Meet me in St. Louie...

Well everyone...it's time to play 'Catch Up To Where We Are'. And there is NOTHING I like doing more on a Sunday night/Monday day than THIS! So it works out well for me. I will write a quick write-up for each day I've missed...and as always, add pictures to illustrate my stories and antics. So sit back, relax and enjoy...and thank you ALL for your patience in waiting for this one!
It's a dooozy.

THURSDAY: GIGGLES AND GUMBO
So I owe you all a story. Thursday morning, we had our last 2 shows in Sylvania. First show went off without a real hitch. Second show, during the opening number, there is a point where Wonka announces he is retiring. The rest of us are shocked, and turn to each other to say, "WHAT? RETIRE?" So, being a little bored that morning, I decided that when I turned to look at Eric and Tara, I would pull a face. For those of you know me, I pulled my 'Corky Face'. And then, just because I was having fun, when I turned to look at Jackie, I did the same face. Well,
it SET US OFF. Eric and I started laughing - and then Tara and Jackie started laughing. (Come to find out, Tara didn't see the face - and neither she nor Jackie knew what we were laughing about...they were just laughing because we were laughing.) There were large portions of the opening number where my head was down, not singing, because I was laughing. At one point, Tara, Eric and I are stage left in a clump singing, and it was just Tara, bless her heart, singing out. So the number ends, we rush off stage to get the grandparents, wheel them on, and I think...ok...we're good. I just can't look at Eric and I'll be fine. COME TO FIND OUT, Eric and I look at each other a LOT more than I thought we did in this show. I mean, ALOT. Eric turns to say his first line, to Grandpa Joe, and has to stiffle laughter as he is crossing the stage saying, 'Here you go, Grandpa Joe. Cabbage soup!' (and each word he says gets higher and higher, as he tries to supress the laughter.) And poor Grandpa Joe had the same problem...until he finally just had to blurt out '...what's the chocolate news?' and ended up sounding like a muppet.
This was pretty much the way things went for the first 20 minutes of the show...Eric, Tara, Jackie and myself having to stiffle laughter at different times. And doubling OVER with laughter everytime we were OFF stage. We finally pulled it together...and the rest of the show was fine...but I am going to be honest that it was one of my most favorite memories of the show so far. The kids still loved the show...and come to find out that Elisa didn't even know it was going on! I'll be sure and warn everyone when the Corky Face is going to make an appearance again...or WILL I? muahahahahahahahaha....
After the shows, we all did your individual things at the hotel (Elisa, Eric and I all got haircuts at the salon that is attached to the hotel. It was called 'hair!' Adorable, isn't it?)

L: Tara feels Elisa's new haircut...oooh-ing and aaaaah-ing the whole time. R: Elisa's NEW DO! Shorter and straighter...atleast until she hits moisture.

And then Thursday night, we all got gussied up, headed down to the Docks for our dinner and karaoke night at Gumbo's Bayou Grille. And after that, we headed over to The Durty Bird for even MORE karaoke! Like I said, the highlight of the night, for me atleast, was seeing Puppetmaster Chris sing, 'BOOM, BOOM, BOOM LET'S GO BACK TO MY ROOM...' It was GENIUS!

So - the 2 people-pictures are Andrew, singing 'I'm Every Woman' - and Tara dancing to Andrew's rendetion of the song. The two PHONE pictures are of Andrew's phone. He had us call his mom while he was singing, so this is to show Audrey where she was during the performance. It's true...we really called her....

Jackie splits her time on the dance floor between Eric and Chris. And Eric catches a quick pose/good-bye hug from out favorite bartender at the Durty Bird, Kelly!

And just for additional reading, I have now added CAPTIONS to the karaoke pictures from my previous entry. (Evidently, the karaoke at the Gumbo's was filmed for a public-access television show that plays at 1am in the Toledo area. A Karaoke Show. Chances are high that a few of us might be on it. I'll keep you posted.)
Then it was back to the hotel for packing, sleeping and getting ready to GO!

FRIDAY: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Friday was a pretty low-key day. We were on the road from Sylvania to St. Louis - and it was a beautiful day! We drove through kind of rural Ohio to get over to Indiana, and it was cool because we got to see all the colors of autumn changing and the harvest going on at farms all across the area. One of the cooler things of being on tour like this is that we are actually seeing the country...and are able to see how vastly different all areas of the country are.

