Wow, I can't believe 2009 is just a matter of hours away. I can honestly say that 2008 was a great year for me despite having had a stroke of bad luck with employment. The highlight of '08--besides the New Kids Reunion and having been fortunate to attend four NKOTB concerts--was the fact that I got my first article published, which was then followed by two more! Fortunately, I thank God for my health and the fact that I have a family that loves me, and new friends, who care to know how I'm doing. :)
I will be spending New Years Eve with my best friend, LM, and her family, who live about 10 minutes away. Every year, I tend to make a few resolutions, but then sometimes end up breaking them. However, this year I hope to accomplish the following goals:
1) To get a new job, which will enable me to have some flexibility with school
2) To be more persistent in the matter of getting the interviews I want and getting more of my work published
3) Sticking with an exercise routine, especially during the winter
4) To have strength to deal with any and all obstacles that may come along my way
5) And to continue to have faith that I will be able to see these goals through
I hope that 2009 brings good health, happiness and prosperity to all. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, Christmas is in two weeks and I haven't done anything to prepare for it. At the moment, I'm scrambling to study for my final, which is this Thursday. Unfortunately, since I took a job at my school, I've had to cut back on making purchases. Ok, so I treated myself to two mini vacations and a few concerts this year, so of course I've already given myself several presents this year! The only person I've bought a gift for is my mother because she's always been there for me. My family and I say every year that we're going to pick names, so this year I pick my mother!
I love this time of year and Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, but now that I'm older, it just doesn't have the same meaning as it used to. I know many people tend to get depressed around this time of year and I'm trying so hard not to be one of those people. I think being in the company of other people, you tend not to think about it as much. This weekend, I went to lunch with a group of women, who I shared one thing in common with: we attended the same high school. In fact, the organizer of the luncheon is one of my brother's good friends. She and the other five women were two grades ahead of me, though they're just one year older than me (there's a story behind this that maybe I'll blog about one day). Even though I knew only two or three of these women, I was happy to be included in their group because you can never have enough new friends!
A few days ago, something prompted me to read one of my local newspapers. As I read one of the articles, it mentioned the name of a high school football coach, who had recently lost his older brother. I immediately recognized the coach's name and as I read on further, I was shocked to find out that his older brother took his own life the day before Thanksgiving. You see, back in the summer of 1989, I had a crush on the older brother, "D". I met him at a popular store I used to shop at and would purposely go in every time I was in the area just so I could see him. I actually got the nerve to talk to him a few times and he seemed like a really nice guy. I'll never forget that he had hazel eyes! {What is it with my love for hazel eyes?!} "D" attended a rival high school in the neighboring city and had just graduated. We got to talking about school and he told me that he was attending college in the next county. I think this crush of mine went on for close to two years and of course I never admitted my feelings to him. One time when my brother & I were leaving the mall, which is where "D" worked, he was approaching us and I said something to the affect of, "Hey, how's it going?" and he responded back. Well, my brother would NOT let me live that line down because (1) I stole it from him and (2) he thought I was using it as a pick-up line towards "D"! My curiosity is bothering me because I want to find out what happened. What's ironic is that I have two close relatives that worked in the same organization as "D", so I'm sure they know something. What's really sad is that he had just celebrated his 37th birthday a few weeks prior and he left behind his wife and two young daughters.
Lastly, last week I found out from my Journalism instructor that the profile I recently wrote about on my guidance counselor will be published in the school newspaper after we return from winter break, in January. Also, the short piece I wrote for the publication I just completed an internship with will be published in their January issue. Well, at least now I'll have more clippings to add to my writing portfolio.
Please enjoy this Christmas flashback from 1994. It's one of my favorite Xmas songs and this video is actually one of two versions, which I recently got to see for the 1st time!
Well, the word is out. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks Michael Vartan is HOT! Check out AOL.com's TV's 50 Hottest Hunks--Ever list! It looks like Mr. Vartan made it to the Top 10! Other actors, such as David Hasselhoff, made the list, but I just can't figure out how they ended up on it, especially "The Hoff"!
I could kick myself for not being able to spend more time in LA last week! I was really hoping for a chance encounter with MV! ;) Oh how I love those hazel-eyed guys!
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I actually got home from my vacation that morning & all I'll say is that I don't want to see another long line of people at the airport for a long time!
My friend M and I just spent 5 days vacationing in semi-sunny So Cal. We left San Francisco the day after my birthday (November 22nd) and our flight was a bit delayed, so we didn't arrive in LA until 4:00 p.m. After we picked up our rental car, we drove right to our hotel, which was near LAX. We didn't do much on our first day, except drive to downtown LA to check-out where the Nokia Theatre was located. We then drove to the Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, which supposedly is this 8-level mall, though we only saw 4! Many celebs have been known to be spotted at the Beverly Center. We were there for about an hour and on our way out, I noticed this familiar looking guy having drinks with some friends: Dr. Travis Stork, formerly of ABC's "The Bachelor" fame and who now appears on the Fox TV show "The Doctors." That was the highlight of the night...well, that and ordering room service!
November 23rd: The one major highlight of our LA trip was that we had tickets to the American Music Awards. This was our first time attending the AMA's & all I kept thinking was it was so surreal that we were there! As we were waiting in line to get into the Nokia Theatre, I saw another former "Bachelor", Charlie O'Connell (younger brother of Jerry, also an actor) crossing the street with his off-again, now on-again girlfriend, who was also on the show. I also saw Ken Baker, a celebrity journalist, who now works for E! News. Ken walked right past me & I saw him once again when we were inside Nokia. I wish I would've gone up to him & asked him for some advice about the Journalism world. I'd love to do what he does for a living! Anyway, as we walked to our seats, my friend M said, "You did very well," which she was referring to the good aisle seats we had, which were in the Orchestra section, HH. As we waited, I receive 2 texts from two friends. As I'm trying to text one of them back, my friend (M) sitting next to me tells me to look up at the large TV screen or JumboTron: it's NKOTB being interviewed on the Red Carpet! I wish we would've had time to stand near the Red Carpet, but unfortunately we were stuck inside waiting for the show to start. I surely didn't want them closing the doors on us! And because they didn't allow cameras inside, I didn't bring mine. I wish I would've just taken the risk of bringing it with me because we saw a few other people with theirs.
By now it's 5:00 pm and the AMA's are starting. Christina Aguilera performs first and does an outstanding job, belting out a melody of her top hits. The second act to perform was none other than the New Kids! They performed a melody of 5 songs (which was similar to what they do in concert) and at one point, Donnie tells everyone to stand up and dance, so my friend and I, as well as many others, did just that! Once the show broke for a commercial or another artist and/or group would perform, I was checking to see if I could spot the guys in their seats. I believe they were seated towards the right-hand side, towards the front, which was on the other side of where we were seated. It was way too dark inside the theatre to see where they were. After the awards were over, we walked back about three blocks to our car and all we wanted to do now was to go back to our hotel and rest our feet because they were killing us! I also don't want to see a pair of short heels unless they come in the form of sandals!
November 24th: We leave LA around 12:00 pm and begin our drive to San Diego. Suprisingly, we ended up taking the scenic route by accident and arrived in 1 1/2 hours, thanks to M's driving. I texted my cousin, who I was going to meet up with for dinner. I hadn't seen her in over 18 years, so I was looking forward to the reunion! M called her cousin, who now lives in SD, and we met up with him at his job, which is at the Hard Rock Cafe. We decided to kill some time before we picked up my niece at the airport (she was flying in to attend the concert with her sister & I), so we went to Horton Plaza, which is the 6-level mall across the street.
After picking up my niece at the aiport, M dropped us off at my other niece's apartment. I hadn't seen my oldest niece (my sister's daughter) in a few months, so it was good to see her again. M & I agreed that we'd meet at the restaurant where her cousin worked at to have dinner. At the last minute, my cousin texted me telling me that she wasn't going to make it. We proceeded to having dinner and I ended up ordering a Pomegranate Martini, which I had never tasted before. Let me just say that it was very good, but after a little while, I could tell it was finally kicking in!
