Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Hurricane Irene
Heading off to chase a hurricane on a big ship. It has already changed my itinerary and I have to embark at a different port. It requires a red eye to Miami and an early morning connection to get there, and perform on the night that I board.  I never have enjoyed traveling, especially commercial air travel.  I am close to three million miles on American Airlines, and it doesn't get any easier with repetition.
It is a very long trip and a lot of days away from home to do four hours on stage in seven days, but that is the cruise business of show business. And fortunately in my case they know that they need to pay me well for a massive amount of down time.  Most everyone on the ship will be glad to be on the ship away from home.  I will perhaps be the only one who is ready to go back home even before I board.
I was discussing these cruise ship gigs with one of my Road Monkey friends who is also a "regular".  It is always an adventure to cross country borders, immigration and customs to get on a ship in some small port.  It is never the same, the rules change daily.  It is sometimes a wonder that we ever get on the ship at the time we are supposed to.  Everything is easy once you are on the ship, but getting on and off in foreign countries is the tricky part. My friend said that it only works because those of us doing it have done it so many different ways before.  We know how to get through it, how to avoid the pits and the cruise ship  depends on us knowing how to adapt and make it all work out.  I personally get tired of reinventing the wheel every time I get on a ship. I love to perform... it is all the other stuff involved in the travel department that depresses me.
So... blogs may be sporatic at best for the next few days.  However, although access to the net is limited on a ship, I will have time to be alone with my thoughts and perhaps have some better ones than now.
As you were,
Jay

2 comments:

Aaron said...

Be safe!

P. Grecian said...

Bon voyage, Jay. Be sure to write. Stay warm. Pack dry socks. Take pictures.