Montana Halloween

I'm just going to put pictures up, um.... think what you will...

And on we travel.

We hit South Dakota, my first time ever in the upper mid west, very exciting and very cool. Let me just say that the mountains up here are beautiful, it has been really great to see all these natural beautys. It is really strange though, cause you drive and drive, and see nothing but what seems like waste lands, dry deserts, seens from movies that you never thought really existed, you wonder if there really is a town, let alone a city that even knows what theater is. We get the 10 mins from the hotel speech, and still come upon nothing that seems to be people established, and then you go over a hill, and swoosh there is a thriving little city town, (seemingly out of no where.)

The crew told us about this good restaurant in town called the firehouse grille, so as what happens in every place, the whole cast usually ends up eating there at one time or another, or all at once thru spurts of groups. We bring the business! It was actually a nice spot to eat at. The wonderful yet weird thing about performing in Rapid Falls, SD, was that both are shows were at 7pm. So we got out at like 945pm which is just bizarre for us to have so much evening time left. We went to hangout at the pub on the corner, and everyone was pretty blasted and was ready to go home, and it wasn't even midnight! Ha! Of course not me,but Mikey did by a shot for everyone, well we basically brought the business to this bar, we had 22 people there from Cast,crew, and pit. and then there was this little table of 4. I did have a sip of the shot, and gave the rest back to Mikey, (he likes getting drunk).

The absolute cool thing was the next morning,oh wait, so I went jogging around this park that was next to the theater, and was aways from the hotel, and was coming up upon this little bridge, and saw there was people hanging out under it. "Uh Oh, why are they under a bridge, here we go, delinquents." So I run in and it's a bunch of spanish guys, and as I run some start getting up as if they were running with me, in front and behind. I had my ipod on,Though it wasn't working cause the batteries were dead, but I just acted like I couldn't hear them. I have to admit I was pretty alert, and tense, and ready to sprint. But I'm alright.

SO anyway, Rob, our bus driver being so cool, decided to take anybody who wanted to go, to Mt RUSHMORE! It was Fantastik!!!! I am the first person in my family to have ever been this far west, and to see the glory that is RUSHMORE! It was truly amazing, breath taking, and patriotic. A couple of us took the presidential path to the highest view point. When we got there we took our pictures, and they left....I couldn't. I just sat down on the one side of the fence and just gazed up at these monumental men. I don't know what it was, but it just hit me, freedom, sacrifice, honor, and an over whelming sense of humility. For some reason I have always been a very home team oriented, patriotic person. After I left that spot and walked further down the trail, down the hill, I found this big rock that was off the trail, that jetted out over the mountain. well of course I had to ran out and sit on it. Well As soon as I got out there and peered out The wind started blowing and God told me HE loves me, and let's just say the whole was way emotional, and I was crying. Blah blah blah, say what you want, I needed to cry.and it felt good! Want to know something really funny, well in the gift shop they sell chocolate bars somehow represented of each president. George Washington, milk chocolate, Thomas Jefferson, milk chocolate with rice crispies, Roosevelt, milk chocolate with almonds, and you guessed it, Good ole Abe Lincoln, DARK CHOCOLATE BABY!! Better believe it! I'd be no where without that man!

The shows felt good, I haven't felt that good with my voice since rehearsals back in NYC, so if you're prayin for my voice out there, keep it up!!!

The Cheyenne Gift

I have been looking forward to Performing in Cheyenne, Wyoming ever since we started tour. My Best Friend Jon Elliott and his wife Betsy were planning to attend cause it was the closest place to him since he is in Grad school in CO. So my hearts excitement to see them totally took over any other feelings good or bad.

There's been some new Activities going for me now. Ever since we got the new bus driver and bus, I have been helping load and unload the bus. Our new driver ,Rob, is totes awesome!(that stands for totally, it has entered into our tour lingo slang), but he is an older gentlemen, who came out of semi retirement to drive us around, who's had alot of surgeries so we wanted to help him out. Well I was the first one the next morning to help him, so now I am contracted to help him, it's in my check and everything. Oh, and I got company covered lunch every couple weeks.

