Silver Linings Are Worth Their Weight In Gold?

Hello! I am reporting live from Serious Coffee, my favorite caffeine spot in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The end of another cruise has arrived and it will soon be time to start all over with a new set of passengers.

For those of you that may not know, I am spending my summer in Alaska aboard the ms Amsterdam. This is my second contract in Alaska and not much has changed up here. Each port has its own unique feeling, yet they all have a certain amount of rugged, outdoorsy energy. As I spend more time here, it becomes abundantly clear that Sarah Palin could not be from anywhere else. Hence the reason that I do not wish to spend anymore time here than I must contractually spend.

I was meant to finish my contract on September 2nd and HAPPILY return home. However, we have been extended through December 5th. The silver lining in this situation is the fact that I will finally be able to visit Australia and New Zealand. The hard part is that I have already had to turn down / missed the opportunity for two projects with fantastic creative teams. I resolve to remain positive about these additional three months, yet my heart is longing for home more than I can adequately express through words. No, this would require you to see me running amok like a stone-throwing anarchist.

I am very much looking forward to August when I will be joined by a special guest for a week of cruising debauchery. This man is a brilliant writer and I may be planning to tie him to a chair at my desk and make sure that he completes a novel in that time. I jest, of course. Seriously though, you know who you are. Write me a novel!

Time is rushing away and the warm embrace of a sunny day calls my name, so it shall be here that I bid you adieu.

Love wins,
Joey

Hello? Is it me you are looking for?

I do apologize that it has been quite some time since I have posted. I shall be more attentive in the future.

A new post will be coming shortly.

But for now, 'til then...

Whether or Not

I stand and I look right at you, thoughts running through my head. How I thought you were my best friend, but now it's different. Nobody could have planned it, but still you went on right through, broke the trust that I had in you.

Whether or not you know it. Whether or not I show it. I can't forget and I won't forgive, but I travel along. I know you never meant to hurt me, and it's easy to say that we'll be okay. Cause now, I've seen you laugh, you've seen me smile. We joke around, when all the while, I'm just falling deeper.

Whether or not you know it. Whether or not I show it. I can't forget and I won't forgive, but I travel along giving you that thought that I moved on. I don't want to lose you, but this is the truth.

I stand and I look at you two. I see why you both work out. He's yours without a doubt. I wish that I could play that role, be the one to share your joy with, but I'm still with these feelings I can't control.

Whether or not you know it. Whether or not I show it. I can't forget and I won't forgive, but I travel on giving you that thought...

But I've not moved on.

Message Received

I am a bit of a romantic. Okay, okay, when I say "a bit," I mean I am a hopeless, bright-eyed, often-times naive romantic. This trait has paved the way for some major love mishaps. In fact, a teeny bopper rom-com could be written around these mishaps. That being said, let the cameras roll.

I received a text message recently that was not intended for my eyes. Actually, I can't prove that it wasn't meant for me, only hope. It detailed what a predicament the sender was in after the time that I had spent with sender. It then continued to say that sender did not know how to "get rid" of me. I also received a new name: "busted mistake." I was unaware that I had applied for a new name, but that choice does have a certain ring to it. Is that Hebrew? It might sound better in French: "faute bousillée," or "erreur éclatée." Screw it, just call me "BM." I can't win.

After my initial shock, I thought about the events leading up to this message, the textapades, if you will. I had asked the sender in previous messages to let me know the moment that he/she felt that he/she couldn't carry on a "textlationship." In other words, I gave the sender an easy out. However, the sender replied that everything was fine and I needn't worry about it. Well that is fantastic! I was given proof that I need not be worried about overstaying my digital welcome and could rest peacefully in knowing that the messages would continue. The messages did not continue until the message that I wasn't even supposed to see.

I'm not losing sleep over this mishap, nor am I even going to do anything to retaliate against the sender. At this point, what good would that do? It might make me feel like I've defended my honor, but it would only last a fleeting moment. No, no, I'll just chalk this one up to yet another backfire in the horribly damaged shotgun that is my quasi-love life.

