8:05P Arriving at the arena and looking for my seat…

Oh my God… I cannot BELIEVE that I am sitting RIGHT next to where the skaters come out… It is AMAZING being able to sit here and be so close… I am thrilled… My seat is right up against a railing. All I have to do is reach out my hand without even stretching my body and I can touch them. I don't have a camera which I am so MAD about I can't even think straight. The skaters are so close that my pictures would have been absolutely wonderful and clear. Because my pictures were so bad that I took in 1998, I had said forget it. I will definitely know next time! Ooh, the excitement grew even more as the announcer states that it is one minute to ShowTime! I quickly folded my People magazine to Michelle's photo and uncap my Sharpie marker, because I have already made up my mind that I am going to shamefully ask her to sign it… I am not one of the blessed who get backstage passes… I know I am pathetic…

8:17P Lights go down and ALL of the skaters gather at the entrance for the opening

AHHH! Plushenko, Kwan, Weiss, Surya, Dorothy Hamill, Ahh! They are all right in my face… I am totally not able to concentrate on the opening, because I want to see the camaraderie that is taking place, the details, the petty comments, the laughter, etc. Also, I had to slowly get used to the idea that I was so close to skaters that we all talk about and write about and see on TV… It was just exhilarating is all I can say… I see bits and pieces of the opening, but my eye is on Kwan who is so much more beautiful in person than she is on TV… She is a very dainty young woman, very unassuming… Nicole Bobek, Rudy, and Elvis are all in a line bouncing and doing some kind of dance to "What a Girl Wants" by Aguilera… Someone in the cast is doing their opening thingie to this piece… Nicole seems very wild and playful… They looked like they were having a blast. As most of the skaters go out for the opening number, there are only a couple of skaters waiting in the wings I look over and it is Shae-Lynn and Victor! I gasp "Shae-Lynn!" She is the closest to me with her back facing me, bending down adjusting her skates… While she thoroughly ignored me (by the way, I understand that the skaters owe me nothing, I am just going to state my observations as they occurred) Victor looked over at me and smiled. I told them that I was happy they were there as I didn't expect them… Shae-Lynn never turned around, but Victor just beamed! This is all that I can remember of the cast opening, I was just too in awe.. I think that everyone was clean.

8:27P Individual performances begin, I haven't looked at my whole tape of Summer COI so some of these were new to me…

Evgeny Plushenko - Number with fruity costume
Very fruity outfit! I know I remember his white long program costume from the COI broadcast… I like that he is doing something besides Russian Folk Music! Great technician - I remember that he did a Besti-squat, and landed 3loop, 3axel (slightly forward on the landing), and 3lutz. He looked like he was having fun out there

Naomi Nari Nam - Rocking Robin
I was surprised to see her, I thought only Sasha and Sarah would be there per the Summer COI telecast… I see this is another one of her cutesy numbers… "Rockin Robin" by the Jackson 5… She two-footed her 2axel, landed 3toe… did the layback with the catch foot spin… Did her two AWESOME Russian splits… Liked her red outfit… Saw her before she went out and I agree with the distasteful albeit accurate comments about the Jon Benet Ramseyish way these little teens are marketed… Her face was absolutely CAKED on with make-up… sigh, I guess no one wants to be a squeaky clean, fresh faced 13-15 year old because you won't get the marks you deserve… What kind of message are we sending?

Tim Goebel - American Pie
I didn't even know he wouldd be here! But now that I think of it, the last time I attended COI - in 1998, he was there… I forgot he is the local talent for us. I had never seen this program before, but I really liked the tempo… I guess per the lyrics it is from American Pie… He really took his time in the beginning and I think that I am warming up to him… Don't remember all of the jumps he landed, but I saw a great 3loop and 3toe… I hope Frank can correct the round shoulders… He definitely needs a better posture. Otherwise, he did a good job. I am glad he stood up on the jumps at home.

Sale and Peltier - Love Story
LOVE STORY IN PERSON! I am thrilled to see this program… Shocked to see them also… I loved this program, so I am happy to have been able to witness it live. SBSdouble axels - Jamie popped hers… Nice press lift, hand down on throw 3sal… Their sbssitspins were so ON! They did the very lovely travelling death spiral… Very clean throw 3something… They were truly mesmerizing… They got a tepid reception because they are not really known by casual fans in the US, but they got a nice round of applause as they finished. I was happy for them. When they came off I told Jamie, they were wonderful and she smiled brightly at me…

Dan Hollander - Cartman/Mrs. Doubtfire
Everyone has seen his South Park/Mrs. Doubtfire thing so I won't go into it, but it was hilarious and the crowd really enjoyed it! He landed 3toe, 3flip (hand down) and did a split jump… Great applause at the end!

