To All My Loyal Readers

Some of you may be asking yourselves: now that tour is over...will the blog continue? Will the blog live on??? What the heck is Cristina doing with her free time?

I'm sorry the answer to these questions has been so long awaited...but I'm in Va Beach, and my parents have dial-up. No, that wasn't a typo. They don't have cable either. It's like living in the 1950s... just kidding mom and dad :). Thanks for the free food!

And I typically use my dad's computer to sign online because I can't get my gmail on my mom's comp, but my dad's comp won't let me do blogger! Soooo...I finally made it over to my mom's comp, and I'm typing this message to all of you...the loyal few.

So listen. Here's the scoop. I love blogging. I love random adventures. And I love telling stories! So, I've decided that as long as the adventures and funny stories keep coming, I'll keep blogging! But to distinguish between the tour blog (that started it all) and my new real-life blog, I will be starting a brand new blog website...with a new URL. Goodbye "Aventuras" with your pick background...hello new blog! I will probably wait until I've got some sort of high speed connection, which may be in a week, or if I find a cafe around here it'll be sooner!

But check back because I'll put a link to the blog on here for y'all...easy peasy.

I'm currently gleefully unemployed...and next week I will be attending a bartending course here in Va Beach! Oh, you know that will create some great stories...

So you all get the (not so distinct) pleasure of seeing some random pictures that were on my mom's computer. It's baby Cristina! Well not really baby...but high school (and that is getting farther and farther away...)

This is me after a perfeormance of The Sound of Music. I played Maria...the singing nun! That little doll, Veronica, was our gretyl. I just got a message from her on mySpace and she's like 14 now. That made me throw up a little in my mouth.

Wow. Dial-up is so slow that you all only get ONE PICTURE. I have no patience for this. Remember to check back for the new link sometime in the next week or so...

Finally.

Hi, everybody!!! I'm back (temporarily...I can't make any promises) from my disappearing act. See, my parents have dial-up...and I don't even want to think about how long it would take to upload all my pictures on their computer...so now I'm up in DC (again, very temporarily) and using my friend Eric's high speed monster.

So, tour is over. What am I doing now, y'all have asked? Nothing! Well nothing, if nothing meaning I'm running around all day every day looking for a place to live and a job to pay the bills, and auditioning, and seeing wonderful friends, etc, etc, etc. I took the bus up from Va Beach on Sunday for some auditions up here in DC this week, and I've been staying with Eric in Dupont (love the house!) and Koffi of course! Koffi the wonder dog.

Here are some picture galleries for you. The first group of pictures is the cast and crews last night together. We all went to an Italian restaurant to celebrate the end of the tour with pasta, wine and BREAD!

After dinner, we went back to the hotel bar for some chatting. And fun with roses.

One of the best parts of being back in DC, other than the fact that it's gorgeous out, and this city is beautiful in the spring, is seeing my wonderful wonderful friends. Matty. You make me laugh so hard. Matt is a famous composer. No. Really. He's famous in Shirlington and parts of Europe. And those men behind him think he's the coolest. hehehe.

Steve and Matt cooking up a wonderful gourmet concoction. They rock my world. I only wish I had gotten a picture of the babushka!!!

Alright folks...more to come. I'm probably going to redirect how I do the blog...maybe even start a new one...but, of course, I'll be sure to put the link on here. I just think it would be nice to seperate the tour blog from a "normal" one...but then again, what is normal. Who am I kiddin. Ain't gonna be nothing normal about it.

**Ciao**

All done.

Okay people. Listen...I'm all done with tour!!!! And I have pictures from our last night out and everything. But I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I promise to update tomorrow. PROMISE. And my promises are golden.

Newark, NJ and NYC

HI, JOE!!!!!

We rolled up into Newark, NJ on Tuesday night. Some of you know that I have two "big brothers" from Newark: Joe and Bruce. Joe was my RA my sophomore year of college, and Bruce is his friend from...gosh...grade school? They've known each other for a long time. And they are my big brothers. It's complicated, but I'll just leave it at that.

Joe likes my blog. And, gosh, that makes me super happy :). So this entry is dedicated to Joe.

Bruce was in Vienna, Austria when I was in Newark, so we couldn't have a full big brothers/little sister reunion, but Joe and I had a great time at a local diner. Did you know diners serve margeritas? And GOOD ones!

Jow (that's not a typo) and me at the diner.

The next day we had a day off. I went with Caitlin into NYC to meet up with her friend, Gina, who is getting married in July. Caitlin is the maid of honor, and today was all about veil shopping!

But first, Barry had a little bit of adventure in NY...

Barry loves New York's finest. Especially the cute ones in Times Square! Oh wait...maybe that's ME...

Barry loves his NY pizza.

