JWT Summmer Fun - Photos

Hey gang! I just wanted to share with all of you some pictures I took over the summer. I had such a great time, but I'll talk more about that at a later time. For now enjoy all the photos I have... at least the ones that were fit to print. ;)

http://community.webshots.com/user/skipthehero

More 'Tour' Like

So far the "Theatre On Wheels" Tour of "The Hobbit" has been going great. This past week we based ourselves out of Prestonsburg, KY, and toured to Eastern KY schools. We've been staying at the theatre's company housing. Well, starting tomorrow, we'll be basing ourselves out of Richmond, KY, and touring to Central KY schools in Anderson Co., Corbin Co., Danville, and Madison Co. We'll be staying for four nights at the Hampton Inn in Richmond.

Now, this is my third season working with JWT's end of season children's tour. But this is the first time I'm going to get the feeling of being on an actual tour. I guess it's really the hotel stay that's making it feel that way, but still, it's closer than I've been to being on a "real" tour. We got so many Central KY gigs this year from a single Madison Co. performance last year. Word spread.

"The Hobbit" has been well received so far in the Eastern KY venues. We've been bombarded with positive feedback from teachers, principals, and students. The managing director, Martin Childers, has been very pleased so far, I believe. I think relief hit him with the sounds of praises in his inbox.

One more week to go and I return to the "real" world - back to my friends and my church.

I've missed and am going to miss many more people this year than I have in the past. I made a lot of close friends this year. I don't regret it one bit, but it has made saying goodbye this year that much more difficult.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

I just want to send a big Congratulations out to one of my best and dearest friends, Stephanie. She spent the summer in England on an internship, and when she came back she had a big announcement. She's engaged!!! So once again, I say congratulations, Steph (and Chris)! I couldn't be happier for you two!

UPDATE: A big huge "OOPS" on my part. I was so excited that I let the cat out of the bag before Stephanie and Chris had a chance to talk to people personally. I jumped the gun a little... no, a LOT. My apologies to Stephanie and Chris and all the people they were going to tell - for spoiling the surprise. But again, congratulations!

The Last Days

Well, two shows have closed here at Jenny Wiley, and people are packing up their belongings. These are always my least favorite days of the summer, not because of the work - I'm in this "biz" for the work - but because it's a time of goodbyes. And fortunately (or unfortunately if you look at it that way) I have a lot of goodbyes to say this season. I have made more friends from this summer than any previous. It's going to be very difficult to say goodbye to a majority of the people this year. What makes this feeling worse is that I am staying around for two weeks after the regular season ends to Tour Manage the tour that the theatre sends out every year. It's a very small cast, and the house that I live in will seem very empty.

The only that helps me is that I will stay fairly busy until Monday or Tuesday, and that will keep my mind off of the fact that everyone is gone.

Breathing Room

Wow, I've really been kind of busy the past few weeks. It's flown by really fast. I finally have a chance to catch my breath again... Whew.

Let's see over the past weeks, I have went canoe-ing, designed a show, rented a pontoon boat, closed a show, had a birthday (turned 27 on July 29th - sheesh, getting old), participated in Xmas in July, attended a "Wine and Cheese" party, co/co-hosted a "white-trash" theme party, had a "few" drinks, eaten a lot, slept some, worked some shows (6 nights a week), read the new Harry Potter book (fantastic!), bought a digital cam-corder (just today, I'm very excited!), and just generally hung out with friends (new and old).

I bet you're all wondering "What's Next!?"... no? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Right after the regular season is over, and two-week touring children's show heads out for several parts of Eastern Kentucky. I'm the "Tour Manager" - which basically entails driving 6 (possibly sleep deprived) actors in a big Ford Van, loading in a set, running the show, taking money, loading out the set, and driving to the next school. There's usually two shows a day, and just enough time in between them to grab some fast food before hitting it again.

Then right after that it's time to head back to Lexington and make some more money, and visit all the friends I've neglected the past three months (bad job, me... but then, hey, phone works both ways, huh?).

