Ok, guys…I’m officially caught up on all my blogging! This entire time in the states has been incredible – I can’t believe we go back to Canada tomorrow. However, we will be crossing the border again a few more times in the next month so my USA time is far from over.
I last left off in Charlotte, North Carolina…which was stop #1 on our 3-day trek north to Buffalo. The next day, we drove to Cranberry, Pennsylvania which is a little township just outside of Pittsburgh. We got in around dinnertime and I immediately went to Tap Out with Kaitlin and Tim. The 3 of us have kind of been slacking since we’ve been in the US (granted, we’ve been in cool places where we could work out outside) however, we have no excuses anymore. We’ve officially taken our workout to the next level and it feels great. We’ve started a new schedule of working out as soon as we get to the hotel, having dinner and then we all get together in someone’s room (with a bunch of other people from the cast) and watch a movie. It’s been really nice, a good way to wind down after a drive day…plus, now that we’re in less-awesome cities with nothing fun to do, we have more time to catch up on all the Oscar-nominated movies! It's awesome.
Yesterday, we had a short drive to North Tonawanda, New York (which is just outside of Buffalo). It was also Valentine’s Day so we put Valentine’s stickers all over the vans and exchanged homemade cards and candy. I’m not big into Valentine’s Day…but it was fun to celebrate it with so many new loves in my life. That night, a bunch of us all went out for dinner at a local brewery and grill in downtown Buffalo and it was amazing! I had a sampler of 10 of their beers and stuffed myself full of mussels and homemade potato chips…solid Valentine’s Day.
Today, we had a day off in North Tonawanda and since our hotel isn’t near ANYTHING, I decided to make today a “me” day, haha. I did wake up early to get a workout in with Kaitlin and Tim, and then we all had breakfast and hit the hot tub for a bit (as all of our muscles are destroyed from the past 3 days of Tap Out). Then, I did ALL of my laundry (as I haven’t been able to do laundry since Vancouver…), sent some e-mails, organized my suitcase, had an amazing late lunch and now I’m looking forward to curling up with some movies for the rest of the night. It’s really cold here (and I saw snow for the first time in weeks yesterday) so I don’t really want to go out. Plus, B’s rooming with Aaron tonight and Tim’s with his family so I have a room ALL to myself. It’s glorious. Today has been such a great day.
Tomorrow, we have 2 shows and then we finally head to Toronto…I’m really excited though. I have so many friends in Toronto that I can’t wait to see and we have a day off on Monday so I’m gonna try to cram in as much as I can. I think I’m ready to be back in Canada…our schedule picks up pretty heavily next week and I’m anxious to be working again.
I love this show, I love my life…things are so good right now. I know I say it a lot…but I’m truly the happiest girl in the world.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Florida - The land of sunshine, beaches, gators, booze, weird new foods and DOLPHINS
So…I thought I was in love with California…but I may be more in love with Florida. I can’t get over the fact that it’s winter and I’m getting a tan. It’s so bizarre.
Also, I’m sorry all these posts are massive…we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had any time to blog. But soon we’ll be back in Canada, in slightly less-than-exciting Ontario towns, and I’ll have nothing to do but blog! I promise.
So, I’ll start with Jacksonville…we arrived late last Sunday night and were a little underwhelmed. As much as we were able to squeeze some awesome times out of our 3 days there, I really wouldn’t recommend Jacksonville as a prime Florida vacation spot. It’s not a very safe or pretty city…however, I was there with 2 of the best girls to vacation with and we dubbed our time there, “Girls Gone Wild Spring Break 2013” so we were determined to have fun.
Our first day wasn’t too exciting…we all decided to sleep in (as we hadn’t slept at all in LA) and then we went for a walk to the downtown area and had lunch by the water. We then did a little shopping but there isn’t much to do in downtown Jacksonville so we ended up calling it an early night and picking up some beer and heading back to the hotel where we drank it by the pool in our jackets and long pants…our dreams of lounging by the pool in our bikinis all day had been crushed as Jacksonville is so north that it never really got warmer than 15 degrees.
Our 2nd day off was a huge improvement from the 1st day. After doing a lot of research, we figured out where the “cool” part of Jacksonville was (and also the safe part where there wasn’t a security guard on every corner). We went to this cute little area called Five Points and did some serious shopping, dining and drinking. I had my first Tasti D-lite, bought some adorable new sundresses and drank on patios all day. We also got to ride a very cute little trolley to get there, it was so much fun!
We had to have another early night though as we had a ridiculously early media call the next day…we were getting picked up at the hotel at 4:45 AM and had to be in full hair, costume and make-up so Amelia and I had to get up at about 3 AM (or midnight, West Coast time) as it takes so long to get ready. The woman who picked us up was a young, fun girl named Kendall who worked at the theatre in Jacksonville where we would be performing and we all clicked immediately. We headed to the TV station and did our usual little 3 minute interview and then had the rest of the day ahead of us and it was barely even 6 AM! Since it was so early and Kendall wanted to hang out with us, we all went for breakfast at this cute little restaurant right near the beach. I had southern grits for the first time in my life and loved the crap out of them. Then, Kendall took us to the Jacksonville Beach (as we all really wanted to go but it was too far to take any public transit to from our hotel and she graciously offered to just drive us) and we all watched the sunrise together. Afterwards, she dropped us off in another little shopping/dining area near Five Points and we had another girls day of shopping and drinking. We went to this amazing Mexican restaurant and had lunchtime margaritas and I ate alligator for the first time – it was so awesome.
The rest of our cast got in around 5 that day so we headed back to the hotel to nap before they arrived and then we planned to take them out on the town that night. There was this big event downtown called “Art Walk” happening and it was basically a big party where a bunch of theatres and galleries open their doors and have funky art exhibits and installations that you can walk through as well as food trucks and bars and music…it happens once a month in Jacksonville and is a big deal apparently and thankfully, we were all lucky enough to be there on that particular night. I was so excited to see everyone again too – 3 days was too long to be apart, haha. But yeah, we all went to Art Walk and drank and hung out. We met up with Kendall and introduced her to everyone and just had a great time. It was so great to be back together again.
