The Cutting Room Floor

So I take a lot of pictures. LOTS of pictures. And I love it. But for as many pictures as I take and post on the blog, there are just as many that I take and don't make it on to the blog...for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes I forget....sometimes the picture/story just doesn't go with what I'm writing about...and sometimes, I just decide the time isn't right. Basically, I take creative liberties because...I can. My blog, my rules.
Anyway - so this entry today is a random splattering of some of the pics and stories from the 'cutting room floor', as it were. There is no sequence to what you are about to see...just put them together as they were loaded. Enjoy some of these 'loose ends' from our journey out West!
Next time you hear from me....I will be reporting from the GREAT STATE of IDAHO! The Gem State! Get ready for the fun.
Ciao!
G

L: The Wonka Girls outside the Pikes Peak Performing Arts Center in Colorado Springs. R: Me and the Freeman sisters and some of their husbands, ALSO at Pikes Peak Center.

L: Still in Colorado Springs. Post show we had a reception with some contest winners...and Roe found her look-alike! (NOT PLANNED, the girl said....) R: One of the contest winners really got into the Wonka Spirit!

The girls in Beaver Creek. These are more ICE SKATING pics. These 3 didn't make the initial report...and now I have NO idea why. The world needs to SEE these beauties!

So this is my new friend, Joan Russel, from Boulder, Colorado. Joan's car was parked next to ours at our hotel in Idaho Springs (Snow Storm Stop) and as she left the hotel, to get in her car, I commented on her University of Colorado Buffaloes fleece by saying, 'GO BUFFS!' Well - that started a conversation - and we became fast friends! I told her of my families history with CU - and she told me HER families history with CU - and the rest, as they say, is history! As she was getting ready to leave, she said she had a copy of a book for me about the recent NCAA "Scandal" the CU Buffalo Football Program has endured. It was a fascinating read. It's called BUFFALOED: How Race and Media Bias Fueled a Season of Scandal. It was good reading...and pretty interesting in its arguements. I'm a fan - of CU, of Joan and the book! Thanks JOAN! GO BUFFS!

So...speaking of my families history in Boulder...here is the first house my parents ever owned! While I was with the Horsleys, Scott and I ran out to Boulder to find the ORIGINAL Anderson Family dwelling. There were some other homes and apartments in Boulder they lived in...but this was the first REAL house! And that's the backyard....um...to look at.

One of our mornings in Denver, Craig, Jodi, Roe and I went to Einstein's Bagel for breakfast. Evidently, I needed my picture taken with my breakfast bagel. And WHY NOT, I say. When you look THIS good......

On that SAME Breakfast trip...we stopped at Jamba Juice...and Craig talked Roe into trying some of that putrid Wheat Grass crap. And from the looks of things, Roe NO LIKEY!

This is a big bear sculpture downtown Denver. HOW BIG? Please notice ROE below the bear, striking the SAME pose as the bear. Now THAT is a big bear.

Roe and I went to see THE LION KING - on tour in Denver - at the Denver Performing Arts Center. It was fun to see again...and just as visually stunning...but a couple of the undrestudies were on the show we saw...and they were NO BUENO.

So Katie is modeling the cubes of AMAZING GOODNESS that her mom sent to us! OH MAN are they amazing. I DARE anyone out there to just TRY and surpass the amazingness of these squares. Go ahead....make something delicious and send it to me and we, as a cast, will decide. I dare you.

I am embarassed by this picture....because I hate being photographed...but you HAD to see the delight on my face that these cubes of amazing goodness BRINGS to me. Unbelievable.

Eric in the lobby of our RANDOM hotel in Gillette, WY...praising....

And LOOK....just LOOK who is back with us for a week or so while Mike goes to Scotland! PUPPETMASTER CHRIS from Wonka Tour last year! SO good to have him back. He is our sound guy while he is with us...and it's great to see him again. More pics of Chris to come....

SOOOOO....here is what happens when you combine ALCOHOL with an EMPTY airport in a tiny, rural US city. Basically, Chris flew in on Sunday...but his luggage didn't make his flight...so we had to go back later to get the bag. (WHICH actually never showed up...but I digress....) So we got to the airport, and there was NO ONE there. But - we did see some crazy things....like the ONE (count it: ONE) ticket counter to check in. ONE. Eric, Tara and Rachel create some travel scenes for us.

Next thing I knew, people were checking themselves through the security checkpoint. And why not...since we were the only people in the airport.

And this....well.....this is just unclear. (Remember - there was alcohol consumed with these kids earlier in the night....so that might shed some light on it.....)

And finally, we have Rachel. Who, on a dare, flopped ON to the moving luggage conveyor belt and rode ONE COMPLETE REVOLUTION of the luggage conveyor. Yes.....this is NOT a posed picture. Rachel had JUST made her victorious appearance through the black flappy things. We were all DULY impressed with her finesse in the situation. But....Chris' bag still didn't show up that night. (He has since received it, though...so stop worrying.....)

And last but CERTAINLY not least....don't foret the decorations you are met with when you step foot in the Gillette Airport. I mean OF COURSE...I would be surprised if there WASN'T a 'buffalo being hunted' display...OR a 'deer licking it's hind quarters' display. Pretty impressive stuff, if you ask me....