It's a wrap!

Well, the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions has officially wrapped and I am officially beat! What a crazy journey these past few months have been. I am so very thankful for each and every person I met and was lucky enough to get to know - from the crew, to the athletes, to the venue staff, to the volunteers, and not to forget our very own USA Gymnastics marketing team. 

As I reflect over my Tour journey, I am happy to report that I learned a lot. If you have half a day to spare, let me know, and I will give you the DL. 

Although my neck and back will be forever screwed up after sleeping in a bunk for 86 days straight, it was well, well, worth it. Part of this rewarding experience was being able to share it with my friends and family via blogging. My hope is to continue sharing my life experiences with you all. Stay tuned for news on that one. 

Thank you for reading. And, thank you for your support.  

Over and out! 
ANW 

7 days till normalcy.

Today was the mark of one week until I return home to Indianapolis. 36 shows down and 4 to go! Luckily, Sandy didn't affect our Tour routing or schedule. We are still very much on track. This week we will hit Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Hartford and Brooklyn. I can't imagine what it will feel like to sleep in the same city and same bed for more than two nights in a row.

Tomorrow, the 2012 Olympians are headed to The White House to meet the President, as they will be honored for their accomplishments in London. Also, this weekend I will celebrate my 25th birthday. Quarter life crisis, here I come!

Just today Jackie said "If this Tour has taught me something, it's that we can do anything." Well said, my friend. Well said.

Looking forward to normalcy,
AW

A perfect day in Bean Town.

Yesterday, I had a lovely day in Boston with friends. It was 60 degrees - perfect weather for a little shopping and sight-seeing. 

I started the day off at a local seafood restaurant on the water with a very good friend and sorority sister from college - Alex. It was so good to catch up. Oh, and the New England Clam Chowder. #ToDieFor. From there, we hit Newbury Street for a little shopping. We went to my favorite store 'Bobbles and Lace'. Need one in Indy, no doubt about it. Or maybe not having one in Indy is the perfect excuse to visit friends in Boston. :) 

Alex and I had all of our classes together in college and made frequent trips to Starbucks. That being said, the day wouldn't be right without sharing a skinny vanilla latte. So that, we did. 

In the afternoon, a few members of our Tour family (all female, of course), headed to get our nails done. This place was located on Shady Street and a trip to the restroom, spelled 'Resroom', was the scariest thing I have encountered this entire tour. 

I ended the perfect day at dinner with Shelley, sharing stories from high school and college. How did our parents ever make it out alive? Not quite sure, but kudos to them for putting up with our un-ruley selves. 

Headed to DC tonight and will be there until after our show on Thursday. 

Coming home to you in 1 week and 1 day!

ANW 

Cruisin' strong.

I am writing from the 'Money Train' as we cruise down the highway from Philly to Newark. Ironically (or not) listening  to 'Cruise'.  

The athletes spent the morning delivering Kelloggs products to shelters in the NJ area where Sandy victims currently reside. A really cool opportunity for them to get their hands dirty. Hope it helps. 

We are now on the second to last weekend of shows and I would be lying if I said I still enjoy crawling into a teeny tiny bunk to catch a few hours of sleep at a time. My back is feeling the pain of this long journey but we are still trucking along. Even if my back is a little beat up, it's worth it. 110% worth it. 

Last night, Stacia and Matt came to the show. It was great to spend time with them in between running around the venue like a chicken with my head cut off. :) Below is a photo of me and Stash with the 76ers. 

Crusin' along. Crusin' strong. 
ANW 

Chilly in Philly.

Still in Philly (for five whole days). It is FREEZING here. Can't believe it is already parka season. Bring on the extra hot coffee, people. 

Lucky me, yesterday we got to explore the city for a few hours. My day started off with heading to the Reading Market in the city. Talk about tough decisions. They have every type of food imaginable. I ended up with a burma (nut bar thing-a-ma-jig from Syria) and a smoothie. Not too far out of my element, I suppose. 

After the market, I met Stacia down the road from my hotel. We had no idea how close she lived to the hotel we are staying at. She picked me up in her scrubs (so cute) and then to peak inside of her apartment. We hit a local restaurant for dinner w/ Matt. So good to see them both! 

Today, I will be working from the hotel room and then meeting the Leonards for dinner later on this evening. I could really get used to working from 'home' thing. List of benefits are scribbled below. 

