Wyoming

I'm in Wyoming. In case anyone cared and didn't know already.

It's kinda fun, rehearsals haven't started yet, and until everyone else arrives next week I have an apartment to myself. Honestly, though, there are a few little things that I'm not sure are going to work with 7 in the house.

1) The washer is a washer/dryer combo, which actually kinda sucks, because it's only big enough to do half-sized loads and it takes forever because there's only one machine, so A load takes some 1.5 to 2 hours to do. I am a lone man, and it's taking me multiple days to do laundry just because I don't have time to be putting in loads all day. Not sure how to fix this, since there aren't hookups for a real washer/dryer set in the apartment, and transporting laundry on a bicycle is just not reasonable.

2) The kitchen is smaller than the upstairs bathroom, which brings me to problem

3) The bathrooms are very small and have no – repeat - No storage space.

4) I suppose a pint sized dishwasher isn't too much of a problem if you're never there (like after rehearsals start), and I suppose it's really about the size of a mini-fridge rather than a pint, but that's all one.

5) Most all the furniture in here is mine. This wouldn't be a problem if it was just me, but I don't know how hard these 6 other people are going to be on my stuff. I got it for free, granted, but it's still my stuff, and I feel a certain attachment and responsability to it. I could make it a separate problem, but what the hay, the dishes and silverware here will likely be mostly mine, too.

6) The apartment came with plants. I don't know how to take care of plants properly, and I'm pretty sure I'll forget about them. They're like 5 different plants in here, and they all have rules about how much water, how often, and how much plant food they need. I don't want to kill them, and I'm going to try to look up info about them, but I'm not sure they'll survive the summer.

7) Shopping on a bicycle sucks. I just thought I'd add that. It wouldn't be so much of a problem for most, I suppose, especially since there's a great dollar store where you can get a lot - and I mean a lot - of stuff, but when you eat as much as I do, that's a lot of stuff to carry in one load. I'm finding myself going shopping 3-4 times a week. And unless you're in love with shopping, that sucks. And yes, it's too far to walk. The bad part is, once rehearsals start, I'm probably going to be eating out more often, since we'll be having 14 hour days until the show opens (which is 2 weeks after rehearsals start). Once the show opens, I should have a little more time, but we're still talking about shopping in the morning instead of afternoon or evening, since all of those will be taken up.

Yeah, I ended up listing some general problems instead of just those of overcrowding, but they are all real, and will likely affect all or at least most of us.

There are some nice things here, too:

1) I'll probably be a significant part in the shootout, and will be doing it every night, which means I'll be shooting guns every night in front of large audiences in the town square before the show. The downside is I won't be getting all those tips from waiting tables, but I think I'll get to do some of that still anyway.

2) I'm doing props for the show, which is some stress, but mostly it's pretty cool, and I might get some moola prolly for that in addition to everything else I'm getting paid for.

3) I'm already comfortable moving around town, know where most everything important is, and am already established in my apartment. I know where a lot of good places to eat are, where to avoid, and where to go shopping for stuff.

4) The Branch out here plans things around the actors, since there are so many here in the summer. That's cool, although, night hikes that last until 2 AM with rehearsal at 830 AM don't mix very well. Still, it's coo. (Yes, I dropped the L on purpose!)

5) I got some Orange Marmalade. How is that not cool?

6) We have a nice microwave. What bachelor place could be better than one with a good microwave?

7) I get to work with some crazyfun people.

There are always ups and downs to things mortal. Make sure you count at least as many ups as you do downs.

LB