You know that part...

...in Better Off Dead where John Cusack is in his car right after his gf dumped him and it's only break up songs on the radio? Well, I'm sitting in the gym right now enjoying the free wi-fi, doing some writing, and sadly the mix radio station is too loud to drown out with my earphones. Oh. Boy. I wish tearing the speakers out and throwing them out the window was an option. Well, at least an option that wouldn't get me arrested.

In other news, I'm home!! I've never been so happy to see my apartment, my street, my friends, everything. Maine was a-Maine-zing (one more time!!), but there is no place like home. I said it.

Back to being busy.

Maine in Vain

This is it! I'm packing up and in roughly 8 hours I'll be on the road to Boston to catch a plane to Chicago. Home again. I can't believe how quickly it all went by.

Still I can't wait to get back to my little studio. And to my friends. And to everything else.

Thank you, Jen, Larrance, Portia, Alex, Kelly, Cass, Sarah, Sam, Farrell, Andy and Jon for such and awesome time here.

Dem-Maine-cratic Convention

Alright, it's a reach, but I promised I'd keep Maine in my subjects...

I just watched Michelle Obama and Ted Kennedy on You Tube (wasn't home last night to see it) and I'm all misty eyed and excited for the election! I love these conventions...like big political pep rallies. To quote Tabetha when we watched the debates on the ship, "What an exciting time to be alive!"

So last night Sarah and I got a night off together and we toured the island a bit. Well, toured might be too big a word, but we had a good time. Got all dolled up and went to an oceanside restaurant, then to the hot local club (I say this with some irony) Carmen Veranda. Yep, that's what it's called. We had some drinks and sang some karaoke. It was a good time. The newest addition to the house, John Karpinos, joined us as well. He'll be playing tonight.

Sunset on the terrace of the Bar Harbor Inn.We're doing it! Sparkling wine! Ladies night!Ok, now we're doing it. We rocked out some karaoke.

On Sunday, we climbed a mountain....

Me pulling a Tamara at the top of Mt. Champlain.

The view heading up the mountain.

Only two more nights in Maine. I can't believe it. I'm ready to get back home, but it's also been so nice to be here. I'll miss it.

Presidential Camp-Maine

Joe Biden, huh! Saw him speak today and he was pretty good. Got a little snarky, but at least he's funny about it. Obama needed an attack dog, so there it is.

Ok enough about the outside world. Back to Maine...

Whale watching!!

That's totally a whale!Whale tail! We had a great view from the bridge, where we got VIP treatment from one of the employees who has been to see our shows. I was much happier watching than taking pictures, though, so these are about as good as they get. It was pretty amazing to see these giant animals right next to the boat. We saw at least 10. Wtg, nature. You win again.

Tonight was very fun but I was really out of it for some reason. I hosted the second show of the night and going into the first game (which is almost always Option) I blanked and very purposely said, "Jen, for an extra point, what game will you be playing?" Nice work, Sullivan. On the way back to the house I was very nearly subjected to a roadside sobriety test (I was NOT drunk, mom) and I doubt I will ever hear the end of it from these guys.

All in all, a good night. Can't believe I only have 4 days left...

Mainetenance

Let me take you through my night off...

Dinner at Friendly's FINALLY! It was awesome. Beef tips, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies followed by the obligatory sundae (it is "ice cream world" after all). Vanilla frozen yogurt with Reeses cups and caramel. Come on. Thank you, Sarah and Sam for helping to indulge my childhood nostalgia.

Off to downtown to see a movie, marking the first time I have ever seen a movie alone in my entire life! It wasn't bad. The movie was great. First of all, it was at this old theatre called the Grand in Ellsworth. One of those live theatre/movie theatres. Adorable. The movie was called Young @ Heart, a documentary about a seniors' chorus in Massachussetts that sings all rock music. If you get a chance, see this movie. Laughs will be had, tears will be shed.

Btw, this store exists in downtown Ellsworth...
I'm clearly apprehensive about having no one to share looks with during the movie...but it was surprisingly engaging.

Back at home for music, internetting, TV and balancing a peeled grapefruit in my hand while I eat so as to avoid dirtying a dish I will have to wash.

And from what am I taking a night off? Well...

Jen went crazy last night and started telling stories with stickers on the greenroom lockers. This was my favorite....she muttered "This dog is climbing this cat's hat." I love that Jen.

Before yesterday's show we took an easy walk on a carriage path around Eagle Lake. It was incredibly beautiful. My phone's camera is trying to do it justice here.