Post #557

In other news... Blogger finally fixed their post counting feature in the Dashboard. I'm pretty excited. Can't you tell?

On another note, I'm pretty excited about the upcoming year. My work calendar is filling up nicely. I already have booked a couple gigs in Atlanta, GA, again. Another one or two for good ole' Jenny Wiley, and doing the Edge Conference again for my friend Ben Stewart.

In the "off" time, I'll be taking correspondance or internet classes from school, interning at my church, and working part-time at Starbucks. This, of course, is if all goes according to plan.

Bombings Hit Close to Home

I woke up on Thursday morning without a care in the world, sat down in the livingroom where one of my roommates was already watching a 24-hour news channel. As the sleep began to slowly leave my eyes, I focused on the television. There were news reports of bombings in London subways.

I quickly woke up. I knew people in London. What's worse, as I kept watching, I recognized names of places that one particular person I knew passed through everyday. All emotion left me for the next 45 minutes as I tried to call the two London phone numbers of the person I knew over there.

"All circuits are busy at this moment, please try your call later" was the cold voice that came across the line. "LATER IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH," kept screaming in my head. All I could do was alternate between the two numbers I knew to call... and watch the news of the attack. I became more and more numb, doing nothing but dialing the phone and glancing at the television screen hoping to NOT see my friend being wheeled away on a gurney.

Finally I got through on a number. My friend left a message with her boyfriend to let me know she was alright. She had missed the bombing by 10 minutes. She was fine. Relief. So much relief. Thank you. Oh God, thank you!!!

I hung up the phone, with a great weight lifted off my shoulders.. then all the emotion and everything that I had apparently kept under check during those 45 minutes of uncertainty - I cried. I sobbed. I balled like a baby.

The next day I got to talk to her - it felt like one of the best phone conversations I've ever had. And I was so excited to speak with her. She's my best friend. I'm very grateful she's okay. I'd miss her terribly.

Independance Day

Question: What do you get when you mix a pitcher of Margaritas, a dart board, a pool, lots of friends, and fireworks?

Answer: Fourth of July, 2005!!!

This year was a lot of fun. I woke up around noon-ish, my friend from here, Dana, mixed up a batch of home-made margaritas, and we started the day. A couple of games of darts later, I walked to the community pool for a swim. Upon returning from the swim, a small group of people from my cabin drove to Archer Park in Prestonsburg to watch the fireworks. It seems pretty simple, but all-in-all, it was an awesome, fun, and very relaxing day!

Thank God.

Sun, Work, and Fun

Well, the past few weeks have been really good. Two out of the three season shows are up - with the third in rehearsal and being built. Went out on a pontoon (pontoof - haha... sorry, really only I will get that joke) a couple times. Got to zoom around on a wave runner. Had some awesome late-night and pseudo (and non) drunken talks with new friends. Participated in a wedding (not mine). And visited with some friends.

Good times to be had by all.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to my best friend DUSTIN MCCLAIN and his new wife KATIE!

This morning at 10:30, Dustin and Katie stood before God, family, and friends, and declared their dedication and love for each other.

It was a beautiful ceremony. It took place outside in a park in Richmond, KY. The best part was the music they picked. They didn't walk down the aisle to the traditional songs (Canon in D, Bridal March, etc) The songs were all contemporary, and the best was the song for the recesional - "Good Thing" by Reel Big Fish. A really rockin' song.

The reception was held in the banquet hall of the local Best Western. There was food, photo flashes, and fun. I even made Dustin cry with my Best Man speech. It's okay - he made me cry when he gave me my groomsman gift... so it was really an even trade. Of course there were the obligatory cute kids dancing. Although there was no bouquet or garter olympics... which I didn't really think about until just now. The food was great and the decorations were awesome. Katie (and all the bridesmaids) look absolutely beautiful! All of us groomsmen were drop dead sexy in the tuxes that Dustin picked for us to wear. The jackets were long and a little non-traditional, with no collars and no buttons - very sleek and trim.

