a chorus call in the morning and for chorus calls you should be there a half hour beforehand. Well the alarm went off and I slapped it instinctively and told myself that I would just lay there in the warmth for a bit before exposing my comforted muscles to the air. An hour later I rolled out of bed and in a little bit of a frenzy. I scrambled to pull myself together and get prepped. It seemed like there were obstacles at every turn. I tried to print my resume directly onto the back of my headshot (that was the stick paper I got for the shot so I could do that) and the printer kept jamming up. I was wasting time trying to do that so I just figured I would staple for now. Only in my current situation I could find no such item. I was a little befuddled. Nonetheless I got ready and dressed as fast as I could and now 20 minutes off schedule. On my way to the audition I stopped at a check-cashing place to get a stapler. I was lucky only the paper I had cut from the pervious day didn't match up. Shoot!! I stapled anyway and darted into the subway. The subway took an hour to get to the Public Theatre on Lafayette & Astor Place in the lower west side. I was off by half an hour. The auditions weren't closed yet and I was still only 38 on the list. Whoa!! I was milling about trying to get situated and then my book swung open and al the paper in my folder spilled to the floor in a huge spread as paper does when it glides to the floor in one huge clump. I was suddenly embarrassed and began to quickly shuffle it together. My number was called so I had to get into that area of waiting. All these signs this morning seemed to be trying to keep me away from the theatre. I went in to audition with my book and I looked at the pianist to give tempo and to get the first chord. He said I must have the wrong chord and he proceeded to TRY and find it on the piano. I somehow got the feeling I was in trouble now. I started off and cracked the first note. Woops. The rest seemed fine until the ending. My nerves kept showing here and there making breathing difficult. The end I sang the final melody and the chord was supposed to come in. Either he or I hit the wrong notes and I tried to slide up to the correct note at the end. Nada. I was so embarrassed. I left feeling a little defeated, but I knew I had one more to get to today. I decided to take the train back to the apartment, refreshen and practice a few before heading right back out again. This tie for a 50's show called Hula Hoop. I did okay in that audition. Nothing spectacular though. I came back to catch up a bit on some e-ccounts. Boo. The rest of the day was pretty laid back after that.

New York Life...

2008-11-04T08:39:00.000-05:00

Election Day! It's a pretty big one folks so get out there and vote. I hope it all works out in the end.

Yesterday was the first touch of New York life. I woke up early to get prepared for my first 2 of many auditions this week. I got myself together and took the subway into town to make my appointment for the "Altar Boyz" audition that would be playing in Medea, PA. There were lots of slots still open when I got there so that was good. I made it for a noonish time and set off on my way to get my cheap versions of my headshots cropped right and to start the process of ordering reprints of the better ones from Reproductions here in the city. The cutting and stapling began. Again. Once I got that little job squared away, I headed over to the reprint company. Wow. I had never been in there. I go in to view my test shot today. That would be the one print they copy to make sure everything on it is correct. Then they start the order for the reprints. I started with 50 just to be safe. After dropping a wad of cash here I headed over to the location of my second audition just to find it and then to find Broadway Dance Center's new locale. I had some time and I wanted to acquaint myself with the area a bit again. It was now time to head into the audition. It was at the Actor's Equity Building (AEA) and the nerves began to appear. I got up to the lounge and I could hear the auditions happening. The jitters go to level 5. The monitor asks for all the noon appointments and then asks if we wouldn't mind going in early. It was a slow day I guess. Nerves up to level 7. He lines us up and I'm first in line for our group. Level 8 now. The guy before me finishes (and he was awesome) and the monitor goes in to present the next group. Now at level 9 and shaking. He comes back and in I go. I casually greet the Director and Manager and present my music to the Musical Director at the piano. He saw the piece and says he played it a hundred times or more. Ahh, level 8 again and a little eased off on the shaking. We set a tempo and I go out to my mark. I nod and he starts. He starts off fine and I've sung the piece several times ON STAGE in an intimate setting. I start out confident, but he starts to falter at the piano missing beats and chords and getting behind or ahead of me. He's really played this a hundred times? My focus goes everywhere and the directors are just staring at me. I now head up to level 10 on the nerve scale and I'm at full shake. How is this possible after performing for thousands of strangers in my past? I notice the shake in my voice and the tension in my body starts to climb. This could be trouble for the high notes. Halfway through the song I realize suddenly how long this song is and just want it to be over since the piano playing was just awful. I finish and just have to laugh it off. I hoped the second one would go better. The second one was for "Rent" on tour with Adam Pascal and the other original cast member from the Broadway show. I was ill prepared and didn't really have an appropriate pop song for this. I was scraping as it was. I showed up and a friend of mine was there, which eased my nerves a bit. It was a chorus call so I was in line with other cattle. I didn't have too long of a wait though. 40 minutes max. I was in and out and less painful than the first. The only high-tension moment was just before the door opened. I was using a new piece so I was more nervous about making an ass out of myself forgetting words than anything. I was glad to have this experience over and done. That evening I saw one of my friends perform with a group called Broadway Voices. It was an event at the Kaufman Center (part of Lincoln Center). It reminded me of the show "Inside the Actor's Studio" in a way since it was in interview format with songs dispersed in between. The guests of honor were Richard Maltby and David Shire of famed musical endeavors such as "Starting Here, Starting Now," "Closer Than Ever," "Big, the Musical," and "Baby." Excellent lyricist and orchestrator duo. The songs are clever and tell wonderful stories. I'm a fan of several pieces and most were performed that night. It was an honor to be in the audience and experience such an event. This was my classroom! The musical theatre history I never got in college. It was amazing! They not only performed some of the pieces themselves, but they (as writers) were able to give little insights into the songs and shows they put together. My friend performed with the group in one number and they were fabulous. It was good that the evening ended on a high note.

I came to thinking the other day about the business I'm in. You really have to INVEST in yourself and market yourself as a product. As an actor I am a small business. You HAVE to have money to be in this career or struggle through it. For one New York in the ONLY place to be for this kind of business. If you're more of a TV/Film actor, then L.A. is the place and if you're a variety artist of some kind there are several, but Las Vegas being a major hub. To reside in all these places COSTS big bucks. Once you have a place to live and a suitable secondary job (income must come in somehow when you're LOOKING for work in the business), you have to obtain your marketable materials. This includes headshots or reels, which can run into the 100s. If you're a singer/actor or variety artist a repertoire of singing material of all different styles should be put together. If you have your own show, thousands of dollars go into making charts if you don't possess that knowledge. Even if you're just a singer and need a song transposed, cut, found, or fixed it can cost you if you don't have the musical knowledge to do it yourself. Then there is maintenance. You MUST have an internet connection and a cell phone these days. There is no way to keep up without them. Inevitably this means something portable for the internet such as the new blackberry technology or a laptop. There are lessons to take whether it is acting, voice, dancing, or instrumental. You also have to stay in shape (for the most part) so a gym membership is necessary. You also have to look stylish and good so a variety in your wardrobe is a must. Your skin must be fresh and your hair must be up with the times. I was having this epiphany the other day as I was prepping for the week. Wow. I am my own small business. This is where, despite the hard times, I have to be thankful to cruise ships for the savings I have built up and the debts I have already paid. I know I don't want to see that arena again, but it is a way to travel and it is a nice temporary fix for a low bank account. I can't quite kick it yet until I know I'm too old for it. As far as my knowledge goes, I still have 10+ years for that venue to finally expire completely. After all it is just business.

Gumption & Guts...

2008-10-25T15:08:00.001-04:00

After a week of relaxation (and by relaxation I mean eating breakfast when I wanted, in my pajamas, and not having a time limit throughout the day) a harsh bit of reality hit me. Yesterday I was prepping for New York. I've been communicating with people about apartments, getting my music together, and starting to practice. Pretty soon I'll have to print off some resumes and headshots. I've been excited about hitting the pavement, but that's easier said than done especially this late in the game. I have my auditions lined up and now I have music put together for the first ones. I hope the first ones go well, but after being out of the loop for so long, I really can't expect that. I'm not sure what to wear and barely deciding what to audition with. I have no monologues prepped so that kind of limits my choices a bit. I just have to remember perseverance. It's what has gotten me this far already. I took a hike in Juneau on the Perseverance Trail, which lead off onto the Mt. Juneau Trail. The Mt. Juneau Trail took more endurance than the trail leading up to it. It should've taken on the name Perseverance than it's lower trail. Once I got to the higher elevations the true sense of the word hit me. We kept hitting false peaks thinking it was the top. Time was running out and our legs were killing us. We wanted to get to the top though. We fought through every false peak and just as we were about to give up, the summit was in sight at last. We got up there and it was one of the most beautiful sights I've seen combined with an extraordinary sense of accomplishment. This is what I have to remember going to New York. There are going to be a lot of false peaks on my way to the top. I have to be tenacious in my efforts to go for the jobs I want.

This business is a tough one. Headshots, dance classes, voice lessons, representation, acquiring music, and staying fit can all add up in dollars. It's not a cheap industry. Then there are the supplementary jobs, constantly moving, times in poverty, and rejection upon rejection. This is what makes actually taking the stage and opening night such a rewarding and memorable experience no matter where you are. I took my mom and grandma to see "A Chorus Line" tonight in Cleveland. This not only can be the anthem of dancers, but of all of us in the performing arts business. It's hard enough getting the job, but once you get it, it only lasts for months at a time and maybe years to come. However getting the job is the ultimate goal and an invigorating venture for all those times it didn't happen. It really affected me tonight now leaving the safety net of the cruise ship world. Sea life has brought me back into the performing arts industry after leaving it for a year or more when I moved to New York. Ironic as that might seem seeing since New York is the hub of most live entertainment, but the timing was wrong. Debt, skepticism, and other factors kept me from letting loose and aiming high. When I came back into play at sea, it was rejuvenating. I became comfortable there especially since the entertainment company kept on offering and offering and still offering. Now I just saw a show where the talent was amazing and this is my competition. Not only was I seeing amazing performers, but also I was watching a show where the reality of what I'm about to step into was coming to life on stage. Yes a little outdated and hyped up for theatrical effect it was still very real. Some of the monologues just hit home. It takes a lot to let go and put your soul on the line and when you make it far enough to be let go, you have to regroup and do it all over again. You get the job and then when it's over you go after other shows. It's a process that never ends. The judging doesn't stop in the audition room either. It continues through rehearsal and then onto the stage. All that aside the big thrill is bringing someone so into the character you are portraying they forget about what's happening around them and they follow you (your character) on your journey. When you can tell a story so well that they are right there with you in the moment and that's usually when you're just spilling your guts on the line for everyone else to lap up. It was watching this performance that I was taken away into the characters and lost in their stories. After hearing some of the outdated lines (mostly relating to age), I started to get worried about how late I am at trying for these shows. There are tons of young performers coming to New York every day that have some amazing talents. In the show Paul gets hurt and has to go to the hospital. The question then comes up "what do you do when you can't dance anymore?" I hope to continue in this business as long as I can afford it. As long as I am determined. There are a few people in my life I can look up to who are along in their years and are still going strong. It just goes to show that this can be a fulfilling career if you don't let it get under your skin and as long as you persevere. Seeing "A Chorus Line" tonight though and listening to the stories as I did when I saw the movie was still a little nerve-wrecking. I'm determined to overcome all the negativity that surrounds this business and come out on top. My ultimate goal is Broadway yes, but if I can keep working while doing something I love, that is most rewarding.

Landed & On The Move....

2008-10-21T15:13:00.000-04:00

I am now resting at home with my family in Ohio after a turbulent last few weeks on board the Westerdam. This last summer with Holland America Line has been the biggest disappointment yet with how a company manages their product. On the plus side I'm very thankful that they have offered me the opportunity to meet great people and see the world. I literally traveled the world. I must say that I should've gone with my instincts in March to not extend on the current contract into the summer months. However everything happens for a reason and I have learned so much from staying on board no matter how frustrating. The pinnacle of my frustration came from learning that the company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace plastic decorations and umbrellas in the Lido pool area for a new pool party atmosphere. Up until the actual event I thought the night would have party music, events, and a BBQ buffet. It did have music. What happened to the other two expectations I have no idea. There was a buffet, but it was cupcakes and ice cream. Over $100,000 was spent in the entertainment arena for cupcakes and ice cream. We have costumes falling apart after being worn by several casts since 2004, sets deteriorating, a revolving stage that has been requested to be fixed since April, and out of 80-100 some odd lights on stage we have about 40 operating because of burnt out bulbs or defective lights. Yet the company sees fit to spend ridiculous amounts of money on plastic cartoon plants and umbrellas for a cupcake social that received poor attendance. They also spend this same amount of money on cartoon like instruments (that the band doesn't actually play) and plastic food for a silly show in the dining room that runs through all courses of the meal. Most of the feedback I've heard from this show has been a negative response. It goes to show just how much the company cares about the entertainment that actually gets seen on the big stage for a production show. I hear about sound boards crashing (as it has happened to us), set pieces falling and breaking, moving parts becoming inoperable, and equipment going faulty in the show lounges on other HAL ships. All these things affect the show in some way and it takes them half a year to fix them. Yet it's urgent to get some stupid event up and running that costs more to build than to fix the problems with the production shows or even in some cases problems happening mechanically around the ship. I realize that every company has mismanagement problems in some way. I just feel that this one has just jumped off the page with it in the last few years. Especially with the new Signature Class ships coming out. They are also refitting some of the smaller ships with Signature Class upgrades. This will cost millions of dollars. Meanwhile they are cutting back on the variety of entertainment by reducing the amount of guest acts on board and making the casts do more shows (which will inevitably be similar to shows already out there) and the lead singers performing a night of their own. Casts are going to be reduced from 10 to 7 or 6 in some cases. It will practically be like going to see the same show 7 times (for a 7 day cruise). I don't think I will be returning to this company nor can I recommend it to anyone. It just doesn't seem as appealing as it was when I first stepped on board. Doing library duty and teaching line dance class was better than doing some of the humiliating things the cast has to do now.

On a more positive note the adventures during the last part of the cruise were fabulous. In Acapulco a group of us headed off to a water park. I was excited because I had heard of this one slide where you end up in this big bowl type thing and plop out at the bottom into a pool. Essentially you get flushed. The day started off sketchy. It was a bit humid, overcast, and rainy. This was fine because it was warm and we were going to get wet anyway. We arrived at the park and it began to downpour. That lasted for about 20 minutes and we were in the water and on the slides. Oh well. At least we weren't getting sunburn. We took the plunge and did get flushed. It was great!! You slide down this one tube so fast and then whoosh, and you end up in this big bowl swirling around the edges. When you lose momentum you plop out the bottom and seeing people come out on their landing was the most hilarious art of the ride. We were all over the park just having a blast and all of a sudden the clouds parted and the sun made its debut about noonish. Fabulous!! The day just got better. About 20 minutes later the thrill rides began to open up including a swing bungee. Three of us got together, got harnessed up, and then we were lifted some 150 feet into the air. I didn't know what to expect and I wanted to bungee again that day anyway. My friend yanked the cord on the countdown and we were off. It was awesome!!! Free fall came first and then we caught the tension in the cord and began to swing. It was like flying out over the beach. It felt so good and had my endorphins going. We ended the day hanging out for a wonderful lunch at the Hard Rock Café. A few days later we landed in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. This is the place where the past few times I've ziplined. This visit was no exception. The day started out hot and sunny and then the clouds rolled in just before we caught our bus. This part of Costa Rica is a rainforest so I wasn't surprised, but I was hopeful it would clear up. We got to the site (a new one for me) and it just down poured. Again, it did this for about 20 or so minutes. So we did our first line in the rain. It was okay. It was a warm rain. On the next few lines, the sun dominated again. Awesome!! I love when that happens. The tour was just as good as the ones I've been to before. This was a double-lined zip wire. Safety first of course. Still there's something to be said about the single line zip at the other place. The lines at the place we went to that day seemed much longer though. It was great. Some of them we didn't have to worry about braking. We could just enjoy the ride. Even better. After a full day of careening through the trees we headed back pretty tired. For me the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. I had seen all the other places and traded some of my days off for other days in previous cruises I wanted more. I was basically just getting ready to go and enjoying the people I was around while doing it. I still have the travel bug so now I do want my Broadway dream once I get to NYC, but I wanted to book a land tour next. Preferably in Europe. I do have to get back there someday.

Now it’s a few weeks here in Ohio and then off to NYC. My friends are wonderful and already looking out for me as far as living conditions. I may have something good for NYC living soon. I hope the jobs come just as easily.

The Fight Over Gay Marriage...

2008-10-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

Unionization, civil bond, civil commitment, or whatever you call it, call it something. After watching the debates it appears that neither Obama nor McCain are in favor of gay marriage. Marriage being the key word here seeing that no one seems to want to change the definition of marriage from a union of a man and a woman to something else. Give the word to the religious fanatics who want to use this to define their bonds and a way to express their love to one another. Obama and Biden ARE in favor of civil fairness. Meaning that although religion seems to control what can be called marriage, the government can give the same benefits as defined in marriage to those loving couples who unite under different definitions. All we ask for are the same tax benefits, hospital visitation rights, adoption rights, property rights, and so forth that other couples can share as defined by the government under marriage. We can still be a family as recognized by the government. We need separation from church and state anyway as written by our forefathers. Religious differences in history have been the major cause of wars. Why fight over a word that religious officials do not want to relinquish to the political scene? Just give it a new name and let those who have their strong faith keep the word to define their unions. This will not only strengthen our nation as a tolerant nation as these candidates seem to be defending, but it will further separate our government from being mandated by religion.

Sunny Week...

2008-09-29T19:04:00.000-04:00

This last week in Alaska has been the best weather week we've had all summer long. Granted the temperatures have only been in the 50s or so, the sun has been out practically everyday. Glacier Bay was stunning this week as we pulled in. The sun parted the clouds and gave us warmer air to be outside in as we took in all of nature's beauty in this icy park. The blues weren't as apparent since the sun was glaring off the ice, but it did give us wonderful views of the bay and the mountains beyond. Glacier Bay is an interesting viewing dichotomy. The perfect day in Glacier Bay has to be partly sunny. As you pull into the park, ideally a nice opening of sun through the high clouds is optimum to see the vast reaches of the glaciers and their paths into the mountains. Once you reach a face of a glacier, its better to have the clouds cover the sun lightly so you can see the deep blue hues emanating from the cavities throughout the field. A sunny day is still fabulous though and it is rare if you can get such perfect weather up there. Chances are that if you have clouds, you have rain and that makes for a foggy and wet day. What amazes me still is the loud rumble that you hear from the glacier as tiny pieces fall off into the water. These aren't huge chunks, just little fragments. Of course that could be our relative distance as well. The Marjorie Glacier in particular is so huge that my perspective distance from it could be askew. A tiny piece from our stance could be a large piece up close. After all I did hear the rumble several seconds after the pieces fell into the water. You'd almost miss it if you waited to hear the calving instead of looking for it. In Juneau, it started a bit cold, but got pretty warm throughout the day and especially after getting close to it on the summit of Mt. Juneau. Three of us took the challenge that day and started on a 6 mile round trip journey to the peak of this mountain overlooking the Gastineau Channel. Our efforts looked bleak at first since the first part of the climb gains elevation fast and can be hard on your thighs. We all got our second wind though as we breached the canopy and came out on a ledge of this mountain about 1,500 feet up. We crossed over some waterfalls and began our steepest climb up the tip of the mountain. We were facing loose gravel and steep climbs having to use both hands and feet to get up. We reached about 5 false summits before actually reaching the peak just as we were about to give up. It took us roughly 3 hours to get up and time began to concern us. The summit was well worth it though since it gave us 360-degree views of Juneau. Behind us the ice fields, in front Douglas Island and to both sides the Gastineau Channel. It was amazing!! On the way up we even saw a huge mountain goat moving off another summit in the distance. The air was crisp and fresh and we all felt a sense of accomplishment after reaching so high. It was over 3,500 feet from sea level. I could have stayed up there for a few hours, but since our time was short, we had to go. We made it back down in half the time and enjoyed a well-deserved meal at a local favorite called Wild Spice (Mongolian BBQ style). Coming down was actually harder than going up. Especially on the steeper parts and whoa does that work the calves and thighs. The passengers had another unexpectedly gorgeous day in Sitka as the clouds parted for most of the day giving us rays of sunshine. I spent most of the day at a coffee shop looking out over the city. Ahh relaxation. In Ketchikan I was up at the crack of dawn to get off the ship. We're only there until 1:00pm. All aboard was at 12:30pm. You have to make the most of it. I was debating going out since the clouds were kind of thick. I decided to go for it. Destination was Deer Mountain. I was probably the first climber that day to tackle this well manicured trail on this mountain, but ever since my friend introduced me to this trail, I've been waiting for decent weather to take a stab at it again. Last time I ran out of time and this time I wanted to go for it to the summit. Well, weather did come in that day and got the best of me as well as time. I bolted up the mountain to the first summit in quick time. Just under 2 hours. The views were incredible and the clouds were still above me so I got excellent views of the channel and beyond. The clouds were covering the second summit though about another 500 or so feet up and a stiff hike to boot. I decided in the sense of time, weather, and possible wildlife (me being alone and apparently the first hiker up that day) to turn around at the first summit. I still made it to a top, just not the top. I made it down in 1 hour and back to the ship in time to fulfill my raft drill instruction. It was a rocky night that night for shows, which made it interesting. I had IPM in Victoria, but a few of us took advantage at the $20 cover for the Pinnacle Grill. It's the last week for that price since we'll be moving to the Caribbean next cruise. It apparently was the last week for this menu as well and there will be a whole new menu. It just means I'll have to make one more trip to the Pinnacle before I leave.

Money & Politics...

2008-09-27T17:31:00.001-04:00

A few days ago something a bit scary happened to me. My bank, Washington Mutual fell to the mortgage crisis. JP Morgan Chase bought them up and issued a letter stating that all customers are still covered under FDIC insurance as well as the strength of JP Morgan Chase. Washington Mutual will keep its label until next year when all files are merged. Of course I would pick the year the economy declines rapidly and dangerously near a depression to invest in my IRA. I'm sort of understanding how the investors felt just before the stock market crash of the previous depression. I'm feeling like I should withdraw all my money and stick it in a mattress so no one can touch it. That's the problem. Its history repeating itself again. Last time the government stepped in and reassured the people that everything was under control and not to worry. Investors started buying on margin (credit) and pumping the market. The economy continued to crumble and everyone pulled out at the same time. There was a selling frenzy and people got stuck. Those who bought on margin really suffered and when everyone pulled out, they exhausted the market of its resources to pay. Hence sending the country into a depression. I'm sort of out of the loop being at sea, but I've been watching the issues lately on our situation. I'm a little nervous. All these citizens are defaulting on their loans and declaring bankruptcy because employers keep cutting jobs. I don't know the main reason, but judging by what I see I think the rise in fuel price has something to do with it. Everyone's making budget cuts. I see it in my own company. I see it in the way people spend out here on vacation. No one's spending anymore to fuel the economy. If no one spends, no businesses make profits, and then they start cutting jobs. This leads to high unemployment rates and then people defaulting on their now high interest loans. All this defaulting puts the lenders in trouble and then they go bankrupt. This is what happened to my bank. I see a repeat of history if we don't stick it out for another few months to see who gets into the presidential seat and what they will do for the economy. If everyone pulls out, the banks will have no more money to pay and we'll be in a depression again. I'm a little nervous about this. Right now I have to have faith in JP Morgan Chase and hope for the best. I have a lot to lose if we hit a depression. I just paid off everything and my whole salary is in my bank as savings. I would hate to have endured this long and depressing summer in Alaska for free.

After watching some of the debate last night (I had a show and recorded it, so I've been watching it in bits) I see why we so desperately need Obama in the presidential seat next year. McCain is talking about MORE tax cuts for the wealthy & wealthy businesses. I see the Republican point of view. It seems they believe that if a tax cut is to be made, then we should all have an equal chance at the tax cut. However, this benefits the rich more than it does the middle class. The United States has always been seen as a land of opportunity from places around the globe. Immigrants come here from poorer countries to get their chance to be a part of our commercialism and capitalism. Throughout time it seems we have given these people a chance to do that and funded it through taxpayer money. It seems only fair that if a business then goes from start-up to major corporation they should give back to the United States in tax money to help its people. However businesses see the bottom line and the green of greed and they withhold that money by finding loopholes in the tax system as Obama stated last night. I really had faith in Obama last night and felt he did well especially on his financial standpoint. Yes he does plan on spending when he gets into office, but I feel his spending is justified. We are so behind on so many things compared to major economies around the globe. We especially need to fund projects to make ourselves self sufficient of fuel and stop backing these oil companies that depend on foreign oil to get us fuel. Not only does this source of fuel harm the environment, but also it destroys our stance in the global economy. We are at the mercy of our enemy right now. This use of fuel is not only draining our economy because we have to purchase it at high prices from foreign powers, but we are at war with these same people. A double blast to the economy. Obama really catered to the middleman last night. He did propose tax cuts, but only for those who can really use them. Yes major corporations and the wealthy will pay more tax next year. Why not? They can afford it. Why hoard all this money that can be used to help our country by making the educational system better, saving our environment, making us independent of foreign oil and giving us an opportunity for healthcare. So many are underinsured or uninsured. I am one of those. McCain promised a $5,000 tax cut for those people to use toward health insurance, but Obama brought up that McCain is going to tax health benefits, which in turn will make companies pull back health benefits and force people to find their own insurance. What good will that do? I can't deal with another 4 years of someone who continually gives preference to oil companies and the wealthy. I knew someone 4 years ago who stated that if we voted against Bush, we'd see a difference in our paycheck. This was someone within the bracket who probably would see a difference in his paycheck since the tax cuts would no longer benefit him if a Democrat got into office. My paycheck wouldn't change and my benefits would only get better until I crossed that threshold. If I ever did. If I were to ever to have a wealthy business or have a salary in the stratosphere, I wouldn't mind paying extra taxes like Obama has proposed since it would be going towards issues that would benefit the country. However if McCain takes the presidency, I too will still continue to find loopholes in our tax system since I wouldn't want my tax money to go toward this pointless war, oil companies, bailing out wealthy institutions to spur economic growth, and so forth. I really hope the next month will bring us not only a historical election event, but also a candidate who will do more for this country and save us from the tyranny of the last 8 years.

F.O.B.

2008-09-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

It's the last day of summer. It's been a cold one being up in Alaska the whole time. This week is our last week up in the great Northwest and thank God. Last week went by quicker because I had my San Diegan friends on board. Marianne and Eric came on board last Sunday and with them on board the week went by so much faster and smoother. It was the first time in a while I had friends sailing with me. We spent the afternoon roaming around Seattle seeing the public market, the first ever Starbucks, and the Seattle space needle. I love the public market in Seattle. In all the streetlamps there are potted flowers and along the roof tops of the marketplace are flower boxes. Street performers are lined up as you walk through and there are tons of eclectic and different stores along with your run of the mill tour shops. The main draw of the market is the fish counters. One in particular stands on Pike Street. I guess when you buy a fish here they throw it at you. There are tons of floral markets, fresh fruit and vegetable stands, bakeries, and meat markets. It's got an energy that's so refreshing after being so cooped up throughout the week. We went into the first ever Starbucks down at the Pike Place Market and it is unlike any of the other chains. It looks like the old grocer stores from the turn of the century with the glass jars, bean containers, and the rolling ladder that travels down the shelves of coffees. The original naked logo is still on display there. I've passed this many times on my walks, but today was the first time I ever saw it. How funny. After we headed down to the Seattle space needle via the monorail. It was the first time I've been in the area. I thought it was just a space needle, but apparently it's a whole kiddy amusement park. Pulling in on the monorail reminded me of the old park in Ohio formerly called Geauga Lake. It seemed like this area was built in the 50s or 60s as well. We didn't go up in the needle since the line was too long and it was a bit on the pricey side for just a trip up an elevator. We headed back to the ship shortly after. For the first time I attended the sail away party since they were entered in the raffle and I didn't have rehearsal until later. It was madness. So many people in one area and it got windy too. I had my opening night show that night and we just took it slow the rest of the evening. The next day was my workday since I had a show so it was business all day and a vacation for them. Tuesday we were in Glacier Bay. This was the first time all season I actually went out and viewed the Marjorie Glacier. It was raining and cold of course, but we were out on the front end of the ship looking at this massive piece of ice. The glacier was calving and it was sending off this sound of thunder. In all my seasons of being up in Alaska, I've never been outside and witnessed calving. This summer I saw quite a bit of it, but I was inside watching through a window. I've seen the glaciers pour out waterfalls and drop chunks of ice all from the comfort of the heated area. Being outside and hearing the sound is quite a different story. You can actually hear the glacier rumble as it moves down the mountain and then for such a small piece of ice there is a huge thunder. It's quite spectacular. I was glad I got to hear it for the first time.

