‍ Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour From Amway Center Continued

Part Three : Finally On Our Way To Our Seats!



After we crossed the street, my mom wondered which entrance we should use to get into the Amway Center.  She saw one of the entrances, but I showed her the sign and told her we did
not want to go where the busses for tour groups came in. Then, we saw  the Box Office, and there were some long lines with people who were purchasing their tickets.  My mom told me she was glad we did not have  to do that.  I agreed with her and then I noticed some other lines filled with people getting their purses and other personal belongings  checked.
We went behind some other folks, and I unzipped all of the compartments of my mini pack, while we waited for our turn.  The nice man checked my mini pack with his stick, and he said, "Looks
good."  Then, he checked my mom's purse , and on the way to our next check point for the tickets, I told her that he did not check all of the areas of the mini pack.  I talked about bringing my camera next year,  and she said , "Yeah and you will get caught with it."  Then, a nice lady scanned our tickets and told us to enjoy the show.  I thanked her, and then we walked through the doors to the Amway Center. 


Where I took a few minutes to look around at  the inside, it was very big, and there were a lot of windows that let in plenty of natural light .  It was really nice, and I noticed that there
were a lot of pictures of the Orlando Magic, and it had a basketball theme going on .  It is their new home, and I believed that the Amway Center could host a big basketball tournament, which was one of the owner's or the designer's goal.  I had seen its Grand Opening on a newscast, and they said that the new Amway Center could hold up to 18 basketball teams during a championchip game.   I was impressed, and maybe other sporting events could be a possibility too.

After I looked around the building , I started to look for the place where I could buy the Smucker's Stars on Ice program. Then, I heard, "Programs!  Get your programs here!"  So, that took my
attention away from anything else, and we hurried over to the man that shouted that announcement.  When it was our turn, my mom asked him how much they were, and she asked me how much they were. I told her that the programs were $15.00 , and he said the same thing.  She looked in her purse to see if she had $15.00.  When she told me she didn't, I said, "Give him a $20.00 he will give you change back."  Then, I asked him, "Do you think you could bust a $20.00?"  He acted like he couldn't for a little bit and teased us, as he said, "Well, I don't know if I can ."  Then, he pulled out the change for it and handed it to my mom. He also wanted us to know that we needed to hang on to the sheet inside , or we would not know what the music was.  I assured him that I would not lose it, and that I had been to the show before.  I was just new to the Amway Center. 

Then, I smiled at him, and he said, "All right, enjoy your show."  I thanked him, and then another young lady stopped us to give us a little card.  She said, "Thank you for coming to see the show."  I took a brief  glance at it, and it had the Stars on Ice website address, that everyone could go to download a special cast picture that included  Kristi Yamaguchi in it, and there was a trivia question about her as well.  I thought that was really nice, so I tucked it away some where safe, before we headed for the escalators, that took us up to the next level.  Where the venue's concourse and food courts were located.  After we got off the escalator, we saw a cart that sold sandwiches kind of like wraps, and it was called, On A Roll.  There were many other basketball themed places to choose from.  As we were checking them out, I noticed they had these large, more like huge cardboard posters standing up, that had each year from the show and each  one had the pictures of the cast from every show.  I got to see the years when Alexei was on the tour, and I was thrilled to see his name as the first name that was listed on each sign he was on!

Then, my mom told me that she wanted to see what Slam Dunk , had to offer.  So, we checked them out, and decided on what we wanted. 
I ordered the chicken tenders and tater tots, then my mom ordered a chicken sandwich with bluecheese cole slaw , along with some baked fries, and regualr drinks.  After she paid for our food, the lady asked me if I would like a tray to place everything in.  I told her that would be great, so she carefully arranged the food and drinks, before she
told us where we go to get our napkins, straws, and other condiments .  So, on the way to that, I got to see the other half of the cardboard posters with the first years of the tour. 

Then, we found the condiments corner, and I got our straws for our drinks, she grabbed the napkins, and then she put ketchup on her fries, and maybe mayo on her chicken.  The ketchup gave
her some fits, it did not want to come out, so she had to use both of her hands and it finally squirted out.  After we had our food the way we liked it, we headed on down to 114.  Then, I found it and we walked  through another doorway, and began our climb down to our seats.   I had a very interesting time with juggling the food tray, and keeping the program in my other arm from slipping out of it.  So, I kind of made small side steps down each step.

Once I made it down that set of stairs, I took a breath and prepared myself for the set of stairs that followed, and I also had my first peak at the ice.  I thought it was beautiful, and closer in this venue.  The ice seemed to have a little more of blue tint to it .  I also heard my song playing in the background, that I loved  and always would, A Little Less Conversation . I did not have time to think about skating cowboys though, I still had a  long way to go before I could finally sit down.  However, I couldn't  help to watch one of the ushers, as he danced to the song. It was funny,
and if my hands hadn't been so full, I probably would have danced on my way down the stairs too.

I did sing along with the words for a little bit though, before I had to get my mind back to concentrating on walking
down the stairs again.  I was really happy when I had the last step of that set out of my way, but I could not celebrate yet, because there was
another set to go down to our row.  So, I made sure my last steps were steady as I went further down to Row A.  I was kind of happy that we
were not on the floor this year, I was tired of stairs.  Once I was  there, I searched for our seats, and I asked a man sitting down next to
where I was standing what his seat number was.  He told me 19, and I thought I had the wrong side of my row, but another lady asked me about my seats, and she told me that they were next to her.

I thanked her, and I told my mom where our seats were, before people got up to let us in.  I hated that they had to get up, and I apologized as I made my way to my seat.  They let me know
it was all right, and I also kept my arms up so that I did not hit people sitting in front of me in the back of the head.  Then, I finally got to my seat, and I tried to pull the seat down by sitting on top of
it, and hoping it would fall into place.  However,  I just ended up  sitting on top of a closed seat, and I really wished that we would have  waited until Intermission to get our supper, but we didn't , so I was  going to have to make the best of it.

I sat there, laughing at myself , until another kind woman came to my rescue, when she asked me, "Would you like some
help with your seat?"  I gave her a grateful smile , and I said, "Yes. Please, that would be wonderful."  Then, I climbed off of my seat, and
she pulled it down for me.  I had a seat, and I said, "Thank you so much."  After my mom was seated, I dug into my chicken tenders and my
tater tots, as I listened to the announcements.  One was funny when he said, "As we have reminded you for the 25th time , flash photography and
throwing objects on the ice is prohibited." 


I tried to enjoy myself, as I ate, but all I could think about was It is 2004 all over again only this year I am going to be stuck with my food.  I  did make good progress , until my mom asked me to eat some of her  fries.  Which reminded me of what I tried to do with my nacho chips and cheese that year too.  I tried to get Lina to help me, and then I gave them to my dad, so that I would not be eating in front of the skaters, especially Alexei while they skated.  Those were funny memories, and I offered a tater tot to my mom, before I popped two of her fries into my
mouth, took a drink and tried to get some more tenders out of the way.  Still no matter how quickly I was popping those tenders and tots into my mouth, the lights suddenly went down, and I  said, "Oh no the show is starting now."  The show was going to begin with me eating in front of the skaters, and I had a hard time accepting  it too.  Which probably seems really sillly , but I wanted to give them my full and undivided attention while they performed in front of me, and have my hands free for giving them their due applause.  
  

To Be Continued!

 ‍       ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour From Amway Center Continued

‍Part Four: On With Act 1 Of The 25th Anniversary Tour!

After the lights went down, the two big monitors came to life, and I continued to devour my tenders.  I also watched the little star's  journey to the ice once again, and I tried my best to cheer along with the rest of the crowd.  Then, the display on the monitors changed to scenes from different years of the tour.  I heard a lot of people screaming for all of the years, but I did not shout until I saw the cast members and years of the shows I had attended.  Those years were 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.  I also screamed more when they showed pictures of Alexei and the numbers he was in while he was with the tour. Then, the year 2011 flashed on the screen, before everything went dark again.  I could tell that the Orlando crowd was
already pumped , and that the energy levels  were very high.  I really loved being around a bunch of people  who screamed even when nothing was going on   I also really liked our seats, we were not far from the seats on the ice, and thought maybe being in seat 12, would give me a better vantage point for taking pictures.  I was mad that I was still eating, as the announcement was
made to let us know that the cast was going to be skating out soon, as the loud voice said, "The Amway Center and Smucker's are proud to present, Smucker's Stars On Ice !"
I clapped , and then the music to I Like It started  to fill the air.  I couldn't remember who skated out first, but the cast members for this year's tour were, Sasha Cohen, Jamie Sale, David
Pelletier, Kurt Browning, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Todd Eldredge, Joannie Rochette, and Evan Lysacek, not exactly in that
order.  I loved the music and bopped along to it, and I really liked the ladies' dresses.

They were black, and then each dress had a dash of color across the top around their middles.  Some of those colors were, red, orange, gold, and blue, they were also fancy designs.  The dresses really sparkled in the lights, and the men looked nice too. They wore black short sleeved shirts, and black pants.  I really enjoyed watching all of the cast skate, there was so much going on that I could not just watch only one.  They looked  like they were having fun, and I cheered them on, but I also noticed that one of the cast members was not out there yet.
At the beginning point of the number, I had so many thoughts running through my head.  The majority of them were rules I made up for myself , so that
the skaters did not see me eating.  So, I thought to myself, Put down the chicken tender , while the skaters are performing.  Don't
smile, until you swallow.  Take a quick drink , when the lights are down, so that you don't choke. 
I know that probably sounded crazy, but I just did not want to be rude and sit there with food, while they all performed their hearts out.  I  also thought that it was cool when each member of the cast was  announced, and they did a solo performance with a spotlight only shining for them.   As I watched the skaters jump, spin, and thrill me with
high lifts, I couldn't help thinking about the missing cast member.  I
thought, Where's Evan?  Is he here? 