Dinner proceeded and unbenownst to me, my friend M ordered me an ice-cream sundae to celebrate my birthday, which had been 3 days prior. I ended up getting sung Happy Birthday to since there was no way I was going to stand up on top of our table and be humiliated! I must say that I have never tasted a sundae that yummy! After dinner, we walked back to the mall and then went our separate ways until the next morning.
November 25th: My friend M & I headed for the SD Airport to pick-up our friend T, who was flying in from San Jose. As soon as we picked her up, we went looking for the guys at Cox Arena, which is located on SDSU's campus, which is quite a beautiful campus. I wish I would've had the time to take a tour of it, which is where I'd like to attend school. Maybe next time. We arrived in the back of the venue around 10:00 or 10:30 am and already noticed 8 other women there! I noticed an online friend of mine there from Arizona, who happens to have several NKOTB tattoos all over her legs! We spoke for about 10 minutes and she told me that she'd been there since 6:00 am. She said she didn't have tickets, but she wanted to see if she could get some FACE TIME with Donnie & the other guys. After seeing 3 tour buses parked inside the venue, it didn't look like any of The Kids were on there or were coming out, so we left after 1 1/2 hours. We went back to my niece's apartment and picked up my other niece so we could go have lunch at this Mexican restaurant I had heard about on my hometown guy's Food Network TV show, "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives." By the way, that friend from Arizona got lucky and succeeded with her mission because at around 5:00 pm--which was about 7 hours later from when I saw her--the guys started arriving and she got a photo taken with Donnie, though he was on the other side of the gate!
T, M and I parted ways again because they had to be back at the venue at 4:30 pm since they had 5* VIP. My 2 nieces & I didn't arrive at the venue until about 6:30. We noticed the local news there and watched the cameraman pan his videocamera up and down the line where we all were standing. When we finally made it inside the venue, I went straight to the merchandise table, but unfortunately the track jacket I wanted was all sold-out. My nieces bought me a belated birthday gift, which was a t-shirt with all the tour dates. :) We finally made it into the arena and found our seats. The entire time leading up to this event, I told my nieces I had a surprise for them, which was that our floor seats--which weren't close to the main stage--were right next to the B stage, which is the rotating stage the guys perform 3 - 4 songs on. The show went on as planned, with Lady GaGa as the opening act, then proceeded by Natasha Bedingfield, whose music I absolutely love!
I had warned the girls sitting right to the left of us, who were closest to the B stage, that the guys were going to come back near us during the show. However, I didn't expect a very large group of people to gather & surround the B stage about 4 songs into the show. :( Obviously, these other people had been to other shows or knew what to expect, so there was NO way me & my nieces, who are all height-challenged, were going to get right in front of the stage. Of course, the venue's security laxed, but they certainly had a problem with people videotaping portions of the show. Well, the two women who sat next to us were happy to oblige and let me stand right in front of them, while my nieces stood on top of their chairs and took pics of the guys while they took this stage.
Two of the best highlights from the SD show were when the guys were on the B stage. I raised a small cardboard sign I had made only hours earlier and hoped it would catch Jon's attention. Well, it worked because he actually saw it, acknowledged it, and mouthed the words, "Thank you!" :) The other highlight came during the end of their song "Click, Click, Click". When the song ends, they stand still and pose for the camera, which is then displayed on the JumboTron. Well, usually--as Joey explains--Jonathan doesn't have to do anything except stand there because he's so good-looking, but this night was exceptionally special because NO one expected Jon to do what he did: he placed both hands on his...ummm...package! I guess the Shy One isn't so shy after all! Of course he won the pose-off for that night! As usual, Jon did his booty dance, which is always a favorite of mine! Two hours & fifteen minutes later, the show was over.
This was the first NKOTB show my nieces got to attend (they're 25 & 23 years old). I asked them how they liked it & they told me that they really enjoyed themselves, but they both agreed that it's worth paying the extra $$ for 5* VIP, which enables you to get a seat within the first 10 rows. You see, all 3 of us are height-callenged, so we need to see what's going on at all times! Well, things haven't changed because I got my nieces hooked on attending some future NKOTB concerts with me! Well, I'm looking forward to doing this again tomorrow, with having had only 4 1/2 hours of sleep!
November 26th: I had to get up at 4:15 am because we had to drop off our friend T at the airport at 5:00. We left SD and arrived in LA around 10:00 am and decided to go have breakfast first. I called my friend M2 and checked to see what her plans were for that morning. She wasn't going to be able to meet me until the show that night, which was fine. After breakfast, we drove to Beverly Hills because we wanted to try to find Sprinkles, which is this cool, little cafe that sells delicious cupcakes. It's a fixture in LA & they've now started opening more shops throughout California. My friend, M2, warned me that we should get there early because sometimes there are long lines (she knows from experience since she works near there). Well, we ended up finding the place, but had a hard time finding parking. We kept passing several parking structures, but M never wanted to pull into any of them. We ended up parking in an underground structure with valet service (we should've just gone with a garage off the street that had NO valet). Unfortunately, we got lost in the little shopping center that houses the garage, until I finally noticed the street! We walked for about 3 blocks and somehow lost sight of where we were. We ended up just leaving and decided to drive towards the Nokia Theatre. We didn't see much happening, so we left back to our hotel to rest a little bit so that we'd be ready for the show that night.
I checked the weather forecast before I left for So Cal & it said that there'd be a slight chance of showers. Well, it certainly came down in LA on our last night there. I was inside out hotel room when I noticed it pouring outside. By the time we left the hotel and headed towards downtown for the show, it was just sprinkling.
The one downfall of any big city is the traffic & LA is no exception. Before we headed out that night, I asked the hotel clerk if she knew of a shorter route so we wouldn't have to take the freeway. Thank goodness she found an easier way to get to Nokia and it only took us 20 minutes. As we walked out of the parking garage, I found several people gathered across from where the tour buses were parked. We wanted to get in line, so we headed towards the front of the venue. More people gradually came & started lining up and at 7:00 they let us all in. Yet again, I didn't find my track jacket, so I guess it wasn't meant to be. We found our seats, which I already had an idea as to where we were sitting. Our seats were in the Orchestra section again, only this time we were in the 8th row, which actually felt like 5th row! We were very close to the stage! We certainly lucked out with our seats, but a few of my friends did even better because they had front row (most of them bought 5* VIP)!
So the LA show went on without a hitch! There were a few special highlights, like when Jon took the videocamera and started filming the audience. Well, he spotted me and once again I saw myself on the JumboTron (I have a friend who witnessed seeing me again)! And I didn't even have to wear my lucky t-shirt! The other highlight came during the Click pose off. My friend C, who was in the front row, handed Joey a note and it said that we (the audience) wanted to sing Happy Birthday to Jon! This was planned out for weeks by several fans on the forums and we all finally made it happen! So we all sang to Jon and each one of their back-up dancers gave him a hug, as well as each of the guys. When it was Donnie's turn to give Jon a hug, he gave him a kiss on the lips--which Jon was NOT expecting at all--and a pat on his behind! It was all done in fun {they're like brothers since these two, along with Danny, have known each other since the 1st grade}, but it was such a hilarious moment! Since there was no room for the B stage at Nokia, they had the guys run through one specific aisle on the opposite side of us (I was really hoping they'd come by me) & finished off one of their songs in the Loge section.
I was told just before Lady GaGa performed that 98 Degree singers and brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, along with Nick's girlfriend (entertainment reporter Vanessa Minnillo) & Drew's wife, were also in the audience. I hope they're not thinking about a reunion tour because I think it's too soon for them to be getting back together! There was also a rumor that Batman star Christian Bale was in the audience. This could only happen in LA!