We came to Juneau, Alaska. The state capital. I hear that Senator & Vice President elect Pallin said she could see Russia from her post here at the governor's house. Hmmm. I don't recall that view. It started off pretty rainy. For the first time THIS season as well we took the tram up to the viewing station on Mt. Roberts. It started really coming down, but we carried on up the trails to get some elevation. Although at that height with that weather we didn't have much of a view. The fog banks were pretty heavy. After about an hour or so of hiking in the rain, we gave up and took the tram down. We were pretty wet. Marianne wanted to have pizza at Pizza Roma in the Hangar. She remembered this local dive from her days in Alaska on the Prinsendam. They do have fabulous pizza and for a fairly reasonable price. While we were sitting there, the clouds seemed to just part away as the sunshine poured in. The forecast was for rain all day. It turned out to be gorgeous. They were scheduled for a dog sled adventure on the Mendenhall Glacier so I split with them and went on my own hiking adventure up Mt. Juneau. It was still pretty cold outside, but I was geared for it. Yet I started sweating the moment I started gaining elevation and really working my thighs. The trail was kind of rough. After the rain it was wetter, slippery, and muddier than previous and to be expected. What I didn't expect was to be the only hiker that day so far to make the trip. My fresh muddy footprints were the only ones on the trail. This made me a little nervous. After all a well traveled trail keeps the noise up throughout the day and scares off the wild life. Bears. I came across a fresh back footprint of a bear. After all, a trail for humans makes it even easier for bears to follow as well. I kept on thinking maybe the bear would be back resting since prime hunting was in the early morning or later in the afternoon near dusk. I saw a second and third later on in the trail as well as wolf prints. Granted wolves travel mostly in packs and hunt at night I started to get a little weary of moving on. The trail itself is flanked by thick growth on both sides enough to mask anything until the last minute. As I got higher, the fog was still getting thicker. The clouds had not yet moved beyond the mountains. I had to turn around since the locals warned me not to hike into the fog. I made it about half of the way. When I got to the bottom it took a few more hours for the clouds to clear the peak. By that time, it was too late to hike up since the whole trip takes about 5 hours. By the end of the day, the weather was absolutely beautiful for a wonderful sail away. It turns out they couldn't get to the dog camp on the glacier because of the fog as well. They did get to land on the glacier and take in the crevaces and mulans. The next day was Sitka, Alaska formerly occupied by Russia in the 1800s. Maybe this is what Pallin thought was Russia. Hmm. We got on a nature boat and traveled out into the Sitka Sound in search of wildlife. The sail was gorgeous. Again the forecast was for rain, but the sun was blessing us with its rays through the clouds and there wasn't a drop of rain. On the trip we saw some sea lions just basking on some rocks with a bald eagle standing watch, a whole raft of sea otters just sleeping, eating, and playing, a smack of jellyfish just off the stern of our boat (I mean the water was thick with them), nests and loads of bald eagles, and then about 15-20 tails of humpback whales. The whale sighting was unusual since you usually have to be lucky in timing to catch a feeding. Here there were loads of them just surfacing, blowing air out the blowholes, and then diving for the feed showing their tails. One even breached, but I missed that one. It was a fabulous morning of wildlife viewing. One of the guides thought he even saw a bear on the coastline at one point, but I never caught it with my binoculars. After the sea portion we were dropped off at the raptor center where we could get some up close views of bald eagles, owls, ospreys, and the like. This center is where they take injured raptors and rehabilitate them for release into the wild again. It's centers like these that restored the bald eagle population enough to be able to take them off the endangered species list. Some of the birds can't be released into the wild however because of their extensive injuries. The bones are hollow to make them effective flying machines, so when these pieces break severely enough, they can't be healed. There are other reasons for keeping them captive for their safety as with Sitka's case (name of the bald eagle we saw in the classroom that day). Sitka's handler brought her out for us to see in the staging area of the raptor center. She was injured enough that she lost one of her digits (comparable to our thumbs). Without this digit she couldn't catch salmon or other prey and hold on to them. Essentially, she'd starve in the wild. This digit is also useful for balance on branches as well. It was better they'd keep her at the center and train her for educating us. Some birds are restored to health as much as they can to be placed in other rehabilitation centers around the country for us to learn from. After the raptor center I headed back to the ship for some rest. I never woke up so early during the week before. The next day in Ketchikan was a workday as well. Show night and all. In Victoria we just walked around the city. I'd been there several times and so had Marianne, but it was new for Eric. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at a Canadian chain called Milestones. So good!! The weather wasn't all that great at first, but once the sun went down, the clouds cleared a little. There was a prediction for rain, but we managed to refute that prediction as well. Today they left in Seattle. A week sure goes by fast. If I could've had friends on board all summer that would've been amazing, but exhausting. This is the ship's last week in Alaska. I'm excited to say goodbye. There are some hikes I'd still like to conquer before I leave so I hope the weather is nice. The odds are slim though since this is the first week of fall.

Awesome Hike...

2008-08-27T22:25:00.003-04:00

The day started out early. A few of us rented a car from a local agency called Rent-A-Wreck. It was the cheapest place in town. Seriously, it was renting a wreck. Fortunately we had a pretty nice car. An Intrepid. We drove out to the Mendenhall Glacier visitors center with all the other cones (a term employees of cruise ships use for passengers. Because of their reaction of awe to certain things, they have episodes of wandering and those of us who know where we are going have to dodge them. Like cones in a test drive). Anyway, it was packed to say the least. Popular visitors site, but a fabulous view of the glacier face. We admired for a while and tried to get as close as we could at the visitor's center. In the process we saw up close some chunks of ice just floating in the water that fell off the melting and receding glacier. The water to the touch was amazingly cold. On our way back to the car I spied a sight I have NEVER seen in Alaska up close and personal, until today. A bear. YES!!! A bear just wandering through the brush just feet away from me. I whispered to my friends and then because we were so excitingly looking at the meandering bear in the brush we suddenly had a flock of cones upon us. They sprouted up from everywhere getting louder and louder snapping pictures, taking video, and some being obnoxious. Honestly though, I'd rather see a bear in the wild surrounded by almost a hundred tourists than be alone in the woods or in a small group and stumble on one. It WAS a sight to see. It was hiding out in the thick foliage and then it wandered out into the lake. It wallowed through the shallow end trying to catch salmon before it ended up on the shore. More spectators were just a few feet from it walking on shore and following its every move. I was so surprised to see such a calm bear. Its probably used to it just like at the zoos. I was happy to finally see one in the wild though. We left the populated visitors center and headed for the pice de l'resistance... the west glacier trail. We were told by our sources that we could follow certain trails and get right up to the face of the glacier. We were on our way. So we thought. We followed directions, but were mislead for about 40 minutes on a different creek trail. It was a nice walk, but put a little dent in our hiking time. We finally drove to the proper entrance and were on our way. The green foliage that was on this trail was so lush it was almost as enchanting as some places in Norway. The canopy made the mossy floor look extra green. We hiked through many mud puddles and over flowing streams. We were supposed to look for a turnoff that would take us along the lake to the face of the glacier. Soon we came to the difficult part of the hike. It was still prepped by rocks to use as stepping stones and rails planted in the ground to grasp onto. It was STEEP!! Whoa!! We were HIKING!! Up and up we went and confused as to where this turnoff was. We came to a point in the trail after climbing to about 1,000ft where it was marked with ribbons. It was clearly off trail, but there were footprints and ribbons. Three our of four of us decided this was not a good idea since the first part of that off trail was a steep climb down using tree branches on an almost nonexistent trail. We followed the marked trail (the proper trail) still upward. We did this for another 15 or so minutes reaching great heights, but wondering how we would get a turnoff to take us down to the glacier. We were overlooking the glacier now and that's not what we wanted to do. We turned around and hiked back to that point. We took the off trail. I've never had such a hike in my life. Using whatever we could to get over large boulders and muddy conditions and through thick brush. It was mostly down, but there were some ups to get over the ledges. We found a clearing and we were now on the floor of the stretch of land just before the glacier face 1,000ft. below where we just entered this off trail. We saw the glacier was close and began hiking down to sea level. It was steep, rocky, and uncertain. Previous hikers marked the trail with ribbons and rock sculptures. GENIUS!! Rocks piled upon one another to denote where they either camped or took the supposed trail. After some serious hiking over flowing rivers and previous ice fields now dried up, we were at the face. YES!! The glacier was looming overhead and we were right there. I touched the ice!! I landed on a glacier once before, but never hiked up to one. In fact I landed on THIS glacier. There were caverns below the glacier of blue ice and blue lakes. It was definitely a sight to see. We didn't have much time there because of our mistakes, but we took in as much as we could exploring. It's too dangerous to actually walk on the glacier without the proper cramp-ons (spikes attached to the shoes), so we just took it in from land. Besides the glacier at this point had several hollow caves below and was melting fast. If we were to walk on it, who's to say it wouldn't just cave in. We had to go the same route back as we came in. It was tough, but we made it through and i was slightly nervous always looking for the ribbons or the footprints. I was actually tracking on this hike to see which way to go. I guess I am a good outdoorsman. We made it back to the real turnoff point and all I could do at that time was wonder how much easier the hike would've been, lol. By the time we got back to the car I was exhausted!! Whoa! Talk about an awesome day. The wether did not let us down either. It was sunny most of the day. Fabulous. I hope for one more wonderful day in Juneau so I can get to the top of Mt. Juneau.

Just A Thought....

2008-08-07T15:38:00.003-04:00

So I was out hiking in Juneau on the first beautiful day in MONTHS!! Yes, it's the coldest and rainiest season up here in the north. Oy!! It was breathtaking. The views, air, weather, scenery. It was all worth the exhaustion later and today. As I was hiking along there were several local folk walking dogs and enjoying the day. The dog would do it's duty and the owner would place it in a plastic bag. Then it dawned on me. This isn't a city park. This is a wildlife trail. There are bears and other wild animals that do their business quite frequently and no one picks up after them. There are no children running around here on the cliff sides and rolling in the dirt like they do in a city park. So there shouldn't be a concern for disease and bacteria from all the local dogs leaving their messes on the grass. It's completely natural. Why do we as humans have to pick up something natural (and smelly I might add) and place it in something unnatural (plastic) to be disposed of at a treatment facility that may use oil to run its facility in our ever increasing energy crisis? Not only that, plastic doesn't decompose as quickly as natural matter does. It especially bothered me when I saw a gentleman pick up after his dog, put it in a plastic bag, and then leave the bag on the side of the trail. WHAT?!?!? What is so different from just leaving it there untouched in the first place? Now he's just contaminated natural matter that could have decomposed and actually given nutrients to the life around it. Now that I think about it, why do we even pick up in city parks at all? We should just carry a scooper and then dump it under a bush or something. Natural fertilizer!! Especially in my hometown where deer run freely through the neighborhoods and parks and leave their droppings. We don't pick up after them so why dogs? I think sometimes we have our ideals backwards when it comes to things concerning nature.

Tree-Top Adventure...

2008-07-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first adventure we did as a cast or just in general since being on this Alaska itinerary. We all had our mornings free and then we met up around one in the afternoon for a little canopy adventure. It wasn't the greatest of days for weather, but really what day has been a great day since we got up here? We've had maybe 2 or 3 days in Alaska that have been nice enough to call summer. The rest have been dreary and reminiscent of autumn conditions. It was a cloudy day with a light mist in the air. Cold. As usual. We met one of our liaisons in front of the tram station where we were led to the first part of this eco-adventure. It was the high-speed boat ride across the Gastineau Channel. I forgot about the high-speed part. We started out at a moderate pace and then she kicked it into high gear. We were fish tailing and riding over wakes like mad. It was like a roller coaster ride. We made it across the channel and disembarked on a rocky beach on Douglas Island where there used to be a gold mine. Treadwell Mine. We got suited up and were given our instruction on the safety of our gear. Afterward we got into a huge off road vehicle that resembled something you might find at Disney on the Indiana Jones ride. The oversized hummer took us up steep inclines passing various remnants of the mineshafts that used to be there. The mine caved in so it was just the skeletal remains of this gold mine that we could see from the dense foliage. We passed some of the tree platforms on the trail and they were fairly high in the air. The zips would take us over many "glory holes" so called because many a miner went to their "glory" while mining here in the 1800s because they slipped or got to close to the cliff's edge. The area we were in was really rich in quartz crystal. You could see it condensing on the rotting trunks of trees that had fallen over. Because of this, the guides said that these areas would also be rich in gold and that is why many miners flocked to these regions. The mine is dead now though and is only used for recreational purposes such as careening through the treetops on cable wires. As we were hiking to our first platform we passed many bushes of Devil's Claw. This unsuspecting plant looks like an innocent large leaf plant from above, but the guide lifted op the leaf and showed us the stalks underneath. They were loaded with spikes from the underside of the leaf to the root. He told us that an encounter with this plant would release the spikes into your skin where they would burrow deep into the layers of the skin and keep burrowing until you got them surgically removed. Ouch!!! He did say that they contained chemicals within the stalks that were highly medicinal for treating cuts and bruises. The needles wouldn't cause any poisonous damage, but they would be a huge discomfort if you never got them removed. The forest floor was covered with this plant. I think I'd rather fall into a patch of cacti rather than be the victim of a Devil's Claw patch. Especially with the constantly burrowing spikes. Anyway we got to our first platform, which would be our test run. The cable was only 10 feet long, over shallow ground, and pretty level. At this point there were already major differences between a U.S. based zip line company and the Costa Rican based company. In Costa Rica we only had one cable and here we had 2 cables holding us up (one on top and one on bottom). Throughout the tour we were constantly strapped to a line of some sort and in Costa Rica we were sometimes at the whim of the platform. The U.S. based company was just a little more safety conscious. It was so much fun to watch the newbies go first. I knew how to brake and understood the concept. So did a few others, but some didn't catch on. You're supposed to press down on the cable behind your head, which causes friction enough to slow you down or stop you with the gloves you have on. Well, some just flat out grabbed the cable, which is equivalent to slamming on your car brakes. A quick and jerky stop. After the test cable we were suspended over 100 feet off the ground on a platform near the top of the tree. We were zipping mostly on Sitka Spruce, which is most prevalent in these parts. They are tall and skinny. The trees in Costa Rica are stubby and thick so you're thrill is zipping over the valleys and the trees root themselves on the sides of these valleys so you're not up to high off the ground until you zip on the cable. Here in Alaska you're suspended over 100 feet in the air on a skinny spruce zipping over the forest floor and valleys. I noticed the difference in thrill when I looked to the next platform and saw the tree swaying from side to side. A tall and skinny tree with a lot of weight at the top tends to sway. Although the guide said that he'd rather see it sway than to see it stiff. Stiff would mean that the tree was dead and that we'd be in trouble. The zip lining part was so much fun. I love this idea. We were going from tree to tree and over these huge "glory holes" (deep cliffs) and at one point in the course we were on a tree platform about 200 feet off the ground. As we went along we saw various remnants of the leftover mineshaft including an eerie cave entrance that looked huge from above. We came to our first rope bridge. There are 2 in the course. It spanned about 100 or so feet across the valley. It was three 4 x 4 planks wide and all held up by cables. We had a cable above us that we were clipped to just in case the bridge were to sway too much. It was really strange walking across the bridge. My knees wanted to buckle because it was so skinny and we were so high. This was much different from the Capillano suspension bridge up in Vancouver where you can walk across without any safety gear and about 100+ people can fit on it at one time. This could really only hold 10 people at a time and it swayed a lot. We crossed the 2 suspension bridges and finished our zipping with the longest cable. The 750 footer. This passed a view of the Gastineau Channel and a steep valley below. It was awesome. The last part of the adventure was the most difficult for me; getting down. We were on a platform now about 100 feet off the ground and there were no lines attached. No zip line to home base on the forest floor. No, the only way down was a straight down repel. You had to swing out on the platform and lower yourself. It was totally safe since the pulley carried 90% of your weight. So even if you swung out and let go, you'd fall at a moderate pace and there was someone below to control the pace of the rope as you came down just in case. I swung out and my foot slipped off the platform instead of pivoting and I did a full turn before stopping again with my feet on the platform. I could have just started descending, but they wanted us to just pivot, regain control, and then ease down. The regaining control was what I had trouble with. Once my feet were planted and my heart eased a bit, I started to lower myself. I was glad to be on the ground again. We got a snack and a gold medallion (well maybe fool's gold) for completing the course. We took the high-speed boat back across the channel and we were done with our adventure for the day. It was so much fun. My first time zip lining in Alaska. After this adventure I was so tired from all the fresh air. We took in some pub food and headed back to the ship for the evening. I still got my gym workout in though.

Alaska Home? No Way...

2008-07-05T20:52:00.000-04:00

Alaska has just been so unmotivating. After being in Alaska now for 3 seasons, I just don't see how anyone can live here. I was strolling through Ketchikan today noticing the small bar-b-ques and festivities for the locals. Stores were closed and even some local restaurants. The tourist shops didn't close. Oh no. Not with 3 big ships in port. It was raining as usual. This has been quite the rainy season this year with temperatures not breaking over 60 most of the time. These parts of Alaska (the most southern) get close to 300 days of rain a year. That's A LOT of rain!! Also, since they are located pretty north on the globe, they get the shortest days of the year from October through April. Ew!! Depressing. I'm only visiting and it's depressing being here for such a long time. The general feel of the territory is mining and fishing. Schools are small. Towns are small. I feel like when you live in a particular region, everyone knows who you are and what you do. Wild animals are predominant here since there is so much open territory and bears can be in your backyard like deer in the Midwest. Yikes!! VISITING Alaska is about all I can handle and after this summer, I think I will have seen enough of the northern territory. At least the territory along the cruise ship routes. When the weather is warm and sunny, the scenes are breathtaking. The sights you can see here are like nowhere else. Bald eagles fly freely. You can spot one almost everyday. A rare if at all occurrence anywhere else in the U.S. Bears also run wild around here. My philosophy on that is as long as they are visible and separated by a large body of water; I would enjoy seeing them in their natural territory. If they are hiking alongside me in the woods, they're too close for comfort. Soon, I'll be able to see the salmon as they swim upstream in certain parts of the Alaskan regions we visit. You don't see that everyday, unless you live here. The glaciers are truly amazing and are just as unbelievable and breathtaking as the ones in South America and Norway. Snow for 8 months out of the year? No thanks. Temperature highs only reaching maybe 70 (80 once or twice) and sinking as low as 20 below? No thank you. I can barely stand the weather in the northern climates where I grew up let alone that kind of weather. Houses still go for half a million here for a modest home you may not be able to access via a drive or a street, but by stairs. I could understand if they were cheap and you could have one for a summer retreat. However when they compare to those houses in warmer climates, forget it. Yet people do CHOOSE to live here. I don't understand why. To me it just seems so secluded. Yet, maybe THOSE people that live here wants to be secluded. It would explain some crazy behavior I see whenever the ships are in town. To each his own, but in my opinion Alaska would not be the home retreat for me. I'd rather live in the jungle.

Expensive Tasks...

2008-06-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

A day of accomplishment in Juneau, Alaska. I spent quite the sum of money however, but I still feel great. The only bad news really came yesterday when I went to turn on my iPod only to find out it died on me. Number 3 down the tubes. The good news is I can now convert to the newer models that no longer have easily damaged moving parts. The old ones and the current classic-style video iPod are really just hard drives that play music. This means that when they are toted around or used for exercise or you shuffle music on them excessively, they get worn out fast. Not to mention if you record on them, they REALLY get worn fast. So, I will now look into the Nano for exercising and practicing and the new iPod Touch for everyday use. The Nanos run cheap now. It's the Touch that can get pricey, but that's because it also has GPS, Internet, video, and all kinds of other special bells and whistles. It's an investment and in theory it should last longer. However along with the stiff price, it also brings less space. Boo. I'll just get the Nano now less than $60, and maybe upgrade later to the bells and whistles kind. The iPod was not my major expenditure though. It was my dentistry. Yes. A dental checkup for approximately $400 including digital x-rays, a consultation, and a cleaning. I guess the fuel crisis is running its course in the medical profession too. I was thoroughly impressed with the service and the digital x-rays were amazing. No radiation whatsoever. It popped up on the computer next to me in seconds and I could see my fate. Good news. No cavities!!! This was definitely good news since I hadn't had a cleaning in over a year. Thank God for Sonicare toothbrushes. I live by their credibility. I was told I had nice strong teeth and healthy gums. A simple cleaning and a little fluoride for the sensitive areas was all I needed. The digital x-rays are what cost though. Whew. State of the art. I don't mind spending that much on the protection of my mouth though. I especially need to protect that area in my industry. After getting one major stress off my back this morning I did some healthy snack shopping in the organic aisle and then met some friends for good times at the bowling alley. It was cold in Juneau and overcast. The conditions on the mountains are still too sketchy for hiking, so we kept ourselves occupied with some good ole American fun. After I exhausted myself in bowling I took in the local Yoga class for the evening. Ahhh. Relaxation and stretching. This class is a killer, but afterwards I feel so open and stretched. It's the longer days like this where I can forget about ship life and the confinement that ensues after all aboard. Juneau days and Victoria days are my refresher days. It's when I can be off the ship at some point in the evening to enjoy a bit of real life. The other ports go by too quick with all aboard in Ketchikan at 12:30pm, Seattle at 2:30pm, and Sitka at 4:00pm. We have 2 official sea days, but since we leave Ketchikan so early and arrive in Victoria at 6:00pm, we really have 2 more. I love my port time.

On the flip side, it is nice to be on board in this turbulent time. The fuel prices are affecting EVERYTHING from travel to the snacks you buy on the shelves. Energy costs, phone bills, merchants of all types, rents, and housing all affected. I only require a shop for snacks once in a while and some recreation now and then. It costs, but not as much as if I were on land right now paying into rent, utilities and transport. Whoa!! I hope the creative inventors bringing out such small wonders as the iPod Touch or even as intense as the new A.I. coming into the market can find a way to make clean fuels that don't eat up our earth's resources. First and foremost we need to pull out of this stupid war that's running our economy into the ground. Oil seems to be getting higher no matter what. Save money and souls and get those people out of there. I haven't been watching the political races, but I know that Obama has come out on top for the Democratic candidate. I sure hope Hilary accepts his offer to run on the same ticket. I feel this would FINALLY give our country the respect for breaking out of the conservative mold we've buried ourselves in and it would set our goals in a positive direction for a better economy and government. Only 202 more days of this retard in office. After 7 years of this crap, 202 days just seems too long. He needs out NOW! This time I hope our country can vote without fear.

Wild Adventures...

2008-05-03T21:37:00.001-04:00

Port of Hualtulco, Mexico in the city of Santa Cruz. I’ve been here before. It’s my third visit actually. The first time I did the tour, second I had IPM, and now today was a beach day all the way including the water sports. We got off the ship nice and early and it was HOT. Whoa. We found some beach chairs care of the local beach entrepreneurs and settled. A few of us got bored pretty quickly and decided to get a wave runner. I shared mine, as did our Cruise Director. It was awesome. We headed out of the bay and into the rough waters. It was pretty windy and choppy. We zipped through the water catching the waves and bouncing like mad. It was a half an hour of pure excitement and exhaustion. It was equivalent to riding a bucking horse at times along with the seawater splashing in our faces. I told my passenger that if I was ever taking it too rough to let me know. I had two handlebars to hold tight and he had just my life vest. He never said anything so I would take long strides gunning it at top speed and taking some good air. We rode out of the main harbor and into the open seas for a bit. It was so windy that the water would just blow right into our faces like I remember when we went tubing in Aruba. We sped around in the water doing figure eights and donuts as we tried to splash each other’s wave runner with the wake of the water. A wild ride all the way. I rode on a wave runner before when we were in Grand Cayman some time back. We split the half hour slot between 4 people so it was 15 minutes out and switching drivers. My passenger didn’t care to drive so I did for the full half hour this time. It was tiring battling those waves. Wow. I remember a time too when I was in high school when my brother and I rented little speed boats at the Disney World Resort by the Grand Floridian. That was awesome as well just driving on the water and catching all the waves and splashing each other. This felt equally exciting. I love the water toys.

Today brought new meaning to the question: if someone asked you to jump off a building, would you? We headed out in Acapulco early this morning for a resort called Paradise right in the midst of the city. Once we arrived at the resort we discovered that the bungee place didn’t open until noon, but they were delighted to situate us on the beach and start serving us cocktails. Some of our party did just that and the rest of us decided to investigate the local retail shops along the main strip. A half an hour later we found ourselves at the bottom of a 165 ft. tower signing release forms and logging our weight for the jump to come. As I was paying my fee and signing my forms I couldn’t believe what I was actually doing. The insanity of it. I couldn’t believe how many of us were partaking. Just a year ago I couldn’t fathom just jumping off anything attached to a chord. I’m now even wondering what skydiving would be like. My brother’s been trying to get me in the air for a while now. So I was all set and ready to go. Signed and paid I was riding up in an open elevator reminiscent of the free fall rides you go on at the amusement parks (only there were no harnesses). My knees began to get weak as we climbed the heights in the narrow lift. We reached the top and suddenly 165 ft. seemed a lot higher than normal. I’ve dropped on 300 ft and 400 ft coasters and my heart was racing more anticipating the jump than it was waiting in line for those thrill rides. I saw 2 people jump before me; one as we were climbing in the lift and the other at the top when I was waiting to get fitted. The one I saw at the top was in a flash of the eye. One minute I was looking at him and the next moment I looked and he was gone. I put my harness on and entered the staging area. My friend Nicole whom I rode in the elevator with was all set to go. Bound at the ankles. As I was getting my ankles bound she hopped over to the platform where she got hooked up to her bungee. She waved at the camera and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and she was off. Suddenly my heart was beating rapidly. I was next. As she finished and they reeled her in at the bottom, they started attaching the bungee to my ankles and harness. After her chord had finished rewinding itself back up to the platform I found myself hopping out on the plank. My hands were sweating profusely and every bone in my body was acting against this task. I waved at the camera and the countdown commenced. There was a gentle push from behind and I found myself free falling over the edge in a swan dive toward the pool below. I cannot even describe the butterflies that buzzed around in my stomach as I careened toward the ground below. It was smooth all the way down and then came the elastic point where I was drawn back up to fall all over again. All the blood was in my head now and all I could concentrate on was not to pass out. I was spinning because I instinctively pulled my hands in on my jump, which sent some momentum going and the ground was circling below me. I knew I had to extend my arms to stop the spinning and I did, but the secure part of me just wanted to keep my arms as close to me as possible. I grabbed hold of the bar that would reel me in and I was on my back safe on the ground getting my harness removed in no time. I had a surge of adrenaline and was pumped up for the rest of the day. Whoa. I never had such a rush. Most of us managed to go. Even a girl who was afraid of heights!! We settled for some cocktails and a good lunch at the restaurant at the bungee’s base. I had lobster, shrimp, and steak for less than $30 and with the perfect open-air beach view!!! That was awesome. Something like that would cost a minimum of $70 in the U.S. We were all so hyped and now full of margaritas, we just stayed at the restaurant for a while. Upon leaving I went and visited some of the parrots and toucans that were perched as you come down in the restaurant. Some were very friendly and others were mean. One of our guys got pecked and learned that some were not happy with humans being around them. The one that was friendly was REALLY friendly with me. I let him perch on my arm and I soon found out he wanted to make residence there for a while. More than I cared to have him perching on me for. Different people tried to get him to perch on their arms and he just snapped at them. He made his way to my back and perched right on my shoulder. We tried to get him back on his perch without touching him so I bent over and was wondering if he’d just walk back on to his perch. Nope. He was happy with my back and was determined to stay there. Great. Finally one of the waiters came out with an extended perch and got him off my back. I’m glad he found me friendly enough for a perch, but was more than happy to let him get back to his own. Our day ended at the Lido pool with more cocktails and some wonderful music by our party band on board. I have to chalk this day up as one of the most exhilarating days of my life and I can finally check another thing off the list of things I’ve done in my youth.

