It has been a fantastic week.

Driving through Virginia

We had great shows on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday’s afternoon school was especially awesome, with a great staff and student body that loved the show. I want to send them candy.

NTC presented our show at the NAAEE conference in Raleigh, NC on Thursday, which gave us Wednesday and Friday off for travel.

After Tuesday’s show, we drove to Hillsville, VA to make the drive on Wednesday as short as possible. The drive through Virginia was beautiful. The trees we beginning to all turn a golden color, the road overlooked a beautiful valley, and the clouds were so close we could almost touch them.

Our first of three orders of Sushi at Orchid

We reached Raleigh and checked into our hotel without much to report. (Well we did stop in McDonalds to grab a McRib on the way. It went okay.) The Best Western we stayed at was swanky, because we had done our best to conserve our budget for the nights in Raleigh. That first night lent it’s self to swimming in the mediocre pool and all-you-can-eat made-to-order sushi from a fantastic place called Orchid Japanese Restaurant. It was all-you-can-eat sushi done right. Then we went to the Red Box to rent X-men First Class, because I had hyped it up and Andy had never seen it. He wasn’t disappointed, though he had some critiques – and valid ones. Sushi and movie night was a success.

The next day was our day for the NAAEE conference and we were pumped to present the show to educators and academics alike. We had small crowds, but they were lively and seemed to enjoy the show. The man himself, Mr. Ward Eames, flew in for his panel on Friday and was able to catch our last show. After a successful day, we joined Ward, Kevin, and Beth from TVA for dinner at Zely & Ritz, which is a local/organic restaurant that served the most delicious grit-cake I’ve ever seen. The food was delicious and the company was spectacular.

What we had learned most about Raleigh was it’s excellence in cuisine. Om nom.

The closest to St. Andrews I will be until I visit the crazy kids in Scotland

We left the next morning for a dance with Wilmington, NC. I love Wilmington and plan to return soon. Our first night in Wilmington, I headed off to the historic downtown district by myself in search of coffee and stumbled upon one of the best coffee shops I had ever been in. It was superb. I returned to pick up Andy for Dinner at Caprice Bistro, also in downtown, and had the second best cheese plate ever to grace my lips. The wine was to die for. We then caped the night with more wine and champagne at the Fortunate Glass. A drunk chick walked down the street and stopped to tell me she was a lesbian. A taxi smelling of hemp and blasting Alice Cooper took us back to the hotel. Wilmington done right.

Ocean front

The next morning took us to Goody Goody Omelet House for brunch, then to the beach for sun and fun. The weather couldn’t have been better. I found an assortment of fantastic shells to bring to Allison. The ocean always makes me feel so small and insignificant, but in a good way. It reminds me to stay humble. It also makes me feel lonely. I think this is because I feel like I have to connect with someone, because the vastness of the ocean is, honestly, quite frightening. So I thought of you a lot. And then wrote your name in the sand. And the water came up and took your name away. So it goes.

Book treasure island

We also made it to a fantastic book shop while we were in Wilmington, called Old Books on Front St. The clerk was awesome and the selection was massive, but unfortunately it didn’t have the titles I was looking for. I ended up finding a copy of Caucasian Chalk Circle,Civil Disobedience, and The Hunger Games.

When we returned to our hotel, we found a gentleman who wasn’t wearing any pants. He was wearing an adult diaper and accused me of being a cop. Another woman outside, who looked like she might have been with him, asked me to call the cops. He harassed me for some time before the cops arrived. Five cop cars and two ambulances later, the hotel staff apologized and told me he was a local who wasn’t right in the head. He was a character. I’m not sure what else to say. The next morning two more cop cars were searching a room on the other side of the hotel. We said a quick goodbye to Wilmington with the promise that we would be back, though not staying at that hotel. Eek.

No kidding

Now we are back at our favorite Super 8 in Knoxville, ready for week 6 of our tour. Tomorrow afternoon we return briefly to Kentucky, hoping we won’t run into our friend from last time. Regardless, everyday I am shocked to wake up and realize that I’m getting paid for this shit. Andy and I toast to it at every glass of wine. We are the luckiest actors in Eastern Tennessee, if not the world.

I’ll leave you with one last gem – Ecto-1 is in North Carolina.