2 Miles in 3 Minutes

Grandparents, Friends and Family with squeamish stomachs, you may not want to look at the next photo...

Yesterday morning around 9:45am. I voluntarily jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Well, Almost perfectly good. It was being piloted by my good friend and former roommate Lloyd. It was an experience unlike anything I had ever done. I have had my adrenaline pumping before with Rock Climbing, Riding a Motorcycle, Mountain Biking, Rappelling, Rigging, just hanging out with Mike and Bobby... but this was a whole different kind of rush. I got to sit up front with Lloyd as he piloted us up to 10,000 feet. We kicked open the door, put a foot on the wheel strut and jumped. There was no danger music or a bad guy chasing me from another plane, not was I rescuing an infant that had accidentally fallen out of an airplane without a parachute because of a careless game of 'Catch the baby' in the back of a cargo plane. It was actually really quiet. There was nothing but the rush of the wind as we fell. After 45 seconds or so, the instructor pulled the rip cord and instantly we slowed down and it became silent around me. I could even hear the guy second pair of jumpers yelling about 100' from me. We flew around and came up on the landing zone. It was really smooth, we hit our mark and slid to a stop. I have know for awhile that Skydiving was something that I wanted to do. It was even greater for me that my really good friend got to be the one that gave me the one-way plane ride up to 10K feet.

I also got to hang out at the airfield all day while Lloyd flew others up to jump. After the day was over, he gave me a quick tour of the Hampton's from ground level. It looked a little bit different. The house certainly looked bigger from the street... Then we stopped at a Surf Shack and had some Mussels. They were mighty tasty. I would go back and get them anytime. After the light dinner, it was time to drive back to the city. We got back around 9 or 9:30 and I was completely exhausted. I tried to do a little reading, but I just ended falling asleep. Today, I got up, installed some shades in my apartment, did a little cleaning and organizing and ended up at the coffee shop to use their free Internet to inform you all that I am still alive. On Tuesday, I get my own Internet so I won't need to take the walk to write. Anyways, off to acquire some couches so I can sit down on something in my apartment besides the counter tops and the bed...

Thanks for reading!

First Day at School

I think it is official, I am now a grown-up...

Today was the first day working on 'The Scottsboro Boys'. It went well but it was very surreal at the same time. It was an entirely new experience for me. I am always used to working on a show or in a shop where I can go to others and ask questions about the particular show I am working on. Not anymore... Now, I am the one who has to interpret the plot and make the daily decisions as to how to build things. Yea, there are people who are higher than me in the food chain on the show, but they do not come to the shop everyday. They have trusted me to make sure everything gets done correctly and on time. To make things even more exciting, I am now dealing with the fact that other people (producers and such) have put money into this show expecting that everything goes according to schedule so that it can be successful. So, that means that I have to do it correctly the first time...

That being said. I know that I am very lucky to be working in a field that I love spending time in. I also realize that I am very lucky that all the work that I have done the past 3 to 4 years is paying off. I looked around the shop today and realized that I was one of the youngest people working prepping a show. On top of that, I was not only prepping a show, I was the head on a major Broadway production. I also know that I would not be where I am without all of the help people have given me, especially in the last year. I would not have been able to get this job without the Managers, Actors, Technicians and other Electricians that I have worked with and learned from. I know that I will never be able to repay them for the mentoring that they did without even realizing it. I can't wait until I am in the position to help someone else trying to break into the business. You know, the whole 'pay it forward' thing...

Anyways, I am going to keep it short. The first day went well (I will write more about what we are actually doing in the shop later). I didn't blow up anything expensive or kill anyone. They are even letting me come back tomorrow to keep on playing with the other grown-ups! I don't think I looked like more of an idiot than I usually do, so I got that going for me.

Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me so far. It isn't over yet, it is just beginning...

Thanks for reading, more later

Don't Tell anyone, I think I am almost a grown-up

Well, this has been a huge week for me. The first two weeks of August I was at the PRG shop rebuilding Mamma Mia and it went really smoothly. I had planned on taking the third week to find an apartment in New York and I found one on Monday. Since finding that apartment, I have given people I just met more cash than I ever thought I would hold. Between the Broker Fee, security deposit and first month's rent, I had a good amount of cash on me walking through the subway. Talk about the guy to mug. Anyways, after signing and initialing on all of the 'X's, I am now a renter of an apartment in Jackson Heights, NY. I have about a 20 minute train ride into Times Square, so it is going to be a good location. Right now, all that is in the apartment are the shower curtains that I installed last night. My mattress gets delivered tomorrow and hopefully I will be able to find some furniture for the place without having to spend to much money...