A quote I came across today that struck me as a good motto for life: “20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did. So through off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain. I feel this is perfect for the life I’ve been leading over the past 3 years.

Me Tarzan, You Jane....

2008-05-01T18:24:00.002-04:00

Ahh Costa Rica part deux. This was my second visit to Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The first time we went we did the short zip line tour, which included 11 cable lines and one long 750-meter line. The newest line they built was the 1050-meter line. We didn’t get to do that line this time since we took the long tour where you take horses to the starting point and take 25 cables down through the canopies of the rainforest and over streaming waterfalls. We headed out bright and early since we had to be back on board at 4:30pm and we had about 25 or so people in our group (20 of which were doing the horseback riding). I saw familiar faces from the last time I did the tour as we trekked through the wilderness and hairpin turns along the mountainside. We arrived at Vista Golfo where we geared up, sprayed up for bugs, and saddled up. I named my horse babe and she knew before I did what was up and where to go. Before the gate was even open exiting the ranch, she was on her way over because the lead horse was headed that way. We got out onto the trail and I remembered the last time I was on a horse way back in my youth on a trip to Cincinnati and Kings Island. That was about 20 years ago and I remember being very sore the next day. This is what I was looking forward to. She trotted to catch up and I felt the hardness of the saddle and the difficulty in trying to keep myself on. I have a whole lot of respect for those cowboys traveling miles across the plains in the 1800s.I appreciate technology allowing me to have a comfy reclining chair as I make those trips now. We had some gorgeous views as we rode o the starting point and it was fun seeing how the horses reacted to each other. My horse and another horse one of the girls was riding on were in competition with each other. Every time my horse wanted to pass her horse, her horse wouldn’t allow it. He kept cutting us off. We arrived at our starting point and geared up into our harnesses. The course would take us through 23 zip line cables and 2 repelling cables. We followed this stream of water that trailed downward into waterfalls. It was absolutely breathtaking. I loved the speed and the sense of flight as I transversed the path. The repels were a little scary since we had to go into it backward and the incline on the cable was steep. The knot they used to secure us however made us go real slow so it was still fun and you could take it all in since we were repelling over a big waterfall. A couple points on the trip you could dip your feet in the water just before it went over the cliff as you were careening past. It was fabulous. Our longest cable was about 512 meters. That was really liberating to be traveling through the air and the trees for a longer time. I still wish we could have done the longest cable. 25 Cables later we were exhausted and hungry. We were using muscles I forgot you had to use like the braking hand and your abs to pull yourself up to the next platform. All the platforms were in little tree houses. It was like Tarzan in the jungle. We arrived at the tree lodge hungry and a good lunch was coming. Also included was a meal of Costa Rican influence. Mmmm delicious!!! I wrapped it up with a nice tequila sunrise and some ice cream. Because of the amount of time we had I didn’t get to swim in the mountain water in the pool out back like we did last time. It was pretty much eat and run. We had to get back to the ship. I did spend some time on the trampoline though. I always love bouncing on the trampoline. It’s so therapeutic. On the ride home I was out. Of course. Just exhausted. It was a relaxing evening afterward and I slept real sound that night. The next adventure coming up is Acapulco. I have a plan for something daring. I just don’t know at this juncture if I’ll follow through. Eeek!! I’ll see.

Saving For Life...

2008-04-24T22:41:00.000-04:00

I am on the road to saving for retirement. It was a liberating yet scary feeling the other day when I went to my bank in Ft. Lauderdale and opened my first I.R.A. account. It was almost the same feeling of talking to a financial consultant as when I was in on buying my first real estate property back in 2003. I don’t know much about finances and have read a few books so I felt belittled by what the man was talking about and yet in the back of my mind I knew it was for a good purpose and for later savings. I’m going to contribute the maximum this year allowable. Interest rates are pretty low right now, but since I invested in mutual funds for my I.R.A. I should get more from it when the economy rises again. One thing I did learn from the books I read is that even though the economy is in a low, you can purchase more mutual funds. At a later time when the economy grows and your monthly input can’t purchase the same amount of mutual funds, the ones you already purchased will be growing with the economy. I’m hoping that is true. I had to start planning now while I’m in a surplus and have no debt. Social Security for the future looks grim, and while I’m on cruise ships I’m not putting anything into that fund anyway. People are living longer these days and I want to plan for it. I am glad that I’m traveling now while I’m young though and seeing as much of the world as I can. You’re only young once.

Sailing, Take Me Away...

2008-03-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

So I did something pretty amazingly fun yesterday in Tortola, BVI. We set sail on a yacht for the day. Yes, you read right, a yacht. A millionaire's dream. We didn't pull in and clear until 1:00pm or so and a group of us decided to head out on a sailboat. This sailboat was equipped with 4 bedrooms, a common room, a kitchen, and a deck area. It was a yacht so to speak. Not a motor yacht like the fancy ones a millionaire would own, but a yacht nonetheless. We went to the local grocer first and stocked up on snacks, liquor, and mixers. It was going to be a cool day of relaxing on the water with the wind catching our sails. We headed off out of Tortola toward a place called Normal Island. It was great. The winds were a little up and the current was a little strong sending our sailboat on a pretty intense list, but it was okay. We were all secure. Some of our team took turns at the wheel as we headed out and our captain prepared the sails. Since the winch was broken we had to use muscle power to raise the sails in which I helped along with some of the other able bodied people on board. We were up and ready within 20 minutes of sailing and enjoying life. I just laid out on deck for a while catching the cool breeze and the sun. After about an hour of sailing and passing some cool coves and caves that would've provided some excellent snorkeling had we brought our gear we arrived at Willy T's floating bar. We had to pull up a buoy about a whole football field or so from the bar so some of us decided to swim. We had a little speedboat tugging along with us, but we were told there wasn't much fuel in it for recreational use and we needed the exercise anyway. It was quite the swim. I thought I wasn't going to make it there it was farther away than I suspected. One of our guys didn't even bother and ended up taking the speedboat and another one made it half way before he was just treading water and the speedboat picked him up. I did make it, but was exhausted. We all took pride in ourselves for swimming there (those of us that did), but we all forgot one thing… money. Oops!!! I even had a special pouch for money and things that needed to be waterproofed in my board shorts and I forgot we were swimming to a bar. Oh well. We started a tab. Now for those that don't know about Willy T's it's a floating fun bar in the Caribbean. You can look them up on the internet at www.bareboatsbvi.com/norman_island_willy_t.html and check 'em out. It's a hopping bar that all the little speedboats pull up to in the Bay of Normal Island and have good times, good food, and music. ALSO it is known for people jumping naked off the top level of the boat into the water. Yes, naked. Of the 8 of us that went, 5 jumped off naked. I did not partake. It was fun to watch though. Hilarious indeed. We stayed there for a while soaking up the atmosphere before 3 of us swam back to the sailboat. That would include me. I jumped off the floating bar and swam back to the ship. Exercise needed, lol. The rest took the speedboat. We pooled our money together and then the captain and one other took that back to Willy T's to pay our tab. We had a sunset sail back to the ship. This was absolutely breathtaking. I even got my turn at the wheel and drove the boat for a while on complete wind power. Fabulous!!! Warm from the cocktails despite the cool air we headed back to the ship for some BBQ dinner outside. What a perfect end to a fabulous day.

Poison Control...

2008-03-11T23:14:00.002-04:00

In the past month or so I've been trying to detoxify my body of the poisons I've put into it especially working on ships in the past 3 years. All that build up was starting to affect my mood and energy. I was always changing diets based on what the latest research said about all the preservatives that are in the prepackaged foods in America as well as in other places around the world (mostly the U.S. though). After many people telling me their knowledge of nutrition and how certain foods react, digest, and how they can cause a build up leading to an acidic state, I took action. An acidic state isn't what you should be in as far as your system is concerned. Acidic states cause cancers, aches, depression, weight gain, disease, and deterioration of the body in general. The most effective state is an alkaline state. When your body is in an alkaline state, it can ward off disease better, produce muscle, digest properly, and rejuvenate your energy. It's a state that's very difficult to achieve in this modern age of preservatives and artificial substances. For instance, my uncle sent me this posting with information in it that has been told to me over and over again in various articles and by people knowledgeable of nutrition. I can't stress it enough. Dietary sugars are HORRIBLE for you no matter who makes them. Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, and Equal all have CHEMICALS in them that are not to be ingested by any digestive systems. Whenever you get a piece of electronic equipment with the little packet inside to preserve freshness it says you should not ingest the contents and if you do to contact the poison control center. The SAME chemicals in THAT packet are in Sweet-n-Low. Yet, it's okay to dump them in coffee, sweets, or any number of dietary "treats" we feel we can have because it's not real sugar. Sugar, unbleached and in it's natural form, is great!! If you don't want to have sugar, have honey or mash up some fruit and bake with that (apples are always good sources). These additives along with other poisons like high fructose corn syrup (which never digests), MSG, or partially hydrogenated oils can damage our system. Here's the article:

"In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain. By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of. She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd. On March 19 I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS. I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment. I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda! I e-mailed her article my friend, a lawyer, had sent. My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but she sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home. Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda...and literally dying a slow and miserable death. When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life.

If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' marketed as 'Nutra Sweet,' Equal,' and 'Spoonful.' In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject. I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is! Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas. In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly. This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia. During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using ASPARTAME (Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, Cramps, Vertigo, Dizziness, Headaches, Tinnitus, Joint pain, Unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!' People were jumping up during the lecture saying, 'I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?' Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem.

Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence! Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight! These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve 'tissue specimens.' Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body! Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the 'diet products' and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period. Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame. The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance. Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage, Seizures, Depression, Manic depression, Panic attacks, Uncontrollable anger and rage. Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called 'behavior modification prescription drugs' (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children were being 'poisoned' on a daily basis with the very foods that were 'better for them than sugar.' It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome. Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.

There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.' Herein lies the problem: There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included in 100 different products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED! There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced. Everybody wants a 'piece of the Aspartame pie.' I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is. And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians? This has been recently exposed in the New York Times. These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products. Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants. The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms. The bill was killed. It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you're informed now!

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!"

That is just crazy!!! Consumerism and capitalism are our biggest killers. Money is what it all boils down to. Drug and chemical companies have power because of all the food additives and chemicals they create for a "better life" when all they do is kill. Yet, they sell because we eat up the marketing. We give them power by catering to our addictions and unwillingness to change. The even bigger picture is information and communication. Conflicting information and lack of communication to be specific. We are an ill-informed society who'll believe what people in power tell us as truth. It doesn't matter if they have the market in something like dangerous chemicals in food additives. Fast food chains being the biggest culprit. Our fast lifestyle buys right into it too. It's the same problem with the environment. Oil companies have the power and the market. There's NO WAY a cleaner way of energy will come out if we don't take action in the little things we do like installing solar panels for energy, windmills, etc; Biking or walking to work; Public transportation if necessary to get far distances; Buying fuel efficient cars no matter how unattractive they are and a variety of other things to cut down on these unclean sources of energy. This is a whole other topic of discussion, but it's the same reason why U.S. citizens are the unhealthiest people in the world: consumerism, capitalism, convenience and ignorance.

I've heard all different sorts of complaints from people of how they have no energy, they aren't happy with their bodies, or they get sick all the time. Most relate it to stress, which is a factor, but not the whole story. These same people I see enjoying the additives and preservatives in prepackaged and ready to go foods, fast food chains, diet sodas, and chips upon chips upon chips. Since I've been on this detoxifier I went as raw as I can be on a ship. Raw being uncooked vegetables, fresh meats (not chemically induced cold cuts), no milk whatsoever (again another story), and whole grains for snacks. I treat myself to chocolate or a sweet once in a while. Dark chocolate being the best. Also an occasional glass of wine and maybe once or twice a month an indulgence in spirits to share a good time, but not nearly as much as most do while on a ship. I've cut out coffee since I only like it with all those additive creamers and lots and lots of sugar. The first day was hell (like coming off a major drug), but now I'm so much better. I have no soda whatsoever, but if I do, I'll go whole hog and have a real soda. Not a diet soda. No soda can be good for you so I don't understand the concept of a "diet soda." My complexion has gotten tons better, I feel more energetic, and I sleep better at night. Most aches and pains are gradually subsiding and I haven't really been sick despite all the sickness around me. Rashes I used to get from heat or shaving have been nonexistent. If I caught the slightest tinge of a tickle in my throat, it was gone the next day. It all takes change. This detoxifier is a full 3 months and contains more algae in it than most detoxes you buy over the counter. It's a prescription-formulated detoxification. So far it's doing good and I've heard from others who are currently on it that it only gets better as the program moves into the next few months.

Out here I'm really cut off from the news and all the commercialism on TV. I can see my primetime dramas commercial free thanks to iTunes. Once in a while I get one of these articles that just sparks my attentiveness to the things that bug me in the world. I do see my share of capitalism, but in different forms. It does disturb me how much emphasis we place on money. It causes events like I discuss above to happen. Poisons get marketed as ways to improve our health because they sell. People make money and it creates this mass market on key words like convenient, diet, fast, healthy, weight loss, and all sorts of buzzwords. This article as well as another article a friend told me he read on the subject of food additives sparked my attention to the matter. He read of a study that took a healthy specimen of animals and fed them the U.S. diet of fast foods, foods with additives, dietary aides, and the like and the other group a diet of raw foods. The group with the raw foods diet lasted twice as long as the other group and died with no health problems other than a natural death to life expectancy. The other group developed diseases like cancers, diabetes, heart problems, liver problems, and so forth. Another experiment was conducted giving a group the U.S. artificial diet until halfway through their normal life expectancy. At this point they were given a raw diet and the animals warded off diseases they acquired in the first half and lived to beyond life expectancy once again dying of natural causes with no apparent disease. It opened my eyes to the junk that lines our grocer's shelves from dehydrated foods you add water to cook to the processed substances you find in the deli (Spam for instance or Velveeta). They are cheap, but are they providing you with anything different than eating out of a garbage can?

Life is what you make of it. In these days of a fast lifestyle, it's nice to just come down once in a while and think about things or look at them from a different perspective. On the subject of what we eat: when we were put on this planet, artificial sweeteners and chemical preservatives didn't exist in our diet. We ate from the earth. It's something to think about before purchasing "food" that doesn't deteriorate for over a week or so (did you know a McDonald's fry despite their incredible taste doesn't deteriorate for MONTHS in the open air!?!?). You might just be eating a load of chemicals that taste good instead of food for your well being. At this rate it won't be long before a meal consists of a handful of pills. After all, we are looking for THE MOST convenient and smallest forms of things in our lifestyle. With the power behind the food and drug companies, they would make a killing marketing the fastest meal ever: one you can swallow with a glass of water. No messy clean ups or long preparation. Just a trip to your local drugstore. As for tasting things, at this rate evolution will take care of that by eliminating taste from our senses. Besides, why have a farm when there could be a huge entertainment complex full of places to spend money?

Beach Bound...

2008-02-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

I realized today that I am destined to be settled in a warmer climate. Yesterday was thrilling as well as refreshing. Everyday is refreshing come to think of it. The sun comes out most of the time providing me with essential "happy" vitamins and warming the air around me. As I got off the ship today the birds were chirping in nearby trees as a calming warm breeze brushed through the air. I was in my shorts and sandals and love how the air crosses by my ankles on such warm days. I had my sunglasses on and had no worry of freezing rain or wind chills. I walked through Curaçao at a casual pace on a day in winter that felt like it was early summer and thoroughly enjoyed my time out. I also love just lazing about on deck letting the sun warm me up. When I think of most of my friends and family to the north putting on layers of clothing to withstand the wind chills and cold temperatures I shutter in disbelief. I know I will have to face it for a few winters. All that extra clothing that bunches up when you go out to dinner or see a show. The cold feet as I have to put on many layers of socks to keep the dampness of the slush and the cold out. The cloudy and crisp days. The sunny ones are nice, but your nose runs when the freezing air hits your face and your eyes water icy tears. Your face becomes burned not by sun, but by the harsh breezes that scrub your face cold. No way. I like putting on cool clothing and going out without a jacket or even just a light one for those cooler evenings. I like walking around in my sandals and occasionally having the sand brush through my toes. Winter? Bah humbug! I could have spring and summer all year round. Especially on a beach.

Totally Tubular....

2008-02-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Aruba. We took adventure to the extreme today. We all went to the beach and had a fine day out. Once we all got our heads together on what to do, we decided on tubing. It was awesome and tough at the same time. I was in the first group to go. Jason Venner (our CD), Katie, and Andre (from the shops) joined me. Remembering the last time I went tubing in 2005, I thought this would be exhilarating and slightly tough to hang on. Jason promised me I was going down and I rejected him saying I was going to stay strong. He put the idea in my head of splashing water in opponent's faces by placing your hand in the water to catch a spray. We started off. It was good. We were going strong. Instead of my hand I decided to play with my foot. I wanted to have the strongest grip possible. I was going good and enjoying it. Suddenly the driver took a sharp turn. I knew what that meant. We were going to crack the whip and I was the first to go. He took the turn sharp and I still had my foot in the water. Before I knew it the wake of the boat was on me and my tube flipped over because of the resistance of my foot. Into the sea water and a mouthful of it I got in a gasp. Ewww. I spat it out and started the embarrassing swim back to the tube. I lost control. First to go. I sure ate my words. It was more difficult than I thought getting back into the tube. I hoped it would be the last time I had to do this. Although I knew I was in for more of a beating. He took off again. We were going fast and ramming into each other. I tried to counter and balance myself on the wakes. I flipped again from the middle and knocked off Katie and Andre after bouncing off of Jason's back. Jason stayed on. In the water again. Ugh! Wow this was exhausting. We got back on after much laboring and the driver was off again. This time he took a very sharp turn isolating Jason from the rest of us and whipping him on the outer edge. He was crossing the wake so fast he couldn't hold it and he was over. Bam!! He was down. He got back on after his first spill. The driver was off and zooming again doing more turns creating more crack the whips and sending us across the wakes. I was doing real well at balancing and holding on. Water was plashing in my face and I couldn't see. I was holding on for dear life eating salt water after laughing so hard. Another sharp turn in the opposite direction sent us careening across the wake of the boat along with the wakes of other boats creating this weird pattern of waves. I couldn't hold it and my foot got caught in the stream of water. Flipped!! This time I took Jason and Katie with me. I was pretty far from the tubes this time. I started to swim and took a huge gulp of seawater. My gag reflex ignited and the water along with the small snack I had earlier came spewing out of my mouth and into the sea. I was taking in too much seawater and it was exhausting me. I didn't know how much longer I could take it. I barely made it back into the tube and pressed on. He started heading back to the starting point crossing the view of our friends on the beach. He went for the turn. Oooooh. It was a sharp one and I was on the outside heading for the whip. I almost held it to the end before I bounced into the air and landed on the side of my tube sending me cart wheeling off into the sea. I was done. I was in shallow water so I was just going to walk back to the shore, but the driver said he needed to take me in. I barely made it back into my tube again to make it back to shore. He did one final crack before heading to the beach, but I held strong. Ooh that was a rough ride. It was much rougher than I remember it back in 2005. Much rougher!! The next group went consisting of our lead singer David, his wife Michon, and 2 other dancers Cara and Steve. This set of tubers weren't hurdled as much as we were, but they were given a fairly rough ride as well. Especially the guys. They really got whipped and David took 2 hard spills. Another group went out consisting of our shops men Andre (in for round 2) and Richard, and 2 of our guy dancers Chris and Marty. They left the beach only to reappear at the end all four flying high into the air on the wake of the boat and their final whip. They came off spent since there was some tough spills because there were 4 guys on the team. Whoa. I guess it was too rough for them since only 2 got minor enjoyment out of it. Spent from the day we headed back to the ship for a little clean up and pizza on the bow. A tradition that's becoming popular every time we stop in Aruba. It was definitely an exhausting day and I will definitely sleep well tonight. I will however think twice about tubing with the single tubes again and go for the doubles or triples. They take the rides smoother, but still exciting, with the more people they tow in a tube. We were asked at the beginning if we just wanted a thrilling ride or if we wanted to have some real fun. We opted for the real fun with the single tubes. Next time I'll be happy with an exciting ride or maybe just a jet ski.

2008-02-18T21:14:00.000-05:00

It's nice to finally have family on board. I have been cruising now with Holland America for roughly 6 contracts and with my extension on this one it will be 7. I have been able to see the world and perform with a lot of great people and experience fabulous things. In the amount of time I've been out here I've been able to reflect on personal time and pay off huge debts. This will be my last contract coming up for as long as I can help it. I need to focus on my land-based goal and take some time off from traveling. I wanted to finally have the opportunity to bring out some of my family to experience some of the daily things I get to experience. I talked my mom and grandma into sailing with me on this ship, the Westerdam. It's only the Caribbean, but it's a fabulous start for first time cruisers and they still get away from the country for a bit (away from the coldness of the north). They came into Ft. Lauderdale this past Sunday and have been sailing with me to places such as The Bahamas, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. They got to see the huge production shows that come with this class of ship (Holland America's Vista Class) that are unlike the other shows on the smaller ships. They have all the bells and whistles so to speak of a regular theatre on land and then some. They got the white glove service of the Pinnacle restaurant on board as well as the 5-star dining in the main dining room. They enjoyed the spa, complimentary room service, culinary demonstrations by master chefs, and of course the casino. We didn't do too much in the way of shore excursions offered by the ship. As they found out, there just wasn't enough time in 7 days to do EVERYTHING that could be done. We did manage to get out in ports and see a bit though. To be honest there isn't much to do in the Caribbean except enjoy its beautiful beaches along with the awesome snorkeling and undersea activities. This just isn't their cup of tea. They did enjoy all the desserts we have on board though and realize what I have to put up with on a daily basis. Yikes! Calories galore. I did learn that the food in the dining room, although similar to what I get in the Lido for dinner, tastes much better and is presented so much nicer. I'm actually thankful I don't get dining room service weekly. Otherwise I'd be a blimp. One week of dining room (and not a full week mind you) was enough for me. On shore we experienced what we could. I got them out to see the beautiful beach in Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas. It's a private island and very remote. My mom and I took a little taxi adventure to the San Gervasio ruins in Cozumel, and they even went off on their own for a bit in Grand Cayman.

It was strange to have them on board with me. I knew when I took up cruising as a venue that not many of my friends or family could come out to see me in a show if at all. It would mean a matter of timing, affordability, and itinerary. Cruise ships go EVERYWHERE and sometimes I was just too pricey of a flight for someone to reach me. Whenever I performed on land someone was always able to come see me in the show at some point. Some friends who were in town or could take a trip to one of the states I was performing in, my immediate family were always able to make at least a few shows a year, and then the local friends I made from show to show were always supportive (granted most of them were into the arts in some form). The cruise life brought up the challenge of performing knowing that maybe 1 chance in a hundred someone I knew would see me. It was always great landing the contract especially for fantastic voyages like the World Cruise, South America Cruise, European Destinations, or even to the top of the world. However this didn't allow many people other than my immediate ship friends to come partake in the performances we gave. Some cast members throughout the past years were able to get their families on or have a friend sail with them for nothing (based on officer status), but many others and I were always left in the dark. It brought all of us together as a cast in most situations. I had my own family on board. Game nights, party nights, days out, biking, exploring, hiking, and on and on. For the first time I was able to share this with my mom and grandma. I almost got to share it with them and a good friend from New York who also wanted to cruise this week. He unfortunately got wait listed and eventually cancelled since this week was booked for the holidays. It was odd to finally see my family on board and for them to see the Lido in person, sit in the theatre, or eat in the dining room. My favorite was going to the specialty restaurant (the Pinnacle). I was a tad nervous during the shows since I finally had someone out there I KNEW to perform for. It was great though. I've never spent more time out in passenger areas than I have this week. Wow. I hope I can see more of my friends and family on board in the coming months. I know my best friend from San Diego has already been scoping out and most likely booked her cruise for September already. That will be exciting in Alaska. That is one thing I have to say about abundant itineraries like Alaska and the Caribbean along with the bigger ships. They are affordable for the line. The line itself is pretty pricey, but the bigger ships tend to be cheaper (especially at the last minute) because they are so big. The smaller ships (which I have been working on in the past) are cozier, but they come with a stiffer tag to them. Pricier also because they have more extravagant itineraries. I had to see the world though and for show quality I'm glad people can see these shows I'm performing in now. There's a certain notch higher of production quality that comes with this class of ship. One I would expect from a flashy Vegas show lounge. It generates a rousing response from week to week and that's always nice. It's a good way to leave this industry for a while. Although now I think I'm spoiled for big ships if I ever have to come back for any reason.

I've seen more friends from land, more family, and given more ship tours than I have ever done in the past. I will be giving more ship tours in the future. It's great especially for those who haven't seen the inside of a cruise liner or this particular line. Pictures just can't do certain things justice and can be a bit boring. I always get home and know my friends and family like to hear and see where I've gone and what life at sea was like, but it's another thing to experience it first hand. Even if it's just to see the ship itself. I always feel like the epitome of tourists when I come home with my hundreds of pictures from all over and give a slide show. It's nice to actually experience it with someone you know who's not from the ship's staff.

Mom and Grandma signed off the ship on Sunday. I was sad to see them go, as they were sad to depart the beautiful and spoiled life. Saturday was a great day at sea where they enjoyed the many activities available on board including the bingo. They ALMOST won a free cruise. They were one number off in the drawing. It went by room and they were in room 4093. The number called was 4-0-9 and then the got excited only to be let down by the last number 8. That would've been fabulous. Sunday I got out on land before they did to pick up a car. When they finally were able to disembark, I went and picked them up. We had a drive along the coast, which was busy due to the marathon event that was happening. We went to the mall for a bit and walked around to break up the driving. Then we headed to Las Olas riverfront in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. We had lunch in the shopping complex before I said goodbye for the day. It was a fabulous week and I was so lucky to have them on board this time.

Green & Greed...

2008-01-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Money seems to be the root of evil. Look where it has gotten our country and others. Our country is filled with nothing but a bunch of capitalistic pigs in power. We are judged by our possessions. Which brands of clothing you wear, what technology you possess, how big your vehicle and home is, and even where you live. Children fight in schools because there is animosity over a pair of shoes or jeans. With this way of living nothing can get done and the urge to overcome each other's power gets stronger. Even having money to survive can be the stem of evil. It brings animosity, corruption, and causes so much hatred toward other people. I understand that because of the way the world works, you need money to survive, but excess seems to be just that. Excessive. There are people out there with so much money they don't know what to do with it, and then they feel like they have power over everyone else. There are others with such a greed for this excess that they'll do anything, even cheat their neighbor or closest family member, to get it. Even people who grew up on excess and suddenly lose it will do anything to get it back. I'm just happy now I have gotten out of my debt to the capitalistic world. I am now saving for when I can't work anymore or for when I get back on land and need some survival money to pursue my craft. I don't want to be judged by the labels I wear or the electronics I possess. If I get those things, it is a treat to myself. I just like looking cute sometimes and feeling cozy as far as the clothes I wear. I like to be entertained and to see places I've never seen. This all requires money of some sort. Hell, I've seen places that some with an excess of money haven't even seen yet AND I got PAID to do it. How smart is that one for ya? Yes, there are some out there with an excess who just sit and brood on it. Counting it from day to day and watching it grow. They don't benefit themselves or others. Yet, there are some that piddle away everything they have on useless things such as gambling so they can't survive. Gambling is a catch 22. Another story. It is meant for fun and the quick high of winning a game with a cash reward, not to gain a living. Some are very prosperous at it and may do very well. They call themselves professional gamblers. I believe these to be false prophets of the job market. Really they are professional investors. The real "professional gambler," I believe, has a big win and then sets aside some "rainy day" money for when the luck runs low and that will be enough to survive on. This is the money that allows them to pursue the kind of "fun" they call professional. The problem is the "fun" they call a career is glamorized and provides a false hope to the unlucky gambler with no money set aside thinking they could make a career out of it. Myself and most of my family have never had an excess. We've always treasured the gifts that we were granted because of a little extra. We've never taken them for granted that those gifts will always be there, but are treats when they do come available. Yet despite all that when large excess becomes available, those primal urges to get on top come surfacing in some. Jealousy, hurt, and anger ensue. I often find myself wishing I had an excess like some do so I could provide organizations and individuals with the amounts they desire for something good. I value my dollar and want certain goals in my life. In order to reach those goals, I do need money unfortunately. It pains me to see an organization that has done so much good struggle and be beaten down by corporate giants. It hurts me when someone on the street who is genuinely suffering becomes overshadowed by the untrustworthy who are on the streets because they wasted their earnings on drugs or other vices. It hurts when families get torn apart because of a little extra someone left behind when they left the living world. Yes, money can be evil. It would be idealistic if services could be provided if someone genuinely enjoyed doing those services and no exchange of money would be traded. If the world came to such a thing, I would enjoy my career choice immensely and offer many of my talents just because I can do them, but alas, I have to earn a living and it's sad that such an idealistic world doesn't exist. Instead of reaching a height of achievement for achievement's sake, most of the world reaches a height of achievement with an expecting reward with a value behind it.

