Kickin' Off the Final Week

[mrdreamjeans]

We began our next to last travel day in Huntsville, Alabama. The bus left the hotel there at 11:30am Central Time. We arrived at our hotel in Kitchener, Ontario at 2:00am Eastern Time. Due to high winds in Newark, our Continental Flight was delayed over two hours which would have made us miss our connecting flight to Toronto. After 90 minutes of standing around, our entire group was re-booked on to Northwest Airlines, flying from Birmingham, Alabama, to Detroit to Toronto.

The flight to Toronto was delayed for an hour and then we circled for another hour once we arrived in the area. Toronto had inclement weather and all landings were sequenced on to one runway which had been cleared of snow. At one point the pilot announced that he felt confident that we would be landing in about 20 minutes ...then the kicker ...I know we will be landing in about 20 minutes because we have 25 minutes of fuel left. What? TMI? :) Two of our women, Milissa and Natalie, celebrated the beginnings of their shared birth day while we were on the runway in Toronto.

The flights were bookended by two 90-minute bus rides from Huntsville to Birmingham and Toronto to Kitchener. Bottom line - We arrived safely, and with one more pay check to go, I'll take the 4.5 hours of travel overtime ... 3 hours of it at double rate. We're in a charming hotel in downtown Kitchener and open here tonight for four performances. I'm looking out of the window at several inches of snow on the ground. Finally, a bit of winter wonder.

One thing did happen yesterday that distressed me. Somehow, somewhere, my screen on my relatively new G4 iBook (I bought it in Costa Mesa in October) got damaged. I opened it on the plane ride from Birmingham to Detroit to show my friend Joel a picture. It looks like someone took an exacto knife and scraped a cloud-like shape in the liquid crystal screen, bleeding from it is black residue, sort of like someone shaking an Etch-a-sketch drawing which begins to loose its shape. The laptop continues to function (obviously) and I know I can get the screen replaced, but suddenly my computer doesn't feel new. (Silly, but you know what I mean.) I have no idea how the compression damage occurred. My laptop was with me at all times in a padded case and was only out of my sight for seconds while going through the security screening.

Since we only had time yesterday to grab fast food at the airports, I think it's time to get dressed and have a real meal. Then maybe I'll just go play in the snow. Snow angels, anyone?

Comments

[bearchitect.livejournal.com]

Neil, this is starting to feel like the last week at college, graduation in the horizon and the great, vast, open future in front of one... exciting and scary at the same time. Best of luck in the final strecht and even more so in finding the "next" gig after Seattle.
Bummer about your 'puter screen, could it be the air pressure in the plane's cabin that caused it? I've had the crystal of my (supposedly underwater diving-proof) watch pop out of its socket because of it (?)...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Fernando! As always when a tour closes, I'm split. I go back and forth between being sad it will be over on Sunday and chafing at the bit to get home. Which ever one of my personalities takes precedence *grin* ... I dislike not bring employed. As someone who is self-employed, you know the pressures of lining up the work and the flow and ebb of that process. I am going to work hard to enjoy "Wonderful Town". I want to live more in the moment and not have the experience pass me by just because I'm worrying about what's next.

I have no idea what happened to my computer screen, but it made me sick to my stomach. My laptop is less than 5 months old.

Hugs! Thanks for hanging in with me!

[bluedevilsf.livejournal.com]

Then maybe I'll just go play in the snow. Snow angels, anyone?

Or you could write your name in the snow...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

LOL! PROPS!!!!

[teddybtoronto.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that you've settled into the Walper. I hope I get a chance to visit you there while you are in town, but in any case, I am really looking froward to seeing you in the show on Wednesday afternoon.

I've exchanged notes with detailbear about joining us for supper between shows on Wednesday. I'm not sure what place John will recommend, but I asked him to think about it, since we'll need a place near the theater and that can be relied on for quick and reliable service so as to make sure we get you back to the theater in time for your evening performance preparations.