This is, sadly, how we make long van trips fun.

Our day was an 8 hour day, and we arrived safe and sound at the StudioPlus Extended Stay Hotel. Turns out, we all get our own ROOMS at this hotel, so everyone was in high-spirits as we were checking in.
As is my custom, once I checked in, I got on line and started researching about the area - checking on public transportation and points of interest and what not. The General Manager of our hotel had left us a welcome note, telling us to check out the Central West End District. The note I found about it online said, 'It's a little European. It's a little New York. It's all St. Louis.'
(check it out at: http://www.cweba.com/ ) Eric, Chris and Andrew had a friend coming in to town (Lisa Ferris - Miss DC 2003), so I grabbed the girls, we headed to catch the MetroLink (St. Louis' light-rail system) and we rode down to the Central West End for dinner and walking around. It was about a 5 block walk off of the train station, and it is a great little neighborhood with restaurants, shops, bars, galleries - everything you could need. After watching some street-dancing-kicking-performer-people (I still can't decide if it was Karate or Modern Dance....), we asked a cop for the heart of the area. He led us a couple more blocks up, and we found a restaurant called Zoe, with Asian cuisine. We got a table out on the sidewalk, and had dinner. It really was an excellent dinner.

The girls rushing up the escalator to catch the train on time. The other 2 are that karate-dance stuff we saw. Seemed strange, a bit. But they were having fun, so what they hey....

I had the thai beef with spicy cucumbers and sticky rice...and people...it changed my life. I realize that might be an exaggeration...but it really was quite tasty. I think we were all happy with our choices. The closest thing they had to cheesecake was a flan-like dessert that was called 'Caramel Creme with Coconut'. So of course I got that. It was more sturdy than a flan (which I don't like...flan, that is), and it was very good. Jackie didn't fare so well on her dessert.

The sign for our Pan-Asian delight, Zoe. (No Asian language I'm aware of has those dots over the 'E' though.) And there are the girls, chillin' at the table...enjoying the night.

The dessert I enjoyed. I would give it a solid 7 on the M.A.S.E. The other shows just how much we didn't like Jackie's dessert. (I actually didn't taste it - but I took her word. She knows dessert.)

Tara enjoys a pan-asian latte. Or ratte, as the case may be. Jen shows us the lateset in pan-asian fasion...the take out box hat.

After dinner, I met up with Chris, Eric and Andrew and their friend, Lisa (Miss DC 2003) - and hung out around the corner from Zoe's at a little Irish Pub until we were ready to head back to the light rail and the hotel.

The gang around the corner from Zoe's, at the Irish Pub. And Eric and Chris' guest, Lisa Ferris (Miss DC 2003) performing "Gimme, Gimme" during the talent competition of the Miss America Pageant in 2003.

For those of you wondering - the MetroLink system here in St. Louis is clean and easy to use.
I highly recommend it, if you are in the area and wanting to get around. Thanks.

SATURDAY: THINGS WILL BE GREAT WHEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN
We were in St. Louis and it was time...to see the Arch. The Gateway To The West! So Chris, Chris, Eric, Lisa (Miss DC 2003) and I headed downtown to do the St. Louis thing. (A big thanks to Elisa for driving us down there...U RULE.) I learned a lot of great things about the Arch, on our trip to it. It was built in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Who knew? And I also learned that in the little place where you buy tickets and postcards and go through a little museum, there is also a little shop with tiny loaves of bread and bags of cheese curds, for some reason. (I didn't argue though...I just picked up a small bag of white cheddar with dill and called it good.)
Our tickets were for 2:55 - and we were in line and ready to go. Tickets for WHAT, you ask? Why - to ride to the top of the Arch and look at the view. That's right. For $10 each, you and 4 friends can cram yourself into a futuristic-looking pod and take a 4 minute ride to the top of the arch. Once there, you can elbow your way through hundreds of other tourists, vying for your spot at one of the 16 windows looking out to the West over St. Louis and to the East, over the Mississippi River and Illinois. Because the floor is slanted, in an ARCH style, you will probably have the chance to get a little light headed and dizzy at one point in your visit. And as you watch everyone else, laughing and joking and taking pictures, you sit and wonder if you're the only one up there wondering if that little creak noise you heard or the slight movement means that you are all only seconds away from tumbling to your death. And then you get your name on the list to catch your pod back down - for the 3 minute ride. (What was billed as a 60 minute trip at the ticket counter was EASILY done in 11 1/2 minutes by our group. WHO needs 53 minutes up there? That's just 53 minutes to contemplate falling out or off the arch somehow.) We all made cell phone calls while we were up there - Chris Sizemore and I to tell people, 'HEY! HI! We're in the Arch!' And Eric to say, 'If this is the last time I talk to you, please know I love you.'

