They also had a popeyes, which tasted delicious after spending 3 months in Asia.. So tasty!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Reunited and It Feels so Good!!!
So this was the scene, when my friend Michelle and I flew back into Macau after our vacation in Thailand. We had to take a shuttle that was at 6pm... only to sit in the Hong Kong airport for 14 hours before our flight back to the States at 9am the next morning. So we were lucky to find some cushie seats and a lounge that gave us free internet.
They also had a popeyes, which tasted delicious after spending 3 months in Asia.. So tasty!
They also had a popeyes, which tasted delicious after spending 3 months in Asia.. So tasty!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Chloride, Az
So Amelia and I are both fascinated with "Ghost Towns" of the west. We did a little research and found some around Vegas. Chloride, AZ is just that. It was one of the first major boom towns due to the silver found in the mines up in the hills from the little town. They had a couple decades of mining silver and then it ended before like 1900. So we did a little exploring of our own and ate in the old-fashioned restaurant in town.
The place was a little touristy, with its "old west" false-front town and weekend gun shooting competitions. The town is also very famous because of a western known artist that did alot of rock paintings up in the hillside.
The place was a little touristy, with its "old west" false-front town and weekend gun shooting competitions. The town is also very famous because of a western known artist that did alot of rock paintings up in the hillside.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
REALLLLY!
So living the domestic life has proven to be challenging, fun, exciting, busy, boring, and new to me all at the same time. Amelia and I are trying really hard to eat out as little as possible and cook fresh and healthy meals for ourselves. It works some of the time, other times we are so bored in our apartment we consider it a luxury to get out of the house and try a new restaurant around Vegas. And still sometimes Amelia and I just have difference of taste buds and decide to eat our own meal.
On one such occasion, Amelia decides she is going to have peanut butter sandwiches and bean soup. We'll, separately, i wouldn't mind either of these. But my lovely girlfriend has come up with her own way of eating them. She enjoys dipping the sandwich in the soup. Well, as much as i love her, i think this is disgusting. Oh well, to each there own. Love you baby!
On one such occasion, Amelia decides she is going to have peanut butter sandwiches and bean soup. We'll, separately, i wouldn't mind either of these. But my lovely girlfriend has come up with her own way of eating them. She enjoys dipping the sandwich in the soup. Well, as much as i love her, i think this is disgusting. Oh well, to each there own. Love you baby!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Vegas or Bust
So this is the blog of my planning and trip out to Vegas. I spent almost 2 weeks, going through all of my belongings to determine what i would need and should go with me to Vegas. If you could have seen my mom's basement it was packed to the roof in about a 10ft by 10ft space of all the crap i have collected over the years. At least 20 rubbermade bins of crap from my mom's old house that she moved from in 2003, xmas gifts from the last 5 years, unopened boxes that i had shipped home from tour over the last 5 years, and lots of other shit.
Unfortunatly the Gumby slippers didn't make the cut.
It was a long 3 days traveling out to Vegas and some scary moments with my 12year old truck attempting to get over the mountains with the uhaul we were pulling. We were pretty excited to get to Colorado and stop at the visitor's center.
We stopped for the night an hour outside Denver.
The next day we traveled through the beautiful mountain roads winding through Colorado. Then we spent the afternoon an in Utah. Night 2 we stopped off about 6 hours from Vegas. On day 3 we spent another 3 hours in Utah, then 2 hours in Az, and finally about 2 hours in NV to arrive in Vegas.
It was a busy, wild trip but we had alot of fun and happy to arrive in our new apartment.
Unfortunatly the Gumby slippers didn't make the cut.
It was a long 3 days traveling out to Vegas and some scary moments with my 12year old truck attempting to get over the mountains with the uhaul we were pulling. We were pretty excited to get to Colorado and stop at the visitor's center.
We stopped for the night an hour outside Denver.The next day we traveled through the beautiful mountain roads winding through Colorado. Then we spent the afternoon an in Utah. Night 2 we stopped off about 6 hours from Vegas. On day 3 we spent another 3 hours in Utah, then 2 hours in Az, and finally about 2 hours in NV to arrive in Vegas.
