It’s quite funny to think back on the differences between being a NKOTB fan the first time around and now. For instance, we used to have to actually sleep outside to get tickets for things. Word of mouth was usually how you found things out, not twitter or the internet. And the media had a strong disdain for our five bad brothers from the Beantown land. They had been compared to Milli Vanelli and were routinely thought of as puppets. However, one individual in the media always gave the guys a forum and supported them as artists – Arsenio Hall.
Arsenio was the “cool” late night guy, way before late night guys were hip and current. He catered to a different demographic, one very similar to NKOTB. So it made sense that the guys would appear on his show multiple times. One appearance in particular was more significant than the others. On February 5, 1992, the New Kids on the Block took time out of their World Tour to fly from Australia to LA to defend themselves against lip synching allegations. Now it had been a year since we had seen them, so when sources in LA leaked that they would not only appear on Arsenio but that he would devote the entire show to them, we knew we had to go to support them.
We drove from San Francisco to Hollywood three days prior to the show because we knew the line for tickets would be long. We arrived at the studio to find only a handful of other fans ahead of us. We were in a good position, now we just had to live on the streets for three days! On the second day, representatives from the show came outside and asked us to go home and come back on the day of the show. They offered us a deal. If we went to a taping of another show on their lot, they would let us have early and guaranteed access to Arsenio. We jumped at the chance.
On the day of the appearance, we were led to a separate line and got seated first inside the studio. We ended up in the second row, right on the aisle – perfect seats. During his monologue, Arsenio took note of our shirts. We had given Donnie (and Danny) shirts the previous year that said “NKOTB Still Kickin Ass”. The shirts were inspired by the guy’s performance on the American Music Awards in 1991 where they debuted the remixed rap for Games. Danny had even worn the shirt on their previous Arsenio appearance in 1991. Needless to say, they became our standard uniform at NKOTB-related events. So when Arsenio saw them, he came right into the crowd to talk to us. Our friend Linda is the one he spoke to and she represented all the “older” fans quite well. And by older, I mean fans who were actually the same age as the guys!
She spoke eloquently and defended the guys citing examples and reasoning refuting the accusations, something I’m sure the mainstream media never anticipated. Arsenio was literally right next to us. It was definitely a surreal moment. He moved on throughout the crowd and even spoke to Maurice Starr (their former manager). They went to the commercial break and we all started to get antsy. We KNEW the guys were up next.
They performed Whatcha Gonna Do About It and Danny managed to send a not-so-subtle message to the naysayers by grabbing his crotch. It was clear from the start of the song that the guys were amped up. They were there to prove themselves even though they already had more commercial success than practically any other band at the time. It was obvious they were “really” singing throughout the performance. Donnie even injected a new rap, written on the plane, to specifically answer the allegations. That addition elevated their energy and ours. They segued into The Right Stuff which brought the audience to another level of hysteria.
The studio was buzzing but we all had to calm ourselves because the guys were there to speak, defend themselves, “justify their careers, and save their dignity”. We needed to let them have that forum while trying to contain our enthusiasm.
Arsenio had a good time teasing the guys with past performance clips but he also gave them the platform and latitude to tell their side of the controversy. We could tell there was a certain level of frustration for the fact that they even had to answer the claims, but at the same time these were guys who grew up having to fight for everything they had. There was no way they were going to take this lying down. So they told the real story of who made the allegations and explained it was all about money. When you’re at the top, people want a piece of the pie. As anyone who had seen their show then (or now), you know they’re singing live; bad notes are hit, they forget lines, new ones are ad-libbed and it’s a spontaneous production. They are there to entertain and they’ve had to use backing tracks for certain things but they are always singing live.
They ended the show by performing If You Go Away, the first time a U.S. audience had heard it live as ironic as that sounds. As further proof of their side of the argument, some of the vocals were a bit pitchy. Completely understandable as they had just flown half way around the world.
The fans left the taping with a deep and profound sense of pride for all of the guys. And there was no doubt that the allegations were warped and unfounded. It was unfortunate that they had to go to the lengths they did to defend themselves, but at least they had an ally in Arsenio who provided the avenue for them to set the record straight.
Here is a video of the opening of the show! He starts to talk to our friend at 3:10. You can see both Krystal and I during his interview with her! Krystal is right next to her! Yikes we were young!!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Am I really cruising???
Two weeks until the 3rd annual NKOTB cruise and I am actually going to be on the boat this time!!! Hard to believe it is almost here! Even harder to believe Krys and I will be sailing this time!
Cruise #1 - when we first heard about this back in 2009 we laughed and thought this thing was gonna suck. Even Jon (at the time of talking to him about it) wasn't very excited about going. We laughed, made jokes, etc... THEN the cruise happened and it turned out that everyone, including Jon, had an amazing time and loved it! Soooooo, now we were pissed at ourselves and had to get on that damn boat!
Cruise #2 - we were all ready to go! Krys, who is the expert computer guru, getting all of our tickets and such in the past, was going to be in Australia when the tickets went on sale, so it was now up to me to book this cruise! Since I don't use credit, I had all of Krys' info with me and ready to go. Well, this is the year of the effed up computer system and problems galore. I was on the computer forever trying to book the cruise. Hours and hours! I finally got through, put in all the info, hit the button, and waited and waited and waited and finally got confirmation that it went through! Or so I thought :( Turns out Krys' credit card was not approved because it was being used in Australia at the same time it was being used in the US. A big red flag for the credit card company. So, alas, we did not get a ticket on the boat. I actually cried. We got on the waiting list. And waited and waited and waited. They finally called us in like March of 2010, but we ended up declining. The wind had been taken out of our sails and we just thought, forget it. Then we had to endure all of the tweets and posts about how awesome the 2nd cruise was. And so it was decided that we would get on that third cruise come hell or high water!!!