Starting Over...

2008-01-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

A new year. There are new visions, new goals, new prospects, new friends to be made, new experiences, and new places to go. 2007 brought great things and great adventures. It also brought sadness with various passings, but we all have to move on to the next level at some point in our lives. This will be a year of growth for me. I plan to take what I am getting now and use it so that it can grow for me in the future to give me some cushions in life. I plan to use the experiences I'm going through and the people I'm learning from and apply them for when I leave the fantasy world of ship life. At the moment I'm a bit obsessed with the books of J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series. I never read the books and I just got them for Christmas. It's a delight reading all the missing events and descriptions the movies just cannot capture. I also got the movies to watch them later again. It's very entertaining. It also parallels ship life in a way. I spend a great deal of time out here and face new challenges each time. I pack up my things and go away to a sort of fantastical camp where there is a skewed reality. It is also temporary. You come here, do what you need to do and then leave the life behind. The memories will always be there and the friendships you hope will last. You meet all sorts of interesting and different people, and you are in a world where everyone can relate to what is happening. It's a fantasy world. An escape from the realities of the normal world. Adventures around every corner. Why would I leave this lifestyle? Simply because there are other challenges in different environments. I can, from what I believe and understand, come back whenever a position opens, but rather sit out here out of touch with what is really going on and missing all the solid friendships I gained and my family, I'd rather find new experiences on solid ground. Ship entertaining can be very fulfilling depending on the shows and the people. Sometimes you're treated like a rock star and sing things you wouldn't normally always get to sing or dance to things you normally may not dance to. It's such a closed environment out here as well and everybody knows what's going on with each other most of the time. It's also like a family. It's only on very rare occasions that you can feel alone out here. Yet there are drawbacks. It's like disappearing for those you leave behind. Like going into space and losing chunks of time. Things happen and you come back to a load of change. It's a lot to deal with when the job is finished. I plan to make a home for a bit in New York City when I'm through. I'm not exactly sure at this point what I'll do for cash when I get there, but I have 10 months to think about it and prepare. Cruising is like a drug and like drugs they are addictive and an easy escape. However you can only live a sheltered life for so long.

Christmas At Sea...

2007-12-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

As I sit here in my cabin I have just celebrated what was to be my traditional Christmas Eve only in a different way. It helped me forget the sad news that came across the wire today of my aunt's departure. I got the news just after I got back from a subtle day at the beach. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. I lay there relaxed after finishing with my Christmas rush and absorbing the moment before the chaos of festivities begin here on board over the next 3 days. I came back to the ship satiated and decided I needed to check my mailbox. I need to check it at least once a day because of the updates I get from home on my aunt's condition and the pain the family and my aunt have been enduring through the process. Today was news that was a catch 22 for me emotionally. I was distraught to hear my aunt had finally passed, but also at ease that she was finally out of pain and struggle. I cried on a friend's shoulder for a moment and went on with my day. There is nothing I could do out here and the last thing my aunt would want me to do is make a big deal. After all, she was never a lady who made a big deal about anything. She never liked being on camera or making a huge "hurrah" about things. Right now she'll be enjoying Christmas with my uncle and grandpa. I believe in my heart I said my goodbyes to the aunt I knew a long time ago at the onset of her condition. Alzheimer's can drag out for a very long time. We all were not sure of when it would grasp her the way the disease can. As the years passed, I noticed the aunt that was once the lively and strong person I once knew became devastated by insecurity, pain, depression, and loss of simple functions. I haven't seen much of her as the disease took over due to my selection of jobs. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe that my aunt's spirit lives within everything I'm doing out here. She always liked to hear about my adventures and see my performances, just as a lot of my family does. She was always there when there was something I was too embarrassed to talk about with my parents, to take me away from school for a day of movies and games, or to help me overcome some of my fears.
Yes Christmas this year is different. It would've been different even if I were at home. I remember Christmas Day just being a huge chaos of family playing games, telling jokes, laughing, drinking, smoking, and just having fun. The eve was always more collected and had a certain traditional order. That's what this evening was like. We celebrated our Christmas on the eve before everything breaks out into the craziness of running around. We all got together and exchanged our secret Santa presents, drank wine and beer, snacked, laughed, toasted, and watched old Christmas programs. We were all just hanging out together casually and calmly as the week wound down. One of our dancers is dating the Chief Officer (pretty much 2nd in command to the Captain) and the apartment he has on board is about as big as a NY style 1-bedroom apartment. There was a living space and a separate bedroom. There was a Christmas tree all set up and decorated. After the gathering had settled, it almost felt like I should be going into the bedroom to get my coat and boots, but all I was really doing was walking down a few flights of stairs. That's how taken away I was with the moment. We had a little rehearsal tonight and then wrapped some small gifts with the other staff for the 300 some kids coming on board for the Christmas cruise. The next day we have our morning and mid-day off and then it all starts to happen. We start off with the standard boat drill. Then we have caroling in the dining room followed by a show, followed by a tree-lighting ceremony in the atrium, followed by more caroling for second seating guests, another show, and then a late night rehearsal for the Christmas Eve ceremony. The next day is the Christmas Eve ceremony and then on Christmas we're up bright and early for Santa's arrival for the kids in the lounge with more carols. Our first production show is also that night. Christmas will come and go so fast now. If I were at home the only constant would be the traditional gathering on the eve. The rush of events that happen on Christmas Day for me wouldn't happen anymore. The kids that came over have all grown up and now have separate lives. Some family can't make it around as much as they did before. Now the place where they're always seemed to be a bundle of people around when I visited now holds only my grandma. My brother now has a steady relationship and his own other set of family to see on Christmas Day. I don't like that I'm missing being around family this holiday, but I'm also thankful I have a great family of friends out here I can share a warm holiday with this season. It's a different Christmas, a new one. A taste of change that will inevitably follow me through the recent future.

Change is good and I feel there will be a lot of change in the years to come. I tend to get myself in a dedicated routine for a while and then a huge burst of change sends my system into a spiral. I know one will be coming up as I make the effort to break free of this steady and comfortable lifestyle of cruising the world to try again, and with more confidence, a New York City lifestyle. I can prepare for it all I want, but after being at sea in a bubble for 4 years, reality is going to come crashing down when the time comes. It won't be unexpected like some changes in my life, but it won't be easy. I'm thankful for the changes that have come about over the past 10 years. It was 10 years ago that huge changes started to happen for me. It was living outside of my home state, my first cruises, living on the other side of the country, coming out to friends and family, moving to NYC, and now seeing the world. Other changes in love and family also spanned my 10 years whether expectantly or unexpectantly. All changes I have learned valuable lessons. I still keep on learning. My new philosophy is to try and live outside of my comfort zone. I see so many people not wanting to leave the routines hey have planned to have order in their lives. Eventually I will settle and possibly have my own routine again, but I feel now is the time to break free of the same things and try something different now and then. It's a scary feeling, but it's a good way to live life that I believe keeps a youthful spirit within. 2008 will be a challenge, but I think I'll be ready to accept it. More so than I was just 5 or so years ago when changes that had built up for so long started to hit me all at once.

I had a race of thoughts going through my mind today and now as the day winds down, some have disappeared. Life moves fast out here. One moment you're having the time of your life and the next instant you can have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I don't dwell on thoughts too much when I'm surrounded by so many people living in "the now." It's a working vacation. An escape. Next year it'll be time to stay home for a while.

First Weeks...

2007-12-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I put any thoughts down. Not much is happening out here in the ole Caribbean. This itinerary, though exciting to some, is less eventful for me. A relaxing itinerary. There are lots of beaches, bars, and plenty of days of sunshine. This isn't the crazy and hectic itinerary of the worldly nature where everyday is new, exciting, and exhausting. I like it. Especially since I have my own room.

We left Los Angeles a while ago embarking on a plane to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and then eventually embarking on the ship. I met one of my friends in Ft. Lauderdale and will be meeting many more over the course of time. Ft. Lauderdale is so convenient for calling and meeting friends. I can also receive mail!! Woo hoo!! The shows are delightfully representative of everyone's talents and we only do 3 shows a week. One of those shows is only 20 minutes long and I'm only in maybe 8 minutes of that time. Even in one of our big shows that are about an hour long I only have about 15 minutes of stage time. This next show that we're performing tonight is my big work out show. This will be a fabulous contract to really re-coop and re-organize things to make the move back to NYC. However as someone already told me that although others scrutinize THIS type of work in the entertainment business, it is a job that pays well and can be consistent and rewarding. I know I can do this job into my mid forties if need be since I know some friends STILL doing it in their forties. It'll be something after this contract to keep in my back pocket. With the sparse outcroppingoutcropping of shows coming into NYC and floating around the country, more actors are looking to cruises for work. At least I know I have priority on this line over those who are coming in brand new.

The holidays are coming up so quickly. Although out here in the Caribbean the temps are in the mid 80s and it's snowing back home. It's weird to here Christmas music to the sound of a reggae beat. The ship is all decked out in holiday décor and every night I'm out as the sun goes down I feel like I'm attending a Christmas party of some sort. This will be my first Christmas at sea. A new experience. I get homesick from time to time seeing all the decorations up and just remembering how I used to sit in the living room (wherever I was) and stare at the Christmas tree all lit up in the darkness. It gave me peace. Now I have about 25 trees to choose from all over the ship, but it's hardly my living room. I can't very well go out there in my pajamas with my cocoa or tea and just stare or maybe fall asleep for a bit gazing at the pretty lights. I'll also miss driving around (although bitterly cold in both NYC and Ohio) listening to Christmas music and seeing all the houses decorated with lights. We will be doing some caroling on the eve and on the day of. We even have a show on the day of, which will be totally new for me altogether. I'm looking forward to the New Year though. This is my home now until October. Let's see where 2008 takes me.

Heading Out...

2007-11-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! It has been a while since I've written. To tell the truth I go to rehearsals and come home and just want to veg out and do nothing but simple things. This has been the shortest and less busy rehearsal process I've been through with this company. It's weird. It was also the most stressful. When I arrived in October the story was that more singers were fired off the ships in 2007 due to various complaints. This cost the company quite a chunk of money since Holland America does not reimburse them if Holland America wants to get rid of someone and require a replacement. It's a mistake at Stiletto's expense. SO while I was there it was the beginning of their overprotective insurance that we're going to be okay out there. 3 vocal coaches, a dialect coach, a performance coach, the head of choreography and all shows and 3 director/choreography assistants saw me. All of which gave me different notes that sometimes coordinated with each other and most often clashed. The most helpful direction of course given on our last day by the head of choreography and all shows. On the last day. All the while after we learned something and ran it, we had a lot of people from the casting office come in and watch. After each run they would have a meeting. All the while I'm wondering if my job was okay with no real assurance. We're told in the beginning that positive reinforcement will not happen much. The people giving the notes are giving notes on ways to improve. If you don't get a note, you're in good shape. Although because of my need to please I would like to have such positive reinforcement one in a while instead of wondering what the meetings were all about. Oy!! SOMEONE to tell me "yes, you're right on the mark" or even doing better. Oh well. It's all over now. I'll be on my way to the ship bright and early on Saturday morning.

My time here in L.A. was short lived. My first outing was to West Hollywood to experience Halloween there with all the crazy costumes. We had intended to make it to a club, but it was so packed that after a long time of walking we thought we got pretty far, but instead only cracked the surface of the territory. We turned around fulfilled with what we had seen already and a cocktail in our system. I did make it to San Diego to see my best friend down there and even that was short. Wow. I was able to see 2 more friends in L.A., but like I said before, I didn't feel much like getting out after rehearsals because I was just exhausted.

We rehearsed 10am to 6pm, which was fabulous since we got to sleep in a little and then have somewhat of an evening. We worked during all daylight hours, which I liked since I was most alert then. This is a Vista class ship. These casts are put on a pedestal at Stiletto. It's weird, but they are. ALL singers get their own cabin and the singer/dancers don't dance so much. I almost just come on and sing a song and leave the dancing to the dancers completely in one show. It was strange to have SOO much down time. I dance quite a bit in the other show, but not as much as I'm used to. Another strange thing is that I'm only doing 2 shows. I'm used to doing at least 4. Quite a change. It will be good and relaxing though. A definite way to save money.

We did our usual Vegas trip to see the idol of Stiletto Entertainment that is Barry Manilow. When I was a kid I knew of his music and collected a few albums. I never thought I'd actually MEET him. Yes we took the bus down to Vegas bright and early on a bus that we had entirely to ourselves. We arrived in Vegas in the afternoon and began getting ready for cocktails and dinner. We had a beautiful buffet and then enjoyed Barry's show in the third row. Then for the piece de resistance. We MET him. Yes we went backstage with special passes and he came back, said hello to us, and then took his picture with us. How cool. One of our dancers was so cute that she proceeded to sing one of his songs to him that just happen to be in one of our shows. She was doing some small choreo and singing the song to him and his response was "Yes I know, I wrote it!" A funny moment. We then went out on the town first to the Venetian. We got there in style though. We hired a limousine. It wasn't just any limo though; it was a disco limo pumping with music, lights, and lasers. It was awesome! We stayed at the Venetian a bit before heading to the Rio. Some of our cast knew some of the Chippendale dancers so we were going to go meet them. We got there for a few drinks and then we met the dancers. How cool is that? It was in the V.I.P. room as well. Woo hoo. I was knocked out for the night and fell asleep hard core for the trip home.

Now I'm here in Phoenix visiting my dad for the holiday. A calm before the storm. Once I leave here we have one week that will be purely exhausting before we are set to sail on our own. We have to stage everything on the sets with the costumes and technical elements. We have a girl who flies in our show. I've accepted the gig for a year so it's Caribbean and Alaska again. Whoa. My first Christmas at sea as well. A lot of new firsts. This will be my last one though for now. A friend told me that in today's market it IS a job to do at least until mid 40s. If NY for whatever reason doesn't work, then I know I can come back to the life of travel for a while. I'd rather do it on my own terms and in my own show, but I'd be happy with whatever comes up if need be. After I spoke with our performance coach some time ago (who is Barry's backup singer), she opened my eyes to this safe possibility. She said that she got Barry's gig on chance and even though she's Barry's backup singer, she enjoys it and has been doing it now for almost 4 years. Hey, it pays well and no other regional theatre has been able to match her salary. I already know that regional theatres will not be able to match the benefits I get from cruising. I get my salary, plus if you figure in an additional $500-$800 I'm saving each week from rentals and food, I'm making a bundle! We both chatted about how people in theatre from on our line of work, but at least we're working and making some serious cash. The downside is the travel and the entrapment of being committed to that gig with the only leave time being in between contracts, but that's practically what I would get in a regional show or on the road with a tour anyway. I'm just seeing the world and singing lead material. Who knows where I'll be next. My plan at the moment is to finish the year, which ends next October and then make the move to NYC. I shall have some savings and then I'll have time to explore my options in the big apple. Right now it's off to fun and sun. I'll be on the elegant Westerdam, so come on out and see me if you can swing the bill for 7 days.

Getting Ready...

2007-10-24T22:30:00.000-04:00

My vacation is almost finished and it's almost time to head into the fire again. Literally. California is burning. I hope it clears up soon for the sake of the people I know there who have been going through this since Sunday. The Santa Ana Winds generally come over from the desert this time of year bringing warm and dry air to the coast. This was great when I lived in San Diego since we had 90º temps in October and November. This is not good when it dries up the land making it prime condition for massive fires. Evidently there are oils in the plant life around Southern California that the plants produce to protect themselves from insects. These oils have the same composition as petroleum and create a deadly mixture with the dried up brush, intense heat, and high winds from the desert. One spark from friction or an electrical line can cause major destruction, which it has in the past week. The air quality is already horrible over there and my friends tell me they brush ashes off their cars everyday. So far there are few casualties, just millions of displaced people. The breezes have shifted though and they are now coming off the coast creating moisture in the air, which should make these fires easier to extinguish. I hope it blows over by tomorrow.

I have been home in Ohio now for the past week after just leaving New York. Mostly I've been getting ready for the upcoming trip, which at this point will take me into May of next year. I'll be on board the Westerdam with Holland America and it will also be the first time I'm going to get my parents on board. I believe this to be my last cruise adventure and cannot wait to get back to New York again. My last week there was action packed. I was seeing friends for lunches and dinners and even friends from out of state. A lot of the time I met friends unexpectedly. That happens in New York. I got to see 3 Broadway shows, 2 off Broadway shows, and a burlesque show hosted by Margaret Cho. I went to a séance, a few parties, and even stayed in New Jersey. I got to see almost everyone in my friends circle. There were only a few I missed for lack of time. Who knew two weeks wouldn't be enough time. Some highlights were seeing my friends again from the past cruise. I think after seeing my friend Dan, the only people I hadn't seen since the cruise were Nathan and Bex. I saw some folks in Ohio, one in London, and the rest in New York. I saw my friend Niffer and we saw Spring Awakening. It was a fabulous show of performers. I wasn't crazy about the story line, but the singers were amazing. They were only 16-20!! I couldn't believe it. When they sang it sounded like a CD recording was happening. It was full studio sound and on hand held microphone. It was a unique experience and the music was phenomenal. Duncan Sheik was the writer and his music is definitely inspiring to me. I saw a cute little musical of 2 people with my friend Phil and his partner Shawn called Greetings from Yorkville about 2 songwriters from out of town moving into the upper east side and dealing with New York while striving to perform and write. It hit close to home and it was an autobiographical project of these two performers. A delight. I also saw a corny piece called Three 'Mo Tenors on Theatre Row on 42nd Street. This was exactly what I expected after seeing a similar show on the Amsterdam called Three 'Mo Divas. The one on the ship were obviously women, but it was the same show for the most part with the men on 42nd Street. I got to see Margaret Cho's Sensual Woman that night and it was Hi-larious. Then came the crème de la crème of Xanadu. I had my Broadway debut!!! Yes!! I made it to the Broadway stages… as … an audience member. Hey, small steps. There's a new trend happening where for a small price YOU become part of the set. The actors interact with you and you sit right in the heart of the action. Most are rear view sight lines or side view, but you are as close as can be and right there ON the stage. Xanadu was such an experience. The show was at 7pm and we had to be there right on time or we would miss our Broadway debuts. We got to the stage door and got the run down of what was expected and how we had to make our way to the restrooms now. Once we passed the door, we could not leave the stage. All our belongings had to be under the seat during the show in a bag that was provided. We walked onto the stage through the backstage area. It was my first glimpse at my future. We walked around on the set and got to our seats. The show started and there we were in the midst of it all. I saw entrances and exits. Cues being given from the stage manager and music director. We had special speakers on the backs of the seats in front of us so we could get the audience mix. The actors sat with us at times and interacted with us as a chorus. At the end of it all we were asked to get up and dance. It was fabulous. The whole show was tongue and cheek and totally made fun of the movie from the 80s. That's what made it fun. All the music was by Electric Light Orchestra including all the additional songs. The story was done in the style of Greek theatre with a chorus. I would recommend it for an evening of fun. Plot? What plot? It was just a hilarious adventure with fun music. More like watching a cartoon. I also saw The Ritz at Studio 54 with my friend Scott. That was a hilarious play. Yes, a play and with Rosie Perez playing the stereotypical Hispanic woman. She pulled out all the stereotypes in her choice for the character. The whole play was a hilarious piece written by Terrance McNally and taking place in a gay bathhouse. It was mishap after mishap as a farce is. I was laughing all over the place and it was a great end to my trip in New York besides all the gatherings and events I took part. I will miss New York for now and can't wait to get back in 2008.

Now it is off to the Caribbean (with a detour through L.A. for 3 weeks) for sun and fun. Relaxation and savings. Saving is the main reason I took this one. I plan to save loads to come back to New York strong and ready. I have a lot to accomplish before coming back to the hectic life of New York. After these next 4 weeks are finished, I will start actively getting myself prepared. It's time to leave the seas and get on land.

Family and Friends Refresher...

2007-10-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

It's been a good month of friends and family. I came home to Ohio with a lot on my plate, but seeing and being near family has been great nonetheless. It's always good to refresh on your roots no matter what's happening in life. I spent a lot of my time just re-energizing and relaxing. I saw some friends in the midst of it all. I don't have many in Ohio anymore. A lot have either moved away or I've just lost contact with them. Although in this day and age of e-mail and new internet groups, a few have found me. I had about 3 weeks at home in Ohio before hopping on a plane to NYC. I didn't want to pack my home time with a lot of events simply because I just wanted to re-coop from the worldly adventures. I took many relaxing and stimulating bike rides through the glorious Metro park system. The Metro parks are awesome with all these trails and beautiful landscapes. I got to see many members of my family and even spent a weekend at my brother's place. Now I'm in NYC and my life is busy again.

I'm realizing that 2 weeks just wasn't a long enough visit in some aspects, but just long enough in other aspects. I'm so much enjoying my time here with friends and have another week of action packed scheduling with them including an evening on a Broadway stage. Yes, ON the stage. Granted I will be on stage watching the show, I can still say I was on a Broadway stage. Anyway, it has been busy meeting everyone and trying to see everyone that I can. Thanks to all the parties I went to while here, I made a bunch of friends who are great at keeping in touch and want me to visit. It's lovely and hard to see those in such a short amount of time since everyone else works during the day. However the city can be draining especially when you're not working or have no intention of working. Thank goodness I have the kindness of friends letting me into their homes, but just entertainment and food can drain the savings real fast when nothing is coming in. Also the temptation and draw of the city is so strong, and keeping it at bay while here can be hard if you're here too long. The auditions happen everyday and the art vibe here is amazing. I have been lucky with timing though and saw a lot of people already just on coincidence. More than I thought I would see. I also got to see a few shows including the new rock opera called "Spring Awakening" with the music of Duncan Sheik. These kids are rockin'! They are all in their younger 20s or even teens and they have these killer recording voices. Whoa!! I was blown away. The story wasn't the greatest, but the entertainment value behind it was hoppin'. I got to see some fabulous little productions and even a burlesque show that Margaret Cho is hosting in Hell's Kitchen. Along with that I've been out for a drink or two and a gathering or two. This weekend was especially fabulous since we took some cars and made a caravan out to Long Island for some wine, deliciously fabulous sweet corn dipped in butter, hayrides, pumpkins, corn mazes, songs, steak and friends. It was an eventful Sunday starting out at 9:00am, which was difficult to start sans coffee at first and a late night the previous night (the Margaret Cho event started at 11:00pm). We started in the ole "Enchanted Forest" as some call it (Forest Hills) at the diner for a good and hearty breakfast and LOTS of coffee. Yay! We then took the drive out to the north fork. I was asleep most of the way of course. We got to a goat farm first to sample some delicious goat cheese and see the cute goats on the farm. My friend Brooke was like a goddess when she went into the pen since the goats followed her practically everywhere and where climbing on top of her. It was hilarious. She had about enough after 10 minutes as anyone would if a herd just kept following you everywhere. I guess it just depends on the herd, but yes goats… 10 minutes… plenty of time. We got on the road and starting our wine tasting tour that started at a Ackerly Pond winery and ended at Borghese winery. The wine tastings were fabulous and at every place we had a grand time chuckling all the way and changing up cars between the vivacious musical theatre car and the more relaxing hits car. We stopped at a pumpkin patch after indulging in the fine tastes of the vineyards near the twilight of the day and had some delicious roasted sweet corn so infamously called sex corn (nicknamed by our group of course). So called because it is roasted on the grill fresh of the husks and then dipped in a sweet melted butter pot. It's hot, fresh, crisp, and juicy. So incredibly good. Yum!! My mouth waters just thinking of it and I had 2 husks that day. Whoa! We then made our merry way into the cornfields where we took a hayride singing all the way and then meandered through the corn maze. There was lots of fun at every corner as we all got split up and met up again at the end. There was some confusion since we lost a few people in the corn and had to wait for their reappearance. Hilarious. After this stop our bellies were screaming for food and our bodies were exhausted. We ended up at a steak house and had a fabulously indulgent meal. Brooke cleaned her steak down to the bone and the bone was whiter than I ever seen after she was finished. She loves her meat. We had plans to see the movie Xandau before Tuesday's event, but we were all exhausted. We just ended up going home and crashing for the night. Oh it was fabulous.

This week is no exception. There are still more lunches, dinners, shows, and nights out to be had. All the way up until Sunday where I return to the quiet city of Cleveland. It's pretty strange saying the quiet city of Cleveland, but after NY and L.A., it can't match up to the activities that transpire. Soon after I will be in L.A. in rehearsal for my last cruise adventure. It's hardly an adventure compared to the last 2, but my last nonetheless. I mean it this time. This will give me the savings I need to come back full force into the throbbing vibe of NYC.

By the way if you thumb back though postngs dated back to the beginning of June, you will notice some lovely photos attached from my adventures. I had over 3,000 to choose from, but I narrowed it down to a select few. Enjoy!!!

Goodbye Europe...

2007-09-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

The last night was not so bad at the hostel. The snorers must have left although there were some rumblings earlier in the morning. I got back to the hostel early of course and went to bed around 11:00PM. This means I was up early next morning. So I took my shower, ate my breakfast, and did a little walkabout in the city of Noordwijk. It's a cute little city and very distinctly Dutch. There were thatched roof houses and lots of farmlands and canals. I didn't see any windmills from my walk, but I saw them on my bus and train rides. They just weren't near to where I was staying. I wandered into this little town and the church bells were ringing. It was time for the weekly community gathering. Everyone was coming to the churches in their Sunday clothes. The town was so picturesque. I kind of felt like I was walking down a movie set. I walked around for about an hour before retiring back to the party hostel before checking out and heading into Central Amsterdam. It's the last part of my journey and I'm excited to go home and relax. I parked my bag at the new hotel so now all my bags are together and now I just waited to check in at 3:00PM. It will be a light night. I have to repack my bags so they can get on the plane without fail.

Home. It sounds like a wonderful word right now. I repacked my bags the day before, took a shower, and casually wandered in Amsterdam for the last time. I wanted to rent a bike, but it was too late. Oh well. I just grabbed dinner, came back, and took a nice long rest for the travel across the ocean. I'm glad these past few days were very relaxed and casual. I had planned on going to Prague THIS weekend as opposed to when I did it in the trip. I was VERY glad to have done it back then since I was geared for it and not so burnt out. Upon arriving in Amsterdam and after that last cab experience, burning out really settled in. If there wasn't the idea of going to Prague this weekend with my friend, I would've asked for my flight home to be Saturday. Amsterdam was just too crowded this weekend with the IBC conference in town and it being a weekend in general. Besides, it's about time to go home. So, I head off to the airport for my last flight to the United States. I never thought I'd be glad to be entering my country after all I experienced and at this time when our country is in bad political shape, but I am most happy to see family (most important) and friends again. Familiarity with people and places.

I did learn by traveling alone that for one I can do it and I learned so many valuable lessons about timing, planning, and research. As much as I wanted this to be off the cuff, I have to pick better cities to do this in and be in the right frame of mind with other people to do it. In order to go spontaneously, you just have to book trains or flights that day that are cheap and have no set itinerary or timetable. You go where the transport takes you to and then book a hostel upon arrival. In the cities I chose (with the exception of Prague) you need prior booking. I also HAD to get back to Amsterdam to pick up my cases and to catch my final flight. This trip definitely involved more planning than I gave to it, and it would've been nice to share. I want to come back again someday, but to Europe I say au revoir, adios, auf wiedersehen, adeus, vaarwel, arrivederci, and ciao. I don't know when I will be back again, but maybe within the next few years and next time definitely with a travel companion.

