ATTENTION SKAGWAY! The Historic Skagway Inn on 7th and Broadway needs YOUR help! We are looking for a lucky person to fill the position of dishwasher immediately. It's a great atmosphere and great pay. 40+ hours/week. No housing available. Call 907-983-2289 for more information.
What am I up to these days? Scroll down and see!
Friday, May 27, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Last night...
Last night I had a surreal moment; as I do most nights, but this one was especially powerful.
The Historic Skagway Inn owns a restaurant called Olivia's Bistro, named after the Klupar's only daughter. Although this experience mostly happens after 11pm, I have to start there. I had been waiting since six for Olivia to process my discount which I did not receive yesterday (I am an employee, not a priority, and had watched a few people come and go; this story bears no reflection on the restaurant) when I got to thinking. What else did I have to do, really? I had moved from the lobby to the bar to the restaurant with no end in sight. That was when a little thought popped into my head: what if I started my theatre company in Skagway?
Before you tell me that it was an ill thought out idea brought on by three hours and a beer (I'm a lightweight and Alaskan beer is much stronger than the "Utah 3.2%"), let me assure you that this is not a new idea. My idea for what would eventually become a theatre company in the planning stages on my MAC started in 2006 during a simple conversation about a show I was doing with a friend. I was talking about CVCB's "the Nutcracker" and musing about building a building and putting a snow machine in it.
Fast forward to nine years later. I am calling an Executive Director and a Director about the Salt Lake Fringe Festival. I had a script written and was ready to push my idea off the ground. Well, it got to the third week and everyone dropped out; starting a theatre company is definitely an uphill battle.
Fast forward to last night sitting by myself hearing Olivia ramble to herself (we all do it; don't judge). I saw one of the other Klupar kids, Ian, sitting in the restaurant as well and figured that I'd go talk to him. During one of our thirty second bursts of small talk (we're both very introverted people; me more than him) an idea came to me that I had to share with him, more to hear how it sounded out loud than anything. I confessed that I had wanted to start a theatre company for a while, but that I had been having trouble coming up with an approach that would make my company stand out from all of the other theatre companies in Utah; well guess what? Skagway has no theatre companies. That was revelation A.
Revelation B came when a co-worker, Dennis, bought a round of coffee/Jameson's for himself, Ian, Karl, and I (Karl is the owner of the inn and my boss). Karl was giving the kitchen crap for using Cool Whip instead of actual whipped cream (that's a whole other story) and I was thinking to myself, "Where else do you walk thirty feet from your house to a restaurant, sit down to contemplate life, and have a drink with your boss?"
Dennis took us all to the "Elk's" (one of the many private places he is a member of) and bought us all a couple Jameson's on the rocks. We also got dinner and dessert there. During the walk home (I was stuffed, so it wasn't bad at all) I had revelation C; I was looking up at the dimly lit, snow capped mountains thinking, "This is my job. I work about eight hours six days a week serving to the needs of the masses and then I go to the restaurant that takes thirty seconds to get to to eat or just hang out with co-workers and/or my boss. I get to see this incredible scenery every day when I wake up and go to bed. I should start my theatre company and live here."
If anyone wants to contact me about cruises and "Legends and Lies", I am compiling a list of all of that information that will be available on a tab to be named at a later time. Until next time, Cheechakos!
The Historic Skagway Inn owns a restaurant called Olivia's Bistro, named after the Klupar's only daughter. Although this experience mostly happens after 11pm, I have to start there. I had been waiting since six for Olivia to process my discount which I did not receive yesterday (I am an employee, not a priority, and had watched a few people come and go; this story bears no reflection on the restaurant) when I got to thinking. What else did I have to do, really? I had moved from the lobby to the bar to the restaurant with no end in sight. That was when a little thought popped into my head: what if I started my theatre company in Skagway?
Before you tell me that it was an ill thought out idea brought on by three hours and a beer (I'm a lightweight and Alaskan beer is much stronger than the "Utah 3.2%"), let me assure you that this is not a new idea. My idea for what would eventually become a theatre company in the planning stages on my MAC started in 2006 during a simple conversation about a show I was doing with a friend. I was talking about CVCB's "the Nutcracker" and musing about building a building and putting a snow machine in it.
Fast forward to nine years later. I am calling an Executive Director and a Director about the Salt Lake Fringe Festival. I had a script written and was ready to push my idea off the ground. Well, it got to the third week and everyone dropped out; starting a theatre company is definitely an uphill battle.