My friends and I had such a great time! We left with some fond memories of all the shows we were able to attend. As the new NKOTB song goes it's "Officially Over." Well, for at least a few months. I've been hearing rumors that the guys will be touring again next summer, which at least two of the guys have actually confirmed. A reliable source told me that they'll be coming back to Cali in the spring, which I hope is true! Unfortunately, that doesn't give me enough time to recuperate financially (ha, ha)!
For those, who weren't able to attend a New Kids shows this year, "Get your mind right," as Donnie Wahlberg would say, and start saving up for next year because I guarantee you'll have a GREAT time!!
I'll leave you with a few special moments from these 2 concerts I was fortunate to attend. :)
Yet again, I've been a very bad girl! Having just returned from my trip Thanksgiving morning, I forgot to wish a Happy (Belated) 40th Birthday to Michael Vartan, whose birthday was on November 27th! Just like with Jonathan Knight, I can't believe Michael is 40! He too has aged like fine wine and I'm pretty sure his secret is that he doesn't take himself too seriously, despite his fame.
I know one Michael project I'm looking forward to and that's his new comedy titled "Demoted," which is scheduled for release in 2009.
I leave you with one last thought to ponder. What is it about these Sagittarius men that make them so darn attractive?! :)
I'm a bad girl for not having posted this yesterday (Nov. 29th), which is actually Jonathan Knight'sbirthday! I still can't believe he's celebrating this milestone. He's definitely aged quite well and if that's what 40 looks like, then where do I sign up?! I think his secret to aging so gracefully is that he laughs a lot and seeing how goofy the guys act on & off-stage, it certainly is working for him!
I know for a fact that he flew to Mexico on his special day because the guys are performing three shows there before they take the next few weeks off in December and then start their European tour in early January.
I'm glad I was able to attend the last two NKOTBshows in Southern California. I will tell you all about it in my next blog, which also reveals a little moment I had with the birthday boy in honor of his special day!
I can't wait to see Mr. Knight again in '09! And this time I promise I'll be more gutsy and will say more than four words to him!
Well, it's that time of year again when I can add another laugh line or wrinkle to my face. Yes, I celebrate another birthday! I can honestly say that this year has been like a roller coaster...I've had a few ups and downs. I had a little health scare in early August, but thank God it was just a false alarm. I was laid off in early January, which put me in a funk the next few months. Not long after did I hear a rumor that a certain 80's singing group, who I loved as a teen, was reuniting. Once the rumors were true, my life started getting a little better.
Speaking of that group, as you know, I was fortunate to have met them twice this year. Will it be 3rd times the charm come next week? Whatever is meant to happen will happen. Unfortunately, I don't have VIP tickets this time around, but I do have great seats! My friend M and I are headed to Southern California to see the last two shows: San Diego on Nov. 25th & LA on the 26th. We leave for LA on the 22nd, attend a special event {I'll fill you in on the details later} on the 23rd, and will then drive down to San Diego & stay with my niece on the 24th. My other niece is flying in on the 24th and she, her sister and I will be attending the SD show together, while my friends T & M will in the VIP section. My nieces have NEVER been to an NKOTB concert and I can't wait to tell them the surprise on the day of the show: our seats are right next to the B Stage! This is the rotating stage in back of the arena, where the guys will head to in the middle of the show and will perform a few songs. I'm going to do my best to catch Jonathan's attention again because, after all, his birthday is on the 29th! Finally, M & I drive back to LA on the 26th to see the guys for the last time this year. I'm going to be so sad when it's all over. Well, at least I have something to look forward to for next summer!
I really intend to enjoy myself during my little vacation/adventure. I'm going to meet up with a few other Blockhead friends--some from the Bay Area & others from So Cal--at both shows. Then hopefully on the last day we're in town, three LA friends and I are planning on getting together to celebrate our fabulous November birthdays! :) Hey, who knows. Maybe I'll run into Michael Vartan while I'm in LA. That would totally make my year!
Details to follow upon my return, on Thanksgiving Day. :)
I don't normally like to discuss politics, but I just couldn't let this pass. I actually got emotional while watching the people of Chicago hear the news of the projected winner. I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONSto the next President-elect of the United States, Barack Obama! :)
History has definitely been made and hopefully "our time for change has come"! Even though Obama's grandmother passed away yesterday & didn't get to see her grandson make history, I believe she already knew the outcome.
It seems like every year as my birthday approaches, I get these feelings of changes I'd like to make in my life. I keep asking myself, "What have I accomplished with my life thus far?" Well, for starters, I'm still in college, I'm at a job I don't care to be at, and I'm still single. To me, that doesn't seem like much. Ok, so maybe I'm starting my midlife crisis a little early!
My dream many years ago was to go away to college and major in Communications/Media Studies. I always had aspirations of attending school in L.A. & when I told my mother this back then, she made it clear that she didn't want me living in a big city because I would never be able to defend myself if something terrible happened. Oh, and btw, yes, I inherited my anxiety problems from my parents. So for that matter, that's why I never moved away from the area I grew up in. :( As I approach my mid-30's and am getting closer to 40 (might I add that I still have a few years left 'til this major milestone), I feel I haven't accomplished anything in my life. Yes, I'd love to have another story or two published, but many publishers don't wish to give new writers a chance; therefore, that's why I need to continue with college. But who can live off a measly salary with the constant reminder of feeling used, yet cannot utilize her talent, her life experiences, nor her skills she went to school for?
I recently had a conversation with my college guidance counselor, who I was interviewing for another article for my Journalism class. We started talking about jobs and I told her I was looking for a new one. She told me that they're going to be hiring soon in her department and that they needed someone bilingual. I told her to look no further because I'm the right person for the job! I checked back with her the following week regarding the job posting & she told me that the woman in charge of this hadn't posted it yet, but she'd let me know if anything happens. Well, it's been two weeks now and I haven't heard anything. I plan on contacting my counselor's co-worker to ask about the job & let her know I'm very interested! The problem with trying to find a permanent job on-campus is that the college takes FOREVER to either post the job or make a final decision. I'm not holding my breath. I recently applied for another on-campus job in another department, which would allow me the flexibility to continue with school & is a permanent position. Coincidentally, I have a job interview with this department this Friday!
The dilemma I'm currently facing is making the decision to return to work full-time. YES, I need the $$, but this will further delay my schooling. The college I'm attending only offers selected courses at night and/or online. This is why I'm hesitating in seeking full-time employment. Then there's still the matter of wanting to move away from this county--which has now become a tourist trap--to Southern California to pursue my dreams. I'm hopeful that I'd be able to find something in one of the industries I want to get in to, but I think in order to get where I want to be, I need to continue with my education.
I believe the reason I'm getting stressed out over my future is because I want everything to happen now! Call me an overachiever, but I've always been goal-oriented. However, it's taken me several years to work through some obstacles that were associated with continuing with my goals.
Speaking of goals, several years ago during a trip to L.A., I got a little discouraged after I had spoken to this girl, who was working at a famous TV/movie studio. I asked her how she got her job and she said that she had a friend in the biz, who she networked with & got her the job, which was an entry level position. I know I'd have to start somewhere, but I'm willing to take that chance as long as I can afford to pay to have a roof over my head! If I plan on moving, I'm going to have to start saving $ to make the move. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening until I get a good paying job & am there at least two years.
Finally, there's the problem of not having that special someone in my life. :( To be honest, I haven't really placed a lot of effort into going out & meeting new people other than the ones I've met at school. I'm either too busy or don't have anyone to go out with to be looking. Actually, my biggest complaints are that there aren't enough good quality men that meet my standards (i.e. single, smart, good-looking, holds down a job, has NO kids, is goal-oriented, has a full head of hair, and has a similar background, etc.) nor that live in my area. Also, I don't want to date someone under the age of 32 nor over the age of 41! I recently was speaking to a co-worker of mine, who's been married for over 30 years & has children my age. She told me a while back she had visited her daughter in Arizona & noticed one thing: There were plenty of men available in AZ! I've been to AZ twice, but didn't get a chance to meet anyone while I was down there. It's a nice state (I love Sedona) to visit, but it's just too dang HOT there! It reminds me of the Southern Cal town where my parents were raised, where every summer, the temperatures reach up to 120 degrees! That's one of the reasons why my parents moved to Northern Cal. I think I'll pass on Arizona!