Nicole Bobek - I Need to Know; Let's Get Loud
Wasn't introduced as the hometown girl like she usually is… Landed 3toe, 3sal (little wobbly), Beilmann, beautiful forward spiral, 2axel, low shoot the duck position in sit spin… She looks good and strong man… Singled planned 2axel, illusion spins, back scratch… When she came off she was winded beyond belief… she firmly planted both hands down on the water table and stood with her head dropped for a really long time… Don't know if this was drama or what… I wonder if she is still smoking?

Usova & Platov - Spente Le Stelle
Opened with their now famous lift… I think that they really overuse this lift (when they are both low to the ice and Maia is stretching her legs out crossed…) I know that it takes a lot of strength to do, but it seems like they have included it in all of their programs to date… I really love this tension building music and they do some interesting lifts… Good audience approval…

Michael Weiss - Superfreak and U Can't Touch This
Mr. Macho is back with another funky number! I always like him better in person… Enjoyed this more in person.. He started in his headstand position right in front of my section! Loved his running man… I really respect this guy for doing a variety of programs… It will only help him later on…

Punsalan & Swallow - Woman
I like this number… No other couple has the kind of connection that these two have… They really work well together. I wanted them to do an encore of their Sinatra number from 98 - One of my favorite programs of them… They are always a favorite with the crowd…

Rudy Galindo - Send In the Clowns
Rudy had his own cheering section… "We Love ya Rudy!" "Go Rudy!" Sensitive number for him… Such a switch from YMCA… I like when he rolls the hula hoop and then comes back for it… Half watched him so I didn't record jumps landed… Nice laybacks… Crowd went wild when he was done… body glitter that he had on was a bit much in my opinion though…

Notes on what is going on in the tunnel during Rudy's number… Oksana Baiul is all over the place… She truly seems like a kid who needs attention… Kazakova and Lloyd Eisler were sitting together behind the engineers/announcers and Oksana B. goes to sit next to them and the seat makes a loud noise… She laughs out really loud and Kazakova shoots her a look that, well… let's just be glad that looks don't kill because Kazakova's look was not shooting blanks or bb's let me tell you… Oksana settled down, but Kazakova quickly got up and left… I wonder if Oksana just annoys everyone after a while. She reminds me of someone who wants to be seen… In the way that she glances at the fans and sees that they are watching, so she does something silly, do you know what I mean?

Dorothy Hamill - Wonderful World
Excited to see Dorothy! Absolutely beautiful back spirals, ina bauer into a gorgeous spread eagle… She looked like an absolute angel doing her layback… She wore a beautiful white dress with a long skirt… Reminded me of the new Slutskaya length that we have been seeing this season…

Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze- Smooth
Fell on throw 3loop… hard. Too bad, but is was the second show in one day… I heard that the 2:00P show everyone was clean as a whistle though… Their speed was AMAZING to see live! Again, too bad about fall, I like these two.

Viktor Petrenko- Mambo #5
I know that all of you have seen Viktor with his "partner" by now… The crowd LOVED it and he was clean… I really respect Viktor for always reinventing himself… it keeps things interesting for him and for the audience…

During intermission I go and get a program… I am so close to the skaters I may try to get a ton of signatures, not just MK's… When I come back, there are a ton of other people who have trickled down by where I am (I was absolutely the only one in this GREAT section!) and asking me if the seats are taken, I told them to go right ahead… I imagine that this section was probably full for the 2:00P section…

Collins comes out and climbs up right in my section… I said hi to him, but shied away from asking how could I get backstage passes… I imagine that he is asked that question a lot… Anyway he goes up top like above the sign that is over the tunnel where the skater's come out and he sets something up, like he is planning something… He climbs back down and disappears under the tunnel and comes back with Eldredge and Collins begins whispering "… When he comes out we can just get him while he is isolated…" They begin to laugh and Todd says "that's sweet". Rudy Galindo is told about the plan as well as he appears in the tunnel… I say "Hey Rudy" and he looks at me with a 'raised eyebrow' look that said, (snapping fingers) "do I know you girlfriend?"

