Showing posts with label NewKids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NewKids. Show all posts

4/24/09

"Twisted Helena"

I'm not exactly sure where this is leading, but I was told to watch this video a couple times, then send it to three people. I've watched, but am posting it here. Big things are happening with my favorite guys, I'm hearing... but I've NO idea what those things are... or what this is about. LOL Any ideas??


Twisted Helena

2/23/09

And You SO Knew This Was Coming.....

Watch more The Block videos on AOL Video





2 In The Morning- NKOTB


Ok, you knew it was coming. Regis and Kelly Thursday, Today Show Friday,(he didn't wear jeans **sigh**) and video released today. Yes, I'm still speaking in complete sentences and forming coherent thoughts. Ha.

I love this song; it's been one of my favorites since the first time I heard it. We've all been there, had those fights, those days/nights. Awesome song, amazing video.... what can I say? Take a gander and see what you think!

10/5/08

NKOTB Pics- 1



Stay the Same (I LOVE this picture!!)



Hangin Out, LOL


Gonna Give Me Some Grown Man?


2 in the Morning- and the JACKET!!!


Hello Danny! (and more jacket)





Simply Amazing


I'm sitting here trying to think of the perfect title for this post, and coming up with nothing, absolutely nothing, that could sum up everything I want to say. I'm not sure I can even put it into words, to describe it for you, Internet. As much as I want to tell you, there are some experiences that simply have no words, or maybe words just aren't enough. I don't know. But, I'm still riding the wave, still walking with my feet off the ground. I'll tell you right now that I didn't take nearly as many pics as I intended- once I was there, I just wanted to watch.

I left with Tami on Friday morning, heading for Cleveland and the boys. We were both excited, and we listened to NKOTB all the way there. We got into the hotel, met up with outr roomies, some other fans, and started to get ready. then we hit Hard Rock and had some food and drinks. Damn they have strong drinks- we all quit with one. LOL Tami was at her meet and greet (lucky gal, I heard it was fantastic) so we were all hanging out- the Blockheads had taken over Hard Rock. We were everywhere. It was amazing to see all the shirts, buttons, even dolls that people had. There was almost a hum, we were all so excited. EVERYWHERE we went that day, we ran into other fans. It was non stop. We seemed to be all over Tower City, just waiting.

me, before getting ready @ the hotel




Then it was time. We headed to the arena, and it was on. I took some pics of Cavs stuff for J, bought a beer with Amber, and walked in to scope out the seating.



Looking out over the arena

That was when I cried a little. It was finally REALLY hitting me- I really was there, in the same building, and in an hour or so, these men would be on stage. It was surreal, and that feeling never went away- I don't think it has yet.

My seats were CLOSE. They had spread it out enough that my section ended up behind Section 1, which put me closer to the stage than I'd thought. 1, 2 and 3 were in the first rows, stretched out all along the side. I was an aisle seat.... which worked out somewhat interestingly as the evening wore on. Heh.

Colby O'Donis was on first and he was pretty good. Then came Natasha Bedingfield. I love her anyway, so that was enjoyable for me. By the end of her set, the energy and excitement was palpable- you could just about reach out and touch it. There was a good 10-15 minute wait in between, and when the lights went down again, we all went wild. then they started, and I did everything I swore I wasn't going to. LOL I screamed like a horror movie queen. I jumped up and down like friggin Tigger on crack. i waved my arms, I pumped my fists. And it was that way for the whole two hours they performed. It was insane. But in a good way.

Spelling out "NKOTB" before they come up through to the stage


"Single"




"Let my song get ya higher"




"Grown Man"

  • They opened with "Single", blended into "My Favorite Girl". I was enthralled, all the way through the "Didn't I Blow Your Mind/Valentine Girl" medley. And then, then I saw a familiar video flash on the huge screen they had on the stage. The familiar music started and I was totally lost. "Please Don't Go Girl" is my song, always has been. Seeing my favorite guy sing my favorite song? Absolutely priceless. That was the point, five songs in, when i thought the night couldn't get any better. I was wrong. LOL Amazingly, I hadn't cried yet. I think i was too excited to at that point. Although, i bounced like I had a spring in my ass all through PDGG, hands fisted in my hair for a time, then waving like a maniac as I continued to jump. If that poor man saw me, he was probably frightened. I shit you not.
**Blogger is being a shit right now, and will not let me upload more pics at the moment. I'll post more, promise. **