I'm really looking forward to seeing you again and getting a chance to exchange hugs. This really makes the month for me. I'm just so glad Kitchener was added to the tour and that I'll get a chance to see you in the show before the rapidly-approaching wind-up of the tour.

I left a message at the hotel, and I'll probably try to give you a call before it gets too late. Big hugs to you, buddy!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

YAY! Just got off the phone with you! Despite your lack of sleep, *grin*, I hope you enjoy the show! I'll see you after!!!

[sflonestar.livejournal.com]

Neil, despite your monetary gain, you must be exhausted after all the long travel. I got tired just reading your post! Best wishes for a kick-ass final week!!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Jim! Six shows to go! The travel was long, but most importantly, we got here safely. I actually am enjoying having a bit of winter. Everywhere we've been, temperatures have been above normal. So the snow on the ground and the 11 degrees (the high yesterday) are kind of fun:)

My friend teddybtoronto sees the show this afternoon and detailbear sees "Evita" tonight. MY LJ buds are supporting me right to the end of the tour! YAY!

Hope to see you in April, if not sooner! HUGS!

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain about the iBook. I hope that your warranty will somehow cover that. :-S

My thoughts are with you in your final week as a meatpacker (et al.)!

Big, BIG hugs!!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Chip! Hope you're enjoying working David on his concert! YAY!

As to the computer ... It's like having a new car and getting the first scratch ... It will never be the same. Fortunately, the laptop is still functioning, but it looks terrible.

My final week as a meatpacker ON STAGE .... not in real life:) I like the choice of icon for your reply ... a descamisado, the shirtless ones!!!

HUGS!

[gav-and-rog.livejournal.com]

Hooray! One more week to go and you're in my favourite province of Canada. Well, actually it's the only province I've been to in Canada. Hope you enjoy the winter weather while you can.

Sorry to hear about your computer. Do let us know how it works out (I have an Apple iBook so am curious to know how it might have happened and how it gets fixed!)

Gav.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I am enjoying the cold weather. I walked around yesterday and took several photos. I had to stop after an hour, go back to the hotel and add two more coats, but it was fun:)

I will let people know. I just assumed Applecare would take care of it, but that is for manufacturing defects. Since I have no idea why the screen is damaged; there are no particular incidents that I know of ... it was with me at all times ... I am hoping they will replace the LCD screen at no cost. Fingers crossed ...

[gav-and-rog.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Go with the manufacturing defect. It was with you at all time so it had to be a defect. (Good luck!)

I love the cold. Not the rain because that's just wet and goes on for hours. But the snow and the cold. Maybe because I don't get it here, but you get to wear some fabulous warm clothes and it's easier I think to warm up than to cool down in the heat.

Post some pics if you get a chance. I haven't been to Kitchener.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I've taken some nice pictures of the snow covering rooftops, cool and pristine in Victoria Park. I'm enjoying myself ... it was sunny today and despite the frigid temps, it was beautiful day to walk in the neighborhoods. It was a an especially nice day since I had two live journal friends see "Evita" ... teddybtoronto and detailbear. Nice to have the support!! Hugs!

[guyfromoz.livejournal.com]

Hey Neil! Keith tells me that you have been in The Wizard of Oz a few times. How many different productions have you been in and where?

John

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Howdy! I've done "The Wizard of Oz" musical on two occasions. One was at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston at Christmas of 2002. The other was at Christmas time of 2003 in Seattle at the 5th Avenue Theatre. I didn't have a significant role. (I was second choice for the Cowardly Lion.) However, I am often hired for productions that have lots of children. I ignore them, but they flock to me:) They were fun in the sense of getting to work with some of my favorite actors in those cities.

I don't have a lot of dignified moments to recall. During the production in Houston, I fell into the orchestra pit in front of 3000 people. I blogged about it several months ago in a story called "Winkie in the Pit". The other moment was having my picture taken with Barbara Bush in 12 yards of green lame (my Emerald City costume). In Seattle, I was the voice of one of the apple-throwing trees. The three of us, my friends David and Marc and I, modeled our "tree" voices after Blanche, Sophia and Dorothy of the Golden Girls:)