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Planet Nilknarf

November 2009

First Anniversary Issue

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could get tickets anyway. Still, you gotta love this adorable M&M's advertisement!

The Traveling Dolls have shared their adventures in Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi,Arkansas, Calgary and rural Alberta, and Sandusky, Ohio and now are about to share withyou their adventures in Pennsylvania, as well as mine.

I made my dream of building the Autism Awareness Carousel public and continue to shareregular reports on its progress.

I've enjoyed sharing my “Life With Louella” series of continuing comic strips that wereoriginally intended for the Dufferin Dogstar back in 1996.

And I've shared stories on a variety of topics so far.

I keep turning out new craft products on a regular basis. Here are a couple more “Ewetopia”T-shirts you might like:

First Anniversary Logo Contest

In honour of our first anniversary, readers are invited to participate in this contest todesign a new logo for Planet Nilknarf!! The winner wills be chosen on Christmas Day and thefirst prize winner's logo will be posted on the cover of the January issue. The first prizewinner will also receive a hand-embroidered T-shirt of the winning logo!! The four runner ups will each receive a handmade carousel horse ornament and everyone who enterswill receive a Frequent Rider Pass to save for when the Autism Awareness Carousel opens.

You can either post your entries in my “Planet Nilknarf” group on FaceBook or just email themto me at nilknarf64@sympatico.ca

Don't forget to include your snail-mail address and your T-shirt size.

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Oshawa Makes KISSTORY 

“Destroyer” cover drawn by me with MS Paint.

“So how come you're not going to the KISS Concert?” Dave's Aunt Kathy asked me when shephoned that evening.

“Tickets are impossible to get.” I sighed. They had sold out within 20 minutes when the box

office opened, several had already been sold through various pre-sale promotions and theROCK radio station had contests but I could never get through to be the 9 th caller on their phone-in line, nor could I make it to be the first to arrive at any of the locations theyannounced in their “KISS Scavenger Hunt” even if I did drive!

Aunt Kathy told me that they were talking about KISS on the local news show so I tuned it into channel 10. They showed a guy having KISS makeup put on by a so-called professionalartist. She was making him up as Gene but she started with the black first. When I put on myown KISS makeup I usually put on white but that's another story. Anyway, I was in a bit toomuch of a daze to pay that much attention to what they were talking about while I plugged inmy camera battery to recharge and went about my business.

Knowing that KISS was within walking distance while I was sitting at home, moping, wasgetting to be absolute torture! One thing led to another as I was lured by their magnetic pull,despite how I thought I'd talked myself out of it earlier. I thought I'd at least go downtown andinterview my fellow KISS fans and take their pictures for “Planet Nilknarf” but for awhile there Ihesitated. Downtown Oshawa is usually full of creeps at night.

But I didn't let that stop me. I was already wearing my T-shirt from the last KISS concert Iattended, their so-called “Farewell Tour” in 2000. I slipped out of my sloppy track pants and

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into a fresh pair of jeans and grabbed whatever cash I had around the house including thelast $80 worth of American money left from the carousel convention and the last $40 worth of $5 bills in my cash box from my craft sales.

I figured I've already spent most of my craft sale money on travelling to and from doctor'sappointments. Might as well blow the rest on “Dr. Love” A little pathetic KISS-related humour 

there. I'll let you in on an interesting secret, though. My doctor is actually related to GeneSimmons. They're cousins. She doesn't get to see him very often though. The first time I methim I asked him if he remembered Sonia Kurtz. He said he didn't. When I told her this shesaid it was because he only remembered her by her maiden name which is Bederman.

Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent here so let's get back on track.

Soon I was out the door and on my way downtown. My battery had only been charging for half an hour but tough beans. I couldn't wait any longer. I approached the street corner near the GM Centre where huge crowds were gathered outside waiting to see KISS. Severalscalpers offered tickets for sale so I asked one of them if he'd take $80 American money. “I'llsell for a hundred.” he replied, so I gave him my American money plus a Canadian $20 billand he gave me my ticket.

I was elated as I stood in line. I couldn't believe I was really doing this. Wait until Dave findsout where I wound up tis evening, I couldn't help thinking. It was a long lineup and it movedvery slowly. The ticket said that the show started at 7:30.It seemed that security was checking everyone thoroughly and the ticket said “No Cameras,Cell Phones or Recording Devices.” so I hid my camera inside my umbrella. Kind of a lamehiding place but what could I do.

Finally it was my turn in line and a security guard took a quick peek inside my backpack. Hedidn't notice anything suspicious so he just waved me in without further ado. I guess by thenthey were all getting kind of impatient and less thorough.

Huge crowds were gathered around the merchandise tables. There were many wonderfulthings for sale including T-shirts as well as a new kind of wristband with this USB portdownload of KISS concert footage. I didn't have much money left and I wished I could havebought something for my husband. I figured I'd wait until after the show.

The show didn't start until almost 9:30. In the meantime, I'm happy to say that “The Wave”has made a comeback and it was exciting to be part of all these people waving their arms inthe air at various intervals spreading across the stadium.

Finally the lights went out. I don't remember if they started with the usual words “You want thebest, you got the best...” I was in too much of a daze as KISS stormed on stage with “King of the Nighttime World.”

They had a new stage, this time with the logo on the floor and Eric Singer's drum kit on top of it.