Maine Stage

First of all, a shout out to my sister, Amy, whose only response to my blog thus far has been, "You look a lot like mom in that one picture." Thanks, Aim :)

Since my last entry I managed another whole lobster. This time I got to see the little guy from start to finish. If you're a Vegan or an animal activist, please skip ahead. At this particular lobster pound, you go in, ask for a particular size lobster (two pounds, please) and they open up a chest full of live and kickin' lobsters. One of the contestants goes onto a scale and then into a bag which heads out to the boilers. So you really get to bond with your meal before you see it go. About 20 minutes later, you have a bright red, fully cooked animal on a tray in front of you. Now, the last lobster I ate was cut down the middle and grilled. This one was fully intact, requiring a lot of dismantling. If lobster wasn't so good, it may have been more disturbing to find that my particular catch was in fact a lady. Yep, when I pulled off her tail, I came across many generations of unborn lobster homes. My internet research informs me that a one pound female carries on average 8,000 eggs. Mine was two pounds, so I can assume that there were 5 million eggs. That's what it looked like. I carefully avoided them, and went on to enjoy the barbarian act of eating an animal whole. I'm done with whole lobsters for this trip. But I'm glad I did it.

Ok...on to what I'm really here for. Improv! I know I've said relatively little regarding my actual tour of duty. Well....it's fun! The shows are very different from anything I've done before, not to mention I've never done shows twice a night for three weeks straight. It's been great to exercise that muscle. Jen is a ridiculously funny and smart improvisor and Larrance is an awesome musician. Sarah cracks me up constantly, Sam is full of surprises and Farrell always knows what the audience wants. So in short, I'm having a great time playing here. It's also been really fun getting to know the bartenders and servers and friends of the theatre. If there are better ways to spend a summer, I don't know about them. And I'll thank you not to tell me.

Everyone ReMaine Calm

I left my phone at home today! I was completely out of touch for a whole day, all by myself in a foreign land!! Ok, don't panic. I was in Bar Harbor all day touristing. It was pretty great.

It started here. 11:15 mass at the Holy Redeemer Church in Bar Harbor. It was a delight.
This is what Catholics do. Bits were flying around the greenroom about this the night before, so it's appropriate.
I'm documenting my blueberry consumption. It's easily in the thousands...fortunately, they haven't all been in pie form (also here in ale form).
Mmm...best one yet, from Morning Glory Bakery. I've learned I prefer it cold. And without ice cream (what am I saying???).
My walk along the shore path today. I walked it three times...I had a lot of time to kill. That's a cruise ship out there. Oh those days...

I discovered today that I'm very consistent. As I walked through the touristy shops I would see a place and say, "Huh, that looks interesting," and when I walked in I would remember, "Oh right, I came here last year on the ship." I walked into almost all the same places. I know me so well! Also discovered a couple new great places...Bar Harbor Tea Company and Alternative Market. Organic trail mix and blueberry tea! Oh boy!

Had my night off on Thursday...here's what my night off looks like.
Here's how I feel about that! It really seems like I love that house behind me.
Farrell, Sam and I went for a walk yesterday and found this. The coolest tree I've ever seen. Sam: This is really the coolest tree you've ever seen? Me: We didn't all grow up in the country, Sam.

Sam and I trying to recreate our headshots in the theatre entrance.

What else? Oh right, I went to a psychic yesterday. Tarot. I've had tarot cards read three times in the last 6 months. Something about this may be throwing off my karma or something...I don't know a ton about that...but anyway, she was disturbingly accurate. And not just those things like, "So you're an actor...I see that you struggle with money." I mean specifics. So we get through the reading, which is some good, some not so good, and she wants me to buy some herbs from her. Not to delve into my reading, but suffice to say that I'm not sure how I feel about all of this. I clearly am interested...I've been getting tarot readings like they were haircuts this year (and I don't even get haircuts 3 times a year). But I still feel guilty about being too involved. I imagine what a priest would say...and I question exactly what part of it I believe. Any Catholics/Christians/monotheists out there have thoughts on this?

Alright. Enough documentation for today. Tomorrow (or thereabouts)...improv talk!

Maine-ature Golf

My Pink Ball: The Natalie Sullivan Story

Maine Course

I ate a whole lobster!!!!! Or at least what I could, which was mostly tail and claws. The middle is kind of sketchy. They cut this guy down the middle and grilled it, so I didn't have to tear into it as with a whole boiled lobster. It came complete with a bucket and a bib (Sam has pics of Sarah and I in our bibs). The whole animal with little feelers and legs and things was a little more daunting than I expected it to be. But...yep...I still ate it. In case you're wondering, it was delicious.