On top of renting my first apartment outside of college, I also landed my first Broadway gig! Originally, I got offered to run a Follow-spot on the upcoming holiday run of the musical 'Elf'. Yes, It is based on the movie and No, Will Ferrell is not involved... I was offered the gig at the end of last week and then got a phone call saying that the 'Elf' gig was falling through for me and there wasn't a spot open, but he did have another job on another show if I was interested. Because of that phone call, I am now the Head Electrician on the new Broadway show of 'The Scottsboro Boys'!! It is an open ended contract, this means that it will run until it stops making money, so, hopefully a little longer than 'Elf' would have. Plus, I am going to be a Head Electrician on Broadway. Talk about a big first gig...

So, all in all, it has been a very productive week. I am no longer unemployed or homeless, which will probably make my family give a sigh of relief. Today I am heading out to the Mamma Mia's Production Electrician's house for a BBQ. It should be fun. He has a beautiful house that he has been re-finishing for the last couple years. I haven't seen it since I was in NYC to work on Broadway Bares two years ago. Tomorrow, I get a mattress and hopefully some furniture. I am renting a van to get a couple couches out of storage, wish me luck driving through New York...

That's it for now! Thanks for reading...

The New Home!

Here are some photos of my new home for the next year. You will notice that is very empty, So, if you have any monetary donations or ideas on what to do with the place, let me know...

In the Front Door, Kitchen to the Left, Living room straight ahead

Kitchen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Room facing Windows

Living room Facing away from Windows, Bedroom down the hall to the left

Bedroom!

Bedroom facing away from windows...

Hallway to Bathroom and closets...

More to come later!!

Life off of the Greek Island of Mamma Mia

A ton has happened since the last post (this is due to the fact that I was lazy and did not update, not because my life has been all that exciting...)

I recently ended the National Tour of Mamma Mia. It was bittersweet. The people that I worked with were amazing. I could not have been luckier or asked for a better tour to be my first major show. I learned a ton about myself, my career and just about living. The tour was an awesome eye-opening experience for myself. I have traveled to many parts of the country that were on my list of places to go, I traveled to some parts I did not even know existed and met some potential life long friends along the way.

Since leaving the tour, I went and spent a few days in Huron, OH. There, I hung out with the Huron Playhouse crowd and met a ton of Talented people. I caught up with old friends, met some new ones and even made some acquaintances into friends (the nice thing about not having any responsibility at the Playhouse is that you can just hang out and talk with everyone without having to worry about the politics of the Playhouse). I also got to see Erin work her magic while stage managing the BMX show at Cedar Point. She has already learned the skill of controlling the weather to cancel shows on a hot day. After spending a unplanned bonus night in Huron due to a huge storm and some great people, I headed back to Detroit to continue packing for the eventually move to New York City.

I traveled to Chicago last week to hang out with the Chicago Moellers. It was awesome to see everyone there. I got to go on a boat ride and tubing with the family. We went to the Zoo. Brooke showed me the Kangaroos and Zebras. Eric Taught me how to play a Lego board game and Uncle Scott taught me that U-Turns are illegal in Lake Geneva, WI...
Last Sunday, Uncle Scott and I participated in our first 'Muddy Buddy' race. It was a six mile race where we traded back and forth between running and Bicycling through the muddy course. Uncle Scott definatly had the tougher course than I did. We did well. We beat our goal time in the end and we did it looking sexy. It was a Fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and you were supposed to be in some kind of costume. Waiting to the last minute, like we often do, we wore purple camisoles to the race. We were getting compliments left and right about our outfits, even through the race! The funny story is that prior to this event, I didn't even know what Camisoles were. I had seen them before, I just never knew what they were called. So, My aunt took me shopping to find a matching set that would fit my Uncle and I for the race. Yea, you read that right, my aunt took me shopping for matching camisoles for my uncle and I to wear in public...

