Seriosuly, I just got off the phone with Time Warner.  I just don't understand the attitude.  You work in CUSTOMER service.  So, I feel as the CUSTOMER, you should be serving me and not just being all huffy as soon as I say "hello."  Long story short, they brought me a regular cable box when I ordered an HDTV box, so they just told me to schedule a time for them to switch out the boxes.  So, I just called them, and they were all, "that's a $30 instalation charge."  I think not Time Warner.  So after a lot of huffiness, they're coming out on Sat at no charge to fix it.  Holla.  Sometimes I'm glad my company manager attitude has developed, because really, that's ridiculous.

Anyway, so that's one of four things in my apartment fixed.  Our pilot light went out on the water heater, so we've been sans hot water for 2 days.  Not funny.  My wireless still doesn't work, so I'm going to have to scour the Netgear website to figure out what that problem is.  It works fine when I connect directly to the box, but whatever.  And finally our luggage, which from the garbled message left on my cell phone, sounds like it's being delivered shortly.  THank the Lord my straightener will be back home where it belongs.  Also my fancy shoes.

EEEEEEEEEE!  I just got a text from my sister that says she got the job she interviewed for this morning.  More info on that later, but she must be so happy!

OKay, back to work, Em said our bags were just delivered, so that's two things off my list!  Sweet.

Can we just forget about how long it's been since I've updated?  Okay.  Good.  Company management life continues to throw its twists and turns at me.  I just figure that everything I'm dealing with will make me a better manager in the future.  I'm now working on three shows here at RFP: Rat Pack, the Sweeney Todd tour, and The Fantasticks.  So random, but also pretty cool.  It does mean that I am working all the time, but since I never really left my workaholic tendencies behind back at Blue Man Group, I'm okay with it.  I'm here in the office now, but so far I've filed on W-4 from Sweeney and printed out my vacation request.  The rest of the time has been filled watching 30 Rock online.  Seriously, that show is so hilarious.  The subject line of this entry is from the episode I'm watching now.  So you know it's the perfect show to get me through this rainy two-show Sunday.

Let's see, lots going on.  Let's start with the apartment.  Despite a little water damage from the flood follwing the first of our July monsoon season, the apartment is coming along nicely.  Em's bed finally arrived, so I was able to take out the air mattress from the living room.  We still have quite a few boxes due to our lack of shelving.  HOpefully in the next few months, that will get taken care of.  We ordered a kitchen cart from Target last week, which should arrive shortly. so that will extend the counterspace, which is much needed.  We're looking at a dining table from Crate and Barrel.  It's pretty cute.  I'm not sure what's it's going to be like to eat at a table... the last 5 years have consisted of eating on a tv tray, at my desk in the office, and various restaurants across New York.  This will be quite the adventure.  We recently stocked our cabinets with all the various staples Rachel Ray recommends.  So, if she were ever to stop by, she'd be able to whip up at 30 minute meal without having to run to the store.  That's good, because I know from experiance that if you're trying to cook a 30 minute meal and have to run to the grocery store twice, that 30 minute meal quickly becomes four hours.  So, now that I have an almost-fully stocked kitchen, I might even try cooking at home.  Yes, Queens is bringing all sorts of adventures.

Em's settling in well to the big city it seems.  The job search is going less than idealy, but I have no doubt she'll get everything all situated soon.  It's been really nice living with someone who has known me for 27 years.  She's even made me dinner!  It's great.

What's next?  I suppose the job front...so Sweeney goes into rehearsal tomorrow.  There's a meet and greet next week.  Cool, right?  I will feel fancy.  I have almost all the travel and housing finished for SF, which is a giant relief.  I suppose just as I finish all of it, it'll be time to get the Rat Packers on the move to Atlanta.  Looks like most of my Rat Packers will be back for round two, so that's nice.  They really are a fun group of people to travel with.  Sharon will be staying in the UK, which is sad, but Lonnie, our production manager, will be taking her place, and she's great, so it all works out.  As far as The Fantasticks goes, basically, my friend and coworker Kristi is heading back west, so I'm now covering the show.  It's a cute little show, so it's been fun.