Then, not long after those thoughts, Evan Lysacek came skating out at the very last before they all performed their steps together. I remember
them pumping their fists in the air as they skated from side to side.  The cast had a wonderful beginning to the show. At the end I could not
stand up, but I  clapped my hands, before I had forgotten that I still was holding my cup of honey mustard dipping sauce, so the sauce spilled out of the cup.
Then,  it went all over my hand, and I asked my mom if she had a napkin.  Well, that was the moment she realized that when she was having trouble with the ketchup, she had put down the napkins and we left them.  So, I tried wiping them on the paper wrapper my tenders and tots were on, and  then I tried to discreetly lick all of my fingers and my palm, but some
of my fingers were still a little sticky.  I forgot about my sticky fingers , when my mom told me that she thought that Sasha Cohen had her hair cut shorter.  I told her that it looked like she had tied
back, but my mom was pretty sure that it was shorter.  Then, after the cast left the ice, Kurt came skating out, and after we all screamed.  He thought that we were not loud enough, but I couldn't really yell before, so I yelled my heart out the second time around. 

I was also determined to use the time during the first transition act to finish eating.  So, I listened to him as he told us how lucky he felt to still be skating and doing something that he loved for all of the years that he had been skating, after he told us that he knew it was Sunday, but we needed a little kick. Then, he kicked his leg up in the air, and some
people laughed.  Once the folks settled down again, he told us that Scott Hamilton was going to be joining us.  Everyone in the place  yelled, shouted, whistled, cheered, clapped, but they seemed
disappointed when Kurt told all of us that Scott it was going to be by a video chat.  The lady that was sitting next to me on my left, said, "Awwww."  Then, the monitors were turned back on and Scott's face  appeared along with some static, and he asked Kurt if he could see him. 
Kurt told him that we all could see him, and he told us to yell for Scott. So, we filled the Amway Center with noise for Scott.  I thought it was cool, Scott shared with us
about how the tour began, and there was a picture of him from after he became an Olympic champion , and I remembered that day my family watched him skate for gold.  Then, Kurt talked to him about some of his  favorite numbers that he skated in during the 25 years of the tour. 
Scott said that one of his favorite numbers was Double Boagie Blues.

All of the people in the crowd seemed to remember that one too, because the place erupted into louder screams.  I loved that one too, that was one
of my favorites, and I was so lucky to see him perform it in person.  He even shared all of the secrets behind the magic, and he told us about
the props he used.  That was really special, and then he took some time out just to thank all of us, for coming year after year to see the show.  He also said that his thanks
was also from all of the skaters that had ever been on the tour.  We all showed him some more love, before Kurt talked about another number that he enjoyed, Walk This Way. 
Kurt told Scott that he had been practicing , and he showed Scott what  he could do, before he told Scott to join him.  So, Scott and Kurt did
the moves and steps to Walk This Way .  Then, there was a moment when Kurt had his back to Scott, and he could
not see Scott, Scott put his hands and arms above his head and danced  like a monkey! We were all laughing so hard, and Kurt had no idea. He turned around and Scott stopped doing his monkey dance, and he did the normal moves with his arms.  That was so funny, and I really  could enjoy those two, because I finally had my hands and lap free again!  After those two were through goofing off , Kurt told us that he  had filled in for Scott during times in the show, and that he got away with a lot of things while he pretended to be Scott Hamilton, but he
would not share what those things were.

He told us that was  another story , and then he made way for Michael Weiss, after he introduced him.  Michael Weiss came skating out wearing a long sleeved
purple shirt, with black leather pants, which drove the majority of the females in the audience crazy.  His number was called, Somebody to Love, and I really liked that song.  He was really good, he had solid jumps, fast spins, and he impressed all of us when he skated on his heels again
with the help of his Freedom Blades.  He also slid on his knees across the ice, and my mom asked me if he was married.  I did not know why she asked me that, and I wondered why, but
I told her that he was.  Then, she asked me if I was going to try to  take his picture, and I told her that I was afraid that my cell phone  would be too loud if I turned it on.  However, I quickly turned it on and the music muffled the noise it made. So, I was glad that it was not  loud, but it was really impossible to take pictures.
The lights  were just too bright.  I still loved the lights though, I always thought that the lights added more depth to the appearance of the ice.  They really helped set the appropriate tone and mood for the music.  They  also really portrayed the emotion that the words in the songs held.  So, the show never would be the same without the lights.  I also realized  that I missed some of the performance, if I kept trying to focus the  camera phone for a picture, so I just closed it and put it away.

To Be Continued!

 ‍              ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

‍

Then, at  the end I clapped for Michael Weiss, he was a real crowd pleaser and Orlando seemed to love him.  Then, the lights became softer, as Joannie
Rochette slowly skated out, and I liked the way Michael skated around  her, and she skated around him. Joannie Rochette was wearing a pretty pink dress, that had two different shades of pink.  The top part of her  costume was light pink, and her skirt had some darker pink in it. She skated to a lovely number called, True Colors.  I loved the message behind the song, it was about believing in yourself, to follow your dreams,  to go after your dreams, and allow your true beauty from the inside to shine through.  I ended up getting a  few tears in my eyes, because of her beautiful performance.  She seemed  to float and flow over the ice.  Her spiral was breathtaking, as she skated with her other leg extended in the air. I stood up for her at  the end, and yelled, "Woooooooooooooo!"  As she faced my section  and bowed graciously, as she did for each section.  She also waved,  before she left the ice, and the giant monitors came back on.  We all
watched the screen, as the song, The Boys Are Back In Town  played, and pictures of the men from the past were shown, and I was excited to see Alexei's pictures shown three times.  They showed him in  the 2003 men's number as a skating cowboy,in S.T.U.D.Z , and two of his own numbers, A.T.A.S, where he rocked out on his air guitar, and Racing . I  did not really hear anyone shouting for him, so I yelled, "Yeah, Alexei !"  Then, Todd Eldredge's picture was displayed and I clapped and  yelled for him with the audience.  He was already on the ice, as his
name was  announced, and the lights became brighter.  Orlando welcomed him back, I  always thought that it was great to see Todd.  He had been coming to
Orlando every year since I had seen my first show in 2003.  So, it was nice to see a familiar face when there were new faces on the tour.

From what I can recall, I believe that Todd was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, a black vest, and black pants.  He skated to a number called, That's Life,
and the minute I heard that song play I recalled Scott Hamilton skating to it when I went to my very first show.  His number was just as funny as the one I remembered. Todd's sense of humor, made us all laugh,  especially when the song talked about falling flat on his face, he fell flat on his face!  Then, when it talked about dusting himself off,  he acted like he was dusting himself off with his hand brushing his vest and shirt off.  He smiled and he looked like he was having a lot of fun.  Then, he fell down again, did a nose dive into the ice, and his nose slid across the
ice!  At least it looked that way.  His spins were even faster than I  had ever seen him spin.  We loved him, and I stood up for him, before I tried to yell some words, but the roaring of the audience drowned them  out.  Todd smiled, bowed, and waved to us, before he went skating off into the black skating tunnel. Then, the monitors grabbed our  attention again, by showing some ladies from the past, but I really couldn't remember who they all were, before Ekaterina Gordeeva 's face  and name appeared.  When the lights and spotlights returned to their
full power, she was out on the ice.  I really liked the color of her dress, if I can recall it was a teal like blue, and there was a design  on the top of it.  She skated in a number called, Cinema Italiano, and  I really enjoyed watching the expressions on her face.  She seemed to  be having fun, and her smile never left her face.  She had some  impressive spins, and then we all were shocked when she went into the air for her jump, and she fell down on her landing!  I heard some people around me gasp, and I even said, "Oh no. Awwww." However, she got right
back up, found her place within the music and showed us that she had the heart of a true performer.

Everyone also encouraged her to continue, and we did not care that she fell during her number, we understood how she felt, and we loved her for going on with the show. 
Then, at the end of her number, I stood up for her , and I thought that she really was a wonderful skater.  She gave each section a beautiful smile, and she might have also blown a kiss to one of the
sections, but I could really tell that she appreciated all of our support.  After Ekaterina Gordeeva skated back into the black skating tunnel, I watched another tribute to the other skaters that were
apart of the tour , before the lights grew brighter, and a spotlight landed on Tanith Belbin.  She was kneeling on the ice near my section, while Ben Agosto was on the other side.  She had a on a flowing white  dress, and he wore something that complimented her, as they skated in a number called, Use Somebody.