Well, I guess I'll continue to keep searching for answers and pray that I'll come to a decision about my future one of these days.
Well, I'm still feeling like I'm on Cloud 9 after last Thursday & Friday's New Kids concerts! The shows were BLOCKtastic {Yep, I made up this word!} & amazing! I know ALL two of you have been waiting so patiently for an update of what happened last week, so here it is--hot off the presses!
My friend Heather, her friend T, and I had 4* VIP tickets, which guaranteed us seats within the first 20 rows. Well, my friend M had 5* VIP because she waited too late to buy 5* for the San Jose show, which was the following day. We arrived in Sac around 3:15 and waited to meet up with Heather's friend T & our friend Megan, who lives in our area. Well, Megan was still stuck in traffic, so we drove up the street to ARCO Arena, which is where we had to drop-off M because she had check-in for VIP at 4:45 pm. Before we walked to the box office, there were these group of women, who were getting instructions from some ILAA reps (the company that handled the VIP tixs) & we thought this was where Maria had to line-up. No, it was the line for the soundcheck! The people who got invited to soundcheck were some lucky radio station winners. Our local radio stations pretty much suck when it comes to taking requests & playing new music. Grrr....!
So while M was in line, we chatted with another Blockhead, who I had met in Burbank, but who's also from the Bay Area. She's pretty cool, as is most of the Blockheads I got to meet. So we ended up going back & forth between the venue and Heather's car until it was time for the venue to open. I finally decided to change into my special t-shirt, which I had made for the concert! Donnie coined the phrase FACE TIME, so I chose to use it, but decided to add another touch to it so it'd have a double meaning! Anyway, I thought to myself, "What are the chances that my shirt would catch one of the guy's attention?!"
Around 7:00 pm, we were allowed to finally go inside the venue. The first place Heather, T & I head for was the merchandise stand. I resisted buying the official NKOTB track jacket I've seen Jon wear, and the blue/black t-shirt with all the tour dates on it. Maybe I'll get them next time. After making our purchases of just the tour program (a must have and a collector's item), we left to go find our seats. This was my 2nd time at ARCO Arena, but I had never been there for a concert. The venue is huge by my standards, but fairly small compared to others. So the usher walked us to our seats, which we find are in the 8th row!! Heather, T, and I couldn't believe the great seats we had! I asked if I could sit on the aisle since I'm height challenged! I actually had a great view of the stage!
Just before the show, I got to chat for a few minutes & take pics with a distant cousin of mine, who I connected with through two social networking/NKOTB related sites. Not only do we share our love for the New Kids, but we also share the same last name! However, she's managed to have found some small fame after having kissed Donnie onstage at an L.A. event this past summer! At least one of us has to be the Daring One! ;) The VIPs at the Sac Meet & Greet lucked out because after the guys took group pictures with them (including my friends M & Megan), the guys mingled with the fans, which consisted of about 70 people! I wish I would've known months back that I could've switched my VIP ticket from San Jose to Sac! Then I would've chatted up a storm with Jon!
The opening acts for the guys were Lady Gaga and Natasha Bedingfield. I had never heard of Lady Gaga 'til about 2 months ago when a friend of mine had LG's song Just Dance posted on her web page. I love that song! LG's costumes were a bit strange, but she sang well & was on for about 30 minutes. Then it was Natasha Bedingfield's turn to take the stage. Let me just say that I absolutely love Natasha's music! I think she writes her songs with me in mind! J/K! Seriously, her song Unwritten practically explains my life! NB puts on a GREAT show and she also sang for about 30 minutes.
By this time, it's 9:00 pm and we're ready for The Block! The concert starts and we're screaming our lungs off! They first play their new song Single, which I love! The next song they sing is one of my all-time favorites & it's My Favorite Girl! As the show progressed, it just got even better! The Sac show was considered their "goof off" show because the guys were cracking each other up and having fun with the small crowd! During the middle of the show, the guys took to another stage in the back of the floor section, which is called the BStage. It's a round, rotating stage that let's you see all angles while they're singing & dancing. You are quite a lucky person if you're seated by this stage because the guys are right up in front of your face! So I quietly walked over towards the B Stage, which other people were also doing. I was afraid security was going to tell me to clear the aisle, but thank goodness they didn't because I'm NOT a threat to anyone! So the guys are doing their thing on this stage as I try my best to get some clear, non-action pics of the guys. I did manage to get a few good ones, especially of Jon's...uh...hmm...good side! ;)
So as the concert progressed, Danny & Jon get ready for their little contribution to the show. This is where Lady Gaga comes out again & sings Just Dance while Danny motions to the crowd. It's at this time where Jon picks up the video camera and starts to film the audience. During this time, I thought that I needed to take a pic while Jon is doing this, so I moved up a few steps. Just as he picked up the camera & pointed it to the crowd, the next thing I see is my face and t-shirt on the JumboTron! My friend J, who flew in from LA with 4 other friends--including my distant cousin--texted me at the end of the night & told me she saw me on the big screen! My other new friend, S, also told me that she saw me too! This (k)night ended on a high note! :)
The only negative aspects of the show were the drunk, obnoxious women. This woman tried to start a fight with another woman, who sat right in front of me. Thank God security stood between them because I didn't want the obnoxious one to ruin our night! And people were spilling their beer. Alcohol + hormonal women = Bad combination!
We were so...exhausted by the end of the concert--which lasted 2 hours--that we didn't wait around to send the guys off in their tour buses. We then headed home, which was still a 2 hour drive. I got home around 2:30 am and was so tired! It was time for me to go knighty-knight because I had to get up in a couple of hours to get ready for Concert #2!
It's now D-day, Friday, October 10th, the day my 4 fellow Blockheads & I get to meet NKOTB! Ok, so I already got to meet them in August, but now it was going to be with my new Blockhead friends! We left Sonoma County around 12:30 because we wanted to arrive early in San Jose. I found out that my friends T, A & K were at the HP Pavilion in the morning and got to meet Donnie & take some pics with him! :) So my 5 friends (Megan joined us because her friend had an extra 5*) & I arrived in SJ around 3:00 pm and my friend M (aka partner-n-crime for all NKOTB shenanigans) calls me to ask if we're going to the fan meet-up, which was being held at a nearby restaurant. I told her it was unlikely because we needed to be at the venue in another 1 or so. I desperately needed to find a restroom too because "Aunt Flow" decided to come on the wrong day. :( An hour or so later, Megan & I met up with the other 4 girls and I also get to meet my friend Amy, who drove in from Salinas with another friend.
We started lining up outside the HP Pavilion what seemed like an eternity! We waited 'til the ILAA rep gave us instructions. A few days earlier, we had heard a rumor that the San Jose VIP group was going to be small, like it was for Sac. Nope, we had about 200 VIPs! :( So at this point, we're waiting in the cold, windy weather until they checked us in & allowed us inside the venue. Around this time, I saw Zach, who is the guys' assistant and who Donnie has explained is in charge of backstage passes. If any person should desire some FACE TIME with Donnie or the guys, you need to show your FACE TIME t-shirts or posters. I had my t-shirt in my hand, but wasn't wearing it since I had worn it the night before. I also saw Robo, the Kids bodyguard of 20 years. Intimidating guy, but I'm sure he's a softie!
