We keep it poppin' at the holiday inn...

I don't even know if that's an accurate lyric from that song.

At any rate, its been a real long time since I said anything on this blog. Mostly because I've been way out in mountain country the last couple of weeks. Our first week back was in Livingston, Montana. A pretty bizarre little town that produced alot of good times. It was our first homestay, we stayed with an awesome family. The family mom also happened to be our contact, she cooked enough dinner for us to join in anytime we were there in the evenings and packed or bought our lunch for us everyday. She also had a great farm with sheep, chicken, turkeys, ducks...that week went pretty well all around. We also met an old TAD who lives in the town and works at the theatre we performed at. we shared stories and he gave us some old tips and tricks from his 3 1/2 years. He also told us about the strange celebrities that live in or near the small montana town. Peter Fonda, Dennis Quaid, Jeff Bridges.

If you watch Real World/Road Rules Challenge on MTV, you're familiar with Abram. He grew up in Livingston. He was in the same coffeehouse as us. I didn't speak to him, because he was in the middle of doing something private, and possibly embarassing. But I will tell you that I only vaguely thought it was him, and was looking at his myspace page to try to confirm if the two men did indeed look alike, when I overheard his conversation partner call him "Abram." My suspicions confirmed, I closed his myspace page and remained reality-star struck.

He also pointed out to us that we don't have to have dress rehearsals on Fridays. I have no idea why we did that. I don't know where we go the idea that was right. But, we did it, every week until last week...but we had a Friday show, so it didn't count. But this week, we're not goign to do it, and see how it changes our weeks. It'll probably make our shows that much better. It makes me really wonder how good some of our shows could've been, considering first dress rehearsal sort of kills trying to have a real rehearsal.

Our second week was our toughest yet. It was in Bridger, MT - a town the size of my thumbnail. Literally, there were 6 to 7 businesses total, and they were all on mainstreet. Their high school has 67 people total. We've directed shows with bigger casts. I don't know how many students were in their elementary school, but it was small. It was also depressing. It was obviously a very poor community, and...money just makes me upset. It really has so much indirect effect on things. A cheap county equals a cheap school which equals cheap teachers which (in most cases) equals bad teachers which equals poor students which equal a cheap county and over again. Believe me I know they cycle, I grew up in one. But, Bridger was worse than PC ever was.

The kids were...unfocused to say the least. I never got the idea that many of them really wanted to do the show...it was never clear why they were there. I guess they enjoyed themselves. Also...its REALLY hard to do 4 hours of rehearsal with kids who've been to school from 7-3 already. We did our best, and from the reviews we got from parents we were "the best missoula show we've had so far." So that makes me feel good. I hate how competitvely natured I am deep down, but it also makes me feel good to be a little bit better than someone at what I do. I mean, I never want someone to do poorly or be bad at something, but if I'm better and someone lets me know, it always soothes the ego a bit. Hopefully not too much.

We were in the luxurious Bridger Motel that week. No internet there. Heh. We ate a the same place every night...the Garage/Buckeye Bar. Its a bar across the street from the Motel. Casey and I wondered what the best decision was as far as going to a bar every night, but when we realized that 90% (no exaggeration whatsoever) of the employees of the bar had kids in the sbow (The cook even bought his daughter's shirt at the bar after the show on show night, with his tips) we weren't so worried. Then, the fact that many of the other parents were patrons of the bar. Like I said, the town is small, this bar is the only thing there is to do. And its actually a damn good bar. I loved the place. They gave us a token for a free beer after the show.

Not to mention they played live Texas Hold 'Em. I lost 30 bucks playing, but I always consider money lost at poker and investment on poker lessons. I really am getting more and more into the game lately, and feel like I'm turning into a marginally skilled player. I did all the right things in the game at the Buckeye, just lost on luck.

But anyway, Bridger was both depressing, but sort of comforting at the same time. Maybe I just feel good when I'm in small towns...I really enjoyed seeing the same people at the bar every night, almost becoming friends with them. Then having great conversations playing poker with them that weekend.

Now we're in Thermopolis, Wyoming...it has a considerably higher amount of life to it, and we're in a hotel with internet finally, so that's great. The kids are young. Only K-5 this week...the tour report tore them apart...but we didn't have to cast all this year like they did last year and so we got to be choosy. Also, this town is the home of either the country's largest or oldest hot springs, but I can't read the mountain in the dark. Also, from what we've observed, its home of the some of the best damn moustaches in all the Rockies, and maybe beyond.

Oh, and just because I forgot about it earlier, I want you all to take note of a picture of the accompanist from Livingston that I'll put on my picasa in the next few days. Then I'll dedicate a small post, just to him.

Fall tour. Huzzilly.

Fall Tour Resolutions

- Improve my TSD Timeliness
- Improve my Dental Hygiene- that old roller coaster
- Figure out how I'm going to buy that damn ring.
- Save more money.
- Try not to look tired at the beginning of the week, even if I'm exhausted.
- Really take in what Autumn in Montana will look and feel like.
- WORK OUT STUDENT LOANS

That's all I can think of for now.

Tragedy at Pike Central, again.

I heard the news today that one of my teachers in high school, Marty Deputy, was found dead this morning in his home, of self-inflicted hanging.

His first year teaching at school was my senior year, when I took him in a biblical literature course. I enjoyed having him as a teacher, and thought he was generally a pretty good guy. He left PC the next year to be the head wrestling coach at Jasper, before coming back to PC the year after that to be the head football coach at PC.

Its sort of incredible to me the cycle of tragedy that Pike Central goes through so often. Maybe other places go through the same sort of cyclical line of events and I only am informed about my own, but it is truly sad. Pike Central will keep going though, becoming a stronger school afterwards. I remember when a young man committed suicide my Senior Year and the struggles and sadness everyone went through afterward, but PC really came out of it improved in many ways.

Rest in Peace, Coach.