Nothing much else happening outside of that.  Went to a Mets game with Em, NIck, Dennis, and Thomas last week, which was a blast!  I ate ice cream from one of those little Mets helmets.  Yum.  Next week, Em and I had to Green Bay where my cousin David is getting married.  I can't wait!  It's been awhile since we've all gotten together, so that will be a lot of fun!

It's now occured to me that I am the last person in this office, and I have no idea how to turn the alarm on.  Wish me luck that I don't miss my show because I'm busy asking the police how to do it correctly.  :)  

Oh la.  Now I remember why I haven't moved in almost five years.  How in the WORLD do you accumulate so much stuff?  Seriously, for a room the size of a closet, I sure have a lot of stuff.  And by stuff, I mean, what IS all this crap?!  Currently, I'm going through old video tapes that I found under my bed.  lol, the Tonight Show after the Friends finale just came on.  Oh life before TiVo.  Good times.  I was totally up until 4:30 packing.  Booo.  But, hopefully, there's not too much left.  The cleaning will be intense though.  Jess has someone subletting for July and they move in Monday, so I'll spend tomorrow afternoon after we drop the U-Haul off cleaning and spackiling.  I've never done that before, so that will be fun!

As for the big move tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to it.  Nick, Dennis, and Thomas are helping me out tomorrow, which I think will make it pretty much hilarious.  Starbucks will be flowing as Nick's getting here tomorrow morning at 8am good Lord.

All else is great.  I'm working as the business manager for the 1st National Tour of Sweeney Todd, which has been really interesting.  The CM and ACM on the tour are both working on Company now, so I'm just helping out and filing in so they can wrap that up and have some time off.  So, this summer has been lots of booking travel to San Francisco and Boston and rushing to find the stage manager from ACT housing during the NYC rehearsals.  And in between that, I'm trying to put together the Rat Pack 07-08 tour packets.  Who loves the sun?!  We do!  I'm really looking forward to Atlanta, LA, and San Diego.  Very sunny!

Also, I go my haircut on Thursday and got sassy bangs for my new Astoria lifestyle.  I can't even remember last time I had bangs, so that's my other big news of the week.

In any case, I'm off to meet the broker to pick up my keys to the new place.  Exciting!  Also, I have to turn over my entire life savings to him.  Moving is tres expensive.  lol, Gilmore Girls is next on the tape.  Fun!

Happy Cinqo de Mayo everyone!  Is it really already 6:45?!  How do my days go by so quickly?  I should be packing, but I think we all know how much I enjoy doing that.  At least I picked up my laundry.  Go me.  Of course, I didn't get to the dry cleaners on time which means my coat will be hanging out there (literally!) for another two weeks.  I wonder if I just keep it there until the fall, if they will just store it for me.  Because that would be awesome.  Not that I'll need it because I'm about to have all the space I need!  That's right, I'm making the big move out of Manhattan to the lovely neighborhood of Astoria.  A hop, skip, and a long jump over the East River from my UES digs.  My sister Emily is moving to NYC this summer, and we're going to be roomies!  I'm so excited for the thought of more space.  I seriously can't handle it.  I'm also excited to have matching plates.  It will be sad to leave my roommate and my first apartment in New York, but it's just that time.  Onward and upward I like to say.

Life on the road is winding down.  I head to Cleveland tomorrow for two weeks and then that's it.  I will more than likely taking the show back out in the fall, which will be nice because it's all warm weather cities!!  Atlanta, St. Louis, San Diego, Tucson, LA, Birmingham, and possibly Houston (here's hoping!).  We shall see.  Looks like I'll be working a little on the Sweeney tour this summer, which will be interesting as well.  So, that's what's new on the job front.  I had a meeting with Richard Frankel this week which was cool.  He said I had been doing a great job on the tour, so that's always nice to hear.  It would have been nice if it had been followed by "and that's why we're hiring you as the ACM on Young Frankenstein," but I'll take what I can get.