The next day we had our show in Jacksonville which went really well and then afterwards, we had a quick farewell drink with Kendall before heading down to Clearwater. We got into Clearwater late that evening and then the next day, I finally felt like I was in Florida. I got up and went and sat by the outdoor pool with my coffee and was the happiest girl in the world. It was hot and sunny with not a cloud in the sky…so amazing. We then got to go into downtown Clearwater to kill time before our show and it was GORGEOUS. It’s right on the ocean and the water was so blue, the beaches were stunning…I felt like I was on vacation. Our show also went really well that day, however the theatre was right next to a swampy area and there were all these “Caution: Alligators” signs everywhere so I kind of didn’t leave the theatre until we had to…not really a fan of alligators. They’re the one downside to Florida, haha.
The night, we had another late night drive to Coral Springs, which is just outside of Miami. Our theatre was super nice there though and had this beautiful courtyard so we did our pre-show warm-up and ate our lunch outside that day. It was glorious. After the Coral Springs show, we had one more post-show drive to Melbourne, which was our last Florida stop…and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Joe booked us into a hotel right on the beach – it was AMAZING. We all went out for dinner that night and sat on an amazing patio and had wine and seafood (I tried oysters for the first time) and just really started to enjoy Florida.
The next morning, I got up early to go for a run on the beach and catch the sunrise. It was so insanely beautiful, I truly felt like I was in a dream. After my run, I met up with Kaitlin, Gillian and Tim to do some yoga on the beach before we headed to the theatre for our show. The show went well and we were back at the hotel by about 3 PM with a day off the next day so we officially started our weekend. We all went and laid on the beach, soaked up some rays, had a couple drinks, listened to music...then I had dinner with B and the boys on the hotel patio before we all went to Joe’s room that night to drink and watch the Grammy’s. It was so much fun, just to hang out and feel like we were on vacation…B, Gillian and I even ran back down to the beach late that night to look at the stars, skinny-dip and just enjoy being alive. I sound like a huge hippy…but it was amazing. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget. I’m so thankful to be on this adventure with so many amazing people. I’m loving every second.
Monday was our big day off in Melbourne – FINALLY. The boys went golfing while all of us girls made drinks, bought snacks and hit the beach first thing in the morning. We then spent the entire day sunbathing, swimming, drinking, napping and just having the time of our lives. Plus, because Melbourne’s kind of a small town and our hotel was in a less-populated area, we literally had the entire beach to ourselves. It was amazing. I’ve never been so happy.
Today, we had a long drive day to North Carolina, but I wanted to soak up every last minute of Florida so I got up early again, made a coffee and then went on a long walk on the beach. I met up with Tim afterwards and we went for breakfast and asked the waitress if we could sit outside on the patio that overlooks the water. Generally, they don’t serve breakfast outside however she let us and I’m so thankful she did because halfway through our breakfast, we saw a whole school of dolphins out in the ocean! It was amazing – I’ve never seen anything like it. It was one of the best mornings on tour, by far.
Now, I’m in Charlotte, North Carolina…we had a super long drive today so I’m ready to go to bed. It’s much colder here than it was in Florida…it’s amazing how quickly the landscape changes. I miss the palm trees already!! However, as sad as I was to leave Melbourne this morning…I’m so incredibly thankful for our entire time in Florida. It was AMAZING. I still can’t believe my life sometimes. This is by far the best experience I’ve ever had. I’m so incredibly lucky and thankful – every day.
So, I’ll start with Jacksonville…we arrived late last Sunday night and were a little underwhelmed. As much as we were able to squeeze some awesome times out of our 3 days there, I really wouldn’t recommend Jacksonville as a prime Florida vacation spot. It’s not a very safe or pretty city…however, I was there with 2 of the best girls to vacation with and we dubbed our time there, “Girls Gone Wild Spring Break 2013” so we were determined to have fun.
Our first day wasn’t too exciting…we all decided to sleep in (as we hadn’t slept at all in LA) and then we went for a walk to the downtown area and had lunch by the water. We then did a little shopping but there isn’t much to do in downtown Jacksonville so we ended up calling it an early night and picking up some beer and heading back to the hotel where we drank it by the pool in our jackets and long pants…our dreams of lounging by the pool in our bikinis all day had been crushed as Jacksonville is so north that it never really got warmer than 15 degrees.
Our 2nd day off was a huge improvement from the 1st day. After doing a lot of research, we figured out where the “cool” part of Jacksonville was (and also the safe part where there wasn’t a security guard on every corner). We went to this cute little area called Five Points and did some serious shopping, dining and drinking. I had my first Tasti D-lite, bought some adorable new sundresses and drank on patios all day. We also got to ride a very cute little trolley to get there, it was so much fun!
We had to have another early night though as we had a ridiculously early media call the next day…we were getting picked up at the hotel at 4:45 AM and had to be in full hair, costume and make-up so Amelia and I had to get up at about 3 AM (or midnight, West Coast time) as it takes so long to get ready. The woman who picked us up was a young, fun girl named Kendall who worked at the theatre in Jacksonville where we would be performing and we all clicked immediately. We headed to the TV station and did our usual little 3 minute interview and then had the rest of the day ahead of us and it was barely even 6 AM! Since it was so early and Kendall wanted to hang out with us, we all went for breakfast at this cute little restaurant right near the beach. I had southern grits for the first time in my life and loved the crap out of them. Then, Kendall took us to the Jacksonville Beach (as we all really wanted to go but it was too far to take any public transit to from our hotel and she graciously offered to just drive us) and we all watched the sunrise together. Afterwards, she dropped us off in another little shopping/dining area near Five Points and we had another girls day of shopping and drinking. We went to this amazing Mexican restaurant and had lunchtime margaritas and I ate alligator for the first time – it was so awesome.
The rest of our cast got in around 5 that day so we headed back to the hotel to nap before they arrived and then we planned to take them out on the town that night. There was this big event downtown called “Art Walk” happening and it was basically a big party where a bunch of theatres and galleries open their doors and have funky art exhibits and installations that you can walk through as well as food trucks and bars and music…it happens once a month in Jacksonville and is a big deal apparently and thankfully, we were all lucky enough to be there on that particular night. I was so excited to see everyone again too – 3 days was too long to be apart, haha. But yeah, we all went to Art Walk and drank and hung out. We met up with Kendall and introduced her to everyone and just had a great time. It was so great to be back together again.