Now my original plan was to get Jon and Bets, a room in our hotel so we could just hang out all night and not worry about getting them back home, but When I was in Co Springs, Jon called me and told me there was a surprise for me in Cheyenne, that was going to conflict with the room. But HE was also persistent in asking me if I was actually in Co springs that very moment. Well turns out the surprise was to bring my other best friend Jon Channell to see me after the show, but they didn't realize Channell, and his wife Joy would be there at the same time as me, so they decided to just surprise me there in stead( i.e. the post before this).

Now Jon Elliott and I had this elaborate plan to get tickets so that Channell and Joy could see the show too, So I ended up having to write all these weird request for tickets to be held, on split cards and some junk. Well I went outside to greet them after sound check, and they told me the tickets had all been comped! Well my Company Manager said it was a gift for being such a great helper with the luggage! Praise God!!!! So we all just felt amazingly blessed.

Now Of course I had to put on a bomb show cause my friends were here, But let me just tell you dancing in High altitude when you're not used to it is the most absolute hardest thing. I didn't feel it to we had to do the dance number, and I was trying to warm up, and Man I was getting so winded just swinging my legs back and forth. I felt like I had the worst show I've ever had when it comes to my energy level, and feeling like I was about to pass out. Especially since I had to work my face out for my friends and try to look as fierce as possible. Well we went out afterwards, and they told me they loved the show anyway, which I was absolutely thrilled at. It was absolutely fantastic having 2 of my closest best friends with me, and able to see what I'm doing. It was a great source of validation, and just a great time of strengthening our relationships. Oh and I got to give Channell his birthday present face to face which was great. They totally loved me the way I always want to be loved, by planning and sacrificing, and surprising. The stuff I feel like I do more often for people then they do for me, so it was a real special moment in my life. I love them dearly. Heck I even chased after the car when they left!

The blessings kept coming, the crew bus broke down, and our driver went and picked them up, and took them to Casper our next stop, and then had to come back and pick us up, and take us there. So we ended up having the whole morning to ourselves. I had a fabulous breakfast with
James, and then Kari, Cameron, and I got to go to church! Awesome, I haven't been able to go to church since rehearsal in NYC. In fact I think maybe 3/5ths of the cast either went to mass or church, it was great for us. It was very nice to be in that kind of welcoming atmosphere again.

We ended up having to drive straight to the theater in Casper, which made the whole day feel shorter, the show was crazy, of course because of the sound. We were in an arena again, so we had space out the wazoo again, but means we couldn't fly anything in at all, including the video projection, which is like a key part of our show, in any event, it just ment Mikey was really bored cause he had nothing to do. So he played with my props, as I was on stage, I looked back and half my rope which I had coiled on stage, was gone and under the back curtain. I knew who it was immediately, for He is always messing with me right before I have to go out on stage. Anyway another standing O.

And after I put all the bags back on the bus that people weren't using, the Company manger(Brad) gives me my room key and says, if you want your own room, you got it. Another gift, Kingsize bed, Thank you God!

Colorado Healing

Ever since we arrived here in Colorado Springs, the whole atmosphere of the cast has been different. Malia says since we're all so much alike, when one or a couple of people might be down, the whole cast pretty much is. But everyone is saying how being in this place has just been so uplifting, and so needed for our indivisual spritual welfare. I was walking yesterday to the mall across the street, with the Rocky mountains on one side of me, and the sun shining down as glorious as it could, and I was jut overwhelmed with a sence of warmth and assurance that things will be ok. Now I knew that I was excited for saturday, cause I get to see 2 of my closest friends, and that I was going to be able to spend some time with A wonderful man, who is a mentor, guide, and counselor to me, here in CO Springs, but there was just something else that was touching my heart.