L: looking INTO the pod - kind of like a futuristic-Gattaca-type-chamber. R: Looking OUT of the pod, at the top of the arch.

L: Chris and Lisa Ferris (Miss DC 2003) inside the pod. R: Me and Puppetmaster Chris on OUR side of the pod.

OK - This is the view from the top of the arch. The first 2 are out the West windows. The 3rd is out the East side - looking at the Mississippi River and the shadow of the arch on the ground.

After the arch, we did a quick PHOTO SHOOT that I like to call 'LOOK AT ME, HOLDING UP THE ARCH LIKE A BIG BOY!' And then we had lunch at Max & Erma's. (Cheesecake report below.)
The rest of the day, we tooled around downtown - seeing the Cardinals baseball stadium, the old courthouse, a lot of weddings (who knew!? Seriously...I think we saw like 8 different bridal parties taking pictures downtown. Wild.), the International Bowling Museum (closed - just saw the outside - CURSES! Foiled again.), some water fountains (one was RED - I think for the Cardinals...cute. One was BROWN - I think for no reason...gross), and the rest of downtown.

L: Everyone doing their best bowling pose at the International Bowling Museum. R: The caramel fudge cheesecake at Max & Erma's. This was a DELIGHTFUL piece of cheesecake...and will receive a solid 9.5 on the M.A.S.E. Amazing.

L: Everyone shows off their TRAM CARD for the ride UP! R: Chris and Eric make their phones calls at the top of the Arch.

Top L: The old courthouse with the Arch in the background. And one of those PESKY wedding parties standing in front of the fountain. Top R: Eric and Chris celebrate the Arch...and that lady in purple smiles for my camera. Middle L: Eric strikes a pose with the scenery in the background. Middle R: Lisa Ferris (Miss DC 2003) shows us the picture of the couple who got engaged at the top of the Arch while we were up there. Bottom: The guys posing near some water. And another pesky wedding party getting ready to take over the rocks.

L: Chris strikes his 'Look At Me Hold Up The Arch Like A Big Boy' pose. R: Eric strikes his 'Look At Me Hold Up The Arch Like A Big Boy' pose.

L&R: Puppetmaster Chris strikes 2 different 'Look At Me Hold Up The Arch Like A Big Boy' poses.

Then we hopped MetroLink and headed out to where we would spend the rest of our evening - THE LOOP! It's another hip, happening neighborhood in St. Louis. This one is geared to a younger audience - as the Central West End is for a little older crowd. Luckily, being the socialite that I am, I was comfortable in BOTH settings. We just walked around, shopping and looking. There are stores, restaurants, bars, theaters - everything you could ever need in this one area. (Check The Loop out at: www.visittheloop.com)

L: Lisa Ferris (Miss DC 2003) shows off the PAGEANT Theatre. R: The Missouri Walk Of Fame is in The Loop. And here is one of the stars.

L: Andrew and Lisa Ferris (Miss DC 2003) hug while the band plays on. R: Some lady at the bar, feeling the groove...oh yeah....