The next day we had our show in Jacksonville which went really well and then afterwards, we had a quick farewell drink with Kendall before heading down to Clearwater. We got into Clearwater late that evening and then the next day, I finally felt like I was in Florida. I got up and went and sat by the outdoor pool with my coffee and was the happiest girl in the world. It was hot and sunny with not a cloud in the sky…so amazing. We then got to go into downtown Clearwater to kill time before our show and it was GORGEOUS. It’s right on the ocean and the water was so blue, the beaches were stunning…I felt like I was on vacation. Our show also went really well that day, however the theatre was right next to a swampy area and there were all these “Caution: Alligators” signs everywhere so I kind of didn’t leave the theatre until we had to…not really a fan of alligators. They’re the one downside to Florida, haha.
The night, we had another late night drive to Coral Springs, which is just outside of Miami. Our theatre was super nice there though and had this beautiful courtyard so we did our pre-show warm-up and ate our lunch outside that day. It was glorious. After the Coral Springs show, we had one more post-show drive to Melbourne, which was our last Florida stop…and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Joe booked us into a hotel right on the beach – it was AMAZING. We all went out for dinner that night and sat on an amazing patio and had wine and seafood (I tried oysters for the first time) and just really started to enjoy Florida.
The next morning, I got up early to go for a run on the beach and catch the sunrise. It was so insanely beautiful, I truly felt like I was in a dream. After my run, I met up with Kaitlin, Gillian and Tim to do some yoga on the beach before we headed to the theatre for our show. The show went well and we were back at the hotel by about 3 PM with a day off the next day so we officially started our weekend. We all went and laid on the beach, soaked up some rays, had a couple drinks, listened to music...then I had dinner with B and the boys on the hotel patio before we all went to Joe’s room that night to drink and watch the Grammy’s. It was so much fun, just to hang out and feel like we were on vacation…B, Gillian and I even ran back down to the beach late that night to look at the stars, skinny-dip and just enjoy being alive. I sound like a huge hippy…but it was amazing. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget. I’m so thankful to be on this adventure with so many amazing people. I’m loving every second.
Monday was our big day off in Melbourne – FINALLY. The boys went golfing while all of us girls made drinks, bought snacks and hit the beach first thing in the morning. We then spent the entire day sunbathing, swimming, drinking, napping and just having the time of our lives. Plus, because Melbourne’s kind of a small town and our hotel was in a less-populated area, we literally had the entire beach to ourselves. It was amazing. I’ve never been so happy.
Today, we had a long drive day to North Carolina, but I wanted to soak up every last minute of Florida so I got up early again, made a coffee and then went on a long walk on the beach. I met up with Tim afterwards and we went for breakfast and asked the waitress if we could sit outside on the patio that overlooks the water. Generally, they don’t serve breakfast outside however she let us and I’m so thankful she did because halfway through our breakfast, we saw a whole school of dolphins out in the ocean! It was amazing – I’ve never seen anything like it. It was one of the best mornings on tour, by far.
Now, I’m in Charlotte, North Carolina…we had a super long drive today so I’m ready to go to bed. It’s much colder here than it was in Florida…it’s amazing how quickly the landscape changes. I miss the palm trees already!! However, as sad as I was to leave Melbourne this morning…I’m so incredibly thankful for our entire time in Florida. It was AMAZING. I still can’t believe my life sometimes. This is by far the best experience I’ve ever had. I’m so incredibly lucky and thankful – every day.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
I heart LA
I feel like a rockstar. Honestly. The past 4 days have been some of the best days of my entire life. I still feel like I’m stuck in some insanely awesome dream…and I totally don’t wanna wake up.
I last left off when we were driving to LA last Wednesday. Right before we hit the city, we detoured to a little winery called Agua Dulce. It was so cute and the ladies there were so excited to have us and we just spent the afternoon tasting wines, eating cheese and walking around the grounds. I love that EVERYONE in my cast and crew drinks wine. It’s insane.
That night, we checked into our Los Angeles hotel which was right downtown AND attached to a Macy’s…I may have been the happiest girl in the world. We then went out for dinner at this cool (and very “LA”) restaurant/bar called, The Standard, with one of B’s friends who lives in the city. It was a rooftop bar and I totally wore a sleeveless dress with no tights. At night. Outside. In JANUARY!
WHY DON’T I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA?
Needless to say, it was amazing. However, we couldn’t stay up too late as a few of us had a media gig super early the next morning. We left the hotel at 5 AM the next day and headed to the most gorgeous TV station I’ve ever seen. We then performed on the early morning show AND the nationally broadcast “hip” morning show…both of which were entirely in Spanish and even though they spoke to us off-camera in English, it was so crazy to be on a show where we couldn’t understand anything they said. We also sat with these adorable little girls and listened to a Strawberry Shortcake story read entirely in Spanish…it was so crazy.
After the morning shows, we headed out with our PR guy and a photographer and went and did a photoshoot at a bunch of major Hollywood landmarks – like the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood sign, Capitol Records etc…it was nuts. Craziest morning of my life, but so much fun!
That afternoon, after we had changed back into our normal clothes, we met up with the rest of our cast and headed to Santa Monica. We walked along the pier, had burgers, took pictures, then walked all the way along the beach to Venice beach and hung out there for awhile and had dinner. Then, that evening, I headed to the Staples Centre with a few people to watch the LA Kings/Nashville Predators game. It was super cool to go to an NHL game outside of Edmonton, but the energy was totally different…I think I prefer Edmonton better for the people, but the Staples Centre is GORGEOUS compared to Rexall Place, haha. It was a super-fun day though.
Friday, I got up bright and early with some of my cast to hike up to the Hollywood sign. It was so gorgeous out and a wonderful hike. Plus, it was so cool to be that close to the sign. After our hike, we quickly changed and then went vintage shopping on Melrose, got some famous hot dogs at Pink’s and then headed out to laguna beach for the rest of the day. It was so amazing – I got to do ALL the LA things I wanted to do.
