Dispatch from the midwest

I'm quite the jetsetter road tripper. After consecutive weekends in Indianapolis (not what I expected, but quite lovely) and Columbus (what a great feeling to that city), we slogged through our last week in Cincinnati. It was fine, but Tear Down was tough. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I couldn't do much of the preparatory work that I normally do in advance of Tear Down day. As a result, I finished two hours later than in Philadelphia, and that was with other people pitching in and doing the last few things that I normally do.

I sent my temp staff home at 9:30, however, so there wasn't a big delay for them. It was only the rest of us permanent staff who ended up staying later than normal to finish up. All told, however, it was just fine. Hell, just fitting everything into my 18-wheeler is triumph enough for me. I seemed to end up with the requisite amount of cuts and bruises this time, but my back was hurtin' like hell. Oy. Still, it's over and it all got done just fine.

So on Monday, Tower Girl and I drove to Louisville, Kentucky to check it out. We hit some ugly rain along the way, but managed to make it there intact. Despite my unwillingness to accept applications for new programming, we watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and, as I suspected I might, I loved it. The only good thing is that it's on TV Monday nights, and I know I won't be burdened with work any Monday night, so may actually be able to watch it.

Afterwards, we had a late night bite at T.G.I.Fridays on Fourth Street -- clearly the happening place in Louisville. The next day, we hit the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, each of us walking away with a Louisville Slugger mini-bat for our nephews, as well as an appreciation for how freakin' fast a 90 mph pitch looks to the batter. Zoiks!

The drive from Louisville to St. Louis was longer than I thought it would be, but uneventful for the most part. Well, uneventful, that is, until I started weaving all over the highway on account of my lack of caffeine. With that rectified at last, and sufficiently alert to finish the drive, we made it to St. Louis and our new glamourous digs. And I mean glamourous! We have space enough for a dancefloor, plus ultra modern appliances, a balcony, secure parking underground, and two bathrooms. My room is loft-style, with walls that reach 4/5 to the ceiling, and tons of closet space. The only problem is the gym next door that puts out pumping bass on its nightclub-calibre stereo, thereby causing our Glamour Pit to rock on its foundations. Still, we're pretty damn happy to be in luxury after the dodgy, 70's-vintage quality of our Cincinnati accommodation.

I've got an extra day off before Set Up, as our normal Management meeting isn't happening on Thursday. Yippee! Tower Girl and I are doing some sightseeing today, and who knows what tomorrow brings. Ain't it grand?! Actually, strike that: Tower Girl will be juggling TV shows tomorrow as the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy competes with the season premiere of CSI, featuring a crime scene investigation behind the scenes at one of our Vegas shows. Having sworn off Grey's on account of my previously-mentioned unwillingness to accept applications for new programming (OK, so aside from Studio 60), I'll try and find someone watching the CSI option. Cuz I've been behind the scenes at that Vegas show, and it's cool.

OK, that's all for my latest dispatch from the midwest. Oh except that you have to ask Tower Girl about my Peek-a-Boo fiasco in CVS drugstore on Monday. Not the most elegant thing I've ever done...