posted January 28, 2002 07:30 PM            

Mamabear mentioned that 5 AM thing. You know it's still dark at 5 AM!?! I'm a computer guy. Computer guys are only supposed to be up at 5 AM if they have been up all night. I'm sure that Scotto can back me up on this.

Mamabear also mentioned that the plane had propellors. Propellors! - Geesh! Actually, the ride wasn't that bad. I got to see the sun come up. Everybody should see the sun come up at least once. If I had to, you should too! The sun coming up looks just like the sun going down - except backward. Highly over-rated.

So we hit the Mandalay Bay about 10 AM local time. Good thing, too, because the Bear is tired, hungry, and grouchy. We get to the registration windows and find that check-in time is noon. GRRR! And they don't seem to be buying my story about the early check-in.

Well, the Bear is hungry so we will eat now. The web site shows many restaurants in the Mandalay Bay. The web site doesn't say that the restaurants don't open until 11:30. GRRR.

After walking for what must have been miles, we find a place called Raffles. Open 24 hours. Things are looking up. The restaurant is huge, with many open tables. With all these open tables, we are seated right next to the only other people in the place. And that person is the Godfather. Go figure.

So I introduce Mamabear to the Godfather. After the requisite ring kissing - just kidding!, we settle in for breakfast. I can highly recommend the Eggs Benedict, but stay away from the cinnamon rolls.

Now that the Bear has been fed, he's not quite so grouchy. Time to head for the casino. After turning in my cash to the pit boss, the Bears are in for some serious gaming. By the time check-in time rolls around, we are actually ahead! Time to quit now.

Ahh, the registration windows. You would think that with advance reservations, a confirmation number, and pre-payment, that things would be smooth. Yeah, you'd think that. Of course, you would be wrong, too. My thanks to the Godfather for the upgrade.

posted January 28, 2002 07:50 PM            

I tell you, my room had the best shower! The Bear loved his warm waterfall. Thanks again, Godfather.

Well, the Bears are hungry, so off to the House of Blues restaurant for some cajun. Ooh, doggy, that be some good jambalaya!

Godfather comes down from the pre-party where he has been enjoying the sound check. Man, he is just GLOWING. The Godfather is one happy puppy! I head to the will call to get our tickets and lo! - it's Martin, Paul, and Ron! And the real "Mr. Terri Nunn". Man, everybody from the board is just so friendly. Good people all around.

Tickets in hand, it's time to head inside. Again, our thanks to the Godfather for the upper level seats. Front and center! (OK, a little off center - if I were center, I would be sitting on Sandy's lap!) Yes, that's Sandy from Atlanta. With her dad. Just great people. Hey, look at that - it's showtime!

OK, I flew hundreds of miles to see Berlin. Yeah, I remember 2 songs by the Tubes. And I wouldn't even go to the local Indian casino to see the Tubes. I don't care to see the Tubes, I WANNA SEE BERLIN! Mamabear can take in her "total experience", I just wanted to see Berlin.

You know, if I missed the Tubes, I would have missed a helluva show. The Tubes were pretty dang good. I enjoyed the show in spite of myself. Goofy characters and many costume changes. The striped jacket and straw hat for "She's a Beauty". A gay cowboy's "Rawhide". And "Quay Lude". OK, I liked the Tubes show. I'm waiting anxiously for "Talk to you Later". Much later, as that was the encore tune.

posted January 28, 2002 08:35 PM            

Half-Time!

Kind of like the SuperBowl. The first half was OK, the half-time show will be good, and the second half will be awesome.

The Tubes were the first half. And they were pretty good.

The intermission could be a long wait. However, we have Scotto to chat with. And Sandy from Atlanta introduces herself and her dad. Good conversation with good people. I think only Terri has been to more Berlin shows than Scotto. I've been to 4 shows now (in 4 months!) and I don't see how anybody could ever get tired of "the experience".

(insert 2001 theme song here)

The curtain pulls back and reveals Chris! Then Dallan, then Linda, and Mitch! Mitch tears into the opening bars of "Masquerade" and then SHE appears. You know who. The one and only TERRI NUNN! The crowd erupts into wild applause. "The painted faces on the street, caricatures of long ago"...well, you know the words as well as I do. "I'm alone, sitting with my empty glass". Hey, is Paul getting into position? Oh, man, look at Paul down there! You can tell it's "Metro" time. And poor Martin, he can't see over the stage.