• If you have a small bladder, you don't have to feel bad about going to bathroom. 
• You can play your music as loud as you want. (Let's face it, I'm going to be deaf by age 30 anyway. Might as well live it up). 
• Slippers and sweat pants are appropriate dress attire. 
• When you get a fiery email, you can immediately head to the gym and burn off your frustration. 
• You can answer emails from bed (dangerous, but oh-so-good). 

More to come. Always more to come. 

ANW. 

Old & new NEWS.

Thank goodness for technology. I can still relay a message without having to talk! 
Typing and texting it is. If you followed my train of thought, you would know that I have a sore throat/scratchy voice. Hoping I heal up before our string of shows this weekend. 

A few updates, from yours truly: (I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the way). 

SOCIAL LIFE -Got an email from my good friend Lizzy Dooms. She filled me in on her very fun social/dating life. Living vicariously through her in that world until November 20. First social outing on my to-do list would be a bonfire. Smores and hot chocolate will be involved. Join if you are interested. 

WORK LIFE - Same old, same old. Our team is working our booty's off -kudos to them all. We are definitely nearing the end of this crazy journey. By now, I thought there would be a lot more enemies, cat fights, etc. I consider it a great accomplishment that we all still like each other. :) 

NEW NEWS - We had a Tour family bowling night last night at Lucky Strike. Much needed for all of us. Bowling isn't my thing. I will not be publishing my score on this blog. That's how bad it is. I guess that part isn't really new news, is it? 

OLD NEWS - If you are reading this blog, I love you. AND miss you. 

From a sicky girl who WILL get better soon, 

ANW 

3/4 Willy reunion.

Hi everyone! 

Writing from my cozy room in Philly, roommate-less at the current moment and loving it. With very little personal space or privacy, you can imagine how nice it is to have some 'me' time (which comes along...never). 

I enjoy being in the room by myself so I can crank the heat up to 90 degrees and hibernate. Can't say that my pool of roommates are 'cool' with this temp. No pun intended. 

Because of the election, our promo trips were cancelled for this week. That means we get a few days to explore the city (in between working, of course). Our plans for today might be to hit the movie theatre, do a little shopping (pull my arm), and go bowling with our marketing team. Kind of sounds like a social life; which I know nothing about anymore. 

Got to see my momma and daddio last night at the Columbus show. It was so good. My mom literally screamed when I saw her! She then proceeded to touched my face to make sure it was really me. To her credit, I haven't seen her since August 28, which has been the longest stretch of time in my life that we haven't seen each other. Seems like they really liked the show (see photo below with them enjoying a quick photo opp w/ some of the cast).

Note: We greatly missed the presence of Nicholas Willy. Okay, now my Catholic guilty conscious can leave me alone. 

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 
ANW 

Hometown pit-stop.

Indiana was an amazing show, mostly because it felt heavenly to be in my hometown, surrounded by family, friends, Indy co-workers, etc. (Even if it was for less than 24 hours). 

Sleeping in my bed for no longer than 6 hours felt so very good. I was able to take half of my summer wardrobe and drop it off at me casa. Also picked up a few winter items, which have already come in handy. 

Through out the past couple of months, although this opportunity has allowed me to grow as a person and a professional, it has undoubtedly been a struggle to keep in touch with everyone back home. Sitting in the stands with a whole row of good friends and family made me realize how lucky I am to have a constant, loving support system. I am blessed. And then some. 

Tonight, I get to see my Mom and Dad. More commentary to come on this. Never a dull moment with those two. After this show wraps, we are Philly-bound, baby! 

Missing you, Indy.

ANW 

Midwest Lovin'.

You know you are back in the Midwest when....

• You expect 70 degree weather and you get 30 degree weather. 
• People smile. Yep, at you. That's right, you. Real, big, genuine smiles. 
• Halloween is celebrated more than Christmas. 
• Everyone and their brother drives an SUV. (What's pollution, again?)
• You have to buy a parka because of the weather change. 
• No fashion police exists; therefore (unfortunately), anything goes. 
• People bring 72 oz. styrofoam cups to meetings. Go green, baby! 
• Everything is planned around lunch and dinner. Every. Thing. 
• The weather is sunny, rainy, windy and definitely indecisive all in a day's time. 

I must say, it feels damn good to be back. This weekend's shows will be in Cincy, Indy, Detorit and Columbus. 

And the best news of all (drumroll, please): Tomorrow night I get to sleep in my very own bed. Let me remind you that this has not happened since August 27, 2012. Even if I'm home for 8 hours, it is well worth it. 

Lovie. Dovie. 

ANW 

Sound the alarm!