We finished the race, drank some beers, relaxed with other racers and then headed back to his house so I could shower and head to the Airport to come here to New York. It was an exhausting day. I will write more about my first week in NYC tomorrow.

Thanks for reading...

Enjoy a picture of my shoes after the race...

These were brand new white shoes 2 hours before this photo was taken

Post Race Beer Tent!

One year with a 'Real' Job

Wow, as of yesterday I have been affiliated with the Broadway show Mamma Mia for exactly one year. One year ago, I got a phone call asking me if I could be in Lexington, Kentucky by 9pm. Since then, a ton has happened to me. It is interesting that so much can happen and it seem like it all happened yesterday.

In the past year, I;
Was let go from my first job out of college due to budget cuts
Started my own Free-lance Lighting Design Career
Learned how to run a Spot-Light for a Major Broadway Production
Took a test that could have defined the rest (or at least the next five years) of my career
Passed that test in the top 40 out of about 700 people
Bought a Harley
Have spent more time in Hotels than I have at home
Re-aligned what I thought was important to me as a person
Have been able to actually make enough money to not feel like I am still a broke, College kid
Have spent more time in Airports and on Airplanes than in Cars
Had a very important, personal relationship end a lot sooner than I ever hoped or even thought it would
Have visited a good portion of the country, including towns that I have never heard of
Have made a ton of new friends from all over the country
Learned I can live out of one suitcase
Have actually start to feel like I know what the Heck I am doing
Gave my first lecture as a guest at a university
Been to more opening night parties than I ever thought I would go to
Been to more bars in more cities with great people than I ever thought I would
Celebrated New Year's Eve in Canada
Celebrated my Birthday in Wisconsin
Celebrated Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Saw the Saints win the Super Bowl while in New Orleans
Hired my first accountant to take of my Taxes
Opened a retirement fund
Made a huge dent in my School-Loan Debt
Have employer-provided health care
Became a 'grown-up' with a 'real job'

these are just a few of the highlights. I bet I can look back on the past year and find a ton more. The most important thing to happen to me is the fact that I have had the time to look back and reflect on who I am as a person. I saw some things that I liked, and some things that I didn't like about myself. I have been able to really work on the things that bothered me. I have started to adventure out of my comfort zone more. I have really tried harder to stay in better touch with those that are important to me. Communication while away was not my strong suit a year ago, I like to believe that I am getting better at it and it is helping me enjoy things more.

Anyways, the first year is complete. Let's see where the next one goes...

Thanks for reading

Quick Update before heading to Work

Hello All!

I just wanted to do a quick update before I have to head into the theatre today. We are spending the week in New Orleans, LA. It has been a blast so far! As soon as I sift through the photos I have taken, I will make sure I post some. There are a lot of really cool historic neighborhoods I have been able to visit this week. Each day, I have been trying to pick a different direction and start to walk and see where I end up. I have been all through the French Quarter, the Garden District, Uptown, Downtown, the Business District... It has been really cool to be in a place with this much history. It is definatly a party town with Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl happening this weekend, but if you look a little deeper you can find a really cool city that isn't all about booze and beads. The Garden district is full of awesome, old-school houses and some great food! I had lunch the other day at Commander's Palace. It was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. I had turtle soup as an appetizer and then some duck over some beans for the entree. It was really good. I learned later on that in addition to being a landmark in New Orleans, Commander's Palace is where many world class chefs worked early on in their careers. I ate at a restaurant where Emeril Lagassi once cooked! BAM!

New Orleans is still a party town though. Last night we celebrated a couple birthdays on the balcony of an apartment over looking Bourbon Street. It was a lot of fun to see all of the people walking by underneath. Hopefully we can go back for the parades that are supposed to start today. As of last night, I have officially thrown beads off of a balcony during Mardi Gras. We can cross that off the list of things to do during a life-time...

Another little side note. There is a company that is in the process of making a Documentary about my job. Well, not the electrician side so much as the whole production. Anyways, they are starting to release little Internet versions to get the word out before the entire documentary releases on TV. Here is the link for the first one:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=101406

Enjoy! I will make sure I post more addresses as they are released and let you know when the documentary is going to air on TV.

Thanks for reading...