Okay, so here is my miraculous story of suffering and redemption of the past week.
It all began last Monday morning, but technically I guess some previous events were the genesis of my tale of woe. We closed The Tempest last Sunday night, which, by the way, was seen by nearly 5000 people, and broke every previous record for a show over it's four weekend run. We partied a little after the show on Sunday, but nothing truly debaucherous. So back to the tale at hand.
Fate was smiling on me, crooked perhaps, but still a smile. By some miracle of the stars I had one dark weekend off in between my shows, in which I planned to go to the East Coast Camping Trip. The week was looking promising. Aside from work and rehearsals for Hamlet Mon-Wed, my weekend was free and clear. Zenobia, mrMiah, and I were planning to drive up to PA together. Our estimated departure time was midnight Wednesday. Monday I wake up for work with a not so constant stomach. I think it was the fact that I had little to eat over the weekend, and perhaps a bit too much to drink. I get to work and eat a bagel, hoping that a little something in my stomach might help. It doesn't really. I start figuring this must the stress form the show catching up with me. I usually get sick after each run is over. Usually just a 24hr thing. I make it through about five hours at the coffee shop, and go home early, hoping some rest might help. I'm a little worried about the trip, but am confident I'll be well by Wednesday midnight.
I go to rehearsal Monday night. I still don't feel very well, but it's mandatory that I go because I'll miss rehearsal on Thursday and Sunday. On my way to rehearsal I stop for a fruit smoothie and some veggie chili to help calm my stomach. Bad idea. Halfway into rehearsal I bolt off stage and begin to violently vomit up the Chili, the smoothie, the noodles I had for lunch, and I think the bagel I had for breakfast. This however actually make me feel a little better. I finish rehearsal and go to the store to stock up on sports drink and chicken noodle soup.
At this point I am concerned about the trip, but as long as I didn't get any sicker I should be fine. Tuesday I don't feel worse, but I still don't feel great. The whole day was spent in a groggy, malnourished, sickly stupor. However I didnt vomit any more so I thought the worst was past. It wasn't though.
Around 3 in the morning Wed. my bowels had their revenge. I was on the toilet about every twenty minutes. Over the course of the day I managed to completely empty my entire digestive system. It's quite disconcerting to see your bowel movements turn completely clear. Needless to say I had to call in sick to work and rehearsal. Unfortunately I still had to do some shopping to the camping trip. I muster up enough energy to do some shopping, and take my supplies over to mrMiah and Zenobia's apartment. After about 16 hours of diarrhea, I finally decide to take an Immodium. Being the hippie I am I don't like OTC medicine too much.
My moment of doubt came around 9 PM. Curled up in my bed with massive stomach cramps, and the thought of enduring a twelve hour car trip with major Montezumas revenge, and real possibility of sudden death, reach for my cell phone and begin to call Miah and tell him there is no way I can make the trip. Thankfully the never say die spirit in me does not allow me to press the send button. I resign to wait and see how I feel when he calls later that night. They're supposed to call around midnight when they're ready to go. Twelve passes and no call. One passes and no call. Finally sometime after two in the morning they call and say they're packed and ready to hit the road. By some divine miracle, or hunger filled hallucination, or perhaps it was the Immodium AD, I actually felt up for the trip. Whereas four hours ago I was doubled over in pain, certain I was going to have to forego the camping trip, now I was feeling good and eager for the trip.
We left Asheville around 3 in the morning and set off for PA. I lay down in the back seat and prayed, to whom I don't know, that I can survive the trip without exploding. It was a long trip with several stops, but I managed to keep everything down and in. I even managed to eat some good and greasy Waffle House eggs, which were probably the first solid food that I had in three days. All I can say for the car ride is that Virginia is long, and has very little to look at.