Well, this morning was quite eventful. We drove from Atlanta to Tampa overnight, which equates to about an 8 hour drive. A perfect amount of time to catch some shut eye. After placing our precious heads on our pillows and tucking ourselves into our bunks, we were all out. Not sure why we would be so tired after working an 18 hour day (sarcasm). 

I woke up to Jordan and Nastia telling me that we were the only 3 left on the bus and we have slept in an hour later than expected! We didn't even flinch when the bus stop to let off the rest of our 9 'roommates' at the hotel. After we gathered all of our belongings, we opened the bus door and the alarm sounded. Not only could we not figure out how to turn off the alarm, but we were locked in the bus. 

After a good 15 minutes, we were free. A good start to the day, for sure. Our sincerest apologies to all of the Hilton hotel guests that we woke up. And a special thanks to our Tour Manager, Jillybean who saved the day. To see a peek of the madness, click here. 

Miss you madly, 

ANW 

I've got sunshine.

Time is flying on the road! I can't believe we have less than one month left. Before I know it, I will be back to my stomping grounds. Very much looking forward to that, but enjoying the ride while it lasts. 

I have spent two full days in one city this week- a rarity, I might add. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I have resided in Louisville, Kentucky with a few of my co-workers; Jill and Jill. Not to be confused with Jack and Jill (although, that would make my life much easier). I might suggest that in our staff meeting tomorrow...

Jill, Jill and I spent today working from our mobile office; at a restaurant a few miles from our hotel. Catching a few rays of sunshine for a few minutes today made us all very, very happy campers. It's the little things in life...

As you can imagine, we rarely see the sun, as we move from hotel to bus to venue to bus to hotel every day. Can't tell you the last time I had a sunburn. But, boy am I thankful for this one. For my mothers sanity, I have to let you know that I was wearing SPF 15.  

More to come. Hold your breath. 

ANW 

Selfies.

Well, I officially feel like an old grandmother. Until very recently, I did not know what selfies were. Apparently this is a common term in 2012. You can thank athlete Jordyn Wieber for so kindly teaching me.

I have learned many things on this Tour: about people, about how to better work with people, about patience, about perseverance, about hard work and about what God's plan is for me. Oh, and about selfies.

Simply put, a selfie is a photo that you take of yourself with your phone; most commonly an iPhone, I presume. (All the young kiddos have them). You hold the phone close to your face, but not too close. Make sure the camera is pointing to you and not to the subject in front of you. Put on your best face and snap! Upload to various forms of social media and tag it with some catchy self descriptors. And now, you have yourself a selfie.

Now that my teenage vocab has expanded, I comfortably fit in with all the 17 year old cast members. And boy do I feel good.

Check ya later.
ANW

Tardy for the party.

Hi friends! 

After taking 453 flights from here to there and everywhere the past few years, today marked the first time I have EVER missed a flight. Yesterday, I flew with John Orozco from Memphis to the Bronx. It was a last minute arrangement, but a necessary one. John had an injury in a show earlier this week and wanted to get home to his doctor for a thorough diagnosis. I pushed John around in a wheelchair all around the airport, which counted for 3 full workouts. John told me this was my payback since he carried my bags (that were bigger than me) all over the place last week on our promo trips. 

Anyway, after taking care of that good boy John, I was able to spend the day in NYC! What a pleasant surprise. I hung with a few of my sorority sisters (Katie and Kerri) for the day. They were whispering sweet nothings about me making a move to NYC in the near future. We will have to see about that. I surely wouldn't mind it :)

After a fun day with the two of them, I turned in at an airport hotel and set my alarm for 4:30 am. Buzz kill. 

My flight this morning was scheduled for 6:00 am. I could not find my ID for the life of me. Unbeknownst to me, it was hiding behind a credit card in my wallet; what a little stinker! Who knew that trying to get organized would lead to such a disaster. Luckily, I will still make it to Birmingham in time for our bus to depart to the next city this evening. 

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for John and for my wallet to be a little more organized in the future. 
ANW 

1 month to go.

Tonight I am writing my blog from inside my cozy/claustrophobic bunk on the bus. Yesterday marked our one month out from the conclusion of the tour. I can't believe how fast it's going. Before we know it, it will be a wrap!

Today, McKayla and I had our first day of show appearance with one of our partners. With our extra time before the appearance, we hit up the local coffee shop and I got my iced pumpkin latte fix, which makes for an instantaneous good mood. Straight from the appearance, we went into show mode. It never stops, but we like it that way. Our management team always tries our best to make it fun along the way, as the athletes are undoubtedly tired from countless shows and promos. See below photo for a prime example.