Finally, they let us in! We then go into the VIP room and find ourselves a table. Two girls from Modesto decided to join us & it turns out they're in our picture group (really nice girls). We chat for a bit and it's during this time that Robo gives his speech on the rules, which I had missed part of since I had gone to the ladies room. Moments later, the ILAA reps & bodyguards called our groups one by one according to our assigned letters. I was in the E group, so it was our turn to stand in line & wait.
Let me just say that it went by way too fast & was all a blur, just like the Burbank signing was. We were about to meet the guys, who were behind a black curtain. The first person I saw lined up was Jon! Next was Joey, followed by Jordan, Danny & Donnie. So they saved the best for last because I was the last one in our line or maybe it was because I was the oldest one there! Anyway, I don't know how I managed to sneak it in, but I brought in with me a small gift taped to a funny 40th b-day card for Jon. I was at a loss for words AGAIN because as I approached him, I said to him, "This is for you!" I think he said thank you and and then gave me this LONG, GREAT, BIG hug! Why does this man have this power over me?! Why couldn't have I at least introduced myself to him?! Mind you, I was still trying to block out of my mind what he had just said to the girl in front of me {something about her eyes}, who took my place kneeling down next to him in our group pic. Damn that woman & me for not thinking fast enough! Blame it on not having eaten much for the past two days. After Jon hugged me, I went to Joey with those gorgeous baby blues, which I was too shy to look into! We exchanged hellos and he hugged me. Sorry to say this, but he doesn't give the greatest hugs. Next was Jordan, who I said hello to & got a hug from (his nose looked red, so I assumed he was sick). He put the same amount of strength into my hug as Joey did. At this time, Robo is rushing everyone & I hadn't even gotten to the Double D's (Danny & Donnie) yet! So I give Danny a quick hug & say hello. Might I add that Danny is built like a truck! His "guns" are big! Last, but definitely not least, is the charismatic Donnie, who by this time I believe took off his sunglasses. He opens his arms and gives me a hug. After a few seconds, I let go because I feel as though I'm being rushed by security and he says this to me, "Where you going? Don't be shy. Come here." Next thing I know, he reels me in for another GREAT, BIG, LONG hug! No wonder he's my #2 guy! :)Ok, so I have a few seconds to quickly chat, so I remembered my friend wanted me to ask him if he had received the red Boston baseball cap she gave him the night before at the Sac M&G {I had gone with her to find a gift for him and I ended up picking out something I didn't think he had. I even left some of my DNA on it since she asked me to try it on for size!}. I don't remember what Donnie said, but leave it to me to put my friend's needs first before my own! So then I show him my t-shirt, in which I told him it had a double meaning to it! I think the next thing I said to Donnie was that I was on the JumboTron last night when Jon was filming! As he sees my t-shirt, he then points to Jon, who somehow managed to sneak up behind me to be the last one in the receiving line, in front of Donnie! So I quickly show Jon my t-shirt, he smiles at it, gives this silent laugh and then gives me another great, big hug! :) Just like that, the M&G is over. :(
So why did I have such a hard time talking to Jon, but not to Donnie?! The days & weeks leading up to the SJ show, I had really put a lot of thought into what I was going to say to Jon & the other guys. As my friend M explained it, "It's like that crush you had on that guy in high school. You were just too shy to talk to him." It just all happened so fast! I want a 3rd chance and this time I will talk to Jon! Maybe it'll happen at the last Cali shows next month!
Because there was so many 5* VIP at the Meet & Greet, the guys didn't mingle with us, which I was BUMMED about. So they all left the room one by one. First it was Joey, who left us with a few parting words. I can't remember what though, but I do recall he said he was going to swear, but then noticed one or two children in the room. Then Danny waved & left. Next was Donnie. However, Donnie came back a 2nd or 3rd time to wave good-bye to us again! After Donnie left, then Jordan followed with this playful facial-pointing gesture. Last, but certainly NOT least, was Jon, who had come out from behind the curtain eating a Twix bar (yummy, just like him!). He stopped & motioned to us, in VIP, to wait (like we were going anywhere!). Then he went back behind the curtain to bring back with him the gift & card some really NICE woman (yes, the one from ME) gave him! Jon got a hold of the bullhorn that was on the table & started speaking, but in a soft spoken voice. I didn't know exactly what was going on since I was in the middle/back of the room & had trouble hearing because of all the commotion. Next thing I know is that he raises the card up to show everyone and starts reading part of it (I don't know where the gift is at this point). I look up and I said to my friends, "Oh my gosh! That's the card I gave him!" Then people started singing Happy Birthday to him. I think he said something like it wasn't his birthday yet (it's on Nov. 29th, but I didn't buy another VIP tix, so that's why I gave it to him early). I was probably like 15 feet away from him when all this happened. Another person who was there and closer to where Jon had stood, said that he got a little emotional and had heard him say that that was the first 40th b-day card anyone had given to him! :)
So it's time for the concert and we still don't know where our seats are. All we know is that they're within the first 10 rows. An usher takes us to our chairs and we're in total shock! We find out that S, N & I are in the 2nd row! YAHOO!! I have never been seated that close to the stage! I guess it pays to buy your tickets right when the presale starts! My friend Heather & her friend K, thought they weren't going to get good seats because their ticket stub said something different. Boy, were they wrong because they ended up with front row on the opposite side of us!!
The show started with a bang and only got better! Lady Gaga went on first, then followed 30 minutes later by Natashca Bedingfield. At 9:00 pm, The Kids took to the stage to do their thing! I can't remember which song it was they were singing, but Jon took to the right side of the stage (which is the same place he always took back in the day) when suddenly I see him looking down and smiling at me (and I have a witness, who can verify this!)! I quickly snapped my camera & took the pic! Unfortunately, I had the stupid zoom on, so the pic came out blurry/distorted! I need to fix this so it doesn't happen to me again next month. By the way, my 2 nieces & I have Floor seats for the San Diego show. They don't know this, but our seats are right next to the BStage!! :) Boy, are they going to be in for a real treat!
I can't wait for Concert #3 & #4! And yesterday my friends & I got confirmation from a radio interview Danny did last week, that there WILL be a tour next summer! :) YEAH!! My friends & I cannot wait! I better start saving up my $$ now!
So that was my 2 night adventure with the New Kids on the Block! If you have never seen them in concert, go see them NOW! It's nothing like when we were teens, of course! If you don't have the new album/CD, go out and buy it NOW! The guys do sing a lot of their old songs, but you may catch them doing an old step or two too!
I'll leave you with a few spoilers from the shows I went to! Enjoy! :)
Today I was at school just minding my own business when I came across a nickel, so I picked it up. About an hour or so later, as I was on my way to the library, I looked down in front of me and noticed something green. Someone had dropped some cash on the ground, so I looked around me and picked up! I instantly placed it inside my purse without even counting it and continued walking. I thought I had found $11 because it was all wadded up. When I came home and took the money out of my purse, it turned out to be $15! Ok, this is the third best day of my life!
Again, I keep finding money and I'm intending that it means that only good things will be happening to me soon! I recently applied for a new job, which I didn't get, so I'm hoping that this is a sign that either something I wanted is just around the corner or that it'll be coming to me in the near future! Only time will tell and I'm trying to think positive thoughts all the way through.
Let's help this good fortune will help me get some solo FACE TIME with The Block on Thursday, at Concert #1 because I'll be competing for FACE TIME with Jon, Donnie, Danny, Jordan, and Joey on Friday, at Concert #2, with about 199 Blockheads! :(
Yesterday morning as I left my Journalism class, I stopped by this little hut at my school that sells snacks. As I approached the cashier, this woman in a black trench coat, who seemed rather strange to begin with, asked me, "What Victoria Secret perfume are you wearing?" I looked at her and replied, "I'm not wearing any perfume!" After I said this, she proceeds to get a closer to me and takes a wiff! I can't believe how STRANGE this woman was! First I thought she was just hanging around campus and had no where to go, but it turns out she is a student. I hope I never run into her again!