Tom climbs back up to the stands and holds up a blue recycle only can and says to Rudy we are going to isolate him Rudy… Rudy responds with a "no way!" I asked one of the COI guys (staff) who they were going to play a joke on and he says "someone - just wait and see honey"… I'm like ooh, you've got a secret - gosh darn it, then I'll just have to wait won't I? Whatever…

Anyway I met Brian who posts at MKForum (Hi Brian!). It was fun to find out who he was and who I was… I ask Brian who this petite young girl is standing in the wings and he tells me its Deanna Stelatto… I had never seen her skate before so I was looking forward to checking her out…

9:30P Zamboni is done… I perk up to check out the 2nd half

Deanna Stelatto
Introduced as Chicago's own… Russian splits pretty good… Wow! Ice must have not been resurfaced well in this area, Deanna goes down HARD… She even broke a light bulb… Second fall in same area… too bad. Beautiful layback though… There were quite a few women in the tunnel watching when she was out there… I imagine it was her family members… She left quickly and you could tell she was disappointed… Crowd was very supportive…

Side notes: What the skaters are doing in the tunnel… Anton and Oksana are sitting together in the little area behind the engineers and Oksana is in her own world listening to headphones, bobbing her head… I wondered if she was getting herself psyched up for her Cher number?

Acrobatic Team
Black suits and hats… They scared me with their whole schtick… It was just too weird for me…

Side notes: Plenty more extras out backstage now… I am imagining friends, family, lucky corporate sponsor workers…

Bourne & Kraatz - Hotel California?
Shae-Lynn had on a red sequin backless dress, very pretty… Victor had on nice outfit with suspenders… jazzy number, nice change for them… tepid applause and hardly NO flash cubes went off… very tricky and interesting edge work done in this program… of course they put in their hydroplaning move… Very playful number for them.

Surya Bonaly- Exotica
SURYA WAS ON TONIGHT! She landed 3sal, 21/2loops into 3toe, 3toe-3toe (right in front of my section with a turn out on the end) split jump into 3toe-3toe (perfect this time)… Back flip (crowd went crazy), no 3sal though, spiral, shoot the duck into a 3sal… After that move she looked exhausted and barely squeaked out camel change camel… Sit spin into Beilmann, ANOTHER back flip! I told Surya when she came off simply "You go girl!" Her mother Suzanne was like right there too… It was soooo weird to see her pop up like that… I remembered all of the fluff pieces that used to say how her mother was like ALWAYS there… Sure enough she emerged from the shadows to watch her baby…

Elvis Stojko - What I Like About You
Crowd pleaser as usual… Clean… Footwork awesome! I didn't take notes on his jumps though… Too many skaters gathering in tunnel to watch and to also get ready for finale… I was distracted, sorry Elvis fans… I do remember that he had a GREAT connection with the audience… during unchoreographed areas he skated close to the boards so I know that people got great pictures of him…

Klimova/Ponomarenko- Please Baby
Marina wore a red sequined outfit with fringe… Outfits look so similar to B&K as Ponamarenko had on suspenders as well… Their lyrics had "Make love to you all through the night" Ahem, am I being a prude, or is this supposed to be a family show? Okay, I got bored with it and also eyeing Todd getting ready to come out to do For The Glory on my right…

Todd Eldredge- Glory (with interview)
Always a treat to watch Todd skate live… landed 3loop, 3axel (both hands down), footwork section very exciting, doubled out of his lutz (rare), 3sal, and HUGE death drop… Amazing combination spin with back scratch… Huge ovation for Todd…

Kazakova and Dimitriev
Anton Sikharulidze and Evgeny Plushenko come out to watch K&D… I wondered if Anton still watches Dimitriev for pointers, inspiration, etc. I love to speculate, don't I? Anyway, they were both speaking animatedly between themselves and laughing… To be able to speak Russian, I thought wistfully! Anyway, K&D cast a spell over the audience with this program… Like I said before the music has a lot to do with it… Awesome, awesome, awesome what they do on the ice… She absolutely NAILED the throw triple that they did also…

Phillipe Candeloro - Braveheart
Phillipe was Phillipe… Anton and Evgeny stayed out to watch him as well… Right off I was totally impressed with Phillipe's speed… He covers the ice very quickly! Landed 2axel, 3toe, 3lutz (hand down and step out)… doubled out of planned 3sal. This program is too long for me, but Phillipe really gets into it… Always a crowd favorite!