The next day, we had a show, but I got up early again with some people to hike Runyon Canyon – which is the other side of the Hollywood hill. We were up early enough to catch the sunrise over LA from the top and it was breathtaking. I couldn’t even believe my life. Then we had our LA show at Club Nokia (which is the smaller venue in the Nokia Center) and holy man was it swanky. We had these gorgeous dressings rooms with Xboxes in them and unreal catering…it was so cool. We also had a celebrity kid meet and greet and we got to meet the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family. We also met Halle Berry’s kid and apparently Minnie Driver was at the show with her child but we unfortunately didn’t get to meet them.
After the show, a bunch of us piled into our rented van again and headed out for a final night on the town (Tim had the brilliant idea of renting a van in LA for our days off and then we would all split the cost and get to see everything as you need to have a vehicle to get anywhere in that city). We went to Sunset Blvd, Beverly hills, In ‘n Out Burger…it was awesome. A perfect end to our perfect LA experience.
This morning, I got up early and said goodbye to the majority of my cast as everyone except Amelia, Sarah and I had to drive to Florida while the 3 of us got flown because we had media in Jacksonville. They all headed out in the vans and I packed and went to the airport with the girls and hopped a plane to Florida. I was a little sad to miss those drive days as I would’ve gotten to see so much of the Southern USA however we did feel pretty rockstar getting flown from LA to Jacksonville and having almost 3 days off to ourselves.
Now I’m in Jacksonville, exhausted, and ready to hit the hay…I miss my lil’ B already, but I am excited to have a few days off. Florida – I hope you’re ready for me!
I last left off when we were driving to LA last Wednesday. Right before we hit the city, we detoured to a little winery called Agua Dulce. It was so cute and the ladies there were so excited to have us and we just spent the afternoon tasting wines, eating cheese and walking around the grounds. I love that EVERYONE in my cast and crew drinks wine. It’s insane.
That night, we checked into our Los Angeles hotel which was right downtown AND attached to a Macy’s…I may have been the happiest girl in the world. We then went out for dinner at this cool (and very “LA”) restaurant/bar called, The Standard, with one of B’s friends who lives in the city. It was a rooftop bar and I totally wore a sleeveless dress with no tights. At night. Outside. In JANUARY!
WHY DON’T I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA?
Needless to say, it was amazing. However, we couldn’t stay up too late as a few of us had a media gig super early the next morning. We left the hotel at 5 AM the next day and headed to the most gorgeous TV station I’ve ever seen. We then performed on the early morning show AND the nationally broadcast “hip” morning show…both of which were entirely in Spanish and even though they spoke to us off-camera in English, it was so crazy to be on a show where we couldn’t understand anything they said. We also sat with these adorable little girls and listened to a Strawberry Shortcake story read entirely in Spanish…it was so crazy.
After the morning shows, we headed out with our PR guy and a photographer and went and did a photoshoot at a bunch of major Hollywood landmarks – like the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood sign, Capitol Records etc…it was nuts. Craziest morning of my life, but so much fun!
That afternoon, after we had changed back into our normal clothes, we met up with the rest of our cast and headed to Santa Monica. We walked along the pier, had burgers, took pictures, then walked all the way along the beach to Venice beach and hung out there for awhile and had dinner. Then, that evening, I headed to the Staples Centre with a few people to watch the LA Kings/Nashville Predators game. It was super cool to go to an NHL game outside of Edmonton, but the energy was totally different…I think I prefer Edmonton better for the people, but the Staples Centre is GORGEOUS compared to Rexall Place, haha. It was a super-fun day though.
Friday, I got up bright and early with some of my cast to hike up to the Hollywood sign. It was so gorgeous out and a wonderful hike. Plus, it was so cool to be that close to the sign. After our hike, we quickly changed and then went vintage shopping on Melrose, got some famous hot dogs at Pink’s and then headed out to laguna beach for the rest of the day. It was so amazing – I got to do ALL the LA things I wanted to do.
The next day, we had a show, but I got up early again with some people to hike Runyon Canyon – which is the other side of the Hollywood hill. We were up early enough to catch the sunrise over LA from the top and it was breathtaking. I couldn’t even believe my life. Then we had our LA show at Club Nokia (which is the smaller venue in the Nokia Center) and holy man was it swanky. We had these gorgeous dressings rooms with Xboxes in them and unreal catering…it was so cool. We also had a celebrity kid meet and greet and we got to meet the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family. We also met Halle Berry’s kid and apparently Minnie Driver was at the show with her child but we unfortunately didn’t get to meet them.
After the show, a bunch of us piled into our rented van again and headed out for a final night on the town (Tim had the brilliant idea of renting a van in LA for our days off and then we would all split the cost and get to see everything as you need to have a vehicle to get anywhere in that city). We went to Sunset Blvd, Beverly hills, In ‘n Out Burger…it was awesome. A perfect end to our perfect LA experience.
This morning, I got up early and said goodbye to the majority of my cast as everyone except Amelia, Sarah and I had to drive to Florida while the 3 of us got flown because we had media in Jacksonville. They all headed out in the vans and I packed and went to the airport with the girls and hopped a plane to Florida. I was a little sad to miss those drive days as I would’ve gotten to see so much of the Southern USA however we did feel pretty rockstar getting flown from LA to Jacksonville and having almost 3 days off to ourselves.
Now I’m in Jacksonville, exhausted, and ready to hit the hay…I miss my lil’ B already, but I am excited to have a few days off. Florida – I hope you’re ready for me!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
LA - here I come!
Hey guys!! Sorry – once again, it’s been super crazy this past week but I have some time finally so I’ll try and catch you up on how the tour’s been going.
Can I just start by saying how deliriously happy I am right now? We’re definitely into the best part of the tour and I’m loving every second. First off, we spent the weekend in Vancouver and it was beyond amazing. Saturday, a bunch of us went out for breakfast at this adorable little café right before our show and then only had ONE show before getting the rest of the day off. Plus, it was our last show for awhile as the trek to LA is a number of days. They also screwed up our reservation at our Vancouver hotel so we each got our own rooms! As much as I love B…it was nice to have a couple nights entirely to myself.