My only advice to you, my readers, would be to be honest with everyone you know. You can save people a lot of hurt later down the road by taking ownership for your feelings and theirs as well. It might not be the easiest thing to do at the time, but wouldn't you want someone to do that for you?

To the sender, although I highly doubt you're reading this, let me just say...your message was received loud and clear.

NYC LGBT Youth Vigil

Click on the thumbnail above to see the whole album.

Last night in Washington Square Park in New York City, thousands gathered to let LGBT youth know that they are loved. There has been a rise in suicides among teens who have been bullied excessively because they are or have been labeled as gay or lesbian. Governor Patterson was there with us in the cold rain and let us know that he is standing with us to get anti-bullying laws to include LGBT youth. Cheyenne Jackson closed out the vigil by leading the crowd in a heartfelt version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

"The sun is on my neck, the wind is in my face."

Howdy y'all. I'm writing to you from Dallas, TX. Actually, I'm in Irving, TX, but we'll be playing Dallas this weekend. I have an update to my previous post.

I will no longer be working with Spirit Productions. I was recently contacted by another previous employer, Stiletto Entertainment, Stiletto for short. Stiletto casts and produces all production shows aboard the ships of Holland America Cruise Lines. I have had the privilege of working aboard 3 of their ships and am about to board my 4th, possibly 5th.

In November, I will begin rehearsing for the World Cruise. This is a highly coveted contract and I feel very honored to be asked to do it. Some ports of call include:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Enter Panama Canal Cristobal; Exit Panama Canal Balboa; Manta, Ecuador; Callao (Lima), Peru; Easter Island, Chile; Papeete, French Polynesia; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; Alofi, Niue NUALF; Cross International Dateline; Nuku' Alofa, Tonga; Auckland, New Zealand; Tauranga (Rotorua) New Zealand; Napier, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; Christchurch (Lyttelton) NZ; Dunedin (Port Chalmers) NZ; Oban (Halfmoon Bay), New Zealand; Fiordland Natl Park Eastbound; Hobart, Australia; Port Arthur, Australia; Sydney, Australia; Cairns, Australia; Madang, Papua New Guinea; Crossing the Equator; Koror, Palau; Manila, Philippines; Hong Kong, China; Phu My, Vietnam; Singapore; Cochin, India; Mumbai (Bombay), India; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Muscat, Oman; Safaga, Egypt; Sharm el Sheik, Egypt; Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan; Enter Suez Canal at Suez; Exit Suez Canal at Port Said; Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Naples, Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Cartagena, Spain; Cadiz (Seville), Spain; Funchal (Madeira), Portugal

One could see how this is an opportunity not to pass on. I will board the ship after two months of rehearsal in Inglewood, CA, near Los Angeles. I'm very excited to be in SoCal again so that I will get to reunite with so many wonderful people from my days with The Young Americans. I have a feeling that all of my days "off" will be full of merriment and memories.

I will keep you up to date on any further developments to this exciting turn of events as well as messages from rehearsal.

As for now, I have to get to the Nokia Theatre in Dallas for my last 6 shows with "Storytime Live" before a much needed trip home to NYC, where my roommate and I will be looking for a new apartment in Brooklyn!

Take care of yourselves and practice love to everyone you meet...you never know what they may be going through.

Until next time,
Joey

Moving On

Hey there, virtual world! Life on the road is going very well. We've been in Florida for the past two weeks and it has been a blast!

I finished working with one of our two new replacements and she has successfully gone into the show for good now. I'm in the process of getting another replacement ready to take on his new track with our show and he will go in on Monday. On Sunday, yet another replacement comes and I start the process all over again to get her ready to go!

I got a call a few days ago from a wonderful company I've had the privilege of working for in the past, Spirit Productions. I was offered three shows with them and I've decided to take them. I'll be here on tour until Sept. 26th, then it's off to rehearsal for my newest venture on October 3rd. It's a wonderful opportunity to be able to perform on a regular basis again and not swing a show. That being said, I have had such a great time on this tour and feel truly blessed for the opportunity. It is most assuredly bittersweet.

More updates will be coming as I get more information about my next step!

I hope everyone is doing well and that there's plenty of good health to go around. Take care of yourselves and spread some love...everyday!

Always my best to you,
*Joey