Cruise #3 - We were bound and determined to get on this boat. We spent hours and hours flip flopping about what cabin choice we wanted, how much we should or should not spend, etc... We were driving ourselves nuts up until the day we were going to buy tickets. At the appointed time Krys got on the computer (I was on the phone with her at the time), she was super nervous, but low and behold, she click click clicked and all of the sudden we were on the boat? WTF? Had that just really happened? And that fast? She called and made sure the charges went through on her card and YES WE WERE ON THE BOAT!!!
Getting ready for the cruise - so as all of this is happening, I get laid off from my job. Not the best timing, but with teaching baton and unemployment insurance I was going to make this work! The plan was to not buy anything new for this cruise, I was just going to wear clothes I already had, etc... I would only buy a few things that I might need. I wouldn not worry about the theme nights at all, shoot I wasn't even going to particiate in them!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I turned into a crazy person, albeit, a frugal crazy person!
I ended up buying a new bathing suit and cover up, new shorts and t's, some flip flops, a floppy hat, a dress (although I needed that for a wedding anyway) and a bunch of other crap! Then the themes were announced and I again became a crazy person, deciding to participate in all 4. I justified buying the PJ's by telling myself I could use those for many many years to come after! For Red Carpet I would just wear the dress I already bought for the wedding (which I am)! For pink night I only bought a new shirt and finally for 80's didn't go to overbaord just got a shirt and made some neon bracelets!
I went to Wal Mart and Target and bought all kinds of stuff like sunscreen, shampoo, etc... Of course in total sent way more than I had planned, but I can use everything I bought all summer long, so that is good right???
So now it's two weeks away and I am super excited and can't wait! I not only get to see my 5 favorite guys, but I get to see so many wonderful women that I have met over the last 3 years! This is going to be a trip of a lifetime!!!
More to come after the cruise!
Cruise #1 - when we first heard about this back in 2009 we laughed and thought this thing was gonna suck. Even Jon (at the time of talking to him about it) wasn't very excited about going. We laughed, made jokes, etc... THEN the cruise happened and it turned out that everyone, including Jon, had an amazing time and loved it! Soooooo, now we were pissed at ourselves and had to get on that damn boat!
Cruise #2 - we were all ready to go! Krys, who is the expert computer guru, getting all of our tickets and such in the past, was going to be in Australia when the tickets went on sale, so it was now up to me to book this cruise! Since I don't use credit, I had all of Krys' info with me and ready to go. Well, this is the year of the effed up computer system and problems galore. I was on the computer forever trying to book the cruise. Hours and hours! I finally got through, put in all the info, hit the button, and waited and waited and waited and finally got confirmation that it went through! Or so I thought :( Turns out Krys' credit card was not approved because it was being used in Australia at the same time it was being used in the US. A big red flag for the credit card company. So, alas, we did not get a ticket on the boat. I actually cried. We got on the waiting list. And waited and waited and waited. They finally called us in like March of 2010, but we ended up declining. The wind had been taken out of our sails and we just thought, forget it. Then we had to endure all of the tweets and posts about how awesome the 2nd cruise was. And so it was decided that we would get on that third cruise come hell or high water!!!
Cruise #3 - We were bound and determined to get on this boat. We spent hours and hours flip flopping about what cabin choice we wanted, how much we should or should not spend, etc... We were driving ourselves nuts up until the day we were going to buy tickets. At the appointed time Krys got on the computer (I was on the phone with her at the time), she was super nervous, but low and behold, she click click clicked and all of the sudden we were on the boat? WTF? Had that just really happened? And that fast? She called and made sure the charges went through on her card and YES WE WERE ON THE BOAT!!!
Getting ready for the cruise - so as all of this is happening, I get laid off from my job. Not the best timing, but with teaching baton and unemployment insurance I was going to make this work! The plan was to not buy anything new for this cruise, I was just going to wear clothes I already had, etc... I would only buy a few things that I might need. I wouldn not worry about the theme nights at all, shoot I wasn't even going to particiate in them!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I turned into a crazy person, albeit, a frugal crazy person!
I ended up buying a new bathing suit and cover up, new shorts and t's, some flip flops, a floppy hat, a dress (although I needed that for a wedding anyway) and a bunch of other crap! Then the themes were announced and I again became a crazy person, deciding to participate in all 4. I justified buying the PJ's by telling myself I could use those for many many years to come after! For Red Carpet I would just wear the dress I already bought for the wedding (which I am)! For pink night I only bought a new shirt and finally for 80's didn't go to overbaord just got a shirt and made some neon bracelets!
I went to Wal Mart and Target and bought all kinds of stuff like sunscreen, shampoo, etc... Of course in total sent way more than I had planned, but I can use everything I bought all summer long, so that is good right???
So now it's two weeks away and I am super excited and can't wait! I not only get to see my 5 favorite guys, but I get to see so many wonderful women that I have met over the last 3 years! This is going to be a trip of a lifetime!!!
More to come after the cruise!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Adventure #3 London - Part 4
Today is our last show in the UK. Time has flown by!! We have a busy day today. We have to get to Heathrow, rent a car and drive a few hours north to Sheffield.
We get up pretty darn early and just brush our teeth and throw on some clothes. I have a headband in my hair and am looking just oh so pretty! We catch the tube to Heathrow and rent a car. We get GPS so we don’t get lost and we end up going the wrong way out of the airport and we drive for about 20 minutes the opposite way of London! We turn around and get on track! We hit the city and traffic is a nightmare. I am not sure how Krystal managed to navigate her way through, but she did! We didn’t get to the hotel til almost noon, so we were way behind schedule now.
