Tampa Florida- Week Two

Sunshine State my ARSE!!

It has been dreary and overcast this whole time. I felt like I was in Seattle. The weather wasn't helping my homesickness. As always, I have this adjustment period I have to go through. It used to only take two weeks, but I think it is getting harder as I am getting older. I have been out 2 weeks and I am still working on acclamating to life on tour. Even with so many buddies out here, I find myself missing brooklyn, my urban tribe, and of course, my awesome beast Mr. Man. Knowing it will pass helps a little, but the hardest times are when I am back in my hotel room, watching tv. TV shows I always watched with Kricka and JIm, when we would pause the show, discuss, and then go back. All the while Mr Man hanging with us, or sneaking up behind Kricka or I to rub his head all over one of ours. Funny beast.
So it's hard right now, but writing this blog helps. Going out to see things with this blog in mind helps. Laughing at work helps too. Some people have really embraced me and I can see that fun is on the horizon. You all know me - if I am not laughing I won't last long. But the day to day grind is starting to be a fun and good time. I know it will only get better. This is good.


The week was pretty busy. I spent most of my time in the theater, but on Wednesday some of the ladies on the crew hosted a brunch at a restaurant called First Watch to welcome me and our new stage manager Francesca. (isn't that cute? Fran and Francesca are the new girls) It was lovely and they are a great bunch of women. (Picture below)

I noticed that parked outside the theater was this RV with "SPAM" in big letters on the side. Apparently it is the Spamobile and it travels around with us to certain venues. They give out free samples of Spamburgers (wretch) and sell some swag. I decided that they needed to be a part of my blog periodically so I went over and introduced myself to Bear and Sharon. I haven't figured out what the deal is between them- if they are married, living in sin, or what. They certainly seemed nice enough and offered me a slice of their wares. Normally I would feel really bad about turning down someone's generosity, but I think if I actually put Spam in my mouth my body would completely reject it and it would launch out of my mouth. I had this imagine of trying to eat it and my stomach forcing it out of my body with such violence that it hit Sharon in the face. I didn't want to risk such humilation, so I turned down the Spamburger.
Bear mistook me for someone of importance and started asking me questions about me getting him into the show. Laughing, I told him I could help him with laundry detergent and that was about it.
Sharon told me that Spam turns 75 years old this year on May 11th.
I bet they know everything about Spam
I wonder if they know what's in it.
Nevermind I don't wanna know.

My first solo Load Out seemed to go just great. I had an attack of OCD and decided to play Tetris with the contents of all the wardrobe room gondolas (gianormous cabinets on wheels that hold everything we use). I also went nutty on the 40 million spools of thread we have and bought racks to put them on, and proceeded to put them in color wheel order (um I think I need some meds)
A good and productive week. many laughs were had by Jaki, Mike and I. I really adore them. You know the team is good when the locals wish you were staying longer. We are a very very good team - and only going to get better I suspect.
Love to you all!
Next stop- Naples Florida!

Oh yeah, after the pictures below is a story that kills me about something that happened at this church I stopped into this week. Thought I would just tack it on and those that wanted to read it could, and those that just wanna hear about the tour could skip it. I thought it was hysterical.

The Pics


Brunch with the gals at a place called First Watch. Elaine, Francesca, Jaki, Me, and Suzanne.


Bear and Sharon who roll with the Spamobile. I bet everything they own smells like Spam. hurl.

Some more Spamobile shots






The Church Story:
I had no intention of talking about church but something so hilarious happened today, I must share it.
Choir lofts have always been my favorite place to watch mass from so I snuck up there this morning and was enjoying my skybox view of the whole affair. The priest starts his homily by calling all the kids in the place up to the altar. He sits down on the little stairs and they surround him on the marble floor, accept for this one little girl. Let's call her...
Fran.
She was me at 5.
She sits down right next to him on the stairs, looking out at the crowd instead of at his feet like the other kids. I started laughing. It totally reminded me of how when I was little and it was the shake hands with your neighbor part of the mass, I would push and shove everyone out of the way so I could shake hands with the priest as he walked by our row. Even at that tender age I knew who the person to know was. LOL
Thats not even the funny part.
As I am sitting there a priest-in-training comes up and takes out a cell phone
Gasp!
I was shocked! I was all (my inside voice mind you) "What is this world coming to!!!!!"
So the priest is blathering on about how St Peter was called to follow Jesus.
and the priest in training is pressing numbers on his phone and making exasperated noises and it dawns on me as the priest at the alter starts fumbling in his robe, that his phone was supposed to ring and junior was supposed to be the one making the call.
"Oh what's that, it must be my phone" father says...even though the phone never rang "It's God calling on me"
Baby Fran says " THAT ISN'T GOD!!! IT'S YOUR MOM!!!!"
hilarious.
and then junior priest walks by, rolls his eyes and says in a completely queened out, EXTREMELY fay tone "He's so nervous he forgot to turn his phone on"
I laughed my ass off.
I don't know if that transferred in the writing but it really was a riot.