I sound like Tara Reid

Rehearsal day #3! Another long day, but we learned some new choreography and songs…man, this show is a bigger workout than the last one. So much more dancing! I’m really gonna have to stay in shape. Everything is super cute and girly though – I just love it.

However – I failed to mention that I’ve been battling a nasty head cold brought on partially by the cat I was taking care of before I left (apparently I’m allergic) and also by the fact that December was a crazy month for me…it’s been a crazy year. I think my body was just crashing. But anyways, today my cold moved down from my head into my throat…which means I officially have no voice. Consequently, singing rehearsal this afternoon was a bit rough.

On a positive note, I think it means this sickness is finally on its way out! I haven’t been annoyingly sick like this in a really long time…if my body is crashing, I don’t foresee it happening again for a long time. I just need to really rest up. Thankfully, we only have a half day of rehearsal tomorrow (and NO singing, thank god) and then New Year’s Day off. So, I have a couple days to recover and get back on track. That does mean I may not be going out for New Year’s Eve tomorrow night…however, I don’t really care too much at this point. I just want to get better.

But yeah, tonight I just came home, had supper, took a long hot bath and now I’m curled up with my laptop to watch a movie. It’s just past 9 PM here and I’m so ready for bed. I’ve been getting a ridiculous amount of sleep since I’ve been here…which is probably a good thing. There also just isn’t much to do in Winnipeg in January.

This is it for tonight though…I’m gonna get some rest and hopefully give my throat a good break. Goodnight!!

Back on tour!! Or, at least in Winnipeg...

Hello my loyal readers! And by that I mean the 4-6 family and friends of mine who have not given up hope on this little blog…I have good news! I’m back on tour!! (which, I’m sure many of you already know…) And that means, BLOGGING! I know I kind of bailed on blogging the US tour of Busytown this fall, but because this new show is going so many new places and is longer – I promise I will keep this blog going. Plus, I know I’m going to want to document everything.

So…where to begin? I arrived in Winnipeg yesterday morning to start my Strawberry Shortcake adventure. Minus the fact that I had been up since 3 AM, I was pretty wired and ready to go. It was difficult saying goodbye to my family and Doug though…it’s so weird. I wanted this tour so badly and then my life kind of drastically changed right before I got it and suddenly, I wasn’t so sure I wanted leave anymore. But as soon as I got to Winnipeg, I felt better about it. B and Airyn picked me up from the airport and we spent the majority of the day together. It was so nice to see them again – it felt like I never left Winnipeg, haha.

We had our first rehearsal in the late afternoon and it was so nice to be back at the studio and finally meet the majority of the cast. And get this…EVERYONE IS SHORT LIKE ME! Honestly – I’m actually one of the taller girls. It’s so bizarre. And they’re all so cute. It’s perfect. We did a first read of the script and then went down to the dance hall to choreograph a couple of the group numbers. The show is going to be really cute – I totally felt in my element.

After rehearsal, I grabbed some groceries for the week and then went to my hotel to just pass out. I’m staying at the PLR again (The Place Louis Riel hotel – my Winnipeg home away from home) and I’m rooming with one of the Toronto girls from my cast, Kaitlin. She’s super fun, down to earth and laid back. I’m so glad I have another roommate I click well with…as much as I miss my lil’ B (but don’t worry – we’ll be roomies again on tour). Everyone in the cast is super cool though – I think it’ll be a good group.

Today, we had a real 9-5 work day. We started off with choreography all morning, learning songs with the vocal coach for most of the afternoon and then a 2nd read-through near the end of the day as they had already made a bunch of cuts and edits to the script.

Now, I’m back home…had a solid dinner of tuna and rice (trying to get my body back on track) and I’m just planning on watching a movie and hitting the hay tonight. Wild Saturday night for me…

But so far, everything is going well. I’m really excited about the show – I think this whole tour is going to be great!

P.S. I added my last blog post from the Busytown tour too...I had it written and saved on my computer from May, I just never posted onto the blog.

Dear blog: I’m sorry for neglecting you these past couple weeks. End of tour plus a week in Hawaii left me with not a lot of time to blog. But my mother has been bugging me to finish off the tour posts. So here I go!!

 

I suppose I last left off when we were in Courtenay…well, after Courtenay, we headed to Victoria! I have wanted to go to Victoria for YEARS so I was so incredibly stoked to go there. And we stayed in a BEAUTIFUL hotel to boot. It was a beautiful suites hotel right downtown and B and I shared a stunning 16^th floor 2-bedroom penthouse. We were living the high life.

 

Our show in Victoria was in the evening so we were fortunate enough to have most of the day off to explore the beautiful capital. B and I got up early and headed to a really cute breakfast place (I think I have filled my life quota of breakfast dates with her alone on this tour) to eat. We then spent the day wandering, shopping, taking pictures…and yeah. What a stunning city. I loved it so much.

 

After our show that evening, B and I went out dancing and had an absolute blast. We also met some really cool people and ended up staying up well into the morning…despite our 7 am call time. Needless to say, the ferry+drive to Kelowna that day was a little brutal. As soon as we got to our hotel in Kelowna (which was, quite possibly, the grossest hotel of the tour - a far cry from our Victoria paradise…), we all just crashed hardcore.

 

That evening, however, it was James’ birthday so we all went to this really lovely restaurant called The Yellow House (which was, in fact, an old yellow house converted into a restaurant) and had an amazing meal. The next day, B wanted to sleep in so I got up early and went for a long walk around Kelowna. I hadn’t been there since I was about 10 or 11 years old so it was nice to be back with a new appreciation for it all. Plus, it was gorgeous out. I had another amazing moment of being so thankful to have this opportunity and being able to see so much of the country.

 

After Kelowna, we headed to Calgary for our final full show. We, once again, had most of the day off and B had to get her passport stuff done so I spent the majority of the day running errands with her. Our show that night was amazing though. We were at the EPCOR Centre and had a 1300-person audience in a beautiful theatre. We also all got our own dressing rooms (well…except for B and I. Shocker, haha) and our stage manager had flowers waiting for us in the rooms when we all got there. I started to get really sad as it was beginning to sink in that it was our last show. It went really well though – a great way to finish off the tour.

 

…kinda.

 

The next day, we drove to St. Albert to do 2 mini shows at the mall. However, I didn’t really count them as real shows as not the entire cast was in them. They went well though, despite the terrifyingly tiny stage, and Corey and Beth came to watch and brought their new baby! AND I GOT TO MEET HIM! Oh man, words cannot describe how happy it made me. Just knowing 2 people so well and seeing them get married and then pregnant and then finally meeting the little one…amazing. I’m so happy for them.

 

After our shows in St. Albert, my mom came to pick me up and I cleaned my stuff out of the van and finally came HOME! It was a little weird at first…I had a good cry…but then got myself together to go out for the “last supper” with my cast. We went to New Asian Village and had a wonderful meal and a wonderful time. I’m really gonna miss all of those crazy people. It’s funny how close you can get to people in such a short amount of time. I suppose, when you spend so much time with them it’s unavoidable, but I truly made some sensational friends that I hope I have for a long time. We had a great cast. Amazing people. I’m so so SO incredibly thankful for everything.

 

The next day, everyone started making the trek back home to Winnipeg and I washed my clothes and re-packed my suitcase to head to Hawaii the next day. I then was able to numb my post-tour blues with a week of beaches and booze but now I am home. Fighting off a little bit of jet leg (I was wide awake until about 4:30 am last night) and kind of in this weird in between place.

 

We have confirmation of the show going back out in the fall so I like the security of knowing my time with those people and the show isn’t really over yet, it’s just on hold, but October is still a long ways away. I have to start looking into getting a summer job of some kind and that is slightly less than thrilling…but life could be worse. Life could be a lot worse.

 

I guess I can finish this all off by saying, once again, that I am so happy I did this. So grateful for the opportunity as it has been, by far, one of the best experiences of my life.

I'm a Chemainiac!

Update: I’m still in love with Vancouver Island. Just in case you were wondering.

I’m even more in love with the abundance of amazing local delicacies you can find here. Obviously, there’s tons of fresh fish (I won’t even tell you how much cooked and uncooked fish I’ve consumed this week…) as well as beautiful produce, but also so many local and unique beers and wines (B and I even found a liquor store that sells locally made mead!). I went for another walk this morning back into downtown Chemainus and stopped in at the independent general/grocery store and picked up some locally roasted coffee (it’s called the “Chemainiac Blend”, haha) and some really cool flavored sea salts with salt harvested from the water around the island! Seriously. I never want to leave this place. I’m going to hardcore stock up on wine and beer before we head back to the prairies, haha.

Tonight, we’re in Courtenay! We had 1 show today in Duncan and then drove up to Courtenay this afternoon. On the way though, we stopped in the cutest little town (one of many) called, Coombs. There was this amazing marketplace there (undeniably, the BEST grocery store I’ve ever been to) and all the buildings had grass on the roofs as there are all these little goats there that just roam around…ON TOP OF THE BUILDINGS! So crazy!!

But yeah. It’s great here. Just, great. I am in my happy place.

My heart belongs to Vancouver Island

So, um…I hate to break it to you…but I’m probably never coming back home. Vancouver Island has stolen every last bit of my heart. The most beautiful part of this entire country. HANDS DOWN.

I don’t even feel like I’m in Canada anymore. It’s such a different vibe out here. And I love it. So friggen much. I went for a walk this morning by myself along the water in Nanaimo and I literally was almost in tears because of how beautiful it was. And peaceful. And wonderful. I honestly don’t think I could ever be unhappy if I lived here. I was smiling at everyone. Crying happy tears. I was a crazy happy crying lady and I loved every second of it. I just can’t describe how insanely in love I am with this place. I get really sad every time I think about leaving it. I want to stay here forever.

We sailed into Nanaimo on the ferry late Sunday night. Seeing as it was pretty dark, I didn’t actually get to see much of it at first glance, but we had most of Monday off (as we had a late show) so B and I went exploring and I immediately fell in love. With all the little boutiques, independent coffee shops, cafés and restaurants as well as the beautiful waterfront, boardwalk, marina, cherry blossoms…the list goes on and on. It’s like another world out here. If it wasn’t for all the rain, it would be perfect. Maybe too perfect, haha.

Seeing as we only had just under 24 hours in the lower mainland, a bunch of us opted to take the ferry back to Vancouver and stay there for a couple days (as we’ve had most of this week off). B and I headed in early Tuesday morning and then spent the majority of the day shopping and exploring. That evening, I met up with some old girlfriends from Grant MacEwan and we had a really lovely dinner together and got all caught up on each other’s lives. It was really nice – I missed them so much!!

Wednesday, B and I decided to go on a real adventure, so we hopped the Sea Bus to North Vancouver and after some shopping at the Lonsdale Quay Market (SO much fresh fish and produce!!), we headed up to Grouse Mountain to do some hiking. There’s this amazing suspension bridge up there and tons of sweet trails, treehouses, and even a suspended cliff walk! It was an amazing day, and we were lucky enough to catch the 7 o’clock ferry back to the island and because the sky had cleared up (it rained for most of our time there) we got the most amazing sunset. It was so beautiful. And once again, I was so happy and thankful to be on this crazy adventure.

Thursday was a bit of an insane day…all of us went to this ranch just outside Nanaimo to go horseback riding for the afternoon. I wasn’t really too worried as I’ve been riding before, however they gave me this horse that made me a little nervous as she was really unpredictable and difficult to control and she ended up going insane and bucking me right off while we were in the practicing area. Thankfully, I managed to fall on the softest part of my butt (not to mention I fell in really soft muddy ground) so I didn’t seriously hurt myself but it was a major shock to my body. They ended up giving me a different horse who was much easier to ride and the woman leading us took the crazy horse who, once again, went nuts near the end of the ride and she had to walk her back to the ranch – she couldn’t even ride her either. It was a little scary and kind of soured the experience for me but I’m pretty sure everyone else had a good time. I wasn’t up for much that evening though…B and I went out for some really amazing Thai food and then I had a super hot bath and went to sleep.

This morning, I got up pretty early and headed down to the water to go for a walk. I wanted to run but my entire body is really sore from trekking around Vancouver with a huge backpack as well as my riding accident yesterday so I grabbed a coffee and opted for a nice leisurely stroll instead. And yeah…as I said before, I was more blissfully happy than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I love Vancouver Island. So much.

We checked out of our hotel in Nanaimo late this morning and headed to Chemainus for the night. However, the drive was only about a half an hour, so we’ve had most of the day off here in Chemainus too. Once again, it’s an adorable seaside town and because the weather was so nice today – B and I spent the day exploring and shopping. We had lunch on the patio of the most adorable little café, went down to the beach to take pictures, stopped in at a little bakery…pretty much a perfect day. We also stocked up on local beer and wine and are planning on enjoying it this evening.

…I just can’t believe that this is my life right now. This whole week has been like, some insanely unbelievable vacation. And I’m technically working! It’s so crazy. This has been, by far, my favorite part of the tour and I’m really not looking forward to it ending in just over a week…but all good things have to end, don’t they?

It just means I’ll have to move out here one day…right?

We have officially landed on the West coast!

And I’m back on the road!! Being back at home for a few days was absolutely lovely (it was even nicer to do a couple shows on my home stage, Festival Place) and while I was definitely well-fed and quite lazy during my time there – it is nice to get back on tour. It’s also wonderful to have a much lighter suitcase and way less bags. I managed to accumulate A LOT of crap over 2 months, haha.

Wednesday morning we drove to Grande Prairie and that evening, we celebrated Lil’ B’s birthday. We all drank a lot of wine, ate a lot of cupcakes and just had a blast. The following day, we had our show in GP, and then after that, we began the trek to the West Coast!!!

Friday, we drove to Jasper. It was SO amazing to be back in the mountains…I always get really nostalgic when I go to the mountains just because I remember so many family vacations in the Rockies and I always wanted to live there when I was little…in fact, I’m pretty sure I still want to live there. The rest of the country has been pretty amazing so far…but BC takes the cake. Without question.

We had most of the afternoon and the night off in Jasper so all of us went out for a really nice Italian meal and then B and I hit up a couple pubs to just chill out and enjoy our time off there. We went to the Jasper Brewery and sat by the fireplace drinking locally brewed beers while the snow fell outside and I was just so incredibly happy. Even just walking back to the hotel, I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was outside (even if it was snowing). It was pretty dead there, as it’s kind of the off-season, so it was a little eerie how quiet it was but also really cool at the same time. Just taking a moment to stop in the street, on a quiet night in Jasper…so amazing. I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to be there.

Yesterday was a LONG day…we had a 9-hour drive to Vancouver and B and I opted to ride in the truck with our stage manager James instead of in the van with everyone else (mainly to keep him awake and it would be a nice change of scenery). And while it was a very long drive (we had LOTS of caffeine and sugar to keep us all up) it was the best drive we’ve had yet. Mainly because driving through the mountains is a hundred times more interesting than driving through the prairies…and with the truck, we were all in a row in the front and there are HUGE windows so the views were fantastic. We just had so much fun and I don’t think I’ve been that happy in a long time. Being stuck in a truck with 2 people for 9 hours isn’t so bad if you really like the people…the 3 of us are also the closest in age and just click really well so it truly was a fun time. Best drive yet.

What also made the drive awesome is that we landed in VANCOUVER!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I know I fell hardcore in love with Toronto back in March…but I’m pretty sure Vancouver just kicked Toronto’s butt. EVERYTHING HERE IS SO GREEN! Lush green grass (I was tempted to hop out of the truck and roll in it multiple times), huge trees, blossoms and bright flowers everywhere…it even smells different here. Different than anywhere else in the country. The air is clean...fresh…and smells like FLOWERS.

WHY DOESN’T THE ENTIRE COUNTRY LIVE HERE?!

Seriously. I’m so happy I could cry. Why I ever thought I could love anywhere in this country more than Vancouver, I’ll never know…mountains, ocean AND a huge city? What more do you need? Honestly.

Last night, we went out for sushi (which I organized as I was hardcore craving it) and it was amazing. I’m pretty sure I’m going to eat fish the entire time we’re here.

But yeah. That’s it for my big West Coast update. Excuse me while I go roll in the grass and rub flowers all over my body. I want to bottle the air here and take it home with me…seriously…I love it so much. And tonight…we head to the island. Which is the place I’m most excited for as I’ve never been.

…it’s not gonna be easy to get me to come home.

Thoughts in the back of the van...

Have you ever been so happy you could cry? And then you actually did?

As I was laying in the back of the van tonight, en route to Edmonton, it suddenly dawned on me that I would actually be seeing my friends and family again after taking off on this adventure 2 months ago. I then started thinking about the tour so far…and the people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, the experiences I’ve had so far…6 months ago, I had no idea that this was where I would be. That my life would suddenly change. That I would take off on a tour across the country getting paid to do what I love most – perform.

All of that didn’t hit me until tonight. And I realized how happy I was. How truly grateful I was for this experience and most of all...for the people I’m currently sharing it with. My cast is a big mixed bag – all different people of varying ages and pasts…but somehow, we all fit together. And I love them all. They’re such wonderful people and I have fallen head over heels in love with each and every one of them.

I love my life right now. I truly am living a dream and I suddenly don’t want it to end. I want to soak up every last second I have of this experience. Because it is truly one of the best of my entire life.

I’m so happy. Words can’t even do justice to how I’m feeling right now. I don’t know how I managed to get this lucky. To be able to perform in theatres across the country.

This is something I will never forget. And even though there are going to be a bunch of changes coming up in my life this summer, I don’t want to stress about it now…I’m just going to enjoy the ride. And see where it takes me.

For the first time in a very long time, I feel whole. I feel like I am exactly where I need to be. Where I’ve always dreamed of being.

And I sure as hell am not gonna take it for granted.

Across the prairies...

I AM HOME TONIGHT!!

…yeah. I’m a little excited.

However, before I am back in Edmonton and probably not blogging much – here is a quick recap of the week:

Monday – We had a long drive to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Stayed in probably the grossest hotel we’ve had yet. Ugh, Travelodge.

Tuesday – Had our Prince Albert show and it went really well…I also did a phone interview for the Sherwood Park News for our show. I can’t wait to be back on my home stage!

Wednesday – Drove to Medicine Hat and finally crossed into Alberta where the tax is low and the booze is easy to find. Land of milk & honey, my friends! It was such a gorgeous day too that we stopped just outside of Medicine Hat to take a bunch of pictures of the Alberta prairies. It was stunning. Once again, I had forgotten how beautiful our country is. That night – we stayed at the Medicine Hat Lodge which not only was a nice, clean hotel (a HUGE step up from the Travelodge) but they had an amazing pool with 2 waterslides!! We may have spent the better part of the evening on those slides…man, it was fun. Best hotel yet.

Thursday – Had our Medicine Hat show and it went swimmingly.

Friday – Drove from Southern Alberta all the way up to Cold Lake. And as much as everyone was telling me it sucked here…it’s not so bad. Our hotel is close to lots of amenities too so it could be a lot worse. It’s better than Prince Albert!

And finally, today we have 2 shows…we just finished our first one and, get this, we are in an arena! My very first arena show!!

…it’s actually more of an indoor soccer field with a stage built on it…but it’s still cool. Though, the stage is really small and we have no wings so we had to re-stage a bunch of stuff, once again.

However, only one more show and then we drive straight to Sherwood Park!

I can’t wait. Oh man…just to sleep in my own bed and have my kitchen back…it’ll only be for 4 days, but it’s been long overdue.

Old fire halls in Dauphin

Today, we had 2 shows in our smallest venue to date. We’re currently in the very small town of Dauphin, Manitoba and our “theatre” today was actually a 100-year old fire hall. While it was super old and charming, the stage was TINY. We could literally only fit a quarter of our set on it. So there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made to the show and we even had to cut people out of some dance numbers because we, quite frankly, didn’t all fit onstage.



However, we got through it! The audiences were great too and the kids were adorable, as usual. We also had the BEST catering to date today as well. It was all made by some women in the town so we had crockpots full of chicken, rice, beans and homemade mac & cheese. There were also tons of salads and fruit/veggie/meat/cheese trays galore. It was amazing.

Yesterday, we had our big Winnipeg show and it was a little nerve-wracking as everyone from the company’s office was coming to see it. However, I think it went really well and we were, once again, in a big old theatre which I just love. It had 3 balconies!! I really love the challenge of having to adjust to a new theatre every time as well as just getting to see and perform in so many spectacular spaces.


Tomorrow, we have a drive day to Prince Albert – our first Saskatchewan show!! Then we hit Alberta and in a week today, I will be HOME!! I’m so excited.

Dear Alberta – I hope you’re ready for me!

The harsh realities of tour life

It’s been one of those days. One of those less-than-awesome days where I come back to my hotel room and really need a glass of wine. One of THOSE days.

In light of this – I’ve begun thinking about the past month (and a bit) that I’ve been on tour and some of the myths I believed before I hit the road. There are a lot of myths about this lifestyle. This “I travel the country dancing in giant mascot costumes for the entertainment of small children” lifestyle. So, I decided to dedicate a post to dissolving these myths.

Myth #1 – You get ripped because you’re essentially doing hot yoga onstage every day.
The Truth – While you are doing between 1 and 2 hours of exercise a day in a giant, ridiculously hot costume…it’s only cardio. And it’s not constant. It is a workout to a degree and you have to be in decent physical shape to do it – but you don’t lose weight. If anything, I’ve been losing muscle as we rarely have gyms in our hotels with free weights so I’ve completely been slacking in terms of resistance training. My muscle is now turning to fat. Consequently – I feel like I’ve gained weight.

Myth #2 – Your skin will get better because you’re sweating out all your toxins every day.
The Truth – Yes, you sweat…a lot…and while your face does sweat a ton in your head every show, it’s all recycled air in there. You’re essentially in a hot, sweaty chamber of your own heat. There’s not a lot of fresh air flow. So it doesn’t feel very healthy…plus, you sweat everywhere else too and commonly break out or get rashes in places you’ve never had problems with before because of your costume rubbing, bacteria etc…it’s not very glamorous.

Myth #3 – You can eat super healthy because you only have to worry about feeding yourself!
The Truth – Ok…I made this one up just so I could share the truth about eating on the road. It’s HARD. Hard to eat properly, at least. You never know if you’re going to have a fridge and/or microwave in your hotel room so it’s hard to buy groceries (to avoid eating out so much). Your digestion also suffers because your diet is all over the place and you have no normal eating habits. I’ve learned to always keep a few essentials handy though – I have a lot of protein bars, canned tuna and beef jerky (for quick protein), bananas & peanut butter (no need to refrigerate) and an assortment of nuts and rice chips (for snacking).

Myth #4 – Living in hotels is AWESOME!
The Truth – While it certainly is nice to have a fresh, clean bed and room every night, it does make me miss my own bed. It’s also not a ton of fun to be living out of a suitcase. You never know if or when you can do your laundry at a hotel and I’ve grown to hate re-packing my suitcase whenever we leave a city…but I have learned a lot of tips and tricks about hotels. I feel like I could write a book on the pros and cons between Comfort Inns, Best Westerns (and Best Western Pluses), Super 8s, Sheratons, Holiday Inns etc…so, that is a bonus!

Myth #5 – You will never want to have children.
The Truth – While this is a common thought when one gets into children’s theatre…I am happy to say that I still cannot wait to have kids one day. The kids are honestly what make this job so amazing. Just seeing them all up against the stage, calling out your name, mimicking your movements…it’s priceless. It never gets old. And the idea that you may be part of their very first theatrical experience is pretty special too.

At the end of the day though…aside from all my complaints…this truly is one of the best experiences of my entire life and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am so incredibly grateful every day that this is my job and I’m able to see and explore so much of our beautiful country. I’m so lucky and so happy to be doing what I’m doing.

Home-cooking in Winnipeg

...still in Winnipeg. Yeah. Not too much to report.

We had rehearsal today. It was actually a lot of work though – we had to choreograph the “Mini Show” that we will be doing in a couple malls (one of them being the Sherwood Park Mall – yahoo!!) which is a shortened version of the show with about half the cast. However, I am in the cast that has to participate so we had to re-block a bunch of choreography. It was a hot, sweaty day of dancing. But, what else is new…haha.

Tonight, however, we were invited to our stage manager’s house for a big home-cooked family dinner! We had salad and pasta and dessert…it was all beyond amazing. He even bought Tupperware so that we could all take home leftovers, haha. As he knows we’re all scavengers when it comes to home cooked food…or free food for that matter. We always bring Tupperware to the venues that have catering and take as much of it with us as we can after the show. It’s an easy way to cut down on food costs!

But yeah, it was a really nice evening. Makes me even more excited to be home for a few days…in just over a week…gah, I cannot wait!

But I am off to bed. Tomorrow is a half-day of rehearsal and I plan on spending my afternoon doing laundry and possibly baking if I can find some frozen or pre-mixed cookie dough. I just want to milk the fact that I have an oven as much as I possibly can!!

Back in Winter-peg for a few days...

Ahh, Winnipeg…my old friend. Haha. We arrived in the ‘peg on Monday night and since nearly everyone in our cast and crew is from Winnipeg (with the exception of our Toronto-based tour manager and dance captain/Hilda), only a few of us are staying in a hotel this week. However, it is a bit of a step up from a hotel…we’re staying at the Place Louis Riel downtown and I get to share a beautiful 17th floor apartment with a beautiful French woman this week, haha. Marie and I are rooming together and it’s kind of nice to have a new change of pace for a couple days…

…though, I do miss Lil’ B. When we hung out last night we already had so much to tell each other after only being apart a day, haha.

But it is GLORIOUS to have a full kitchen this week. For the first time in a MONTH! I still haven’t cooked much in it but I may pick up some groceries today and make something more substantial this evening. Yesterday, we had a day off and I really wanted to go out and do stuff but the weather was just awful. It was barely above zero and snow-raining all day…and I left my winter jacket in the van. I got too spoiled by the summer weather in Ontario. How does one go from getting a tan one day to scarves and gloves the next?

Anyways, I did make some use of the day – I went to Polo Park mall and did a little bit of shopping…then, I just came back to the hotel, put my sweats on and spent the majority of the afternoon drinking tea and watching Netflix. It was just too yucky and cold out.

However, in the evening, I headed down to Osborne Village to meet one of the girls from my cast at a Mexican restaurant there for beer and nachos (best nachos of my LIFE! Sorry, Julios…Winnipeg beats you on this one) and then we met up with Lil’ B and went and saw The Hunger Games! Finally!! Britt and I had been wanting to see it since it came out and once we got here, we couldn’t wait any longer. It ended up being really good too – obviously, I still liked the book better…but it was incredibly well done. Very close to the book, which is nice.

And yeah…slept in a little too late today, but I’m excited to see that there is sun in the sky and no forecast of rain! It’s still chilly…but at least I can walk around without an umbrella. I’m probably gonna walk down to the Village, do some shopping, maybe even hit up the Forks, and then make a nice dinner. Tomorrow and Friday we have full rehearsal days before our show on Saturday so I’m gonna enjoy this last day while I can!!

Feelin' good in Thunder Bay

AND I’M BACK! My stomach is no longer doing gymnastic routines and I don’t want sleep for a week anymore. Life is good.

We are also in Thunder Bay. The old stomping ground of a girl I love very much, Krystyn. Apparently I did a show in the theatre where she graduated today!! It was stunning. And it made me miss her even more.


But I will officially be home in 2 weeks! We drive back to Winnipeg tomorrow (and leave Ontario for good) and then we have almost a week there of rehearsals, then we head across the prairies with some shows in Saskatchewan and Alberta. I can’t believe we’re nearly halfway done – it’s gone by really quick. I still love being on tour…but I am getting antsy about being home. Everyone else technically gets to go home tomorrow (in Winnipeg) but I have been away the longest and have had to wait the longest…so I’m excited.

But I’m gonna go shower – we only had one show today but I still probably stink. Then I’m going to settle in with some Netflix…story of my life, haha.

Stomach bugs are no fun

So, there’s this stomach bug that has been wreaking havoc on my cast…however, I was confident in my health and fell under the false illusion that it could not get to me.

Unfortunately…I was very wrong.

Needless to say, I’m not really at 100% right now. I was totally fine yesterday – I hit the gym in the morning and then spent the rest of the day curled up watching Netflix as it was cold and rainy out. Then, Lil’ B and I had a little wine party but I didn’t drink too much or anything…I woke up this morning, went for breakfast and then had the intent of going for a swim and doing some weights but I was suddenly just exhausted…so I went back to bed…slept until about 2 in the afternoon….and then woke up to my body hating me. It sucked even worse as we had our first show after a week off tonight.

It was a bit of a challenge.

But I’m feeling a little better now. I just have zero appetite, which sucks. But I’m pounding back a lot of fluids. Thankfully, tomorrow’s a drive day so I can pass out in the van for most of the day. I’m hoping I feel healthier for our show on Sunday. Cus doing a show when you’re weak, nauseous and dizzy is no fun.

But I will tough it out. I’m sure the worst is over.

Goodbye beautiful Toronto...hello, Sault Ste. Marie!

Man, I suck at blogging these days…I apologize. But we are in the middle of a slew of days off so there isn’t too much going on.

Sunday and Monday were days off in Milton so I went downtown into Toronto both days (as there really wasn’t much to do in the thriving metropolis of Milton…). On Sunday, I went with Nicolette and Britt and we did some shopping in the morning and then went and saw Legally Blonde in the afternoon. The show was great and my friend Marissa in it was AMAZING! It was such a fun day and so nice to be able to see some theatre that didn’t involve giant dancing cats…haha.

Monday, I went into the city on my own and enjoyed my last day in the wonderful paradise of Toronto. It was super beautiful out too so I spent the majority of the day strolling down Queen Street West, doing some vintage shopping…I stopped and had pizza on the patio of this adorable little pizzeria…got some color in my cheeks…it truly was a perfect day. I had fallen so hardcore in love with the city; it was nice to spend one last day there by myself. There’s just something so attractive about big cities to me…I love how huge all the buildings are, how there are always people around, it’s always busy and bustling…I just love the energy. I am a city girl at heart. I can’t describe how happy I was just to be young and on Yonge street, haha. I even bumped into someone I knew!! A girl I did a show with a few years ago who’s been living in Toronto for a couple years now…I randomly bumped into her on King Street and couldn’t get over how crazy it was to see someone I knew in a city as gigantic as Toronto. It was kind of magical.

Tuesday was a drive day…I said my farewells to the beautiful GTA and we headed on a 9-hour drive west to Sault Ste. Marie. There really isn’t much to do here however we are staying in a great hotel and Lil’ B and I have a suite so we don’t have much reason to leave our room. Or should I say, rooms, haha.

However, today I decided to start my healthier living initiative so I got up at a decent hour, had a good breakfast, then went on a long run. Our hotel is about 4 km from the waterfront so I ran down there, walked around the cute little park along the water, then ran back. It was AMAZING to be able to run outside. And the weather here today was INSANE! It got up to 27 degrees and I actually got a bit of a tan. I can’t believe it, never in my life have I experienced 27 degree weather in March. NEVER.

Apparently tomorrow will not be quite as nice…but I will probably run again. And do some weights. B and I are also starting a “6 weeks to 6-pack” DVD tomorrow so I should be ripped by the end of the tour ;)

Brampton - Mississauga - Niagara Falls - Milton

I’m sorry for the lack of blog posts…it’s been a busy week. But I’ll break it down a little to keep things quick and easy.

Tuesday – Got up early to head downtown with Nicolette, one of the girls from my cast. We spent the day doing some serious shopping (I may need to buy a new suitcase…I’ve bought far too many clothes), went for lunch at Mr. Greenjeans, enjoyed the sunshine (it was nearly 20 degrees!!) then split up around dinnertime and I went to meet another old friend for drinks at this little dive bar just off of Dundas Square. Ended up staying in the city a little too late though, missed the last GO bus back to my hotel in Brampton and ended up taking a $100 cab ride home…oh well, at least it was an adventure.

Wednesday – We had a show in Brampton and it went well. Yeah…that was about it. The weather was also super nice and we spent most of the day tanning in the courtyard in front of the theatre.

Thursday – We had a 2-show day in my birthtown of Mississauga in one of the biggest and most beautiful theatres we’ve been in yet. Both shows went well too, although it was SUPER sweaty…I think it’s probably because of the warm weather we’ve been having along with the humidity of this province, but the shows this week have all been ridiculously hotter than usual. Like, “I-feel-like-I-just-stepped-out-of-a-shower” hot. We even had little stations set up with fans on either side of the stage to cool off when we weren’t onstage. So, yeah…it was warm. After the show, we had a post-show drive to Niagara Falls so we had some time to kill while they striked the set so we all headed to Square One (as it was across the street). So much fun!!

…I really need to stop shopping.

Friday – We had a 6:30 show in Niagara Falls and since our call wasn’t until 4, we had most of the day to kill so Lil’ B and I headed off to do some touristy things. We started off by taking the rail car down to the falls and then did the “Journey Behind The Falls”. We also had a lovely Italian lunch, did some shopping in the mini-Vegas-esque downtown of Niagara, got ice cream, had a little photo shoot in a beautiful garden we found, and mostly just enjoyed the absolutely GORGEOUS weather. Seriously, people were walking around in tank tops, shorts and flip flops. I even got a little color! I honestly felt like I was on vacation in July all day…and I kind of had this amazing moment where I realized that I was pretty much getting paid for it. I officially have no right to complain about my job. Ever.

Saturday (today) – We had a post-show drive back to the GTA last night so we were all pretty wiped by the time we got to our hotel in Milton. I had the hardest time getting out of bed this morning. We had 2 shows today in Milton and while the first one was a bit of a struggle (half the cast was battling various physical ailments plus the audience was very quiet), the second show went really well. Once again though, I sweated even more than I thought I could. This humidity is brutal! Plus, we got our new feet in (finally!) so we now have so much more mobility and flexibility and I’ve been going a lot harder now that I can.

My aunt and cousin also came to the show today and then afterwards, took me to their place to feed me (once again). We had escargot, steak, baked potatoes, salad, turnip (my fav!!) and then homemade banana bread pudding with rum sauce for dessert. To say that it was delicious would be a serious understatement. My aunt is such an amazing cook – I’m so thankful I got to spend some more time with her and have a delicious homemade meal. It truly was a great end to the day and I was really sad to say goodbye.

Now, we have 2 more days off in Milton and then we head to Sault Ste. Marie and the Western trek begins. Tomorrow, I’m going downtown with a couple of the girls and we’re going to see Legally Blonde in the afternoon. It’s playing in Toronto and I have a friend in it so I can’t wait!

Right now though, I’m feeling a little melancholy…it’s been a really crazy week and I’m having mixed feelings about leaving Toronto. I truly do love it here and while I’m grateful I’ve gotten to see so many parts of it, I still don’t feel entirely ready to go. I’m especially sad that I don’t know when I’ll get to see Aunty Wendy and Taylor again. Having the luxury of being so close to them for awhile made me realize how little I do get to see them.

However, there is a big St Patrick’s Day party at the BBB tonight and Eric skyped me for a bit so that I could see everyone however it just made me really sad that I’m not there. I’m also sad I’m missing Kaybee’s engagement party tomorrow.

Plus, I’m just missing a lot of people from home. I know I’ll be there in 3 weeks, but it still seems like a really long ways away.

But I should stop babbling…this has already gone far past the “quick and easy” post that I had promised. I’m hoping I’ll feel a little better in the morning. Everything always looks better in the morning.

Well…except maybe my hair.

Back in Toronto. I am in my happy place.

Aaah, it feels good to be back in the GTA. We’re in Brampton for most of this week with shows kind of all over this area and then we will be leaving for good next Monday. We had today off though and we also have tomorrow off so I will definitely be heading into the city tomorrow and soaking up every last second I have in the great TO.

Our show in Kingston yesterday went really well. The theatre was super nice and there was this amazing alley behind the theatre that was covered in all this crazy graffiti. A few of us had a little photoshoot back there before our call as it was just too cool not to. That morning, however, I had gotten up really early to go for a walk by the waterfront and take some pictures (as I hadn’t been able to get down the day before) and then afterwards, I met up with Stacey for coffee at a really cute café right by the lake. It was super lovely to see her and catch up (as well as dish over wedding plans as she’s getting married this summer) and it just made me so thankful for this opportunity all over again. It’s just so nice to be able to see old friends. And yesterday was such a beautiful day…I was just really happy.

Today, I had the whole day off and while I had considered going into the city, I got up early, went down for breakfast, came back up to my room (I have it to myself for a couple days as Lil’ B’s doing an audition in Edmonton right now) and then got sucked into a movie playing on tv…then I felt super grumpy and had zero motivation to go out anyways. I ended up being super productive though, surprisingly enough. I picked up some groceries (as our hotel is practically in the parking lot of a mall and grocery store – we are rarely so close to amenities like that) and then did all my laundry (our hotel also has a guest laundry room and I hadn’t been able to wash my clothes since we left) and I even squeezed in an hour at the gym. I felt a lot better after my workout too…I think that was probably what I needed in the first place but I’m so glad I got my laundry done. Yay clean clothes!!

So yeah. I have hardly left the hotel all day so now I’m pretty anxious to go downtown tomorrow. One of the other girls in my cast is gonna come with me too so hopefully we can figure out the Brampton busses together.

But, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch a movie and eat some chocolate…I got a big day ahead of me ;)

Kingston - the town of the young

Man, I love Kingston. Honestly. I know I say this about many of the towns we go to – but I wish I lived here. Or at least, I wish I went to university here so that I could live here for a few years. It’s just so cute!!

So yeah, as you’ve probably already guessed, we are in Kingston this weekend. It’s a little town bordering Lake Ontario and the home of Queen’s University. That’s probably why I like it so much – it’s totally a university town. Our hotel is right downtown too and all the buildings are so old and there are so many adorable shops, restaurants and cafés. There are also A LOT of young people. It almost feels like you’re constantly walking around a university campus as I really haven’t seen anyone over 30 or any small children running around. It’s kind of bizarre…but awesome. I just really like the energy here.

Today we had the day off so last night after we got in, Lil’ B and I decided to go out on the town. We ended up at a little pub and met a bunch of wonderful new people and kind of just went wherever the night took us. Needless to say, it was so much fun. This morning was a little less fun however…but thankfully, we didn’t have anywhere to be so we slept until noon and then went out and did some shopping and exploring.

Tonight, we went to The Works (as there is a location in Kingston – we’ve now been there 3 times) and had more delicious burgers and milkshakes…and now, I’ve finished packing up my stuff and I’m getting ready to go to sleep so I can get up early tomorrow. I want to walk down by the water and take some pictures and then I’m going to meet my old friend Stacey (who lives here now) for coffee before heading to the theatre for our 2:30 show.

After the show tomorrow, we drive back to the GTA and have 2 days off in Brampton. I will definitely be downtown a lot…I miss Toronto already. We stopped downtown for lunch in the middle of our 8-hour drive from Sarnia to Kingston yesterday (our tour manager took us to an AMAZING noodle place in Chinatown) and I can hardly wait to go back. One hour was not long enough!!

But I’m gonna go to sleep…we lose an hour tonight, so I better get a head start.

Spring weather in March? This is why I love Ontario.

Greetings from Sarnia! Today and tomorrow we’re in the Lake Huron-bordering town of Sarnia, Ontario. We’re also right on the US border – if we were here longer, we could totally cross over and have a mini-vacation in the states.

But although we can’t travel for a vacation, we certainly have some vacation-like weather here. Omg, it was BEAUTIFUL today! The sun was shining, the breeze was warm (yes, warm wind in March. Wtf?!) and we even had the windows open for most of the drive. It truly was just gorgeous out today. I felt like I was on a summer road trip! It was one of the best drives yet just because it was a completely different vibe. The weather does that, I suppose, haha.

It definitely helped with my mild hangover this morning…we had our last show in our 5 back-to-back run of shows last night in Orillia. Lil’ B and I decided to celebrate with some wine in the hotel room after the show and needless to say…we drank a lot. But it was fun, and totally worth it. I just was hurting a little this morning.

Tomorrow, we have an evening show so I’m going to do some exploring during the day. Our hotel is really close to the marina so I want to go for a walk down by the water. Hopefully the weather is just as nice as it was today. Fingers crossed!

But yeah, that’s really all that’s going on right now…I’m still loving being on tour. Minus the fact that it’s always a bit of a challenge to get my suitcase closed every morning, haha. I’m looking forward to being back home in a month and switching out a bunch of clothes. Plus – we’ll be heading West in April after that so I can get rid of all my sweaters and pick up some dresses!!

Gah, I’m so excited for spring :)

Family visits and Oakville to Guelph

Today we are in Guelph. It’s a super adorable town – lots of bridges and beautiful old buildings. There’s also a Sleeman brewery here! So I have confidence that finding booze will not be difficult.

Yesterday’s show in Oakville went really well, minus a small collision between Huckle and myself at the end of the show. The visibility was really bad in that theatre – I don’t know if it was due to the lights or what but we were all a little more blind than usual.

After the show, my aunt picked me up at the hotel and we went to an outlet mall for some shopping!! Then, we went back to her place and she made a delicious green curry noodle dish as well as a beautiful salad with blueberries and pecans. We drank a bottle of white wine, Skyped with the rest of my family and just had a really nice visit. I also got to see my cousin for a bit too which was nice. I can’t even describe how wonderful it is to be out here with Auntie Wendy and Taylor. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to do a touring show AND be able to see long distance friends and family. It’s so nice! Yesterday was just perfect – and I’ll definitely be able to see them again before we leave the GTA for good. I can’t wait!!

Right now, I’m in my hotel room, putting some food and water in my system before heading to the theatre. Our hotel room is HUGE! It’s insane – we even have a balcony and everything.

I’m slowly starting to learn which hotels are better than others…I feel like I should write an article on it or something. Like, Best Western Plus has the best beds but Sheraton has the best pillows (although, they don’t have free wifi – you gotta pay for it which is lame). Also, Holiday Inn has Bath and Bodyworks shampoo and conditioner.

The things you learn…

Dressing room ramblings

So, I’m sitting in our dressing room in Oakville…we’ve been here since 7:30 this morning. It is now noon. Our show is at 1:00. Lordy.

But, I did get to go out for a nice breakfast with the girls this morning. Oakville is super adorable – I kind of want to live here. Shocker, I know, haha.

Yesterday was an insane 2-show day. The theatre was also really warm so it was by far the sweatiest show yet. I have never been so wiped – I practically passed out in the van on the way back to the hotel.

Today will be good though – the theatre is nice and cool, the stage is deep (yay, no walking into each other!) and afterwards, I get to hang out with my aunt! I’m so excited. It’s lovely to be able to see family that I normally don’t get to see very often.

But I should start getting ready for the show - I’ve been sitting here for a couple hours now...I need to be productive. Time for "work"!

I heart Toronto

Well, that was an adventure. I pretty much shopped until I dropped today in the big TO…but it was amazing. I may have fallen head over heels in love with this city.

Minus a few bumps in my transit plans (seriously, it’s more complicated than I even anticipated to get downtown…but, I think I got it all figured out – thankfully, there were some friendly people who helped me out this morning), I managed to get myself to Union Station by 11 AM this morning. I then proceeded to walk all over the city until I headed back to catch the train home at around 5:30…my legs feel like Jell-O…but I kind of love it.

I started off the day in the fashion district and I walked up and down Queen Street and bought a bunch of adorable dresses. There are SO MANY cute Asian stores full of girly, ruffly, lacey one-size dresses and they were all so cheap! My poor suitcase…I don’t know how I’m gonna get all of it home, haha.


I then headed over to the Kensington Market and browsed the shops and bakeries there, wandered through Chinatown and the U of T campus, went up and down the fancy shops on Bloor Street, found an amazing pizza place just off Yonge Street and had lunch, and then I spent some time at Eaton Centre. I also managed to meet up with an old friend of mine, Erin (we were in Hooked together), as she lives in Toronto now. We got coffee and then she took me to see her new place and meet her puppy. We had a nice visit and catch-up session – it was super lovely to see her again.



But yeah, I love this city SO MUCH! And the weather today was really good for just walking around – it was about +5 and there was absolutely NO snow so it felt like spring. So many of the markets even had their produce on display outside, it was nuts! It’s just such a huge city too with so many people walking around, no matter where you go…I’m pretty sure I looked like a crazy person as I just walked around all day with this huge grin on my face. I really do love this city, it’s almost like a mini New York. I think I could live here very happily, haha. It was just so nice to be able to explore it on my own. I can’t really describe it…I was just so happy all day.

