Joliet, IL

The last two weeks of this tour have really stunk. The schedule has just been horrible and most of the theatres have been pretty crummy. Life consists of getting on a bus at 6:30am, driving hundreds of miles, taking a shower, going to the theatre, and doing it all over the next day. Totally Groundhog Day, and very lonely. Kevin and I rarely see each other because we are on opposite schedules. We did have a day off in Pittsburgh last week. It will get better after Christmas so I just have to try and keep my head up.


The one theatre that did put me in a good mood was in Joliet, IL. I have played there before and their lobby is beautiful. It's all marble from top to bottom. A little extra bonus this time was that it was decorated for Christmas!


I'm on the bus on my way to Youngstown, then a different city every night until I fly home on Monday the 20th. The countdown begins!!

Thanksgiving 2010

The week of Thanksgiving was really, really great. We had the week OFF! Not paid, but still. Better than dinner in a hotel like last year.


We went to North Carolina for the week to stay with Kevin's family, and didn't really do a whole lot besides eat and hang out. The one thing we did do that I was so excited about was visit my friends Nick and Lindsay, who just had twins. Brooke and Bryce were soooooo cute! The only bad part about that trip (which should have taken two hours) was that we did it during Charlotte rush hour. Not a good idea. We tried to be very patient in the traffic, but after it was all said and done we drove four hours to go to dinner. Totally worth it though.

Kevin's brother and his daughter also went to Chapel Hill for a few days. I don't think they had been together on Thanksgiving since like 2004, so everyone was pretty excited and happy about that.

Thanksgiving dinner pretty much came from Whole Foods this year. I don't shop there at home simply due to the cost and my love of bargain shopping, but let me tell ya- it was good. I think we went to Whole Foods three times in two days, and I was in heaven just looking at all of the delicious good food there. And we might have bought a case of wine for the week too. I tried to post a picture of Kevin and his turkey, but it wouldn't post for some reason. I was pretty impressed! They are the kind of people who actually cook from scratch, unlike me who buys stuff pre-made. For example, they needed vegetable stock so they made it. To me making it means buying it in a box. I'm getting better though....

During the week we also visited with some friends and family, went to a planetarium (which I hadn't done since I was a kid), and went Christmas tree shopping. Everyone I know has a fake one, so that was kind of fun! I think I'm going to get a baby one this year for my condo, since we have TWO weeks off for Christmas and New Years, and I get to go home!! Can't. Wait.

The Fabulous Fox

Ahhhh, the Fabulous Fox. The Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI is my favorite theatre to work in in North America. I have been lucky enough to have worked here four times now. It's like nothing else (except the Fox theatres in St. Louis and Atlanta). The people are great, it smells like yummy roasted nuts (that they sell in the lobby), the walls backstage are covered with autographs of famous people and shows, and despite the fact it's in Detroit, it's just wonderful.

Funny thing about this trip to Detroit- I walked in the door of the DoubleTree hotel, and the valet guy looks at me and goes, "Oh no!". It's the SAME guy who was working when my car was stolen from that hotel last year! We had a good laugh about that one.

Whiskey For My Men

Beer For My Horses?

Outside of a bar in Montana last week, this guy pulled up on his horse, threw his friend on the back and they rode off with two Bud Lights.

I don't think he liked us taking a picture with him, but how could we not?!

Canada

We have been up in Western Canada for three weeks now, and I have hardly taken ANY pictures. Not being a very good blogger.

We started in Vancouver, then went to Calgary, then Edmonton. I got the call about Poppy in Vancouver, and flew home for a week, so I have actually only been here for about two weeks. Which is a good thing, because as much as I love it up here, it's just too expensive. Every time I eat, I cringe at the bill when it comes. I don't think I have been able to even get a sandwich at a restaurant for under $15.

Anyway, we were able to be a little tourist-y in Vancouver and take a boat over to Granville Island. I had done it before, and really enjoy it. They have a big public market and little shops and restaurants. The boys did not want their pictures taken, as you can see:

Vancouver has a really different architectural look. All of the buildings are tall, and all glass. Like floor to ceiling windows in the apartments. We looked up the prices of real estate there, it was was crazy expensive. Same with Calgary. Edmonton is a little more blue collar than the other two.

I flew back to Calgary just in time to be there for the weekend, and Kevin and I went to one of my favorite restaurants in the world, The River Cafe. You walk into a park downtown, and it's right in the middle of the park on a river. All of their food is local, and it's wonderful.

Edmonton has been pretty uneventful. A group of us went to the largest mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall. It has a waterpark, rides, ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, Chinatown, and over 800 stores and services. We made the mistake of going on Remembrance Day, so the place was insanely packed. It was pretty annoying, actually. Other than that, it's been the hotel and the theatre. And a place called Sherlock Holmes which serves food late.

And that's been my few weeks in Canada. Oh- the ongoing question here is.... are they called Canadian Geese up here, or do they just call them geese? Just wondering.

Poppy's Party

Most people would say that they were going to a funeral for someone after they have died. However, that was NOT the case with Poppy. He wanted a nice personalized memorial and a celebration, and that is what he got.

Over 500 people came to his memorial service. We listened to him welcome all of us, heard some of his favorite Jazz songs, watched him perform "Sam You Made The Pants Too Long", listened to my sister and Heidi (his long time companion) talk about wonderful memories and listened to him ask us if anyone told us they loved us today (one of his "things" he always said). He was pretty well prepared for that day, and had taken a lot of time to put together what he wanted. And it was cool because we had his bust up in the front of the church with his saxophone, so you almost felt like he was there.

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a nice lunch, music and visiting at the church, then we were off to Gamekeeper's. Gamekeeper's is a restaurant/bar that he had been going to since the late 70's. His band would play for occasions such as Valentine's Day, Derby Day, his birthday, and Christmas Eve. Every time he played, he made a T-shirt. So, everyone wore their favorite Chuck Fuller T from over the years, and we went and celebrated his life into the night. The place was PACKED!

As sad as it is to lose someone you love so, so much, at least everyone has wonderful, fun memories of my very unique Poppy.

Chuck Fuller 1923-2010