The Midnight Train Crossing

We got back there pretty quickly. The people from the row in front of us came as well, and we soon learned why.
Katie O'Toole (Dinah) was the first one to come out - which was not exactly a big surprise. I greeted her and gave her a hug and asked her about her crown, because, at least during U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. (Which, of course, everybody calls "uncoupled" 'cause spelling it takes too long) it looked like she had a little hat on instead. Maybe it was just the angle I was at because she said that she had the same crown as always.
It turned out that actually, she knew the people that were sitting in front of us because she went over to them. I've suddenly remembered that she's from the East Coast, so yeah :)
I told Katie that she was getting progressively better at the tackling at the end. She then told a story about how she actually did slam into him once and actually threw him off for a beat or two - which according to her, was like a monumental event.

I know that Drue Williams (Greaseball) and Scott Martin (Dustin) came out, but I didn't talk to them, because it was very rapid fire actors.

I caught Paul Lane who is a swing. He was Prince of Wales, and has been at the last several performances that I've seen because Jared Lee is out. He took a picture with my Princey Bear.

Kris Stock (Ruhrgold) came out and was talking to Katie and her entourage for a few minutes until I got his attention and then he turned around and was like "Hey!! You're here!" and he gave me a hug. I asked him how he liked his bear and he smiled, "I love him!" he paused and then, "but I didn't see you in... Boston"
So I had to explain to him that I wasn't there, and that I'd mailed bears off to someone who saw it in Boston.
While I was talking to him, Jeremy Kocal (Red Caboose) came out and I... well... I nearly did straight out tackle him to thank him. He asked us where were sitting and was quite pleased when we told him that we had good seats.
Graham Harvey (Turnov) came out as well and I was like, "I've got something for you!" His eyes definately lit up when he saw Turnov Bear - especially when I said that he could keep him.

Steve Maestas (Hip Hopper Three) came out and greeted me the same way as he did in Omaha - "You lied again!" but he gave me a hug so it was okay.
They asked me if I was going to dress up, and were quite disappointed when I told them that I wasn't going to. Kris still insisted that I should dress as Ruhrgold. I forgot to tell him the reason that there are very few national fan costumes - because there are very few refrence pictures.

Franklyn Warfield (Rusty) came out shortly afterwards and, you guessed it, gave me a hug. :) He was also quite apologetic that he hadn't checked his email in a long time, so he hadn't seen that I'd emailed him until that morning. I assured him that it was okay.
Everyone was glad when I told them that I was going to be there tomrrow.
After Franklyn left, I happened to spot him and Graham on the other side of the crowd of people that had met Katie. They were both studying Turnov bear, which was kinda neat.

They all left shortly after then. But a few minutes later, a car honked at me and it was Kris, Graham, Steve, Franklyn and somebody else - who was driving, but I couldn't see who. Steve yelled out the window that Graham loves his bear - "And I love mine too!" Kris: "Me too!"
I... thought I was going to melt.

Dennis LeGree (Poppa) came out and I presented him with his bear, which earned me a hug and a kiss on the cheek too :)

We noticed that some of the stage crew were frying chicken on a little grill outside of the door, behind the truck.

Katie still came out first, but she was on her phone - checking her voicemail I think. She went back in and I didn't see her again.
Someone else came out, and I don't remember who she was. I think it was Suzanne, but I'm not sure.
Joanna Loughran-Richert (Buffy) came out with a boom-box, which was a pretty good deterrent from me hugging her.

Ben Rotundo (Trax) came out and posed with Trax Bear. I was finally able to stop him, and he was like, "I thought we don't like Trax, because of the blades?"
I insisted that that wasn't true, and pulled out Trax Bear.

Angelo Rivera (U/S Hip Hopper 2) said something about how he was waiting for a Hip Hopper Two bear, but unfortunately, I'd foolishly left Rocky Two back at the hotel.