Here are Caitlin and her friend, Gina. In Gina's hand is the perfect veil! But I won't say anything about what it looks like, cause Dustin's a sneaky guy and he'll probably find this site!!!!

Yesterday we left our Newark hotel at 7:30am to make it to our Staten Island venue by 8:30...we rolled up about 8:45. Damn that morning NY rush hour. This morning was a special show, because Emily came to see it! If you wanna know about Emily, click on the September (or maybe it's August) archive. Emily and I go way back. Back to ballet class. Back to snowmen in our yards facing each other. Back to over-alls and yellow boots. Way back.

Emily and me after the show on the Staten Island Ferry.

Emily gave me beautiful Freesia flowers, and they have been brightening up the van in the cup holder :).

Last night we stayed somewhere in NJ...Leisure Park? Lakewood? Something. We got in at 11:30pm, after being up at 6:45am...wow. This morning we got up and headed to the theater at 8:15am. It was beautiful outside...so I had to immediately FREE THE TOES! Right in the breakfast nook of the hotel.

Get them off! Free the toes!

I. was. exhausted.

Can you believe I ran into Joe on my way to the breakfast nook...DOING HIS LAUNDRY!? Can you even believe it??? What a silly head.

After the show today....loading it out. Get it OUTTA HERE. 3 shows left.

Concord, NH...ONE WEEK LEFT

We have ONE WEEK LEFT!!!! And that's cause for celebration!!!

Ashley and I wanted to make a special "one week left" video. Weeeell, it was a little more of a challenge than we thought it would be. JJP should keep his theater job, and stay out of film (just kidding!).

Check it out.

Blooper One
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qJpg5MSSOBU

Blooper Two

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ITVG3yz-PQ4

Final Take

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lUu9e_Dodlw


Also, here are some things that happen when it's the end of tour and you are bored out of your mind and ready to go home.

You might be in the last week of your 7 month tour IF...

You let Santi do your hair for the show...

You wear two completely different socks to the theater because you were too tired to look for a matching pair that morning.

You get Patty McFatty to corn-row you hair. woah.

Today we are in Vermont, performing in a bordering New Hampshire city tomorrow. We will be in NY tomorrow night. Wha???

New Haven, CT

Hi, folks! First off...I want to thank everyone who has sent me emails and messages regarding the headshots and which ones you like. I will post the final product when they are retouched and cropped!

I find myself now in New Haven, CT...home of Yale University, and (more importantly) Kelly...my best friend from college! We have spent more time together in the past three days than we have in the last 9 months, and I'm a happy clam! You might have heard things like, "Let me get my MONOCLE out and see what you have there!" or "Rrrrrrusty Scupper....ARGH!" if you were a fly on the wall around Kelly and me. Here are some photos from the lovely visit.

Kelly and I ran into this HUGE sign for Alexander while walking around New Haven.

The next day, I went to the spa to use a gift certificate Kelly gave me for Christmas. Caitlin came, too, and we explored Bridgeport a little after our appointments. Here we are at Bridgeport park. The camera is on a shoe, and right before this picture snapped, the wind picked up and the camera started to teeter. Hence, the huge smiles and laughter.

That night, Kelly and Caitlin and I went out for some Connecticut seafood. This is Kelly struggling to reach the drive-up ATM. "Can't they make ATMs for normal cars! Something in between the SUV and the sedan at least!!!"

At Lenny's...Lenny's only accepts cash. Hmmm...interesting.

Firehouse 12. Kelly and Caitlin.

Firehazard, I mean Firehouse 12...Me and Kelly.

After my show the next day. I love Kelly! She's so cute in her scrubs!!!

I simply can't keep up with the blog with the speed we are taking on the country. We just performed at UConn in Storrs, CT...and now we are in Concord, NH. Yikes! All this in 2 days. 8 DAYS LEFT.

New Headshots...not quite "finished"...what do you think?

I got some new headshots taken in Chicago by a good friend of a good friend. Here's are a couple of the ones I picked...they haven't been retouched or cropped yet (for those of you who don't know...the photographer will retouch the picture with photoshop...clean up stuff, under eyes, hair, blah blah) What do you think? Anyone have a favorite? Go ahead and leave a comment and let me know...

Strep, Cont'd.

I am all better! But here are some pictures from when I had just received my diagnosis, and I met up with my buddy Eric from Willy Wonka! And then we ran into Matt at Ray's Pizza!

Me and my push-pop...makes my sore throat feel better!

Eric stuck around even though I was contageous...what a friend!

Matt and I worked it out at Ray's Pizza. Check out Matt's Willy Wonka blog at www.gogloop.blogspot.com We are the tour bloggers!!!

Right now we are in Buffalo, NY...One show tomorrow and then we drive 450 miles BACK TO CONNECTICUT. They are trying to kill us.