Heading to Memphis now and must get some beauty rest. Hopefully 6 hours will suffice.

Still smiling (for now),
ANW

A napkin and a sharpie.

Wow! John and I had scheduled a visit to St. Jude Children's Hospital as a part of our pre-promo day in Memphis. Not expecting what we were going to run into (as usual), we walked in with open minds to hear quite an amazing story. 

We jumped right in and learned about how St. Jude's was built from the ground up. Danny Thomas, an entertainer from the 40's (comparable to Conan in our day), aways had a vision to do something big. As a struggling entertainer and a part-time employee at a local grocery store, he just wasn't making it. In fact, he couldn't even pay his hospital bill for his first born baby girl of $57.00. That being said, his wife sure was a strong advocate for him to leave the entertainment business. In pure desperation in the 40's, Danny got down on his knees and prayed with every ounce of strength in him to St. Jude - hoping that he would catch a break in the biz. His prayer to St. Jude included a promise that he would build a shrine in return of being able to achieve his dream. Not only did Danny Thomas share this prayer with St. Jude, but also with his good friend and mentor in New York City. 

Not less than a week later, Danny got a phone call for a gig (and his first break) in Los Angeles. And how much did this pay? You got it. $57.00. Coincidence? I think not. 

Many years later in the early 60's during the Civil Rights Movement, Danny heard about a young African American boy who was turned away from being treated due to his race. This really cut him up and he started to think; think big. His vision started on a simple restaurant napkin and a sharpie. (Most good ideas do - my dad is living proof). Danny scribbled his hope and vision of a children's hospital Memphis, TN, free of any and all discrimination. Danny's good friend and mentor from NYC agreed that it was about time to fulfill his vision that he shared with him over 20 years prior. And so it was built: St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Here, every single kid under 19 years of age, could receive treatment for free in an uplifting and positive atmosphere.

Notable supporters of this great mission are and have been Carrie Underwood, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. This story truly touched my heart and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to visit this place that holds so much hope. 

Will write more later. 
ANW 

The Frank Sinatra table.

Being in Chicago is special to me for two reasons: It is one of my top 5 favorite cities in the US and my funny little brother lives there. Mostly because of the latter. After a solid show in Chicago at the United Center, Nastia and I quickly wrapped with the Meet and Greet and ran (high heels and all) to catch a cab. If I would have known this was in the plan, I would have skipped my cardio workout that morning. 

Nick secured Table #1 for our dinner on Sunday evening at the Pump Room; also known as the Frank Sinatra table. It was so perfect to not have to go anywhere and just sit and relax. He of course spoiled us with a little sample of everything. From calamari to tuna tar tar, this crew did not go hungry in the least. We ended our evening by him showing us around to the theatre room - the best spot in the entire hotel. Oh how I wish I would have slumbered in there (see photo above).  


Nick was in true form during our visit- cracking jokes left and right. Let's just say lots of laughs were had at the Frank Sinatra Table. A good night with good people, indeed. 

Lovies. 
ANW 

Cracked.

Jumping right in for a quick recap and update on my life: 

This past weekend flew by. We celebrated 20 shows (half way through the Tour) in Omaha, Nebraska. This is the show where I also got to see Abby and Jeff and feel baby Morris kick! I can't wait for that little bundle of joy to join us in January. 

Today is our pre-promotional day in Lafayette, Louisiana. I am with John Orozco and we are in between morning media and club visits. Then off for another promotional day in Memphis. Like I've said before, we can sleep when we're dead. :) 

In the wee hours of the morning - let's say 6 am, as we were moving from one radio station to the next, I had John's phone in my hand. Or so I thought. Somehow, some way, his phone slipped from my measly fingers and landed face down on the hard wood floor. This has happened to me 1 million times, so when picking up the phone I didn't think anything of it. When I turned it over to return it to John, the entire screen was cracked from head to toe. Let's just say my bank account started off with a few more hundred dollar bills this morning. Lesson learned: don't hold people's phones for them? 

This weekend's line up of shows is Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis and then Lafayette. Southern hospitality, here we come! 

Bye for now. 
ANW 

Other duties as assigned.

It has been a busy couple of days with little down time, which is why I haven't written in a while. Hopefully you all survived. :) 

This weekend's line up of shows consist of Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha and Chicago. Last night, our cast was looking for someone to assist in holding the silks for one of the girls numbers. Scott had the white sweatsuit on and realized that his boxers were dark blue. Whoopsie, daisy! That's where I stepped in and put on the men's white sweatsuit. Who knew I would have the chance to make a debut in the show. Not me! (See photo above for proof). 