The countdown begins TODAY for NKOTB Concert Week! Just 6 more days until Concert #1, which is Thursday, and Concert #2 is on Friday, which is actually the day I get to reunite with Jonathan again! All I'll say is that NO one better get in my way of asking him for a hug! Oh, and if he wants to give me a kiss, I won't shy away or say no! ;) Hey, he gave away one or two pecks on the cheek to some Canadian fans, so hopefully he'll still have some more LOVE left in him for this Cali girl! So excited! Details to follow next weekend! :)
A few weeks ago, my Journalism instructor told us that we'd be having a guest speaker come in to our class. She said that before his arrival, we'd get into two groups and would work together on asking him questions. One group would take on the task of asking him professional questions, while the other group was going to ask him more personal questions. I got stuck in the group where we asked the personal questions. Mind you, I'm one of three students, who happens to be older than everyone else there, so I got stuck with someone close to my age and a bunch of young 20somethings! I actually contributed two questions, which two of my classmates were going to ask the guest speaker.
Alas, last Thursday, our guest speaker, J, who is a reporter for the major newspaper in my area, came in to our class. As he walked towards where I sat, he said to me, "You look familiar." I, who's actually a little rusty at practicing my flirting skills, mumbled something like, "I don't think so." Honestly, I am good at remembering faces and I think I would've remembered if I had met him before! Ok, let's just say that he's not bad to look at! ;)
So J takes a chair within arms reach of me and the other group starts questioning him first. They asked pretty decent questions about his career as a reporter and the stories he's covered. After about 20 minutes, it was now my group's turn to ask him more personal questions. As I said before, I was in arms reach of him, so I could've easily volunteered to ask the questions, but two younger classmates took turns asking him things that I actually would've liked to have asked, which are: What is your status (Single or Married) and do you have kids? So sad to say this, but he is married and has two kids! Oh well. Also, they asked him his age (he's 41. Hmm...that's still fairly young!) and what inspired him to get into this career (I actually submitted this question to my group, but the wording got changed around)? The poor guy had a bout of laryngitis, but we could easily understand or hear his responses. I just started rolling my eyes when it was my group's turn and when my classmates started asking him the off-the-wall, outlandish questions like: How much did your jacket cost? Do you prefer boxers or briefs? And which Harry Potter book is your favorite? I know my classmates were just having some fun, but sometimes you have to be serious.
Overall, I think J did a pretty good job at being interrogated by us would-be reporters/writers. Class was now over and as I was gathering my belongings to leave, he asked if I knew where such-and-such department was and I told him I'd take him there. Hey, I'm gracious to show any cute reporter guy, who doesn't know his way around, where he needs to go. Besides, I work on-campus and I know it like the back of my hand! Anyway, as we approached the elevator, he told me again that I looked familiar. He asked me about my family & I told him I had two siblings and that they both worked in the public sector. I even mentioned my brother's name, not like it would mean anything, but my brother can be pretty outspoken! So I made idle conversation with him {under normal circumstances & when meeting someone new, I don't usually do this, especially if it's a cute guy} about the fact that he dropped out of college. He said he did it because of the enormous loans he had. However, he was very lucky to get into his line of work without a degree. He told us that that he used to work for another newspaper several years ago, which got him "his foot in the door."
As we walked towards the other side of campus, we just started talking about random stuff that had to do with his line of work and then we talked about my instructor & her classes. I then mentioned what my major was and minor things about my background. He asked if I knew another language or if I had a family (i.e. spouse or children), in which I answered yes and no. He said that those things right there are a step-up and/or advantages I have. In other words, I could easily get into any career I wanted to and live just about anywhere [I told him I was anxious to move out of my area, eventually]. I briefly mentioned the article I got published and the fact that I'm interning at the publication. I told him that I have a few assignments to write for class and that I may have the opportunity to write another story or two for the publication I'm working at. He actually gave me a tip on a story that hasn't been covered--not even by his newspaper--that I could easily market to several publications under the business category.
Well, we finally arrived to his destination, which was inside the building next to my work. This is where I thanked him for coming to speak to our class and that's when I asked him for his business card. Then he thanked me for showing him where he needed to go and I told him I'd definitely be in touch.
I plan on e-mailing J as soon as I have some time to do so. I was just happy to have met someone new and who shares my similar interest or background, who I could possibly network with in the future. This whole networking thing is still sort of new and tough for me. I've always been a little on the shy side, but am gradually working on getting better. Also, my immediate area is really not the best place to do any networking. Ideally, I'm hoping to meet more people either through the publication I'm at or through friends.
Right now my mind is on finishing up a paper for my class and then starting on another assignment, which I'm not looking forward to. In the midst of it all, I've got other things on my plate and still have faith that everything will get done!
I was lucky to find a little bit of money on the ground just recently. Ok, so it wasn't like I found a $20 bill like I did a few years back when I visited Knott's Berry Farm in So Cal. Anyway, one day last week, I found a penny on the street at school. And yes, I am not ashamed to pick up a penny because I don't care how much it's worth! A penny is a penny afterall. So then the next day, I had to go buy some groceries. When I came out of the store, I noticed three shiny coins in my path. Immediately, I picked up a quarter, which was then followed by two dimes. As I looked a little further, I saw a penny too, so I picked it up!
It's funny that I'm suddenly "falling into money." You see, several years ago, I had this dream where I crossed the street to my neighbor's house and saw all these coins (I'm talking lots here) lying on the ground. As I went to pick one or two up, suddenly more started appearing. I've never been superstitiuous or anything, but I wonder if the fact that I've been finding money (i.e. coins) means that I might be coming in to some good fortune soon! In the last few months, I've been trying to put all my positive energy into everything I do, especially after having been in a funk earlier this year. Whatever it means to have found this real small fortune, I have faith that something good will come out of it.
Speaking of good fortune, I got evaluated at work last week and it went well. In fact, I got a 40 cent raise!! I know it isn't much, but at least it's something. After the evaluation, my supervisor asked if I wanted to add anything. I briefly mentioned one or two things that had bothered me when I first started, but for the most part didn't have any complaints. However, I told her that as much as I enjoy working here, I need to be making more money. She agreed that what they pay me is definitely not enough. She said that she would assist me if she heard of any new openings that become available in other departments.
Well today when I arrived at work, my supervisor told me about a job that just opened up in another department. I read the description and found that this job is right up my alley and it pays very close to what I was making before. My supervisor, as well as my co-workers, actually thought I'd be a perfect fit since it involves writing and because my major falls into a similar category. We'll see what happens!
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I've been a little occupied, but I was also trying to gather my thoughts so that I can put them into words. You see, a dream of mine finally came true on August 28th! And btw, the above pic was not taken by me. It was taken at another event in NY a few days later.
Here's my story of my 3-day excursion in Burbank, where my friend & I were on a mission to meet our favorite group and to meet my crush! I'm trying to remember every little detail so that I don't leave anything out. I'll just say that it was all a blur because it happened so fast! Oh, and if you've read my blogs, you know by now that I sometimes write novels!
On August 27th, my friend M--who I hadn't seen since we graduated high school (but who I've known since grade school)--and I left our area at about 5:30 am and didn't arrive in Burbank until 1:30 pm. Needless to say, we drove for 8 hours & we were tired, but again, we were on a mission! We went to check-in at our hotel was & then we went to scope out the Best Buy, which was about 1 mile from our hotel, and where the event would be taking place. All was quiet and no one was in line--yet. I was going to call 2 new friends to let them know I was already in town, but decided to wait because they were both at work and I knew M and I would find something to do in La-La land. We ended up driving to Santa Monica and were caught in traffic (just a typical day for Los Angelenos) on the freeway. As we drove, my new friend, L, called me to see if I wanted to meet her and her mother-in-law for dinner. Unfortunately, M & I had already made plans, so I asked if we could take a raincheck. We ended up going to Santa Monica Pier & hung out there for about an hour or so.