I have been here only once before my sophomore year at Penn State, when we road tripped here for spring break with my fellowship group. So maybe that's why I was feeling so good, cause every memory of CO is a great one: Coming here with Navs, Going to Eric's wedding, making friends at Eric's wedding, Going to Kyle's wedding in Aspen, Hangin with Jay in Denver. Colorado has just been good to me. One glorious thing about here that I remembered was going to the national park Garden of the Gods.

We performed at the Pikes Peak Center, the premiere place here to perform at. And let me just tell you this place was huge! and it seemed the first night it was sold out, for even the highest balconies were packed, but we found out tonight that it wasn't cause tonight was! Which was just amazing, and it was great cause we got standing Os from these huge houses. It was really fantastik too, cause this is the home town of my roomate Trip!, He had literally a gaggle of people to see him at each show. The only thing that has sucked for us while being here, is the not being used to this elevation, we noticed it in Pueblo, Co, after our dance number, and we all got off the stage extremely winded, and all feeling incredibly heavy. SO we have been trying to adjust as much as we can to breathe better, also since it is so dry here, it has been harder to stay ont top of our voices. God still blessed the shows though.

Since Trip had an ocean of people here to see him, they were all blocking one side of the stairs outside the door, so there was no way but the left to get to the bus, well as I walk to the left, and looked up, There stands Jon Channell,One of my closest friends! and his wife Joy! Just Chillin! It was such a huge surprise, I screamed something, I really don't remember what I said, but I said it in a really really, well really high pitched voice. Oh and I also called him a fart knocker. Apparently my friends Jon and Betsy were planning on surprising me by having them be with them on Saturday when I see them, but overlooked the fact that they would be in Co springs with me at the same time! So there gift to me came 2 days early, Which was absolutely wonderful for me.I love this Kid! I was a groomsmen and sang in his wedding. Once in college we were at this retreat, and I was having a bad time so I got prayed for, and he just ended up hugging me every 10 mins for the rest of the night, just to keep checking in. ( He knows physical touch is my love language, He's the only one who picks me up and suizzes me to death when he hugs me.). In fact he knows me pretty well, down to my bad eating habits for dancing, and the phrases I'll shout when surprised. I absolutely love this guy. So after the show we went to Dennys which by the way I had a great sandwhich( chicken ranch melt), and had a greta time being in each others pressence. Those 2 were actually in town for a couples convention with their job. God knew it was exactly what I needed to regenerate.

The other awesome thing was the next day I got to go to Garden of The Gods again!We had an absolute glorious(word of the day), time! There were 8 of us who rented a mini van, and drove out to it, it was actually not to far from our hotel. It seemed like it effected me even more than the first time. It was just breath taking, and quieting, which is hard to do for a bunch of professional singing performers. Well and I have to admit, after the intial shock, there is the swells of awe and excitement which of course makes us want to break out in song and dance again, so there was singing later on as we were walking. It was just the right group of people to go with, nice easy, relaxing, and peaceful. we were all saying how this is exactly what we needed, that our souls needed to be in a beautiful place, and they were.

SO after that wonderful adventure, later on I was able to meet with my spiritual daddy Vic. He works as the head of the prayer ministry for the national collegiate ministry known as Navigators, which is the group I went to in college. He's actually Jason Blacks dad, that's how I met him. Jason was the friend I got to hang out with in Jackson, MS, (check out the posting titled, the beautiful black girls!) So Vic was able to find time out of his incredibly busy schedule to hangout, so he met me in the lobby of the hotel, and we headed to to famous talk spot, Starbucks, which by the way I hate. I got a pumpkin spice, with extra spice, chai, I guess it was good. I Love this man as well, He is full of so much wisdom, and knowledge, and compassion, and a desire to know God more. Oh and he is fiercely in love with his family! He infact is what I set the standard to, of what a family should be like. It was great to bounce all the stuff that's been going on in my head and heart to him, and just be heard. and have him speak into my life. He basically set me straight again, Told me that I don't have to try so hard, and gave me a book to read, something we can go thru together. Glorious humane connection!

by the way, My show that night was off the hizzil!