...and a happy new year!

Only one more week, people. One week. What the huh?? When did THAT happen?

Everything is winding down. The attendance at the park is dwindling, though I hear that Labor Day is still a big draw, and that's our last day of work! I have two swing-out days this week and a day off tomorrow, so I'll have lots of time to finish up all the packing and cleaning and organizing and using-up-of-whatever's-in-the-fridge before John and I drive back down to NYC. I can't believe that it's been 12 weeks already, and we're almost through! Unfortunately, I discovered recently that the six months of Equity health coverage I earned from this contract won't go into effect until January, and my current coverage runs out on October 1. So I guess I'll have to be extra careful until then....but that won't be too much of a problem because

I'LL BE ON A SHIP!!!

SUBTLE SEGUE!

That's right!!! I BOOKED THE ZUIDERDAM, BABY! I found out last week that I will be the lead female singer ("F1") on the Zuiderdam for Holland America Line from December 10 until at least April 19th, and possibly into August. This is the same company I worked for when I performed on the Maasdam, and I'm so excited to travel and sing again! I'm so incredibly grateful for the opportunity, and I think it comes at a really opportune time...I really think I need some big and shiny and wonderful to distract me for a while, and endless smoked salmon buffets, Costa Rican rainforests, and belting Tina Turner sounds like just the ticket.And not only that, but I'll be joined by the beautiful and talented Miss Charlotte Skilling, who was my F2 (female singer-dancer) on the Maasdam!

that's my girl.

I'm so excited to be reunited with this sassy Scottish lassie.
Rehearsals will start on November 4th in Los Angeles, so I will have a bit of down time between the end of Santa's Village and the start of rehearsals. I'll be returning to my fabulous roommates in NYC for the month of September. As soon as I get back, I'm going to ride the subways as much as I can and revel in all the freedom of travel, order sushi delivery, and watch the sunset behind the George Washington Bridge. Uuuuuungh, I can't WAIT!! After that, it's all shows, appointments, a few auditions, and hopefully picking up a few shifts at Ellen's for some extra moola (and to share the stage/diner again with some fabulous people!), and generally reveling in all that my favorite place in the world has to offer.

Come October, I'll be flown out to LA early so I can spend some time with my parents, then it's up to Sacramento to live with my brother David and my nephews Ben and Will for a few weeks!! We've been talking about this for almost a year now, and now the timing is perfect! I'm so excited to cook for my boys (especially since I'll be kitchen-less on the Zuiderdam!), see their soccer/baseball games, and be the Hot Auntie picking them up from school! Maybe do a Tahoe trip, maybe a little San Fran...who knows! I'm just so happy!!!

Then back to LA...if you want to check out my ship, you can take a virtual tour here, and you can check out my itinerary on the same website or look at the calendar at the bottom of the "News" page here.

Oh, I almost forgot!! In addition to the cruise gig, I also got hired through the same company to perform in a one-night show at Revel casino resort in Atlantic City on September 7! I'll be playing the role of Conchita singing "Ay Caramba-- in what i can only hope is a ridiculous Cuban accent-- from the West End musical of "Copacabana", based on the Barry Manilow song of the same name. I'll be backed by two dancer girls. Three other singers will be performing the song "Copacabana" as Lola, Tony, and Rico. I'm not 100% what this performance is, other than it is for a private party, but beyond that... What I do know is that Mr. Manilow himself is performing at that same casino the next night, so I'm wondering/hoping that I will actually get to meet the man in person! Barry meeting Barrie!!! THE COSMOS WOULD EXPLODE.

How YOU doin'?

Meanwhile, back in New Hampshire...

On my day off last week, Dan and I took the biodeisel-fueled cog railway up to the summit of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in New England. The view was incredible, and we got very very lucky with the visibility. Mt. W is known for its extremely bad weather (they once recorded wind speeds at 241 mph!), but we were below the clouds and in 50 degree weather. We could see as far as the Atlantic, Vermont, Maine, and southern new Hampshire. It was really incredible, and I'm so glad we got to do it (for free! Yay, employee discount!)

Attitude at high altitude.

We also had out end-of-the-year employee pizza party and raffle last week. I won a $10 Wal Mart gift card! Which I used to buy a pie plate and champagne! The pie plate is for the apple-pear-bourbon plumped golden raisin pie I'm entering in the Lancaster Fair this Friday. First prize is $100..and PRIDE. :-D I can't enter the L.A. County Fair this year, but as soon as I found out I could enter the fair just down the road...i couldn't resist. We're going to go to the fair as a cast on Friday, and since it's open until 11pm, we'll actually get to be out together longer than most of the bars and restaurants in the area close down! That's New Hampshire for ya...


We also had a White Party with the international employees a couple of nights ago, and I have to say, the cast look SMASHING.

right?

We also had one of our last family meals this week, and it was a combined effort between Rebecca and Dan. It was delish! Stuffed shells with homemade bolognese. Yum yum yum!

So that's the news from Jefferson. This will likely be my last post. Thanks for following me on this journey, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I'll definitely be keeping a blog for my contract on the Zuiderdam, so I'll update when that starts up. In the meantime, as always, please follow me on my Facebook Artist page and check out the new media and news page on my website.

Until next time...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!