Krystal went in to check out and I was hanging outside by the car, since she basically just pulled up to the front door! LOL! I am just standing there all alone, when Jon comes walking out of the hotel. He heads down the sidewalk, then sees me and turns and walks into the street to greet me! Oh yay! I am tired, haven’t showered, and I’m grumpy from lack of food and caffeine and here is Jon opening his arms for a hug! YIKES! I hug him then we talk for a few minutes and he heads off to Starbucks! It was crazy! I ran into the lobby to tell Krystal and she is like what is wrong with you? You look like you’re in shock. Um, I was! HAHAHAHAHA!
We get in the car and head towards Sheffield. I think it was supposed to take 2 hours, but we didn’t arrive at the hotel til 4. We had 5* so we got ready faster than we ever had before! We made it to 5* on time, barely. It seemed fairly small compared to the one at Hammersmith, which was cool! The girls at this 5* were all so nice and friendly. I met a few people from Scotland as well as England! And, I met Kelsie from Oregon! Turned out to be great as we became friends and spent more time together on other tours!
The meet & greet was pretty darn comical that night! Joe, Jon and I had quite a moment! Jon ended up whispering something in my ear, which almost made me faint. And the picture of me and Jon is funny as we are cracking up! That night I gave Jon a little Tube keychain as a present! I hope he kept it!!!
We had third row center seats, which were awesome! The show that night was great! At the end though, I was sad, as tomorrow it was time to go home.
BUT, there would be more adventures to come!
We get up pretty darn early and just brush our teeth and throw on some clothes. I have a headband in my hair and am looking just oh so pretty! We catch the tube to Heathrow and rent a car. We get GPS so we don’t get lost and we end up going the wrong way out of the airport and we drive for about 20 minutes the opposite way of London! We turn around and get on track! We hit the city and traffic is a nightmare. I am not sure how Krystal managed to navigate her way through, but she did! We didn’t get to the hotel til almost noon, so we were way behind schedule now.
Krystal went in to check out and I was hanging outside by the car, since she basically just pulled up to the front door! LOL! I am just standing there all alone, when Jon comes walking out of the hotel. He heads down the sidewalk, then sees me and turns and walks into the street to greet me! Oh yay! I am tired, haven’t showered, and I’m grumpy from lack of food and caffeine and here is Jon opening his arms for a hug! YIKES! I hug him then we talk for a few minutes and he heads off to Starbucks! It was crazy! I ran into the lobby to tell Krystal and she is like what is wrong with you? You look like you’re in shock. Um, I was! HAHAHAHAHA!
We get in the car and head towards Sheffield. I think it was supposed to take 2 hours, but we didn’t arrive at the hotel til 4. We had 5* so we got ready faster than we ever had before! We made it to 5* on time, barely. It seemed fairly small compared to the one at Hammersmith, which was cool! The girls at this 5* were all so nice and friendly. I met a few people from Scotland as well as England! And, I met Kelsie from Oregon! Turned out to be great as we became friends and spent more time together on other tours!
The meet & greet was pretty darn comical that night! Joe, Jon and I had quite a moment! Jon ended up whispering something in my ear, which almost made me faint. And the picture of me and Jon is funny as we are cracking up! That night I gave Jon a little Tube keychain as a present! I hope he kept it!!!
We had third row center seats, which were awesome! The show that night was great! At the end though, I was sad, as tomorrow it was time to go home.
BUT, there would be more adventures to come!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Adventure #3 - London part 3
The next day, Monday the 26th, was our sightseeing day. We said that no matter what we would go! We were pretty tired, but managed to get going about 11am. We head down the elevator and who do we run into in the lobby, Donnie Wahlberg! He was just coming in from who knows where! We took pics with him, then grabbed a cab.
We spent the day sightseeing. We took a double decker bus tour, which was very cool, we had some yummy Italian food and rode on the London Eye, which was amazing!!! We found a touristy gift shop and bought all kinds of London goodies! Then we hit up Starbucks and made our way back to the hotel! We are waiting for the elevator, when the doors open and who pops out??? Joe, Barrett and Griffin! We just say hi and go on up! We hang out for a bit in the room, then decide to do the Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was the original one and it was tiny!!! Dinner was good.
As we are making our way back up the street to the hotel, I see a tall guy in a leather coat. I immediately realize it’s Jordan!!! Krystal is freaking out. He is walking right towards us, so I say Hi Jordan can we take a picture? He said sure so Krystal goes to him. As she is fumbling for her camera she drops her wallet and he picks it up for her! She hands me the camera and I snap the pic. She grabs the camera from me and walks away! Jordan was walking towards me for a pic but she was already down the block! LMAO! I told him thanks and bye! It’s not often people run into Jordan so Krystal was freaking. She was shaking and trying to look at the pic. It was so funny!
We decided to sit in the lobby for a while just to see what we could see. Krystal got her laptop and we just hung out. First Donnie comes through and heads to the bar! Then Jordan comes in! He goes and sits in the lobby just a little bit away from us! All of a sudden Jon comes in! He recognizes us and says hello then he goes and sits with Jordan. Holy crap!
They are hanging out with Charlie and some other guy talking when all of a sudden I hear Jon’s voice and he is telling the guys about me and Krystal and the tube ride! OMG!!! It was funny to hear him talking about it! Eventually they both go upstairs and so do we. Tomorrow we have to go get a rental car at Heathrow and drive out to Sheffield for our final UK show!
We spent the day sightseeing. We took a double decker bus tour, which was very cool, we had some yummy Italian food and rode on the London Eye, which was amazing!!! We found a touristy gift shop and bought all kinds of London goodies! Then we hit up Starbucks and made our way back to the hotel! We are waiting for the elevator, when the doors open and who pops out??? Joe, Barrett and Griffin! We just say hi and go on up! We hang out for a bit in the room, then decide to do the Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was the original one and it was tiny!!! Dinner was good.