It was a busy, wild trip but we had alot of fun and happy to arrive in our new apartment.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Game Night- Part 1
In all of our boredom around the apartment, one day Amelia and I decided to have game night with a little Jinga fun. THAT GIRL IS IN CRAZYTOWN!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Our New Apartment
Finally, I give you some photo's of our apartment. Unfortunatly the one of our bedroom didn't turn out well, so i will have to get more up later. It is a 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom. Here is our den and tv room w/ fireplace and walk-out patio.
Attached to that is the kitchen and small eating area. Next to it we have our own washer and dryer (SO NICE!)
Then we have the 2nd bedroom, that is currently just storage. Attached to the 2nd bedroom is the 2nd bathroom. Should you be able to come visit us in Vegas this will be your "High Rollers" suite!
And finally our bedroom (no photo) with our master bathroom and our walk in closet. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing it is to have a walk-in closet!
Attached to that is the kitchen and small eating area. Next to it we have our own washer and dryer (SO NICE!)
Then we have the 2nd bedroom, that is currently just storage. Attached to the 2nd bedroom is the 2nd bathroom. Should you be able to come visit us in Vegas this will be your "High Rollers" suite!
And finally our bedroom (no photo) with our master bathroom and our walk in closet. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing it is to have a walk-in closet!
Genocide Sucks!
Alright, so i have to start this blog off saying that it has taken me almost 2 months to write what i will want to say and get past the depressing nature of this topic. The last day of our vacation to Cambodia, we spent it running around Phenom Phen and learning of the horrifying and uncivilized practices that took place during the Pol Pot Regime between 1976 and 1980.
During this period the entire population of Cambodia was ordered to report to the countryside and placed into slave labor of work camps and farming communities. Any civilian that was of middle or upper class society at the time were either killed or tortured to make sure they were not against the new government. The lowest class of people in Cambodia that mainly consisted of farmers were considered the "ideal" citizen of the new government and were thus put into important roles to look after all the enslaved other people. For 4 years the Pol Pot regime "AKA" the Khmer Rouge committed genocide on the people of Cambodia and uprooted everyone from normal life and robbed them of all there freedoms. This included taking all money and valuables from there people, placing them in horrible living conditions, sending away young children and teens to work camps to be placed into the army, permission to rape any women that flaunts her body, enslaving them to farm food for the government and only being allow a minimal amount of food for themselves, and separating men and women into different camps.
The first place we visited was in downtown Phenom Phen to an enslavement camp. This elementary school turn torture jail was used during the 4 years of the Khmer Rouge rise to power and is now the genocide history museum of Cambodia.
Occupants were enslaved and tortured only to be killed in the most inhuman ways. As a document to the jail, there is a local artist that is featured recalling all of his memories of the time. Here are a few of his works...
And below is a torture chamber used to beat inmates into submission.
Pretty depressing huh. I will say at this point to let you relax from the horrifying info i have given you thus far that I think it is very important to learn about the past history of our world (bad or good) in an effort to stop this from ever happening again. I do get very depressed especially having been there, but i just hope that at some point our society as a whole has moved past this horrific part of history. The people of Cambodia were promised alot as they first thought the Khmer Rouge soldiers were trying to help them escape from the "Youn's" of Vietnam. The overall thought was that Vietnamese were a very immoral people, and yet the government of Cambodia was just brainwashing their own people into believing it.
The 2nd part of our day, we drove out into the countryside of Cambodia to "the Killing Fields". Upon arrival you are greeted by a large mosque and dedication to those who lost there lives here during the genocide years. At first glance you think it is a very peaceful building.
It is a little more horrifying and surreal when you step into the building. Each level of the structure holds the remains of heads and bones of those that died here and were NOT even buried. Of the ones that were buried, they were simply shot and placed into mass graves sometimes with 300-500 bodies. The total amount of people that lost there lives in this 4 year bit of history was more than 300,000. Which was almost 1/4 of all Cambodians in 1980.
It didn't even hit me as to how depressing and horrible this was, until you walk around the grounds. Most of the land is unchanged from the original process of children getting dragged away from there parents, and being tortured and killed. For the most part you are just looking at empty holes in the ground and lots of clothes scattered around the ground.
This tree was used to beat people and hang them from it with nooses. The site of seeing so many clothes scattered just is evidence of how scared the men, women, and children were when they came here. Striped of all basic comforts and freedoms of the best this world has to offer and allowed to die because government power and paranoia got the best of the Khmer Rouge.