Isabelle comes out and so does Jamie… Oksana approaches front and appears to be getting into her "I'm about to perform" bubble… By the way Oksana has been prancing around the tunnel area all night… talking to the announcer for long periods of time, I think they have got something going (more on this later). Isabelle walks up to Oksana and faces her and puts both her hands on her shoulders and seemed to be giving her a pep talk…

Oksana Baiul- Dov'e L'Amore
Right before Oksana goes out she comes up and says something to Plushenko and Sikharulidze and they laugh… Viktor Petrenko also approaches tunnel in his finale clothes… She goes out on the ice playing like she's stumbling, but she is only joking… Can I just say that I hate she is wearing pants for this number? Nailed opening 3toe with 3 turns, stepped out of 2nd 3toe… Evgeny Platov comes out to watch as well… What happened to Oksana's layback? She really needs to begin using that again, because her choreography seems to lack something without it IMO… Waited WAY too long to go into her 2axel, I knew she was going to miss it… First she put her hands down on it then she lost her footing completely and slid into the boards… Very messy… Fell again on a second attempt later… Everyone in the tunnel just exchanged glances and even the engineers that she spoke with and seemed to have developed a camaraderie with seemed disappointed… Crowd still tried to be supportive… I heard her 2PM performance was excellent however…

Brasseur & Eisler
High energy performance as usual… Usual tricks, lot of overhead lifts (up and over ones), headbanger, the usual… Great audience response…

Brian Boitano - Wild Elephants
I got more excited than I thought I would at seeing Boitano… this is the first time I have seen him live (he wasn't on the tour in 98)… Loved the music and I was dancing right along with it… During the number Brian (who was seated above me) tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around… He pointed to Sikharulidze who was smiling and mocking me dancing… I smiled and laughed! Brian nailed everything as usual… Tano lutz was right by us… HUGE, HUGE, HUGE death drop…

Got distracted towards the end… The Kwanster was getting ready to go out…

Michelle Kwan - The World Is Not Enough
Landed 3toe, 3flip (right in front of me!), 3sal… Very exotic looking and TINY! Man is she a little bitty thing… When she came off I said "Great job Michelle!" She was winded, but smiled at me… I am loving these seats and I can't believe how I am talking to these skaters like I have known them all of their lives!

Finale - Bolero
The finale didn't look as convoluted as it did on the telecast… I imagine after seeing everything that was going on that it would be hard to shoot… NNN was "plugged into" Sarah Hughes part as she did the layback move at the same point that Sarah did it on the TNT Broadcast… However, after the layback she did a beautiful ina bauer instead of the 3loop Sarah did… They all did a good job… Everyone was clean except Plushenko who missed his last jump… I loved the lift they do for Kwan and the movements they did to highlight her…

I am waiting for the end so I can see who the joke is going to be on and I find out that it is Brian Boitano - he leaves the tour after the Chicago stop… Glad I could see him… As the skaters approach the tunnel, Collins is standing at the top and Boitano stops dead in his tracks like… "No way!" Michael Weiss comes out with a whipped cream pie and chases Brian out on the ice with it… they finally all get him with something… It was sooooo funny!

Michelle Encounter
In all of the commotion, I motioned Michelle and got her to autograph her photo in the program… I didn't even have to scream and beg, I just simply slid the program through the rails with her picture and she walked over and signed… While she was signing I said "Great job tonight World Champion! Congratulations! She smiled brightly and sang "Thank You!" Then I said something stupid,I asked her if she remembered the oil painting I gave her two years ago in this same arena and she screwed her face up into a look with raised eyebrows and a half smile that said I get so many 'chotchskys' I know I know you don't think I remember that thing… but she is too sweet, she just says slowly "uh, yeah…" I really appreciate her, because there was a lot of commotion and she could have easily ignored me (like Surya did) and went backstage… I know she was tired, and after doing a 2:00P and a 8:00P show that day they had a 3:00P show the next day in Milwaukee!

All in all, the night was in a word - perfect! I loved to be able to let the skaters know how much I appreciated their efforts… Also sitting that close kind of humanized them for me… They work really hard to put on a good show, and I think it matters to all of them how they do, regardless of the fact that there are no marks…