RAIN!

Kent, Washington

Drip, drip, drip.  Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.  Pour, pour, pour. Thunder and lightning and begin again. 

No one was every lying when they said that it literally rains everyday in the state of Washington.  And it may be a beautiful state with gorgeous mountains and scenery, but I could not live here.  I think I would not only be Vitamin D deficient, but also in a very, very sad state of mind.  It is once in a blue moon that sun actually shines.  I think maybe, two days for about two hours the sun was actually out and no matter what there was a raindrop to fall to the surface each and every day. 

We tried to not let that stop us from exploring the area and being so close to the light rail to venture downtown to the city of Seattle, Washington. 

The Washington River, Pikes Place, Pioneer Square, the Gum Wall, the Space Needle and the city were waiting!

Now, it was all about timing.  Fingers were crossed that Mother Nature cooperated and didn’t rain on our parade.

It was chilly and windy, but the weather held out and it was a successful trip downtown and up and down the many floors of the Pikes Place Market with beautiful over looks extending out towards the water and the Ferris Wheel.  It’s all about finding all the nooks and cranny’s in that place because just when you think you are done, there is something else right around the corner that catches your attention. 

So, if you aren’t happy with the selection of bakeries, cafes, fresh seafood, and unique boutique shops then you can easily head over to the downtown area and stubble into the original Starbuck’s!  Be careful though, the line is normally pretty long and extends out the door. 

Any how, there had been enough exploring for the time we had and we were on our way, but not before we sung  “Rain, rain go away.  Come again another day.”

Off to Everett we went!

Evergreen Nation

Spokane, Washington

Another long bus ride down.  Conquering another state we were in the Lilac City.  And as most of us know the state of Washington to be very rainy; it’s true.  However, it does depend on the location, and Spokane was on the drier side with about 200 sunny days in the year versus Seattle with only about 50.  This did not seem to be the case when we were in town though, having all but about two days with rain at some point or another.  

We made the most of it though and were able to get out and go shopping at the mall right down the street as well as take a gander down to the Spokane Falls.  They were beautiful waterfalls located right in the downtown area, just a little ways up from the Riverfront Park, which was hosting the Chinese Lantern Festival.  Chinese music, dancing, as well as animals and dragons were lit up all around the park area.  And each night around 8:00 PM, music played and a few dancers took to the stage for a short show.   

And if we weren’t out exploring the area or roaming through the park on the way to the arena, some of us were catching up on some much needed sleep or taking part in pair ice and of course catching up on some television shows. 

If you can’t tell, we were trying to stay inside for a good part of the time because the temperatures were the coldest we have seen so far this tour.  We were breaking out our winter coats and boots.  Needless to say, I was not ready for that nor did I expect to have to do so while on a West Coast tour.  It happened though and all while it was 70 degrees back home in PA.

Nonetheless there were things to do around the area; it was also kind of like a lazy week for us.  This is the first time in a while that we had three one-show days and then finished the week with only two shows on Sunday!  That has never happened until now. 

Timing was perfect because we are just gearing up for some busy weeks to come. 

See you on the other side of the state!

Seattle/Kent here we come!

College for Halloween

Boise, Idaho

So it was back to school we went.  Okay, maybe not quite back to school, but performing on a college campus, walking to work, eating on and exploring the campus, having a BBQ, and celebrating Halloween made it feel pretty similar.  It was almost as if I was feeling right at home, except of course there were the typical differences like, I was in Idaho and not PA for one. 

Anyways, the college atmosphere made going to the arena a bit more familiar this week.  That along with the beautiful walks to work along the water and under bridges away from the busy streets.   Just that little breath of fresh air made such a difference.  It was as if I was totally removed from going to work.  I could forget about everything and just get lost in nature.  And once I arrived it was more of a feeling of going to class than it was to work.  It’s amazing that I may have only gone to one university for my college career, but now each school feels like home.

And since it was Fall, not only was it time for cross-country races, football games, and bonfires; but it was also time for Halloween celebrations and BBQ’s!

From the Biker Gang to the TY Beanie Babies to classics like Sandy and Danny from Grease, to characters from Alice and Wonderland to even Grand Pabbi the Troll from Frozen, we were all bringing out the smiles and having a good time.  It was Halloween after all…AHAHAHAHA.

And now we have candy for about the next three or four weeks.  Can someone say “Sugar-high”?  Haha.

If the candy wasn’t enough, we all got spoiled with a two-show Saturday, which is literally unheard of and topping that off, we had a BBQ! 

As if the week wasn’t eventful enough with pairs class with Tony Paul, the Halloween Celebration, and a BBQ; it’s going to be hard to top a week like this in a college town. 

But we were off to the next stop.  Here we come Lilac City!