Welcome to the Riverside

Rockapella in Laughlin

Day 4

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Harrah's Fiesta Showroom

Laughlin, NV

It's Black Bear Diner day!  FFE did not meet us downstairs because he was still asleep, but FS did, and we were on our way.  Since I had only mapped out what direction to go, I didn't actually memorize the address, so I asked KP to look it up.  I don't know why anyone assumes that I'm ready with everything when I'm just as freaked out as everybody else, but whatevs.  The restaurant was much farther down the road than IHOP, so FS asked concernedly, "Where are you taking me?!"  He should rest assuredly that we would not kidnap him, because without him, we can't hear much during a show.  

We happily arrived at the Black Bear Diner in Bullhead City, and sat down at a round table with 6 chairs.  Aw, we had an extra chair for FFE, but he wasn't there.  He texted me while we were eating breakfast because he and JT needed a ride to the music store.  I told him that we could take him today after we returned from breakfast. I ordered oatmeal because I was still kinda full from our late meal the night before.  So did Wendy.  We were puzzled when our oatmeal came with a side of butter.  I've seen butter on the side of grits, but not oatmeal.  Is that a thing?  KP ordered a waffle with a bear claw imprint.  FS asked for a taste of it later because they make it with sweet cream.  JeffEvs had a meal that included biscuits the size of his head.  It all looked good, and I forgot to take pictures.  I was a bit distracted.  FS ordered a chocolate cream pie after he was done with his regular meal.  It was big.  It came with several spoons for him to share, but I wasn't hungry.  After breakfast, FS took a picture of us by a sculpture of a bear family.  I don't know why I'm the only one that makes sound effects when taking these pictures, but it made everyone giggle, so I'll just continue doing that in order to have pretty smiles in my pictures.

RAWR!!!!!

We returned to the hotel, and I wanted to drop off people, but didn't know how to get there.  FS told us to go the back way.  JeffEvs advised that there was a way to go under some walkway, and somehow we found it.  I parked in the trailer parking until FFE and JT came outside.  KP and I stayed in the car while they greeted FS and Weff, and I told Weff that we'd contact them when we returned.  

The guys needed "as many pitch pipes as possible" for the NYE show,  so we headed back to Bullhead City.  JT told me to go some back way (he was using Google Maps, not Apple because he's not in denial), and then it was my turn to say, "JT, where are you taking us?!"  I started to see familiar stuff, like the Target we visited a couple of days before.  Then I brought up the fact that the Adult Book Store would be coming up, and we told them how mortified we would have been had we actually stopped, and then found one or more of them outside as we were exiting...or vice versa.  FFE:  "That's just an understood 'this is just between us' moment."  JT was concerned that I either didn't have enough, or had too much porn.  Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned the store, but I thought it was funny.  Perhaps I'm the one who is too comfortable now.  I mean, later on, I told him my theory that he thinks I sleep like a princess because I'm waiting for a kiss.  He neither confirmed nor denied my theory.

We found the aptly named "Music Store".  FFE went straight for the guitars, sat down with one, and started playing "Blackbird".  I had to confirm my reservation for New Year's Eve, so I pretended not to freak out that all of this was happening, and returned Catal's phone call. JT purchased the pitch pipe.  I thought he needed a bunch, but he only bought one.  We were ready to go, but FFE was still playing.  

JT:  "You want to hang for a little while?"

Aw, how cute.

JT:  "I mean, you're playing so beautifully, I don't want to interrupt."

CUTE!!!

FFE:  "No, we can go."

I would have been OK with having another little concert right there, but refrained from telling him so.

FFE was hungry.  I could have eaten more food because I never did finish my oatmeal.  KP was not going to say no to taking him to breakfast.  JT had already eaten, but was willing to go somewhere so that FFE could eat.  I didn't know where to go, but FFE had spied a restaurant across the street that had a lot of cars in front, so he thought it was probably good for the locals.  He wanted Huevos Rancheros like he had when he was in Monrovia.  I asked JT to search for Mexican Breakfast in the area.  Nobody found any very quickly, so FFE again voiced his idea to go across the street.  Well, OK, then!  