The music was really interesting, it was different , but they did an outstanding job interpreting what the meaning behind it was.  I enjoyed watching them , as their movements and expressions really portrayed the characters they were playing, and it was about using each other, as far  as I could tell.  I also loved their lifts, Wow!  They always had
creative and daring lifts, and during one of their lifts, she was hanging upside down , while her legs were wrapped around his shoulders!  He was in a spread eagle position as she hung off of him!
He also had her standing  on his back, and they had another position where they both were laying back and their legs were extended out, as he was sitting low to the ice,
and she was in his lap.  Then, at the end he passionately pulled on her  hair, or more like yanked her hair, and she pulled something of his, I
was not sure if it was his tie, or her hair too, and they laid next to  one another.  My mom and I both said, "Owww."
Then, they met in  the center of the ice and bowed, as they waved to each section, that was screaming for them.  I also tried to take their picture, but I had the same results from my first attempt, and they just looked like bright,white, moving figures.  So, I closed my cell phone, before I opened it again after Evan Lysacek skated out in lighter colors, and the lights were a little
dimmer, so I tried to take a picture, but I did not have much luck.

It was a cool number called, On Golden Pond, Evan started to skate slowly, and then Ekaterina Gordeeva , Michael Weiss,
Jamie Sale, and David Pelletier joined him, more spotlights were added  each time, behind his.  The music was slower, and it had a calming,
soothing feel to it.  They all followed Evan, and they did long sweeping motions with their arms, and then the ladies were lifted into the air .  The place was really quiet, as we all watched them glide across the  ice in a formation, and then we all screamed immidately after it was  over, and they were skating off into the black skating tunnel. 

Then, we all heard Scott's voice, and he told us about one of the members that joined the tour. He said that this member was full of energy, ready to become apart of the tour, and he was also full of ideas . I watched the monitor as more pictures were playing, and I knew who Scott was talking about.  The member that Scott had been telling us about was Kurt
Browning.  I was really glad to see him on the ice in Orlando  again, it had been 8 years since I had last seen him.  It was great to have him back for this special tour.  After the introduction, he was
ready to perform for us.  He was wearing a maroon sweater, black formal  jacket, white collar shirt, and gray pants with pinstripes.  I joined in with the crowd, and we all shouted, "Woooooooooooooooo!"  He had a very  funny and entertaining number called, Stepping Out Of My Mind. 

To Be Continued!

  ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

As he was thinking about things, we all heard what he was thinking about.  Some of his thoughts that I can remember said, "Did I leave my cell
phone at the hotel?  If I did , I won't be able to call, Sonya."   "Don't think about that right now,
you have to skate."  Then, the music to Stepping Out With My Baby, started to play, and he did some dancing on the ice, and some fancy
footwork, before his thoughts said, "I stole this move from Evan Lysacek , and he's not getting it back."
I laughed, then they said, "Now  I am pretending to throw you my imaginary hat, because it is not really
there."   "Now, I have to do some jumps."  He landed a great double jump, and then he thought , "A double?  Do a triple."  Then, he landed
his triple jump with ease, which made all of us yell and cheer for him.  His thoughts said, "Now that's better."  Then he got nervous about his
next jump, and he thought about it.  "Oh boy, the SALCHOW , Okay don't think about it."  "By thinking about not thinking about it,
you're still thinking about it!"  I laughed even harder, as each minute of his number passed.
Then, he thought about what he would do if he ever met the skater that the SALCHOW was named after.  His thoughts said, "If I ever meet Ulrich
Salchow, I will wring his neck."  However, he really did not have anything to worry about he landed his SALCHOW without any problems. 
Then, he thought, "Phew, Glad that is over," before he skated over to another section that was on the ice, where a crew member tossed him a
real hat and a fancy cane .  So, he entertained us with those props in his own way, but I was still laughing over all of his
thoughts.  At the end he made all of us laugh again, when we heard his thoughts as they said, "Phew. I am glad they couldn't hear my thoughts."
Ha, ha, ha, ha.  Before he headed for the black skating tunnel, he  bowed, and blew some kisses to another section, and waved.

I was still laughing with the some other people, until the monitors got our attention, and we watched elegant ladies from the past, as the song, She's Got A Way About Her
was playing, and then Sasha Cohen's face and name appeared, before she surprised us all when we saw her standing in front of us.  I am sorry,
but I could not remember the color that she was wearing.  The program  has helped me remember some of the costumes, but there will be times I
may just have to skip those details.   I can tell you all that it  was a bright color, and she looked very pretty.  My mom tried to tell
me what color she thought it was, but I did not want to say the wrong color.  I have to be honest, I was studying her hair, because my mom was
right she did have it cut shorter!  I was pretty shocked, but her new hair cut was very cute, and it suited her really well.  Any way, once I
pulled my focus off her new hair style, I watched her number.  She had a  fantastic performance , and she still had her gorgeous spiral , it
still was simply the best in my opinion.

She just looked so graceful and elegant , and she also skated with her amazing
flexibility.  I was also happy when she landed all of her jumps.  She was smiling a lot, and she looked like she was having fun, during her
number, Nobody Knows.  Then, at the end she had a really fast spin, while she pulled her leg all the way up to her head, it was amazing!  I really had loved watching her
skate again, and Orlando certainly loved her, because when I tried to yell, "You rule Sasha!"  Their screams, and whistles drowned my loud voice out , as I stood up for her when she faced my section. So, I don't think she heard me, but I was happy to hear the entire place going crazy.  The vibe that carried the electricity and excitement had
lasted and it grew even more when Jamie Sale and David Pelletier skated out after the other pairs were honored on the monitors.  I was really glad to see Jamie and David again. I had
really missed them , when they couldn't perform in Orlando in 2008.  Jamie's costume was stunning, and I remember how it shined in the lights.  I  also remember that they had still had high and thrilling lifts.  One of  them was where David held Jamie only by her having her palm in his hand, while she was doing a one handed hand stand!  She still trusted him,
and she had faith in him, that was great to see.  They also had a  powerful throw jump, that she landed with ease.  At the end of their
number, Wild Horses, I waited until they looked at my section, and then I popped out of my seat and
stood up for them .  "Woooooooooooo"  I  might have added, a "Hooooo!" 

It was contagious, and they could hear it.  They appreciated our support, because they gave us smiles, and gracious bows, as they waved to all of us in each
section, and then they skated off to the black skating tunnel, which at that point I was not too sure of where it was lol . Then, Michael Weiss
came skating out with a microphone, and Todd Eldredge had one too , then Michael Weiss had something else with him.
 Michael Weiss said, "You all have been loyal fans for 25 years. "  He also asked , "Do you know we like to do to thank you?"  Before he said, "We give stuff
away."  He skated around to let us see what he had, as he asked us, "Can you tell what this is?"  I saw a nice looking bag , that had the Stars
on Ice logo, and some one in the crowd yelled out, "A bag!"  Michael responded to the member of the crowd by saying, "Yes. It is a bag,
a very nice bag."  Then he asked us, "Do you know what's inside?"  I thought to myself , Stuffed strawberries? Then, he turned his back to us , so that we all could get a better view, as
he said, "Well, Evan Lysacek was back there getting ready for his number, and I just swiped his bag , with his skates still inside it."  "Score! 

Do any of you want his skates?"   "These are Evan's skates, they are in this bag."  After we heard that, we all began to yell as loudly as we
could, and I was trying my best to sound the loudest, I even stood up from my seat and I discovered ranges that I never knew I had.  Both of
them listened to the sections, and Michael said, "We like people who will jump up and down, wave their arms, anything to get these skates." 
We all carried on, until they went over to a girl in one of the sections on the ice.

To Be Continued!

     ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

‍She had been jumping up and down, so they gave her the bag. I am sorry that I don't remember her name, but her mom who came
with her took a picture of her with Michael Weiss and Todd  Eldredge, and Michael said, "Oooo a picture too."  They put their arms
around her and posed with her.  Then Michael made a confession and said, " I was only kidding, Evan's skates were not in there."  Then he
shouted, "Because here he comes!  Evan Lysacek everybody!"  I was surprised to still have my voice left, but I continued to scream to
welcome Evan back to Orlando.  He was wearing a long sleeved black  shirt.  It looked kind of stretchy, or like a thin sweater with black
pants. I thought he looked nice, my mom thought that he always wore dark colors. I guess she forgot what he wore the year before.  Anyway, I
can't remember what I said, but I think I heard the music to his number begin to play.  His number was The Climb. 
So, my mind was on that instead, and I said, "Oh, he is going to skate to your song, Mom, 'The Climb'."  She always had loved that song, and everytime I heard it, I got chills and goosebumps.

For this number, the song was sung by a male vocalist, it was different from the way Miley Cyrus had sung it, but I still thought it was very
powerful.  Evan's skating was very dramatic, and through his skating he shared his own personal journey, and all of the triumphant moments he
had, and all of the obstacles he had faced in his life.  As I was watching his number, I thought about how far I had come in some of the
areas in my life.  I also knew that there were going to be more challenges coming my way in life.  As I continued to move forward
towards my own dreams and goals.  But, I also understood that those challenges I would meet, would only make me stronger.  I just had  to keep my faith, and stay true to myself, so Evan's number had a  profound impact on me .  His skating was very moving, and he really took  his time to connect with the music, and all of us.  He really had an  outstanding performance, with strong, solid, jumps, amazing spins, and  thoughtful expressions all at the same time.