As we are making our way back up the street to the hotel, I see a tall guy in a leather coat. I immediately realize it’s Jordan!!! Krystal is freaking out. He is walking right towards us, so I say Hi Jordan can we take a picture? He said sure so Krystal goes to him. As she is fumbling for her camera she drops her wallet and he picks it up for her! She hands me the camera and I snap the pic. She grabs the camera from me and walks away! Jordan was walking towards me for a pic but she was already down the block! LMAO! I told him thanks and bye! It’s not often people run into Jordan so Krystal was freaking. She was shaking and trying to look at the pic. It was so funny!
We decided to sit in the lobby for a while just to see what we could see. Krystal got her laptop and we just hung out. First Donnie comes through and heads to the bar! Then Jordan comes in! He goes and sits in the lobby just a little bit away from us! All of a sudden Jon comes in! He recognizes us and says hello then he goes and sits with Jordan. Holy crap!
They are hanging out with Charlie and some other guy talking when all of a sudden I hear Jon’s voice and he is telling the guys about me and Krystal and the tube ride! OMG!!! It was funny to hear him talking about it! Eventually they both go upstairs and so do we. Tomorrow we have to go get a rental car at Heathrow and drive out to Sheffield for our final UK show!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Adventure #3 London - part 2
Today is our first 5* at the Hammersmith. We actually get up pretty early and are starved so we walk to the nearest Starbucks for food and caffeine! We just kind of chilled for a bit at Starbucks then head back. We have friends from London meeting us at the hotel so we have to get ready kind of early. As we were getting ready I never once thought about 5* and meeting Jon. It was kind of weird considering for two months I stressed out about it. But I think the excitement of being in London and getting ready to meet friends I’d only met on line, made me forget about it for a while!
Our friends arrive so we make our way down to the lobby of the hotel, which was swarming with fans. We found a bench to sit on right by the revolving door and just sort of waited and tried to figure out when we should leave for the show. We were talking and stuff when out of the corner of my eye I spot Jonathan walking towards the door. HOLY CRAP! You could tell he was in hurry and was looking at the ground, but I said hi to him anyway. He sort of turned and said hey and kept going. Poor guy almost crashed into the revolving door! I was so excited just to see him! I watched him walk right out of the hotel and head across the street and around the corner and thought to myself, holy shit, this is gonna happen and soon! He was all alone and no one followed him!
Krystal and I decided that we needed to leave, but our ride didn’t want to leave yet so we decided to take a cab to Hammersmith. THANK GOODNESS the bellman told us to take the Tube!! He said traffic would be bad. So we took off for the Tube station. As we approached the stairwell to take us underground, Krystal spotted Jon with a few fans. They were talking and he was smoking, so we just waited there. I, of course, started to freak out and Krystal quickly made me shut up! She later told me, she knew what was about to happen and didn’t want me effing it up! LMAO! I would have too if she hadn’t of practically slapped me!!! Jon finished his cigarette and started walking toward the stairwell near where he was smoking. We then headed down our stairwell and we ended up walking right in front of him. JONATHAN KNIGHT WAS FOLLOWING ME!!! LOL!!! He was chatting with some girls when I decided I just had to know why he was taking the Tube so I turned around and looked right at him and asked him why he was taking the tube by himself. He sort of giggled and said he needed to get out of the hotel. He said he felt claustrophobic and had to get out. I had a feeling no one knew he was doing this! He asked if anyone was going to the show and we told him we were and we would get him there safely! He said thanks and that he would follow us!
HOLY CRAP!!! Jon Knight is going to let us ride the train with him to the venue???? My brain could not comprehend this! Deep down inside I knew that I had to be cool as a cucumber so as to not screw up this amazing opportunity. Is this really about to happen????
We get to the ticket area and poor Jon didn't know what to do, so Krystal grabbed his arm and led him over to the ticket machine to help him by his ticket. Imagine standing there and seeing your best friend and your favorite New Kid huddled together trying to figure out how to buy a ticket! According to Krystal, Jon was impatient about buying what he needed and ended up buying a full day pass ticket. His last coin wouldn't work in the machine so Krystal gave him one and he handed his to her. She put it in her pocket. I couldn’t see any of what they were doing. All I could see were their asses!!! LOL!
They finish up and we head to the gates. As we are walking, Jon says that we don’t sound like we are from London and asks where we are from. I tell him California and he looks shocked. I said that I came all the way to London to meet him! You should have seen the look on his face! I hoped I hadn't scared him too much!
We took a long escalator down to the platform and just kind of made nervous chit chat. I think I told him I wouldn’t kidnap him! YIKES! I was still in a state of shock, but somehow managed to ask him for a picture. He was so sweet about it. He led me over to the Hyde Park tube sign so it would be in the picture with us! I’m still not sure how I was managing to function normally, or at least semi-normally. Krystal kept looking at me funny too, like don’t screw this up by becoming a blubbering fool! LOL
The train came and the three of us got on. I was standing right next to him and Krystal was across from him. Holy crap Jon Knight is right next to me!!! It is a tad bit awkward at first. Krystal sort of broke the ice by introducing herself to him. He repeated her name, which was so cute! Then he looked at me and I told him my name and he repeated it. WHOA! Jon Knight just said TINAH!!! We ended up chatting for the whole 20 minute ride. And I think I touched his arm at least 50 times! I think I couldn’t believe he was really there and just had to keep touching him. He must have thought I was a freak!