OM(aine)G

I just woke up. Yep, it's after 11 EST, but I had a big day yesterday. Sarah and I rocked out a 9am Jazzercise class. It was really fun. The teacher was great and we chatted afterwards, making sure to plug the theatre. We then took advantage of the cafe upstairs and drank a ton of coffee and exchanged life stories. We took a walk through a tiny old cemetery where most of the headstones we from the mid 1800s. Lots of babies. Bummer.

Once home we soon decided, hey let's go hike Acadia Mountain! And that we did, after looks of reservation from Jen and Larrance. You see, I have earned the nickname "Little Bean" for being the slowest hiker in the group (trust me, it makes sense in context). I always lag a little, not for lack of energy, but more for caution...I take a long time to negotiate my steps over rocks. Hey, I don't want to fall, do you?? Anyway, the hike was amazing. And much more all-terrain than the last one. Pictures...I've got them...

On the way in, we met a brook...how pretty...
Near the top. We had no idea that the climb back down would be so vertical, but this was worth it.
I did it! I really did it!
We totally climbed this. My spin class when I get home is going to seem a little lame. Ssshhh. Don't tell the LVAC.

So we get back to the theatre, grab dinner at Lampoc, a local bar where I was treated to lobster and avacado quesadillas. There was very little cheese to overwhelm the lobster the avacado, so it was really, really good. Ready to do a show....boy am I! Ready to do a show for this lady...?

Mika Brzezinski!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VdNcCcweL0

I can't embed this video to save my life for some reason, but do yourself a favor and go check it out. I watch Morning Joe every day at home, so this couldn't have been a bigger celeb sighting to me. I eagerly shook her hand after the show and gushed "I watch you every day!" Oh boy. Couldn't have been dorkier. But I love her!! She was in the front row with her family and she even volunteered for the dream! Hey, Bar Harbor, thanks for being such a swanky vacay spot.

After a fun 10pm show (got to play 185!!), we came home and had family TV time with the Olympics. (Side note: Jen is as much of a Food Network nerd as I am...we talked a lot about how Mario is great on Iron Chef, but not so much on Molto Mario and yes, Bobby Flay is kind of d-baggy, but man his food is great....sooouuulllmates). Just before bed I was treated to a playlist in my mailbox from one Bob Ladewig. I fell asleep to it, and it's been titled on my iPod "Bob Really Gets It." Thanks, Bob. You're the best.

Big day! I told you!! We're going soon to have lunch at Maine Luau, a nearby lobster pound/BBQ pit. And tonight is my night off. Plans include watching Firefly and not driving. Hooray!!

Mainestream

Yesterday was great. Walked around Ellsworth with Sarah and Sam, exploring the glory that is the post office, the library, the Bangor Daily News, yoga studios, therapy offices, thrift stores, sandwich shops, you know....all the wonders of the small town square. I only got a couple of pictures, but oh, more will come. Here's the best:

What have you got there, Sam? Well Natalie, I'm glad you asked...it's a licorice pipe. A licorice pipe? A licorice pipe! There's a great gourmet store called Rooster Brothers right down the street and they sell fun things...like licorice pipes and 77% dark chocolate with love poems on the inside. They also have a ton of coffees and teas and jams and cheeses and cooking implements... in short, I will be in a lot of trouble if I go there too often.

We stopped by a place called Maine Grind on the way back and discovered that they have Jazzercise classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Yes, please. So Sarah and I will be in attendance tomorrow and then we'll hang out to sample the Grind's food and coffee. They have spanakopita! Oh man. I'm a real nerd. I'm not sorry.

Shows last night were super fun. Really lively audience at 8 and a particularly dirty adult show at 10. There were five of us playing, which won't happen a lot with one person off every now and then. But it was fun to have the whole cast there. My night off this week is Thursday. TV, here I come...

Well, back to my giant bowl of yogurt and coffee. (separately...together would be gross)

ReMaines of the day (I have a million of these)

A lot has happened in the last 3 days. Sam and I watched the last cast do a show, we did our first shows and then today we went hiking at Sand Beach and Great Head before doing our third show (only one show on Sundays). In between there has been a lot of lobster, ice cream, blueberries and bits. Let's take a look....

This is what I get to look at before I do improv.