During this period the entire population of Cambodia was ordered to report to the countryside and placed into slave labor of work camps and farming communities. Any civilian that was of middle or upper class society at the time were either killed or tortured to make sure they were not against the new government. The lowest class of people in Cambodia that mainly consisted of farmers were considered the "ideal" citizen of the new government and were thus put into important roles to look after all the enslaved other people. For 4 years the Pol Pot regime "AKA" the Khmer Rouge committed genocide on the people of Cambodia and uprooted everyone from normal life and robbed them of all there freedoms. This included taking all money and valuables from there people, placing them in horrible living conditions, sending away young children and teens to work camps to be placed into the army, permission to rape any women that flaunts her body, enslaving them to farm food for the government and only being allow a minimal amount of food for themselves, and separating men and women into different camps.
The first place we visited was in downtown Phenom Phen to an enslavement camp. This elementary school turn torture jail was used during the 4 years of the Khmer Rouge rise to power and is now the genocide history museum of Cambodia.
Occupants were enslaved and tortured only to be killed in the most inhuman ways. As a document to the jail, there is a local artist that is featured recalling all of his memories of the time. Here are a few of his works...
And below is a torture chamber used to beat inmates into submission.
Pretty depressing huh. I will say at this point to let you relax from the horrifying info i have given you thus far that I think it is very important to learn about the past history of our world (bad or good) in an effort to stop this from ever happening again. I do get very depressed especially having been there, but i just hope that at some point our society as a whole has moved past this horrific part of history. The people of Cambodia were promised alot as they first thought the Khmer Rouge soldiers were trying to help them escape from the "Youn's" of Vietnam. The overall thought was that Vietnamese were a very immoral people, and yet the government of Cambodia was just brainwashing their own people into believing it.
The 2nd part of our day, we drove out into the countryside of Cambodia to "the Killing Fields". Upon arrival you are greeted by a large mosque and dedication to those who lost there lives here during the genocide years. At first glance you think it is a very peaceful building.
It is a little more horrifying and surreal when you step into the building. Each level of the structure holds the remains of heads and bones of those that died here and were NOT even buried. Of the ones that were buried, they were simply shot and placed into mass graves sometimes with 300-500 bodies. The total amount of people that lost there lives in this 4 year bit of history was more than 300,000. Which was almost 1/4 of all Cambodians in 1980.
It didn't even hit me as to how depressing and horrible this was, until you walk around the grounds. Most of the land is unchanged from the original process of children getting dragged away from there parents, and being tortured and killed. For the most part you are just looking at empty holes in the ground and lots of clothes scattered around the ground.
This tree was used to beat people and hang them from it with nooses. The site of seeing so many clothes scattered just is evidence of how scared the men, women, and children were when they came here. Striped of all basic comforts and freedoms of the best this world has to offer and allowed to die because government power and paranoia got the best of the Khmer Rouge.
I have spent alot of long nights thinking about this tragic note in all of our history. And the reason it matters to those of us in the western world is because this could happen to any society no matter how well civilized we think we are.
I just got done reading a book called "First They Killed My Father" and i really think everyone should read this. When i was in college I took a Genocide course and that course doesn't even begin to explain the horror that you understand when you learn the true facts about this event.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Did you have a lighting programmer at your birthday?
As i have started to get setup out in Vegas, i have taken on alot of projects at different Casino's. Most of the time i am just an over hire electrician or help set up whatever part of a convention/ rock concert/ birthday/ Car preview i am assigned to.
And thankfully sometimes i have been assigned as a programmer and lighting designer for a few events. As most of you know my true love is running a console or designing a show, so it has been fun doing random different shows.
As usual, I got a phone call to go in the following week to program a show. You really don't get much detail for the job you are going to do. All i knew was that there were 20 moving light and a Whole Hog Lighting console (which i used the 4 years i was out with Sesame Street). So i was pretty excited about it.
Upon getting there, it turned out to be a live band, dinner, and dance floor for some guy's 60th bday. I mean really!!! Who rents 20,000 in lighting and about 50,000 overall just for a birthday. I guess i wouldn't know. It was tons of fun and it went all night and to me that means... overtime.
So here is the birthday cake for the party. Pretty much sums up the moto of the party...