Across the street was a little restaurant called Da Place.  I asked if it was like "Da Plane".  We were all wrong, and it's actually called "D'Place Cafe".  I swear, the sign had an "a" after the "D".  Hey, I see our booth in one of our pictures on the page!  It's the one to the right of the corner booth if you are looking at the picture.  Now that I look at the name of the place, it makes sense that we went there.  My family calls ourselves "D'Saints".  It was meant to be, I tell ya.  We ordered our food, and the guys talked shop.  KP and I needed to use the restroom but somehow didn't go until way later.  Then I almost broke the door (or, more likely, my hand), trying to figure out if it was locked.  There was only one stall, so I went back to the booth and listed to more shop talk.  I love witnessing the creative process anyway, and when it's my guys, it's like a little piece of my kind of heaven.  They were talking about their next CD.  I suggested originals, because I had met a guy recently whom was an old school fan and prefers their originals, even though he also thinks that Scott is a genius when it comes to a capella arrangements.  So now they're seriously thinking about that.  You're welcome!

JT asked me what I do for my job, and I told him.  He seemed surprised.  JT:  "Why don't I know this already?"  Well, you don't talk to me, that's why.  At least not about normal stuff until this week.

I told FFE that I needed to tell Glenndy what he thought of Star Wars.  FFE:  "Who?"  Sher: "Glenn and Cindy."  FFE: "I thought you said, 'Glenndy'."  Sher:  "I did!  It's their supercouple name."  FFE:  "Oh!  Tell Double N and Cindy that I liked it.  Except for Kylo Ren."  JT has a crush on Daisy Ridley.

KP voiced her love for Stephen Arnell's abs (this is the reason she watches "Arrow").

JT:  "Abs are overrated.  You have to just eat salad and stuff."  FFE agreed.  They both like "Game of Thrones", and I told them that I was planning to binge watch it someday.  Because dragons.

I asked FFE how he liked his Spanish Omelette (the closest thing he could get to the huevos rancheros).  He said it was OK, "but not as good as the one at our place, by your house."  JT wanted to know what we were talking about, and how we had a place by my house.  FFE reminded him about the house concert.  I told JT that if he ever has free time when he's in LA, I'll take him to some good eating places, including Nano Cafe.  Mmmm....Nano.  

I asked them what they were doing for the day.  FFE:  "Jeff wants to go bowling."  JT:  "I do?"  FFE: "No, Jeff, of Wendy and Jeff."  JT:  "You have more than one Jeff in your life?  Oh, THAT Jeff!" 

The two of them decided that they would form their own group and name it "Country Club".  You read it here first. 

On our way back to the hotel, the guys talked more shop, this time regarding a video that they will be recording when they're all together again in NYC this January.  Hint:  Sweets.  :)  FFE tried out the pitch pipe, which, of course, made it his.  I think it was supposed to be JT's, but that wasn't happening anymore.  I don't know why they didn't just buy 2 of them.  At one point during the drive, somebody said the word "dick", probably when we were talking about Sean's music.  I repeated it and hit FFE and we laughed.  JT:  "Why did you hit his leg?"  So we told him about the raffle at the house concert.  My favorite part of this moment is that JT actually wanted to know what was going on.  (Hi, Dodie!)

When we returned to the hotel, Weff had just finished up playing in the arcade.  We asked FFE if he wanted to go bowling, and he was up for it, so we agreed to meet back downstairs in a few minutes.  So we split up and then reconvened.  This time, Wendy did not call shotgun, because FFE needed to be in his rightful spot, as he had been when we went to the music store.  We returned to the Riverside Hotel for some fun and games.  I parked on the 3rd floor this time, because FS wasn't there to boss me around and make me go to the wrong floor.  We went through a labyrinth to try to find the bowling alley, and couldn't find it.  I asked an employee, and she told me to follow the signs.  Bitch, please.  If I saw the signs, I wouldn't have asked you.  Then we found the signs, which none of us had seen coming from the other way.  Weird.  The bowling alley was reserved for league play for a little while, so we looked at movie times.  Well, they looked at movie times.  I got my fortune from Zoltar.  Funny, he gave me the exact same fortune as the pirate at Neptune's Kingdom.  None of the movies were close to starting, and Star Wars had already started the trailers.  I pointed out to Steve that there was a poster of the Kingston Trio.  They sang the version of "Zombie Jamboree" upon which the Rockapella version was patterned.  We decided to go to the car museum.

In the car museum, I serenaded my friends while listening to all of the songs from the 50s and 60s that were playing through the speakers.  Wendy did the Twist.  I don't know why they had random gaming tables on display.  They had pins from visitors who came all over the country in a display case.  They also had random decorations, as if someone said, "I don't want to get rid of this.  Let's put it in the car museum."  The cars were pretty cool, and we all decided on our favorites.  I liked that one of the features in some of the cars was a Kleenex holder, but my favorite was a 1961 Corvette.

Let's cruise!