I'm safe at home now. The travel yesterday was long and arduous. It all went smoothly though and I'm very happy for that. I went a tad over budget on this little side vacation mainly due to expensive mistakes. It was pretty much what I expected to spend though. Now that I'm home I have a lot of catching up to do before I do any traveling again. I was going to go to NYC for a week next week, but with all the things happening here at home and some serious catching up to do on "land" things I need to stay put for a bit. I landed into a tornado of family events, so I have to catch up on that before I leave and finally let the events that happened over the last week settle in. It's kind of overwhelming being at home too. There are TV programs, family and friends to see, e-mails to catch up on, phones to recharge and settle, phone calls to make, and all the familiarities of just being in my home country. I am going to take this time to relax though. I need to clear my head before going out again.

Whoa Amsterdam...

2007-09-08T06:56:00.000-04:00

I made it to the hostel, but not without some woe involved. Second mistake of the trip and a very costly one. I got to the central station in the heart of Amsterdam. It turns out I could've saved myself about €30.00 if I just got off at Schipol, the airport. I got a cab and asked him to drive me out to the hostel. It turns out it's on the beach and the hostel at this point advised me to take the trains, but with the check-in desk closing at 1:00AM at the latest and me being at the train station in a cab around 11:30PM, I decided to just go with the consequences. We drove back in the direction of the airport. Damn!! That was a mistake if I only knew. Then from the airport it was another 20 minutes. Whoa! The final cab fare came to €100.00!!! That's quite a bit of moolah, but I got there by midnight. This was one worry off my mind, but a very costly one. So I go to check in and the guy tells me my original booking is full and that I have to move to a room with 8. Yikes!! So I have to take it and it's slightly cheaper. I finally go to sleep for a while dealing with snorers, hackers, and just lots of shuffling around of people I don't know. They were already in bed when I arrived so late. After a rough night's sleep with a wonderful pillow on a fairly comfortable bed, I woke up at 7:00AM to get my day started. I got a shower in, which I didn't think would happen, and made my journey into Amsterdam to meet the ship. I was anxious to get there considering my main luggage cases were on board. After taking the bus and the trains, I'm glad I didn't do that journey last night on rough schedules. I would've never gotten to the hostel. So I finally made it to the ship and got on seamlessly. I got off with my cases with no questions, met some people, said my hellos and goodbyes, and I was on my way. Thank God for a wonderful cast of folks to store my luggage and such. Whew! I called the next hotel and it turns out I could store my luggage there at no charge. SCORE!! I thought I would have to deal with storing my luggage at the train station and lugging it twice AND paying for it. Fabulous! I found the hotel okay and now know where I can find it. I was off on my way to the city for exploring and to find the shuttle back to the hostel. I DID find the shuttle, but the only one available was leaving at 7:00PM. Fine. I give up. I'll take it. No use worrying about getting back and forth such a long distance through windmills and tulips to bother with trains and busses. Yes, there are windmills and tulips. I saw them, or at least I saw the windmills and the distinctly Dutch thatched roof homes. It was a scenic ride into town. I wandered the streets all day looking through Amsterdam in various shops and taking in the people traffic. It's the rugby world cup and all the Dutchies were sporting their orange and being obnoxious as sports fans do throughout the city. I was in search of internet that would work on my computer and I wasn't being successful. I took some relaxing moments with coffee or a sit in the park or at various times just to wind down after a stressful evening and morning. I stumbled on this place near the university called Pannekoeoken "Upstairs." It was on a street called Grimburgwal right off the main street of Rokin. What caught my eye was the open door with the incredibly steep stairs that looked like you were scaling a wall. It was typical of the Dutch canal homes. It was a tiny place with only 3 tables and one cook. It was like I was eating in someone's personal kitchen. The establishment had a rainbow flag outside for friends of Dorothy and I decided after much thought of sitting down at a restaurant to just go in and enjoy something truly Dutch. It was truly amazing. A pannekoek is a Dutch crepe that is slightly thicker than a crepe, but just as big in pan size. It's stuffed with what ever and you can pour this thick honey syrup over it called stroop. I'm not a fan of the stroop myself. I tried this once in Vancouver when my close friend Phil came to visit me in Canada in 2000. I knew it was familiar and I was experiencing it right here in Holland. I got mine filled with bacon (ham), cheese, and pineapple. It was DEEElicious! I had a pot of green tea with it and I was finally feeling relieved. The place was happening too. People kept coming in, but with others and me there it was full. All three tables. He was doing good business tonight. I left there and decided to check one more place. I'd been checking all the hotel spots to see if I can crash in on their business centers. All were charging exorbitant prices for internet usage. Yuck. All the internet specialty cafés didn't have a cable or wireless connection to connect with my computer and all the "coffee" shops claiming to have wireless were really smoky and had a weak signal for this sickly computer. I stopped in at the Radisson SAS hotel and wha-la, free internet WITH cable! SCORE!! I was hooked up! Finally! And fast too. Seamlessly. I did some catching up and left there satiated. I headed over to my shuttle where I was whisked away to the country and here I sit in B.F.E. with not much to do. The wind is really brisk outside and the town is pretty quiet. It's a beach town and I think they're at the end of the season. It's time for me to go home. This trip was fabulous. Especially London, Paris, and Prague, but I think now that I have all my possessions in tow, it's time to be in with some familiarity. I sit now in a pot filled bar that is the check in desk of the hostel. It's called the Flying Pig and this is the party hostel. People, like in the cruise ship world seem to be in cliques already and I don't have anyone to break the ice with or to help me out. At this point, I'm not really in the mood. 'Tis funny. I MIGHT have welcomed this environment within my first week, but now I'm just burnt out. I think tomorrow's hotel arrangement will be the best because I SHOULD (knock on wood) get a good night rest and be recharged to come home for more rest and relaxation. I feel like I'm in college right now. It's hilarious. I think I'll go walking some more. I need some fresh air. The smoke and now the wine are starting to really relax me. I hope to be out tonight. Especially with the snorers in my room.

Last Day in Londontown...

2007-09-07T18:51:00.000-04:00

Well the relaxing part is now over and my anxiety levels rise as I head into Amsterdam. This is where I wonder how I'm getting there and if my cases will come off the ship smoothly tomorrow. Yesterday couldn't have been anymore relaxing though and much needed. We got a late start, which is fine since we were in no hurry to do anything. We made our way to Harrods so Kerry could show me where she used to work and so I could see the famous department store. It was so fabulously rich and way beyond anything I could afford at the moment, but still fascinating to see. It's their equivalent of the Macy's/May's chain only there is only one Harrods and that is in Central London. From there we headed into Hyde Park for a relaxing lunch and a cruise via paddleboat in the pond there. It was fun and the day was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t too hot and it was too chilly. The paddleboats sure gave us a workout though. Whoa. We ended up at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, which really isn't a spouting fountain, but more like a lazy river ovalesque fountain that lays low and trickles around. It was nice and that is where we met our friend Jonnie. We walked back through the park and ended up in Camden Lock again for dinner. I had my eye on a Mexican place from yesterday, but there were tons of cheap eating options. Tons! Mostly Asian though. We got our food and it wasn't like the Mexican I know. Come on, it's in Central London. What was I expecting? It was food though and cheap. Fabulous. It was our dinner, or "tea" as they call it here. We went back to Kerry's flat to freshen up a bit before heading out again to meet up with another friend in Chelsea. This is a very posh area and not like the Chelsea some of us know in NYC. It's still an expensive place to live like it is in NYC, but not as gay. Lol. We had some drinks there toasting his departure for a week cruise gig in Alaska and my last night in London. From here we went to SOHO. This would be the nightclub area where we danced the night away until 3:00AM. Yes, it was a late night. It was fabulously fun though and I was up again at 8:30AM this morning and a little wrecked from the night before.

After packing back up again (kind of getting over it by now) with some clean clothes, I had some breakfast and Jonnie was so kind enough to drive me to Stanstead Airport to catch my flight to Brussels. This is where my anxiety began. It was my last Ryan Air flight before the big commercial liner that takes me home and considering all past experiences I was flying into Brussels. On line the airport said there was a cheap transfer via train to the major train stations where I could book a train to Amsterdam. The question was how late was I going to arrive since after calling the hostel to let them know of my late arrival, I found out that last check in was at midnight. I HOPE I won't arrive any later than midnight. My flight went well and so was customs and immigration. Fabulous. We were 15 minutes early!! I bought the transfer to Brussels city center right by the major rail station. It was pretty pricey, but I figured that was the best option. I waited by a sign that said train station and even asked a few girls if this was the bus to the train and if I bought my ticket inside. Yes, was the answer and across from me was a bus to the city center packing in people and getting ready to leave. I thought to myself that maybe I should get on that bus and just find my way to the train station, but I thought the station I where I was standing was a special bus right to the train. The bus across the way left as the bus for the station where I was standing drove up. Sure enough it was the wrong bus. I had to get on the bus that was now leaving the area. The next bus was 45 minutes before departure. Damn!! I got panicked and frustrated at the same time. I thought positively and said there would be a train that was going to leave Brussels and still get me in on time even if I had to take a cab. The last shuttle to the hostel was at 10:00PM, so I don't even think I would've made it even if I got on that bus anyhow. I would STILL have to buy a cab. Needless to say I got on the next bus and it was a 50-minute ride. Yikes!! I hope it was at least 50-minutes in the direction I needed to go and Brussels wasn't south of Charleroi. I won't know until I look at a map, but I'm pretty sure it is. I got to the train station in just 40-minutes. Wonderful! This gave me time to figure things out. I went and bought my ticket to Amsterdam leaving at 8:25PM and arriving at 11:06PM. The cab ride from the terminal to the hostel should only take 40-minutes. JUST under the wire. I have my ride to Amsterdam, which is the most important to me right now since my luggage is arriving tomorrow. Now the question is whether I can make it to the hostel. I have a bar on my phone and $2 left to use. I pray it will all come through.

Casual London...

2007-09-06T05:57:00.000-04:00

London has been so casual here with Kerry. We went to Hempstead for a lovely day yesterday. It was a late start too since we were up late chatting with my other friend, Jonnie, from the ships. We got out and the strike in the tube was off. Fabulous. What a stroke of luck. They are talking about continuing it next week, but for now they stopped. Hempstead is a beautiful area and quiet. It's a posh area like Shaker Heights in Ohio or Forest Hills in Queens. It has a very large and beautiful park that really makes you feel like you're in the country. Central Park can be that way at times, but on the outer edges you can still see the tall skyscrapers of Manhattan and hear the sounds of the city even in the deepest parts. With this park you felt totally isolated from the city and there were no visual cues that you were even in London. This park also holds the home that was used for the filming of "Knotting Hill." Unfortunately we never found it since we couldn't find a map of the park anywhere and Kerry didn't know the park all that well to just hunt it down. The park was so large we just strolled through, enjoyed it, and left. Before we got to the park though we stopped for lunch at this creperie that's been open now for 27 years. It's just a little roadside stand that sits on a sidewalk in Hempstead and has now become a permanent fixture. Only 2 ladies were working there and there are only 3 grills running. She said the line can get pretty long and twist around the corner these crepes are so good. We finally got our way to the window to make an order and I got a savory one with spinach, ham, and garlic cheese. It was HUGE!! The crepe itself was mouthwatering delicious and all the things put together inside were fabulous. It was crispy because she had to cook it so long for the inside contents and it was crispy with loads of butter. Whoa. That kind of filled us up pretty good before our walk through the park as well as the cider that we had at the beer garden before heading in and then we came back after and had a sweet crepe. I told her that if the line was long, we wouldn't stop and we'd just go to Starbucks. I was just craving something sweet. We turned the corner and it was short. Damn. Now I had to get one. Oh well, I'm on vacation. I got a banana and Belgium chocolate crepe and Kerry got this crepe with cream, maple syrup, bananas, and nuts. Yikes! These were sinful and just as large as the first one. Mine was oozing with chocolate and it was soooo delicious. We were definitely full after this crepe and I think even overwhelmingly full. We got in the tube again and made our way to Camden Lock. This area is an actual Lock like in a canal. It's also very Bohemian with hippie, punk, and goth styles amidst everywhere. You can get your stripper supplies here, bongs, and cheap second hand clothing. People are expressing themselves in the way they dress and look just like you'd find in the East Village. We started to get tired after all the fresh air after walking around the market and headed back. We're coming back to this place for dinner or lunch to get the cheap offerings at the market. I crashed when I got back for a bit and just took a nap. I think that might happen quite a bit when I finally get home. Kerry made some dinner for the evening and then we headed out with Jonnie for a pub-crawl. It was a good night. The pubs close around 11:00PM generally, but we ended up in one that played music and was open until 1:00AM. We closed the place. The pubs we went to were all in a place called Angel. Just a name for the part of town and the pubs were all happening right up until the end. I was beat for the day and fell asleep on the bus ride home of course and was knocked out last night. I'm going to need a vacation to recover from vacation.

London like NYC...

2007-09-05T05:35:00.000-04:00

I wake up well rested after my first day in London with friends. Yay for familiar faces. My trip in was very stressful with making connections and being in a big city with time just passing forward into the early morning. My train from Florence to Pisa and then to the airport was easy. I got to the airport in plenty of time and I feel it was one of the easiest connections yet. My flight took off and it was 2 hours to London. We arrived a little late because of the jet stream. I landed and I was greeted as if I were landing in the United States. A very long customs and immigration line. It was especially longer for me since I was not a EU passport holder or UK citizen. The line was about 1 1/2 hours of waiting to pass through immigration. This meant I didn't get through the line until 2:00AM! I arrived at the baggage carriage and my bag came around quickly. That was good. Then it was in search of a transfer. I found one for £10, whoa. In US dollars that's about $20. In the UK, the prices on things in the pound sterling are double for US dollars. I got about £30 out of the machine, so that will be $60 from my account and that amount of money won't go far here. Wow, but I was prepared for that one. I got the transfer okay and it was an hour into the central part of London. Next thing was to get to my friend about 20 minutes away with the tube being closed for the night. After about 40 minutes of walking around I finally found the bus station I was supposed to find. It was a hidden marking that would only be clearly seen from the inside of the tube station. Luckily I meticulously followed the map at one of the other bus stations after walking around the equivalent of the Wall Street area in NYC for those 40 minutes. I got on the bus and was on my way. She met me at the stop and I was at her flat by 4:00AM! That was quite a journey. Still unshowered from the train ride from Prague and a long day of walking around in 2 hot places. Mmmmm. I was feeling quite grimy. We sat up and chatted for about 2 more hours before we retired for the evening. What a long day.

The next day was a lazy one and not getting started until the late afternoon. This was okay. This is the relaxing part of my journey. I'd already been to London and seen the major sights. This part was just to meet friends and see and experience the London I wouldn't get to see from getting here by cruise ship. I did some laundry, caught up on some internet, and then we went for a late lunch in Covent Garden. We walked around a bit before deciding to buy tickets to se Spamalot that evening. We decided to head back to her flat to change and then we discovered there was a tube strike. Only 3 lines out of 12 were running and the strike was expected to last for 2 weeks (a fortnight according to the paper). Wow. It was packed on the platform. Every tube that came on the Piccadilly Line was packed full and people were smashed in there like sardines. We let 2 trains go by before deciding to squash into one. We got home, freshened up, and we were out again. The train ride in was easy and we made it to the show just in time. Fabulous. The show was awesome and what a PERFECT show to see in London. It was the musical about the Holy Grail story by the famous comedy troupe of Britain, Monty Python. It brilliantly made fun of stage musicals and had a somewhat political view as well. I was dying of laughter and got most of the jokes and British humor thanks to Kerry (my friend I was visiting). We saw the show with her roomie and afterward headed back to their flat for a late night snack and just to hang out. Another friend of the Prinsendam showed up and we just hung around chatting until 1:00AM. I kind of feel at home here since London is a little like NYC in the sense that there is loads of theatre, artists, and also a busy business community. There are tourists galore here and everything is expensive. With the same TKTS stand in the central part of Covent Garden in the West End, it definitely felt like Manhattan. It's been great so far and the trip is now nearly over.

This part came at the right time just as I need friends to keep my spirits up during troubled times. I'll be anxious to go home in a few days once leaving here with my mind full of the wonderful places I've been and ready to deal with the heaviness my heart will feel upon landing in Ohio and knowing the changes that are happening on the home front. Today we're taking London very casual and hoping to meet up with more friends. Another nice and relaxing day in London.

Italian Express...

2007-09-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

My luck ran out again last night. I enjoyed 3 hours of alone time in my train cabin before 2 smelly Austrians came in. We got waylaid in Austria for a bit before we headed out. Just as we shut down power on the train, my computer decided it was going to cut out. With both batteries down and my memory stick still connected this couldn't have been a more inopportune time for this to happen. Power came on for a bit and I was able to safely take it out. Whew. I decided it was time to go to bed since I exhausted all my entertainment options. As I slept through the night I woke up to 3 more surprise visitors. A full cabin. 6 People! Whew. I finally woke up again in the morning around 7:00AM to the bustle of the others. Two of the guests had already departed and there were 4 of us left. I got my breakfast and freshened up a bit before pulling into Venice. I had about 3 hours to stroll the area. I wasn't planning on major sightseeing today. Just something to pass the time. I went in and out of the shops admiring the MANY artistic masks. I stopped for a little cappuccino before wandering off again. This time I found internet to hook my computer up to. Why didn't I find this before?!? And cheap!!! I stayed for a bit and check some things out, updated my bloated inbox, and was on my way. I didn't have much time left. Now I'm on a train to Florence where I have a very quick connection to Pisa. From Pisa I go to the airport and take off for my evening flight to London. Yay!! English people and familiar faces.

So in overlooking and misunderstanding the military time for my flight to the U.K. I thought I was leaving at 8:44PM when in fact I leave at 10:44PM. I was on a train that with all connections would get me to the airport at 5:45PM. Five hours in an airport? No way. I got off at Florence and looked at my options. They looked good, so I stored my bags for 3 hours and went exploring in Florence. This was an unexpected and pleasant journey. Again I was in a city I've never been to or had any sort of familiarity. I got out of the train station as wide-eyed as an actor from the Midwest arriving in NYC for the first time. First thing was to nab a map somewhere. Ahh, a hotel across the street. No luck. I went into town and found a tourist shop with some free brochures. Inside the pamphlet near the end of the adverts was a map. I ripped it out and I was on my way. Woo hoo. The first thing I headed for was the Duomo. I figured this was the prime attraction since in Pisa the leaning tower was also called a Duomo. Whoa! I got there and I was floored. The colors on the buildings just popped out with their designs. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this and everything was so close together. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was just hitting everything the right way. I was a snapping fool. The buildings of this place take you right back to the Renaissance Era. Everything so finely carved and the detail in all the structures were so amazing. Statues were everywhere and once again it was a thriving artist community. I was in the Tuscan region after all and this brings out a new kind of Italian from the Roman or the Venetian. I headed down the street to what I can remember seeing in all the pictures of Florence the icon on the Bargello and across from it another tower Badia Fiorentina. I was speeding through the city and it's a thriving and noisy city. The crowds were immense and the people traffic was difficult to navigate. This was my McFlorence trip. Florence in 3 hours a la cruise ship style. I ended up at the Arno River where it offered wonderful views of the city against the backdrop of the Tuscan Mountains. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio, which was lined with jewelry shops and all sorts of other shops just like the Rialto Bridge in Venice offers. I crossed over and wove through all the narrow streets before reaching the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately the grounds were closed for the day so I headed back and caught some views from the bridge. The charm of these old cities is the narrow cobblestone streets. There's barely enough room for one person let alone all the traffic that this city was having today. Also the streets can barely fit the width of a normal car and these vans and cars were passing down each road like mad mixed in with the motorcycles or occasional bicycle. I had to have eyes all over because I was walking so fast and my attention was getting drawn to every corner of this place. At one point I spilled out into the Piazza di Signora and I believe in front of the museum there (Palazza Vecchio) was a replication of the statue of David. I wasn't going to look for it today and I won't know until I look up its location later whether or not that was the actual statue. It was beautiful anyway so I got some photos. I wish I had time to really appreciate this city and I suppose I could've nixed Rome (which I'd seen twice already although it was a lovely visit) and used the time to appreciate and enjoy Florence with the Tuscan countryside. What is done is done and I appreciated the time I had here and in Rome. I made my way to see some other sights around the city just wandering through the narrow streets at high speed snapping away with my camera trying to be all-artistic with every angle I saw. Finally nature took over and I needed something to eat. I grabbed a pizza at one place and some gelato at another. Yes, more gelato. Yikes. This will probably be my last true Italian gelato though for this trip. I enjoyed every bite. Although I am getting kind of sick of pizza. I went to the train station to check my options again and realized I had another hour. Yay! I went out venturing again hoping to get some nice shots as the sun set on the river.

It was at this moment I decided to turn on my global phone and see if I could contact my English friend or see if she's tried to contact me. No, but I got 2 voicemails from my dad of the unexpected kind. It turns out that my uncle has passed on today. He was battling cancer and he was only expected to last through the spring of this year. He fought long and hard especially with my aunt being in her condition and finally his body couldn't take it anymore. I was hoping to at least see him once more before he moved on, but it wasn't possible and I kind of knew that. I couldn't and still can't process this information and probably won't until I get home or I'm on that plane to Ohio. Right now I'm content that he's out of pain and in a safe place. When I received the phone call I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do at this point. My bags are on the Prinsendam and I have to wait to pick them up on the 8th anyway, which means by then I should just wait for my flight to carry me home on the 10th. I put it aside and went on with my day, as I know my uncle would want me to do. He was never one for making a fuss really. What was sad in the last year was the fact that I saw my uncle deteriorate from the lively man I knew in my childhood to an old man rapidly. I saw him once before I left Ohio for this recent journey and I'm happy I got to see him then and for the holiday. Life always throws us change and change is happening to me now. Familiarity of the past keeps slipping away as the years pass on and I have to accept it and move forward. A friend sent me a story of 2 mice in a maze and 2 humans in the same maze. In short, the humans found this wonderful piece of grade A cheese and they loved it so much they didn't want anything else. They shared it with their mice friends and were very proud of it, but like all things it dwindled away and they never noticed it happening. The mice did, adapted, and moved on to find another piece of cheese. The humans didn't a dwelled on why the cheese was missing, why could it happen to them, and how come the world is so cruel to take it away. The whole point of the story was very uplifting where we have to accept the change that is placed in front of us no matter what it is and move forward with it be it good or bad. Change is not the end of the world; it's what makes life interesting. Yes, I will mourn the loss eventually, but for now I have to enjoy what I am seeing and doing and know that my uncle is now in a safe place. I hope my aunt in her state can deal with the change, but I know her disease affects her ability to do that when so much change happens on a daily basis that affects her security in life. I hope I get to see her before she departs as well.

Despite the sad news I took the warm air in with a deep breath and let it out again as I approached another beautiful piece of Renaissance motif. I pressed on for another hour an a half before practically running back to my train to make sure I made the connection and gave myself enough time for error when I got to the airport. Now I'm on the train to Pisa and then to the airport where I'll catch the night flight and meet up with my friend for the night. We were supposed to go out tonight, but since now I'm in the clothes I was in 2 days ago and haven't showered at all today, I don't think that will be happening especially since I'll be getting into London central around 1:30AM. What a whopper of a day.

PRAGUE Complete....

2007-09-02T09:23:00.000-04:00

Overwhelming would be an understatement for this city. My first impression was not the best one. The train pulled into Hlavni Nádrazí station in what I thought was the center of Prague. Well, it sort of is. It's between old and new town, which would I guess make it the technical center, but it wasn't near the old town, which is where all the sights are. THAT is what I would call the center of town. So the adventure begins with no hotel or hostel booked for the night. I get off the train and immediately someone looking to fill a spot in an apartment approaches me. It turns out she wanted someone in there for longer than a night. So I go into the station and like my friend said there are many places to change money and get a hotel. I change money and later realized I got ripped a new one for doing that. I needed the local currency though, especially to book a hostel, and I didn't want to lug my stuff to God knows where to get a decent rate. Oh well. I got the money. I can use it or lose it at the end of the trip. I'll use credit cards for as much as possible to get the best rate. I got a place that the lady said was about a 10-minute walk from the station. Great! I thought. So I began my journey with a room for $20. Fabulous! I was hoping for $10, but since I was looking for a room by myself tonight (I need it at this point to just sprawl out again) I had to take what I could get. If I wasn't in such a hurry to get this process over with I might've found a better deal, but I'm glad for what I got. So I walk. She neglected to tell me it was all uphill. Fifty pounds on my back. Whoa. I arrive and the front desk clerk checks me in and I go to my room. The place LOOKS like a hostel. I get in the elevator and there's a pull out door, but no sliding door to separate the elevator from the shaft. I could reach out and touch the floors as I passed them. Lol. This was getting funny. I got out and it looks once again like a high school hallway with no lockers lining the halls. It's long and wide. I find my room and there are 3 beds in it. No towels. Hmm. I go back to the front desk and ask to make sure I got a single. I wouldn't want any surprise visitors in the nights like when I was in shared rooms and thought I'd be alone for the night. He assured me it was a single. I then asked about the towels and he said to leave a 100Kc deposit for the towel and I'll get it back when I return the towel. Okay. No problem. He gives me the equivalent of a hand towel. Whoa. I needed a shower thought and I wasn't going to complain. I went back upstairs and the showers are communal and very open. Scary. They have stalls, but glass doors. It doesn't seem crowded here so I won't have much of a problem. I took my shower to get the grime from the train ride off me. That felt good. Staying in hostels is not for everyone. It's almost like camping in a way. Glorified camping. I was happy with clean clothes and a clean body and went out to venture. I wasn't all excited because as I walked through the residential area to get to the hostel it looked like parts of Russia. It was very plain, desolate, and I had to question the safety of the area. Both the lady at the train station and the hostel clerk assured me it was okay. It just looks like a run down neighborhood.

I walked into town and it was like the curtain rose from a dingy theatre and presented this colorful production of lights, sets, and sounds. I stepped into beauty and medieval times. It took me a while to get into town. I think I took a round about way. I finally made my way to the main street of Václavské Námestí. This was where you find your chain stores such as TGI Fridays, H&M, Zara, and a bunch of others as well as casinos and exchange places. Everything just got a little pricier in this area. To give an example: to buy 500mL of water where I'm staying in a residential area not far from the train station just cost me $0.38 while buying that same bottle of water in this area escalates from $1.25 as you get closer to the old town and the tourist area. Funny how economics work that way. I was told you could get a beer, pork, sauerkraut, and the dumplings for less than $5 if you find the right place. That same Czech meal in the old town was like $18.00!!! Almost 4x as expensive. I just had munchies all day because my friend told me not only is it gorgeous, happening, and artistic here, but it's damn cheap and that's part of the charm of coming here. If you want to stay in dorm rooms, you can stay here for $5/night!!! Mine cost a little more for location and a single room. Food was noted to be just as cheap. Anyway, enough economics. I ended up in old town and it was breathtaking. I came into Old Town Square. Beautiful stoned buildings with such artistic carvings and paintings. I couldn't believe my eyes and my trigger finger couldn't stop catching photos. Just from today I think I got about 140 pictures to go through. The square is the home of the astronomical clock where on the hour a skeleton empties his hourglass and a procession of apostles march by. I was too taken aback by everything around me and the things I was seeing to wait for the clock. Every turn was amazing and I don't think I could describe it anymore than it felt like I was walking into a storybook. Incidentally I have to look up Pinocchio now. This icon was prevalent everywhere and a handicraft of the area seems to be marionette making. I thought this story took place somewhere in Italy, not Prague.There was even a black light black theatre marionette show I considered going to. Wood toys and puzzles also a specialty of the Bohemians. I also found out they specialize in the Paganistic ritual of Easter. I jut learned today that most Americans combine the Christian observance of Easter with the Pagan ritual of decorating eggs. This decoration of eggs is a Pagan ritual to represent the fertility of spring. There are beautiful eggs in some of these shops decorated to unfathomable beliefs. Some even cut like snowflakes and how they did that without breaking it I have no idea. There were also these fascinatingly ornate gingerbread cookies made with dark honey dough. Along with the paintings, classical music, marionette makers and puppeteers, dance, and other artists in general this is a thriving artistic town. I bought a ticket to see one of the avant-garde black theatre shows at the Laterna Magika called Kouzelny Cirkus or The Wonderful Circus. This was after strolling down and discovering the Vltava River after passing through the Jewish quarter of Josefov. So many things to see. I saw the Prague Castle in the distance and had to venture. I ran into the House of the Senate and all it's beautiful gardens before realizing I was running out of day and should maybe save the Prague Castle for the next day. I have until 5:00PM to catch the train. I wandered around that area and Bohemia finding all the cute and crafty stores carrying such specific items to Prague before I found the infamous Charles Bridge. I guess the bridge was made famous not only because of its architectural beauty against the backdrop of the Prague Castle, but because where St. Jan Nepomucky was tossed over the bridge for guarding the secrets of the Queen from the suspicious King Wenceslas IV. I didn't know the history, but found all the statues and stonework against the river and the city views a stunning sight. I came back over the bridge and walked down the river to find another famous sight called the Dancing House. The same architect who designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao designed this house. I was there!! Not for the designing process, but to see the Guggenheim. Frank Gehry is the architect and this was definitely in his style of curvy and strange shaped buildings. Clearly I didn't schedule enough time for a true Prague experience. The sun was setting and I bought a ticket for the show. I had to get back to change and I wanted to get out before the sun set over the Charles Bridge. I saw some breathtaking photos from artists of different vantage points as the sun set or night shots and I wanted to capture that as well as best as I could.