Saw Corom Boy and A Chorus Line during my mini-hiatus.  Enjoyed both of them a lot, but could do WITHOUT the horrible manners people seem to have developed over the years.  For about 10 minutes during the 2nd act of CB, this guys was flipping the pages in his Playbill like a flip book.  It honestly took about 20 people staring at him for his wife to finally put a stop to it.  During ACL this group of 4 people felt it was necessary to stand up and LEAVE in the middle of Cassie's monologue during "Music and the MIrror."  I had to stand up and watch from the aisle for about 5 minutes while they collected their things. What a pain.  I did stay afterwards to catch up with Michael Berresse my [tos] director and fancy Broadway leading man.  It's weird when you start meeting people you've listened to on cds for ages.  You'll all be glad to know that in all my times of being around him, I've been able to control myself from squealing about how much I loved him in Kiss Me Kate.  Though I do usually end up leaving a converstaion with him humming, "Bianca, Bianca..."  And it was enough of a Broadway moment to make me think..."Wow!  Maybe I am finally there!"  Um, yeah, I'm still a dork.  It's true.  The touring life hasn't changed me that much...

Today I covered the Fantasticks and got a manicure and watched 5 episodes of the Colbert Report.  Remember how much Iove him?  It's a lot. 

What else?  I went to Spideman last night with the biggest group of people since I was in like high school!  Seriously, Kim arranged the group outing and it was fun!  I mean, I'm still confused as to when people began feeling the need to talk back at the movie screen in a packed theatre, but whatever.  I enjoyed the movie if only for Peter Parker's crazy dance moves.  lol.  Seriously amazing.  Of course, I do love Topher Grace as well, so that was nice.  Except his evil teeth.  I didn't like those.  But, I know a guy who I've always thought was a total cross between Tobey Maguire and Topher Grace and it was totally messing with my head to see them together in a movie.  Hee.

I also saw Hot Fuzz, which was hilarious.  Please go see it now!  So out of control.

Alright, I have to head out to buy my baby Kate a present for her 5th birthday.  I can't believe she's 5!!  She's big on the Hannah Montana and High School Musical front, which concerns me being that she's 5, but whatev.  I'm buying her the Mary Poppins cast recording.  Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!  I can spell that now thanks to the song.  Sweet.  Or lame?  Maybe a little of both.  Then it's off to Nick's big Cinqo de Mayo party, then back to pack and head to Ohio!  Have a nice night everyone!

Well, since lots of people have been telling me I need to blog more (Mom!), I thought I'd type up what my last 24 hours in New Haven have consisted of.  I have to say people, if you get the chance to go on tour, you really should take it.  Life will never be the same again.  

Yesterday morning started off with my ordering a bowl of oatmeal that I actually could have dove into.  It was really gigantic!  And surely not Weight Watchers friendly.  No matter, I didn't eat dinner Tuesday night, because by the time I got out of the theatre, there was nothing open.  Sadness.  Occurances such as these have made me really start noticing that line of my Road Rebel hotel chooser sheet about closest 24-hour restaurant.  In any case, I had my 12 lbs of oatmeal and headed back to my room.  About 15 seconds later, my wardrobe person called with a plea that I take her to her favorite store, which is natually, Wal-Mart.  The boys have run out of their favorite hair gel, and she's pretty sure a mutiny will occur if it's not taken care of instantly.  So, I put aside my work and take her and my stage manager down I-95 to Milford, CT for a afternoon shoppong extravaganza.  We go to about 4 different stores before we learn that the hair gel so loved by our guys has been <gasp> discontinued.  Oh the horror!  Morag is beside herself, but in true Scottish fashion, she doesn't let it get her down.  So, she shrugs it off and buy a set of Billy Blanks Tae-Bo videos.  Complete with special Billy Blanks super stretchy bands.  I remind her that we've been to the hospital twice already on this tour, and those super special bands are just begging for another trip.  She thinks this is hilarious.  And true.  I turn to discover my sm has purchased Yoga Booty Ballet.  Thank God for these two making me laugh so much.  I later learn that Sharon was less than amused with Ballet videos because the beginning of each workout contains way too much meditation and shite.  Awesome.

We get home, and I head to the pool where I managed to do a whole 1,000 yards before fully believing I might die.  I'm a little ashamed at my pathetic attempt, when I have to stop and remind myself that I haven't been in a pool in almost 3 years.  So, that's not too bad, really.  I'll be happy to have my upper body strength back.  Where the heck did that all go?  I just wish I could build it up more by typing on the internet, because then I would be ROCK SOLID.