Saturday night, I headed to Granville Island with some of my cast to see a show. It was called, Ride the Cyclone, and it’s a new Canadian musical touring across Canada. Tim knows a guy in it and highly recommended that we see it and I’m so glad we did. It was AMAZING. By far one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. And it’s heading to the Citadel in Edmonton next month so you should definitely see it if you can! After the show, we all headed to a little seafood restaurant for a late dinner and had a couple bottles of wine and just enjoyed ourselves…I can’t get over how well we all get along. It truly is such a great group.
Sunday morning I got up bright and early on our day off to run the seawall at Stanley Park with Tim. It was a little chilly but so gorgeous and so nice to run in clean air for a change. After our run, we went for breakfast with Amelia at a cute Italian café and then I spent the afternoon with my girlfriend Jess from Grant MacEwan. Then, that evening, I went for dinner with Jaclyn, Kim, Gill and Sara from school and had such a wonderful evening of food, drinks and catching up. I love that my job allows me to visit old friends I haven’t seen in so long…it’s the best.
Monday we began our trek to LA! Our first stop was Portland, so we left Van around noon and after a couple hours at the border (which is typical on tour) we finally made it to Portland. I was super excited to be there as I’ve been reading a book series set there for the past couple years and it was awesome to see what the city actually looked like. We also drove through Seattle, which was cool to see. I wish we got to stay there too – but ultimately, it’s just so awesome to see so many US cities I would’ve never been able to visit otherwise.
Yesterday was our super-long drive day…just over 11 hours from Portland to Stockton, California. But can I say, as soon as we hit Cali, my mood immediately lifted even higher than I thought it could. It was suddenly sunny (after Vancouver and Portland, it had been awhile since we saw the sun), warm and GREEN! I feel like I’m dreaming – I can’t get over how gorgeous it is here. And that I’m being paid to be here. WHAT IS MY LIFE?!
Today, we’re finally driving to Los Angeles…I’m currently in the van, driving through olive, wine and fruit country and loving the crap out of my life. We’re even taking a detour on the way to our hotel and going to some wineries. WINERIES. I’m so happy I could cry. Plus, I’m just excited to be in LA…and have 2 days off to explore. We’re thinking of renting a car so that we can go to the beach and Santa Monica and stuff. We’re also gonna hike up to the Hollywood sign, hit up an LA Kings game…it’s gonna be great. The only tough part will be getting up at 4 AM to be on TV tomorrow morning…we also have to perform a song that’s not even in the show so we’ve been rehearsing like crazy to get it together. However, it’s apparently the most popular morning show in LA so I’m very excited.
So, long story short…everything is going swimmingly. And I’m so thankful for this experience and so in love with everyone. I can’t say it enough. I’m livin the dream…and it’s glorious.
Can I just start by saying how deliriously happy I am right now? We’re definitely into the best part of the tour and I’m loving every second. First off, we spent the weekend in Vancouver and it was beyond amazing. Saturday, a bunch of us went out for breakfast at this adorable little café right before our show and then only had ONE show before getting the rest of the day off. Plus, it was our last show for awhile as the trek to LA is a number of days. They also screwed up our reservation at our Vancouver hotel so we each got our own rooms! As much as I love B…it was nice to have a couple nights entirely to myself.
Saturday night, I headed to Granville Island with some of my cast to see a show. It was called, Ride the Cyclone, and it’s a new Canadian musical touring across Canada. Tim knows a guy in it and highly recommended that we see it and I’m so glad we did. It was AMAZING. By far one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. And it’s heading to the Citadel in Edmonton next month so you should definitely see it if you can! After the show, we all headed to a little seafood restaurant for a late dinner and had a couple bottles of wine and just enjoyed ourselves…I can’t get over how well we all get along. It truly is such a great group.
Sunday morning I got up bright and early on our day off to run the seawall at Stanley Park with Tim. It was a little chilly but so gorgeous and so nice to run in clean air for a change. After our run, we went for breakfast with Amelia at a cute Italian café and then I spent the afternoon with my girlfriend Jess from Grant MacEwan. Then, that evening, I went for dinner with Jaclyn, Kim, Gill and Sara from school and had such a wonderful evening of food, drinks and catching up. I love that my job allows me to visit old friends I haven’t seen in so long…it’s the best.
Monday we began our trek to LA! Our first stop was Portland, so we left Van around noon and after a couple hours at the border (which is typical on tour) we finally made it to Portland. I was super excited to be there as I’ve been reading a book series set there for the past couple years and it was awesome to see what the city actually looked like. We also drove through Seattle, which was cool to see. I wish we got to stay there too – but ultimately, it’s just so awesome to see so many US cities I would’ve never been able to visit otherwise.
Yesterday was our super-long drive day…just over 11 hours from Portland to Stockton, California. But can I say, as soon as we hit Cali, my mood immediately lifted even higher than I thought it could. It was suddenly sunny (after Vancouver and Portland, it had been awhile since we saw the sun), warm and GREEN! I feel like I’m dreaming – I can’t get over how gorgeous it is here. And that I’m being paid to be here. WHAT IS MY LIFE?!
Today, we’re finally driving to Los Angeles…I’m currently in the van, driving through olive, wine and fruit country and loving the crap out of my life. We’re even taking a detour on the way to our hotel and going to some wineries. WINERIES. I’m so happy I could cry. Plus, I’m just excited to be in LA…and have 2 days off to explore. We’re thinking of renting a car so that we can go to the beach and Santa Monica and stuff. We’re also gonna hike up to the Hollywood sign, hit up an LA Kings game…it’s gonna be great. The only tough part will be getting up at 4 AM to be on TV tomorrow morning…we also have to perform a song that’s not even in the show so we’ve been rehearsing like crazy to get it together. However, it’s apparently the most popular morning show in LA so I’m very excited.
So, long story short…everything is going swimmingly. And I’m so thankful for this experience and so in love with everyone. I can’t say it enough. I’m livin the dream…and it’s glorious.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Moisture, green grass, no snow...is this heaven? Nope, just Vancouver.