At the end of The Climb, I stood up for Evan, and I gave him a very enthusiastic, "Woooooooooooooooooo!"  I really couldn't think of anything to say , but
I did hear two young ladies from another section.  Unlike me, they  waited until the audience were calmer, and it was pretty quiet, before they yelled, "WE LOVE YOU, EVAN!"  My mom thought that was really nice, and I did too. I don't remember if he was still out on the ice bowing  and waving, or not.  I did see him blow a kiss to the same section that I
heard the yelling come from.  After Evan left the  ice, Kurt came back out after the monitors showed us group numbers from
the past 25 years. I became really excited when I saw some snapshots of  the past shows I knew really well.  There was one of the opening with
the merry go round in I.M.A.G.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. Then, I saw the final group number from T.I.M.E.  They also had a glimpse of the final group number from A Show About The Show , and DOUBLE EXPOSURE, as the song, A Mystery Tour played.

Then, some words appeared on another screen that said, "A NEW GROUP NUMBER." 
Any way, as I said before Kurt came out after that and he rolled out an old fashioned, brown piano, with a piano seat on wheels.  He was wearing
a short sleeved shirt that had blue and black stripes, and he sported a black derby hat, with black pants.  He could really play that piano, and we cheered for him, so he kept on playing.  I was really
impressed, and then the monitors had wooden looking doors on them. A minute later, we all heard a loud KNOCK!  KNOCK!  Those exact words appeared on the screens too, and then we saw the words that said, WHO' S THERE?"  Kurt had to stop his playing, and he skated over to the black skating tunnel, which was next to the section that was next to mine.  Yes, I finally noticed lol.  So, I had a really good view of the action, which I loved.  Anyway Kurt opened the door, and I thought it was Todd Eldredge that was at the door.  Kurt greeted him, and he went over to
the piano with Kurt.  Todd was wearing a shirt with purple checks  and black pants.  The two of them had a conversation, and Kurt said, "Let's play something a little different, it is Sunday, so let's
try this one."  It was very upbeat sounded like a tune people could swing and jive to.  I started to tap my toes, and then there was another Knock! Knock!  So, Kurt told Todd that he had to answer the door, because he still was playing the piano.  Then, Michael came along , and he was wearing a long, sleeved shirt that was a medium blue and  black pants.  He talked with them for a little bit , and the three of  them had a lively conversation.  After they were settled around the piano, we all heard another knocking sound come from the door, and it made them argue over who would answer it.  I thought that it turned out to be Michael , and the next guy was David, and I am sorry but I
couldn't remember what his costume looked like.

Once David found a spot, Kurt said, "This one's for David."  I wanted to get up and dance lol , the music was very peppy.  Then, they all made poor David answer the next knock on the door, and Ben greeted them.  He came out wearing vibrant colors on his black shirt, it had some pink on the front with blue as well, and black pants.  So, they all talked some more, joked around, and laughed
before they fought over who would answer the door.  I thought that  it was Ben , so he opened the door and one by one the ladies came through the door.  Everyone was dressed as if they were going to a 1950s Sock Hop.  I really liked their costumes especially what the ladies  were wearing.  Ekaterina had a pink head band in her hair to match her light pink top with blck trim and black buttons, the pink bows that were tied on her shoulders, and her darker pink skirt with black polka dots.  Every lady had on white socks rolled down, and saddle shoe covers
on their skates, which were a very nice touch.

Then, Joannie had her hair in a pony tail with a pink bow, that matched her white shirt with black trim, and her pink belt , along with her black skirt with white polka dots.  Jamie's was really cute too, but I couldn't remember the colors.  Sasha had a pink bow tied up in her hair, and her shirt had pink satin straps, with a satin pink sash at the top of it, then it was white with black
polka dots. Then, she had a pink satin sash tied around her waist, and her skirt was black with pink in the pleats. 
I really had fun watching this number, and bopping along with them in my seat.  The menshowed off for the ladies, and then the ladies skated to a song that
didn't let the men forget that they were women , I just could not remember the title for that song now.  They all playfully flirted with
the men, and the men picked them up and twirled them around, until there was another sound at the door .
Once the door was opened, Tanith came strutting out , and she had captured the attention of every man . 

She had her hair teased up , with a pink scarf tied around her neck, and her shirt was white, with a cute belt that was pink with black polka dots on it. Then, she was wearing capri pants that were black.  She had the men  falling all over her.  It was really funny, when she wiggled her hips, and the music had the beating of drums.  So she swayed one hip to the side and the drum went BOOM! After the BOOM!  All of the men fell  down onto the ice, then they would try to get up, before she swayed her other hip with a BOOM!  Which made them all fall down again.  I know
that they all made my mom and I laugh really hard.  Then, all of the men lifted her up into the air, as she laid back on them, and they carried
her over to the piano.  Where they gently put her down, and she laid on top of it. Then, there was another BANG BANG on the door, but we
were all left wondering who it was, because the monitor's screen said,
"TO BE CONTINUED."  I heard some of the people around me go, "Awwww."  I  even said, "Bummer."  Because we all had to wait until Act 2 to find
out who was at the door.  Even though, it did seem kind of obvious.  So, the gang skated away, and the men were pushing the piano with Tanith
laying on it, as she waved to us while they all shuffled into the black skating tunnel. I really loved the new group number which was called, Knock! Knock! I thought that name was really clever and it fit.

After the group number was over, Todd Eldredge came skating back out with a microphone.  He asked us how we were doing , and we all shouted,
"GREAT!"  He also asked us if we had been having fun and enjoying the show, and we all replied with, "Yeah!" Before we screamed some more, he really enjoyed that. Then, he said, "I gotta tell ya Orlando that you all have the most beautiful  buildings I had ever been in It's amazing."  We all cheered about that,  and I started to feel that the Amway Center was like home.
After we all settled down, he told us that they were going to take a break,  and to stick around for the next act.  We all cheered again, and clapped
before he left the ice.

To Be Continued!

‍  ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

Part Five: During Intermission Before Act 2


 

After Todd left the ice, the lights were all turned back on, and I heard the announcer say, "There will be a 20 minute Intermission before the next act."  Then, he
talked about the merchandise, and I was very excited when I heard him say the word photos.  My mom got out of her seat and she was getting ready to throw away our trash.  So, before she left I asked her to look  for the souvenir stand and see if there were any autographed pictures of Evan.


She told me that she wanted to look too, and then after she left I started talking to my seat mate to my left.  I told her that I hoped that there were some autographed photos this year, and how last year they did not have very many.  There was one of Joannie Rochette , but it tied more into the Olympics, so I guessed that they were staying with  the Olympic theme, but I was hoping to get one of Evan.  I have really  enjoyed watching his skating, but I bought the really nice photo of Joannie. 

Then, I asked her if she had a Pre-Order form for next year's show, because when I came to my seat I only had the Smucker's coupon.  I think she told me that she did not get one either, and that I could look around for some empty seats and see if there were some Pre-Order forms.  So, I did what she said, and during my search I did see two papers just laying underneath a seat. I told her, "I see one under that seat over in the aisle across from us."  The seat was also one row down from mine,  and I really wanted to grab it.


However, I also saw that my row was still full of people sitting in their seats.  I did not want to bother them and make them get up, just  so that I could go get the Pre-Order form on the floor.  So, I told her  that I would snatch it up after the show, and to pray that the form is still there after the show.  She told me that I could also order tickets  Online through their website. I said, "Yes, that is what I did when I  purchased the tickets to my first show."

Then, I told her that I used to watch Alexei Yagudin skate in the shows and that I was his fan.  I also said that I missed him, and she nodded her head, before she got some money out and told the person with her  that she wanted to buy some popcorn.  After she said that I saw a young man walking around, and he was selling the programs and a photo of the
cast, I don't know if he had any snacks on him or not, but I thought that was really neat of the venue to come up with that idea.

It was good to know that they had people selling stuff during the break in case I would want to buy something at a future show. Then, I watched the ZAMBONI as it came out ,
and as always I loved watching it doing its job, as it made the ice sparkle .  Then, I noticed that the giant monitors were running some Stars on Ice Trivia on their screens.  One of the questions that were on  the screens asked, "Which skater in Stars on Ice was suspended from the
ceiling?"  I knew that answer, and I proudly said out loud, "Alexei  Yagudin."

Then, the screen had a picture of Alexei from his number , PASSION.  I smiled and said, "Yay!"  After I read a few more that I did not know the answer to, there was another question that asked,  "Which skater landed a Quad in a Stars on Ice show?"  I heard a girl behind me say, "Alexei Yagudin."  I thought that it had been Alexei too, but we both were pretty surprised to see that it was Kurt Browning, and we talked  about how we were sure it was Alexei .  Oh well, I learned something new.

I also did not know that strawberries had been dropped from the ceiling , and I was not too sure if they meant the stuffed ones or not.  So, that was also news to me.  After that, I watched some more of the questions, before it was switched over to a clip that talked about how it was important for families to eat meals together.  I agreed with everything  that was said, and I am still eating my vegetables to this day.  Then, they ran a Smucker's commercial with the two boys. 


After that another clip followed that showed all of us how we were contributing to helping children at the  Boys And Girls Club around the United States learn about reading and how fun it is to
read.  I liked being reminded of where our money to buy the tickets goes, and reading is one of my passions.  I truly believe that if I did
not enjoy reading that I would not have developed my love for writing. 

Then, my mom came back and she told me that she couldn't look for the souvenir booth.  I told her that it was fine, and for her not to worry about it, and that we would be able to look together after the show was  over.  So, she relaxed and we watched the video clip of some of the cast  members talking about their love for reading.  I still thought that  Sasha's scenes were really cute. In one of them she was stretching out, and she had one book at the end of her foot.  Then, she said, "When I  finish one book, I start another,"  and she moved over to her other foot
and read that book.

In the other scene, she was standing on a pile of books, beside Evan and she said, "Reading helps me reach new heights."  That was close, and she had her arm around Evan's shoulder and they both were smiling.  After those videos were over, there was an announcement that reminded  people of how much time they had left to return to their seats, before
Act 2 would begin.

To Be Continued! ‍

     ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

‍The screens on the giant monitors , were also doing a countdown, so the rest of the crowd made it to their seats , just a few minutes before the
lights went out once again . 


Part Six : Act 2 Began To Make Its Way To The End

After the lights went out , we all began to scream and yell again as the cast continued where Knock, Knock ! had
left off. The gang was gathered around the piano with Kurt , and their eyes were looking at the door, because they had heard another
knocking sound.  Only this sound was different from the ones they had heard before.  This knock had a familliar pattern to it, and I have
tried to think of the best way that I could describe it.  The sound is a lot easier to do on a door, or any other hard surface, so find one around you and knock on it 4 times, and then pause before you
knock on it another 2 times.  It was like that, and then Todd hit the  two keys on the piano to finish it.  Kurt gave Todd an annoyed look, because he touched the piano keys.  Then, they all argued about having  to answer the door, but I can't remember who had lost that arguement . 

Anyway, Todd just shrugged his shoulders at Kurt, while some of the others laughed, and I believe Todd thought it was funny too.
Then after the door was opened, we all found out who was there, and it was Evan!  I thought that it was very clever how they had Evan come out last when there was a group
number.  He skated out of the door, and he was looking like he had just stepped out of the movie, GREASE.  He had on a black, short, sleeved shirt, with a black, leather jacket and
black jeans that were rolled up at the cuffs .  I heard a lot of  screaming from the ladies in the crowd, and I was one of them . 
Because, I really loved this new group number, and Evan looked like he had a lot of fun with the rest of the cast.  They all had bright smiles on their faces, and that made me enjoy it even more.  Then, at one point when  they all were around the piano, he kicked his leg up into the air, and pointed both of his fingers at them.  Then, he joined them and they left
the piano , before all of the men stood in a line while they took their hands and pretended to be combing their hair and making themselves
look good for the ladies.

The entire cast was very entertaining , as they all skated together. They looked like they were dancing as a very energetic and upbeat tune played.  Then, all of the men picked up
the ladies , and they all were doing some fast moves with them. I remembered that two of the men had Jamie, and her feet were moving in
the air, as if she were trying to get back down.  I was dancing right along with all of them , as I tapped my feet on the floor, and they had
us all clap along with them . Then, before the end of the group number, Who's There? , they all shared a slow dance , Awwwww.  Knock, Knock! , and Who's There?  were
my favorite group numbers from this year's show.  I had loved them so much, that I was still thinking about them when Joannie Rochette
returned to the  ice, and skated her number, Show Me How You Burlesque.  I could not even recall what her dress looked like, or what color it was.
It was pretty though, and she had a wonderful performance.  She showed  all of us her playful and flirtacious side.  I stood up for her at the and yelled for her right along with my section.

Then, I could not even recall if there were any transitions after her number, because of the number that followed it.  Kurt and Todd came out on the ice , and
their costumes kind of reminded me of what the kids used to wear maybe in the 1930s? They had caps on their heads and they had on old fashioned jackets and trousers for pants.  Anyway, the box was also old fashioned and very colorful, and we all were very surprised when Sasha climbed out of it wearing the same costume.  I had remembered watching this
number on the TV special for this year's show. 

So, I was already excited and I knew that we all were in for a treat.  Sasha was given a red balloon from Todd, and she acted like a
little kid playing with it.  She was adorable, and then she amazed me when she wrapped the balloon's string around her skate's blade, and then
she skated around with the balloon. I believe that she even landed a jump with it, but I could have made that up, because what she did do
with the balloon was astounding.  Then, she laid down on the ice, and she moved the balloon with her leg and played around with it some
more, before she did a flip to get back up on her feet.  I was really impressed, then Kurt was mean when he popped her red balloon!  She had
every right to be upset and she turned her back on both of them.  Todd tried to comfort her , but she refused to turn around, until Todd had an
idea.  That idea made Todd skate off quickly, and Sasha seemed very curious, and she tried to see where Todd had gone.
Kurt stood in front of her, and he blocked her view, so she tried to look around him, and she even ducked down and skated lower while she tried to see from between his
legs.  When she could not see, she pretended to pout.  I softly said, "Awwwww."  Then, Todd came skating back out with a white kite!  Sasha
was happy again and she flew the kite, until Kurt went and found her a bunch of red balloons.  So, she took those, and skated around with them
before she handed one to Ekaterina Gordeeva at the end of Party in the Park . 
I clapped, I don't think I had time to stand up for them, but I did watch  Sasha as she pulled all of the red balloons through the opening of the
black skating tunnel. 

Then my eyes followed Ekaterina as she skated around with the red balloon, before she released it.  After the balloon was released I spent a few moments watching it as it floated higher and higher into the air.  My mom was also watching the balloon sail up , and we both wondered if the red balloon was going to pop, or leave the building, until it rested on the highest point of the ceiling , and I thought to myself, Oh yeah , Ekaterina is skating now, I need to watch her.  She was wearing a stunning blue dress with a shiny silver belt, that was made of loops.  She also had on a diamond studded collar at the top of her dress with blue jewls .  I thought that she skated beautifully, and that her movements were very graceful. I was happy for her , when she
landed her jump, everyone was thrilled for her.  Her number, I Believe in You and Me was very lovely, and at the end I stood up for her too, when she faced my section for her bows. 
AfterEkaterina left the ice, one of the lighting technicians came out , and we cheered for him the same way we had been doing for the skaters.  He smiled, but he also
motioned for us to calm down, and be quiet.  So, we toned down the noise , and Michael Weiss came out after the lighting technician played us a song on his harmonica.  He could really play , and I was very impressed.  Michael said, "Not bad for a lighting tech , keep on playing,
Brian." Brian continued to play while Michael skated for us.

The tune we all heard had a country feel to it, that was accompanied by a hip hop beat.  It sounded like it was a lot of fun to skate to.  Michael had really fast footwork that was a lot like doing a two step , and he wore me out just by watching him move that quickly around.  He also had incredibly fast spins, and he looked like a down home on the farm country boy.  He had on blue overalls , and he might have even had a piece of straw that he chewed on at one point, but don't quote me on that.  Either way he had fun , especially when he had this one section thinking that
he was going to perform his famous backflip right in front of them.  He got into the position , and they went crazy, and then he acted like he was going to arch his back , before he suddenly stopped and shook his finger back and forth . I believe I heard them all sigh.  My section all laughed, because he really had faked all of us out.
After he skated around again, he chose a spot that was close to that section, and he pulled off his backflip that Orlando loved.  We all screamed and shouted , and yelled some more at the end of Beatbox Harmonica, and I laughed again when the music stopped and he just passed out on the ice, before he got up and bowed as he waved to each section.  I
stood up for him and I yelled, "Woooooooooooooo!"  

Then, as he skated towards the black skating tunnel two girls in a section on my side, shouted out when everything was quiet, "YOU'RE
STILL HOT!"  The minute my section heard them , we all burst out  laughing , but I did not know if Michael had heard them or not.

To Be Continued!

    ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour From Amway Center Continued

‍Then, we returned our attention back to the ice, where Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto appeared once again. They skated in a very passionate number,
well dance called the, Flamenco.  Those two had more spell bounding lifts , one of the lifts that they had was when Tanith stood on Ben's back and she had nothing to hold
onto!  I also liked the connection they had between one another.  I stood up for them at the end of their number, when they faced section.  They had big smiles on their faces, as they bowed and waved.  I yelled for them too, because they always had been my favorite Ice Dance Team, and I loved seeing them skate in front of me and in person.
Once Tanith and Ben had left the ice, the crowd gave Todd Eldredge a warm reception for his next number.  He was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt that was red on the front , with black buttons and the red portion had a black splattered design, with black pants.  The program helped me remember what he was wearing again, or I would have forgotten.  Anway , he skated
a number called, I've Been This Way Before. 

His skating was very moving, and he had a very clean performance.  He still had really fast spins, and I was just amazed by how one minute he was
spinning non stop, before he suddenly stopped spinning and stayed in the same place.  If he was dizzy, we never knew it another sign of a true
professional skater.  He also had a very impressive spread eagle, and at the end of his number, I popped up out of my seat and showed him my support and appreciation for putting his all into his
skating. Then, after Todd was gone, Sasha Cohen skated out and we all screamed for her , the same way we had screamed for Todd.  She was wearing a black hat, that looked like a derby.  She also had on a black choker around her neck, with a one piece black costume that was short , and it had black buttons around her mid drift.  Then, she had on black fish net stockings, and her number was called, Mein Herr , and she had a blast playing the part of the character .  One verse in the song talked about a tiger being a tiger, she acted like a tiger that
was getting ready to pounce with her hands.

She also had more flexible movements , one of those movements was when she lifted her leg up into the air, until it was by her head, and she kept that leg and
foot by her head clear from one end to the ice , to the other!  Wow!  She also landed all of her jumping passes without any falls, or stumbles on the ice.  I was very happy for her , and I was so
glad that she joined Smucker's Stars on Ice , so that she could share  incredible moments on the ice with all of us.
At the end of her number, I hopped up onto my feet, before I screamed loudly for her.  She bowed and waved, and then she skated off for the black skating tunnel.



After Sasha had gone into the black skating tunnel, Kurt Browning returned for his final solo number.  The crowd's enthusiasm had never died, because each number just continued to add more fuel to the level of our energy.  I could really tell from the moment he skated out that Orlando loved Kurt.  Because, he did not just skate for us, he also connected with us.  He entertained us, he also skated for his love of  skating.  He impressed us with his jumps, that he could still land.  He made us all laugh and smile with his creative style of expression. He just
enjoyed himself , and we all enjoyed watching him during, Downstream.  Then, at the end, I stood up for Kurt and I screamed in the same way that my section was screaming.  Because, the noise in that arena still drowned out any other words that I would have tried my hardest to yell.  We all showed him our love though .

Once Kurt had finished his bows, and blowing a kiss to another section, he left the ice and went inside the black skating tunnel. Then, the
giant monitors were turned back on, and raging flames from a fire were displayed.  The red lights burned brightly and turned the color of the ice to red .   When the spotlights came back on, we all saw Jamie Sale and David Pelletier down on their knees.  Then, the music began and they looked like they were yelling and screaming, as they pounded their
fists on the ice.


I thought that was a different number from what they had skated in the past.  They even had on different costumes , Jamie was wearing a black one piece suit,  David wore all black, and they not only skated in this number, but they danced.  They moved their hands and arms with crisp precision.  Their lifts were still daring and dangerous.  David also threw Jamie into a very aggressive throw jump that she landed smoothly on one leg.   The crowd went wild , then we all grew quiet as Jamie was swung around with her head very close to the ice, while they were doing a very
thrilling move known as the headbanger.  At the end of Scream, I was on the edge of my seat, before I launched myself out of it and onto my feet for Jamie and David.  Jamie looked happy, and David smiled too.  That was great to see, and I yelled some more for them along with  everyone else.

To Be Continued!

   ‍Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour From Amway Center Continued

‍Then, Jamie and David gave all of us one more wave , before they disappeared into the black skating tunnel.  While Evan Lysacek reappeared for his last solo number.  He was dressed like a latin dancer in black.  His skating was filled with intense passion, that was expressed through the emotions on his face. He told us another story, only in this story he portrayed a man who deeply loved a woman who was named Roxanne. Only Roxanne was a woman who sold herself to the night, and the man from the story was desperately pleading with her to give up her profession, he told her over and over that she did not have to do that anymore.  The number was very dramatic, and Evan proved to all of us that he was a dancer and a skater.  He had very high and powerful jumps, along with other moments where he kicked his leg higher into the air, and that was followed by sharp turns, strategic arm movements and very quick steps.
I heard the people all around me yelling from other sections and my section from the beginning of his number clear to the end of his number.  I don't think I was the only one that stood up for Evan  at the end of El Tango de Roxanne.  Then, he bowed in front of us, and smiled, as he waved to all of us , before
he hurried off to get ready for the final number of the show.



After Evan was gone, we all turned our attention back to the screens on the giant black monitors.  I listened to man's voice as he talked and I
remembered what his last words were, he said "You're simply the best."  The words were also displayed "YOU'RE SIMPLY THE BEST."  The minute after I heard those words and saw those words, the rest of the cast started to skate out.  The ladies were wearing bright red dazzling dresses, and the guys looked really nice too, and their costumes
complimented the ladies. They all did their best to let us know that they felt that we were the best, just for being in the audience.  Not only just being in the audience, but for the support we gave them and the entire tour of Smucker's Stars on Ice .  I wished that I could have been coming to Orlando for all 25 years, but some of those years I only watched on the
TV.  Honestly, I did not know that there was a tour, until Alexei Yagudin came along, and I became his fan, then I found out about the show, and started attending it .  I haven't stopped coming ever since, and I hope that I will get to continue to see this very special show in future years.



I always feel so honored and blessed to be able to see the show in person, it truly can not be beat.  I also really liked it when the cast pointed their fingers towards us and moved them to include all of us.  Then, there more thrills and chills, but no spills.  Everyone had an awesome ending to the show.  They also joined hands and skated around on the ice in a weaving like pattern. David couldn't catch Jamie's hand at first, and that made her smile , and he tried not to laugh, before he  finally clasped onto it with his.


After that, we all formed a line and the lucky ones sitting in the on ice sections had their hand smacked by all of the members of the cast that were led by Evan.  Then, they all scattered around the sections, and Sasha came over to our's.  It was cool to hear her say, "Thank you, for coming to the show."  I would have loved for her to shake my hand, but I was a little too far up, so she would not have been able to reach my hand for a hand shake.  Then, they all made the same line and went another lap around, before they met up in the center of the ice.



Where they formed their famous and very familliar line and they all crossed their legs one by one , before they all bowed their heads. In
case you were wondering, this year Evan kept his head down. Then, they all skated around again and the ladies had some red roses given to them ,
I did not really know where they came from, but the ladies waved them to us, and then they all went back to center ice and bowed for us and waved some more.  We all stood up and when they looked at my section I took my arms up way over my head and I clapped my hands for them.


Then, the ladies waved at us some more with their roses, as they made their final journey to the black skating tunnel.  Before Kurt went into the black skating tunnel, he acted like he was going to do a back flip too, so we all encouraged him, but he shook his head or his finger the same way Michael did.  I told my mom, "He faked us out."  It was funny though, and I did laugh, and then that was the end of the 25th Anniversary Tour .



As I started to write this year's review I thought that it would be a good idea for me to start sharing the Artists that wrote, or sung the
songs for the numbers that were performed.  So, the Songs and Artists from Act 1 were:  I Like It By : Enrique Iglesias, Somebody to Love By: Queen, True Colors By: Cyndi Lauper, That's Life By: Frank Sinatra, Cinema Italiano By: Kate Hudson, Use Somebody By: Kings of Leon, On Golden Pond By: Dave Grusin,  Steppin' Out of My Mind By: Geoffrey Tyler, Nobody Knows By: Pink, Wild Horses By: The Rolling Stones, The Climb By: David Hernandez and  Knock, Knock! By: Various Artists.



The Songs and Artists from Act 2 were :  Who's There? By: Various Artists ,  Show Me How You Burlesque By:Christina Aguilera, Party in the Park By: Rachel Portman, I Believe in You and Me By: Whitney Houston,  Beatbox Harmonica By:Yuri Lane,Flamenco By: Vicente Amigo/Rodrigo y Gabriela, I've Been This Way Before By:Neil Diamond, Mein Herr By:Liza Minnelli, Downstream By: Supertramp, Scream By: Michael & Janet Jackson, El Tango de Roxanne By:Jose Feliciano and The Best By: Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes.

Part Seven: After The 25th Anniversary Tour

After all of the lights were turned back on, we gathered our belongings and headed towards the end of the row.  Then, we began our
climb up the first set of steps.  I also let my mom know that I wanted to look for a Pre -Order form for next year.  So, we both looked around
on the floor, until I spotted one underneath a chair that was a row up from the steps that I was on.



A young woman was waiting to leave that row, and she was also standing on the Pre-Order form , along with the coupon.  I told my mom that I saw
one, and where it was before we spent a few minutes trying to get her attention.  When, we finally finally did, my mom politetly asked her if she could get the form underneath her seat.  I did not know before she asked, that the young woman had a tiny baby in her arms, so I felt bad for having to ask her to bend down. 
She just gently and carefully bent down , grabbed the form and the coupon, before she handed it to my mom.  My mom handed it to me , and I thanked the young woman for getting the form for us.  Then, we allowed  some more people to go in front of us, because we were on their row at the time.  Once those people had left their row, we all continued to go
up back up the stairs to the doors. 

Where one of the head ushers was standing, and he told us to have a nice
day.  As he walked out with my group, I talked to him for a little bit.  I told him that they all had a wonderful place, and that I had loved the Amway Arena, but the Amway Center was
just amazing. He seemed to really appreciate what I said, and he thanked me for telling him.  I told him that he was welcome, and he told us to have a good evening, and I wished him the same.


Then, my mom and I searched around for the Smucker's Stars on Ice souvenir stand, until we finally gave up and I said, "Let's find some one to ask, over there let's ask him."  She followed me as I led her to another usher, and I asked him where the Smucker's Stars on Ice stand
was located.  He told us to walk all the way down to 109.  I thanked him, before we walked around more bends and finally reached 109.


Then, I saw the stand, and I got in line behind a mother and daughter.  Her daughter wanted some pajama bottoms that were really cute, I think
they had stars on them.  The lady that was working behind the counter, told her mother that the pajama bottoms had a draw string too.  Then,
her daughter wanted to get a Stars on Ice pin for her and her friend.  Her mother told her to hurry up , because we were waiting behind them. 
My mom saw something that was $40.00 and she thought it was the autographed photos.



I asked her, "What?! Are you kidding me? Did they raise the price?"  The mother in front of us told us how much the really nice picture of the
cast had cost.  Then, I saw what I wanted and I said, "No, the autographed pictures are still $20.00."  My mom checked to see if we could spare some money, and then the mother and daughter left the line, before I was asked by the lady behind the counter, "What can I get for you?"  I asked her, "May I have an autographed picture of Evan Lysacek
please?"  She searched the case, until she found one.


Then, she said, "There you go, and I am putting in this protective cover ."  I thanked her and I gave my mom a kiss on her cheek , after she gave the lady $20.00 . I was so happy when I saw more of the individual photos and they all were lovely pictures.  The lady thanked us, and wished us a nice day.  I thanked her and told her to have the same. 
Then, we headed back down to 114, and she noticed that there were more familiar food courts on 109.



I think we saw a Pizza Hut, and a Subway among some others. Then, we walked on and I talked about how I may have not gotten a stuffed strawberry, but I did get my autographed picture.  It was a nice snapshot of Evan from The Climb, I really liked his pose , he had his fists clinched, and out away from his sides, one hand was kind of behind him, with one skate behind the other, while his head was slightly tilted back.  I also liked the way he  signed his name.   
 
 
To Be Continued!

 


   



 

 

   ‍After The Smucker's Stars On Ice 25th Anniversary Tour Continued

‍

After we talked we started to seriously focus on finding the escalator and 114 again.  On the way though, I was really surprised to see a car! 
I even told my mom, "Look. Mom, there is a car over there."  Then, I showed her where I had seen it, and I said, "It's not everyday you see a
car inside a building, unless it is on a showroom floor in a car dealership."  She agreed, but I felt that she wanted to find 114 more than taking a look at the car.



Then, as we walked along I noticed a few areas where familes were taking pictures of their loved ones, with the star players of Orlando Magic ,
they were lifelike figures, or paintings on the walls.  One of the areas where a player was going up for a lay up shot , got my attention more than the others.  There was a young woman sitting on a bench, and there was a small group of people, but I noticed the young man who was
taking the picture.



He was knealing down and I really noticed his jacket, it was white and it looked like the same jackets that the atletes wear in Russia.  It even said Russia in red letters on the back of it. So, it made me wonder if he was a Russian athlete, and of course I also thought about Alexei , and I even thought about the tour he was skating in during the show, because I knew that I had to do some catching up with it , and I really wanted  to after I had the review done.



Anyway, I thought that was cool they had come to see the show. Then, I really did not have time to linger on those moments, because we had found 114 and the escalator.  Only this time around my mom wanted to take the stairs, and I told her that I was getting a really good workout today.  Then, as we started to go down , I talked about how I always
wondered how in the world the ladies on TV made it, while walking down the stairs without looking down, or falling.  I knew that I could not do it, I always had to look down to see where my feet were going.


She pondered about how they did it too, and then we made it to the last step, and we were greeted by two more ushers.  They wished us a good evening, and I wished them the same, after I thanked them.  Then, we out the door into the early evening air, before my mom wondered which way we had to go to get to the parking garage.  I pointed to the area that
we had seen, and she followed me, and I told her how I wished that I  could have taken a picture of the Amway Center.  I knew that the viewing window on my cell phone was too small, and it would not have fit the entire building in it.


She told me that we should have brought our disposable camera with us,
and not left it in our luggage in the trunk.  All I could say for a reply was , "I know.  I know."  After we reached the section of the
sidewalk that we crossed, she asked me if I knew which parking garage we had parked the car.  I told her that I remembered was that we were told
to turn to our right, so I thought and felt that the one we were parked in was across the street, because it was literally a hop, skip, and a
jump away from the Amway Center.  

Part Eight :  On Our Way Out Of The Parking Garage And To The Hotel 



After we carefully crossed the street, my mom wanted to make sure that we had the right parking garage.  I told her that I was sure we had the right one.  However, we also wondered how we were supposed to enter it, so we found a nice lady that worked there as a security guard .  She described each of the garages' features for us, and we all confirmed that we were parked in their garage.  Once, that was cleared up, she led us over to another elevator, and we thanked her before I  pushed the arrow button, that pointed up.



We had a family come and join us, and I made sure after we got inside that they were wanting to go to the same level that we were.  A man and a
woman told me that they were, and I pushed our button for our level.  Then, on the way up, we all had a conversation about the show, and one
of their younger daughters said, "Sasha Cohen had her hair cut."  I said in reply, "I know, I was shocked, but it was cute."  After the elevator
came to a complete stop, we all shuffled out of it , before my mom and I started to see where we had parked our car.



So, we walked around for a little while, and my mom started to get a little worried.  I told her that earlier when we had parked, we had to
do some walking while we left the car, and that we had followed people as we tried to find our way out.  She followed me and I took us right to
it , so she was a lot happier when she found the car again.  I asked her to give me some time, so that I could get tom tom back on track, and
that I could type in the address for our hotel, our next destination.


Then, we placed all of our belongings , and SOI treasures into the trunk of our car, before I settled myself down into my seat and began working with tom tom.  That was when I discovered that the fears I had during the show about tom tom and the parking garage had came true.  The signal was weak, but not lost, so that was a good thing.  The bad thing about
it was that tom tom was stuck on the screen with the flag on it and our current destination.  It just repeated, "You have reached your
destination", over and over.

I told my mom that we might as well get out of the parking garage, as I continued to tap on the screen to get it to go back to the main screen. 
It was just no use, we were up a creek without a paddle. I had no way of getting tom tom to allow me to plan our next trip to the hotel.  Mom
pulled out of our space, and we had the man who collected our orange parking pass, if he could help us.  He really tried, but I did not have
enough directions for him, since he wanted to know which intersection the hotel was on.



I had no clue, the website I had made the reservations with did not share that.  So, we left and I told my mom that we were just going to
have to pull into a gas station, or any other place where I could get tom tom functioning again, before we went any further.  She drove around
, and I saw places where she could have stopped, but she did not want to pull into them.  I only needed a few minutes, to get out of the car,
so that the signal would be more stronger, and then I could plan our next destination.



We were seeing a lot of Downtown Orlando, until she finally stopped at a gas station, but she did not want to stay there. So, all we had
accomplished was getting the signal , that was good, and some how while she helped me untagle the cord, she hit something and the screen I
needed finally popped up. I was excited, and I also asked her, "How did you do that?!"  She was not sure, and I said, "Because, that was the
screen I needed, now just give me a few minutes here so that I can put the address for the hotel in." 



I got the screen that I pulled up street names, then she told me that she did not trust that place, I guess this guy was looking at me , or
watching me , and she did not like it.  So, I barely had time to get into the car, before she pulled out again.  I was not happy, and I
exclaimed, "Mom, I don't even have my seat belt on!"  She apologized , but I was starting to get frustrated.  I tried my best to keep up my work, but
it was kind of hard to do that in the moving car.

Then, she finally found another place that she trusted, a SubWay, and she wanted me to come in.  I told her that I really wanted to stay
outside for fear of losing the signal again, but I went in. On the way in, I explained to her why I really liked going to the hotel first, and
then programming the venue into tom tom, that way the hotel is already in there, and once I get the signal, and hit the screen with recent
destinations on it, we are on our way.

I also added that the parking garage and tom tom do not mix.  She told me we would go to the hotel first next time.  Then, I finally settled
down, I had to admit it was nice to be able to sit down , have plenty of time and space to think .  The signal did not get lost either, so that
was a blessing from God.  My mom did ask some people for some directions  too, while I tried to pull up Orange Blossom Trail , it was giving me
fits at first.

Then, I did something, I can't remember what I did and the address was pulled up right away.  I told my mom about it, and then I had tom tom on
the same page as us, before we spent some time eating our sandwiches and chips, while we sipped our drinks.  The food had really helped too,
and then she wanted to leave before it was too dark out.  I helped her pack everything up, and she asked another nice girl again.

We thanked her, and then we headed back out to the car.  I made sure that I had my seat belt on, before she started to move. Then, she made
the turn that the nice girl and tom tom told her to make, and she followed tom tom's lead all the way to Orange Blossom Trail.  Then, tom tom told us that in 0.5 miles we would turn to our right and we would be at our destination. 

To Be Continued!

   ‍On The Way To The Hotel Continued

‍So, I began to keep a look out for a sign that said, Day's Inn.  However,  I suddenly had to stop doing that when I heard sirens behind us.  My
mom asked me if they were coming our way, and I saw them right behind us, almost on our tail, so I quickly told her to pull over.  The ambulance and the fire truck were in a big hurry, they just zoomed byus, and our car vibrated.  I was so glad that I saw them coming in time.  I  will admit, I kind of forgot about the hotel , and I watched the ambulance and fire truck to see where they were going.



They quickly turned off on a side street by a bank, then after that moment of excitement was in the past, we both drove on and tried to find
our hotel.  We drove up along the strip, and I did see a Day's Inn .  We truly thought that this was our hotel, but the number did not match
that was on the front of it. Still, we went inside and got help from a  nice man at the front desk.  He told us that we had just missed it, and
we wanted to make a right turn and head straight for 9 miles.  We laughed, and I told him that I was not a tourist, I did live in Florida, we just did not not come to Orlando very often.



He told us that he understood, and he also said something that was very comforting for me to hear.  He said, " I understand , I live here in
Orlando, and the roads are confusing."  I was so happy to hear, that I was not the only one that felt that way.  We thanked him, and headed out
into the cooler night air, that was refreshing. Then, we followed his directions, until we found our Day's Inn.  It turned out to be the same hotel that we had stayed in last year.