"We cross the street, you hold my hand", the haunting melody of "You Don't Know". The raw, un-adulterated passion of "Steps". Did I really just use "un-adulterated" to describe "Steps"? Big bright audience lights and all the girls scream "NO MORE WORDS" and "no more promises of love". Oh man, I've really "Lost my Mind" now!

Here come the chairs - acoustic time! An incredibly beautiful song about, ahem, masturbation - "Pleasure Victim". Then a duet with Linda. Not sure what the title is, but those taking in the art show will hear it again. There go the chairs - time to "plug in" again.

posted January 28, 2002 09:10 PM            

As I re-read the posts and my e-mail messages, the Godfather's instructions were quite clear. The elevator by the stairs. Not the "Foundation Room" elevator by the main elevators. Oh, poo. The Bears and Scotto waste good quality Terri time chatting in the hotel lobby. At least Scotto had the sense to go ask security where the party was.

So we finally do make the Godfather's post party. It was marked by the big sign that said "Godfather's post Berlin concert party". Should have been a give-away, huh?!?

Hey, look, Terri and the band did come up for the party. Way to go, Godfather. Let's not forget Tom Bennett. Thanks again to Tom for tonight, and also for taking such good care of the Bears in the past. It's getting late and the party is winding down. Terri and Paul S. split the scene, but not before I get to say goodnight, and congratulations on a great show and tremendous effort. And Chris sounded so awesome tonight! Martin mentioned the mix - well, the mix was great to hear the handy work of Mr. Olivas! The driving drum beat really carried tonight's show. Some techno songs are more synthesizers, some songs are more rockin' guitar, but tonight was all Chris. And it was bitchin!

Dang, it's time to feed the Bears again. Anyway, Scotto, his friend Matt(?), Paul K, Ron / Rock, Martin, and the Bears head out for dinner and after show, post party conversation. You might guess that the conversation would degenerate into computer topics and you would be right. Web page design, hardware, servers - incredibly boring stuff to Mamabear. Hey, look at the time - we might see 5 AM again!

Ah, back to the room and the leopard spot carpet. Goodnight.

Damn alarm clock. Ooh, I love this shower. TV checkout - how nice. Down to the cabs and off to the airport - we have a flight to catch.

So we get to the airport with 90 minutes to departure. Curbside check-in, great. "Oh, you don't check in here, go straight to the gate." OK. Ticket counter. "Oh, you don't check in here, go straight to the gate." Security checkpoint. OK. "Oh, you don't check in here, go straight to the gate." Terminal counter, OK, guess what? "Oh, you don't check in here, go straight to the gate." OK, we get to the gate, and they are boarding a plane. "This isn't your plane - come back in an hour and a half - go to Cheers and have breakfast". OK, go to Cheers. God, our waitress is Carla.

OK, back to the gate. Sign now says "boarding". Back to the gate counter. "Are you on this plane?" Not yet, but I plan on it. "Too bad, we just closed the door and we won't let you on." GRRRR The monitor still says boarding as we watch the plane fly away.

"I can't do anything for you because you are late." I think I will speak to your supervisor. "Oh my God, we left without you, I am so sorry!" "Let me find you a flight" "Let us buy you tickets on another airline so you can make your connection" "Follow me to the other airline's ticket counter" "Here are your new tickets - hurry - I am so sorry!" You may not know that Vegas has a pretty big airport. And the Southwest terminal is opposite the America West terminal. So we get to the SWA terminal. Guess what? We paid cash for a one way flight with no advance purchase and no checked luggage. We are immediately flagged as terrorists.

Search us, our bags, our shoes. Oh look, the plane door is closed and they are retracting the jetway. Oh, they are putting it back and opening the door. Thank you, Southwest Airlines. America West sucks.

So we get to Phoenix. Finally. Once again, the terminal is on the other side of the airport. GRRR The plane is over-sold. GRRR Well, at least the Bears didn't get bumped. In-flight refreshment - lukewarm water. GRRR