Please make sure to read the title of today's post in the rhythm of Pennsylvania 6-5000. Thank you. Yes, we're here in Chester Pennsylvania, which is apparently PA's First city. Thank goodness they improved after this one. Truthfully, it's not a bad place, just small, with very little to do, and the streets (on a Saturday, no less) roll up around 10. Oy. But we attempted (or at least I did) to go out last night and get my birthday celebration on. Well, gentle readers, I should've known that wasn't a good idea. We rolled in here around 7:30 after an absolutely wonderful van trip. Why was it so wonderful? you ask. I mean, it was about 10 hours, which is always difficult. So why was it so nice? Because Levitt was in the truck. Ahhhhhhh,,,,,, Everybody breathe a sigh of relief. And that allowed us to do things like stop for coffee in a Barnes and Noble, which of course meant we took 30 minutes to stop for coffee because everyone in the cast is addicted to books. We had fun discussions and everyone was mellow during the ride. The only downside was the fact that poor Schneider had to be in the truck with Levitt, but fortunately for him, she doesn't like to talk when he's driving, and he pretended to be asleep when she drove. So that went as well as one could possibly hope. So we got to PA feeling pretty good, if a little tired. And I went straight to finding some place where I could imbibe some alcohol. ANd I found it. We are staying in a very nice Best Western near Widener University, so I knew there had to be bars nearby. And yes, Virginia, there is a college pub within walking distance. So I called everyone up and floated the idea and....got no response. Turned out the only people willing to go were Flo and Levitt. And Levitt only agreed because she thought more people were going. The body language when she found out who was going was priceless. She deflated like a sick balloon, which while a little insulting was, I must admit, amusing. So we took off, looking for cheap collegiate alcohol. We arrived at the location, to discover that, you guessed it, gentle readers, the place was closed. And not "Oh, we're not open this evening," closed, I mean like "By order of the Department of Public Health" closed. Can I pick 'em? So we returned to the hotel, where Levitt quickly departed to the nearby 7-11 to get dinner and find refuge from socializing with me, and Flo and I went to find somewhere else to eat and drink, because I was determined, I was committed, I had nothing else to do! We discovered a brewpub nearby, and was able to take the hotel shuttle (basically a "will you drive me to thus and such a place" taxi thing) up to the area where it seems this place hides all its eateries. We wandered the street to find a place, and discovered a nice sports bar-type of place which was packed due to the Villanova NCAA game having ust ended and the Philadelphia Flyers game still going on. We entered the mob-infested bar, and after 15 minutes of trying to get a bartender's attention to ask if the kitchen was still open, I was informed by Flo that it wasn't. She had wisely asked a woman leaving the ladies' room. Where else would you get your info in a bar?
I want to know how it is humanly possible that I blend in to the background? I'm standing right in front of the bartenders (yes, both of them) and they don't even acknowledge me. ANd let's face it, I'm kinda hard to miss, I think. WHo the hell knows. But this isn't the first time this has happened. It happens all the time in restaurants and bars, and I'm constantly amazed by it. I mean, I understand that I was not one of the drunken throng chanting "Let's go Flyers!" Pound, pound, pound-pound-pound! But that doesn't mean I'm not sympathetic to the cause. Come on, give me a break! Take a chance! I might just be the best customer you ever had. But, sadly, they missed out on the chance, for we left the sports bar and ended up back at the brewpub we had originally found. It was far more pretentious than the sports bar, and far more expensive, but far less closed. Sometimes, the simple things are the most important. We were joined by Schneider, Bob and Alice, who helped to turn what had started off as another completely disappointing evening into something quite enjoyable. We had a lovely time, especially complaining that we had somehow gotten the one waiter in the place who had neither a neck nor any people skills and would bring our drinks and set them on the edge of the table as he walked by, barely slowing. His name was Cal, and appeared as if his bench press number was higher than his IQ. And let me warn all of you, according to Alice, Iron Hill Brewery in Media, PA has some seriously shallow pours of 12 year old Jameson. Not shallow enough to keep her from spilling it all over herself, but shallow. Just so you know. Consider this a PSA for rejects from AA.
Other than that, not much else has happened. We have today off, which means it's laundry day. (Oooooh the glamour!) and tomorrow we start a week of private performances again. (Sigh) At least it means we get free lunch again. The downside? Next week (after the one coming up--it always confuses me to describe that on a SUnday because unlike what some people believe, to me Sunday ENDS a week, not starts it) we only have three days of shows and no drive days, which means we don't get a full week of pay. Never mind the fact we're still doing a full week's worth of living. Or that the last two weeks we have worked at least 6-7 days, which I believe should roll over and fill in the empty spaces, thus giving us a full week of pay. After all, they got extra work out of us with no extra pay. Oh well. But trust me, I'm sure there will be so much to talk about this next week, so don't go anywhere! (Yes, I know that technically this isn't a real physical place and therefore you already are somewhere else, but don't get didactic, it's not attractive.) Pond in 2012--he's no didactator!!
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