We finally arrived at the campsite around 6 pm. At that point minutes, hours, days, and time itself begin to loose their significance. Some crazy time-continuum shift occurs and everything begins to blend together. So here is the camping trip in summary. I got to see many good friends including: SteveNeurotic, nightvixen, Nyssa, and Tailin, and meet lots of amazing new people most of which I can't begin to list here, but I'll try to get in contact with soon. Hopefully they'll just drop by and leave me messages saving me the energy. I mostly wandered around snapping random pictures, which I hope will come out good when I get them back. I was a little on the quiet side, still not feeling 100%, and being surround by so many other really outgoing people, I really just sat back and watched. I'm usually more of an observer anyway. I did enjoy a couple of spirited games of sharks and minnows, and Marco Polo. I was also directed to switch clothes with one throwabomb, later desmocked (to the much dismay of others), and perform a charade during the hat game. I stayed away from spin the bottle because I didn't like the odds. Im sure you guys were upset. There was some really great food. I think I ate better camping than I did at home. Saturday was a bit of a washout. A sudden downpour put a damper on the events, but I'm sure provided many an observer with amusement as they watched, mrMiah, Tigerwong, guest Alex, myself and a few others try to construct a shelter from a big tarp, some climbing rope, and some twine. It was a project but we pulled it off though.
It was a good time. Not as crazy, from what I hear, as last year, but there were definitely some memorable moments, and lots of cute people. I wish I was feeling 100% for the trip, but I don't know if that would have changed anything. At least I didnt get any sicker, and more importantly didnt die.
We skipped out early on Sunday so we could make good time home. We missed the brunch, and I didn't get a chance to say bye to many of you great people, but that's for the best, because hopefully I'll see many of you again someday. I enjoyed all of your company, even if I didn't really say much.
Yep that was one long entry. If you skipped to the end, don't feel compelled to read the whole thing. To all my ECCT friends that stop by; it was fun to meet all of you, leave me a message, (or a smilie if you don't have anything to say) or a request, and I'll get back to you later. I have to take care of real life now. Hamlet opens in four days, I have to go study my lines I've been neglecting.
It all began last Monday morning, but technically I guess some previous events were the genesis of my tale of woe. We closed The Tempest last Sunday night, which, by the way, was seen by nearly 5000 people, and broke every previous record for a show over it's four weekend run. We partied a little after the show on Sunday, but nothing truly debaucherous. So back to the tale at hand.
Fate was smiling on me, crooked perhaps, but still a smile. By some miracle of the stars I had one dark weekend off in between my shows, in which I planned to go to the East Coast Camping Trip. The week was looking promising. Aside from work and rehearsals for Hamlet Mon-Wed, my weekend was free and clear. Zenobia, mrMiah, and I were planning to drive up to PA together. Our estimated departure time was midnight Wednesday. Monday I wake up for work with a not so constant stomach. I think it was the fact that I had little to eat over the weekend, and perhaps a bit too much to drink. I get to work and eat a bagel, hoping that a little something in my stomach might help. It doesn't really. I start figuring this must the stress form the show catching up with me. I usually get sick after each run is over. Usually just a 24hr thing. I make it through about five hours at the coffee shop, and go home early, hoping some rest might help. I'm a little worried about the trip, but am confident I'll be well by Wednesday midnight.
I go to rehearsal Monday night. I still don't feel very well, but it's mandatory that I go because I'll miss rehearsal on Thursday and Sunday. On my way to rehearsal I stop for a fruit smoothie and some veggie chili to help calm my stomach. Bad idea. Halfway into rehearsal I bolt off stage and begin to violently vomit up the Chili, the smoothie, the noodles I had for lunch, and I think the bagel I had for breakfast. This however actually make me feel a little better. I finish rehearsal and go to the store to stock up on sports drink and chicken noodle soup.
At this point I am concerned about the trip, but as long as I didn't get any sicker I should be fine. Tuesday I don't feel worse, but I still don't feel great. The whole day was spent in a groggy, malnourished, sickly stupor. However I didnt vomit any more so I thought the worst was past. It wasn't though.