Anyway, I try in vain to take a nap to recover from my swimming, but my phone is ringing off the hook.  One girl wants to change her flight, one person wants to borrow the car, another person can't find Starbucks.  After an hour of these constant questions, I give up on the nap, hit the shower and get my stuff together to head to the theatre.  I'm halfway out the door when I turn to see the music sitting on my desk!  NOOOOOOOO!  I forgot to go to Kinko's to ship the advance music to Newark and also, our guarantee check has to get to the office or we can't cover our payroll!  I run down the stairs, thanking the brilliance that is Good Maps for my Blackberry as I dart out the door with about 7 minutes to spare before the final express pickup for 30 miles.  I'm running around like a crazy person and manage to make it to Fedex at 6:28.  Holla!  So, I'm at Fedex, and I need a box for all the music, and they are out of large FedEx boxes.  WTF?  So, I ask the person if they have any and they say no, but I can send it in two medium boxes.  Ok, NO.  That costs twice as much.  So, then she says, well you can buy a box for $2.  I thought you just said you didn't have any boxes.  Oh, no, we just don't have any white boxes for the Express shipping, but you can buy this brown ground box.  It's the same size.  Why do I have to BUY this box just because you ran out?  Whatever, I see the Fedex truck pull up, and I'm like, "Fine!  I don't care, I'll buy it!"  So, I put everything together, and pick up all my little piles of Fedex trash, and she says, "Wow, usually people just leave their stuff here for me to pick up.  You can have your box for free."  And thank you New Haven Kinkos woman for restoring my faith in humanity.  I say thank you and dash off to the theatre.  I stop at Starbucks though because, really, how can you not?

I run into the theatre where I learn one of my dancing girls is hurt and needs to see a doctor, we are out of small shirts at merch, two orchestra members want to buy house seats, only one person returned their missing music (I had to ship the rest, but we were still a bari sax and trumpet 2 part short), I need to write a check for $500 worth of dry cleaning, and finally that one of my cast members really can't understand why I booked them on an evening flight out Monday so they have to waste their whole day and fly at night.  

Then, I take off my coat and sit down.  

I try to fill out the workers comp form, but I can't get through online.  I write my checks, order the house seats, tell my cast member that if we could afford flights that were $500 more a person, I would have put them on those, and tell the music contractor to ship the music tomorrow.  Then I do the box office statement, where I've found mistakes in our comp tickets!  Just a typo I found out.  They weren't trying to steal from us!  Then, intermission!  Piano CRISIS!  My Music Director and Sound guy tell me  we MUST get a new piano before tomorrow.  This one held it's tune for about 3 numbers and then was awful.  No emergency tuning will save it.  Stop to laugh at the though of "Emergency Tuning."  Call my Technical Director and the Director of Operations for the presenter to start the process of getting a new piano.  More house seats.  Write St. Patrick's Day cards.  Start settlement paperwork to get ready for Sunday.  Write emails to the presenter in Newark about why we don't want a precurtain speech.  Ask our MC character if he wouldn't mind adding something to his precurtain speech that incorporates NJPACs needs as well.  He says yes as long as it doesn't suck.  He was in Millie and makes me laugh a lot.

Show ends.  Resident director, stage manager and I discuss dancer's injury as well as piano crisis.  Head out to the Irish pub and have a beer.  Get home to do some more work only to find my internet access in my room is nonexistant.  Say "screw it." and go to sleep.

Wake up this morning to my phone ringing again.  Another actor wants to change his bank details, leaves a message along the lines of "My IBAN number is Alpha Delta 5 Bravo something something."  Curse my lack of knowledge of whatever sort of communication that is.  More drama with workers comp.  Missed my free coffee at Starbucks. (sad).  Had to resort to working in hotel lobby to get normal internet access.  Google "Physiotherapist" because this is the kind of dr I need to send the dancer to, but I have no idea what that is in American English.  Now, I might go upstairs and take a shower and eat, since I haven't done either.  The sports clinic I found opens at 2.  Here's hoping they have an appointment.  Is it really only 1:42?