Fast forward to last night sitting by myself hearing Olivia ramble to herself (we all do it; don't judge). I saw one of the other Klupar kids, Ian, sitting in the restaurant as well and figured that I'd go talk to him. During one of our thirty second bursts of small talk (we're both very introverted people; me more than him) an idea came to me that I had to share with him, more to hear how it sounded out loud than anything. I confessed that I had wanted to start a theatre company for a while, but that I had been having trouble coming up with an approach that would make my company stand out from all of the other theatre companies in Utah; well guess what? Skagway has no theatre companies. That was revelation A.
Revelation B came when a co-worker, Dennis, bought a round of coffee/Jameson's for himself, Ian, Karl, and I (Karl is the owner of the inn and my boss). Karl was giving the kitchen crap for using Cool Whip instead of actual whipped cream (that's a whole other story) and I was thinking to myself, "Where else do you walk thirty feet from your house to a restaurant, sit down to contemplate life, and have a drink with your boss?"
Dennis took us all to the "Elk's" (one of the many private places he is a member of) and bought us all a couple Jameson's on the rocks. We also got dinner and dessert there. During the walk home (I was stuffed, so it wasn't bad at all) I had revelation C; I was looking up at the dimly lit, snow capped mountains thinking, "This is my job. I work about eight hours six days a week serving to the needs of the masses and then I go to the restaurant that takes thirty seconds to get to to eat or just hang out with co-workers and/or my boss. I get to see this incredible scenery every day when I wake up and go to bed. I should start my theatre company and live here."
If anyone wants to contact me about cruises and "Legends and Lies", I am compiling a list of all of that information that will be available on a tab to be named at a later time. Until next time, Cheechakos!
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Ah... laundry day.
It is Sunday, which means absolutely nothing in Skagway, and it is my day off. No shows, no cleaning rooms at the inn, just a lazy day. Being such a day, it means that I have time to do laundry at the laundromat and call whomever I haven't called to keep them in the loop. Laundry is about twice as expensive to do here and I have to walk, but I figure that's a fair trade off for living and working in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tuesdays in Skagway
This is my fourth day living and working with actors, chefs, and other general inn running people; I have to say, it's been a good experience so far. The cool thing about the people working in Skagway is that everyone knows everyone else. It is sort of like being in a college and listening to people talk about what happened in the last few years. I've already been running into people that I've met just since Saturday.
I've got my first show at noon today, so if you're in Skagway and looking for something to do we'd love to have you stop by for the show and a few drinks.
I've got my first show at noon today, so if you're in Skagway and looking for something to do we'd love to have you stop by for the show and a few drinks.
Friday, May 6, 2016
T minus 1
I am in Skag... oh, wait. Due to a technical hiccup, I am spending the night in Juneau and flying in to Skagway tomorrow. Additionally, I do not start work until Monday, so I will actually get to watch the show tomorrow.
One of the cast members and I just spent a good chunk of time at a sports bar here and I know him all the better for it. Now, I need to try to catch some sleep and leave early tomorrow.
One of the cast members and I just spent a good chunk of time at a sports bar here and I know him all the better for it. Now, I need to try to catch some sleep and leave early tomorrow.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
T minus 2
Two days more! I now know generally what I am doing on the trip from Juneau to Skagway, and I am very glad because that is TOMORROW. I will get in to Skagway tomorrow at about 4pm Alaska time, which is 6pm in Utah. I am basically at or in between airports for the entire day.
What is happening today? Packing, packing, and more packing. Then a drink. Then more packing. The amount of packing I will do is huge.
Until next time!
What is happening today? Packing, packing, and more packing. Then a drink. Then more packing. The amount of packing I will do is huge.
Until next time!
Monday, May 2, 2016
T minus 5
Crunch time! I am back in Logan to get everything I need from here and consolidate my stuff that I haven't wanted to make the effort to move down to Salt Lake. I say that it's crunch time as I watch TV and eat a donut.
The first hurdle of my trip here revealed itself today: I have no food! I haven't even left for Alaska yet and I'm starving. I'm already wanting to go back to SLC and eat all my hot pockets, eggs, and whatever else I have before I get to the airport at 5:30am on Friday.
I am starting to seriously contemplate my layover in Seattle and still have no clue how I'm getting from Juneau to Skagway.
Anyway, I really just wanted to check in before I have dinner and finish consolidating. Until next time!
The first hurdle of my trip here revealed itself today: I have no food! I haven't even left for Alaska yet and I'm starving. I'm already wanting to go back to SLC and eat all my hot pockets, eggs, and whatever else I have before I get to the airport at 5:30am on Friday.
I am starting to seriously contemplate my layover in Seattle and still have no clue how I'm getting from Juneau to Skagway.
Anyway, I really just wanted to check in before I have dinner and finish consolidating. Until next time!
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