The Rain on Tour Stays Maine-ly in New Hampshire

Hello all, from Dover, NH. Not Dover, DE, which is where we were just his past week, but Dover, NH. I have been to two or three Dovers on this tour, and have yet to see one white cliff. Not Robertson, not Clavin, not even Odetts. I feel cheated, quite frankly. But here we are, staying at a Microtel in New Hampshire before our show tomorrow morning in Maine. And no, I don't know why we're staying in New Hampshire when we're performing in Maine. Apparently New Hampshire hotels are cheaper, especially if that hotel is a Microtel. Even the name suggests lack of quality. That is not to say the hotel itself lives up to its name, just that the name suggests it. So far, it seems very adequate, though I will admit that the wall of mirrors behind the beds does give me pause.....

We performed today at Central Connecticut State University, which has a wonderful space and a nonexistent crew. That actually ended up being a blessing since we had student help from the college for the load-out, and had the load-in taken as long as the load-out did, we never would've gotten the show up. It was an odd show today The kids seemed to like it, though they were not the most responsive kids we've ever had. But the weird thing is that for somereason, almost the whole cast was in this very funky mood. Everyone seemed either really tired, or in a super bad mood, and no-one really knew why. It is getting near the end of the tour and the news that the end is coming sooner than expected certainly doesn't help anyone's mood, but Alice was in such a bad mood this morning she almost burst into tears taping down cables, and Ted has bee in a sour mood ever since we got the news--even more sour than usual. Everyone seems to be just a little off, and today was the first time I really felt like it affected the show. I can't say exactly what it was that was off about the show, it just felt that way to me the whole time. And who knows--maybe it was ME that was off, and everyone else was just fine. It's hard for me to tell. The nice thing is that since we're coming to the end of the tour, people are bound and determined that we, as a group, do some fun stuff before the tour is over. That makes me happy. It's nice to know that while we all are looking forward to the end of tour because it has been a long one, and while we are also dreading the end of tour due to the fact that it means the money stops, we still want to go out on an up note with everyone having a good time with each other, rather than counting down the days til we can scatter to the four winds and never talk to each other again.

I'll admit, I'm very tired myself. I have thing I wanted to work on, and to be honest, I still do. But right now, whenever we get to where we're going for the night, I want to do nothing. I don't want to write, I don't want to watch TV, hell, I don't even want to sit in my room, but I don't really WANT to go out either. It looks like I'll be taking a Greyhound home when the tour does finish. Car rental has gotten too expensive since all car rental places seem to no longer allow you to drive one way without charging you a huge pain in the ass fee for the privilege. And while flying is faster, the bus is just plain cheaper. And considering the fact I have no real prospect of work when I get back, cheap is important. I'm not too worried about the employment situation. I have an offer for part-time work doing murder mysteries, so that'll bring in some extra money, and really, something will come along. It always does. That's one thing I've learned from being out of work so often. When you really end up needing it, something pops up and saves your bacon. Now, while I do thank the universe, or the patron saint of actors or whatever, for saving my bacon on numerous occasions, I would like to request that the next time they do it, they use an extremely well-paying and attention-getting acting gig, and steer away from the third-shift warehouse work. Not that I'm against third shift warehouse work--I'm not--but if my bacon was saved by something more along the former, then chances are my bacon would have to be saved considerably less often. So universe, please listen to me--I'm asking this for your sake as well as mine. There are so many others who need your assistance. Go ahead and get me something seriously lucrative and cross me off your list. That way you can pay more attention to the other people clamoring for your attention. See, I'm just trying to be altruistic. Seriously.

Not much else to say. Thankfully the rainy cold weather that has seemed to be following us everywhere we go gave us a break today and it was sunny and in the upper 60's. AND no-one got brained with any of the equipment. So really, it was a red letter day. The only thing I want to add is that everyone here, regardless of whether or not you have children, and especially if you DO have children, needs to read this article.

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/05/04/free_range_kids/index.html

Trust me, this is something you need to take in if you have kids. And even if you don't, because we all need to be able to take a step back and reassess what a complete mess we as adults have made of kids' lives due to the pervasive and paranoid fears we live with as grown-ups and that we beat into our children, until they are unable to cope with minor every day things. Were I to ever have a child, you can damn well bet that they would be a hell of a lot more self-sufficient than the kids running around today. The sense of immortality that kids have can get them into scrapes, it's true, but I'd rather have a kid who is naturally fearless and has to be reined in sometimes than a kid who is so instilled with fear and distrust of the outside world that he needs his hand held until he graduates high school. So vote for Pond in 2012. A vote for me is a vote for Kids Without Leashes!