I decided to play tour guide, so we ended up heading in to Hollywood. M had never been to the Griffith Observatory, so we made our way there. The observatory has been seen in many movies and was most visible in the 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean and (one of) my favorite actresses, Natalie Wood. After making it up the hill, we couldn't find any parking (the lot was full), so we just parked M's car on the side of the road and decided to check out the (smoggy) view of LA & the Hollywood Hills. As we were making our way downhill, I received a text message from my friend J and she tells me that there's about 40 people already lined up. Then I get a call from L telling me there's more people starting to line up! Ok, so there's no way we're coming back in the early morning, so we're going to have to camp out!! We hurried up & left Hollywood for Burbank (which is about a 15 min drive), got some stuff from our hotel room and then arrived @ the Best Buy a few minutes later, at around 8:00 pm. The camp out gave me the opportunity to finally meet my fellow Blockheads, who I had been corresponding with over the Net.
A new friend named T was going to fly in Wednesday evening, so I called her when I found out that people were starting to camp out. She said she'd contact me when she got in. At this point, we didn't have anywhere to sit & we forgot to bring our lawn chairs from home, so M walked to Target & bought two chairs. T finally arrived by cab to where we were sitting & we started chatting about different things, but the majority of the conversation was about the New Kids & how many people we thought were already here. I think there was close to 150-200 by maybe 11:00 pm. I think others started dwindling in in the wee hours to get in line.
So all of us pretty much got maybe like 3-4 hours of sleep and it was a very cold Thursday morning. And I'm usually very good at being prepared, but didn't realize that it gets cold in the San Fernando Valley just like it gets cold in my area. I thought to myself, "I can do this and make it 'til 10:00 am," which is when Best Buy was opening to give away 500 wristbands and lanyards/laminates. So 14 hours later, we make our way inside the store and found out that the regular CD would cost us $10 + tax, so we all made our purchases. Then we come to find out that we would have to come back in-person on Tuesday to pick-up your CD. Um, hello, we can't do this because we're going driving back home tomorrow/Friday. We immediately talked to the store manager & asked her if we could just pick up our CDs at our nearest Best Buy store & show them our receipts. She said we could try, but it wasn't guaranteed that we'd receive our CDs. What a bunch of crock! They definitely have some stupid store policies! I don't know why I just didn't ask one of my L.A. friends to mail me the CDs (ok, so the lack of sleep and exhaustion got to my brain). Anyway, so M asked this nice Blockhead, who had camped out right behind us, if she could mail us the CDs (she lives in the L.A. area). She obliged, which we were grateful for! Oh, and it turns out there's 3 versions of the new CD and yes, I wound up with all 3 somehow!
By now, it's probably about 10:30 or 11:00 am, so we decide to go have some breakfast since we really didn't have much time to eat the night before and we were so exhausted! We had a hard time finding a place to eat in Burbank & were relying on my friend, Garmin GPS, to help! After brunch, T, M and I headed back to our hotel rooms & planned on resting for a bit. The girls ended up taking a nap, but for some reason or another, I wasn't able to take one. Maybe it was because I was feeling anxious/nervous of what was going to happen within the next few hours. I ended up going downstairs by the pool & decided to re-write the letter I had always intended on giving to Jonathan if I ever got the chance to meet him. It was NOT a love letter. It was a letter basically saying thank you for having appeared on Oprah in 2001 to discuss his problems with panic attacks/anxiety. I don't know if he knows this, but he's inspired others to seek help and/or ways to deal with their own problems. I can totally relate to what he went through since I've also suffered with anxiety since childhood. I didn't really suffer from panic attacks persay, but I've always been a nervous/anxious person, which I believe stems from some traumatic experiences I endured.
So we agreed that we were going to head down to Best Buy at 7:00 pm, which was the time the signing was to start. We sort of wanted them to "save the best for last", so that's why we got in back of the line. A few minutes later, T & M went inside the store because T had to get a sticker placed on her camera so they'd know it was her own personal camera that she brought in. Well, they were gone for about 20 mins and I began wondering what happened to them. Then M calls me and says to get my butt inside the store immediately because the guys are making their way into the store from the back entrance and they want to see them come in! So I hurried past the crowd, where the line was around the entire store, and entered inside. I was trying to look inconspicuous, even though I tried hiding my (old) NKOTB poster book.
At one point, I heard Donnie was stuck in the men's restroom for like 10 mins because there was just so many people inside the store trying to see him. They'd bring him down one aisle & then would have to retreat down another one. Unfortunately, I couldn't see much because I'm height challenged, but I managed a few peeks here & there. About 15-20mins later, you finally see the guys making their way towards the table. Despite there being tons of people there, I was able to take a good shot of Donnie, who was immediately followed by Danny. Then you see Joey making his way, who was immediately followed by Jordan. However, as Jon made his way, I wasn't able to get a clear shot of him alone (so many dang people). :( Then we decided it was time for us to go back outside & get in line again.
L.A.'s KIIS-fm was filming the crowd inside and outside the store, after having interviewed the guys just mins ago. I found the video, which I've posted here! Look out for someone holding a poster book with a pic of the guys in tuxedos. Yep, that's me behind the book (at 2:55)! Also, some woman interviewed me and a few other people and told us she would post it on youtellconcerts.com. When I finally found the video link, I noticed my interview--as well as another girl's interview--were left on the cutting room floor. Oh well. There goes my 2 minutes of fame!
At various times, the Kids' bodyguard, Robo, comes out with a few Best Buy & Interscope Records employees to count the number of fans left in line. They made sure we held up our laminates and wristbands & made it clear that no one was going to get in back of the line twice. There were a few people who thought it'd be clever to do this and did! Robo said something like if we all behaved or played by the rules, then the guys would "show us some love"! ;) Here's the actual play-by-play of my encounter with the Five Bad Brothers from Beantown land:
I was trying to take as many pics as I could, but there were just so many people in line & everyone was in my way, so it was impossible to snap some decent photos of each guy, especially Jon. As I'm waiting in line, I noticed this familiar looking face to the right of me and sitting not too far from Jon. It was his mother (Marlene)! I really wanted to say something to her like, "Thank you for giving birth to this gorgeous man" {J/K!}, but I didn't because I felt like I'd be holding up the line. Heck, I should've just said something to her and then made my way towards the very back! I also saw this blond-haired guy sitting next to Jon and it turned out it was his nephew (Matthew), who turned into a fine, young man.
Anyway, so it didn't dawn on me to pull out my camera phone or my digital camera as I waited in line because I figured all these people would be in my way. Well, now I find myself right in front of my crush, Jonathan Knight!! He looks right up at me, says hello, smiles and then shakes my hands. Can I just say that this man is so HOT!! I didn't want to let go of his hand! This was about the time that I should've asked for a hug {Note to self: next time--and there will be a next time--ask him politely for a hug!}, but I didn't. Of course I forgot to introduce myself, but I handed him the Thank You card with a short 2 page letter and my business card inside, and told him that this was to thank him for something he did [as explained in a previous paragraph] a few years back. The letter basically explained how I could relate to what he's experienced for years & that he's inspired others--like myself--to seek help or a way to deal with our own issues. I really wanted to lean forward so that I could hear him clearly, but it was way too loud inside & there were just so many people around. I felt like if I had really leaned in, I'd be invading his space. So he took my Thank You card & put it inside his jacket pocket (where his sweaty chest would be touching it). Then I handed him my poster book & he signed his photo. The pic that one of the BB employees took of us really made my (k)night and year!!
