Olympic Fever

Vancouver, Canada

Welcome to Vancouver, Canada – Probably the most excited I have ever been crossing the boarder. 

Ever since I was a little girl I always dreamed of going to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada.  Well, that time came and went and I did not compete in the games, but now I was finally here and able to see where the most famed competition took place. 

Not only was I able to see where the torch was lit, but I also had the experience of a lifetime performing with the show on the very ice that the Figure Skating Competition took place on during the Olympics. 

And just like the State Farm commercials always say,” Little girls have big dreams too.”  I was loving every minute of it and looking back now it almost doesn’t seem real.  I couldn’t believe it, but I had to and I had to live in the moment taking everything in. 

That, along with all the yummy food and even though we did not have a meal on Thanksgiving, we still did get our turkey dinner.

There was also some family time as well as seeing familiar faces from the ice show business and meeting new friends and family and what made the holiday seem a little more like a holiday was watching the famous Macy’s Day Parade!  Some traditions never change even if I am a million miles away from home. 

Being so far away is difficult some times, but it does offer opportunities to see things that I may have never been able to, such as the downtown area called Gastown where it’s all about places to eat and shop.  And then there is Rogers Arena, where the Canucks play as well as Stanley Park, Canada Place, and the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Something a little smaller than all of these places, are seaplanes!  I have never seen a seaplane before other than in movies so it was an interesting experience to see them floating along the coast as well as how they take off and land in the water.  Sometimes it’s all about the little things. 

And just like that we were headed back to the states to the ski capital of the world!

  

Look It’s A Plane!

Everett, Washington

Well this was our last stop in Washington and Mother Nature was not going to let us forget it.  If the wind and the torrential down pours were not enough, then the power went out.  So much for groceries, it was fast food and gas station food for the night, but we made the most of it and were thankful that we had a warm place to stay and roof over our heads.  Luckily, we did still have power also. 

The same could not be said for most places around; even the Boeing Manufacturing Plant was struggling with high winds.  Part of the tour had to be altered by the staff workers themselves for everyone’s safety.  Unfortunately, that meant that we could not see the 747s, the largest planes being built at the site.  However, seeing the 777s, 787s, and the Dreamliners was incredible. 

The planes are actually assembled on moveable platforms and go through about six different stages within a month before they are complete.  It’s crazy to think how quickly such a large-scale form of transportation can be built. 

And once the planes assembled, their first flight is taken right outside the hanger doors where it is being built.

The Boeing Plant not only has the longest runway in the United States, but is also the largest building serving as its own functioning community with access to doctors, laundry services, a post office, multiple cafeterias, as well as numerous Tully’s Coffee Shops. 

There was so much to see and even though the tour was just over an hour, it felt as if we were there for 20 minutes. 

It’s probably best that it wasn’t an all-day event since we only had one day off and we were back at it again. 

However, walking into the arena and seeing that it was conjoined to a community rink allowed us not only to watch freestyle sessions, but also public skating sessions, and hockey games made the time pass quickly.

It brought us all back to where most of us got our start.  Ah, the memories…

But, enough looking backwards, we are only headed forwards and Vancouver was next on the map.

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!

Home Away From Home

Portland, Oregon

We were finally leaving the warm, summer weather and heading right into fall.  The leaves were changing colors from beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges and there was a unique chill in the air.  As the saying goes – “We aren’t in Kansas anymore,” but in reality we just weren’t in Texas, Mexico, or Arizona anymore.

It was time to embrace Autumn! And what better way to do that than to go for a nine-mile hike.  I’m not entirely sure that we necessarily came out and said “Let’s go for a nine-mile hike,” but that’s essentially what it turned into. 

We went exploring within the Colombia River Gorge, hiked around Multnomah Falls, and up 1.25 miles to get to the top of Wahkeena Falls and back down, saw the Pool of the Winds while ascending up to the summit of Mount Hamilton 3.20 miles up followed by a breath taking view once you finally reached the top, and finally descending back down the 3.20 miles, finally bringing us to just about nine total miles. 

There aren’t too many places that you can explore the beaten path and the unbeaten trail as we did in a few instances.  Not to mention, the views, being so close and indulged in nature, taking in the fall temperatures and sunshine, hearing the leaving crunch under our footsteps, listening to the water rush down the hillside, and being able to sit on top that mountain and just take all in, all during a days’ hike in a foreign place that none of us particularly call home and without this job, we may have never had the opportunity to do so. 

Its crazy where our lives take us and for that instance we were in Oregon and in the blink of an eye we were in Washington and looking straight to Mount Hood. 

Taking in all that we could it was time to call it day. 

Somehow after all of this and embracing how much the area reminded me of home back in PA, there was still time for a girl’s day, exploring downtown, and VooDoo Donuts!

It’s a place that you have to go to when you come to Portland.  So yummy and who doesn’t love donuts; especially when they are a total surprise? 

That’s how we started our crazy Sunday morning off.  Not only that, but who would have thought that very same day our Stage Manager would end up making an appearance in the ice show again and coming out of retirement and we would all get the “Third Show Crazies.”  From the dance-offs in the make room to the lipstick ending up everywhere to PIE…haha you had to be there for that 8:00 PM show to really understand.  I mean an 8:00 PM show on a Sunday?  That should say enough right there. 

Anyways, it was time to bring in Halloween a little early with class on our Homeless Monday before it was time to hit the road.

Hoping to return soon, we were on our way.   

See you down the road Oregon! 

Off to Idaho we go!

Rattlers, Cacti, Scorpions

Tucson, Arizona

So happy to be back in one of my favorite states; from Phoenix to Tempe to Scottsdale and Old Town Scottsdale to Chandler and Flagstaff and now to Tucson, I find myself falling more in love with the landscape and could really get used to it out this way.   I definitely would miss having the varying seasons that we do at home though because fall is absolutely beautiful back home in PA. 

However, it still being in the upper 70s and low 80s definitely has its perks right about now knowing that just a few days ago it was snowing at home. 

But its home and I love it, however, AZ is home for now and aside from a few thunderstorms the weather was beautiful.  The sun was shining and made for a perfect day to hike or well walk through the Saguaro National Park.  I might add though if you happen to veer off the treaded path beware of the small cacti that literally jump out and into your foot.  I am still pulling cacti spines out of my running shoes.   Anyways that’s beside the point, the scenery was beautiful and especially at sunset.  No picture will ever do that sight justice; it’s just something that you have to experience to believe the beauty. 

And while we weren’t out fighting off a cactus, some of us were soaking up the sun in an amazing pool or hot tub or cooking our full kitchens or working off all the Dairy Queen ice cream at the partnered gym, Platinum Fitness. 

But the real matter was the Happy Helper Auction!  Which of course, just like any year made for some pretty good laughs, a few top bidders, and a decent party fund. 

It was a successful week in the dessert and now it was time to move on into to the Pacific Northwest.