CATCH UP! Cedar Falls to Emporia

OK everyone. Huge apologies...again and again. You read the quick little entries I included regarding our Cedar Falls trip/hotel fiasco. We ended up getting into the Days Inn (As previously stated) but even then, they didn't REALLY have wireless - you had to cross the parking lot to the Holiday Inn and sit in their game room or bar and use the wireless connection there. The hotel WAS better than that JLL Extended Stay Inn - but that isn't saying much.
We had beds - we had showers - we had complimentary breakfast - and we were right across the street from a HOPPIN' mall. So that was good.
As I said quickly previously, the shows in Cedar Falls were great! 4 packed houses - 3 school shows and one public show - and they all loved the show. I love performing the show and having kids react to the things they react to. They LOVE the puppets....they LOVE Mike Teavee's number 'All On TV'...they love the Oompa-Loompas....and they love the BURRRRRRRRRPPPP!
(INGRID! You were right...at our public performance, the crowd went CRAZY for the Oompa kick-line! Who knew!? You're a GENIUS!) We had a quick 'Meet and Greet' afterwards, with some of the sponsors and their kids - and it was fun to talk to them all. They had funny questions - and when Chris started asking them who each of us played, the minute he said, 'Who did....' and pointed to me, they all said, "AUGUSTUS!" I hate those kids. HAHAHAHA. Just kidding.
A HIGHLIGHT of my Cedar Falls stay was waking up one moring with a HORRIBLE cold. So I thought, OK....I can handle this. That was on Tuesday...so I did the first show...went home and napped and then went back to do the second show. About 1/4 of the way through, right before I went on to do 'Cheer Up Charlie', (things get graphic here), I let out a little burp - and ended up THROWING UP IN MY MOUTH! Just a little. But still - I was like 'WHAT the crap is going ON!?' So I composed myself during that, got through the number (for those wondering - it was the chicken strips I had for lunch from Arby's....eewwwwww), and then, when we get to the Golden Ticket Number - I was skipping around with the other kids, as I always do, and the next thing I know, I have a sharp pain in my leg....I pulled a MUSCLE! Skipping! People - I'm not normally a WHOA IS ME person, but it was a rough night for this guy! But I made it through.
Update: My cold is almost gone (God bless Zicam!), no more throwing up in my mouth even a little, and my leg is feeling aaaaaight. Chris was my consultant - luckily his mom is a registered nurse and has taught him well. THANK YOU, Mrs. Sizemore! It was a huge help!
Anyway - After our 2 shows on Wednesday, we packed up the trucks and van, and hopped on the road - destination OKLAHOMA CITY! But - we had to drive to Emporia, Kansas and then stop and rest. (Equity rules or something like that....) It turned out to be about a 9 1/2 hour drive - and we were all crazy-tired when we arrived. Throughout the day, we celebrated Andrew's birthday with everyone giving him their gifts (I gave him a music CD of The OC and a book of the OC. He has become a fan on this trip.)
That night, in Emporia, we had a surprise birthday CHEESECAKE for him - and then we all hung out and talked and faded out!
I know you're on the edge of your seat for the rest of the story - but to keep you all on track - our Cedar Falls/Emporia travels will end here - and our Emporia/Oklahoma City trip will be highlighted in the next entry!
Enjoy the pictures...there were a lot of THEM to catch up on, as well!
Gussy.....

This is a stange arrangement of pictures...some left-over that didn't make it from Des Moines, some from Cedar Falls and some from our trip down to Emporia. AND THEN, the Emporia night and the Oklahoma City trip will be included on the NEXT entry...to follow soon.

This is everyone hanging out after the ill-fated Des Moines shows...waiting to go get something to eat.

Chris wouldn't sit around and wait, though. He decided to try out his pommell horse moves for the '88 Seoul Olympics.

Well, here is the "SUITE" Elisa got at the JLL Extended Stay Inn. Notice, in the second picture, the drawers behind her that WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED - because they were slanted. And the couch in the back. And the overall grossness of the room. The one thing these pictures DON'T show is how HOT the hallways were. Maybe one MILLION degrees.

OK - so to the left. It's me showing off the venue (kind of dark) in Cedar Falls. Sorry you can't see it - but it was the most beautiful space we've seen. I love it. And those socks and shoes are for my Oompa-Loompa stuff...i know you're all jealous. And the second picture is the poster from the space - that they had us all sign. BUT NONE OF US ARE ON THE PICTURE. This is the original cast - that played the Kennedy Center last year. Weird. But I'm over it.

So this was in the green room at Cedar Falls. The green room was really nice, too. We LOVED it. And they always have food for us. God love them. On the left, Tara tries out her new massage-thingy on Jen. On the right, Jen catches up on the world with USA Today.

Elisa and Torg in the green room, checking email, and giving me CRAP! EVERYONE - please note...this weekend....MEET THE CREW will be coming to YOU at this blog. Please make a note of it....

So, for those of you who know me, you will know that I was THRILLED to find a Famous Dave's near our hotel in Cedar Falls. These pics are of Chris and I just playing around...being crazy kids. Our cast was pretty much the only people in the restaurant. But we were fine with that.

Andrew shows off one of his birthday presents Jen gave to him a bit early - on Birthday Eve. For the story, ask Andrew or someone else on the tour. I'm sure they would LOVE to explain it.

So - no 7-Eleven's in Iowa...but a TON of Kum-&-Go's. I feel dirty. Elisa models her Kum-&-Go cap that she purchased at the LAST Kum-&-Go we saw, leaving Iowa.

Alright...next installment...more tour fun...and pictures....