Around 3 in the morning Wed. my bowels had their revenge. I was on the toilet about every twenty minutes. Over the course of the day I managed to completely empty my entire digestive system. It's quite disconcerting to see your bowel movements turn completely clear. Needless to say I had to call in sick to work and rehearsal. Unfortunately I still had to do some shopping to the camping trip. I muster up enough energy to do some shopping, and take my supplies over to mrMiah and Zenobia's apartment. After about 16 hours of diarrhea, I finally decide to take an Immodium. Being the hippie I am I don't like OTC medicine too much.
My moment of doubt came around 9 PM. Curled up in my bed with massive stomach cramps, and the thought of enduring a twelve hour car trip with major Montezumas revenge, and real possibility of sudden death, reach for my cell phone and begin to call Miah and tell him there is no way I can make the trip. Thankfully the never say die spirit in me does not allow me to press the send button. I resign to wait and see how I feel when he calls later that night. They're supposed to call around midnight when they're ready to go. Twelve passes and no call. One passes and no call. Finally sometime after two in the morning they call and say they're packed and ready to hit the road. By some divine miracle, or hunger filled hallucination, or perhaps it was the Immodium AD, I actually felt up for the trip. Whereas four hours ago I was doubled over in pain, certain I was going to have to forego the camping trip, now I was feeling good and eager for the trip.
We left Asheville around 3 in the morning and set off for PA. I lay down in the back seat and prayed, to whom I don't know, that I can survive the trip without exploding. It was a long trip with several stops, but I managed to keep everything down and in. I even managed to eat some good and greasy Waffle House eggs, which were probably the first solid food that I had in three days. All I can say for the car ride is that Virginia is long, and has very little to look at.
We finally arrived at the campsite around 6 pm. At that point minutes, hours, days, and time itself begin to loose their significance. Some crazy time-continuum shift occurs and everything begins to blend together. So here is the camping trip in summary. I got to see many good friends including: SteveNeurotic, nightvixen, Nyssa, and Tailin, and meet lots of amazing new people most of which I can't begin to list here, but I'll try to get in contact with soon. Hopefully they'll just drop by and leave me messages saving me the energy. I mostly wandered around snapping random pictures, which I hope will come out good when I get them back. I was a little on the quiet side, still not feeling 100%, and being surround by so many other really outgoing people, I really just sat back and watched. I'm usually more of an observer anyway. I did enjoy a couple of spirited games of sharks and minnows, and Marco Polo. I was also directed to switch clothes with one throwabomb, later desmocked (to the much dismay of others), and perform a charade during the hat game. I stayed away from spin the bottle because I didn't like the odds. Im sure you guys were upset. There was some really great food. I think I ate better camping than I did at home. Saturday was a bit of a washout. A sudden downpour put a damper on the events, but I'm sure provided many an observer with amusement as they watched, mrMiah, Tigerwong, guest Alex, myself and a few others try to construct a shelter from a big tarp, some climbing rope, and some twine. It was a project but we pulled it off though.
It was a good time. Not as crazy, from what I hear, as last year, but there were definitely some memorable moments, and lots of cute people. I wish I was feeling 100% for the trip, but I don't know if that would have changed anything. At least I didnt get any sicker, and more importantly didnt die.
We skipped out early on Sunday so we could make good time home. We missed the brunch, and I didn't get a chance to say bye to many of you great people, but that's for the best, because hopefully I'll see many of you again someday. I enjoyed all of your company, even if I didn't really say much.
Yep that was one long entry. If you skipped to the end, don't feel compelled to read the whole thing. To all my ECCT friends that stop by; it was fun to meet all of you, leave me a message, (or a smilie if you don't have anything to say) or a request, and I'll get back to you later. I have to take care of real life now. Hamlet opens in four days, I have to go study my lines I've been neglecting.
VIEW 16 of 16 COMMENTS
palo:
I'm all about humoring men with cameras. 
_tab:
haha, yes, good times 