It was a great time, and I couldn't help but smile during the whole ceremony. I was kind of like a proud poppa, but also super happy and excited about the life, the journey, and the adventure that they've just started together.

Where o where?

Life's been pretty busy in grand old Prestonsburg. We opened Beauty and the Beast last Friday and open Steel Magnolias tomorrow. It's a pretty hecktic schedule, but after tomorrow we get to slow down a notch or two. We have two weeks before Jesus Christ Superstar opens! And then we're pretty well home free for the rest of the season.

I've had a pretty decent time here so far, I get along well with most of the people here... and those I don't particularly care for - well, you'll have to ask me in person. I always seem to find the one or two people every summer that I connect with pretty well, and I've found those people this season as well.

Some of you may hate me, but I was actually in the Lexington area on Monday to "get away" for the day. A couple of the company members and myself went to Dudley's to enjoy a very nice and very expensive dinner out on their patio. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards we dropped into a couple of bars on the main drag. One where we particularly enjoyed ourselves was at a place called "Buster's" where we had a drink, threw darts and shot some pool. Now, I finally know where "The Dame" is that Patch keeps talking about.

Well, I guess I need to get back to work, I guess that's what they pay me for around here. ;) Everyone take care! And feel free to drop me a quick hello via email or call if you feel like it.

later taters

Wedding Bells

As I get older, I see more and more of my friends "growing up", and either talking seriously about marriage or actually tying the knot. Also, I seem to be accumulating more friends who are married. I was noticing this the other day, then I commented it on a friend's blog last night. His reply was - "Yeah... so when are you getting married?"

My response was this:

That's step 7 in an 8 step process.
1) Find a girl
2) Date said girl
3) Figure out if said girl is "the one"
4) Ask the girl's father if it's ok to ask
5) Ask the girl to marry me
6) Be engaged
7) Get married
8) Live happily ever after

Maybe I'm dreaming a lot, but I look forward to the day I get to start on step 2. Will it happen? Who knows...

One Week Down

Thirteen to go!

After the first week at Jenny Wiley, everything is going very smoothly, and all the departments seem to be keeping ahead of the game - which in outdoor theatre is very important, since you never know when the weather will put all your best laid plans and good intentions on hiatus.

We have a really good crew this year, and my assistant is the best I've had. We've worked unoffically together before, and so I know what she's capable of and what her experince level is. It helps a lot to not have to explain and teach every single thing to someone. I don't mind imparting my knowledge, especially if someone is eager to learn - but there isn't always time for a lot of that.

So far, my assistant and I have had it pretty easy, our first two days were a lot of manual labor (good stuff, but man, was I sore later) and then a lot of sitting around cleaning lighting equipment. Next week is our 'turn and burn' week. We will run over 4000 feet of cable, hang over 150 light fixtures, drink over 30 cups of coffee, spend approximately 3500 dollars, and work more than a 90 hour week... but it will all payoff and be worth it in approximately two and a half weeks.

On a side note - tonight I also got a call from my wonderful friend, Stephanie. For those of you that DON'T know - or are just 'tuning in', she's in London, England for the summer on an internship. Anyway - it was really good to hear her voice, I wasn't expecting to get a phone call from her at all this summer, since it's very expensive to call internationally. It put a smile on my face immediately. My face was actually sore at the end of the conversation from smiling the whole time. Well, I've got to log off here for now - need my beauty rest and all that.

- Cheer-i-o <- That one's for you, Chris ;)

JWT - Day One

Just finished my first day of the 2005 Summer Season at Jenny Wiley Theatre. It was good to do some hard work again. Every once in a while, good old fashioned manual labor feels good.

All the tech crew arrived yesterday, and man, I'm really starting to feel old in this line of work. All the crew seems like a really good bunch of people. There are a couple of pseudo-annoying people this summer, but I think I'm learning to tune them out - er - I mean get along with them. But everyone seems ready to work and really has a lot to "bring to the table".