My favorite part over the course of the 7 hour party, was when the cake was brought out. My lighting world was set up right next to the kitchen so i saw all the prep work that went into the 1000 or so plates that left the kitchen. And when it came time for the cake to roll out, you could feel the nervousness in the air. So about 6 people were around the cake when it was rolled out into the middle of the room. As you can see from the picture, all the money and brown part of the box for the money was cake. They started to sing, and the second the singing was done a man walked over to the cake... And flipped off the entire top of the cake. AKA the lid of the money. Well you can only imagine, when this dude flips off the top of it smashed all over the dance floor. And at that moment you could just here all the waiters hearts stop.. ANd they jumped to the floor to try and save any of it. I was cracking up. And oh course the top of the cake was ruined.
And thankfully sometimes i have been assigned as a programmer and lighting designer for a few events. As most of you know my true love is running a console or designing a show, so it has been fun doing random different shows.
As usual, I got a phone call to go in the following week to program a show. You really don't get much detail for the job you are going to do. All i knew was that there were 20 moving light and a Whole Hog Lighting console (which i used the 4 years i was out with Sesame Street). So i was pretty excited about it.
Upon getting there, it turned out to be a live band, dinner, and dance floor for some guy's 60th bday. I mean really!!! Who rents 20,000 in lighting and about 50,000 overall just for a birthday. I guess i wouldn't know. It was tons of fun and it went all night and to me that means... overtime.
So here is the birthday cake for the party. Pretty much sums up the moto of the party...
My favorite part over the course of the 7 hour party, was when the cake was brought out. My lighting world was set up right next to the kitchen so i saw all the prep work that went into the 1000 or so plates that left the kitchen. And when it came time for the cake to roll out, you could feel the nervousness in the air. So about 6 people were around the cake when it was rolled out into the middle of the room. As you can see from the picture, all the money and brown part of the box for the money was cake. They started to sing, and the second the singing was done a man walked over to the cake... And flipped off the entire top of the cake. AKA the lid of the money. Well you can only imagine, when this dude flips off the top of it smashed all over the dance floor. And at that moment you could just here all the waiters hearts stop.. ANd they jumped to the floor to try and save any of it. I was cracking up. And oh course the top of the cake was ruined. Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
COLD HARD CASH
When coming back into Hong Kong, they paid me to come into there country!!! So awesome.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Karma's a bitch
So though it is hard to keep a blog running in my everyday life, i do still want to keep all my loyal readers in the loop as to the life and times of a stagehand.
As you know i am working now for 4 different production company's. For the purpose of not getting fired or seriously pissing somone off I will do my best to conceal the city, job, company, and show in which i am refering to. But in the end I am sure my dear friends will figure out alot of that.
So recently I was on a call as the a hydrolic hand placing the lifts and stage in place for a major concert. I was mainly picked for the job because of my height and weight. It really irks me that so many times in technical theatre (and i am sure in most jobs) the big guy is assumed to be able to lift and handle the most weight. So here we are lifting all these heavy steel beams and compressers and it really just wasn't the funnest of jobs. Not that the lifting was the worst part, we were also working with 2 of the traveling crew. One of which was alot of fun to work with, he joked around, didn't take his job to seriously, and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty to help us out. The otherone was a complete asshole. He had no respect for anyone he was working with(multiple times he would bitch about his coworkers).
After we had placed all the components of the show, we had to run out the air hoses to get to there perspective places. We start to pull out the first air hose(100' long), which was about 4" in diameter and took 2 guys to pull out cause it was so heavy. And one of the guys we had been working with all day came over and startes yelling at us. "wait, wait, you need to turn the box to take the hose out". We'll considering that i have never "turned" a box to accomadate a hose, we found this rather odd. Regardless, he came over and started pulling the hose out of the box, while 3 guys started to spin this box. He continued to yell "faster, faster!!!" as we picked up speed on this 3'X3' box spinning faster and faster out of control. All of a sudden the box spins straight into his crouch and he bends over in two.
As he walked away cussing and bending in pain, the 3 of us could do nothing but smile at each other. And when he was out of ear shot we started cracking the hell up! I guess sometimes if you are an asshole, it will come back to knock you to your knees!
As you know i am working now for 4 different production company's. For the purpose of not getting fired or seriously pissing somone off I will do my best to conceal the city, job, company, and show in which i am refering to. But in the end I am sure my dear friends will figure out alot of that.