So then I make my way towards Jordan & he looks up and smiles & signs my book. I really wanted to say something to him like, "Nice seeing you again" {I met him back in Dec. '05 when he performed near my hometown}, but I didn't think he'd remember this encounter, so I didn't say anything except hello & shook his hand. Then I made my way towards Joey, who has those piercing (baby) blue eyes! He's looking for his pic in the poster book & when he finds it, he says something to Jordan and pokes fun of their hairstyles from back then. As Joey's signing my book, Danny leans forward & signs his pic. I then move over in front of Danny and wait for him to look up. When he does, I asked him how he was doing & he asks me the same question! I think I might've said thank you to him, but I don't remember! After I shook Danny's hand, then Joey looks up towards me, shakes my hand too, and then smiles.
Finally, I make my way towards Donnie, who was sitting at the opposite end. And yes, I got some "FACE TIME" (if you're not already a Blockhead, 'get your mind right' and look it up) with him! Donnie has clearly stated that he wants to give quality time to all the fans! I didn't think what happened next was going to happen because all I was thinking about was what I'd say to Jon, but not much came out of me since I was so mesmerized by his hazel eyes & smile! Anyway, I said to Donnie something like, "Thank you for everything" and he leans over to let me give him a hug & then he moves his face towards mine and let's me give him a peck on his right cheek, which I NEVER expected to do! If I knew I was going to do this, I'd have actually given Jon the peck! LOL :) There's just something about Jon & Donnie that makes you smile and want to be surrounded by their presence!! ;) In fact, I hear Danny's a really nice guy too! And those "guns" he's carrying around these days! Wow! Actually, all the guys have been working out in preparation for the tour and they all look HOT!
As soon as the event was over, my friends and I went to the back of the building because we knew the guys were going to come out that way. Some other girls were peeking through the store's back window and notice the guys are ready to leave. As the white van pulls out at about 11:00 pm-ish or so, we all wave bye to the guys (mind you, we can't see them clearly because it's dark outside & the windows are tinted) and they're off. We noticed a couple other women drive off, who began following the van carrying the guys. As this is happening, we ran into Donnie's assistant, who said what these women did was so wrong. Well, it was too late and we all know that they were just living out their childhood/teenage fantasy. As soon as we left, T asked if we wanted to drive to Pasadena to grab a late meal with a few of her friends/co-workers, who were also at this event. Little did we know that we had more in common with T's friends!
Well, it's now 7:30 am on Friday and M and I only got 5 hours of sleep each. M decides to check her email on her laptop and notices a new message that Donnie has posted. It's the guys' first video blog (ok, so they're actually reading the comments we leave on the community boards), so we watched it. We heard Joey & Donnie "invite" the fans to come down to the rehearsal studios to watch them rehearse. So I got this idea to go over there after brunch to see if perhaps they were still there (the blog was taped the day of the Burbank event, but wasn't released until the next day/Friday).
We finally headed over there about noonish & to "stalk"…oops, I mean look for the guys. Hey, after all, they did invite us! So before we headed to their rehearsal studio, we went back to Best Buy & were literally standing in front of 3 TVs (at the store's entrance) for 30 mins just mesmerized by the footage on the screen, which we later find out is on the DVD that came with the Deluxe Edition CD. For those who don't have the CD, you can probably find this footage on YouTube! So we proceeded to park out in front of the studio & waited for about 45 mins. We didn't see anyone, so we drove to the back of the studio & noticed the white van the guys left in after the Burbank. T asked this one guy who worked there if the guys were rehearsing & he said yes, in Soundstage One.
So 45 mins eventually turned into 2 1/2 hours. While waiting, I just kept thinking that they're probably not here, so T went to go ask another guy, who was coming out of the soundstage she was told they were in, and he told us that the guys finished up yesterday and the only person who was rehearsing there now was singer Lindsey Buckingham (from Fleetwood Mac fame). We got conflicting stories. We even pulled into the soundstages across the street, but saw no one. Our hotel room was so close to the rehearsal studio that we could've probably have gone over there on Wed. or Thurs. & could've met the guys if I had remembered the name of the studio! If only I had taken the info with me! After we left, I totally felt like "Marcia Brady" in that episode of the Brady Bunch when she went to the studio to find Davy Jones of The Monkees (one of my other favorite groups) & wanted him to sing at her prom, but she missed him because he had taped the show the day before.
This is finally the end of my story. Wish I could've chatted with Jon more. I had this whole speech planned out of what I was going to say or talk to him about, but then I drew a blank. :) He definitely doesn't know the power he has over women! I'm so excited for October!
One last thing. I really didn't give it much thought that the guys would ever reunite. I mean, after having watched VH1's Band Reunited episode 4 years ago, I just didn't think this would ever happen. Regardless, I just wanted to say that I'm glad The Block is back and I'm grateful that these guys have brought many more Blockheads into my life! I heard a rumor that they may be coming out with another album next year & possibly a summer tour. If this is all true, then you know my friends and I will be there! But for now, enjoy the video and see if you can spot me! ;)
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been a little occupied. I had something happen to me about 3 weeks ago that I can't wait to share with you! Also, there are a few other things happening around me right now and will tell you all about it very soon, so stay tuned. But in the meantime, I'm going to leave you with some clues: NKOTB, money and networking with a cute journalist! ;)
Well, my life just keeps getting so unpredictable. Let me just recap what's happened to me in the last few weeks.
Almost two weeks ago, I made an appointment for my first mammogram. I actually tried to get one done a few years back, but they told me that I was still too young (bless their hearts) & that I should return in about five years. So I went ahead & made the dreaded appointment.
I went in for the scheduled appointment & was told my results would be mailed to me in one week. Well, the following day, as I left work & was about to head home, I retrieved a voicemail left by someone from the Radiology dept in the next city. She's calling because they want me to schedule another appointment so that I can come in for some additional tests. I immediately called them & as I was placed on hold, I started tearing up. The first person I thought of was my cousin, who passed away from breast cancer in October 2006. I made the appointment for the following Tuesday and hung up. I then called my mother and immediately started crying. She told me not to worry because we wouldn't know anything until they ran more tests.
It's now Tuesday, the day of my 2nd appointment. The woman who's examining me showed me my X-rays & said that some blotchy spot had showed up on my left breast and often times it'll go away after a second mammogram is done. She took about 3 - 4 X-rays and then told me to wait outside. No less than 5 minutes later, a young woman walks toward me & tells me there is nothing to worry about, that the spot is gone and that I don't have to come back for another year. Boy, was I relieved! Those few days leading up to my 2nd appointment were nerve wracking for me. I couldn't sleep the night before my appointment. I'm grateful to God that everything is good and that I am alright.
So my summer is finally coming to an end, which means no more fun time. Well, actually, that's not true. I go back to school on August 19th, so now I have to put on the student hat & "hit the books" again. Also, I'll be starting my internship with the publication that published my article back in May. I will be very busy for the most part, but I will be taking plenty of time during this semster to "come up for air"! First thing on my list is a mini trip to La-La Land!
I've recently made some new friends thanks to another social networking site. Well, these new friends are what I call "Blockheads"! Blockhead is a term used for people, who love the music & anything related to New Kids on the Block. Last week, we found out that NKOTB will be doing a live performance & an autograph signing at the Best Buy in Burbank on August 28th!
The "old" me would've said that I wasn't going to be able to make the New Kids event because 1) I have school, 2) I have to work, and 3) I'm going to be starting my internship. Well, the "new" me says that I'm able to get time off from work, I'm missing one day of (two) classes, and my internship doesn't start until Sept. 10th; therefore, me & my friend Maria--who I've known since grade school--will be driving down to L.A. on the 27th to meet up with my fellow Blockheads! :) I'm really excited about this trip!! I haven't been to LA in about six years & I always have fun in this city! I'm generally not the type of person who just takes off & does something like this. I'm a planner, but I couldn't wait until October!! Besides, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to finally meet my crush after 20 years, under some not-so strict circumstances!
Some good things are happening to me and I am feeling very happy and healthy! I guess that vision board is really working. :) Life is good and I hope it stays like this for a while longer!
Finally, I will leave you with 2 funny interviews of The Kids from this summer:
