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.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
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!!
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!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
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!!
…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!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
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.
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.
Friday, March 23, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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 ;)
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 ;)
Sunday, March 18, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, March 12, 2012
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 ;)
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 ;)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
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 :)
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 :)
Monday, March 5, 2012
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…
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…
Sunday, March 4, 2012
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"!
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"!
Friday, March 2, 2012
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.
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.
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