Philadelphia- Week Eleven

My room is so quiet! Is it really possible to be happy and sad at the same time? With the loss of the constant stimulation from people, I find myself blissfully reading and watching tv, but a little blue at the same time because I have no idea when I will see all those people who came down last week again. I guess it is possible.

Things started to immediately get back to normal, after the hustle and bustle of the last week. We have 2 new actors getting ready to jump into the play, and a new guy just starting performances, so we have been focusing on getting them ready. Mike is coming back next week, which is so awesome. I just want things to settle down and get back into the rhythm we had for a week in Baltimore before everything hit the fan. It will be sort of sad to see Todd go. I have learned soooooo much from him. He is an incredible fount of info. I now know how to use ABS Plastic to fix our Armor, and make a pair of Knight legs in 5 minutes, and my confidence in my own ability to tackle any issue that comes along is so much greater than it was before. Not to mention that we handled what would have been a terribly difficult week even if their had been 3 supervisors, with just our own knowledge of the show. And we did it well. I wish Todd read this blog so he would know how grateful I am for his decision to come out and step in for MIke. Hmmm. Me thinks a card is in order
In fact
Jaki and I put our heads together to come up with a gift for Todd to say thank you. Jaki came up with a fantasic idea to give him a year subscription to NetFlicks (spelling?), which he has been trying to decide on. She ordered it online and then called me to ask what we should put on the gift card. I told her how I just could have NEVER done it without him. So we used that. "We couldn't have done it with out you, love Jaki and Fran". However, when it came time to type that out, Jaki forgot to type "n't". So the card read "We could have done it without you, love Jaki and Fran." (!!!!) I got two panicked phone messages from her. It was just too damn funny. Of course it was delivered as written. Of course Todd laughed his ass off. Actually, I think it was perfect. Mistake and all. perfect.

My old time friend Tony Spatafora informed me that Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) is also MelonBall Thursday. A night you celebrate silliness and all the fun things in your life. He asked that we (his friends all over the place) to take a picture wherever of you having a MelonBall. So I got a group of my Spam Fam together and we went out and had Melonballs. Come to think of it, if I was Jesus, and I knew that tomorrow was the big day, I would most assuredly have one. Probably 3 or 4.

Friday was my last day to get out and enjoy the city. I gotta tell ya, I really like it here. Philly is truly an amazing place. I love a city that embraces it's history. So many cities like Atlanta, just keep tearing down their history and building new. Even New York, which does embrace it's past (good and bad) is constantly killing the neighborhoods that built it to begin with. Philadelphia has no problem with holding on to the old and seeing it's value. They just build all around it. LOL. There are few buildings that actually made me gasp audibly when I saw them. The Coliseum in Rome is one. The Rock of Cashel in Ireland was another. I can't even think of an American building...maybe some houses in Newport Rhode, Island. However, when I first walked down Chestnut St. on my way to the theater for load in 3 weeks ago, and turned a corner and ran into City Hall, it was like someone had put a brick wall directly in front of me. I balked, gasped, and then just stood there in awe. The thing is, I never saw it coming. All around you in this city, you will be in the middle of your standard urban enviornment and then you turn a corner and POW! This building is enormous and so intricately detailed that I stared at it for an eternity. I truly love it. I didn't get to go inside, in fact it never even entered my mind to go in, I was completely content to look at it from every angle outside. Maybe next time I will venture in.
The only museum I went to on Friday was the Mutter Museum. I had planned on going to see others, or at least do something else, but even though this museum is pretty small it is packed with cool stuff. It is all about the history of medicine up to present day. FASCINATING! I was in that joint for the longest time. I learned a lot. Mainly, Syphilis sucks. I mean, REALLY. They had all these wax molds of real people and their physical manifestions of the disease. I personally think anyone who wants to run a safe sex campaign needs to just take the image of some guy with his whole nose eaten away and just have WEAR CONDOMS in big letters under it. Sheesh. The other thing I learned is that the game of Jacks is DANGEROUS. There was an entire case full of drawers with objects, under glass, that people had swallowed and choked on. There had to have been fifty of those metal spoke Jacks whohas.
Of course I learned lots of other things, like if you have constipation for years and years you might wanna see a doctor about it or else your colon will weigh in at 30lbs and grow to 7 feet in length, killing you. I think early doctors, and maybe even today, there is an element of the sadist in that personality. The things they did to people. What was funny, was that I was just fine with all the gore and crazy stuff they had, but the minute I came upon the mold with an enourmous splinter of wood going right through someone's pupil, I was done. Game over. I couldn't look at anymore and had to leave. LOL. You should check it out. The history is completely interesting, but the wacky gross stuff is totally cool. except that splinter in the eye thing. That just crossed the line.

All in all, Philly, and I hope I am not speaking too soon, might be a major turning point in this tour for me. I arrived in the city, with a boss I didn't know, a friend desperately ill, and my confidence in myself wavering. However, I am leaving with an increible amount of knowledge (Thank You Todd), my friend completely recovered, and feeling like I am really contributing to my department, and therefore, the production itself. Not to mention we had just the best local crew. Philly rocks. I think I am in love. I hope New York doesn't get jealous. (winks)

Next Stop is Hartford CT. I remember this space. It is small. The local union is tough, but I remember most of their workers as fairly capable. Not to mention I am staying with my awesome friend jennifer, and after a 3 month separation, I get to hang out with my incredible and favorite Beast, Mr Man. I miss that damn cat. He is so exceptional. Jenntells me he is really happy intimidating her cat, and eating the crumbs of food her hubby leaves around. LOL. I hope I don't screw it up by just being there.

Love to all.


The Extra Pics:






Just a shot of Groovy South Street. next time I come into town I am going to hang out here a lil more. It was very relaxing and fun.




This is a doggie Daycare I passed. this picture doesn't capture the nuttiness that was going on as I walked by. These dogs were hilarious. I love the two goldens that are looking at me.




This is Elaine and her most adorable beast Tahzah. Now Tahzah had a terrible reaction to me when she first met me. In fact I thought she was going to take a chomp at my leg. However, she has beyond warmed up to me as you can see from her 'Fran my new human friend, please put that damn camera down and Save me" look on her face. Just the other day, when I came into the Hair room, she curled up and sat with me. We are close now. I am not a fan of the little dog, but Tahzah is an exception to my rule. She rocks.



Francesca enjoying a Melon Ball on Melon Ball Thursday. She is so adorable, I could just kick her. LOL



My two favorite local dressers. Monica and Pam. Just truly wonderful women.




Another shot of my favorite building - City Hall. I love how it peeks around these tall glass and metal structures. Contemporary architecture just doesn't do it for me like the oldies.




AHHHHHH. I almost forgot. My favorite Philly urban grocery store. This place just rocks. DiBruno Bros. grocery has been in exisitence since 1939. It is very kitchy and completely overpriced but I love the family feel of it. The guys behind the deli counter are all old school Italians, who just looooove all women. So getting a simple 1/4 lb of Roast Beef becomes a advert for a singles rag. Which, while silly, certainly makes grocery shopping more enjoyable. That's right, I said it, I like flirty deli men. Sue me.



OK I know this has nothing to do with my what I was doing in Philly, but I saw this movie poster for Anthony Hopkins new film, and somebody correct me but isn't this REALLY close to one of the Silence of The Lambs posters??? Just sayin...