By the time I got back to the hotel though, I was exhausted, freezing (it had started raining) and starving. So, I hit up a little Vietnamese place near our hotel (we’re pretty much in Chinatown out here in Richmond Hill – all the businesses around us are Asian) and now I’m back in my room and planning another hot bath…we have 2 shows tomorrow so I want to be well-rested.

But overall, today was an amazing day. I can’t wait until we have a couple more days off in a week or so – there are still so many things in the city I want to see and do!

Toronto, I hope you're ready for me

We have arrived in one of my very favorite cities – Toronto! Well…I guess more specifically, we are in Richmond Hill, but as we were driving here and we drove past the Toronto skyline, I got all excited. It’s been so long since I’ve been here. I’m so happy we’ll be in and out of this area a lot over the next month.

Yesterday’s drive was really short, only about an hour, so we had most of the day to kill and surprise, surprise…the girls and I went shopping, haha. We went to an outlet mall and I picked up some really great things. Man, I love shopping. It’s pretty much all I do with my time off…well, that and watch reality home and food shows. It’s a tough life, man ;)

In the evening, B and I had been feeling a little guilty about all the burgers we’ve been eating in relation to the small number of shows we’ve been doing…so, we hit the gym. We’re staying at a really beautiful hotel this weekend and there’s an entire fitness centre right next door that we can use for free! So yeah, we went and worked out for an hour. Man, I love to sweat…I thought I wouldn’t want to work-out with how physically exhausting the show is, but when you have a couple days off – you almost need it. Just to stay on your game, I suppose. Plus, if someone’s gonna give me free access to a gym, I’m gonna take it!

I finished off the evening with a long, hot bath and some Skype dates with Krystyn and my parents. It was really nice. I wish everyone could be out here with me right now! As much as I absolutely love what I’m doing, I still miss my friends and family so much. They are such a huge part of my life and who I am – it’s hard not being able to share this with them.

Well, aside from this blog I guess, haha.

But I should get dressed and get my act together – we have a day off today and as most of my cast is either from Toronto or have friends/family in Toronto, we’re all on our own so I’m going downtown! All by myself!

So, I’m off on my first GO Train adventure…wish me luck.

So long, Peterborough!

First week of tour down! I’ve officially been on the road for a week and it’s been amazing. I still can’t believe that this is my job sometimes. It feels like a vacation.

Yesterday, we arrived in Peterborough and had the evening off. Thankfully, I’m rooming with B, who has the same love for wine and the Food & HG networks that I do, so our night was pretty set. I’m so glad I’m not with someone completely opposite of me, haha. Plus she’s super laid-back – I don’t foresee any drama.

Today, we had most of the day off as our show was at 6:30, so B and I went for a walk down to Value Village to do some thrifting, then we had coffee and chilled out until we had to go to the theatre.

The show tonight went really well! Of course, we had to adjust to a new space (which I’ll have to get used to doing every day over the next 2 months) but overall, I think it went smoothly. It’ll be bizarre doing a normal show again one day, when I can walk offstage and be able to see where I’m going (tonight I got stuck and kept walking into the wall repeatedly until someone pointed me in the right direction) or have use of all 5 fingers. I didn’t realize that those were luxuries until now, haha.

Tomorrow, we head to Richmond Hill for a few days and I’m starting to organize dates with all my GTA friends. I’m so stoked to be able to visit old friends who’ve moved away…and kind of be getting paid to do it, haha.

Seriously, life is pretty sweet right now.

Day off in the capital

Today we had the whole day off in Ottawa, so our tour manager dropped a couple of the girls and myself off downtown so that we could explore the city a bit. Unfortunately, it was snowing non-stop all day (big, fluffy, WET flakes that don’t make for good walking weather) so we ended up spending much of the afternoon inside Rideau Centre getting our shopping on.



We did stop for lunch at the famous (well, famous among Ottawa people I know) Zak’s Diner and then we grabbed some Beaver Tails in the Byward Market district. It was my very first Beaver Tail experience and it was delicious.


We headed back to the hotel just in time for dinner and we ended up going back to The Works to eat as most of the cast hadn’t been able to come the first time around. It was just as delicious the second time – I had the “San Francisco Treat” burger which had Kraft Dinner on it. It was pretty amazing. I can probably die happy now.


And I may just die from over-eating, haha. I have definitely been well-fed in Ottawa. I may detox a bit for the next couple days…at least on days we don’t have shows and I’m not famished. It’s hard to eat healthy when you’re constantly on the road though – however, all the other girls are experts at it and I’m learning lots of good tips. We’ve actually joked about writing a “Tour Cookbook” full of recipes using non-perishable items that you don’t need to cook or if you do, that you can cook in the microwave, haha. I’m actually thinking of doing it though. It would be a good reference for other tour virgins!

But yeah, it was a busy day in Ottawa today. I am full, tired and happy. Tomorrow, we start heading toward the greater Toronto area. I’m even more stoked to shop and explore Toronto!! Oh, I miss it – it’s been so long since I’ve been there.

Let’s just hope the weather is more agreeable…

You're never too busy for safety!

So, my mom is requesting more pictures...and unfortunately, I haven't actually taken very many as of yet. However, we are going into downtown Ottawa tomorrow so I will start taking pics. But for now, how about a couple videos from the show?!

Click Here!!

Busytown is officially open!

Well, it is done. We have officially opened the show!! And I pretty much want to sleep for the next 24 hours…

Today was a bit of a long day. We got to the theatre at 9:30 am, even though the show wasn’t until 1:00. We had a lot to do though in terms of re-spacing certain things as well as fixing blocking, choreography etc…then, we had our very first show in a real theatre with a live audience! And it was awesome. Considering we never got a full tech day or anything, it actually went pretty well. The only thing that sucks is that the wings are so dark and when you add a mascot head to that equation, you’re pretty much walking offstage into total darkness and have no idea where to go. Thankfully, we had a ton of great stage hands to help us out though.

But it was fun. The kids are SOOOOO cute. Oh my god, they’re so responsive and they all just get so excited. It’s amazing. I could do this for the rest of my life just to see the kids react like that, haha.

Though, I did sweat more than I ever have in my entire life today. We had 2 shows with only about 45 min in between and I couldn’t even tell you how much water I drank or sweat out this afternoon. It was pretty gross. It’s by far the most physically challenging theatrical endeavor I’ve ever had to do.

But I love it. It feels so good to be open and know the show is fairly solid. And it’ll only get better.

Next stop – Peterborough!

Dear Ottawa: I love you!

I have officially landed safe and sound in our nation’s capital. It’s so relieving to finally be here and be starting the show tomorrow. I’m just about to head to rehearsal at the theatre and I’m so excited to see it and get everything back in my body again. It’s only been a few days but it feels much longer since we last ran the show.

The drive yesterday was actually much shorter than we anticipated, and it’s a good thing too. The snow started shortly after we arrived yesterday afternoon and went strong for a few hours. I gotta give props to Ottawa’s plow system though – the roads and sidewalks were all plowed by this morning. AMAZING.

Last night, we went to this absolutely incredibly burger joint for dinner. It was called The Works and they had over 70 different gourmet burgers, with so many creative and hilarious names and combinations. Some of them had crazy toppings like peanut butter or Kraft dinner! And they brought out all the drinks in glass measuring cups and the salt and pepper shakers were old lightbulbs…it was so cool.

But yeah, I better get going before I miss my call. So far though, totally loving Ottawa!!

12 hours in a van is a long time...

Today was a 12-hour drive…it was long.

I had 2 naps. I also had 2 coffees. I also watched a couple episodes of Dexter. And I nearly finished my book.

But yeah, you start to go a little loopy after that long…thankfully, that’s one of the longest drives we’ll ever have. Tomorrow is nice. Only 7-8 hours…I’m already at the point where that is a comfortable travel time. 3-4 hours will be a piece of cake!

It was a BEAUTIFUL drive though. A good chunk of it was all along Lake Superior and it was so gorgeous. I always think I should be a BC girl – I love the Rockies and I don’t think there’s a more beautiful drive than going through the mountains – but the drive today was pretty close…Ontario is a pretty place.

When we got to the hotel though, all I wanted was a salad (I miss vegetables) and another hot bath. We’re staying at a really nice Holiday Inn tonight though and they actually have a fitness room! So yeah, Melissa (one of the girls in my cast who I have an uncanny number of things in common with) and I immediately headed to the restaurant for some green food and then we hit the gym. It felt so good to run and sweat after being cooped up in a vehicle all day.

Now, I’m back in my room, freshly bathed and ready to hit the hay. I didn’t get much sleep last night…I don’t know if it’s the time zone change or what but I have a feeling my sleeping and eating schedule is going to be all over the place. I’m starting to learn that you sleep when you can and eat when you’re hungry.

It’s nice not knowing what each day will bring though. This complete lack of routine is extremely refreshing.

