Gonna thank me later for giving this one a miss

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This post covers the weekend.

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First, Thursday evening's show was "ok-but-weird."
For some reason, every single one of us in the pit was struggling. Even DAR, even the drummer!
I remember there were days like this on the circus sometimes...it was like we all hit a cosmic stumbling block and struggled for no discernible reason. It's a thing that happens on tours, I think? Where you're playing the same thing over and over again, and idk what causes it. It's very mysterious and weird.
DAR actually apologized afterward, and we were like, "No, don't apologize, it's us too! Join the club!"

But other than that, the show was still just fine, so....*shrug*

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FRIDAY

I fell asleep early. Woke up once to pee and saw that Jameson had finished his third/final overnight with Disney around 3:30am(!)
Congratulated him via text so he'd see it in the morning, and slept again until 7:30am.

I was up early to do laundry. My throat feels bad from postnasal drip, but whatever, it still feels like a mild thing brought on from stress. I am SO GLAD that I managed to reserve Friday entirely for myself to rest and recharge.

Some of you will think I'm being a baby / overly dramatic by needing a whole day to recover from extroversion like it's some big deal. And maybe I AM being a baby? But my anxiety used to be a LOT worse than it is now, and has gotten much more manageable over the years. When there are weeks like this one, where every day is non-stop go go go--outings, interactions, performances, events, evaluations, every single day--I may be able to HIDE the fact that I'm stressed, but ultimately "the body keeps the score." Long-term fight or flight activation for days in a row often results in physical symptoms and a need to intentionally withdraw so I can rest, recover, and convince my subconscious to calm down. I don't WANT to have to do that, but haven't found a better solution that doesn't involve dependency on some sort of drug.

All that is to say that I did laundry and then stayed in my pajamas for the entire day. After lunch I walked to MOMs Organic Market for another tube of that fantastic chai lotion (I never want to run out of it!) and some oats. Wrote to O'Malley Brass Instruments, who is building my trombone, and was dismayed to hear that the timeline is now 6 months or so. In other words I won't have a trombone until the end of this year at the earliest. That isn't the timeline we'd discussed by far, but at the same time I understand they're literally five people building horns from scratch and they'll take as long as they take.

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SATURDAY

TMI Warning, highlight white text to read: ( Around 2am I woke up with painful abdominal cramps and had to rush to the bathroom. And that's pretty much how the rest of the night went, all the way up to 8am or so :( It was diarrhea and nausea but no vomiting. I have no idea if I ate something bad, or if it's a virus, or what. Around 7:30am after I'd been dealing with this for 5 hours, I tried to eat breakfast and found I was too nauseous for it. Forced myself to drink half a cup of coffee just to avoid a caffeine headache later. Texted DAR to simply say I wasn't feeling well and could we make sure that the pit door would not latch behind us (it has an auto-lock function, as we found one intermission when it locked us into the pit!) I'd hate to have a bathroom emergency and be TRAPPED in the pit!! He confirmed and sent condolences. I then texted Raven, who was supposed to arrive around 10am, to let her know that I was sick and might not be able to follow through with our plans for the day (which were Liberty Bell and lunch at a nice restaurant.) She said she'd gotten delayed anyway and wouldn't arrive until 11ish. In lieu of breakfast, I found sugar and salt packets in the hotel room and mixed them with water to create a nasty sort of electrolyte-thing, sipped that, and curled up in the bed trying to ride out this nastiness.   END)

When Raven arrived I was still feeling bad enough that I didn't want to come get her. Instead, I suggested she swing through Reading Terminal Market because she's like me and I knew she'd be captivated by everything in there. Asked her to find something nice for herself for lunch and bring it to the hotel, where she could either risk being in the room with me or I could give her a key to the lounge on the lower level and she could eat in warmth and with a TV. While she was doing that, I dragged myself out of bed, got cleaned up and dressed for work, and straightened up the hotel room for company. AND wiped down all the touch points, AND put on a mask.

Being my sister, she wouldn't hear of anything but coming to my room, and not only that she picked me up a Gatorade and a big hot bowl of homemade Amish chicken soup!! I could have cried. It has been a long time since anyone "mothered" me and it was very much needed today.

We ate together...well, she ate, and I took a few bites and sipped some broth before feeling nauseous again and having to stop. We chatted about everything that sisters talk about, as much as we could, before it was time to walk to the theater for the show. And before anyone asks: yes, I had two shows to play today while sick. This is the downside of a life in music (and many of the arts, while we're at it.) It's a selective skill to begin with; only so many professional-level trombonists are in the area, even in a big city like Philly. And then, even among professional-level trombonists, there are few who could sightread a Broadway show requiring doubling on tenor and bass trombone, to the level required for the show. I'm not even sure that *I* could do it if asked. So unless it is a REAL emergency, i.e. your appendix has ruptured or you cannot stop puking or something, you MUST play the show no matter how badly you feel (or whether your peers might also become infected.) Womp WOMP sad trombone, but that is the price of doing what you love.