Greetings from the West Coast! Well…Surrey…but, we’re ALMOST on the coast. So it counts. Almost.
It’s so wonderful to be in BC though. We were in Kelowna the past couple of days and it was just glorious. Minus the fact that it was still snowy…I don’t know why I got it into my brain that it doesn’t snow in Kelowna but I was definitely mistaken. However, seeing the lake in the winter was pretty cool! And our hotel was super gorgeous (nothing like the gross Travelodge we stayed in on the last tour through Kelowna). Our road manager has an account with Sandman so we pretty much only stay at Sandman hotels…which is great because a lot of them are super nice. And they always have a Moxie’s attached (and I have gift cards!).
Kelowna in the winter
But yeah, our shows went well in Kelowna…then we had a nice short drive day to Surrey (only 4 hours!! WAHOO!). And I can’t even tell you how happy I am to be here…I’m not the hugest fan of Vancouver however I passed out for about 20 min in the van near the end of the drive yesterday and when I woke up, there was no snow and it was GREEN. EVERYWHERE. I thought I was dreaming. I haven’t been that happy all tour. And I think now that we’re on the coast, it’s starting to sink in that the next month on the road will continue to be on the coast in snow-free cities…and I’m beyond excited about it. It’s gonna get really good from this point on :).
We also got in pretty early yesterday so we kind of had a half-day off! And we’re staying in a gorgeous suites hotel with full kitchens so we decided to have a potluck family dinner because we could all finally cook. So that afternoon, we went and got groceries and then B and I hosted the party in our room (naturally) and we had pasta, salad, bread, roasted veggies, meatballs, brownies and copious amounts of wine…it was amazing. And everyone came! We played games and drank and just had a really wonderful evening…once again, it’s so nice to be with such a fantastic group of people who all get along and want to hang out all the time. I know this may change over the next couple months…but right now, we’re still in that honeymoon stage. And I love it.
We are a wine-loving cast
My plate
But I’m gonna go start getting ready – we have another 2-show day today. Then we’re only 1 day away from our day off!! It’s so close I can taste it!
So happy to be in Vancouver!
It’s so wonderful to be in BC though. We were in Kelowna the past couple of days and it was just glorious. Minus the fact that it was still snowy…I don’t know why I got it into my brain that it doesn’t snow in Kelowna but I was definitely mistaken. However, seeing the lake in the winter was pretty cool! And our hotel was super gorgeous (nothing like the gross Travelodge we stayed in on the last tour through Kelowna). Our road manager has an account with Sandman so we pretty much only stay at Sandman hotels…which is great because a lot of them are super nice. And they always have a Moxie’s attached (and I have gift cards!).
But yeah, our shows went well in Kelowna…then we had a nice short drive day to Surrey (only 4 hours!! WAHOO!). And I can’t even tell you how happy I am to be here…I’m not the hugest fan of Vancouver however I passed out for about 20 min in the van near the end of the drive yesterday and when I woke up, there was no snow and it was GREEN. EVERYWHERE. I thought I was dreaming. I haven’t been that happy all tour. And I think now that we’re on the coast, it’s starting to sink in that the next month on the road will continue to be on the coast in snow-free cities…and I’m beyond excited about it. It’s gonna get really good from this point on :).
We also got in pretty early yesterday so we kind of had a half-day off! And we’re staying in a gorgeous suites hotel with full kitchens so we decided to have a potluck family dinner because we could all finally cook. So that afternoon, we went and got groceries and then B and I hosted the party in our room (naturally) and we had pasta, salad, bread, roasted veggies, meatballs, brownies and copious amounts of wine…it was amazing. And everyone came! We played games and drank and just had a really wonderful evening…once again, it’s so nice to be with such a fantastic group of people who all get along and want to hang out all the time. I know this may change over the next couple months…but right now, we’re still in that honeymoon stage. And I love it.
But I’m gonna go start getting ready – we have another 2-show day today. Then we’re only 1 day away from our day off!! It’s so close I can taste it!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
On the road again!
Ok, blog…I’m sorry…again…I’m hardcore sucking at this this time around. But the past couple weeks have been some the craziest and busiest times in my life. I’ve barely had a moment to breathe, never mind blog…but all is well now! We’re in Kelowna! And the tour is really starting to pick up from here. I’m so excited to share all of my upcoming adventures.
But back on track, since I last left you, we had yet to hit the road…however, I’m happy to say that we’ve successfully been on the road for nearly 2 weeks and the show is going swimmingly! Plus, we’re over the mid-Canada prairie hump now…so the scenery becomes way more interesting.
However, going back to tech weekend and where my last blog post ended…we survived tech and opening weekend in Winnipeg. It was so wonderful and exciting to finally have an audience, and also to see the Doodlebops’ show for the first time. I may have cried a little (or, let’s get serious, a LOT) when they started and I saw B rockin’ it out in one of her dream roles. I was so proud of her and insanely happy and emotional. Plus, just seeing their show and our show all come together made me really excited. This truly is such a wonderful monster I’m now apart of and I love every bit of it.
After we opened in Winnipeg, we began our trek across the prairies. We had shows in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and then Regina – where our show got another re-vamp and we had to head into rehearsal again to change a bunch of stuff. It was a little stressful…but we pulled it together. Then we had more shows in Edmonton, Calgary and Medicine Hat before finally heading to BC.
It was super awesome to be home briefly, but also kind of difficult…I almost wish I had been home for longer or not at all as 24 hours really wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do. I didn’t feel emotionally there…I think because my brain has been in this show and with this project for so long, and I know how much more of it we have left, it was kind of hard to get excited about being home. But I was happy I got to see everyone. I think I made the best use of the short amount of time I had. I also got to perform on the Jubilee stage – which has been a dream of mine since I saw Annie there when I was 12. It was surreal to finally be on that stage…it still feels like a dream. Then, the next day, we headed to the Calgary jube and it was literally the EXACT same layout and everything, haha. So bizarre. I also got to go for breakfast with Eric and Emma before my shows which was nice...it was a wonderful, albeit brief, weekend at home.
Finally on the Jube stage!