Once we got off the tube, we had to figure out how to get up to the arena! First I asked him to take a picture with Krystal! She never thought to ask for herself (she was thinking of me) so I wanted her to have one too! We came out into a shopping center and had no clue where to go. I thought we had to go up, so I got on the escalator and Jon followed me! Then we had to go back down! We finally figured out where to go! I was panicking a bit because I thought we would be late. He was like, you won’t be late you’re with me! Smart guy!!!
When we finally came up from the underground we couldn’t see the arena. Someone finally asked a stranger and they said it’s just around the corner! DUH! We came around the corner and he stopped dead in his tracks! He saw the long line and panicked a bit. I told him to put his hood on and Krystal asked him if he needed to call someone? He was going for his phone and then realized we were near the backstage area. So he turned to go that way. He turned and said thanks, waved and said he would see us in a bit!
After he left, I started crying! I just couldn't believe what had happened! I mean, riding a train for 20 minutes with Jon Knight from New Kids On The Block???? My favorite New Kid!!! It was surreal!!!
We went and got in line for 5*. It was cold and rainy, but I didn’t care. I just stood there crying like an idiot. People were asking what was wrong with me, it was funny! I had to call back to the US and tell some of my friends and family what had just happened. I think I was in shock!
We enjoyed our pre 5* mingling with people. There were so many people from other countries there. In fact, our group was made up of American’s, a Canadian and a German. Not a Brit in sight! LOL! We lined up to go in for the meet and greet. Surprisingly, and probably because I just spent a half hour with the man, I wasn’t nervous at all! When it was our turn to go, I headed straight for Jon! He smiles and says hi! He opens his arms and I go to him and hug him! I know I must have had the dorkiest look on my face too! He then says OH, I have something for you. I was like, you do???? I couldn't even imagine what it could be! So he reaches in his pocket and pulls out his tube pass. He hands it to me and says he wants me to have it. I said thanks, I will keep it forever. And he tells me that I should use it since there is money on it. In fact, he says it three times! So this millionaire is frugal, which I think is very cool!!!! I tell him three times there is no way I am using it and he just laughs and shakes his head at me! I go to Jordan and Donnie and do hugs and stuff. Then it’s picture time. Donnie is holding my hand and leads me over for the picture and in my mind I am screaming NO I AM SUPPOSED TO BE NEXT TO JON!!! So I look up at Donnie and say sorry, but I have to be next to Jon and I take off across the room to stand next to him! After the pictures, Krystal goes over to Jon and the two of them hug like old friends, it was so sweet. Then he asks us if we are taking the tube back and we say yes, why? He says that me (him) and the guys were talking and we (all 5 of them?) want to take the Tube back to the hotel but THEY won't let us (I am assuming security). So in our demented minds we firmly believe that Jon wanted us to take him and the other guys back to the hotel via the Tube but their security guys wouldn't let them!!! LOL!!!!
The Hammersmith show was incredible. The energy in the building was amazing. The guys were having such an awesome time! When Jon dropped his pants, I thought I was gonna die! The whole show was just awesome! The only thing that sucked was being GA and standing for sooooooo long! Our feet were in so much pain by the end. Poor Krystal had worn new shoes and couldn’t feel her toes! We waited for a bit for the floor to clear out then slowly made our way out. We were hungry, tired and sore so we decided to try and get a cab back to the hotel. What a joke! Finding a cab was next to impossible. So we started walking a bit away from the arena in hopes of finding one. Poor Krystal was almost crawling at one point! She even sat on a stairwell right in a puddle of water, but she didn’t care. At one point, as we are struggling to move, the guys bus passes right by us! LOL! We finally get a cab and pull up to the hotel, just as the guys do! Too funny! We went upstairs and ordered room service. We were starving! And, we were still on a high about our little adventure so we spent a few hours blogging and emailing friends and family! Room service food never tasted so good!
Our friends arrive so we make our way down to the lobby of the hotel, which was swarming with fans. We found a bench to sit on right by the revolving door and just sort of waited and tried to figure out when we should leave for the show. We were talking and stuff when out of the corner of my eye I spot Jonathan walking towards the door. HOLY CRAP! You could tell he was in hurry and was looking at the ground, but I said hi to him anyway. He sort of turned and said hey and kept going. Poor guy almost crashed into the revolving door! I was so excited just to see him! I watched him walk right out of the hotel and head across the street and around the corner and thought to myself, holy shit, this is gonna happen and soon! He was all alone and no one followed him!
Krystal and I decided that we needed to leave, but our ride didn’t want to leave yet so we decided to take a cab to Hammersmith. THANK GOODNESS the bellman told us to take the Tube!! He said traffic would be bad. So we took off for the Tube station. As we approached the stairwell to take us underground, Krystal spotted Jon with a few fans. They were talking and he was smoking, so we just waited there. I, of course, started to freak out and Krystal quickly made me shut up! She later told me, she knew what was about to happen and didn’t want me effing it up! LMAO! I would have too if she hadn’t of practically slapped me!!! Jon finished his cigarette and started walking toward the stairwell near where he was smoking. We then headed down our stairwell and we ended up walking right in front of him. JONATHAN KNIGHT WAS FOLLOWING ME!!! LOL!!! He was chatting with some girls when I decided I just had to know why he was taking the Tube so I turned around and looked right at him and asked him why he was taking the tube by himself. He sort of giggled and said he needed to get out of the hotel. He said he felt claustrophobic and had to get out. I had a feeling no one knew he was doing this! He asked if anyone was going to the show and we told him we were and we would get him there safely! He said thanks and that he would follow us!
HOLY CRAP!!! Jon Knight is going to let us ride the train with him to the venue???? My brain could not comprehend this! Deep down inside I knew that I had to be cool as a cucumber so as to not screw up this amazing opportunity. Is this really about to happen????