Anyways, I’m off to bed. Tomorrow – Ottawa!!

Goodbye Winnipeg, Hello Thunder Bay!

First day of travel down!! Only, many, many, many more to go…haha.

We arrived in Thunder Bay tonight safe and sound. It ended up being about a 9-hour drive, and while I was a little nervous that I would hate my life being in a vehicle for that long…I kind of loved it. Maybe my thoughts will change in a couple months, but it really wasn’t that bad. Plus, I am fortunate enough to live in a time where I have multiple electronic devices to keep me busy (and I’m exceptionally good at falling asleep absolutely anywhere – thank you, college) so it didn’t feel that long.

Plus, we’re short 2 girls in the van right now as they both have other engagements that require them to meet us in Ottawa, so we each had a full length seat to ourselves to spread out, lay down, or whatever.

(Plus, one of the girls missing is my roommate – so I have a hotel room all to myself tonight!!)

But yeah, it was fun. The drive was actually really beautiful – it was pretty much all forest with these amazing rock walls and adorable little towns. I think I forgot just how stunning our country really is. I felt really proud to be Canadian today.

Tomorrow’s drive will be a little longer…we’re leaving pretty early…but I don’t really mind. It’s almost therapeutic to be curled up in a van in my sweats and glasses and just be able to chill all day. Plus, 2 of our cast and crew smoke, so we get ample bathroom/leg stretching breaks. Although, our first break of the day ended up being a pee break for one of the girls on the side of the road…in snow up to her thighs…ah, the joys of Canadian road trips! She was a trooper though. I don’t think I could’ve done it.

But yeah…nothing else really happened today, haha. As soon as I got back to the hotel I had a long, hot bath (oh, how I missed baths!!) and now I’m pretty much ready for sleep.

But it’s good to be on the road. Officially.

And…I kind of love my life right now. That is all.

Ottawa-bound in t-minus 12 hours!

Tomorrow, it begins. The actual “tour” part of this tour. Tomorrow, we drive to Ottawa!

…well, actually we drive to Thunder Bay. Then the next day, we drive to Sudbury. Then, on Friday, we drive to OTTAWA!!

(It’s a 30 hour drive otherwise.)

But yeah, I’m super excited. Just finished the majority of my packing, and I should probably be going to bed soon. Though, I doubt I’ll get much sleep. I’m a little wired.

Today, we had media training…which was actually really informative and useful. Basically, we went through a series of exercises and interview situations (should we have to do some sort of media interviews for the show) and then we were taped being interviewed and had to watch and critique ourselves. And as awkward as it is to watch yourself…it was super helpful. I wish I had gone through a seminar like that earlier in life. I might have pulled off some better TV interviews!

But yeah, it was a really productive morning, then we ran some stuff in the afternoon, then I ran around the city finishing all the errands I had to do and now I am in bed, showered, packed (nearly) and ready to go!

Ottawa…here I come.

Only one more day left in Winterpeg!

Another long day…my alarm actually went off when it was still dark out! I had been getting used to this beautiful “starting at 10 AM” business…but, I guess it doesn’t last forever, haha.

We had dress rehearsal this morning and it actually went really well. There were a TON of kids who came too and holy moly, were they adorable. I think my new favorite part of this show is going to be doing my solo every night and just watching the little ones dance along with me. TOO CUTE!

Man, I love kids.

But yeah, the afternoon was spent working out any last kinks in the show and then we helped pack everything up so that it can head to Ottawa tomorrow. I can’t believe I’m only in Winnipeg for one more day…seems surreal.

…and also a little stressful. I have a full list of things I have to get done tomorrow before we leave on Wednesday. Plus one last rehearsal.

It will be super relieving to finally be on the road though. 2 relaxing days of driving across Ontario, haha. At least, I hope…I’ve never been on a road trip that long before. It will certainly be an adventure.

But I’m gonna sleep. Everything in the city will be open normal hours again tomorrow (Sunday + Louis Riel Day in Winnipeg basically means nothing is open and no one leaves their houses for 2 days) and I’m determined to wake up early and make the most of it!

Engagements, fires, crappy internet and tuna...? (Yeah, it's a good one today)

What a weekend. Aside from losing gallons of sweat (I’m officially never complaining about wearing a hot costume onstage ever again. This show takes the cake. But at least I’m building up my stamina!), I got a couple crazy phone calls. First off, one of my very best friends called me to tell me that she just got engaged…and secondly, my mom called me to tell me my baby brother’s car went up in flames (thankfully, he was not inside when it happened and is totally fine).

Seriously, though. The things I miss when I’m away from home!!

Tonight, I tried to Skype with my whole family but because my internet connection here has a mind of its own, it didn’t work…and it really pissed me off. I hope that when we’re in hotels, the internet will be a little better. I don’t know what is wrong with it here, maybe it’s the building – I’m not sure – but it drives me insane. I just want to see and talk to the people I love! Is that too much to ask?!

…I suppose a couple decades ago, people really didn’t have that option at all…so maybe I should just shut up about it.

Anyways, I should also probably eat something and get some rest – tomorrow is gonna be an insane day. Gotta be up bright and early for dress rehearsal in the morning (and we even have some real live kids coming in to see the show) and then we get to run it again in the afternoon. Then I’m gonna do a ton of laundry…I honestly may be washing some of my clothes in the bathtub on tour – everything just gets so disgusting. I even have to wash my headbands!

But I’ll really go now. Gonna have the dancer dinner of champions – tuna and rice cakes! Might even have an all-bran bar for dessert…

…I’m trying to use up my groceries :P

Confessions of a Saturday night hermit

It’s weird being busy during the day. I mean, I guess I’ve always had a day job, but I’ve always done theatre as either a hobby or a little (and I mean little) supplementary income and therefore it usually took up my evenings. So I would always be constantly busy. I had very little of a “social life” to do normal 20-something-year-old activities.

But now that theatre is my “day job”, I find myself wondering what to do with my evenings. Usually, I’m too wiped to do much of anything…but I almost feel bad spending my Friday and Saturday nights in. However, I don’t know a lot of people in Winnipeg (aside from my cast…who I will be seeing 24/7 in a few short days so I think we’re all trying to get as much alone time in now as we can), so I don’t really have much to do.

Like tonight. I’m probably gonna get some pizza from the little place down the street and then spend the rest of the night cooped up in my room watching Dexter. And I guess that’s ok. For now. But I just miss socializing with people I know. Being away from home has made me realize just how amazing my friends and family are and how lucky I am to have found some truly sensational people in this world to share my life with.

Don’t get me wrong – my cast is lovely too – but I miss my old friends. I talked to Krystyn on the phone last night for over an hour and it made me realize just how much I miss being able to see and talk to her whenever I want.

But I’ll cope. I’m sure when I’m seeing new cities every day I’ll be more distracted. I’ll probably be out and about more too – I don’t want to travel across this country only seeing the insides of theatres and hotels.

I’m anxious to get on the road. It’s coming up really fast and even though we’re still making constant changes to the show, it’s really coming together. We open a week from tomorrow! It’s all gone by so fast – I can’t believe I’m leaving Winnipeg in just a few days.

But enough babbling. I’m gonna get my pizza (I’ve definitely already paid for it in sweat today) and call it a night. Happy Saturday!

Day off adventures and cheesecake

I tried to sleep in this morning. I really did. But my body automatically wakes up at 7:45 am now. So instead of fighting it, I decided to get up early to try and make some use of my lovely day off.

I started off the morning with coffee, followed by a long walk up to the Exchange District. It’s a part of downtown where all the buildings are really old and businesses have just inhabited them instead of tearing them down and putting up new buildings. Apparently they film a lot of movies there. It is really cool though – almost feels like you’re in New York City or something. Well, it’s not nearly as busy. Winnipeg really isn’t that busy of a place most of the time, haha.

I then hit some of the shopping areas downtown and had lunch in a cute little market/deli that had tons of fresh soups, sandwiches and hot and cold buffet items. I wish I had found it sooner – I would’ve been eating there a lot more often.

I also went back to the mall for a bit, picked up a few more things I’ll need for tour (more socks, sports bras etc). Then, on my way home, I grabbed a slice of cheesecake from this adorable bakery café in the Village called Baked Expectations. Omg, I am IN LOVE! I pretty much could move in to that shop. And the cheesecake was to die for. I power-walked home so that I could curl up and eat it in bed. It was pure bliss.

…and I pretty much haven’t left my bed since I got home at about 3:30 this afternoon. I’m exhausted. Physically and mentally. I vowed to go over all my choreography tonight, but I’m not sure it’s gonna happen. I think I just need the rest.

In happy news – I got my full tour itinerary today! Now I know exactly which days we’re travelling, which ones we have off (and where we have them off) how long the drives are and most importantly – how long we are in each city. I’m actually in Sherwood Park for 4 nights and 3 days, one of those days being a complete day off. I’m pretty excited – I didn’t think I’d be there that long. I know it’s over a month away, but I’m already looking forward to it.

