Kansas City and Sleep Number Beds

Hey everyone. Sorry for no post today...I thought about doing one last night, but as I started to, my SLEEP NUMBER BED here at the Radisson City Centre called to me - and I answered the call. So I choose to sleep instead of blog. And since my blog salary is already pretty low, I decided I could miss a day and not get a pay cut. It worked out great. (For those of you wondering WHAT THE CRAP IS A SLEEP NUMBER BED? Click HERE for more info...)
We got to Kansas City yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, and after checking in and everyone finding their sleep numbers (mine is a low 25...which I love...), we loaded up in the van and headed for the premiere shopping area of Kansas City - The Plaza. It's fashioned after something in Spain or something like. Regardless, lots of shops - lots of lights - fine night.

Here are some shots of THE PLAZA...from the different times were there. It's a great place - beautiful architecture and fountains - except the fountains are empty in the winter. So...I guess they are just statues.

I mainly went to get my iPod serviced - because it's been on the BLINK for the past 2+ weeks.
Well, after fretting and fretting, Jarod at the Genius Bar (an Apple Store thing) ran some tests and then went in the back and got a new one for me, swapped it out and I was good to go! Thanks Jarod! Thanks APPLE! The other highlight of the night was my trip to the Cheesecake Factory with Eric and Emily. You just can't go wrong. We all enjoyed our meals - and we all enjoyed our cheesecakes. I got the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake - and although I didn't snap a picture of it for the blog (do you take pictures of the preacher in church? NO. And we were pretty much in the TEMPLE of Cheesecake), please know that it was as joyful as I remember.
It retains its 10 rating on the MASE and it made me happy.
ALSO - for those who remember the visit of my friend TAMMY (who came to visit in Des Moines) - she lives here in KC, so she gets to come see the show again tomorrow. She came to the hotel last night and then took me out on a driving tour of the greater Kansas City area. It is always fun to see Tammy - she can always make me laugh! Hopefully there will be a few more people in the audience tomorrow! (Besides the 3o that were in Des Moines!)
Today - sleep in. I wanted to get up, but the sleep number bed wouldn't allow it. After everyone hummm'd and hawwww'd around, we finally ended up back OUT at The Plaza - and we had lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. And while we were there, we experienced 2 new cheesecakes. I had the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cheesecake - and the picture and rating is below. And today, for the FIRST time, I welcomed a guest cheesecake eater: Mr. Chris Sizemore. Chris enjoyed the Pumpkin Cheesecake - and the picture and review are also below.

Here is Chris' entry into the Cheesecake Realm. He gave this Pumpkin Cheesecake a 7.5 on the MASE. He cited it's DRYNESS as it's major drawback to full cheesecake enjoyment.

Cheesecake Model Jackie shows off my Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. I enjoyed it - very creamy and good flavor. I would give it a solid 8 and tell anyone heading there to pick one up. For me, or them....

The rest of the day was spent shopping (got closer to being FINISHED on my Christmas gifts), writing Christmas cards, setting up my new iPod with all the old music, and just hanging out.
Tomorrow we have 2 shows, 9:30am and 11:30am, and then they load out the show and we get on the road! We are heading to Columbus, but since it's so far away, and we have driving rules, we go as far as St. Charles, MO (St. Louis area), stay the night and then head on to Columbus on Friday (after an 8 or 9 hour drive....). We have a day off on Saturday and then we start the last of our 4 shows on Sunday! And if rumor is right, our director, Graham, will be joining us.
That is about the sum of the excitement here!
BUT - I DO have to give a shout out to my friends Sam and Mike, in the Greater Washington DC area, who I performed in The Who's TOMMY with this past summer. Sam called me yesterday and said that the day before, a lady called he and Mike to see if they wanted to be back-up singers for the Clay Aiken Concert at Constitution Hall in DC the following day. Evidently, it didn't matter that they didn't know the 3 songs they wanted them to 'sing' - because the tracks were all pre-recorded. They just had to be on stage and act like they were throwing snowballs (in one scene) and sitting in church (in another scene). So they did it - because they could. And because it's a great story to tell. Evidently, before each show, Clay and his 'PEOPLE' have a prayer circle, so one of the ladies who was a last-minute back-up singer started walking towards it when she saw they were gathering, and they actually TURNED HER AWAY. Evidently, there was no room at the inn. (CREEPY! See the parallel? Christmas Concert? No Room? A semi-Star? These celebrity-types....grrrrrrrrr!) Sam sent me some pics of the whole experience - which I will try and get posted tomorrow (blogger isn't agreeing with me tonight) - INCLUDING the autograph that Sam basically paid $20 for. (He bought the program for Clay to sign - and Sam said, "...all it is is 15 pages of photos of Clay smiling in the snow as he throws snowballs at the camera and lugs pine branches around!" Silly Clay!)
So that's about it. We're down to 10 shopping days until Christmas. We're down to 6 more shows. We're down to 3 more driving days. 2 more hotels. And we still just have 1 van. It appears as if you could say our days are sleep-numbered.
Good night!
G


Jackie and Eric, between shows in Saint Joseph, seemingly THRILLED to be there. MAN I love candids!


Between shows, SOME of us have more ENERGY than others. Here is Torg, LITERALLY climbing the walls. (Or poles...whatever...)


Known on the tour circuit for their wild ways, these terrible 6-some is finally caught by the autorities in Saint Josephs and put behind bars. Makes the show a little more difficult - but the streets are now a lot more safe.


2 shots that don't have TOO much in common. L: The Missouri Theater in Saint Jopephs. R: Elisa caught in a b&w mood after our shows.


Eric shows off his new DO he got in The Plaza today.


These are these weird POLE things outside my window. They are on the roof of the convention center. Evidently, they are just ART - they aren't radio towers or for reception or anything. $1 million art project. Crazy, if you ask me. PLUS - I think there is a ghost in my picture. Weird.


So - looking out my window the OTHER way, you can see the Kansas City Marriott - City Centre. And they have the CRAZIEST LCD lights on their building for the holidays! I don't know if you can see the lights in the rooms there, if they keep you awake, but they are ALWAYS on - and always changing. They make some fun pictures, too. I don't know if you can tell what they all are: 1. stocking; 2. santa hat; 3. some design; 4. a couple kissing under the mistletoe. Crazy. But worth sharing.