Ya know how Mac Vs. PC…they are not EXACTLY opposite and just enough that you really never know what you are doing when you are working on the “new” one? THAT is the Russian flu. I was kinda tired on Sunday, weirdly sore but thought little of it since we had spent the last 12 days in theater for 12+ hours each day and the Sat opening was pretty much the 1st time we’d done ALL the changeovers in real time, in a row.

Then came Monday…I couldn’t get warm for anything! My eyes were ridiculously puffy, I felt like I’d been run over by a train and apparently I didn’t look so hot either…as was commented by Danila.  I slept the rest of the day away with the occasional Walking Dead S2 episode thrown in.  Tuesday…for as cold as I was Monday, I was BURNING UP!!!   Wednesday I got up, felt ok.  Went to the kitchen for breakfast and had minimal balance.  Couldn’t move too fast for fear of falling from the dizzy.

So, of course, once the plague had begun to dissipate…it was time to go back to work at the theater.  Monday was Danila’s birthday so Olga invited us all over for dinner after the show Sunday night.  First and foremost, Olga has the best apartment EVER!  It’s **EXACTLY** what I want for my next apt.  Sure 2bd would be super but…1 bd with a DOOR would be nice!!!  Good eats!  Good vodka!  Good times!

And NOW we are back on a bit of a touring schedule.  Last night we went out at midnight and 0 degrees…to watch the bridges raise.  It was pretty neat but I was SHOCKED at how frigging slow it was!  I was NOT expecting it to go 14mph but maybe like…2!  It was pretty neat tho.

Today we headed out to the Imperial Porcelain Factory…I will only post pics of the pieces I did NOT buy.

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Everyday and Total Eclipse of the Heart has left my brain after a week and a half. Today’s song was…No Sleep Til Brooklyn. Hmmmm… (Magic pencil don’t fail me now!!!)

We are officially in Tech week(s). That means long days of waiting around until something explodes and/or adjusting for cyclone-Armageddon that happens when no one is looking. I can’t seem to “follow along” to the show no matter what brilliant idea I come up. The language keeps getting in the way!! But the show really is spectacular! SUCH a large group of really good actors!

The theater space is raw but there is some real charm and character to it (the back steps from 2nd to 3rd level are 3 pieces of rebar/step. SOOOO scary and yet some of the actresses run up…IN HEELS! *I* hung a couple lights! …on a ladder that has the steps zip tied on! This is Russia!! There were 2 other ladders that fit OSHA standards better but they were being used for more difficult tasks. I wish I could accurately photograph the set up so Casey could see what incredible lighting happen with 400 rubles!! (That’s about $12). It is honestly remarkable. There will be seats for 80 ticketed people for this show, there are 27 actors, 4 acts (1.5hrs ea), 3 intermissions with complete scene changes INCLUDING the seating arrangement, and one location change (to upstairs). It’s epic.

In WONDERFUL news!!!!! The heat came on yesterday!!!!! What a difference! Currently, it’s at a comfortable level. It is now always on and, from what I understand, it will likely get REALLY warm to the point the windows will need to be opened. …we’ll see

The pics are from the sky out my window this morning.

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We went to Pavlovsk to pick mushrooms, film a video (for Summer Folks…when we step in for the “children,” we have to sort of…shadowcast ourselves or something. THAT will be weird…). Pavlovsk (no dogs, no bells) is a state park that looks like a forest. Trees EVERYWHERE!!!! But apparently, a REAL Russian forest would be almost impossible to walk through because there is a swamp every 2meters or so. It rained so there were plenty of puddles everywhere and it kept raining throughout the day but mixed in with the evergreen trees were these fantastic birch and maple trees. Soooooooooooo incredible to see this vast array of gold, brown and RED leaves and thin an occasional green Christmas tree thrown into the mix. And then the wind would pick up slightly and the colored leaves would start gently falling to the ground. Holy crap(!!!!!!) it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen! I tried to take some pictures of it but I’m not sure they really turned out.

The video is of ” the Americans” doing typical Russian things…so picking the mushrooms and having a picnic. We did have a video bomber. Her name is Sasha and she is 3. She’s the daughter of the woman who is organizing/directing the children/American’s scenes. Sasha is a SUPER mushroom picker and just pure entertainment. We had little idea what she was saying most of the time but she’s absolutely adorable so it really didn’t matter. Sasha has a 7y.o. brother, Sergei who was also out with us but he was more interested in having us watch him climb trees.

Once the video was shot, we went to Pavlov’s summer palace. No pictures inside w/o paying extra…why don’t I remember to take my small camera and tag onto a tour group????? A far as the royal palaces go, this was the least ostentatious of all the homes!!!! Not EVERYTHING was gilded and there seemed to be some real thought put into the aesthetics of the place. There were beautiful stone inlays in some of the fireplaces an sure, i think it was this palace that used up ALL of one of the stones but…karma payback may have been the bombing of the place during the war. It got pretty messed up.

Now we start teaching Dashniki. I’m up early this morning to go help hang lights. Mornings are strange here. It was pitch black out at 7a and then suddenly by 7:25 it’s totally light out…northern latitudes or something. …and it’s 46degrees out…high should be 50. Woooo! Yes, I’m freezing my butt off.

There are lots and lots of pictures from the other day I can’t upload them at the moment.

10-3-12 photos uploaded ~JF

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