We get to the ticket area and poor Jon didn't know what to do, so Krystal grabbed his arm and led him over to the ticket machine to help him by his ticket. Imagine standing there and seeing your best friend and your favorite New Kid huddled together trying to figure out how to buy a ticket! According to Krystal, Jon was impatient about buying what he needed and ended up buying a full day pass ticket. His last coin wouldn't work in the machine so Krystal gave him one and he handed his to her. She put it in her pocket. I couldn’t see any of what they were doing. All I could see were their asses!!! LOL!
They finish up and we head to the gates. As we are walking, Jon says that we don’t sound like we are from London and asks where we are from. I tell him California and he looks shocked. I said that I came all the way to London to meet him! You should have seen the look on his face! I hoped I hadn't scared him too much!
We took a long escalator down to the platform and just kind of made nervous chit chat. I think I told him I wouldn’t kidnap him! YIKES! I was still in a state of shock, but somehow managed to ask him for a picture. He was so sweet about it. He led me over to the Hyde Park tube sign so it would be in the picture with us! I’m still not sure how I was managing to function normally, or at least semi-normally. Krystal kept looking at me funny too, like don’t screw this up by becoming a blubbering fool! LOL
The train came and the three of us got on. I was standing right next to him and Krystal was across from him. Holy crap Jon Knight is right next to me!!! It is a tad bit awkward at first. Krystal sort of broke the ice by introducing herself to him. He repeated her name, which was so cute! Then he looked at me and I told him my name and he repeated it. WHOA! Jon Knight just said TINAH!!! We ended up chatting for the whole 20 minute ride. And I think I touched his arm at least 50 times! I think I couldn’t believe he was really there and just had to keep touching him. He must have thought I was a freak!
Once we got off the tube, we had to figure out how to get up to the arena! First I asked him to take a picture with Krystal! She never thought to ask for herself (she was thinking of me) so I wanted her to have one too! We came out into a shopping center and had no clue where to go. I thought we had to go up, so I got on the escalator and Jon followed me! Then we had to go back down! We finally figured out where to go! I was panicking a bit because I thought we would be late. He was like, you won’t be late you’re with me! Smart guy!!!
When we finally came up from the underground we couldn’t see the arena. Someone finally asked a stranger and they said it’s just around the corner! DUH! We came around the corner and he stopped dead in his tracks! He saw the long line and panicked a bit. I told him to put his hood on and Krystal asked him if he needed to call someone? He was going for his phone and then realized we were near the backstage area. So he turned to go that way. He turned and said thanks, waved and said he would see us in a bit!
After he left, I started crying! I just couldn't believe what had happened! I mean, riding a train for 20 minutes with Jon Knight from New Kids On The Block???? My favorite New Kid!!! It was surreal!!!
We went and got in line for 5*. It was cold and rainy, but I didn’t care. I just stood there crying like an idiot. People were asking what was wrong with me, it was funny! I had to call back to the US and tell some of my friends and family what had just happened. I think I was in shock!
We enjoyed our pre 5* mingling with people. There were so many people from other countries there. In fact, our group was made up of American’s, a Canadian and a German. Not a Brit in sight! LOL! We lined up to go in for the meet and greet. Surprisingly, and probably because I just spent a half hour with the man, I wasn’t nervous at all! When it was our turn to go, I headed straight for Jon! He smiles and says hi! He opens his arms and I go to him and hug him! I know I must have had the dorkiest look on my face too! He then says OH, I have something for you. I was like, you do???? I couldn't even imagine what it could be! So he reaches in his pocket and pulls out his tube pass. He hands it to me and says he wants me to have it. I said thanks, I will keep it forever. And he tells me that I should use it since there is money on it. In fact, he says it three times! So this millionaire is frugal, which I think is very cool!!!! I tell him three times there is no way I am using it and he just laughs and shakes his head at me! I go to Jordan and Donnie and do hugs and stuff. Then it’s picture time. Donnie is holding my hand and leads me over for the picture and in my mind I am screaming NO I AM SUPPOSED TO BE NEXT TO JON!!! So I look up at Donnie and say sorry, but I have to be next to Jon and I take off across the room to stand next to him! After the pictures, Krystal goes over to Jon and the two of them hug like old friends, it was so sweet. Then he asks us if we are taking the tube back and we say yes, why? He says that me (him) and the guys were talking and we (all 5 of them?) want to take the Tube back to the hotel but THEY won't let us (I am assuming security). So in our demented minds we firmly believe that Jon wanted us to take him and the other guys back to the hotel via the Tube but their security guys wouldn't let them!!! LOL!!!!
The Hammersmith show was incredible. The energy in the building was amazing. The guys were having such an awesome time! When Jon dropped his pants, I thought I was gonna die! The whole show was just awesome! The only thing that sucked was being GA and standing for sooooooo long! Our feet were in so much pain by the end. Poor Krystal had worn new shoes and couldn’t feel her toes! We waited for a bit for the floor to clear out then slowly made our way out. We were hungry, tired and sore so we decided to try and get a cab back to the hotel. What a joke! Finding a cab was next to impossible. So we started walking a bit away from the arena in hopes of finding one. Poor Krystal was almost crawling at one point! She even sat on a stairwell right in a puddle of water, but she didn’t care. At one point, as we are struggling to move, the guys bus passes right by us! LOL! We finally get a cab and pull up to the hotel, just as the guys do! Too funny! We went upstairs and ordered room service. We were starving! And, we were still on a high about our little adventure so we spent a few hours blogging and emailing friends and family! Room service food never tasted so good!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Adventure #3 - London part 1
It all started with 5 little words: DO YOU HAVE A PASSPORT?