So recently I was on a call as the a hydrolic hand placing the lifts and stage in place for a major concert. I was mainly picked for the job because of my height and weight. It really irks me that so many times in technical theatre (and i am sure in most jobs) the big guy is assumed to be able to lift and handle the most weight. So here we are lifting all these heavy steel beams and compressers and it really just wasn't the funnest of jobs. Not that the lifting was the worst part, we were also working with 2 of the traveling crew. One of which was alot of fun to work with, he joked around, didn't take his job to seriously, and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty to help us out. The otherone was a complete asshole. He had no respect for anyone he was working with(multiple times he would bitch about his coworkers).
After we had placed all the components of the show, we had to run out the air hoses to get to there perspective places. We start to pull out the first air hose(100' long), which was about 4" in diameter and took 2 guys to pull out cause it was so heavy. And one of the guys we had been working with all day came over and startes yelling at us. "wait, wait, you need to turn the box to take the hose out". We'll considering that i have never "turned" a box to accomadate a hose, we found this rather odd. Regardless, he came over and started pulling the hose out of the box, while 3 guys started to spin this box. He continued to yell "faster, faster!!!" as we picked up speed on this 3'X3' box spinning faster and faster out of control. All of a sudden the box spins straight into his crouch and he bends over in two.
As he walked away cussing and bending in pain, the 3 of us could do nothing but smile at each other. And when he was out of ear shot we started cracking the hell up! I guess sometimes if you are an asshole, it will come back to knock you to your knees!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
I'M BACK
Alright... So back by popular demand cause everyone missed me!!! Hopefully my loyal readers will catch back on that I am indeed still blogging.
I have to say that i was much more intent and focused on blogs when i was removed from the western world and all of its evil ways. But recently alot of new things have been going on in my life, and having just gotten back from China, it was a big transition for me.
So this blog will be kind of a "catch-up" to all my loyal readers as to what has happened since i have been back from China. And an FYI. I have 2 more blogs i have yet to post and will get them out sometime. One is very depressing, it documents my trip to the genecide museum and the killing fields. I just got done reading a book i bought in Cambodia called "First they killed my father". Again, depressing but welcome to Cambodia and its horrible past. And if you happen to watch the Amazing Race, 2 episodes ago they had a whole show in Cambodia. Yep i was there!! Great place to visit, but don't make me go back.
Anyways, the 2nd blog you will see sometime, is of my 14 hour "hang time" in the Hong Kong airport, due to a shitty flight schedule.
Vegas is great, if you haven't called me lately to hear about what is going on in my life you should. And YES, i have tried to get back into a better habit of calling people myseld. So our place is great, more on that later. I am now working for 4 different production companies nad getting about 20-30 hours a week, so it is starting to pick up.
CUrrently i am down in Alto, NM and working on Superstar for 2 weeks. After that it is back to Vegas and Thanksgiving with my baby!!! I can't wait.
Thats all you get, cause the internet at the Comfort Inn sucks. I am actually drinking a beer in the router room... GOod times.
Keep reading. IIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMM BACK!!!
I have to say that i was much more intent and focused on blogs when i was removed from the western world and all of its evil ways. But recently alot of new things have been going on in my life, and having just gotten back from China, it was a big transition for me.
So this blog will be kind of a "catch-up" to all my loyal readers as to what has happened since i have been back from China. And an FYI. I have 2 more blogs i have yet to post and will get them out sometime. One is very depressing, it documents my trip to the genecide museum and the killing fields. I just got done reading a book i bought in Cambodia called "First they killed my father". Again, depressing but welcome to Cambodia and its horrible past. And if you happen to watch the Amazing Race, 2 episodes ago they had a whole show in Cambodia. Yep i was there!! Great place to visit, but don't make me go back.
Anyways, the 2nd blog you will see sometime, is of my 14 hour "hang time" in the Hong Kong airport, due to a shitty flight schedule.
Vegas is great, if you haven't called me lately to hear about what is going on in my life you should. And YES, i have tried to get back into a better habit of calling people myseld. So our place is great, more on that later. I am now working for 4 different production companies nad getting about 20-30 hours a week, so it is starting to pick up.
CUrrently i am down in Alto, NM and working on Superstar for 2 weeks. After that it is back to Vegas and Thanksgiving with my baby!!! I can't wait.
Thats all you get, cause the internet at the Comfort Inn sucks. I am actually drinking a beer in the router room... GOod times.
Keep reading. IIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMM BACK!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)