But yeah – overall the show has been going well…we’ve just been battling some sickness and stuff in the cast. We haven’t really had a real day off since New Year’s Day and with the insane schedule of the first couple weeks of tour, everyone’s really starting to feel it…but the good news is, we’re now less than a week away from our day off in Vancouver! So that’s exciting. I plan on treating myself to some sushi and maybe even a massage while I’m there…I’m in desperate need of both things.
However, despite the craziness, stress, exhaustion, and illness…I’m so incredibly happy with my life right now. I truly feel like I’m living the dream. I know I say it a lot…but I’m euphoric. Our cast and crew is so amazing and I really love everyone to bits. I’ve made some sensational new friends and even though my only days off so far have been 10-hour drive days, I’m just so insanely happy to be there with everyone. In the van, onstage, backstage, at the hotel, out for dinner…it’s heaven. This is truly becoming one of the best experiences of my life and I know it’s only going to get better. I can’t believe we’ll be in L.A. in just over a week!! What is my life?!
I’ve also taken a real initiative with my health on this tour…thankfully, everyone else is pretty health-conscious so it’s been easy to eat properly and keep in shape. Plus (as I’ve already told many of you), I’m hardcore into doing these “Tap Out” workouts with Tim and Kaitlin…we get one in almost every day and especially on days like today, after a long drive…it just feels so good to get your body working and moving. I need it. I feel happy, healthy and strong. And it’s amazing.
But I’ll stop yakking…I’m gonna try and get some sleep before another 2-show day tomorrow. But things are really going so unbelievably well. I can’t believe this is my life.
But back on track, since I last left you, we had yet to hit the road…however, I’m happy to say that we’ve successfully been on the road for nearly 2 weeks and the show is going swimmingly! Plus, we’re over the mid-Canada prairie hump now…so the scenery becomes way more interesting.
However, going back to tech weekend and where my last blog post ended…we survived tech and opening weekend in Winnipeg. It was so wonderful and exciting to finally have an audience, and also to see the Doodlebops’ show for the first time. I may have cried a little (or, let’s get serious, a LOT) when they started and I saw B rockin’ it out in one of her dream roles. I was so proud of her and insanely happy and emotional. Plus, just seeing their show and our show all come together made me really excited. This truly is such a wonderful monster I’m now apart of and I love every bit of it.
After we opened in Winnipeg, we began our trek across the prairies. We had shows in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and then Regina – where our show got another re-vamp and we had to head into rehearsal again to change a bunch of stuff. It was a little stressful…but we pulled it together. Then we had more shows in Edmonton, Calgary and Medicine Hat before finally heading to BC.
It was super awesome to be home briefly, but also kind of difficult…I almost wish I had been home for longer or not at all as 24 hours really wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do. I didn’t feel emotionally there…I think because my brain has been in this show and with this project for so long, and I know how much more of it we have left, it was kind of hard to get excited about being home. But I was happy I got to see everyone. I think I made the best use of the short amount of time I had. I also got to perform on the Jubilee stage – which has been a dream of mine since I saw Annie there when I was 12. It was surreal to finally be on that stage…it still feels like a dream. Then, the next day, we headed to the Calgary jube and it was literally the EXACT same layout and everything, haha. So bizarre. I also got to go for breakfast with Eric and Emma before my shows which was nice...it was a wonderful, albeit brief, weekend at home.
But yeah – overall the show has been going well…we’ve just been battling some sickness and stuff in the cast. We haven’t really had a real day off since New Year’s Day and with the insane schedule of the first couple weeks of tour, everyone’s really starting to feel it…but the good news is, we’re now less than a week away from our day off in Vancouver! So that’s exciting. I plan on treating myself to some sushi and maybe even a massage while I’m there…I’m in desperate need of both things.
However, despite the craziness, stress, exhaustion, and illness…I’m so incredibly happy with my life right now. I truly feel like I’m living the dream. I know I say it a lot…but I’m euphoric. Our cast and crew is so amazing and I really love everyone to bits. I’ve made some sensational new friends and even though my only days off so far have been 10-hour drive days, I’m just so insanely happy to be there with everyone. In the van, onstage, backstage, at the hotel, out for dinner…it’s heaven. This is truly becoming one of the best experiences of my life and I know it’s only going to get better. I can’t believe we’ll be in L.A. in just over a week!! What is my life?!
I’ve also taken a real initiative with my health on this tour…thankfully, everyone else is pretty health-conscious so it’s been easy to eat properly and keep in shape. Plus (as I’ve already told many of you), I’m hardcore into doing these “Tap Out” workouts with Tim and Kaitlin…we get one in almost every day and especially on days like today, after a long drive…it just feels so good to get your body working and moving. I need it. I feel happy, healthy and strong. And it’s amazing.
But I’ll stop yakking…I’m gonna try and get some sleep before another 2-show day tomorrow. But things are really going so unbelievably well. I can’t believe this is my life.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Craziest week of my life!
Sorry, blog…I know it’s been almost an entire week. But it’s been crazy over here in Winnipeg. There have been a lot of ups and downs…but right now, everything is finally moving seriously on the up :)
Quick recap…
Saturday – Rehearsal and recording…it was super cool to go into a real recording studio and sing through all my songs! And luckily, the tempo of my solo had to be sped up and since it would take the guy awhile to fix the track, I got bumped to Tuesday to finish recording which meant more rest for my voice which I desperately needed. That night – I met up with my girlfriend Nicolette (from the Busytown tour) and we went for Thai food and had a nice visit and catch-up session.
Sunday – More rehearsal…it was a long day and had been a long and stressful weekend so that evening, we all went over to our assistant director/choreographer’s house for drinks, snacks and hanging out. I may have drank a little too much wine…most people drank a little too much wine…but I think we all really needed to unwind. Plus, it was just so much fun. I’m so in love with my cast! Everyone is so wonderful and so far, we’re all getting along just swimmingly. I’m very excited to spend the next 3 months of my life with them.
Monday – Day off!! Sort of…it was supposed to be our day off but at noon, Kaitlin, Amelia and I got a call while we were at the mall asking us to come into the office for an emergency costume fitting as they had just booked us for a Breakfast Television TV spot the next morning. So our day off got cut a little short…but my costume is super adorable!! I love the crap out of it. Who ever thought that I could pull off yellow?