That was an email I got from Krystal on November 12, 2008! I said yes I do and the plotting began. We really, really wanted to do a 5* and had missed out in the US. The only place left was Europe. I told her she was crazy, but she was totally serious. I told her one, I can’t afford to go to Europe and two, my husband would think I was a nut. But she was determined! Being a world traveler, she had lots of airline points. She was wiling to use them on our tickets. Holy crap! Now we started trying to figure out where we would go: London, Paris, Germany, Amsterdam???? I casually mentioned it to my husband one day and he looked at me like I was crazy, just as I had suspected. We couldn’t make any definite plans until I got the ok, but Krystal had all kinds of scenarios worked out! London was our best bet as far as flights and using her miles would go, so that was our #1 place.
One night a few days before Thanksgiving, my husband called from work. He was bored and wanted to talk! After a while, I mentioned the Europe thing again and he said, didn’t you already buy the tickets? Go for it and have fun! I almost peed my pants! I called Krystal and we freaked out! She got online and the next thing I know we have 4* for the O2, 5* for Hammersmith and 5* for Sheffield. HOLY CRAP, I AM GOING TO ENGLAND AND I AM GOING TO MEET JON FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
We had to wait two whole months before our trip and everyday I would have anxiety about meeting Jon. Back in the day we met all of the guys except for him. Well, we saw him twice and I shook his hand once, but never talked to him, got a picture, etc… The one time I was close to him, I completely freaked out, started crying, etc… He must have thought I was a nut! Krystal kept reassuring me that I would be ok, but I wasn’t so sure. I started having insomnia! It was horrible. I literally could barely sleep thinking about the trip and 5*. Something that should be so much fun was making me sick! LOL
My 40th birthday and the holidays flew by and before I knew it, it was January! It was finally time to leave for London. We had booked two different hotels for our stay but about a week before leaving found out where the guys were staying and made a reservation there! It was non refundable so we hoped our friend was right! By the time we landed in London we would know for sure if they were at this hotel, via text from our friend in London!
We got to SFO early and had dinner and just chilled! We were so freaking excited. I almost kind of started to forget that I would be meeting Jon soon. I actually slept on the plane, which was great! When we finally get to the gate, our flight is delayed! YIKES! We need to get there as we have 4* and don’t want to cut it to close! We leave like 2 hours late but make up a lot of time in the air so we don’t arrive too late! We take the Tube to our hotel and it’s an adventure finding it! We check in and get ready and head out quick!
We take the Tube to the O2, which is another adventure since there are closures, but we finally make it. We are jetlagged, need caffeine and are starving! The first thing we see upon arriving at the O2 is a Starbucks! Woooooo! We get caffeine and head in! We are too excited to eat so we go to our seats. We have 14th row on the left, yet again. The seats were good though as the guys would be running back from the B stage right by us! We end up sitting next to two people from Atlanta, GA!!!
The show was awesome, as usual! Joe’s new solo actually brought me to tears, which is odd as I am so not a Joey girl, but they way he sang those songs just hit me and I was an emotional mess! I ran back to the B stage again and had a great view! When the guys were running back from the B stage I saw a girl accidently slap Jordan in the face! OUCH! She was just trying to touch him, but ooooops! The O2 show was so much fun! The guys were having a really good time, we saw a new solo from Joe, I got close to the B stage, we met lots of new friends that night, and just overall had a fantastic time!
We decide to cab it back, since the Tube was such a pain in the ass! We cab it back and decide to wait outside for the guys to come back. It was freezing outside and duh, we could have stayed in the lobby, we are guests! We see them come back, which for us is pretty darn exciting, then without ever getting food, we head upstairs and fall fast asleep! It had been a long trip and we were pretty darn exhausted! Tomorrow is the big 5* and the meeting of Jon! Hehehehehehe!!!
Me at the end of the O2 show looking happy!!!
That was an email I got from Krystal on November 12, 2008! I said yes I do and the plotting began. We really, really wanted to do a 5* and had missed out in the US. The only place left was Europe. I told her she was crazy, but she was totally serious. I told her one, I can’t afford to go to Europe and two, my husband would think I was a nut. But she was determined! Being a world traveler, she had lots of airline points. She was wiling to use them on our tickets. Holy crap! Now we started trying to figure out where we would go: London, Paris, Germany, Amsterdam???? I casually mentioned it to my husband one day and he looked at me like I was crazy, just as I had suspected. We couldn’t make any definite plans until I got the ok, but Krystal had all kinds of scenarios worked out! London was our best bet as far as flights and using her miles would go, so that was our #1 place.
One night a few days before Thanksgiving, my husband called from work. He was bored and wanted to talk! After a while, I mentioned the Europe thing again and he said, didn’t you already buy the tickets? Go for it and have fun! I almost peed my pants! I called Krystal and we freaked out! She got online and the next thing I know we have 4* for the O2, 5* for Hammersmith and 5* for Sheffield. HOLY CRAP, I AM GOING TO ENGLAND AND I AM GOING TO MEET JON FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
We had to wait two whole months before our trip and everyday I would have anxiety about meeting Jon. Back in the day we met all of the guys except for him. Well, we saw him twice and I shook his hand once, but never talked to him, got a picture, etc… The one time I was close to him, I completely freaked out, started crying, etc… He must have thought I was a nut! Krystal kept reassuring me that I would be ok, but I wasn’t so sure. I started having insomnia! It was horrible. I literally could barely sleep thinking about the trip and 5*. Something that should be so much fun was making me sick! LOL
My 40th birthday and the holidays flew by and before I knew it, it was January! It was finally time to leave for London. We had booked two different hotels for our stay but about a week before leaving found out where the guys were staying and made a reservation there! It was non refundable so we hoped our friend was right! By the time we landed in London we would know for sure if they were at this hotel, via text from our friend in London!