I shuffled back to the hostel and didn't have time to stop and eat. I changed and went right back out again just making it in time for the show, but missing the sunset. Damn! The city is too big!! Lol. The show was fascinating. It was like watching an old 70s Pink Floyd video or something. It combined film and dance. The show itself is 30 years old and started in Prague in 1977. I guess that's how old the film is as well. The characters in the film looked almost identical if not close to the actors on stage. I wonder if they re-did the film for the cast or if the film is still in the 70s. It sure looked like it, but what remarkable casting. It was very avant-garde following these two clowns that were born in eggs that seemed to be birthed by a rose. The characters switched between stage and film. These curtains created the screen that raised and lowered and as the dancers passed through the slits, sometimes they appeared shortly after on the film. There were some hilarious moments like when the clowns were riding a ladder on a few stretches of road. The film was 3 screens large so it gave the real sense of motion during this sequence. There were some dark moments too with Punch and Judy marionettes and the skeleton marionette as well as the circus tent catching on fire. The dancing was phenomenal, but the show was so powerful and active I lost some of the dancing while watching the funny things on the film or I was watching the dancing while missing what was happening on the film. It was so much to take in. I was so alert through the whole thing and never bored. If I were on acid though, it would've been one great trip. That's how avant-garde it was. I mean there were moments where it was just an eye on one of the big screens or one eye for each screen just watching the dancers, or the two clowns would be huge on either side of the stage making faces or watching with an eye or blowing a whistle. It was freaky. There were some black light moments that were definitely a treat to watch. I was so glad I did this, but I was shot afterward. A full day of walking around AND seeing this amazingly captivating show. I wanted to go to one of the social scenes. It IS a Saturday night, but the bars are generally not my scenes when I'm alone. I like to go in groups to socialize, but not by myself. I don't like drinking alone unless I'm waiting to meet someone. I declined and decided to head back for bed. I have to be out of the hostel at 9:00AM and then do the train again that night. I'm looking at exhausting days ahead. My party time will come when I meet friends in London and Amsterdam. For now I say good night Prague.

I woke up early on this second day because I had to check out of the hostel by 9:00AM. No bother. It gets me going. I had my communal shower all to myself. Yay! I was also able to store my bags with the clerk again. How nice. I ventured out in search of breakfast. Nothing seemed open on this Sunday morning so I stopped at a local grocery store and loaded up on snack croissants and water. I ventured casually into the old city again and stopped at a coffee shop for my morning brew. It was then I decided to wait around until the astronomical clock struck the hour to see the puppets play. It was interesting. Cute. Next stop Prague Castle. I ventured across the Charles Bridge and realized you could go up in the first tower so I did for some spectacular views of the city. I stayed up there for a while since I like being up high over things. My knees don't like it, but my brain and other senses do. It was a 135-stair climb with my knapsack on my back. Whew. I crossed over the bridge and into the town on the other side. It was a steep climb through the village to get to the stairs to initiate my ascent to the castle. There were 208 stairs to climb (yes I counted later). Whoa. I was getting a workout today. I went up and my mind was boggled with all the options I could take to see the grounds. Spectacular views of the city, wonderful architecture with the main church, manicured grounds, and all kinds of nooks and crannies. I was like a kid in a playground. I spent a good hour roaming the grounds before deciding to head back down the stairs. I decided I wanted what my "Lets Go" guide called a traditional Czech meal for lunch. I saw a restaurant called U Melenáse and decided for 222Kc it would be fine. It came with roast pork in gravy, red cabbage, and a special dumpling. To start was asparagus soup and to finish was apple strudel. I had an espresso with milk because the guide said that the coffee here might not be palatable for western tongues and judging by the coffee I had on the train and in other spots as I was coming in, I agree. The lunch was fabulous and relaxed. I loved it. It was somewhat close to what my family used to make some Sundays at home, which made me wonder about my roots possibly being from Czechoslovakia as well. After all, family lines lie in the recipes they pass down to each other or am I crazy? I left the restaurant very satiated and headed for the center of town again. I was worn out with sights and sounds and wanted to do a little window-shopping of the art pieces from here. I found out about Pinocchio. It turns out that the story does take place in Tuscany in a real town there. Because of the black theatre and wood carving artistry of the Czechs, marionettes are also a part of that culture and Pinocchio is just a perfect icon. A lot of the stores had marionettes from Pinocchio, Faust, and Punch and Judy. They were well crafted and cute. They also carried various wood puzzles and children's toys. The crowds started getting large in the area so I headed back to the residential area to see if I could catch some wireless waves. After some trucking along various side roads I found a place called the Illusion Bar that gave me full signal. HALELUJAH!!! I was able to hook up with my OWN computer. Yay!! I stayed there for the afternoon after which I collected my bags and headed to the station. I was able to find my train this time and that's where I sit in my 6-person cabin!! Yes, 6 people are expected to take this overnight journey with me. So far 2 are missing that were supposed to get on in Prague. Maybe I'll just have one again or none if I'm lucky. I'll all the way up top again. Booo! It's like gymnastics to get out of this bed and I can't see out of any windows. I'll see how the nights progresses. Until then I say goodnight and goodbye to Prague. I should've spent more time with all the things to do and see here. I'll know better for next time. ;)

Journey to Prague...

2007-09-01T09:22:00.000-04:00

The journey continues. I'm now on my train to Vienna, Austria first where we'll take a break and then off to Prague in the Czech Republic. After leaving the Blue Café in Venice I strolled up to the area where the internet cafés were to do some catching up. Afterwards I strolled the streets looking into the various shops. I wanted to buy some things here, but decided against it for now since I had no way to transport it and I was heading on a long and questionable journey to Prague. Questionable meaning I'd never taken this trip ever and wasn't sure how the cars would be or the trip itself. After being in the city for only a day I was able to navigate the streets by now on visual cues. It was exciting. Just by looking at a building or seeing a particular sign or piazza I knew exactly where I was in this labyrinth of old world buildings. I guess it's like the rat in the maze. It leans how to get to the cheese and then remembers how to get there based on visual cues. Although I don't consider myself anywhere close to a rat. I wound down a bit since I've been walking so much so far. My cavs are going to be awesome after these 2 weeks. I bought my tickets to Pisa after I get back from Prague so I can catch my flight there to London. My original plan was to do Verona, Tuscany and Florence, but Prague being so expensive from Amsterdam I decided to take this route since it came highly recommended for scenery and such. I strolled through the labyrinth again grabbing yet another slice of flat pizza and after picking up my bags at the hostel I enjoyed yet another 2 scoops of home made gelato. Yum!

I got to the train station and patiently waited for my train to show up on the board. Nadda. So, since I got there so early and my OCD was kicking into high gear, I went to information to inquire. Aha!! It was a train first to Vienna, which I didn't know. Austria. Wow. So I get on the train and there are 4 bunks. I'm on the top bunk. HIGH!! It's so high it almost goes over my head!! I hope I don't roll out at night. If my fellow travelers don't show up (two were supposed to show at the first stop and they're no shows and I'm expecting one at the next) I will take the bottom bunk for sure. I guess I get breakfast in the morning since they asked if I wanted coffee or tea with my breakfast. Wow. The car is no larger than a standard train car. I'd say about 6 feet wide by 12 feet tall. It has the capacity for 6 bunks!! This was set up for 4 bunks. I'm on my way now. I wonder how the night will progress this time. I'm tired so I should go out real fast.

Good luck so far. I've been on the train now an hour and no roomies. I guess I'm missing out on the social aspect of this trip, but like I said before, if I were meant to meet people I feel they would step into my life. I love the friends I have and made and it would be great to make new ones, but I won't seek them out. I've been doing okay on my own thus far and I'll see some familiar faces in a few days, which I'm totally excited about. I hope to party with some friends who are disembarking in Amsterdam from the ship and staying for a while as well. The social part will come, but the journey has been solo so far.

I had a pretty good night sleep, but it wasn't the best. It got cold suddenly in the night and all I had was a sheet. Brrr. I wonder if it's cold outside. I'm typing now at 8:30AM and rolling outside of me is the Czech Republic. This was just like being on a cruise. Sleep the night away while you travel. I think the only day I'm going to lose to travel through all of this is September 3 when I make my way to London, but even then I'll have about 3 hours to spare in Venice again. I think this was planned well. Especially this trip. Hello. Fifteen hours on a train. That would suck if it were a day trip sitting in a seat. A night train with a bed was the way to go. My luck ran out some time in the night. A roomie came in around 11:00PM, which is fine. It's only 1 person, but he's still asleep and I'm done sleeping. That's what sucks about roommates and I'm glad on my next 6 month contract I won't have one. My passport was stamped twice already. Once in Austria and another as we crossed the borders into the Czech Republic. I can't wait to see what lies ahead. I hope this guy wakes up soon so the lady will serve our cabin breakfast. I bought some snacks yesterday so I already nibbled on those. I did a little freshening up and now I'll just watch the countryside roll by. So as I was freshening up I noticed my one knuckle got hit 3 times, then along my thumb, and on my upper thigh. Those little mosquitoes. Ooooh! How I hate them.

The Wetlands...

2007-08-31T09:55:00.000-04:00

It was a long night as I battled the creatures of the night. About 2 hours or so into my slumber I began itching and was wondering (based on the look of this place) if there were creatures in my bed. There were creatures, but not in my bed. They were buzzing about my head. I left the window open to get a cool breeze in the room. Otherwise it would've been stifling with no airflow. When I started to notice the itching is also when I started to notice the buzzing. Right by my ear. OOOOH! I hate that. I thought they were flies in my tired state and dismissed it just getting annoyed. I tried to go back to sleep. An hour later I noticed another one buzz right by my ear and I could hear them in the air amongst the silence around me. I flicked on the light and noticed there were a good group of mosquitoes right by my head on the wall. Yikes! I was being feasted upon. I immediately got up and closed the window. I grabbed my hand towel and began swatting. The battle begun. I killed off a good portion of them only SEEING one lingering and always on the ceiling. I hear her buzzing about in the air. I believe with mosquitoes it is the female who goes out and gets the food. I turn the light off again and try to sleep. Some time goes by and buzz, right by my ear. OOOOH! These damn creatures! I get up and swat again immediately killing the one on the wall next to me. I still hear another one buzzing about so I search. I find her and she's lingering near the ceiling. I try a few times to get her, but fail. So I turn out the light and wait a bit. She's brave and hungry and she comes close to my ear again. I wait a few more minutes, slowly get out of bed, flick on the light, find her, and swat. She's gone. Ahhh. Silence. No more buzzing. Unfortunately I have some bites on my hands and neck as a casualty of battle. I guess with all the rivers and wet areas this is a haven for them. I forgot about that minor detail since it's a humid climate as well as a wet one. This is why Ft. Lauderdale is called the "Venice of Florida." It has the same canals and the same problem with the mosquito. I finally got some rest and woke up to the bells of the churches surrounding me as well as the bells on my alarm clock. It didn't look like it was going to start off well with the cloud cover and occasional spat of rain, but as I sit here typing it turned out to be gorgeous. Again. Yay for me.

This morning I stored my bags at the hostel. They allowed it. I went up to the rail station just to figure out what I wanted to do today and to get out of the annoying sprinkle. I saw the water taxis and remembered the travel book saying something about €6 water canal rides. I bought a ticket and rode around on the water getting a different perspective of the island for about 2 hours. It was great. I was under cover AND I got to get around the city and see new things without walking or getting wet. As I was getting onto the taxi I noticed the logo was a fish. I looked at the map of Venice with the whole island in view and noticed it DID look like a fish. Who'd have thunk. It may be common knowledge, but I never knew. The train station is right where the brain would be and where I picked up the canal boat was where the eye would be. The belly is San Marco Piazza and the tail end is down by the park I went yesterday. The canal ride took me out of the Grande Canal into the open water along the belly and around the tail to the topside of the island. The views were stunning. The boat then took a trip away from the island to another island called Murano. I should've done this yesterday and got off on Murano. It looked cute, but I can see only exploring it for about an hour or so. The boat road through its "Long Canal" giving some splendid views. I was just relaxing on the outside back of the boat breathing in the salty air and watching the scenery go by. This I will be doing a lot of tonight into tomorrow morning on my way to Prague on the train. I got off at the same stop 2 hours later and the weather is now perfecto. I did notice one sad thing as I was floating around the outer perimeter of Venice. It was the trash build up. I don't know if people put it there or if it just washes up that way from the canals and currents. Yesterday I saw a man throw a cigarette butt into the canal and I thought "how gross." People just have no mind of the beauty around them and what they are doing to it by now properly disposing of trash. That's why the cities and governments pay for trash removal and disposal. It's to keep cities clean and comfortable. When we take it upon ourselves as human beings to just disregard this wonderful service and dispose of trash on the streets, in fields, sides of roads, in canals, or whatever it's just gross and disgusting behavior. We should treasure the beauty we have around us and remember we aren't the only animals on the planet. It seems as though sometimes we feel that since we are so high on the food chain that we have complete reign of everything. Then someone gets attacked by a shark, killed by a stingray, or eaten by a polar bear and we're put into check (but only for a moment). We should realize that sometimes nature fights back when we take advantage of her beauty. Hence the greenhouse effect. Another sad thing I noticed was the water level. As you look around the city you realize how ancient it is and even though it's remarkable being built on water for the time period the city started, there were a few faults in the process. One was the city being built on such unstable and changing ground. A lot of the buildings lean (especially some of the towers) and some of them are even partially underwater and crooked. The city is sinking and at high tide here, which seems to be around 2:00PM from what I've seen, the water levels come right up and over onto the walkways. Wow. I couldn't believe it. I also heard that in the winter San Marco Piazza and a lot of the walkways in Venice flood for the entire season. I also heard this season is getting to be a longer period of time with the rising water levels over all combined with the sinking city. I consider myself very fortunate to see this city while it's still ABOVE ground. One day this could be the next Atlantis.

I wanted to check out this café that my travel book said would have free wifi. They do advertise it as such, but alas my broken antennae must not get the signal. Drats!! I will definitely be getting a new Mac when I get back on American soil again. Smaller and stronger. Right now I have to deal with what I have, which works well otherwise, but it is dying. Today I'm just going to finish up with a little browsing. I think I've seen of Venice what I wanted to see. My train leaves at 8:45pm, so I have some time. I'm at the café now relaxing a bit and then I'll be off to browse the shops a little. Tonight is my first train ride overnight. I can't wait to see what it will be like. I hope I can sleep. I hope I can get accommodation in Prague. My friend says you can just walk up to the hotel reservations kiosk when you get there and book one really cheap. I wanted to do this in Prague as opposed to booking online since I know nothing about Prague at all. It would suck to book something like I had in Rome not knowing anything about the city. At least in Rome I had been there before and knew what to do other than the misfortunate thing about getting to and from the hostel from Ciampino.

Scary Rome to Charming Venice...

2007-08-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

Today started off a little scary. First as I was sleeping (or trying to in the intense humidity) my roomie came in. I had one after all, but only one. Not so bad, but I now felt bad about getting up and shuffling about come 3:00AM when my alarm was set. I dozed back off hearing him mumble and snore all through the night. C'est la vie. It IS a hostel and boy did I find out about that one this morning. I got up and was ready to go for when my cab was supposed to be there at 4:00AM. I went to go out, but the reception was locked. Was I locked in? How was I going to get out? Minor panic, but I just left my bags while I investigated. There was no need lugging those around while I wandered the halls. Ha! I found an opening. Okay, I was out into the parking lot and popped a squat. The wind was blowing fiercely and the trees were rustling like mad. The sun hadn't come up and I'm surrounded by barracks and cornfields and this creepy warehouse type building down the road in the darkness with candles glowing in the windows. I look around and notice the iron gate was shut and bolted. I hope they left the door for me. I checked and wha-la. It was open. Now I was on the outside of the compound and the creepiness factor increased 10 fold. Trees right next to me just being blown by the wind and covering the lamp post shining light onto me and the letters on the gate which read "Ostello Casale del Monaci" where some letters had fallen off their hinges and were crooked. Since this was inevitably creepy and getting creepier by the moment with the random cats wandering the fields, I decided to try and take a picture of this funny sign to remember this moment and how stranded I felt. Finally 4:00AM rolls around. No phone call. No cab. I would be able to tell if a cab was coming down the road at least 10 minutes ahead of time because of the moving lights that's how dark it was. I waited until 4:15AM. I know I told the front desk clerk to order one for 4:00AM. Well, I figured this was a challenge and since I had about 3 hours and the airport was near, I'd walk. I walked down the dark road to the main street passing the weird warehouse with the candles in it. I waited a few, looked around, and then decided to walk in the direction of the airport with no idea where it was. Finally, the phone rang. SAVED!! It was the cab company saying the cab would arrive in 10 minutes and it was 4:20AM. Okay. I passed 2 creepy stray dogs and made my way back to the entrance to the hostel. I wasn't about to re-walk that dark road past the warehouse, so I just waited at the intersection. A car came 10 minutes later, but not a cab. Just residential. It was now 4:40AM and I was wondering where the cab was. The call came in blocked and the stupid stubborn Italian front desk clerk said they'd take care of the cab and wouldn't give me the phone number. The one they did give me didn't work from my cell. I waited for a bit and then pulled out my "Let's Go" travel book to see if there was anything about being stranded in Ciampino on a dark humid morning with no phone numbers, lol. No I was looking to see what the country code was so I could try information or the cab company again. Another car pulls up. In desperation I asked the guy if he could take me to the airport and just as I was doing that the cab pulled up. Hallelujah!!! Lesson: Never book a remote hostel with no front desk or transportation service when you book an AM flight or don't book an AM flight period. I should've just stayed in central Rome anyway. Cabbie took me to the airport, but upon getting in I noticed the fare was already €20. Hmmm. Maybe I was reading it wrong, but the price kept increasing and he got lost at one point. We finally get to the airport and I realized without the cab, I would've never found the airport. Whew!! Someone was watching over me, but for a price. I tried to fight the cabbie on the price, but I guess the simple fact is that here if you order a cab to get you, the meter starts when the cab leaves the station. Bullshit is what I have to say to that, but the cabbie knew very little English and I knew no Italian and I was losing time to check in. I was there and I needed to go. I gave him my card and he screwed me with €35. Yikes!!

The flight was fine and I landed in Treviso Airport, which is about 50 minutes from central Venice. There was a shuttle waiting that took you there for €5. I slept most of the way as we drove through the countryside. We arrived at Piazza Roma and here it was. Venice and a gorgeous day to start. This truly is THE city of canals. I have been in cities with canals, but none like this one. Every corner is a beautiful moment. Flowers in the windows, beautiful architecture, and just plain ancient things. The city is sinking and you could tell since some of the houses are a bit underwater. This morning as I arrived I went to the train station to get my ticket to Prague. I'm all set for tomorrow for an overnight train to Prague. My first overnight train ever. The return will be just in time for me to high tail it over to Pisa to catch my flight to London. Then London for 4 days. I arrived at the hostel after doing this to check in, but I was early of course. I was staying in an old college building. This should be fun. I left my one bag and wandered through the streets just absorbing everything and doing it at a relaxing pace. There were merchants bringing their cargo in from somewhere on gondolas. Fresh fruit stacked high in one gondola, water and soda (beer as well) in another. People were milling about on tour or just going to work. The city was breathing of history and culture. The sun was strong this morning, but now a dark cloud or two have rolled in. I've had perfect weather all trip. I would hate to see rain, but here for some reason it would be okay. This place makes me smile. I bought a map for reference, but I'm just going to love getting lost in all the side streets without worry of time constraints like you have on a ship. There is a ship in port today. It's one of the Celebrity ships. I went back to the hostel to check in when it was time. Here I go. I walked up the 3 flights on an outside staircase. The building after walking through the hallways looks like it should be condemned, but I guess it's safe. It was definitely a college hall for classrooms converted to a hostel. My room used to be an office I gather since I have a window right next to my door as if to receive mail or talk to someone in reception. It's just one small room about the size of my space on the ship. Just for me. No bathroom. This I will have to walk down the hall to take care of business. Yup. My first communal hostel. All the rooms I stayed in so far had attached bathrooms. This one is totally communal and reminds me of a college dorm. I have a wonderful view of the rooftops of Venice out my window though and I'm SURE it's going to be quiet tonight. I think I'll definitely sleep in as much as possible tomorrow. I have to check out at 11:00AM, but my train isn't until 8:00PM. Now I wander the streets of Venice. This and Paris were one of the highlights of my trip. Prague and London are as well, but I was most excited about these 2 places.

Okay as I was typing it struck noon here in Venice. WOW!!! There are bells everywhere!! Just ringing outside my window. I'm overwhelmed.

So it's about 9:00PM and I'm about to turn in. There was a little group of people in San Marco Square listening to the various classical duos at the restaurants play and at the Santa Margarita Piazza there was a spattering of people just sitting around drinking vino and speaking in foreign languages. I'm in what's called the Dorsoduro, which is the college area and the happening part of town. I was told there would be a lot of backpackers here, but they must be filtered in with the Italians and other folk and my hostel is pretty quiet right now. I think there are only 3 of us on this entire floor and it's pretty large. After I heard the bells I pulled out my "Let's Go" travel book that my M1, Daniel, gave to me before he left. It's been quite the weight, but also handy at times and I don't think I'll rid myself of the extra weight until London. I'll just give it to Kerry when I see her. I was reading and all of a sudden a huge afternoon thunderstorm happened. It poured and poured rain for about 30 minutes. It let up and that's when I went out. When I got outside, the water in the canal was already flooding onto the sidewalk. Not from the rain I suspect, but from the tide shift. I couldn't believe it. The sidewalk right outside the hostel was almost completely under water. I walked into San Marco Piazza and that was flooded as well. People were walking around with their shoes off dancing in the puddles and wading through the flooded piazza. I made my way to the Bridge of Sighs. This is what I didn't see last time. I wanted to see places and experience things I didn't see on my cruise ship visit. When you're here on a cruise ship, you don't see the sun set, experience the nightlife, or get to various parts because of time. I did ALL those things today. I went along the harbor past the Bridge of Sighs. Incidentally it's called the Bridge of Sighs because that's what the prisoners did as they were carted off to prison and went under this bridge. They knew it was their last taste of freedom before being entombed behind bars. I walked to the exhibition park and beyond because my curiosity took me there and then turned around. I went to the Arsenale to check this fortification out and then headed in to see the Rialto Bridge and take the route I did on the cruise ship to check out masks. There were Venetian masks, artwork, and glass everywhere. There are so many beautiful things and people here it'll make your head spin. I was also looking for an adapter for my electronics since I must've left it in the French plug. To my distress the Italians have a different plug that's LIKE the European plug, but with an extra middle piece. No good to me in Prague or Amsterdam. I headed back to the hostel to ask the desk clerk if they had one and sure enough there was one to use. Thank God. Nevertheless I still went into the electrical shops after to see if they had one and I FOUND one. Yay!! I went on into this restaurant near San Marco Square to eat. I wanted to live it up tonight. It was called Al Vaporetto and it was reasonably priced. I just seemed to get a lot of food. I was living on bread and tomatoes all day (pizza, pannini, etc) and gelato. I needed something substantial and I was sick of pizza. The fare was okay. Nothing spectacular. In fact I had a suspicion they were doing what the French did at the restaurant in "National Lampoon's European Vacation" where they took microwave meals and stuck it on a fancy plate. Oh well, it was good food nonetheless. I ordered a half carafe of Cabernet and figured that might fill 2 glasses. Wrong! It filled way more and I was a little tipsy leaving the restaurant. I walked through San Marco Square again at night and like I said earlier there were about 4 musicians or groups of musicians playing various pieces of classical music at the restaurants that echoed through the piazza. People were sitting around drinking vino and just enjoying the cool air and breeze with the atmosphere. I walked through and wanted to check out the other hot spot. I got a little lost and walked through this highly fashionable area where all the high-end Italian goods were sold. Whoa! The fashion in trés chic right now and everyone is wearing these silky scarves including the men. I was overwhelmed by all the high-end clothing I was seeing taunting me in the windows. Luckily they were closed, but I probably still wouldn't buy. I'm a horrible shopper. As I was walking I couldn't believe I was actually here. In Venice. It was too perfect. The weather perked up for the rest of the day after the afternoon thunderstorm and it was gorgeous. The light hit the old buildings and flowers in new and interesting ways. As I walked through Venice at night I expected to see a girl or boy just in college with a uniform and a nametag sweeping the streets a la theme park style. It feels like a theme park here. It's too perfect and manicured to be a real city and that's how it was for Rome and Paris as well. The city gets dirty; don't get me wrong, but the architecture, the sights, the ruins, the people. It all feels contrived and not real at all. I still can't believe I'm sitting in an abandoned college turned hotel/hostel with shared bathrooms and where my room used to be some sort of office. I headed home after stopping to get some gelato. I was tired. After all I've been up since 3:00AM and dealing with eeriness all morning before getting to Venice. Now I will turn off my light in complete darkness and almost silence. The night attendant downstairs is practicing his clarinet and playing beautiful classic music. Only in Venice. By the way. It was the Vivaldi festival this week. There was a concert tonight, but with all the wine I had I would've dozed off. That's a €28 nap I was looking at. I like classic music, but I don't love it like some. So as I sit in the dark with the cool breeze blowing into my humid room, the thunderstorm now brewing for the evening plays it's music in the distance along with the solo of the clarinet from downstairs and the occasional rumble of children and others in the streets below. Ahh. This can be the life.

AQUARIUS!!!!

2007-08-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

Finally it is here!!! I can't post my adventures yet since internet has been inaccessible through my computer (bad antennae bad) and finding it elsewhere has been a drag. So here's something to keep you occupied whilst I update later:

Enjoy.

Airways to Southern Italy...