Steve saw a Route 66 t-shirt in the hallway that he thought would look good for his solo gigs, so we went to the gift shop.  Alisa was very helpful and I got a set of postcards of the car museum for cheap.  She was REALLY helpful with FFE, but who wouldn't be?  I asked her how to get to the Riverwalk, and she gave us directions.  Wendy memorized them for me because she's good at that kind of thing: "Left, right, down, left".  KP and I tried to remember the landmark details.  Her directions were perfect!  My friends started the walk along the river, and I took this picture.  I shouted at them, "I'm taking a picture of your butts!"

KP:  "And she's not even drunk!"

FFE:  "She's not?"

He told me later he was kidding, but we had a staredown at the bowling alley before he admitted it.

Butts Along The River

We didn't walk very far, just to the next hotel, because of time constraints.  We did, however, take this gorgeous selfie that I will cherish forever and ever.  Good idea, Sher!  Thanks for the long arm and for fixing the angle so we could have the water in the background, FFE!  Thank you for the use of your iPhone6, KP!

Besties

We figured that we could walk back to the bowling alley because league play would be over.  But first, I needed another shot along the river.  The hotel in the background is the Aquarius.  I had to sing the song from "Hair" every time I saw it.  I can't help it.  My brain has too many songs in it.

Only FFE heard me ask everyone to turn for the picture.

We had a much easier time finding the bowling alley after our walk.  They all played while I fetched refreshments.  (I was the girlfriend in college that took score, because I didn't want to break my nails after so many years of being required to cut them to play the violin.  Now that I'm obsolete due to the automatic scoring, I am the cheerleader and refreshment person.  Maybe someday I'll bowl, but that was not the day).  Nobody used their actual name.  Is that a thing?  Because now I can't bowl until I can figure out a cool name.  Peter Chip won.  Kawawa changed her name to Dasher by the end of the game, because it was more appropriate (her goal is to not have any dashes on her scoreboard, because that is the symbol for a gutter ball).  Bud and Trixie were happy to break 100, although Trixie's arm hurt because she was using a ball that was 3 lbs heavier than she normally uses.  Poor Trixie.

Trixie's got her game face on..or her arm hurts.

Pretty sure Refreshment Girl should be serving, not eating, but whatevs.

We got in the car, and a song came to me, so I started singing it.  "I can always tell when you've been driving my jeep."  I was driving a Jeep, after all.  FFE was happy that it was in my head.  I never did see the DeLorean that everyone kept mentioning when we would pass by the hotel.  APPARENTLY, we passed it downstairs when we returned from the Riverwalk.  We drove back to the hotel, and got FFE back so he could deal with his hotel reservation.  The rest of us ate dinner at the buffet.  This was the view from my seat at the table.

They have shows here?

It's good that I took that picture when I did, because the guys came out the door next to it about 10 minutes later.  Calvin spotted us, and they all waved to us.  They eventually ate at the buffet, too, but nowhere near us.  They may have paid the employees to seat them elsewhere.  I don't know for sure.  

We got ready for the show.  All of us were dressed in blue, and we hadn't even consulted each other.  Then we got lucky and were able to ride in the Pellavator.

Happy Girls on their way to their Happy Show

We said hi to Kameron, Tim knew that KP didn't need to be shown to her seat, and I ordered a 7 & 7, and this time the bartender asked if Sierra Mist was OK instead of just pouring the thing.  He did make it nice and strong for me, though.  Thank you!  My seat was situated house left, next to Weff.  KP was situated house right.  There were empty seats next to me, and I hoped that some folks wouldn't show up so that we could move closer to the center aisle.  

Rockapella

Rock Around the Clock

Hi, Steve!  

Nobody got in the seats next to me, so I moved down 2, and still left 2 seats open between me and the next person.  That felt better.

Jailhouse Rock

I think that extra train sound is new.  It wasn't the regular "choo choo", but it was the whistle this time.  Perhaps they added it during today's rehearsal.  Or they were just excited.

Scott:  "Happy New Year to you!  What is the worst resolution someone in the audience made tonight?  Lose weight?  That's a bad one.  Quit Gambling -- we can't condone that here."

Dancing In The Streets

Steve:  "All right, all you resolutionists, I need your help right now."

Steve and I sang "Dancing in the Streets" to each other.  Steve walked to different sides than he did yesterday.  Perhaps they changed the blocking during rehearsal today, too.

Glow Worm

I love that Scott is multi-tasking during Jeff's solo, holding his own microphone, singing the counter-melody, holding Jeff's microphone, and watching Jeff.  That's a lot to do.

Scott:  "Did you hurt your face?"