We got to SFO early and had dinner and just chilled! We were so freaking excited. I almost kind of started to forget that I would be meeting Jon soon. I actually slept on the plane, which was great! When we finally get to the gate, our flight is delayed! YIKES! We need to get there as we have 4* and don’t want to cut it to close! We leave like 2 hours late but make up a lot of time in the air so we don’t arrive too late! We take the Tube to our hotel and it’s an adventure finding it! We check in and get ready and head out quick!
We take the Tube to the O2, which is another adventure since there are closures, but we finally make it. We are jetlagged, need caffeine and are starving! The first thing we see upon arriving at the O2 is a Starbucks! Woooooo! We get caffeine and head in! We are too excited to eat so we go to our seats. We have 14th row on the left, yet again. The seats were good though as the guys would be running back from the B stage right by us! We end up sitting next to two people from Atlanta, GA!!!
The show was awesome, as usual! Joe’s new solo actually brought me to tears, which is odd as I am so not a Joey girl, but they way he sang those songs just hit me and I was an emotional mess! I ran back to the B stage again and had a great view! When the guys were running back from the B stage I saw a girl accidently slap Jordan in the face! OUCH! She was just trying to touch him, but ooooops! The O2 show was so much fun! The guys were having a really good time, we saw a new solo from Joe, I got close to the B stage, we met lots of new friends that night, and just overall had a fantastic time!
We decide to cab it back, since the Tube was such a pain in the ass! We cab it back and decide to wait outside for the guys to come back. It was freezing outside and duh, we could have stayed in the lobby, we are guests! We see them come back, which for us is pretty darn exciting, then without ever getting food, we head upstairs and fall fast asleep! It had been a long trip and we were pretty darn exhausted! Tomorrow is the big 5* and the meeting of Jon! Hehehehehehe!!!
Me at the end of the O2 show looking happy!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Adventure #2 - Salt Lake City, Utah
So after our cruise, Krystal and I started looking to see if there was anywhere we could still get tickets to see the guys. We had heard about 5* and really wanted to do that, but nothing in the US was available.
One day at work I decided to look and see what the closest venue to us would be. I saw Salt Lake City so I casually went into Ticketmaster to see what was there. 10th row tickets came up! I called Krystal in a panic and said let’s go to SLC. She was like, ok! So she bought the tickets and the next thing you know we are planning a weekend trip to Utah!
We decided to drive to save money (hahahahahaha) but booked a fancy hotel because we were convinced the guys would be staying there. This would be the beginning of some crazy decisions we would make in regards to the boys.
Stacy, Krystal and I met at my office and off we went towards Salt Lake City. We didn’t leave until about 3pm and it was going to be a long, long drive! We stopped in Carson City for some food and then kept going. We played MadLibs to keep ourselves occupied! OMG the things that were running through our minds as we played that game!!! We were having a blast! We got to SLC at about 5am, got a cheap hotel and slept for a few hours. We were planning on trying to find the guys, but after trying and trying, we failed miserably!
Our seats weren’t too bad. We were 10th row on the end on the left. A few times we ran up close to snap pictures since we were on the aisle. We knew all about the B stage so Krystal and I decided to run back there and try to get as close as we could. It was a smart idea! We got really close! I stood up on a chair and had an awesome view. I got great pics and video!
After the show we decided to wait at the back gate in the hopes of seeing one or more of the guys. At one point a van comes out and stops. Donnie jumps out and begins going down the line smacking everyone’s hands. Stacy was so excited!!! Unfortnately some stupid girls ruined it for everyone by running up to him. So he got back into the van and took off before he got to us.
They ended up not staying at the hotel we thought they would stay at, but we still had an awesome time! We drove home on Sunday and stopped in Reno for a little gambling and food. It was a long drive both ways, but the three of us had a blast and it was totally worth it!
The whole time driving home, I’m pretty sure Krystal was plotting something…
One day at work I decided to look and see what the closest venue to us would be. I saw Salt Lake City so I casually went into Ticketmaster to see what was there. 10th row tickets came up! I called Krystal in a panic and said let’s go to SLC. She was like, ok! So she bought the tickets and the next thing you know we are planning a weekend trip to Utah!
We decided to drive to save money (hahahahahaha) but booked a fancy hotel because we were convinced the guys would be staying there. This would be the beginning of some crazy decisions we would make in regards to the boys.
Stacy, Krystal and I met at my office and off we went towards Salt Lake City. We didn’t leave until about 3pm and it was going to be a long, long drive! We stopped in Carson City for some food and then kept going. We played MadLibs to keep ourselves occupied! OMG the things that were running through our minds as we played that game!!! We were having a blast! We got to SLC at about 5am, got a cheap hotel and slept for a few hours. We were planning on trying to find the guys, but after trying and trying, we failed miserably!
Our seats weren’t too bad. We were 10th row on the end on the left. A few times we ran up close to snap pictures since we were on the aisle. We knew all about the B stage so Krystal and I decided to run back there and try to get as close as we could. It was a smart idea! We got really close! I stood up on a chair and had an awesome view. I got great pics and video!
After the show we decided to wait at the back gate in the hopes of seeing one or more of the guys. At one point a van comes out and stops. Donnie jumps out and begins going down the line smacking everyone’s hands. Stacy was so excited!!! Unfortnately some stupid girls ruined it for everyone by running up to him. So he got back into the van and took off before he got to us.
They ended up not staying at the hotel we thought they would stay at, but we still had an awesome time! We drove home on Sunday and stopped in Reno for a little gambling and food. It was a long drive both ways, but the three of us had a blast and it was totally worth it!
The whole time driving home, I’m pretty sure Krystal was plotting something…
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