2007-08-29T09:53:00.000-04:00

The alarm clock woke me up at 4:00AM this morning. Ugh! That's what I get for booking so early. I got ready and packed my bags for my first Ryan Air experience. The train was easy and apparently free. There were no stalls open for me to scan my ticket and I just walked right onto the platform and walked right out the door upon exiting. I guess if an official came on board, you would need to present a ticket, but no collections were made at the stations themselves. Cool. I got to the bus depot early and no shops were open to get food. Blast! Oh well, I got on a bus pretty much right away and within 30 minutes I was on my way to Beauvais Airport. It would be a 70-minute drive. I was asleep for most of it, but when I did wake up for some of the trip I noticed we were traveling through beautiful farmlands and the sun was just rising over the horizon. This airport was definitely remote and I have a feeling the other 3 airports will be just as remote. I get to the airport with time to spare so I grab some eats at overpriced amounts. Of course. It's an airport. Would I expect anything less? No. I get in line to check in and there is a lot of activity at this airport. Wow! I never expected this much traffic. My Rome flight looked packed. I got up to the counter and I packed well. My check in bag only weighed 9 kilos. This means I have an extra 6 kilos to spare and I will definitely take the load off my backpack in the future flights. I went to the gate and here's where the shuffle began. You see, Ryan Air, like it's counterpart Southwest in the U.S., doesn't have assigned seating. You are first come and first serve. I thought I was in a line for the right counter since all the seasoned travelers were standing there. Turns out it was for a flight to Dublin. Next we shuffled over to another gate while losing space I had in the line. There's a gentlemen at another gate opening a computer terminal and all it took was one man to leave the massive line to check it out before all heads turned and people began shuffling again. I lost more space in line on this third shuffle, but no worries. I got on just fine and got my seat by the window in the rear of the plane. The plane is nothing special. Food and drink are extra and I got the unfortunate luck of being seated next to very curious and playful children. I hope I can make my transfer from the airport in Ciampino to the hostel in the same city smooth so I can maximize my time in the city. Tomorrow I fly from this airport bright and early to Venice. I'm not tired, yet. If I get that train to Prague, I will definitely utilize the sleep time there. I plan to go go go while I'm in Rome and Venice. My next task will be to find the airport supporting Ryan Air in Pisa. That's where I need to catch my flight to London. I think I'll have a nice 3 relaxing days in London before heading back to Amsterdam and the end of my journey.

Well Ciampino is at least closer to the central part of Rome than Beauvais is to the central part of Paris. I flew right over Rome and it was so interesting to see the Coliseum, the Vatican City, and all the aqueducts that once ran through the various parts of the city still standing. We landed and the journey began. I was exhausted. I got my luggage okay and it turns out there was a transfer for €1 to the Ciampino Train Station. This was good because then I would know where it was so I could get to Rome after I checked in. I waited for the public transport to take me to the Ostello de Castello. I didn't realize it was a retreat. It's out in the vineyards of Ciampino. I have a knack for picking these places. Also there's a restriction on when the shuttle operates from the hostel to the train station. Apparently it ends at 6:00PM and I found that out later. I was told it would end at 8:00PM. So I wouldn't get to see Rome nightlife and it was probably best since I have a 6:00AM flight. I learned a few things now since booking this adventure. One is to really check out the places you're looking at no matter how limited you are on time. Make it right. Make it central. The other is being wary of connection times. I was so eager to book flights cheap and fast (same with hostels), I didn't realize I would miss out on things by making flights so early. No bother. I still had a fabulous day in Rome and I still can't believe I'm actually here and doing this. I went into the city and sought out the Spanish Steps. I came here on my first visit to Rome thinking that the cistern at the bottom of the steps (also a fresh water public drinking fountain and a very decorative one) was the Trevi Fountain. Sadly I was mistaken and I didn't see it that day. That was way back in 2000 so even though the Spanish Steps aren't much of a spectacle on a Wednesday afternoon, it was special to me. Normally this place is bustling with artists and musicians, as it was when I came here last time since we had an overnight. This place did house such shops as Armani, Dolce Gabana, Prada, and the like. It was full of chic Italian shops and the people that were shopping in them were dressed for it. I was just in my shorts, T-shirt, and squeaky shoes. I wasn't about to stop since the average price tag was about €400, which is a hell of a lot of money for a piece of clothing. I went out and sought the Trevi Fountain again. This time actually finding it. I was here just months ago, threw my coins in, and alas I return. I did it once again and the right way (over my shoulder). One for return, one for love, and one to find love IN Rome. I grabbed a pizza and gelato and was off again. I debated going to the Vatican City and going up in the Basilica, but my time limit and my aching body was against it. I did stumble upon the Forum and the awesome ruins that surrounded the area between the Emmanuelle Statue and the Coliseum. I spent about an unexpected hour and a half here wandering around taking in all the beauty and the angles and everything. I found an ancient theatre on the outskirts and along the river down below there was an entertainment area where it looks like they were setting up for a reception or conference of some sort. That entertainment/restaurant area was gorgeously set in the valley along where two rivers converge and there was a water fountain on one side. The old ruins were on the hillside behind it leading up to the main road and all the foliage that is representative of Italy and the Mediterranean. It was stunning. I knew now I had to make it back to the train station not only for my rest, but just to get there. Just like being on a cruise ship. Lol.

The place I'm staying in looks like a military barracks situated in the countryside. It's quiet no doubt and I have a 6-bed dorm room all to myself. Woo hoo! I can see why this place doesn't fill up though. After unpacking everything I discovered I lost my adapter for European plugs. Drat!!! That burned me because I could see it sticking in the wall at the other hotel. I'm sure I packed it though and it could have easily fallen out of my bag somewhere it was so small. Ohhh!! It just burns though and now I'll be even more OCD before leaving the hotels. I already am because I do leave at least one thing behind. Why is that? Damnit!! Oh well. I hope I can get one in the next couple stops. Maybe in Venice or at the airport. Now I'm off to be. I have a short sleep to catch up before tomorrow's flight. I'm really excited about Venice and the prospect of going to Prague. If I don't get to Prague, my plans are still open for doing the Tuscan countryside and Verona. This is the part of my itinerary that was a little unplanned and now it's getting a little exciting. I haven't really met anyone yet of note other than those strangers. I suppose if I was meant to meet a friend to travel with, I will. I've been doing fine though and there's only been a few moments where I wish there was someone to talk about how great the day was.

Casual Paris...

2007-08-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

Last day in Paris. Ah, c'est la vie. I woke up early enough to catch breakfast and that was about it. I left to explore the city casually and to find out about this transfer to the airport. I got off at the Port Maillot stop and made all my mistakes today instead of tomorrow with all my luggage in tow. I finally found it and know how to get there. The bus leaves at 6:15AM. Whew that's early. At least I have that cleared up. I'm thinking Rome might be a wash. I get in at 11:30AM in Ciampino (I don't know how far from the city that might be) and then I leave at 6:00AM the next day. I'll see how it goes. I should've booked more time there. I wanted to stay in Paris, but I think now it's time for a change. Especially since my hotel is in the burbs. I found some of the hotels I saw on line in their perspective areas and know that when I come back here (which I hope to do in the future), I know where to stay and where to go. The trains here are great. It couldn't be more convenient. The only time it could get confusing are on the suburban lines where you really have to pay attention to the final destination if you're traveling outside the city's main center (zone 1). Some of the subways I found are on rubber tires. That's weird. I noticed this last night as I was wondering how the subway moved so quietly fast when the subways in NYC were so noisy. That would explain why. Even the suburban trains on the ole metal tracks and wheels are quiet. I wonder what the secret is there. There are no rubber tires on the suburban trains. After figuring out my transfer I headed into the Latin Quarter again by the Notre Dame. I like that area. I walked over to the artsy area on the Rue de Halles. I found a huge garden shopping center and another cathedral. There were people just bathing in the sun on the grounds surrounding it all. Paris is just lovely that way. The weather was a little cooler today, but perfect in every way. I got lucky and had a fabulous 3 days of weather. I was searching for an internet café at this point and I found some, but none that could hook me up or that were broadcasting a signal. In my urge to make connections for my upcoming Amsterdam overnights, I paid to use the messed up French keyboards to book my hostels so I wouldn't be homeless and I did just that. I have a hostel right near the beaches. This should be fine. It says I'm about 30 minutes from the city, but I can take a bike and do my thing or even take a day trip somewhere else. Ahh, relief. I also looked into the Prague trip and saw that the train is going to be a little more expensive than I expected, but the hostels available are under $20 for the night!!! Fabulous!! I grabbed a sandwich and just walked around enjoying the people and the sights around me. My only plans now are to take this heavy load back to the hotel, pack a little for my early departure in the morning, and go out again for some sunset and evening photos of the area. I didn't really meet anyone other than the folks that just sparked a conversation with me on a random occasion, but I'm fine with that. The only time I really wished I could enjoy an event with someone was at the Lido last night. I know a few people where we would have had a blast seeing the production value of the show, poking fun at some moments, and just realizing together that we couldn't believe what we were seeing. Another time and place.

I got into the city for the last time. I just remembered as I was walking to the train station how lovely the walk was every time I went to the station. The station was Chemin de Fer du Nord. The street itself had these stone brick houses that were so gingerbread cute. It was like these houses were plucked from Provence or Bréton and put here. This was definitely a positive to coming and going from Paris. Another positive was the quiet neighborhood and my sizeable room. The restriction of the train schedule and the distance away from central locations were the negatives of it. Such as today when I had to use the restroom and I gave up on my computer, it would have been nice to walk right there to the hotel I was looking at online right by Notre Dame (I didn't know this when booking) and drop my stuff off and do those things. Also last night I possibly would've stayed out later and slept in more if I knew I could walk there and still get a good night's sleep. The thought of staying out all night until 6:00AM when the first train to my area would go out was not too pleasing. Especially since that's what tomorrow might bring. Anyway, I headed into Paris also remembering there was a Statue of Liberty here and right at one of the stations that was accessible from the line I took into the city. I got out, snapped a few photos, and headed on my merry way to the Latin Quarter. In the Latin Quarter I found fondue place offering a prix Fixe menu for €11 and thought I would stay. I enjoyed the sit down meal immensely, but eating alone at a sit down restaurant was weird. The waiter didn't seem too thrilled I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu either. In such an instance I should've gotten take away and gone about my business. There was a sunset shot I wanted to get on the Seine and this meal was heading a little too long in that sunset photo for my taste and I had to power walk to the spot to grab the photo I saw last night without my camera. I walked on into the college area and then to see the Louvre at night. I still didn't see that Rose line. I guess that was added for effect in the story. I did a quite dangerous thing and walked the entire Champs Elysées. Now the second part wasn't dangerous at all since that's where the glitzy shops are located. It was the first part, the park that was sketchy. I should've turned around and walked out when I saw the dodgy people heading in and out of the hedge maze one by one. I did see a few couples walking along the parkway and a few single people with headphones, so I was put at ease since these were probably locals. I walked the entire path though all the way to L'Arc de Triomphe. Call me crazy. I just wanted to get in my last sight of Paris before I flew out the next day. I had my new French design shirt on (I shouldn't have accumulated more since I'm approaching weight limits, but I saw this and could not pass it up and that's rare for me) and I was strutting down the boulevard. I got stopped a few times from people this evening with my new shirt on asking for directions in French. I wish I could've helped, but I couldn't understand the French so well, couldn't speak it, and I had no clue about specifics of the area. I must've looked Parisian or something, lol. Well, it's off for a short nap for me before my alarm clock wakes me up for this 9:30AM flight I booked in which I have to be at the shuttle stop by 6:15AM. Yikes!! Au revoir Paris.

French Flair...

2007-08-27T09:49:00.000-04:00

The day started off later than I expected. I didn't want to get out of bed and rightly so after yesterday and being so overwhelmed by things. My mind is on overload right now. I knew today was going to be a busy day. The first thing I wanted to do was go into Montmartre and see the Bohemian village. After that I planned on maybe finding an internet café or renting a local bike from the city bike racks. The internet at the hotel is pretty much nonexistent. It's €5 per 30 minutes and the keyboard is all messed up for the French language. Keys are in the wrong spot and in a time crunch it takes a lot longer to type things in than I'm used to. I went down and had the breakfast in the lobby. It was okay. It's convenient for €5/day, but not the best. The croissants are really good though. I went back up to my room to get a few things, straighten up for the maids, and head out. Just as I was heading out, the maid was heading in. Good deal. I had my iPod and I was set to go. Yesterday I had thins inkling of an idea to make a music video of my adventures just like I did with the cast. Problem is the places I chose to visit are HEAVILY touristy and I am all alone so it makes it weird to leave my camera in a spot to video myself going crazy. Who knows? I still have another day in Paris to try it at all the hot spots. I certainly had my fill of hot spots today. Unfortunately none of them were for my computer, lol.

After leaving the train and going through all the transfers to get to the Anvers stop on the 2 train (I took the C train to the 13 to the 2 much like transferring in NYC) I came out near the climb to get to the Church of Sacré Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart). The sight was beautiful this morning and I had another perfect weather day. It was cool in the shade and warm in the sun. I thought when I left this morning it might actually be too cool. I was fine. I climbed all the stairs to get the overview of the city. This was heavily populated for being a Monday morning. I walked around the area and took in the beautiful gardens and parks once again appreciating every angle and every color that crossed my view. I'm so amazed at the beauty here. My next mission was to find the famous Moulin Rouge. I was in Montmartre so it was just a matter of finding it. I came upon the Bohemian village around the church. There were artists in the streets of various kinds. Most of them were sketch artists milling about the various cafes and boutiques around the area. All the streets were stone and they were all thin and winding. Some even had steep drops or even were broken by stairs to get to the next level. I roamed all around taking it in before I stumbled on my first windmill. I thought, "Yes!" I found it, or something. It was the Moulin du Gallette. Another cabaret garden, but not THE cabaret of note. I still stumbled on some sort of Parisian l'histoire so I was happy to grab some photos. I wandered around for a bit more before I finally had to ask. I had to use and understand the French dialogue I had with the shopkeeper. I did understand his directions and I followed them all the way to the Boulevard de Clichy. The MAIN road I was on before heading up the stairs to the church and into the artist village area. It was there. I found it!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All this talk of crazy parties and cabarets and here I was staring at that very venue. I went up to it to see how much a show would cost and thought it might be cheaper than the ritzier Lido show. No way. It was more expensive. I debated. It looked so good from the photographs, but the advertising of the Lido was grabbing me for a show called "Bonheur" 70 performers, 23 sets, and 600 costumes. Plus the Lido male dancers!! Who could resist that? I declined the Moulin Rouge and went on my merry way. I opted for the transit system since I DID buy a 3-day pass AND I had my heavy computer with me. I made my way to the Champs Elysées again to try to purchase a ticket at the venue since I didn't find an internet place and I didn't want to make the order online. I walked up to the venue and the woman was very nice. I bought my ticket for €60 (the coupon was not valid for the bar sitting and I didn't see the savings in spending the €90 to sit at a table with half a bottle of champagne for €15 off the price). The bar price includes 2 drinks and I thought that was sufficient enough. I was going to the 9:30pm show. Task #2 complete. Next I wanted to grab something quick to eat and grab a bike. I walked down Avenue George to the bike station I saw the other day. To my dismay it was still inoperable. I was led to another bike station that was inoperable and I finally stumbled on one that worked. I followed the steps, but again to my dismay it wouldn't accept my card. I guess I need that global chip. Oh well. No worries. I walked across the bridge to the metro station, hopped on the C train and went to the Notre Dame. Here I knew I could find the Latin Quarter and lots of bistros, cafes, and take away places to have a bite. Sure enough I got out there, walked down one of the narrow and bustling cobblestone streets, and boom. I found a place with a huge baguette sandwich for just €3.50. I chowed down on that until I made my way over to the Notre Dame du Paris. I saw this on one of my last trips to Paris, but this time I had all the time in the world to take it in and absorb it all. I sat down for a spell to finish my treat and made my way inside to the Cathedral. Yes, I have seen SO MANY cathedrals on my travels in Europe and around the globe, but this was THE Notre Dame du Paris. The place where the story Hunchback of Notre Dame was set. "Sanctuary!!" I went inside and just wandered through the catacombs, arched ceilings, and marveled at the light peering through the large stained glass windows. When I had my fill of it all I left the monument and got a 360° view of it from the outside. I walked all the way around and got it from many angles. My historic journey continued over the Seine River and into the St. Louis Quarter that was simply French. Everything about it reeked country French. I got a crêpe here and wandered through the ones street area to the Bastille. This monument was erected to commemorate the French Independence and the day the Bastille Prison was stormed by the people. I walked along this area for a while soaking up all the people in the various cafés and shops lining the streets. There were so many people out this afternoon. Work must let out early or something. I came to La Place des Vosges in the Bastille area. This place was happening. There was a huge green square surrounded by this palace structure that resembled some of the shops and places in La Rochelle in Bréton, France. All these people were out in the sun just laying and tanning. It was their beach, just like they do by the library in NYC. This place feels like NYC except for the constant French language. More likely than not I will here the occasional English and especially on the subway and then I for a moment think I am in NYC. Then I see the Eiffel Tower, and phew, I know I'm not. Lol. One interesting thing here is you CAN see Lady Liberty perched up in the Seine River. I have yet to see that, but I'm sure it's interesting with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I eventually ended up at the Hotel De Ville. This was a massive structure and looked like it should be some sort of city hall. Especially with the Notre Dame in the background from where I was viewing. I was taken aback by the sudden opening of the streets in the Bastille area to this plaza. I turned my head to look up the street and what should I find but the famous modern art structure of the Centre Pompidou. This building was built with thinking outside the box. Literally. All the structures you normally find inside of a building are on the outside of the building. Pipe work, elevator shafts, emergency stairs, electrical, etc. All of it brightly colored and on the outside of the building. I figure if I had lots of time on my hands, it's raining, or for whatever reason in my last day, I might check it out. It's a museum and a very large one. It looks like it would take forever to go through. There were tons of artists around this area as well. I was definitely around all the Bohemians today. I was exhausted at this point and knew I had to start making it back in order to get ready for the evening. I wandered through the Notre Dame area again and made my way into the subway station.

On my way there I found an info stand and just out of curiosity asked where the Beauvais Airport might be. I hadn't seen it on any of the maps or train routes since getting here and I know my Ryan Air flight is out of there at 9:30am in 2 days time to Rome. I know Ciampino Airport in Rome is a good distance away from the city center as is the airport in Venice. She said there was a shuttle that took people to the airport 3 hours and 15 minutes before flight time. This would mean my transfer comes at 6:15am. Yikes. I don't think the trains start running out here until 8:00am. Should be interesting. I'm going to ask the front desk people how far it might be. I hope it goes smooth.

So after my freshen up shower I headed back into the city to catch dinner and a show. I'm making good use of that metro card as I always do no matter what city. I headed into the Latin Quarter again since I knew it might be a night of take out and I knew I could find it good and cheap there. I was roaming around and stumbled on a falafel stand. I grabbed one of those and just walked around the area. I stumbled on many a place offering a prix fixe menu for €10 and under. This is good! I can use this info for tomorrow. I think I'll be eating in the Latin Quarter again. It's populated with mostly tourists, but there's still a nice vibe there. It's better than the snooty Champs Elysées area, which I got from tonight. After I finished my pita I grabbed a cheese crêpe from a local stand and headed for the subway station. I was far from it and needed that extra boost to get there on time. After winding down and around through many tunnels, which I didn't expect, I finally got on my train. Whoa. I thought NYC had catacombs. These subway tunnels and their connections put NYC to shame. I made it to L'Arc de Triomphe and hiked it to the Lido. I went inside and I was blown away at the presentation. I felt like I walked into a ritzy cruise ship show lounge or Vegas. It was glitzed out. Gaudy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and some on poles coming up from the ground. People were DRESSED to the nines. Wow. It was dinner and a show for some. I just didn't feel like shelling out the €250 to do that and after seeing all of the show, I'm glad I didn't do that even though I would've gotten treated better. I showed up in what I could bring on a backpack adventure, which doesn't include your flashiest clothing. I had my jeans, a nice shirt, and my dressy sneakers. I looked good and ready to go out no mistake, but it wasn't the tux suits, flashy suits, or shirt and ties the other gentlemen were wearing. I guess that explains the waiter's reaction to my order of a glass of wine. I guess he was expecting me to say champagne. I should've. That was the faire for the night. The band was playing on stage and there was a girl singing while people were tearing up the dance floor. I waited anxiously for the show to begin once the curtains closed on them so the tech crew could get the stage ready for the show. Finally it was time. The chandeliers went up into the ceiling and the ones on poles shrunk down into the floor. Fashion that. I saw the chandeliers going up into the ceiling as a possibility, but only hoped the ones on poles in front of me would go down. Wha-la!! The lights went out and the dramatic music started. From the right a bundle of feathers came in on a track above the audience and appearing from below them being lowered to the stage was the lead female singer. She had this sleek white dress on with white wings as she sang about Bonheur and what it was. The curtains opened and there were the dancers in all their glory. The colors were fashioned on their bodies like they had been painted there 'cause there wasn't much color. The huge feathers on their back covered their cheeks that their thong was not covering. Some women had color on their breasts and some didn't. That was the them running through the whole show with the dancers. Some had a piece of costume over their chest and some didn't. All I saw of the guys were an occasional thong. They were pretty covered. The show was a spectacle for about 90 minutes. There was only 1 singer and she was the star. There were also two "Cirque du Soleil"-like acts. One was a clown of some sorts who did this magical thing with a head that looked completely real. Another was a strong man/balancing act. At least their style and costume was reflective of "Cirque du Soleil." Another act was the web act by this beautiful man and he wasn't wearing much. The show had lavish sets and costumes. There was one section where the women came out a la Paris chic in these costumes that looked straight off a fashionable runway, although some were missing the crucial part of the clothing that covered their chest. Always. It is the Lido. Lol. Even the lead singer strutted her clothes off or lack of at several moments. Her midriff seemed to always show and there were two costumes where she was pretty bare. One that came just across her breasts and another where the part of her pants from the side cut to the back was missing, and she was only covered by a thong. She had tails, but she swaggered up the stage purposefully so you could see her bottom. At one point in the show a plane came on stage and the lead singer got out. She sang as the plane moved on its track back into place. There was one scene leading into the Asian section where the stage dropped away and soon up came this Egyptian temple with girls surrounding it a la Nile fashion and some even came out of it. The whole piece dipped back down, cleared away, and the stage was back up in moments. That must be some tech crew down there. Another point in the show was when the fountains came up. Yes, I said fountains. No one swam, but there were feathers involved. This was the introduction to the silk web artist. Later on in the show and near the end an ice rink came out of that pit with he stage to present to figure skaters. It had EVERYTHING!! I was blown away at moments and definitely in the first 20 minutes and by the specialty acts. The show lost it's "it" factor midway through though. The dancers weren't all that clean in their steps nor were they doing much because of all the costuming. The lead singer was okay, but I know a few ladies that could do better. She really had to dance though, so I can understand. Some of the boys weren't really cut and reminded me of a skit where Will Farrell wanted to be a "Chip-n-Dales" dancer. All the girls were gorgeous. The show definitely lost its steam though and needed to be pepped up a bit with some hard core dancing and more singers. I still enjoyed it thoroughly and was amazed at what could be done on that stage. I walked around the Champs Elysées afterward before heading back to the hotel. Last train was at midnight and I didn't want to miss it. I know now not to book hotels or hostels too far from the city centre. I was too tired to go out after today's activities, but it would've been nice to have that option. I could stay out and catch the 3:00AM train back, but I wasn't feeling it tonight. Speaking of bed, this might be my last good night's sleep and that's what I wanted to take advantage of before getting to Rome. I can't believe I'm here in Paris!! Wow!!

Making Connections...

2007-08-26T19:07:00.000-04:00

Day two and it's starting off okay. I went out last night to check out the scene and maybe have a drink. I wasn't feeling it and I was a little anxious about leaving all my bags at the hostel in a room with 6 strangers from different countries. All I had on me was my wallet and various other forms of cards and Ids. My passport, computer, electronics, and all my clothes were sitting on my top bunk at the hostel. They were locked inside, but since it was my first time out I was concerned after all the stories I heard. Surprisingly enough first impressions are the most important. I met my two self-contained roomies earlier and I immediately trusted them. They seemed like seasoned travelers and respectful people even though all we really said to each other was hello. I never met my other roomies since it was Amsterdam and people were out seeing things and partying all night. However, when I ran into this random American man on the street I was suddenly aware of everything I was carrying and every zipper and pocket that could be reached. His shirt was open, he had bad teeth, and he was telling me his story of how he came back to Europe from America and became a European citizen. All he could really do was put down Europe and then two of his buddies breezed past me. I immediately put my sack from my back to my front and held onto my pockets, and I especially held onto the pocket holding all of my money. He completely spoke my language and was totally friendly, but there was a characteristic about him I didn't trust. He just seemed like the disgruntled Americans you find on the streets of NYC who try to con you into something since they practically have nothing. As soon as I told him I've been to Amsterdam on several occasions since I worked on a cruise ship, he was gone. Funny the people we trust. After my shower I just roamed around the city seeing how compact it was in certain popular areas and then how quiet and eerie it was in others. Despite the fact that this is a bustling metropolis, it was quiet all over the city other than the noise coming from the various crowds of people. It's quite amazing how quiet it was compared to NYC or any other U.S. metropolis. Especially one so large as Amsterdam. It's renowned (as I have learned especially with the IBC Conference coming up). I think I chose one of the most expensive European itineraries to travel by backpack. London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Venice, and Prague. I think Prague will be my only cheap venture. Leave it up to me to choose such a ritzy vacation. Anyway, back to quiet. There just aren't that many cars in use. The trams are electric so you only hear the hum as they go by on their metal tracks. It's nothing like the subways in NYC either. These are much quieter as they pass by. There are cyclists EVERYWHERE! Wow. I've never seen so many people at night of various ages riding bikes. Not just any bikes though. There are bikes with baskets of various shapes, bikes with attachment carts, bikes built for speed and low to the ground, and bikes that look like cars. These have to be some of the fittest people on earth. They are also like NYC taxi drivers. Don't get in their way, whoa. I felt just as uneasy about crossing the street here as I do in NYC and there were 85% less cars driving around. It's the bells of the bikes and the ding of the tramcars that keep you on your toes.

Amsterdam at night is such a different experience. Coffee shops are happening everywhere and they're serving very little coffee. I didn't partake only because I was alone and I knew that I wasn't taking a shower in the morning until I got to Paris so I didn't want to reek of smoked weeds. I probably will try a brownie on my next go, but I have to find a place to stay first since this whole IBC Conference has taken all the available hotels. I went to all the gay areas just to see if I wanted to sit down and have a drink. They were all loaded with pretentious tourists (from first impression) and I didn't feel comfortable or the need to sit down and have a drink. Like I said earlier, I wasn't really into it and the bar scene in general is not my scene unless I'm with a group of friends or a friend I know well. I got myself an ice cream and headed back to the hotel. I was exhausted. Especially after WALKING everywhere during the day. As soon as I got myself situated in bed, I was out. I woke up when I heard some roomies coming home, and then went back to sleep again.

This morning I quietly got myself out of the room. I hope I have everything since I didn't do my OCD check of the area before I left. I didn't want to disturb anyone too much since it was 7:00am and judging from when I heard them come in way after midnight, I don't think they wanted to be disturbed. I got on a tram that I and I took advantage of the honor system. I know. Bad me. It all came back though and besides I bought 2 tickets yesterday ON the tram when I only needed to buy one so I feel I paid my dues to the tram. I got to the train station and thought for a moment that I might not make it to Paris since most people nowadays pre-book tickets for everything. So much for "off the cuff" travel these days. I would've pre-booked my trains, but they wanted to snail mail me the tickets, which was not convenient for me at all being on a ship. I was already leery of having my phone delivered to me on board. I got to the international counter and sure enough a ticket was available. Now the question as to whether I had a seat or not was the ultimate question. She asked me to check with the conductor since it was an overbooked ticket. I did pay about $60 more for it than I expected since it was a last minute ticket and seats were sold out. Yikes!! I think it's mainly because it's international travel. I'm sitting in a seat now though and on my way to Paris. My experience there should be a little more relaxed since I have my own room and I have more time there before jumping off to Rome. I just hope I get internet access from my laptop soon.