I walked Raven to the box office where we retrieved her tickets, then to the lobby where we parted ways. I went backstage and steeled myself for a rough show, and it WAS rough for me. It is hard to blow air through big tubes when your stomach is a mess and when your body is exhausted and aching. But my personal issues aside, the show went very well. I was glad that nothing wonky happened while Raven was there! She came to the pit at intermission to say hello, and also after the exit music so that I could introduce her to my coworkers. DAR and Tim (trumpet) were so sweet, they took the opportunity to butter me up and say how they enjoyed working with me :)

Raven is not much of a one for pictures; she took a pic of the program and that's about it.


On the way out the door I saw that our presenter (the theater reps, I think that means?) had brought a huge goodie bag full of Pennsylvania specialty treats: TastyCakes, Herrs potato chips, Keebler cookies, Utz pretzels, Asher's chocolates, and more!


I grabbed one with the intention of giving it to Raven but Ryu (violin) said she didn't want hers, so I took that one to Rave instead! We walked back to the hotel...slowly, because now I had a low-grade fever and body aches. Uuuugh :( When we got back we decided to just DoorDash something. Raven ordered tacos and I got some al pastor tacos knowing I couldn't eat them now but maybe they'd come in handy tomorrow. When the food arrived she ate her burrito and I warmed up the chicken soup. I was pleased to be able to eat half of it this time, along with half a bagel and half a banana (why all these halves lol.)

Soon it was time for Raven to catch her bus, and I had to walk to the theater. We hugged and parted ways in front of the hotel. Although I really wish I hadn't suddenly gotten sick and ruined our well-laid plans, I am so, so grateful for my sister and for being able to spend any time with her. And I really, really hope she doesn't catch whatever I've got. C'mon universe, don't repay her kindness with yuck!!

The evening show was good but we had one show hold when Maurice's invention broke (that thing, I swear! Crew must be having a meltdown over it!) I had taken some painkillers with dinner and they got me through the show, but by the end of it I was very much ready to lie down. On the way back to the hotel I met some of Tim's (trumpet) family, who had come out to see the show. They were all adorable and pleasant, and I made sure to butter Tim up as he had done for me with my sister!

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SUNDAY

Thankfully, oh thank goodness, I was able to sleep through the night (or as much as I normally would.) I did not have a fever when I woke up, or anything else going on except (TMI highlight text to read:   still having the runs and starting my period and  )  still feeling under the weather. I decided to try a normal breakfast, and although that went well, digestion made me feel too nauseous for a full lunch. I managed half a banana and the last dredges of chicken soup. Packed snacks for the theater and started packing for the bus ride to Pittsburgh.

Forgot to mention that yesterday we found out that there's a nor'easter moving in. Being from Pennsylvania, I have been through several of these storms. They are essentially a winter hurricane. And as such they feature heavy snowfall, high winds, whiteout conditions, and are overall extremely dangerous. Forecasts were conflicting on Saturday, but as of today they're saying between 16-22 inches (40-55cm) in Philadelphia between Sunday night and Monday, plus 45mph (72kph) winds. We have a 6-hour bus ride to Pittsburgh on Monday, and we're all kind of wondering how that's going to go.
(remember that you can click on the image to open it in a new tab, and click it again to enlarge it.)


But the other issue was my that sister Kate and her family were to come see the show on Sunday. They would be driving 2.5 hours to get here, then 2.5 hours back in the initial phases of this incoming storm. I wrote to her to reassure her that it was totally OK to cancel if she didn't feel safe. And ultimately after watching the forecasts for a while, she decided she'd rather not risk it (and I don't blame her one bit.) I am bummed that she won't get to see our show and we won't get to visit...but on the upside I'd much rather she be safe, AND I was able to get a refund for her tickets, which I was not expecting (there's usually a no refund policy.) Huzzah!

And that's why I got to have a slow morning with time to settle my stomach and pack before getting dressed and walking to the theater for our final show here in Philly.



It was a totally normal show and a good audience, though clearly weather had been an issue for more than just my family as there were several patches of empty seats. I could FEEL everyone's impatience to finish the show; many people are involved in loading out in this blizzard, and many are driving their own cars and were anxious to get out of dodge ahead of the storm. But we all still did an excellent job, and soon enough the show was finished and we were hurriedly packing up. 

While I was packing, a little girl waved and yelled down to me: "How does Chip get on that table?" 
It's the first time I've been asked that! I finally got to give the classic answer: "It's DISNEY MAGIC!!"
She put her hands on her hips and gave me a questionable look while her parents laughed. Sorry, no spoilers, kid! :D

(photo courtesy QPAC/Queensland production. Chip is in the center of the table.)

I am always very fast to load out. As I was leaving, I could see that crew were FLYING to pack up...they're always fast but this time they were HUSTLING. And once outside I could see why. It was already snowing heavily. Big wet flakes falling from the sky so fast and thick that I was soaked in minutes. 


Video w/sound.


I walked quickly back to the hotel and typed this post off while my coat dried. And then...sweet rest. 
A hot cup of tea and the tacos that Raven had gotten me yesterday (managed them without too much stomach complaints.) 
Curling up under the covers with Priory of the Orange Tree. 

Bye, Philly. 
Maybe next time I'll actually get to SEE you!! 

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Monday: A riveting 6-hour bus ride to Pittsburgh, and settling in.

Tuesday: Opening day in Pittsburgh.