Aaron Coulson came out - he said that he hadn't seen me yesterday at the Stage Door, but I had seen him. Oh well. I took a picture with him, and then was like: "Okay, I've got a very important question for you..."
Aaron: "Uh oh... what?"
I asked him about the Rap and the component's verse: "He's on a roll now, he's in control now, shock treatment, he's a dynamo now" is the verse. (Thanks Aaron!) I could never figure out the "shock treatment" line.
He went off to eat.

Jeremy Kocal came out and I told him where we sat - fifth row - and again, he was rather pleased. I called Megan and handed off the phone. After he talked to her for a bit - I wasn't listening - he handed me the phone back and went off to eat.

Steve came out next, closely followed by Dennis. I got a hug from Dennis, and kissed on the cheeks. Not to be outdone, Steve also gave me a kiss on the cheek. He also commented on my Starlight shirt - he was like "London??"
As he was leaving, my dad told him that this would be the last time, and he was like, "Yeah sure... I'm not listening!" ((Steve is a trip and a half :) )).

Kris and Graham came out and said hi, then proceeded to get food.

We were talking to this other guy - who apparently is the assistant carpenter. He had seen me around in Omaha. We talked to him for a bit, and then Franklyn came out.

Franklyn stuck around for a bit and talked to me for awhile. He told me that he waved - and I did see him - but I guess, well, I thought he was waving at me at one point, but he did at a different time. He also, apparently thinks that Rusty being on-stage during AC/DC and Pumping Iron is silly, but yeah, I told him that I enjoy watching him. He thought that was pretty funny. :)
He also then left to get food, and so did we because I thought pretty much everybody had come out.

It was not raining - which was good, but it was sorta cold. I caught Russel Saylor (Flat Top) just to make sure that I did know who he was. I told him that he always runs, and his response? "I'm always hungry". So he split with this other swing that I didn't know who he was.

Katie had come out, found somebody she knew and then went back in. Then she came out again and I said goodbye to her.
Graham came out and I got a hug from him, then Kris came out. They spent a few minutes talking to me and saying good-bye and the like. I asked Aaron to wait a minute and he obliged. I told him that I hadn't noticed before just how long Purse's eye lashes are. He laughed and was like, "Yeah, and they're really heavy too!" They're two sets of fake eyelashes together apparently.
Kris said that he had a picture I should see on his camera, and while he was looking for it Robyn and Suzanne snuck past me. But it was a cute picture - of Aaron in make up with loooong eyelashes - on the top and bottom of his eyes.
I got a picture with Kris and Graham and then they and Aaron departed with their good-byes.

Jeremy came out while I was still talking to Graham, Kris and Aaron, but he didn't stay long because he was driving this time, but then he realized that he was short a person, so he had to wait a few minutes for Scott anyway and then they departed.
Dustin came out at some point and also said good-bye. Again Drue snuck past, but I was busy talking to "my" nationals. :)

Angelo Rivera came out and I stopped him, telling him I didn't have a Hip Hopper Two Bear, but I did have a Rocky 2 Bear. He was like "oh, I've played Rockies too!" so I got a picture with him. He also said that he had heard about my bears and was glad to finally see one.

Somebody opened the door and I saw Franklyn inside - he waved at me - but was still eating cake.
He and Steve came out around the same time. I got hugs from both of them - Steve refusing to let me say that this was the last time. Neither of them stayed very long 'cause they had to catch their car, but that was okay, because I got to talk to the both of them rather extendedly the night before or earlier that afternoon.

Kait Holbrook, Joanna Loughran-Richert and Clarissa Grace came out around the same time and I got a picture with them and talked to them for a bit before saying goodbye.
We hung around a bit longer and then Kelly Stensland came out. I told her that I liked the new wig - the braid - and she thanked me for her bear. I told her I didn't see her yesterday, and she thought for a moment and then said, "Yeah, we came out right about when you jumped on Jeremy..." *blush* It was that obvious then... Oh well. I was appreciative :)
She left and, since that was pretty much everybody, we headed off as well back to the hotel.

US Tour Page

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