We celebrated by shouting, "We're here!"  Then, we checked in , and I ran out to the car before I memorized our license plate to tell my mom. 
After we had our room key, I helped her pull into a parking space by  guiding her in to it, that was close to our room on the second level. 
Then, we finally brought our luggage up the stairs and into our room.  

Part Nine: At The Hotel



After we put the luggage into our room, we made a few more trips to the car to bring in our snacks and fresh fruit. She had some orange
slices and red grapes.  I liked eating the red grapes with the rest of my sandwich.  Then, I unpacked what I needed to use that night, and I
did my nightly routine, after I set the time on our clock to the correct time.



Then, I plugged in the mini refrigerator's cord back into the outlet, before I had to open the door for Mom again, when she had come back with
ice.  After, I knew that we were in for the night, I tried to find something for us to watch on TV.  I did some channel surfing, until I
ended up checking out Under Cover Boss. In the episode, the CEO of a hotel chain in Las Vegas went under cover and
had several positions.  He learned about some things he did not like , and what he could improve for his staff. 



I thought that the TV show was very funny and interesting, until my mom wanted me to see what else was on.  So, I searched the channels for
something else we could watch.  I can't even remember what we decided to watch, because I started to really have my first good look at the Souvenir
Program.  I did not have any time to look at it while I was at the show.  I thought that it was gorgeous as always.  I also enjoyed
remembering the moments and numbers from the show that I had loved the most.



The front cover of the program had most of the cast members from Knock, Knock! Who's There?  Kurt was sitting at the piano, and the rest of the members were gathered
around him , posing in different ways, and they all had various expressions on their faces.  The only members missing from the front
cover were, Jamie, David, and Evan, and I wondered where they were.



After I opened the program, I read a thoughtful letter from Tim and Richard Smucker, that I felt was very nice.  Scott Hamilton also wrote a
personal letter that I thought was really cool.  Each letter had the words "Thank you", in them.  Then, I turned the page, and looked at the individual photos of each cast member.  On those pages the members shared how they felt when they saw their first Stars on Ice show.   The majority of them shared how the show helped them realize their own
dreams and desires, to skate or be apart of Stars on Ice.



Some of the other memories were about what had happened at the show they watched for the first time, where they went to see the show, the acts
that were performed.  Who they watched perform those acts, and one of them even shared what she had to do at her skating club to earn tickets
to the show.  Some of what they remembered sounded like a lot like mine, but unlike some I never waited outside by the busses, or tried to get
autographs.



I just enjoyed the show every year, and got in line as soon as I could to buy an autographed photo .  That always made me happy, and just being
in those seats, supporting the skaters that I had watched compete on TV.  I was also inspired by watching Stars on Ice and figure skating on
TV when I was younger.  I discovered from watching the skaters perform on the ice, that I wanted to perform too.  Only my path led me to
dancing and singing, still I got to feel what it was like to hear a crowd applauding , because I made them happy.



I really loved being apart of the experience with my show choir, and I could relate to how the skaters felt after they performed. After I
explored all of the content on those pages, I found another page that I really, really, really loved.  There was a collage of snap shots of
numbers from the past, different cast members, photos of the group in relaxed and casual settings. There was one from a year that Alexei had
been on the tour.



He looked so young in this picture, he also looked very adorable. I told my mom to come see it, and she liked it. He looked very happy with the
group, and the picture made me smile. They all were smiling with their arms around each other , the photo just looked very warm and inviting. 
They also had his name listed on the right side of the page.  Some of the other photos were very funny , and I loved looking at all of them. 



At the bottom of the page all of the years were listed, and they were, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.  Then, after I read the rest of the pages, I closed it and
saw Evan on the back cover. I said, "There's Evan, I wondered where he was."  Mom and I laughed about it, and then I said, "That was clever,
they even had him on the last page of the program."  He had on the leather jacket, and black jeans from, Knock, Knock! Who's There?



My mom also looked at Evan's autographed photo, and she liked his picture.  Then, I tucked the Souvenir Program and autographed photo
back into my suitcase, before we tried to find another show to watch on TV, before I was ready to call it a night. Earlier that evening, I had thought that the remote to the TV did not work.  I pushed the Power button, and nothing happened, so I was convinced that this year was going to be the same. She even tried working with the remote and agreed
with me.



Well, after we were all tucked in, I told her it still did not work and that she had to go to the TV to turn it off.  She wanted me to do it, so
I told her to give me the remote, and I hit the Power button again and was amazed when it turned off the TV!  Or maybe another button had been
pressed for the VCR, or Satelite, and I just hit TV/Cable and it worked, I can't remember lol. I was just happy it worked and I did not have to get out of the warm, comfortable bed to turn off the TV.

Then, before we fell asleep we talked to each other in the darkness.  My mom told me that she had really enjoyed this year's show.  She was also glad that I got to see Alexei again, even if it was in video clips of him.  I was happier seeing them again and she also sounded like she really wanted to return for next year's show.  I was thrilled to hear her say that, and she told me about something that happened that I did not know happened.



She recalled how she yelled, "Yeah Evan!"  How he heard her and smiled at us.  I just thought to myself,  Where was I ?  I was sitting right next to her!  I did not hear her yell that, of
course everyone was constantly making noise, either way I just took her word for it, and I smiled.  Then, a few moments of silence followed, before she told me about some suprises that I was going to get for Easter.  After the show and buying the autographed photo, she told me
that was for my Easter.



I did not mind, she also helped me renew my subscription to International Figure Skating.  So, I went along with it, and thought they were enough, then we had another
conversation that I could not recall, I think I was drifting off to sleep, and shortly after I did, my mom did too, and March 20th, 2011
came to a peaceful end.     

To Be Continued One More Time!

   ‍At The Hotel Continued

‍Part Ten : We Took The Long Way Home




On the morning of March 21st, we woke up and got ready.  Then, I took a picture of two pictures that were hanging on each wall.  They had a tropical scene , and I really thought
they were pretty.  After she was ready to go to breakfast, we loaded our luggage into the car, and checked out of our room.  Then, we went to
the lobby and area with tables and various breakfast foods.  We had oatmeal, and we also split some kind of fruit filled Danish roll. 
Everything was very good, and after breakfast we went out to the car.  Where I spent a few minutes working on programming tom tom.


I had been entertaining an idea since we had begun our journey to Orlando the day before.  I thought that if I tried to type in our home
address into tom tom's Favorites, that the picture of the home would finally light up, and I could just hit that everytime we went on a
trip.  So, I tried it, and after I did I could access the Home option!  I was very excited when my idea worked.  Mom was happy too, and we were
ready to begin our way home, after I accepted the route, at least that is what I thought I had agreed to, I was still really tired.  I just
knew that I hit Yes.


Then, we left the hotel and made a wrong turn, because tom tom had told us to make a right turn.  It did not make sense, but we did it, and then
tom tom told us to turn around .  My mom found a vacant old parking lot to turn around in, and it was a rough exit I will just put it that way,
but our car made it through.  Then, we made our left turn, and we left Downtown Orlando far behind, as we drove continued down Orange Blossom
Trail.  After we left Orlando, I thought it was odd that we did not have any Toll Roads on our way out, but I still had our change handy just in
case we did come across one.  We also had to pull off the road again for a fire rescue vehicle, then we made it to Mt. Dora.

My mom and I did think it was strange that we were going through Mt. Dora, but I remembered that it was the same way we were told to take in
2008 by a hotel clerk.  So, we went on, and I said, "We are taking the scenic route."  She felt better when she saw a road sign that told us
how many more miles we had until Leesburg .  I enjoyed seeing the large bodies of water, and I even got to watch some sail boats and other boats
out on the water, it was really beautiful how the sun glistened on the  water's waves.  Then, we reached Taveres, and I discovered what had
happened.  So, I told my mom what I did , I had hit Yes to the question that asked me if I wanted to find an alternative route to avoid the
Tolls! 

We paid $1.25 for the entire trip to Orlando!  We laughed about that, because when we had asked for quarters at the bank, our teller told us
that we had more than enough, and we did not believe her, my mom just kept on handing her the dollar bills. So, it was so funny to us , before tom tom told us to turn left, and my mom asked me again if she heard tom tom right, and I said, "Right."  Only I was saying, "Right", to her wanting to know if she went left.  She made a right turn, and I tried to tell her how to exit the apartment complex, but I suddenly lost my voice!  I could only speak with a tiny scratchy squeak for a few minutes, until my voice came back stronger.  One good thing, was that we
stayed on a small street that led us back to the road we were on .  Once we were back on track, we drove on through some more towns.

I told her that we were taking the long way home, and at times it seemed as if we were never going to make it home.  However, we finally made it to 441, that we stayed on all the way until we made our turn for home.  Then, tom tom took us right up to our house.  So, we were still learning the ways of the road, and more about tom tom ,
and we made it home around 11:300 AM, so it was not too bad.  It was great to be home again, and I knew that our trip next year was going to
be even better than ever. Still, I also remembered that even though we try to be as prepared as we can be, we would not always be prepared for
the unexpected, and that on our way to Orlando , we will always have to expect the unexpected.  We also prayed that God would be with us, and HE was and would always be with us.

The show did not return until 2014, so stay tuned for my review from that show!

Until Then!

God Bless!