I also have a full day off on the Vancouver mainland (and it’s a Saturday!!) so I’m organizing a dinner date with a bunch of my girlfriends out there who I haven’t seen in ages. I can hardly wait!

Ugh, but now I should probably sleep. I have a big 4 days ahead of me.

Sweat, Valentine's Day Hang-Overs and Homesickness

So, as of today, the show is completely blocked and choreographed, we leave for Ottawa in a week and tomorrow is a day off! I’m pretty stoked. Mainly just to sleep in a bit and get some stuff done as we really won’t have any other days off until we’re in Ontario. Plus, I apparently need to check out the Exchange District here in Winnipeg – so that’s my plan for tomorrow.

This week has been pretty busy so far though – all 3 days of it. Monday, we did a bunch of taping for the promo video so it was a long, sweaty day of dancing. I’ve started showering in the evenings now because of how gross I am at the end of the day. It’s like a mini-sauna in those mascot heads. Mine and B’s are covered in thick fur so they are even hotter than all the others. But I’m slowly getting used to it…it’s frustrating having zero peripheral vision though – especially during dance numbers with 5 other people onstage, all with the same problem. It truly is the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do onstage. I’m just praying that I don’t walk right off the stage and fall into the audience during a show.

*knocks on wood*

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, so after rehearsal I went out for drinks with some of the single ladies in my cast to celebrate. We ended up having a bit too much fun though, so I was hurting a little this morning…but it was worth it. I’m just happy we weren’t in costumes today. I can think of no greater hell than being hung-over in a mascot costume.

The homesickness started to kick in today too…I don’t know if it was the fact that I wasn’t physically in great condition, or that it was a cold dreary day – maybe it was a mixture of both – but I just felt kind of down and I couldn’t shake it. It was easy to forget about it when I was in rehearsal having fun with everyone, but as soon as I started walking home, it just hit. I felt like I had been in this beautiful new exciting bubble all week – almost like a dream – but something about being hung-over really causes reality to smack you in the face and suddenly I was super depressed. I dunno, it was strange…but I’m sure it was just overdue. I’ll work through it.

I’m a tough cookie. A “feisty midget” as Krystyn so lovingly calls me. I probably just need some sleep.

And to not see a bottle of tequila ever again.

Day off...and PICTURES!

So, I’ve been in Winnipeg for a week. Officially. A whole week. And so far, I really like it. Not sure I’d want to move here permanently, but as a city – it’s not bad.

Well, minus the fact that it’s next to impossible to find a liquor store here. But maybe Edmonton just has so many that I naturally expect to find one on every street corner. I did find one today though, finally…nearly did a happy dance in the middle of the street…but yeah, I just really wanted a glass of wine tonight. And now I have one. In a coffee cup…but I can’t really be too picky.

I started off my day today by heading down to the Forks. It’s a little part of town that sits right where the 2 rivers meet so they have lots of activities and shopping and restaurants and such. I wandered through the market, had a coffee, took a walk along the river…they also have the world’s longest skating rink there apparently. I was tempted to just rent some skates and go it alone, but it was a little chilly. However, it was really cool down there. Reminded me of a much smaller Granville Island. But definitely the same idea.

After the Forks, I headed back to the mall to catch a movie. I went and saw The Vow, all by myself…and actually really liked it. Both the movie and seeing it alone. I really need to start going to more movies by myself.

After the movie, I had lunch and then shopped a bit. I picked up some groceries on my way home (as well as the wine) and now I’m curled up in bed, ready for sleep. From now until we open in Ottawa, I will have very little time off. It’s gonna be crazy – but I’m excited. I’m already anxious to get on the road. The show is so adorable; I’m super stoked for kids to see it.

But yeah, that was my day off…and I will leave you with some pictures I took before I hit the hay. Goodnight!!

The market at the Forks.


A small part of the super long skating rink.


A snow dragon.


The Fort Garry hotel - probably the most expensive hotel in the city.


Parliament building.


Louis Riel statue.


My Valentine's Day gift to myself - chocolates & wine.

Saturday is the new Friday

I did it! I made it through my first week of rehearsals. Now, I have tomorrow off and then it’s pretty much back to “work” until we leave for Ottawa on the 22nd. It’s gonna be busy!

Today was good though – we ran through the first act a few times, both without costumes and with. It’s gonna be a really sweaty show…like, we get sweaty just running through everything in a cold gym WITHOUT costumes on. It’s about a million times worse with the costumes and then you add the stage lights and everything…it really is hot yoga onstage. Every day.

I am excited though. It’s hard, but I know in week when all the kinks have been worked out and we’re more used to the costumes and space, it’ll be fine.

After rehearsal, I took myself out for dinner. Alone. Unlike Matt (who did that all the time when he was on tour), I don’t usually go out to eat by myself. I was a little nervous about it…but I actually ended up really enjoying it. There’s a little Thai food place in the bottom of the building next to mine that I had been wanting to try out. And even though there was no one else in there at 6 PM on a Saturday night, the food was really good and pretty cheap. I may end up going there a few more times this week…there’s also a deep dish pizza place right next door that Cam (the guy I’m staying with) recommended so I may check out that place too.

Tomorrow, I’m gonna go out and see the city a bit (hopefully it’s a little warmer, I’m not a fan of this -30 business). I also may go see a movie…alone, again. Another new experience for me, haha. Although, I don’t really mind it. Don’t get me wrong, I love people, I really do – but sometimes, it’s nice to do things on your own.

I think this trip is going to be really good for me. Therapeutic, almost. I’ve never been on my own before and I think maybe I just need to be for a bit. Granted, for a lot of this experience I won’t be alone (I’ll be with my cast) but right now…I kind of like my alone time in the evenings.

As scary as the whole idea of moving to a new city where I knew practically no one was…I’m really glad I did it. I feel like I’m already growing, evolving and learning in a totally new way.

Sometimes, you need to do scary things in life. You never know – they could end up being the best experiences you ever have.

The week is almost over...

I danced for 8 hours today.

...I guess we had a lunch break. 7 hours then.

I danced for 7 hours today. I don't think my body or brain can handle much of anything else right now. By the end of the day, everyone was (as Marie put it) "on the fried food menu". Just dunzo. Physically and mentally.

On the plus side, we only have one song left to choreograph! And only a scene or 2 left to block in the second act. So that's good.

Tomorrow will be another busy day though (I wish I could make some sort of joke out of that in relation to the show - but I got nothin'). We have to clean a bunch of numbers and work them in costume as we're taping all the promo stuff on Monday. I may also go out dancing with some of the girls tomorrow night - if I still even want to dance recreationally when I now dance for a living, haha. Regardless, it could be fun.

But yeah...that's all I got today...gonna have some pretzel M&M's for supper and go to bed at around 7. Goodnight!

Short day, dancing and SHOPPING!

Rehearsal was short today. We had to be out of the church by 4:00 (generally, we rehearse 10-6, Mon-Sat) as they have a function or something tomorrow so we spent the day learning one new song and going over all the others we had already learned before packing everything up. I know this is going to sound a little pretentious...maybe – but it is so nice to work with girls who are not only dancers, but better dancers than me. Mainly because everyone can pick up choreography quickly and actually remember it. It’s really frustrating doing community theatre musicals (or any show involving any sort of dancing whatsoever) with non-dancers because it takes FOREVER to get through anything. But with this show, we’re actually working at a good pace. We can choreograph more than one number a day and the choreography can be challenging but we can all do it. I feel like I’m finally working at the level I should be at. Of course, there are added challenges when we add our character feet and heads and your vision is suddenly severely limited and you have zero flexibility in your feet…but I see now why they need dancers for these shows. You need people who can handle challenging choreography and still make it look good with a huge, physically constricting costume on. It’s a hell of a work-out and by far one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do onstage. Pirouettes in over-sized solid flat shoes are not the easiest things in the world. But I’m learning.

I’m actually learning a lot from everyone. Everyone in the cast but me has done one of these shows before, so I’m really trying to watch how they move and what works and what doesn’t in terms of my physical acting. It’s totally different having to act to a pre-recorded voice and convey what you’re trying to say with no use of your face. Or other parts of your body shrouded in huge costume pieces. Plus, you only get 4 fingers. You’d be surprised how many more challenges that creates.

But it’s fun. So so fun. I feel like I’m at this magical summer camp everyday – it doesn’t feel like work. Plus I’ve been so busy every day at rehearsal and then at home going over everything that I haven’t really had time to get too homesick yet. I know it’ll probably come – I haven’t even been here a full week – but for now the busy-ness is helping.

After rehearsal, I hopped the bus to Polo Park Mall to pick up some stuff. I needed another pair of sneakers as I play 2 characters in the show, each with different feet and my quick-changes are too fast to switch my sneakers between the feet. I got lucky and found a pair at payless for $12. I also finally bought a new water bottle as well as a scarf and hat as I really wasn’t anticipating how cold it would be here and the hat I did bring just isn’t cutting it. The mall was really nice though – I have a day off on Sunday so I may go back for a bit. I might even see a movie too. By myself. Which I’ve never done before…but I figure there’s no better time to start.