Yes We're Still in Florida.

I'm kind of ready to see a new state. I mean, I love Florida...

But I'm kind of ready to hit the west coast. I'm not excited for the 3 day drive out there but I am excited for the pay off of getting to see a part of the country that I've never seen. I am really appreciating the weather Florida's offering though, its been a joy to run outside and play in the sand and get terrified of pelicans. Speaking of which, that handsome gent staring at you above is just that. When we rolled into our waterfront hotel in Ft. Pierce today we discovered a gaggle of pelicans (herd? flock?) that were very friendly. Apparently they liked the sound of my voice because they would flap their huge pteradactyl-like bodies in my general direction anytime I spoke to them. I was just asking if they were in Finding Nemo.

So this week has been a tour de Florida, as we've gone from Bunnell to West Palm Beach to Naples and to Fort Pierce. We head to Orange Park tomorrow and Avon Park for two days after that and then I think we finally bounce to other parts of the deep south. One thing I like about Florida is that I'm getting used to seeing palm trees everywhere, it really is like the pine of the south. On the way to Naples we saw lots of gators while we drove through the Everglades, and I saw 5! Two of those I saw with their backs sticking out of the water and the other 3 I saw sunning themselves on the banks of the water. It was a cool drive because the sky was cloudy and kind of rainy looking so the crocs looked even creepier. Plus its one thing to see them in zoos but its another to see them in their natural habitat. I dig it!

Valdosta was great, I got to hang out with a friend and he showed me around the town and took me on a tour of Valdosta State College, which is beautiful! Valdosta was also the city in which we thought we would have to figure out an understudy situation. The guy playing Old Joe busted his knee and all understudies lined up and started rehearsing in case he called out but he's such a trooper and didn't, he's been doing the show ever since. Thank goodness because I don't think we're confident enough in this day-to-day schedule to have a change like that just yet!

The most beautiful venue by far has been the one in West Palm, it had beautiful plush red velvet seats and 4 creamy gold balconies filled with audience members! It was a huge house and it felt great to have it full.

Here's pictures of this weeks' venues in this order: West Palm, West Palm, Naples, pelicans, the seats in Fort Pierce, more pelicans, Fort Pierce, the view from our hotel in Naples, and the hotel here in Fort Pierce. I think Fort Pierce's hotel kind of looks like the Tower of Terror in Disney, but it could also be the grey sky.

I chatted with some audience members at the pool this afternoon, which was great, they were so excited to see the show! They live in Florida now but they are both from Allentown, PA which was really nice to hear because there's a few of us on tour from the Nazareth/Allentown/Bethlehem area. Small world!

Also-last night's show in Naples was the first show after which we did not receive a standing ovation. Rude! I mean they stood at the end of bows, but I'm pretty sure they were standing to start trying to leave. They were quiet but I believe they had a good time.

I also had an awkward moment with a stranger today when we stopped for lunch, our conversation went like this: "Excuse me sir, where am I?" "What?" "Where am I, what city am I in?" "(slowly) Boca Raton...did you not know that?" "No I was asleep until now." "(silence)" "I'm on a bus, I'm on tour and I was just sleeping, so I just woke up and didn't know where I was." "(silence)" "Have a good day!" Looking back now he was totally in the right but at the time in my I-just-woke-up mood I couldn't believe he wasn't more sensitive to the situation.

So anyway tomorrow's Orange Park, pictures to come of that! If I think of any interesting happenings that I forgot I'll add on to tomorrow's post. See y'all later!

PS-Shout out to all my Memphis family doing UPTAs right now, sorry I'm missing it!!