I'm now sitting in my new room after a completely full day. A song that came on today that I feel summed my emotions up would be "its Today" sung by Angela Lansbury in the musical Mame. It came on since I had my iPod with me when I went to venture out into the city and I felt that was the perfect feeling for the events today. After I finished typing my earlier paragraphs here, I put on my iPod and zoned out taking in the Dutch, Belgian, and French countrysides going by outside my window. I was in and out of sleep after getting exhausted from yesterday's events. In one of my wakings, the guy across from me began to chat. We had been dodging each other's knees in the confined space we were in while trying to make ourselves comfortable. He and his friend were from Guatemala and they were backpacking it through Europe as well. The only difference was that they were doing it for a month and that they had friends to stay with. They were baffled by my story about the last hostel and about how cheap I found my flights to various places. We just talked about different things, but it was very slow and labored since there was a language barrier as you can imagine. Still I'm surprised by how much he could communicate since even being in France with my little knowledge of the French language I couldn't communicate with a French person as well as this guy was communicating with me. He kept conversation going for a while and I didn't mind listening. I could've shut him out, but that would've been rude and I had nothing to do anyway. It was great talking to these people and they seemed as adventurous as I. We exchanged e-mail and they told me to contact them if I ever came down to Guatemala and needed a hotel. He said things were VERY cheap down there. Especially compared to these places in Europe. Four hours later we arrive in Gare du Nord in Paris. I bid my farewells and head off on the platform to make my connections on the metro. I had to take about 3 subway trains to get out to the suburb of Epinay sur Seine. It was the same commute from Paris central to Epinay sur le Seine as it is from Manhattan central to Forest Hills. There is one train that will take me there if I'm in the right area, but since I was coming from an odd location for that route, I had to transfer quite a bit. It was here that I learned that what I packed might be a tad heavy. Yikes! So I made it out there unshowered and a little hot and exhausted. It wasn't what I expected and the neighborhood and distance from Paris was definitely not what I expected. The room is okay. It's a nice sized room with a small bathroom a la dorm style. It smells like mold, but after being on a ship that doesn't seem to faze me anymore. The first thing I did was trying and find food and water. I was extremely parched. I found a Chinese place a few stores down and went inside for a spell. The food was great and then I had Bananas Flambé for dessert. Yummy! I took a shower after getting settled in the new place. It took a while. I didn't want to rush out since I found out when I got here that I didn't originally plan on getting here until 10pm. Good thing I arrived so early because now I could go out and explore the city for a bit of unplanned sightseeing. I wanted to get back early so I could catch up on some rest. I'm here for 3 days so this was fine with me. I ventured out after my body felt clean. Yay!

Here's where the song really comes into play. I was on the train and decided that after 2 attempts of getting to Paris and NOT seeing the Champs Elyseé or the Louvre that would be the FIRST thing I would do. I got out at the Museé d'Orsay and got my bearings. I crossed over the Seine to the Champs Elyseé. As soon as I entered the park its beauty took me aback. It was a long stretch of stone road with trees in perfect rows on either side. There were manicured gardens and fountains all over the place. People lined the area in masses. The vibe was incredible. I walked first toward the fountain that was just next to the Obelisk and the Place de la Madeleine.
A huge square that later I found gave a great picture for the Arc de Triomphe. I snapped some shots and headed toward the Louvre on the Champs Elyseé. People were everywhere just enjoying themselves. Children were playing in the rocks and running around. There were hot dog vendors and people on bikes. If Georges Seurat were alive today this would've been an opportune moment for one of his paintings. In fact, his work and Van Gogh's works were on special display at the Museé d'Orsay. It definitely was a "Sunday in the Park" moment. I came upon an absolutely breathtaking garden and I can now thank my new friend Scott for teaching me to slow down and take in all the beauty around me when it's presented. He definitely had an appreciation and a passion for color, light, and angles and now I see that. I always love new perspectives and interesting ways to take a photo, but now I have this new appreciation especially for different ways the sun comes in and colors these objects. I saw the pyramid in the distance and knew I was near the Louvre. I began to well up with emotion because this is what I always wanted to see in Paris along with the Eiffel Tower and after 2 tries last year, both failed to get me here. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with nary a cloud in the sky other than the poofy white ones that always give me an interesting photo against a sharp cornered object like these old European buildings. I was now on a sight that was part of the story in "The Da Vinci Code. " I never saw the rose line, so I think that was a fictional part that was created unless I didn't look hard enough. I just took in all the beauty here and I must have had a huge smile on my face because as I was taking photos of myself I saw this Asian couple trying to get photos of each other and I offered to take a picture of them. They were grateful, but then the guy asked me to be in a picture with his girlfriend. Okay? I thought this was awkward, but did it anyway. I bid my adieus and went on my merry way. I continued to walk down the Champs Elyseé to find the Lido. Not the Lido restaurant like on the ship, but the famous Lido entertainment center. There's a show there with 70 performers in it much like a flashy Vegas show. I wanted to check it out since I had a coupon for €15 off the price of admission. I got some awesome shots of the Arc de Triomphe as I passed through the square with the Obelisk in it and I saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance and got some great shots of that as well. More parks, more people, and more photo opportunities. Earlier I saw a girl playing with pigeons in the Louvre plaza, a boy and his father looking onward into the fountain as one of the motorized sail boats drifted by, and a couple kissing in the warm sun with the backdrop of the fountain and the Louvre. Ah Paris!!! I was in heaven with beauty and ambiance. I walked onward and came upon the glitzy fashion area of the Champs Elyseé with all the big names like FCUK, Armani, John Paul Gautier, and the like. People were dressed to the nines in fashion (or not in some tourist cases, especially moi). I found the Lido and looked at the prices. Whoa!! Up to €240 for premium service on dinner and a show. It looked like you had to be dressed as well. I was looking more at the €60 option to sit at the bar and order 2 drinks. My discount would bring the entrance cost down to €45 and I could muster that and order the 2-drink minimum. The €15 discount would go towards the drinks anyway. I really want to see the show tomorrow, but I have to make a reservation either by phone or online. I hope the online option works out. I do know the last train to Epinay sur Seine is at 12:30am from the transfer points just down the street from Montmarte. The Lido isn't far from there, but I think I'll catch the 9:30pm show just in case. I had dinner at Georges V right there on the main strip and enjoyed a fabulous meal and some excellent people watching. It was a little pricy, but hey, when am I going to have this opportunity again? The waiters looked like a typical French waiter you'd see in a movie. It was hilarious to me. I was trying to use my French, but most of the time the lack of it got in the way and I broke down and used my English since they knew how to speak it. I left here very satiated and wanted to see Montmarte, but was torn by seeing the Eiffel Tower at sunset. I turned around and headed back to the Eiffel Tower at a fast pace. I was racing the sunset here. I got to the complex just as sunset was happening and got some fabulous photos of the tower. People were lined up all over the place by the Trocadero to grab a photo. The sun seemed to disappear leaving a pink haze over the skyline and then suddenly I saw it. The tower was already lit, but then it was sparkling. It was the Eiffel Tower light show. Whoa!! Didn't expect that one. I went up to the Trocadero area and tried to grab my best photo. After taking all this in on top of the Bohemians also hanging out up there and on the stairs I headed back down since it was getting dark and I knew I'd be heading back to the dorm room soon. Suddenly I saw another surprise. The large orange moon was coming up right behind the tower!!! Whoa!!! What was this?!?!?! I tried to grab my best photo, but I don't think my camera captured it well enough. I was definitely on a high now and was craving something sweet. I went to the ice cream stand and got a cone. Yummy. I took another gander at the tower from its underbelly before I felt satisfied enough to make the journey home. Once I got to the train station in Epinay sur Seine, I check the timetables to find out about the last train. Got it. Then I saw that the local mini mart was open and got a very cheap bottle of water. Tiredness hit me and I was set on getting back now. As I was passing a bus stop a guy directed me over and asked if he could swig off my drink. I thought "why not?" He only wants a swig. This turned into an hour-long conversation of him telling me about his woes with his father. All this done in broken English and me in broken French. I stayed to chat only because he seemed like a nice guy AND I thought if this wasn't immersion into the language, what else would be? He had about as much knowledge of English as I did French, but I think he still had more knowledge than I in the language matter. This was good since he was talking so much. Evidently his father is a billionaire and wants him (his only son) to follow in his engineering business. He (the son) wants to be in politics and his father says he's crazy and doesn't support him. He was looking for some advice and all I could tell him to my best ability was to follow his heart and not let other people influence decisions that might make him unhappy. He went on to tell me about his crazy father and unsupportive family. I tried to communicate, but it was getting frustrating for me because sometimes I could barely understand his English let alone his mumbled French. I told him we're at opposite ends of the spectrum here. He comes from billions and I come from nowhere near that; he's French & I'm American; and he travels. He has a lot of ideas in his head about businesses he's like to give a chance, but his dad will not help. He kept on going and I so wanted to fully understand. I just couldn't. I finally left, but I don't know why that was supposed to happen. Now I sit here satisfied from an incredible day. The leaves are turning here too, so this adds so much more to the beauty of things. It was a full moon out tonight, so this may explain all the weird things that happened.

Tomorrow is another day and night in Paris. I'll see what transpires. There are city bikes you can pay for with a credit card. I think I might look into that one. I also have to find Beauvais Airport since it's not on he local city map. I shall sleep good tonight. Wow.

Waves waves waves...

2007-08-25T19:04:00.000-04:00

The infamous day is here. I have signed off the ship and I'm now sitting along the inlet to Amsterdam as the Prinsendam prepares itself for sail away. It was a wave of emotions as I left the ship today. I woke up for an early breakfast hoping to catch some friends and prepare myself for the process that is disembarkation. It wasn't a normal disembarkation for me. Right now as I type, my life is in 3 different places. I have my two large suitcases being stored on board as I go off into Europe and I will meet the ship back in Amsterdam on September 8, my other bag of clothes is sitting on my top bunk at the hostel with my French roomie and my Swedish roomie, and I sit here with all my electronic valuables. I digress as I return from my tangent. I finished my large breakfast not knowing what the day would bring me as far as food and returned to my cabin. I told my friend that I would help him with his luggage situation by shipping a box of music books home for him today while he made his way to the airport. He gave me €50 and I gave him a huge hug and started to get teary. This friend of mine has become not only a good friend, but someone special in my heart and I hope he finds what he needs to experience life to its fullest. I had a wonderful time getting to know him and I look forward to hearing from him in the future. One thing about working on ships or in this industry is that you make really good friends and then the bulk of your friendship with them is via letters and the occasional phone call. He was off and I was sad. Step one finished. With bags all set to go I made my way to the various offices to get paid out, pick up my passports, and etc. Around 10:00am I woke another really good friend of mine up and gave her my goodbyes. Oh the goodbyes. I hate them the most. With bags in tow I was off the ship. The anxiety began to pile up and my mind was going everywhere thinking what I had to do next. I suddenly didn't know what day of the week it was and I needed to find a post office. I asked a bus driver and he led me there and assured me it was open. Well, it wasn't Sunday then. I got there and shipped off my friend's box. Next order of business was getting to the hostel and just finding it. I now began to realize that backpacking this trip is going to be an athletic one. I have about two bags weighing in around 30lbs on my back or just on me in general as I walk around the city. It was mild weather today and I was sweating big time. I finally found the hostel, but check-in wasn't until 3:00pm and I had to change into Euros. I found an exchange that took about $900 of my money and converted it to €655. Ouch!! I went back and paid my difference so I could make sure the room was on hold. I was free to go and my other duffle bag was being stored in a closet.

I decided to head over to the Anne Frank house and see how the line was. It wasn't as bad as I had heard so I waited and it only took 20 minutes to get to the ticket window. This place is just fascinating. This is when another wave of emotions hit me. The fear that these people lived in and the way they were treated made me sick. This was a warehouse with offices on the second floor. The back part of the house (the secret part) was converted to a two-story apartment for the Franks and for the other family living there and a few others. I was familiar with the story and the events that happened with their hiding, but to be walking in the same house where all this happened laid heavy with me. Her stories were told as you went through the house. Various quotes and testimonials were written on the wall or in a presentation on the TV or projected. There were artifacts left behind and images of what the rooms looked like before the Nazis came in and took it all away. It was a real clever set up with the two-bedroom apartment completely hidden by all the buildings around it. I couldn't even get a view from the streets. The actual entrance was covered by a bookshelf that was re-created to show how they came and went when no one was around. The men in the warehouse below them had no idea that they were hiding up there so the families couldn't use the toilets, water, or even make noises during business hours. With all the old wood I found it so hard to imagine creeping around as gingerly as possible so as not to make the boards creek and raising suspicion. Also they had to whisper or write to communicate to each other. Anne Frank was an inspiration to me because she seemed so positive through all this. She wrote her thoughts and emotions down with hopes to publish them later to tell everyone about the secret apartment. With all her writings she even made up stories to parallel the things that had already happened in her life also with the hope of being an accomplished writer and getting them published. Eventually someone ratted them out and the Nazis raided the apartment. The people were sent to concentration camps and some were executed by gas. Her thoughts on why people just can't see them as Dutch, English, or German instead of Jews were so touching and I had to do everything in my power to hold back the tears. It's pretty much the same things that are happening today with races and sexuality. You're identified as your race (if you're not pale-skinned) or by your sexuality and not where you are from. People hate you if you show them you are different and some can't even accept who you are. I spent a good hour in their taking it all in before I finally left because hunger took a hold of me. I had my snack of a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich before I was off again.

I took advantage of every sight I could take in. If there's one thing my musician friend taught me it was to appreciate the beauty in everything I see. Especially the colors. He saw so many ways to capture a photo with the way the light was hitting it and found new beauty in things he was seeing. He loved "old shit" as he would say so Europe was full of it. I checked into my hostel where I met my roomies. I don't know how this is going to go over with me. We all share one key. So it involves knocking on the door if I don't have the key and someone else is in the room. I changed clothes and went out again feeling the awkward energy from my foreign roomies. Now I can see my ship sailing past and it is so surreal. One thing that our Cruise Director said was right. It sure does make an awesome picture when you see your ship sail away from the pier. It was always meant as a joke when talking about missing the ship, but now I see the reality in it. My adventure truly begins now. I don't know what to do with myself tonight. I figured this first day in Amsterdam would be a wash, but I got a lot of sightseeing in already. I walked A LOT today. Wow. Tonight may be a wash though and I totally expected that. I started to inquire about hotels and hostels for when I'm back here to meet the ship September 8. Evidently there is a huge GLOBAL conference happening for 14 days starting September 1. It's the International Broadcasters Conference. Woops. Didn't read about that one. All hotels and hostels seem to be booked solid. I have a hotel for the last night. I'm just missing 2 days from September 7 & 8. Yikes!! Looks like I may have to re-route. I'm crossing my fingers. Things seem to be going smoothly right now. The trip has just begun. Tomorrow I train to Paris. I plan to leave early to make the most of my time. I have a single room there so the extent of my socializing will be in the common rooms and not so much in my bedroom. So far the two people I met seem fine. It's just that awkward first meet and I feel a little out of place seeing this is my first time with this kind of travel. So far I met the Swedish girl and the French guy. Do I remember their names? No. It's only one night though and I doubt I'll see a lot of them. Well, I'm starting to get a chill now as I sit here by the water watching the ship sail away into the distance. The waves keep coming in as I think about all the wonderful memories of the last 8 months as my previous home sails away. If I could pick a song for today it would be "Amsterdam" by Joshua Kadison. This melancholic song kind of describes some of the feelings I'd been experiencing today and he's one of my influences in music. I feel he's a great writer and storyteller.

So after leaving the pier I went and satiated my hunger. I forgot which café I had dinner, but there was a Greek café caddy corner to me, an Italian place across the street and a pizzeria to my right. There was a party of some sort going on the in the Greek café. It was definitely a manly beer party of some sort. The bicycles here will kill you as well as the trams and the bicycles in this square were totally busy. Often enough you'd here the ding of the bell as a cyclist went by trying to dodge the over stimulated tourists. This was great people watching and I was even checked out a few times. I think so at least. The food was good I had a kebab and some French fries. It came with a little salad too and it was more than enough to fill me up along with my Strombough Cider. The sun setting over various parts of Amsterdam is definitely a sight to see. Everything is lit picture perfect. I'm sure there are a lot of cities you can say that about, but just because I'm here and there are so many canals running through the city, it's amazing to me. As I walked through the many neighborhoods, I noticed the rooftops all had a beam jutting out with a metal hook of some sort dangling. I assume that because the houses are so thin and so close together, this is to pull up furniture through the various windows into the apartments. It's just so uniquely Scandinavian. All the countries up here have this feature. At least along the Baltic Sea. I'm in the room now. I was just told there was not a wireless signal and I don't feel like lugging my broken computer around the city to fetch one. These entries may come in huge pieces. I tried to call out a few times to talk for a bit to home, but no one was there. It's probably for the best. I think I'm going to try and take a shower while no one is in the room. One odd feature about the bathroom is the lack of shower curtain. Thank God you can lock the bathroom door. It still makes for an interesting shower experience though.

Come Taste the Wine, Come Hear the Band....

2007-08-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

As I sit here anxious about my upcoming journey, I have to reflect on something that just hit me like a brick today. My aunt back home is not doing so well and it's coming close to the time that I will have to be there and actually face it. I've been getting updates from home and my uncle is actually not in the best shape either. It's getting close to the time where I may not have them in my life anymore other than a memory. With a change coming up and all the memories fleeing through my head about what happened in the last 8 months and what I'm about to do and face in the next weeks and months (as well as a little too much drink from the night before) it all just sank in and melted into my mind as I was writing to my father. Yes, I had a good cry. Emotions in my family (especially on my dad's side) are very dramatic. I suspect many a good cry will come about in the next 24 hours as I say my goodbyes and venture off on my own like a hatchling leaving the nest. As far as home, I know what's there and what's going on, but it's just easier to handle right now since it's not in my face and I have a good memory of what used to be. I can play over and over in my head the trips to the go karts, biking through the Metroparks, games around the table, movie days while playing hooky from school, or taking me on my first thrill rides when I couldn't handle coasters and my parents couldn't handle the thrill rides. We all have to grow up some time, and if I had a button that would take me back on some days to my childhood to relieve the finer moments, I would in a heartbeat. I'd still come back, but just some days you need to go back in time and actually experience the good times again. I hope as the years pass I never have to encounter what my aunt is going through and I hope that in her recesses she can somehow recall those times because to me without those memories, I might as well be dead. I'm kind of glad I started my own little "Notebook" of memories and experiences. I have one for just me and one for everyone to follow. I think we should all have one and if that time ever comes, we can just read our own story and experience those things in our imagination even if we think it never happened or can't remember it. The story "The Notebook" now and will always hold a special place in my heart. It's a touching one and it means so much to me right now. I encourage everyone to start their own story of events, happenings, thoughts, and emotions. It's amazing what fun they are to look back on, and in my aunt's case I think it would have been wonderful for her to experience that if she could without people bombarding her with memories can't recall only causing frustration. If she could have read her own story and had a familiarity with it, but not know why, and it could put a smile on her face, that would be golden. I want to keep up my journaling and hope to have thousands of pages and hundreds of volumes to read later in life. I started late as I am now with my retirement fund, but late is better than never.

Adventure lately has been so inspiring and adventurous people have been so attractive to me as friends or lovers. I try and tell people who are struggling with going outside their comfort zones to step beyond the borders and do something you wouldn't normally do, but always had a curiosity to try. I try and follow my own advice since after being in the closet so long I've developed so many barriers and safety nets. My safety nets are starting to get worn and full of holes now and I have to mend them in different ways. I realize this as my aunt and uncle go through their struggles with life. I've always been comfortable with knowing there are people in my life that will always be there, but that's not a realistic notion. People change, people leave, people forget, and people eventually no longer live in this world. I have to go out and experience things and create new connections with other people to make up for the ones I can only remember, but cannot physically see or touch. My greatest fear is being lonely, which is funny because I consider myself a loner sometimes where I need a lot of time by myself. However I think deep down, and the reason why I'm in this business, I like being around people and trying to make them happy. It took someone special to get me started on journaling by saying that I should always be true to myself. I've always kept that philosophy in the back on my mind in every new experience. I love all the people that have come and gone in my life and learned valuable lessons from them. Where am I going with this message? I don't quite know. I was just inspired by a letter I was writing and a conversation I had with someone last night who is struggling with new experiences. As much as change makes me anxious, I'm all for new experiences and meeting new people. Then write it down to remember it later. Think of life as a classroom of opportunities and take notes. It's the only way to truly get something out of life, rather than letting it pass by. In the words of Kander and Ebb" "What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret, old chum." Go out and experience every minute of it you can.

Fairy Tale Denmark....

2007-08-23T05:32:00.000-04:00

Another interesting day and another new port. I headed off with some of the band members in Rønne, Denmark on the island of Bornholm. There was a free shuttle, which was a pleasant surprise. Another pleasant surprise was seeing the band members since I thought it would be a day on my own. I had people to hang out with in port. We ventured off into the main square called Store Torv and found that the city wasn't that large. After watching the Barbara channel in the morning (Barbara is our port lecturer and very entertaining when she talks about the ports of call) I realized that the key points were the round churches, a town called Gudhjem (good hyem), and biking. I already knew about the biking. My past experiences with Denmark have been the free city bikes. You put in a 20 Kroner piece, ride around, and then return the bike to its lock where the 20 Kroner piece drops right back into your hand. The coin is merely insurance that you'll return the bike. I didn't see any of those, but I did see plenty of bikers and bike paths. The group of us walked around town for a bit taking in the colorful Danish homes around us. We ended up in a residential area in a quest for Gudhjem because I thought I heard Barbara say it wasn't far from town. We did find yet another church (St. Nikolai Cathedral), but it wasn't round and the guys thought I was joking. We walked back to the main square and my friend Scott and I were definitely curious about this other town where supposedly there was more architecture reminiscent of the Old Danish style with people dressed in Old Danish style. We learned that a cab would cost approximately $80 and opted for the bus. We learned also at that moment the bus was about to leave for Gudhjem and it would only be 44 Kroner to get there. We got on a bus that was about to leave only to learn that this was merely a bus going part way and we'd have to transfer. The ride would take approximately 45 minutes to the transfer point. With no idea of schedules, a press for time, and a lack of knowledge about the port, we opted for it. We drove through beautiful countrysides in towns like Nyker, Arsballe, and ending up in Østermarie, which was our transfer point. We got there later than the scheduled transfer bus was supposed to be there, but suddenly 2 busses showed up. We got on a bus and it turns out it was a local bus that took us through more countryside in Østerlars, Svaneke, Saltuna, and Melsted before finally arriving yet another 30 minutes later in Gudhjem. It was foggy, which added a mysterious quality to the rustic town. It was a fishing village and the people there still thrive on the fish market. The homes were definitely in the Old Danish style, but after walking through the paved streets with automobiles we realized that this was like any other town other than it's unique old style in architecture. We had about 20 minutes here after our bumbled bus ride, but that was okay. We took in as much as we could before heading off back to Rønne. I had some true Danish and Scott picked up another delicious sweet just before we caught the last bus back to the ship. Whew. This one was direct. No transfers. We realized that we could've gotten off in some of the smaller towns to take a look around. Our transfer stop in Østermarie donned one of the famous round churches. No one knows why they are round. They just are. Also we did make a stop in Åkirkeby where it is said to be the oldest town chartered in 1346. It was an enjoyable day though. I liked the spontaneity of it as well as the charm of taking a local bus through these towns and the countryside. We ended up back on board just in the nick of time. What was also unique with the fog today was the eerie feeling of going through the wooded areas. I can see where what might lurk beyond the road can inspire some fairy tale writers.

It looks like my trip is starting off swimmingly. I got my global phone for the road. It only works everywhere except the Americas, but whatever. It'll do me fine for now and I may need it again someday. I was nervous because I thought it wasn't coming at all from the shipping tracking information. I had a lovely day out in Copenhagen on my own that day as well. I went off elated that my phone came and things seemed to be heading in the right direction. I walked around the pier and stumbled upon the city bikes. These are the bikes where you put in 20 Kroner, ride around, and then return it getting your 20 Kroner piece back. FREE!! I did this for a while visiting lovely parks before my bladder decided that the coffee I had that morning needed to be removed. I found a McDonald's, paid my 2 Kroner, and went about my business. After riding around for about an hour I decided to go on foot the rest of the day and stroll through town and the shops. I came upon the Rundetaarn (Round Tower) that was connected to the Trinitatis Church. I had never seen this before and saw people milling about on top. I decided to take a closer look. I went up in the winding ramp that was inside the tower to the top to get some beautiful views overlooking the city below. It was a gorgeous day with temps in the summer region (hot). I loved it. This tower was supposedly built for King Christian IV in 1642. This is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. I didn't go into the observatory, but just on the platform outside. After leaving the tower I just strolled through the city and took in the vibe. It's a young and artistic vibe here. A University town. I went to the botanical gardens and enjoyed the beautiful park as well as some of the other parks in town. I walked non-stop all day only stopping once to pick up a real Danish at a local coffee shop. I didn't want to eat lunch because it was going to be an evening at the Pinnacle dining room. Yummy!! That night 4 of us went to dinner and it was absolutely delectable. It was the last formal dinner before I head away from this ship and onto the next stage of my adventures. I truly enjoyed this ship most of the time and the people here are lovely. I'm going to miss a lot of them and hope they all keep in touch. One in particular that I will miss is the very warm and charming keyboardist who has taught me a little bit about myself and about spontaneity and fun in life in general. Now as I enter my last port on this ship I'm thinking about my new adventure with many lessons still to be learned as I go into Europe on a 2-week adventure. Woo hoo!

Swedish Paradise...

2007-08-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

I was in a new place today in Visby on the Island of Gotland in Sweden. It was a tender port so I took the little boat into town later in the morning. I was off with one of my friends from the band and we had a blast exploring this charming Swedish town. It's a fortified city and Vikings were known to roam here during the Bronze Age and people were said to be on this island some 5,000 years ago. The wall is quite impressive and still standing circling the town. The ruins of churches left abandoned around here are also very impressive. This was described to me as the place of ruins and roses and after seeing it today I definitely agree. We started out walking through the modern park of the city and ended up in this huge open area called Amadalen. It was just a very beautiful and spacious park along the coast and near one of the entrances (Forsanal) into the walled city. We entered there and walked through the cobble stoned streets through this charming town. My eyes were going everywhere since every nook and cranny of this place was a picture worth taking. The way the light caught the houses or the flowers that donned them was just breathtaking. There were flowers and décor in each window. Some places had vines growing up the sides and some even had full bushes on the roof. There were gardens everywhere and flower boxes on some of the shops and restaurant. If I'd have known better I would think I was in a fairytale setting. We stumbled on a tea and coffee place called Kranku, but also found the sweet goodness that is Swedish chocolate inside. We told ourselves we'd come back near the end of the day to explore this shop a little more. We ventured into the bowels of the medieval town and came upon a square that was alongside a church in ruins called St. Katarina Cathedral. The buttresses were still in tact, but the roof was gone providing many a photo opportunity. We stuck around here for a while before going further into town and stumbling on the St. Mary's Cathedral. It was in true Viking style and there were stairs in the gardens surrounding it that took us up to a mesa where we got fabulous views of the rooftops and over into the harbor. We were overwhelmed with how beautiful this place was and how perfect the weather was for the day. We just walked along the wall area taking it all in, playing around, and enjoying the day. The wall surrounding this city must have been a sight to see when it was at its prime. There was a moat (or at least a ditch that used to be a moat) going around the city with various bridges that led up to the wall like a real castle. The entrances all had the speared gates that come down to ward off unwanted guests. We found our way to the coast and then to the botanical gardens. This place was immaculate and it was just great to explore and see all the things I was able to see today. I can't believe I'm getting paid. Eventually after about 100 or so photos of silly pictures, scenic pictures, and artistic shots we ended up at Café Ryska Garden. It was in the main square next to St. Katarina Cathedral. For just 80 Swedish Kroner you got a main dish, salad, bread and butter, coffee or tea, and a drink. Good deal considering the price of things in Scandinavia. I got a pasta dish with mushroom sauce and julienned turnips and carrots. My friend had the lamb hamburger with 2 large and almost baked potatoes sized new potatoes. It was all delicious and we of course ended it with dessert. I with a chocolate fudgy cake and he with a berry torte. The torte was made from the local berries and had quite the interesting flavor to it. Completely spent from the day we headed off into the shop area to check out the scene. We eventually ended up at the coffee and tea place again where I did indulge a little. It was back to the ship after this since we'd barely make it for some appointments we had to keep.

This was such an amazing day already and it hadn't ended yet. I decided that tonight I was going to take advantage of some of the amenities I get for being in a passenger cabin. I went to the gym and decided I was going to miss dinner and order in room dining from the dining room menu. I had a cider waiting for me in the fridge and the new Harry Potter movie sitting in my drawer I just got for $4 in Russia. It was delightful. Afterward I took a bath in the full sized bathtub I have available in the bathroom. No more tiny shower that I knock at least one bone a day on some metallic object jutting from the wall making it even smaller. No, this was VERY spacious and VERY relaxing. Ahh. The sweet things in life. I may have to do this one more time before I leave.