Go Utah!

Okay so the SM's started today! I wish I was there with them. BOO! I wont be there for two more weeks. Save some fun for me, bitches!

Sadly, Jamie had to go to NY to visit sick relatives. She will return soon, though.

Debbie says everything is the same....I'll take her word for it.

Karen says things are going well. She and Jamie got the office ready last week for everyone.

Actors arrive in one week!

Okay if anyone tells me anything about work...I'll post. If not....read my other blog for cool accounts of my job on the cruise ship GTS Infinity.

A trip through the Panama Canal

Here we are making our approach for the second lock. The first one was at 7am and I was sleeping. :)











Here is our starboard tug heading in to attach to us.


And here is the port side tug coming in.


Way ahead is a bridge. It took forever to get to it since we were being tugged.


These are the directional reflectors to help the ships maneuver.


The canal is getting narrower!


The tug is almost done with us and ahead is the pulley car.

This is where we hooked up to the pulley car. They are little trains on both sides of us that drag the ship along the narrow section right before the lock.








Goodbye tug!



Hello Trolley! Look how close to the walls we are!!






There was a band playing as we went through. It was cool!


See the big cables attaching us?


There's the lock, finally!




Right after we broke for dinner we entered the lock. I didn't realize we hadn't passed through yet, so I went to change instead of going out to the heli pad on the bow of the ship. Luckily the bow cam was on in my room and I saw us. Didn't have time to get to the heli pad, though!









It's grainy from the TV, but still really neat looking, eh?

Now the lock is full so we can pass through.


Kate, Mykal, Harvey and I tendered into Panama for dinner. We were at this little pier for yachts and it was nice. We had shrimp right out of the ocean and I think Harvey has a steak. We also had grilled calamari that was AWESOME! (Like the bag? Helen made it for me for my birthday!)


Here's us on the tender on our way back tot he ship.



Home again, to the Infinity!

Okay so that was my long picture narrative of the Panama Canal. I had a lot of fun and saw some cool stuff. I also got a certificate saying I had been through. I think our fee to travel though was $144,000.00. I KNOW! I watched a documentary that said the highest fee was over a million dollars and the smallest was 34 cents when a guy swam the Canal.

heh heh I think I'll stick to cruising through.

Okay next up is Costa Rica and Mexico. I'm working my way around.

I believe I had cruised 3000 nautical miles at this point. Whew!

Aruba

Bruce breaks it down for the cast!















Leann and Angi at dinner in a little place called The Pink Iguana



















My cast and me in the setting sun.












The sun sets over Aruba and my ship, the Infinity.











Our little Travinista gets his first taste of the Ladies Anarchist Sewing Circle.










Aruba was cool. They had lots of pirates there! Yay!I could see DJ living there someday. Free internet at a Little Caesars/Dunkin Donughts right by the pier. No really, those two restaurants in one room. Crazy but neat... oh and it was a Baskin Robbins too. Just ask Leann!

We jumped back on the ship and headed to the Panama Canal. I have TONS of Canal photos so look back in a day or so.

XOXO

The beginging of the trip.

Segment one..... the end of Nashville and the beginning of the first cruise. Most of us made it to the ship in once piece. Mykal's passport didn't come through and Stephanie's medicals didn't arrive, so they had to stay behind and would later join us in Aruba.



Here is my awesome cast at Macaroni Grill in Nashville.










Some of us went to Sambuco and Bar 23 in Nashville. This is me, Nicki, Jen and Emma in 23.












My home away from home on the ship, the GTS Infinity


















Here are a couple of shots of the lighting booth in the theatre. The house holds 1000 patrons. This is a $45 million dollar theatre, folks! (Stop drooling...)















A view of the theatre from the lighting booth.













Me looking really tired, but having a nice time! I hooked into the telex system from the sound booth in the house. I didn't call the shows, just talked to the on board Production manager, AV manager, lighting and sound guys about questions and problems. My job was mostly to preserve the integrity of the shows during the changeover from one cast to another.

The on board PM was like the Stage Manager, the AV manager was like the TD/Crew Head. Sort of cool. They do 9 to 11 month contracts. Nice work, if you can get it!

Next blog.....Aruba and some rehearsal shots!!!! After that....the Panama Canal! Hope you aren't bored yet, because I have a loooong way to go! About 8000 nautical miles left!

XOXO

Whew!

I'm hoooome! Whew. I actually have jet lag and have been sleeping crazy hours trying to catch up to the East coast.

I will blog for real soon. I will regal you with stories of me in exotic locations doing silly, Angi-like things.

I have 19 new, very good friends who I lived and worked with for an intense 5 weeks. I have countless other pals that I met and played with in Nashville and on the ship.

Thank you MJ and Gary Musick! Thank you Infinity! Thank you darling Cast! Thank you Leannistas! And most of all..thank you Matt, for being so supportive and loving.


Hawaiian sunset.....pulling out of port in Honolulu, Hawaii...the island of Oahu.

XOXO