Today, Abby is coming to the show with her husband – preggers and all. I am overly excited, as I can't even remember the last time I saw either of them. 

A few staff members from the USA Gymnastics office have joined us on Tour recently to assist with the Fitness Zone and "other duties as assigned." Quite the popular topic around here. I am very happy to receive the extra assistance so working with the girls this weekend on a little training and getting them comfortable with set up/tear-down/etc. 

Tomorrow's show is in Chicago and I get to see the best brother in the world. Yee-haw. 

TTFN. (M&D: That means Ta ta for now).

ANW 

Humbled.

Reporting from (a very windy) St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Thank you, God. Thank you for sharing with me not one, but TWO great stories today. Two different encounters with two very different strangers opened my eyes a little bit. And, it was just what I needed. 

With only 24 hours to spend in Des Moines, Iowa, I was definitely rushed for time. 

Early this morning, I found myself in a hotel shuttle - with every intent to run a few errands. While getting lost on the way to my destination, I decided to strike up conversation with the driver. We comfortably jumped right into chatting. He told me about his journey in this life and how he became a Christian. He openly shared with me the recent miracle of his church being saved from bankruptcy and how they were able to unite with another church to form 'one big happy family'. His church is called 'Words', rather than a 'nondenominational' church. Why? He says because we are all here for the same reason, so why try to separate us? I believe he is right. Before I hopped out of the car, I shared my 'life-driven purpose' and encouraged him to read the book, too. He seemed excited to do so. 

Later this evening, I found myself in a taxi cab coming back to my hotel. I was dead tired, but interested in having a conversation with someone. (Lucky or unlucky for the cab driver; you decide). Small talk turned into big talk. He told me the story of how he ran away from his country during the Rwandan Civil War. With nothing but the clothes on his back, and his dad and brother by his side, he walked for days to freedom. Although he was thankful to be rid of the turmoil in his country, he was forced to leave one thing behind; his wife. After arriving to the US, he spent 9 years trying to find her. He spent years and years working and waiting, working and waiting. And 9 years later - she miraculously reappeared. To this day, they are happily married and are raising three kids in the suburbs of St. Paul. 

Traveling is tough sometimes when you are away from the ones you love most. It is experiences like these that make me feel at ease and connected to the people around me. I am thankful for my experience in meeting these men and am happy they shared their stories with me. I feel truly humbled tonight.  

Until we meet again, 
ANW 

Smiles for JJ!

Barely keeping my eyes open to write this, but I must since I skipped out on blogging yesterday. Dedication. 

My highlight from this weekend (hands-down) was getting to see Jen at our show in Lubbock, Texas. She drove a few hours to see me; I think I'm gonna keep her around for a while. :) It was so nice to catch up right where we left off. Lucky for Jen, Sunday night was the cast party at none other than a Mexican restaurant. We spoiled ourselves and had Mexican food alongside a good, old 'beer-arita'. (Spell-check is going crazy and so am I). 

After Jen left in the wee hours of the morning, I ran into a crazy gymnastics mom that asked me for my autograph in the hotel lobby at 6:04 am. After I told her numerous times that I wasn't part of the team, she still insisted that I scribble my name across the white page for her son. I gave in. And after doing so, that still wasn't enough. She wanted me to write 'Management Team'. Finally handed the paper back to her and she still requested that I write 'Kelloggs Tour'. Enough already - this is worth nada, nothing, zero! Gymnastics groupies are one of a kind. 

Today, I spent most of my day at the airport traveling to Des Moines. Tomorrow is a Gabby day. Will report back when my eyes are a little more lively. 

Goodnight. Xo.
ANW 

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Good afternoon from good, ole Lubbock Texas! 

Only good news today, I've decided. I am happy to say that I got 9 FULL, uninterrupted hours of sleep last night. There is a first time for everything, eh? I woke up (dazed and confused, of course). Rolled out of my bunk to see my co-worker Jackie, full dressed and ready to go. I was still in my blue and white striped pajamas. She told me the time was 10:00 am - I expected it to be 6 or 7. Apparently, I was an itty bit tired. Now, I am fully rested, which I haven't been able to say since the Tour began. 

We have an early show today (5 pm) and I get to see Jen Jay! Words can't express how happy I am to see her. JJ is coming to see the show and we are planning to go to dinner and hang afterwards. Can't. Hardly. Wait. 