Tuesday – Longest day yet…we were all up at 5 AM to be at the office by 6 to get into hair, make-up and costumes. Then we were taken to the TV studio for the interview…it went really well though and it was super fun to finally be in my full costume and wig. After the interview, we went back to the office to change, and then the 4 of us who had done it got a breakfast break so we went to this cute little café (one of my favorite Winnipeg spots) called, Stella’s. Then we rehearsed for most of the day…then Kaitlin and I had to go back to the recording studio to re-record some stuff. My song sounds so much better now that it’s sped up! And we just had so much fun jamming with the music guy, Phil…I adore Kaitlin. She’s such a wonderful energy. So glad to have made another wonderful friend.
BT Winnipeg!
Wednesday – More rehearsal…this time at the dance studio we sometimes rehearse at which was nice because it’s a much bigger (and lighter) space. Sure beats the mini basement studio at the office…we rehearsed all morning and then the whole tech crew as well as the head honcho at the office came to watch a dress run of the show. No wigs…but our first time working in the costumes and finally getting to see everyone’s costumes. Omg, we’re all so cute and colorful…I’m super in love with this show.
Thursday…TODAY – Our first day in the theatre!! We started our tech weekend today and finally got to load into our Winnipeg theatre. The morning started off with some media training (which I already did for Busytown last year but figured I would go through again as it is a new show) which went well…I aced the first exercise and apparently did the best in the company’s history on it, haha. Basically I’m just good at ad-libbing…and not saying “ums, ahs or likes”. We then had wig training as all the wigs are really expensive and high quality and need lots of care…they also need to be super pinned onto our heads so they don’t fall off when we dance, haha. And then we did mic checks and a tech stumble through of the show. Our set is SO cute. And everyone sounds amazing. My voice is finally back (though I’m still missing a small portion of it in my upper range) and I’m feeling really good, well-rested and healthy. FINALLY.
This past week has been ridiculously stressful and crazy and I’ve had some pretty brutal moments…but today, everything started really coming together. I adore this show, these people and I’m so thankful to have this opportunity. It all really hit me today…as soon as we hit the stage. This is really happening. I’ve wanted this for almost a year and now I’m actually here. I’m so incredibly thankful and happy and excited to share this show with everyone. It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait to open!!
I apologize for the crazy long post…hopefully you made it this far, haha. As for me – I’m off to have some tea and get a good night’s sleep. 2 more 14-hour days to go!
Quick recap…
Saturday – Rehearsal and recording…it was super cool to go into a real recording studio and sing through all my songs! And luckily, the tempo of my solo had to be sped up and since it would take the guy awhile to fix the track, I got bumped to Tuesday to finish recording which meant more rest for my voice which I desperately needed. That night – I met up with my girlfriend Nicolette (from the Busytown tour) and we went for Thai food and had a nice visit and catch-up session.
Sunday – More rehearsal…it was a long day and had been a long and stressful weekend so that evening, we all went over to our assistant director/choreographer’s house for drinks, snacks and hanging out. I may have drank a little too much wine…most people drank a little too much wine…but I think we all really needed to unwind. Plus, it was just so much fun. I’m so in love with my cast! Everyone is so wonderful and so far, we’re all getting along just swimmingly. I’m very excited to spend the next 3 months of my life with them.
Monday – Day off!! Sort of…it was supposed to be our day off but at noon, Kaitlin, Amelia and I got a call while we were at the mall asking us to come into the office for an emergency costume fitting as they had just booked us for a Breakfast Television TV spot the next morning. So our day off got cut a little short…but my costume is super adorable!! I love the crap out of it. Who ever thought that I could pull off yellow?
Tuesday – Longest day yet…we were all up at 5 AM to be at the office by 6 to get into hair, make-up and costumes. Then we were taken to the TV studio for the interview…it went really well though and it was super fun to finally be in my full costume and wig. After the interview, we went back to the office to change, and then the 4 of us who had done it got a breakfast break so we went to this cute little café (one of my favorite Winnipeg spots) called, Stella’s. Then we rehearsed for most of the day…then Kaitlin and I had to go back to the recording studio to re-record some stuff. My song sounds so much better now that it’s sped up! And we just had so much fun jamming with the music guy, Phil…I adore Kaitlin. She’s such a wonderful energy. So glad to have made another wonderful friend.
Wednesday – More rehearsal…this time at the dance studio we sometimes rehearse at which was nice because it’s a much bigger (and lighter) space. Sure beats the mini basement studio at the office…we rehearsed all morning and then the whole tech crew as well as the head honcho at the office came to watch a dress run of the show. No wigs…but our first time working in the costumes and finally getting to see everyone’s costumes. Omg, we’re all so cute and colorful…I’m super in love with this show.
Thursday…TODAY – Our first day in the theatre!! We started our tech weekend today and finally got to load into our Winnipeg theatre. The morning started off with some media training (which I already did for Busytown last year but figured I would go through again as it is a new show) which went well…I aced the first exercise and apparently did the best in the company’s history on it, haha. Basically I’m just good at ad-libbing…and not saying “ums, ahs or likes”. We then had wig training as all the wigs are really expensive and high quality and need lots of care…they also need to be super pinned onto our heads so they don’t fall off when we dance, haha. And then we did mic checks and a tech stumble through of the show. Our set is SO cute. And everyone sounds amazing. My voice is finally back (though I’m still missing a small portion of it in my upper range) and I’m feeling really good, well-rested and healthy. FINALLY.
This past week has been ridiculously stressful and crazy and I’ve had some pretty brutal moments…but today, everything started really coming together. I adore this show, these people and I’m so thankful to have this opportunity. It all really hit me today…as soon as we hit the stage. This is really happening. I’ve wanted this for almost a year and now I’m actually here. I’m so incredibly thankful and happy and excited to share this show with everyone. It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait to open!!
I apologize for the crazy long post…hopefully you made it this far, haha. As for me – I’m off to have some tea and get a good night’s sleep. 2 more 14-hour days to go!
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