Daytona Beach...not just for NASCAR

The Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach is but 2 blocks from the water. That's the best thing about it. It is so small that in the star dressing room, you have to sit cockeyed on the toilet for accuracy sake. There's a guy at the box office who called me a "determined little girl" and said that his name was Al, but some people called him Peter Rabbit. And we had an audience member get arrested at intermission for being drunk and disorderly. Her kids stayed to watch the show with one of the cops.

Columbus GA

A security guard said that our kids were either in the show or were from San Francisco. I didn't know that San Francisco was populated by just out of college kids in cat makeup.

Casinos are depressing.

They are. Very depressing. They're full of desperate people and people who can't do math. And the food, though free for employees (and temporary guests of the entertainment department), causes a serious waste of time. You can loose days in the bathroom. Trust me.

The highlight of the Thanksgiving in Biloxi was a performance by Big Mama Fonda (the show's drag queen in residence). I'll have pictures of that soon. In the meantime, the following was the carpet. Picture that on a full colon.

Panama Shitty, oops, City, sorry my lisp...

In events "truly awesome" by bus and truck tour standards, our entire local wardrobe crew today were high school students. Oh, except the crazy lady that was the head. She was a million years old and cranky.
Oh, and one of the carpenters, or crapenter in this case, had just had a knee replacement. I mean just had one. As in couldn't climb stairs just had one. Who agrees to work a job that requires physical labor when you can barely walk!
I'm looking forward to a very Biloxi Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Richmond

Oh Richmond... The Landmark Theatre is one of my favorites on the B city list. It is a beautiful old, partially restored Masonic Temple. We all know the Masons have a storied past, and the Landmark furthurs every idea you've ever had about them. The theatre has a beautifully restored dome over the audience (unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show you.) The staff say the building is haunted and that the ghost lives in one of the minarets on the front of the building. I've never been up to the minarets, but I have been down 3 stories into the sub basements to see the abandoned swimming pool and the shooting range. Very creepy by flashlight.

The last time I was at the Landmark was a few years ago. I was the props person for the show at that time. The house head was a very very old, nice guy named Bill, who kept asking me "where is the prop guy?". I kept telling him I was the prop guy and he kept laughing and saying "no, you're the coffee girl." Also on my crew was a kid (he couldn't have been more than 18) whose name was Chance. And another guy who, when I asked him his name, he said "Assneck". I told him that there was no way I could call him that. He said "no, really, that's the name I respond to." "Ok, Assneck, how'd you get your name?" He said it was related to the botched tattoo on his neck. Oh, good times in Richmond.

Favorite Engrish Signage

Here are some of my favorite signs from my last tour in China.

I was kind of hoping for a fire so I could feel the excitement.

This is where the liars go to hide.

My office.

Little Rock

Finding the stage door in Little Rock yesterday was nearly a "Spinal Tap" moment. Some nice little old lady let a bunch of us in saying "Oh, you crazy road lizards, you'd think you wouldn't need any help." We crazy road lizards indeed did need some help because we ended up in the lobby of the Exhibition Hall instead of backstage.

Rules of the Road

The generally accepted rules of sleeper bus travel have long been a mystery to many. Read on and the mysteries will be revealed...
Rule #1 is no #2.
Rule #2 see rule #1.
Rule #3 Don't fall asleep in either the front or the back lounge or you will be subject to whatever your bus mates may choose to do to you (i.e. one big burly guy once had his armpit shaved and unflattering names written on his forehead with Sharpie all because he fell asleep in the lounge.)
Rule #4 Always sleep with your feet toward the driver in case he has to stop suddenly while you're asleep and you go sliding wildly, you won't break your neck at the end of your bunk.
Rule #5 Don't sleep in the top bunk if you have to pee a lot during the night.
Rule #6 No guests on the bus. It is a very small home for up to 12 people. There is no room for extra people.
Rule #7 If it's not labeled in the fridge or on the counters its fair game.
Rule #8 Don't drink the water.
Rule #9 No sleeping with your bunk curtain open. Especially if you snore louder than the bus hitting the rumblestrips.
Rule #10 Don't ever go into a truck stop without taking your cell phone telling somebody else you've left the bus. The Oklahoma City Flying J is a lonely place at 3AM.

it should be called Lousy-anna...

Observations of the day:

1. When you start the day 16 stagehands short for a full call, don't expect it to get better.

2. Crawfish ettouffee can mean different things to different people.

3. Southern people's time. Don't fight it. It hurts more.

4. When there are so few ushers that you can't let people into the lobby because they'll go right into the house, you shouldn't have a show.

5. 4 unlikely events can share a venue: CATS, a wedding, a pageant, and a gun show.

6. When the floor is cleaner than the chairs, you know you're in Lake Charles.

7. "Uh huh", doesn't denote comprehension.

8. I would like to believe that bad things happen because people are tired, having worked since 6AM, but unfortunately, I've been to Louisiana before and I know that's just not the case.