The show was fantastic, although all I could think about most of the time was “I can't believe Iactually ended up here!” Gene did his fire-breathing act at the end of “Hotter than Hell” and

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spat blood during his bass solo at the beginning of “I Love it Loud.”

One of my favorite parts in the show was this interesting duet between Paul and Tommy. FirstPaul was singing and Tommy would echo Paul's vocal gymnastics on the guitar. Then theywould both play their guitars.

I noticed that despite the rules about no recording devices, just about everyone in theaudience had their cell phones or digital cameras on. For the longest time, I held off onfollowing suit because I figured even if everyone else is doing it, I'D be the one who gotcaught. That's exactly what happened to me back in 1984 when Janette and I saw CultureClub at Maple Leaf Gardens and that was when I had one of those crappy 126 cameras withthose annoying flash cubes.

During “Rock and Roll All Nite” the audience was blasted with tons and tons of confetti. Itstreamed out of two devices akin to leaf-blowers and while I was filming footage after all,there was so much confetti it was hard to see my screen. From the way it was pouring out, itlooked like they might need a shovel at the end of the show. I thought of scooping up some of the confetti to take home like I've usually done at KISS concerts in the past, but there weretoo many people crowding to get out at the end of the show.

After “Rock and Roll All Nite” KISS did several encores, including “Detroit Rock City”, “Shout itOut Loud” and “Love Gun” to name a few. That's the one where Paul rides his “flyingmachine” from the corner of the stage to a platform at the end of the floor level audience. Itwas only when I was not looking through my camera lens I could fully appreciate how closehe was to us. He did, however, have his back to our part of the audience through much of thatsong, but that's okay. Paul Stanley has one of the best butts ever!!! ;)

The only song they did from their new album was “Modern Day Delilah”. Same song they'vealso played on Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel.

When the show was over I wanted to find my way back to the merchandise table to see aboutgetting a souvenir but they must have been gone already. Everyone else was too intent ongetting outside as soon as possible. At least there was a man outside who was selling T-shirtsfor $20 each so I bought one for myself. I wish I could have got something for Dave too, but Ishould at least be able to show him the video footage I shot.

I was hoping to get home before him but I hadn't eaten supper yet so I made a stop at PizzaPizza before I walked the rest of the way home. It was midnight when I finally walked in.

All in all it had been a wonderful evening and well worth the last $100 worth of cash Imanaged to dig up. It just goes to show you that if you want something badly enough, there'susually a way to make it happen. And I'm happy and relieved to say that it didn't require thehelp of a Fairy Godmother or an Invisibility cloak, just about the best $100 I ever spent on theimpulse!

 Autism Awareness Carousel Update

First of all, here's the next horse to decorate for our regular contest...

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My friend Lorraine has two new horses that she designed but they will be in next month'sissue as she will be mailing them to me.

We are 90% certain that the Autism Awareness Carousel will be at Wind Reach Farms. I amhaving a one-on-one meeting with Tiffany on October 26th to finalize the paperwork to applyfor our government grant and we are about halfway finished with our PowerPoint presentation

to show to the mayors of Oshawa and Whitby as well as at the library and various publicevents. I took PowerPoint in computer literacy class but don't remember how to use it so I justsend Tiffany an outline telling her what I want on each page. She already has all the pictures.We are also having our next committee meeting on November 5 th. We hope that everyone canmake it. So far it's just me, Tiffany, Mark LaFlamme and Alan Burns, but we're hoping thatCecily from Wind reach Farms can attend this meeting and we want to invite even morepeople to get involved.

Our last meeting was abruptly canceled when Tiffany was double booked and in Coburg whenwe arrived at the Kerry's Place office. Fortunately, when Alan and I were getting back on thebus, we saw Mark who was about to get off the bus and the three of us moved the rest of themeeting to Alan's place where we brainstormed our ideas over French vanilla coffee andchocolate eyeballs. We talked about dances, barbecues and various other events to raisefunds for the carousel.

And I would like to thank Jim Shulman of the Berkshire carousel for sending me a list of various artists, carvers and carousel builders. So far I've snail-mailed Ed Roth, who made theanimals for the Peddler's Village and Pottstown carousels, Chuck Kaparich, who built theMissoula Montana carousel and was very instrumental in helping with the one in North Bay,and Joe Leonard, who is credited for creating the massive, magnificent armoured horses onthe Euro Disney carousel. I will be writing to more people on my list. I even wrote to Doo-Doothe clown to inform him of how our project is progressing and ask him if Farco Entertainmentmight like to sponsor a horse.

Continuing Adventures of the Travelling Dolls

On the first day of the 2009 National Carousel Association Convention tour “Margaret”enjoyed riding the carousels at Millville Park (left) and Knoebel's Grove (right). This is the rare2-row Stein & Goldstein park machine.

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At Millville she was introduced to “Flat Stanley”, the “Original” travelling doll, and on this tripshe was reunited with her old friend Trevor, who can be seen with her on this brass turtle atthe Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.

At Arnold's Family Fun Centre, they had their pictures taken with retired Chuck E. Cheeseanimatrons, The Warblettes (left) and Helen Henny (right).

Stay tuned next month for more exciting adventures of The Travelling Dolls!

I am sorry but I have to end this month's issue kind of abruptly this month. I have been havingsome terrible problems with my computer.

Hopefully I will be able to share more pictures of the 2009 National Carousel Associationconvention and more “Ewetopia” cartoons as well as other cool things in the December issue.

Margaret Franklin

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