Of course, I see this immediately before. This is the door the performers use to enter the theatre for the show. It's on a deck across from the green room in a little shopping area. The space is really cool. Nice work, Jen and Larrance!
I got to see these awesome guys do a show on Friday. Well, Ferrell, Sarah and Andy played. Sam sat in the back with me. We were studying...
After the show we got to take part in Improvision at Reel Pizza. This place is great. And the pizza..good lord...we had two kinds, one with spinach and peppers and pesto, the other with avacado, chicken and WALNUTS. Yeah, avacado and nuts on a pizza. It may have been the fattiest food ever, but it was amazing. The movie we dubbed was called Robot Monster. It is a terrible 1953 sci-fi movie. Just awful in a great way. Please IMDB it. Or Netflix...you won't regret it. Or maybe you will. It was probably a lot better with Andy playing the "Ro-Man" who sang "Groove is in the Heart" as he walked.
"Opening" (for me and Sam) night cast. Ferrell, me, Jen and Sam. We had a lot of fun and then went out to Lampoc, a local bar, to say goodbye to Andy who was heading back to Chicago after his two week stay. We miss him but appreciate him leaving us his leftover cereal and shrimp. (Mmm, shrimp cereal)
He was so serious...
Today we hiked! This is Sand Beach. Yes, it was that foggy. A very overcast and chilly day, but thankfully no rain. It stayed nice enough for the hike although the views were lacking. It was pretty cold, and there were still people in the water. This is the north Atlantic, people...what the F?
Sam and Ferrell, discovering the New World...

Sarah and I, conqering it.Something about coniferous trees adjacent to a beach really gets me. I love it.

I'm an explorer. I really am.

Not pictured: I went to mass today at St. Joseph's, a Catholic church conviently located two blocks from the house. It's a cute church and the pastor was great. And they use traditional music, which is a huge plus for me. Eagle's Wings during Communion? I'm so easily won over. (Once again, you're my soulmate if this makes sense to you)

We'll take it a little easier tomorrow. Two shows a night for the next six nights...eeps! But I really couldn't be happier right now. Well, not much anyway.

Mainely...

My lovely room.
Real Maine blueberries!! The difference is they are teeny and they are blue on the inside, as opposed to the standard Michigan or Jersey berries which are larger and white or green inside. I'll be contacting Alton Brown regarding a show dedicated to this fact. (whoever gets that reference is my soulmate)
Welcome to Maine, Natalie! Stay inside.

Oh boy!! I haven't seen a Friendly's since Florida! Their sign says it all..."Ice cream World."

What do you think, Sarah?

Maine Event (and other puns to follow)

I'm here! Or there, depending on where you are. Sam and I got in late last night and momentarily will be meeting with Larrance, Jen, Andy and Sarah to talk about the show we're doing tonight, Improvision. It's with a local movie house and we'll be improvising dialogue to a movie we've never seen. Sound fun? YES. So far we've grocery shopped and basically gotten settled. I've got a couple of pictures so far....

I realize I've overpacked.
Sam! Thanks for driving!
Especially for taking me to my favorite place.
Beautiful upstate NY road.

Almost rehearsal time....actual Maine pictures to come....

LOLLAPALOOZA!!!

I'm ready....let's do this!
Look at this ragtag bunch of guys....Rob, Durbin and Abby, early on day 1.
The lady version...Ali, what do you think of Duffy? Yeah...she's lame.

Jack White and I are having a rock baby. The Raconteurs' set was AMAZING. I wish we had been closer. But then I might be having twins. Vinnie was there. Made it awkward with me and Jack White and our baby and all.
Blurry but you get the idea...Radiohead's show. I'll say it, I got kind of bored. But I'm not that into Radiohead.
I am that into Meredith! Me, my BFF, and the Chicago skyline. (Not pictured, Rage Against the Machine playing nearby)
DJ Mom Jeans!! Yes, this is Danny Masterson of That 70s Show. What??
The best pic I could manage of Moby at the Vision afterparty. It was great to see him. But the crowd was gross. Rob, Kim and I didn't last too long.
Okkervil River. A really good band...this year's Frames, as far as new band discoveries go. I loved them.
My sweet (airbrushed) tatt.
Ali's.
Love & Rockets! Bubblemen!! This brought me back to being 9 and having my sister dress me all goth and take me out with her friends.
The best part of the whole thing...NIN. Trent Reznor was incredible. He said he never thought he'd be playing at Lollapalooza 17 years after he played in the first one...or that he would even be alive 17 years later. Good call...I remembered him all skinny and drugged out. He's the opposite of that now. HOT.Before they came back to rock our faces off some more. They closed with Hurt. No words...

This entry cannot possibly do justice. It was an amazing weekend. Thanks to my friends and to Grant Park for sending me off in style.

Next time...from Maine!