Tomorrow I am traveling with Gabby to Des Moines for some pre-promo stuff. In dire need of catching up on some reading. Probably a good thing since I am not sure what other entertainment Des Moines has to offer. No offense...

Just realized it is Sunday. It is next to impossible to get to church on Tour. Prayers are very much welcomed. 
ANW 

Holy hair.

TGIF to my dear, sweet friends and family! 

First and foremost, I must announce that my new favorite product is dry shampoo. This has already saved me a total of 7.6 hours on Tour. Holy hair! Major props to whichever genius invented this smell-good, look-good, feel-good bottle of fabulous. How have I ever lived without it? 

I spent the last 2 days in Dallas, which was such a great refresher (no, not the Starbucks drink). I was able to sleep in a real bed, take a long run outside, stop by the local Coffee Bean and spend some time with Nastia. Cheap thrills, huh? Oh yeah, and I shopped. Well deserved after a few months of being locked up on a Tour bus, right? I think so. 

Yesterday was also an appearance and a show day. Nastia and I knocked out an AT&T appearance in Dallas at 11:00 am, drove three hours to Oklahoma City and arrived to the venue just in time to take care of business. Yesterday was also the NBC taping of the Tour. The show will be broadcast on October 14 at 3:00 pm ET, so be sure to tune in! 

Now we are off to put on a show in San Antonio. I am very much looking forward to our Sunday show (in Lubbock) where I get to see my long lost best friend Jen Jay! 

The higher the hair, the closer to heaven. 
ANW 

Country strong.

Dear Indiana (and elsewhere) friends:

Today I am writing from my hotel room in Dallas. We just wrapped with a Hilton appearance at one of their corporate offices (see picture below). Chellsie, Steve and Chris did a great job, per usual. I was going to do a pommel routine as well, but didn't bring the right clothes. Plus, I didn't want to make them look bad. 

It was great to see new and old friends from The Marketing Arm and Hilton. We indulged in sushi for lunch, which I have been craving for the past couple of weeks. Who would have known I could get so excited over seaweed salad? Huge deal for me, especially since we have had 'venue food' for two months straight. 

The temperature changes in various markets where we do promo visits and shows in is slowly but surely KILLING me. Yesterday, I needed boots in Denver and the coziest sweatshirt I own. Today, I would be happy with sunglasses and my birthday suit on. Thank you God, for such diversity! 

Dallas is a great place to spend some time in. So far, I have spotted some solid cowboy boots and country boys. I will be staying far away from both. I vow to look and not touch. My country music (which makes this girl happy) is blasting loudly from the hotel room. I feel it only appropriate to do so. Plus, Eric Church would be offended if I turned him down. Fingers crossed for no complaints from my kind neighbors on my right or left. 

Tomorrow is AT&T appearance day with Nastia and then off to Oklahoma City for our show, which NBC is taping. Good stuff. 

Save a horse. You finish the rest. 
ANW 

A much needed swanky abode.

Hi from the long lost girl who forgot her zip code! Really and truly, I did. As I stopped by Fed Ex to mail a few things today, I could not remember if my zip code was 46022 or 46220. It is the later, for those of you who want to know (I'm assuming no one). 

Today was a good day. I finally got a chance to dig into my devotional and spend a little time with the big guy upstairs. I am almost finished up with reading "A purpose driven life". Although this book was supposed to be a 40 day challenge, mine has become more like 80. A challenge, indeed to finish in the proposed timeframe. Oh well - A for effort, right? With barely any time to think about other things besides shows, athletes, appearances, schedules, sponsors, my sanity, etc., I am so thankful for any chance (planned or not) that I get my hands dirty and think about why I am really here and how I can make a difference. This journey is an amazing one - and for it I will be forever grateful. 

In addition to devotional day, today also became postcard shopping day; just to make sure my friends and family haven't forgotten about me. Look for yours in the mail, ladies, and gentlemen, boys and girls. 

Also good news for the style snob that I am; our cast and crew was able to stay in a swanky abode right in the middle of downtown Denver. Not that I didn't like the floral patterns from 1989, but being surrounded by good design, makes this girl a happy one. I am my father's daughter. 

My recent learnings include (but are not limited to): 
1. People in Denver are nice. Doesn't measure up to our midwest hospitality, but sure does beat every single place we have been in California thus far. 
2. September has 30 days. Learned that the hard way. 
3. Chai tea latte just might be my new favorite drink. 

Happy October! Thanks for keeping up with me. 
ANW 

Genesis and Pepper.

Hi friends, 

Tonight's show is our 'Friday'. Last show of the weekend, with not another show until Thursday of this week. I am charged with a promo visit to Dallas on Tuesday and Wednesday. Until then, there's lots of work waiting for me in my inbox. Happy happy, joy joy! Getting an itty bit tired of living out of 4 suitcases, but all the while becoming quite the expert packer! Need to find a way to get all of my winter clothes sent to me. Hoping my trusty roomie will be able to assist. Ahem, Lindsey Schrage!

Interesting handful of things happened today, per usual. See the list below. 

1. Best/most recent line from Lonny is as follows. Someone asks: Where's the dessert? Lonny answers: These blondies over here. Thank you for the comic relief, as always, Lon. 
2. I needed to grab something from the bus and who do I run into? Jethro (our Tour bus driver), sitting in a lawn chair wearing his sunglasses with his hands folded on top of his belly. What a sight! After I saw this, I suddenly forgot what I had come to the bus for. 
3. Another responsibility of mine on the Tour is to manage the Dora the Explorer activation. This means I meet up with the Dora costume and her handler pre-event. This show's talent (straight from Broomfield, ladies and gents) was interesting to say the least. I worked with Genesis and Pepper and yes, it was as horrible as it sounds. 

Wowzers and then some. 

ANW 

Thunder and Muffins.

Greetings earthlings (from one of my favorite spots so far)! 

Colorado Springs is drop dead gorgeous. The past two days we have taken runs up and down the mountains. Talk about something making you feel out of shape! The altitude around here (compared to good, ole' flat Indiana) is crazy and makes it hard to breathe when running. 

We have a few of our friends joining us from the USOC and USA Gymnastics at our show today in Colorado Springs. Saturday and Sunday shows make it a bit more manageable since our email inboxes aren't (completely) overflowing. Next stop: Denver. If only we had our show outside at Red Rocks. 

Was hoping to have enough time to do something crazy like skydiving. But for my wallet and my mother's sanity, I decided against it. Instead, a group of the Management Team went out for a little lot of fun. We traveled to The Golden Bee, The Loop and Thunder and Muffins (what a name, right?). Thunder and Muffins was my favorite spot in the lineup. Karaoke took place among a few staff members which was entertaining for all parties who were there. And lucky for us, a few videos resurfaced this morning so we could share with those who couldn't make it. Backstreet Boys was not my pick, but I rocked it anyway (alongside Scott). 

My mom and dad are traveling to Atlanta to see my Uncle Chris today. Wish I could be there, but duty calls. FaceTime will just have to do.  

Lovies. Dovies. XO. 

ANW 

Keep on keepin' on.

So, first and foremost I must report that Salt Lake City (the Mormon capital of the US) is so incredibly pretty! I could definitely die happy in this place. We have wasted absolutely zero time moving onto the next city. All 5 buses and those who travel in them are on our way to Colorado Springs, which isn't too shabby either. 11 hours to go, so practically no time at all! Sleeping pill, please and thanks.

Thank God for social media and videos from my fabulous friends. For one reason another (maybe the change in weather, or my crazy schedule which leaves me little time to catch up with everyone), I had the slightest twinge of being homesick. It was most likely the combination of Pearl's constant phone calls that I cant help but miss and the fact that I wasnt able to make it to the Josh Turner concert with my fambam tonight. Oh well - must keep on keepin' on.

Tomorrow will be the first Friday in I don't know how long where we will not have a show. We plan to have a group run with the cast. Can't wait!

Much more later,
ANW

Motor home memories.

Living on a Tour bus is definitely a challenge and a change of pace for me --and most people for that matter. Here are just a few (of the many) reasons why:
1. Privacy doesn't exist.
2. You have strict rules on where you can and can't store your stuff. This is pretty problematic for me and my bad habit of being a compulsive packrat.
3. The bathroom smells horrible, no matter how clean it is.
4. Even being the 5'2 little stinker that I am, I always, without fail hit my head on the top of my bunk. I have a nice collection of bumps to prove it.
5. Privacy doesn't exist.

On the bright side of things, I truly enjoy being on the bus with everyone. The good outweighs the bad (by far). Whether working, reading, catching up with the outside world, or praying that I make it thru November 18, 2012, I am happy to be surrounded by happy people - even if it is in close quarters. We collectively burn about 10,000 calories per night and are damn proud of it.

Being on the tour bus reminds me of my sweet Pop who left this world for a better life just a few years ago. He always took our family on road trips across the country in his motor home. I remember each and every trip we took to Florida for what seems like 10 summers in a row. I clearly recall the day I got entirely too much sun after i soaked my white skin with baby oil. My mom made me lay out on the pull out couch in the motor home in my underwear with aloe from head to toe. What torture! I can assure you this kind of exposure will not take place on our Tour bus. In fact- it's a promise.

Tucking in for the night.
ANW

True roadie life.

I now know what it is like to be a true roadie after my trip on the 'Crew bus', as we drove from Seattle, Washington to Boise, Idaho last night. A nine hour ride on the bus with no show the next day is a recipe for disaster. Sweet, little Adrienne had every single intention of getting to know all members of the Tour - including the crew. I was not-so-easily persuaded to join the guys on a bus with 10 plus testosterone-driven males, from age 22-52. That being said, you can imagine that these crew guys had one thing on their mind: Beer. And lots of it. After 2 hours, I was happy to retire to my cozy claustrophobic bunk. Let's just say when they invited me to partake tonight, I kindly declined. 

I did a complete 180 today and gladly participated in spa day with the girls. Hot stone massage was just what the Dr. ordered. Also tried to run this sore throat out of my system. Fingers double crossed that I did, as I have no time for this sick business. 

Coming back home to my homies on the Management Bus tonight. And HAPPY about it. 
ANW 

Locked up.

Greetings from Seattle!

Today is a 'non-show-day', as we are encouraged to say. I am going to be paying some special attention to this head of hair of mine. Trim and color are in order, no doubt about it. 

Hoping to be able to see a few spots in Seattle after I take care of a little bit of business. Fish market and the original Starbucks are a little too cliche, but I wouldn't be mad if I ended up there. I love the crisp and cold air here. Makes morning runs so enjoyable. My lungs are definitely thankful for no humidity. No offense, California. 

So onto the funnies from this past weekend: During one of our shows (can't remember where we were), I had to go onto the Tour bus to get some posters for our athlete Meet and Greet. The show was still going on and our runners were in the middle of stocking our Tour bus with food for the night. The runner must have not noticed I was in the bus and locked the door. Usually this would be no problem, but just my luck, the lock got stuck and so did I. Of course I didn't bring my radio or cell phone with me, so I am left pounding on the door of the bus trying to get the attention of one of the building guys. Not only did I learn that the bus is sound proof, but that this guy is terrible at reading lips (I was trying to scream the code to him). 20 painful minutes later, I was set free. What I learned from this? I prefer to be free; not locked up. 

New and exciting Tour news - it's the little things, right? 

• We installed a new bus wrap on the Management bus (see below). 
• We figured out how to watch YouTube videos after our shows. This could be dangerous. 
• Additional things that are not worthy of making this blog because my Mom reads this. 

Big ups to our cast who have absolutely rocked the past 10 shows. 30 more to go. 

Lotsa lovies. 

ANW 

Mrs. Bregman.

It's official. Everyone on Tour has now dropped my "Miss Willy" title. I am now named as "Mrs. Bregman", whether I like it or not. 

Scott Bregman (a good friend of mine) and I started to tell the athletes that we have a thing. Actually more than a thing - an undying love for one another. We event went as far to say that we are bunkmates. Sweet, little innocent Gabby Douglas fell for our cruel joke and now thinks that we got married in Las Vegas right before one of our shows this weekend. 

Attached is a picture of Scott and I in Vegas - living it up and living the lie of "Mrs. Bregman". One of these days we are going to have to break the news to her. In the meantime, we promise to thoroughly enjoy the joke. 

Until next time, 
ANW 

Freshly brewed awesome.

Lets face it: being on Tour is definitely tiring at times. It has been so nice to have a great support system both on and off the road. Little love notes like this from friends make all the difference in the world.

Keep 'em coming friends,
ANW

Non-existant Fridays.

To my very-much-missed friends and family:

Happy Friday! Oh wait, that no longer has ANY meaning to ANYONE on this Tour (including myself). The next time someone tells me to 'Have a great weekend!' or writes 'Happy Friday!' in an email, I will literally fly through the flipping' roof. 

In all seriousness, I have no complaints and am more than happy to be on Tour. But let's get real - weekends do not exist in my world until November 18, 2012. I am very much looking forward to the time that I do get to spend a 'real' weekend with the cast and crew of Kellogg's Tour, in addition to a few friends and family members in NYC. Not too shabby that the end of the this tour also marks 25 years of (an amazing) life here on Earth.

After this show wraps, we will have 32 more to go. Our lineup for this weekend was Las Vegas, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle. It is already going incredibly quickly, but I am still enjoying every single minute of it. 

Happy Friday,

ANW