At about 8:30, we got a call from Andrew and Elisa and they wanted to meet up with us. So when they got there, Puppetmaster Chris and I took the van and headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours while the rest of them continued their partying. Here is the problem - we got skewered directions back to the hotel...so all of the sudden, we're on a bridge, passing the Arch, heading over to Mississippi into Illinois. Oops. No problem - we just never saw the sign for
I-70W. So...we decided to take our FIRST exit, turn around and head back into St. Louis. So first exit was a DARK, DARK exit - and the only thing we saw was a blinking-yellow light. As we got closer, we saw that it was a sign for a hotel. It is called the DISCREET MOTEL. NO JOKE, folks. It was SHADY. It was one of those signs that you have to slide all the letters in yourself.
So we drove by, I got my camera out and handed it to Chris, and we turned around to drive back by. As we were slowing down, I noticed someone standing in the street - and I thought, 'hey. there is someone standing in the street.' JUST as Chris was about to take the picture, I realized it was 3 people actually - and they were rough looking HOOKERS! (And they even gave us a little shout out.) Well, not wanting to be shot by angry hookers who got their picture snapped on a Saturday night, I sped off...and we lost the picture. TRUST ME - they were rough-looking.
And if they didn't shoot us, they would've gotten our lisence number and their pimps would've tracked us down. I know how these things work...I watch CSI. Anyway - I'm sorry I missed the chance to show you all the DISCREET MOTEL.
We made it back to the hotel - rested a bit and then we headed back down to The Loop (This time with directions I secured on Mapquest) and met up with everyone. They ended up at a bar with a cool live band - and so we just sat and listened to them until it was time to head home.
The trip home was pretty funny - because I had a van of drunk people (except myself and Elisa) and they were on ENTERTAINING mode. We made it - everyone was back safe and sound - and our exciting day in St. Louis came to an end.

SUNDAY: ANOTHER DAY OFF?
Sunday was our 2nd day-off-type-day here in the area. (And our 3rd is today..Monday - no complaints at all.) I headed off to church (i've been lucky at each stop we're at. I've been able to find a church always pretty close to the hotel.) and then came back to do laundry while everyone else either headed downtown or to set up the show.
About the time I finished laundry, Elisa finished at the theater load-in, and so we headed out of St. Louis to a place called Columbia, MO. (Home of the might MIZZOU TIGERS!) Elisa used to live and work in Columbia for a dance company called Cedar Lakes Dance Ensemble. She has a storage unit there and wanted to drop off summer clothes and pick up some winter clothes (as we head to Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota soon!) I went because I wanted a day away - and
it was a beautiful drive out west of St. Louis about 100 miles.
We found the storage unit, Elisa figured out the password, we got the winter goods, and then we did a quick driving tour of the city. Last week was homecoming week on the campus of the University of Missouri, so there were floats and remnants of the celebrations all over. We were near all the frat houses and he heard, out the windows, what we thought was a fight or something. (Whatever it was, it was definitely loud and lots of yelling.) We looked over and saw a pack of frat boys knocking down their Spongebob Float and decorations from homecoming.
LUCKILY - because I am a master photographer - I caught them in action. (Or atleast right after the heat of the action...)

L: Elisa celebrates finding the storage unit AND remembering the code to get in! R: The frat guys tearing things down.

L: The Mizzou Football Stadium! R: Elisa and I in Columbia, checking out the nature.

The Nature.

After that, Elisa promised me the BEST BBQ ever - so we headed over to Buckinghams. Only to find they were closed. So that was a bummer. BUT luckily, we passed a Chili's on the way in, and since Elisa and I are both HUGE fans, we headed to Chili's to reward ourselves for a productive, low-key day!

The BBQ place that wasn't meant to be. See how it is Buckinghams - and the picture is of a bucking ham? GENIUS! I'm sorry I missed you, flavorful brisket and deliscious beans.

The drive back was pretty un-eventful...a little show-tune belting and a quick nap by me. And then back at the hotel, we all did our own things. I promise - I TRIED to blog last night...so you early-morning readers would have it...but I just COULDN'T! I was tired from all this doing nothing.
So there you have it. We are now caught up - we are all still in St. Louis - and our shows start tomorrow! We're having a great time and loving the city. St. Louis is showing us a good time.
Everyone cheer for the Cardinals tonight - because if they win, we're going to a game back here at the stadium! GO CARDS!
Sorry for the delay...I'll do better.
This week: Mom and Dad Anderson arrive to see the show!
Blog at you all later....
G

So...enough said.

Downtown the other day, at the arch, this guy was walking his dog around and taking pictures of him in front of the arch in these clothes. Everyone else was like, 'AAAAAAW! Look at the puppy!' And all I could think was 'DUDE. You're dog has bermuda's and a pair of sunglasses on. Get help. Immediately.'

This is my COLOR GALLERY of the photos I took of the arch. Gallery-worthy. I know.

And this is the Black and White collection. Even MORE stunning. Please place orders for prints through me.