Jeff:  "No comment.  I suffer for my art."

Scott:  "That reminds me of an old joke I used to tell:  Does your face hurt?  No? Because it's hurting me."

Satisfaction

Thank you for the stage love, Steve!

Scott:  "Has anyone got the Christmas / New Year Blues?  You've had that, too?  Is that why you're pulling the slot machine over and over again?"

The crowd liked his mention of the Norelco shaver.  He talked about the Island of Misfit Toys.  The squirt gun:  "If it can't shoot jelly, why can't it shoot water?"  The Charlie in the Box: "Why can't you just change your name?"  

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Dasher is over on the other side, Steve.  I pointed her out for him.  It must be so confusing to them when we're not all sitting together, but I love that he made the effort.

Scott:  "Ohhhhh....Jeff's an angry elf."  To someone in the audience:  "What song do you want us to do?"

Audience member: "Any of them."

Scott:  "Well, we know one of those, so that's good."

My Cherie Amour

Steve looked at me at one point when he sang "My Cherie Amour", so I smiled and winked at him.  Have I told you that I'm really glad that we moved to these seats?

Scott to that same audience member when she clapped for Worcester: "You're so considerate. You request 'anything', you clap because no one else does..."

Scott regarding Nebraska being in a bowl game;  "What is it, 250 bowls now?  When I was a kid, there were only 4 or 5 bowls." I love that Lola is part of Ryan's regular bio. 

Scott:  "Jeff doesn't get to talk very much because his lips are very busy."

Scott, mocking Ryan: "I went to the University of Nebraska, that's why my brain is so good."

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

"Stiff upper lip, Grandma."  This reminds me of Jeff and Steve discussing the way British people talk.

Scott:  "It seems like some people thought that was funny."

Blame It On The Boogie

Ryan is now out of control, too.  You are going to fall off of Thacher Island!  Calvin scared himself.

Commercials

Scott: "We didn't want it to get out, but as we have growed up..."

Shockolate.

Scott was looking at Steve and Steve was pointing at him while Scott said his line all by himself: "And then you must have it!"  Much laughter from Sher and KP.

Why is the peacock flying away?

Ryan got 2 cymbal crashes from Jeff and then ANOTHER one for his butt on "Preparation H".  

Scott:  "That's as bad as it got right there...and she loved it."

Jeff did a little salute during Dr. Pepper.

Scott:  "That should be HUGE!  Not a penny."

Scott's connection was with Jenna from Chicago, whom is retired from being a firefighter.  Scott asked if she still reacts when she hears sirens.

Jenna: "I keep saying, 'Thank God it's them and not me.  It's cold there.'"

Stand By Me

Jenna sang only a little bit.  She almost went down the stairs before Steve stopped her.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg

She danced, though!

Ryan:  "Ain't too proud to beg for Jenna!"
When Scott and Jenna were dancing, Jeff walked up behind them and watched closely.  I don't remember him doing that before, but it was funny.

Macklemore

This is the song that was in my head and in Steve's head while we walked along the river.

Instead of "Do It Rockapella", someone yelled "CARMEN SANDIEGO!"  Oops.  No, it wasn't me.  No, I do not know him.  

Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego

At this point, I realized that I had hardly drank any of my 7 & SM, so I drank it kind of quickly.  Steve saw me and smiled.  I think they like it when I'm drunk.  

Again, they did not leave the stage.

Encore

All I Want For Christmas Is You

I love Scott's solo, too.

Up On The Roof / Wonderful World (off mic)

I thought of Bro's happy, happy face when he danced to this with Veronica at their wedding.  I love that face.

Meet and Greet

I was telling the posse that Jesse was over there, and he looked up at me because I was louder than I thought due to my drink.  I waved and got all embarassed.  Karla took individual pictures of me with the guys.  Thank you, KP!  I told Scott that I loved his solo during All I Want for Christmas Is You.  Sher:  " It was ON!!!"  He probably likes it when I'm drunk, too.

KP took individual pictures of me with the guys.  Thank you, KP!

Steve pretending to do a candid pose, while I am not.

The real pose, complete with photo bomber

Kameron the Ticket Taker took pictures of the posse with Rockapella.  He had us do some poses with us doing high kicks, and we tried not to fall down.  Here's the real one.  

Pella and the Posse

We said good night to the guys, then went up to Weff's room to debrief and eat the pecan chocolate bourbon pie that I brought, thanks to one of my co-workers.  We sure had a lot to debrief.

What an awesome day! Thank you, everyone!

Next up:  Day 5 / Day of Tears