Pittsburgh, PA

We had a cancelled show in Springfield, IL last week, so we were re-routed to Pittsburgh for two days and two nights off. Incredible! That never, ever happens.


People wanted to go to the famous Primanti Bros. for lunch, so we hopped in the shuttle and off we went. We went to the original one that is in a warehouse district area. It was fun, but I really wasn't too impressed. Maybe because I'm an idiot and ordered turkey instead of something like corned beef, but I don't know if that would have really mattered. I don't think I like cole slaw and fries on my sandwiches. But other people loved it, and Kevin and the guys each took down two of these things. And then a pizza about three hours later.

After Primani Bros. we enjoyed the rest of our day off going to an Italian market, a pizza place for pitchers, naps, then out to a local dive bar. The second day off we went to go see Love And Other Drugs, which was really good. Anne Hathaway is up for a few awards for it. Warning if you see it- she is naked a LOT. Then Kevin and I had date night + company manager at a great restaurant downtown.

I was so not looking forward to the drives in and out of Springfield, so this was a nice little surprise!

Touring On A Budget

It can be difficult not spending a lot of money while touring. You have to eat every meal out, and if you don't go out after the show, you are just sitting in your hotel room without any of the comforts of home. We also stop at malls/shopping centers almost every day for lunch. It's easier to not spend when we are on one-nighters, but much more difficult when we are in a city for a week or a few days. Especially with Kevin, because we really like to eat well and have fun when we are together!

A few things I do to help my wallet stay fat:

I use googlemaps to try and figure out public transportation rather than taking taxis if I am being tourist-y.

I have Netflix and have them sent to the company. We get our mail every Thursday. This makes going back to a hotel room instead of going out a little more bearable because I have something to watch that I have picked out.

I check coupon sites and print out coupons at the hotels for things I may need.

While I never eat at "chain" restaurants at home, it just can't be helped when traveling. I am signed up for most of their emails and receive deals in my inbox. For example, this week I received coupons for a free appetizer at Chili's, and coupons for Bob Evans and Quizno's. While I can't always use them because we don't run into them, I love having them on hand.

I have every frequent shopper card known to man. Panera surprises you sometimes when you go in- I got a free bagel and cream cheese the other day!

I eat continental breakfast at every hotel that offers it.

I keep a few cans of soup with me and can warm that up at the theatre if I wasn't able to find dinner close by.

I buy gift cards that offer "bonus bucks". For instance, buy a $25 gift card at Friday's and receive an extra $5 for free. Then I use them to buy food for myself.

When Kevin and I are together (never one one nighters, which stinks), we use restaurant.com discounts so we can go out to a nicer dinner for a lower price.

Kevin and I buy wine and apps for the room on days off, rather than going out before dinner.

This may sound like I'm being cheap, but in reality, it's the little things like this every day that let me do things like buy the pair of new shoes I want, go on fun little trips, and pay off my house faster!

Joliet, IL

The last two weeks of this tour have really stunk. The schedule has just been horrible and most of the theatres have been pretty crummy. Life consists of getting on a bus at 6:30am, driving hundreds of miles, taking a shower, going to the theatre, and doing it all over the next day. Totally Groundhog Day, and very lonely. Kevin and I rarely see each other because we are on opposite schedules. We did have a day off in Pittsburgh last week. It will get better after Christmas so I just have to try and keep my head up.


The one theatre that did put me in a good mood was in Joliet, IL. I have played there before and their lobby is beautiful. It's all marble from top to bottom. A little extra bonus this time was that it was decorated for Christmas!


I'm on the bus on my way to Youngstown, then a different city every night until I fly home on Monday the 20th. The countdown begins!!

Thanksgiving 2010

The week of Thanksgiving was really, really great. We had the week OFF! Not paid, but still. Better than dinner in a hotel like last year.


We went to North Carolina for the week to stay with Kevin's family, and didn't really do a whole lot besides eat and hang out. The one thing we did do that I was so excited about was visit my friends Nick and Lindsay, who just had twins. Brooke and Bryce were soooooo cute! The only bad part about that trip (which should have taken two hours) was that we did it during Charlotte rush hour. Not a good idea. We tried to be very patient in the traffic, but after it was all said and done we drove four hours to go to dinner. Totally worth it though.

Kevin's brother and his daughter also went to Chapel Hill for a few days. I don't think they had been together on Thanksgiving since like 2004, so everyone was pretty excited and happy about that.

Thanksgiving dinner pretty much came from Whole Foods this year. I don't shop there at home simply due to the cost and my love of bargain shopping, but let me tell ya- it was good. I think we went to Whole Foods three times in two days, and I was in heaven just looking at all of the delicious good food there. And we might have bought a case of wine for the week too. I tried to post a picture of Kevin and his turkey, but it wouldn't post for some reason. I was pretty impressed! They are the kind of people who actually cook from scratch, unlike me who buys stuff pre-made. For example, they needed vegetable stock so they made it. To me making it means buying it in a box. I'm getting better though....

During the week we also visited with some friends and family, went to a planetarium (which I hadn't done since I was a kid), and went Christmas tree shopping. Everyone I know has a fake one, so that was kind of fun! I think I'm going to get a baby one this year for my condo, since we have TWO weeks off for Christmas and New Years, and I get to go home!! Can't. Wait.

The Fabulous Fox

Ahhhh, the Fabulous Fox. The Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI is my favorite theatre to work in in North America. I have been lucky enough to have worked here four times now. It's like nothing else (except the Fox theatres in St. Louis and Atlanta). The people are great, it smells like yummy roasted nuts (that they sell in the lobby), the walls backstage are covered with autographs of famous people and shows, and despite the fact it's in Detroit, it's just wonderful.

Funny thing about this trip to Detroit- I walked in the door of the DoubleTree hotel, and the valet guy looks at me and goes, "Oh no!". It's the SAME guy who was working when my car was stolen from that hotel last year! We had a good laugh about that one.