Well, I'm beat - Two more things before I to head off to a quick shower and then to bed. First, if anyone gets curious about when shows are and how much they cost - check out Jenny Wiley Theatre's website.

Lastly, I would love to send many warm wishes and a LOT of prayers to my best friend, Stephanie. She's heading off to London, England for the summer. I'm gonna miss her a lot. Love you, Steph!!!!

I'll buy that!

For a dollar eighty-nine, yeah, I'll buy that!

That's the cheapest I've bought gas for in several months! The Speedway at Exit 104 (off I-75) in Lexington is selling it for that right now. Go quick, hurry, fill up!!!

Focus

UPDATED updates in bold italics

It's really easy for us sometimes to lose focus. I fully believe that people mostly focus on the good in their lives (and in their friend's lives). Sometimes some people have what I'll call a "social hickup" which causes their focus to waiver and then they focus on different things, or the wrong side or notion of a particular thing. Sometimes people even become obsessed about certain things. Sometimes people feel that they have every right to know something that is really none of their business.

Now, even I have been guilty of having a social hickup. I don't think anyone can really say that they haven't, whether it was just for a brief moment, or if it's chronic for some people. The trick is to realize that you have the social hickups, and fix it. Or at least correct what you've done during the social hickup. I'll give you an example from my own life.

A very dear friend of mine (Stephanie) is going away to London (yes, England) for the summer. I had BIG social hickups when I found out about that. Instead of focusing on the good of the excitement on the trip to a foreign country, and how much fun she'll have, I hickuped and thought only about how it would affect me, how much I would miss her this summer. I eventually realized that I was being selfish in my thoughts, and that was my social hickup. Since I realized that, I've been much more supportive and excited for Steph and her trip. I'll still miss her a lot, but I know this experience is going to be awesome for her, especially since she's met a special someone over there... and she'll get to experience all of her joys with him. And I'm incredibly happy for her. And our friendship is stronger for it.

Unfortunately, focus is an easy thing to lose - and only when we realize we've lost it, can we do anything to fix it. I learned this lesson the hard way. I can only hope that everyone doesn't have to. Of course, there are SOME people out there, that just don't get it. Some of you will know who I'm talking about, the rest of you may not. But that's okay. Have a great day, and keep focus!

As per Steph's suggestion - check out Mike's recent post "Pardon Me While..." to see what the "instigation" of this post is all about.

Eulogy for CommentThis

As many of you who read my blog regularly know - I recently switched to blogger's comments system due to a server problem with my old comment host, CommentThis! I originally found out about this service from Patrick Drury. This was the "goto" service before blogger introduced their own commenting system.

After the server problem, I scoured the "how-to" archives at blogger and found a way to preserve the old comments on the old posts while implementing the newer blogger comments on all of the new posts. I also helped a friend to do the same with her blog.

Just a few minutes ago, I went to check on the status of the old comment host, and found the following message.

It looks like the Comment This! service is no more.
It's been a good run, but the hard drive that the Comment This! data resided on died, and is not recoverable. I only received about $160 in donations, and that doesn't even cover my bandwidth for two months, much less replacement hardware. Blogger's comments system works well enough, maybe you should try it.
Regards,
The CommentThis! admin.

P.S. If you want to contact me to praise or complain, you can reach me at:
comments@commentthis.com

Good-bye CommentThis. You've given me a lot of memories over the past year and a half. Thanks.

What's in a Name?

Actual horse's name.

Hoof Hearted

Say that one out loud a couple times.

I was watching one of those "blooper shows" last night on TV, and that was an actual horse's name. And the announcer was like, "Hoof Hearted" in the back!

Hilarious.

Victory is Mine!

Stewie

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All Things New

The new design that I've been keeping mostly under wraps is finished. Right now just the blog and bio pages have made the transition. Next will be the design pages, followed by my online photo album, and then the guestbook. Oh, and I've updated the bio page - enjoy. Tell me what you think.