The best part was yet to come. LOL There is a second stage on this tour, in the middle of the crowd. That's where they do "2 in the Morning", "Dirty Dancing" (good GOD!!!!) and "Tonight". Joe's wearing his old school smiley face jacket... you know you remember this jacket. That was when I jumped up on my chair to watch and take pics. Security made me get down. LOL


And when they were done? They walked back to the main stage. Right past me, to the main stage. Less than five feet away from me. I missed Danny, brushed Jordan's wrist, Donnie's wrist/hand , and then Joe's. He semi winked at me, and this is when I got lucky. Lucky I wasn't taken down by security, that is. I grabbed his wrist, and somehow ended up in the aisle, sort of behind him, still holding onto him. I'm seriously lucky that he didn't toss me off, or that security didn't. I can fit my hand around his wrist. And I immediately texted J to tell him I'd touched him. Then I texted again to say I'd grabbed him. LOL

I swear to God I'm not a psycho fan, and thanks so much for not having me arrested, or throwing my hand off of you. I was simply overwhelmed at that point, and had a moment. LOL

I made it till "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" without crying, and have NO idea why that song made me cry! I cried through stay the Same (got an AWESOME pic of that, and will definitely share that with all of you) and lost it again during Hangin Tough, when I turned and looked all around the arena. Every arm, from the fist seats all the way to the very top row, was waving in the air. That was an amazing moment for me, seeing that.

All in all? Best show I've ever seen. All five of them were having a ball, everyone seemed in tune, comfortable and just super relaxed. Donnie cried a little when he spoke to the crowd, and even though they are always saying this city or that is the loudest? When they said we were louder than Boston, I thought the roof was going to collapse from the noise. And the last words? "Ohio, we love ya.... See ya next year."

Yes, yes you will. I can't wait to do it again. I'd do it again today. There just isn't any way to properly describe the experience, and if I tried, I'd come off sounding like an idiot. It really is magic, the way they interact with one another, with the crowd. They truly have an appreciation for their fans, a humility, that is very very touching. Being told that this experience has gotten a man through a rough year, the ending of a marriage, means a lot. Sound odd? Not to me, because maybe now they finally understand what they did for us, still do in some ways. Maybe now we are their escape as much as they were ever ours.

All in all, it was the best time. the city was great, seeing sights, etc., was fun. But for that show? For that two hours, I'd have done almost anything. It was unbelievable, still is, that I was really there. It honestly was a long time coming, and it proved to me that sometimes the best things in life don't happen once in a lifetime. Sometimes, they happen twice.



9/30/08

Drawing A Blank

I don't have a title as of right now. Maybe it'll come to me as I type, maybe it'll stay the way it is right now. Eh.

Today was the final meeting in putting the school catastrophe to bed. I am so relieved that's over I can't even express it in words. I also cannot put into words how it made me feel to be complimented on my handling of this situation and in getting the proper help and care for Jacob. It's nice to hear once in awhile, from anyone. Especially professionals who mention my intelligence, my knowledge of my child and his situation, reactions, etc. It gives you a boost to get a pat on the back- and people don't do it often enough for one another. Because there are plenty of days when it can make every bit of difference in a person's outlook. Believe me.

I'm guilty of not being forthcoming on the "good job" front myself. But hearing it more than once in the last few days has made me think about it a lot. Just those words have made me rethink myself some; imagine what they could do for other people too? Especially people who don't think of themselves as particularly intelligent, as a great parent, etc.... Someone telling you that yuoi are something positive will change how you see yourself, and make you look closer at what others are good at. It has me, anyway.

Now that this is all over, my mind isn't as all over the place. I am focused... and my focus is, of course, on Friday. And even more so now that I found out that my seats? Are going to be right next to the 2nd stage. There is a smaller stage set up with a piano, and room enough for five men. This stage is on the floor of the arena, in the middle of the crowd. In the aisles. I am on the floor. My seat is on the aisle. And I shit you not, when I read this little piece of information? I almost had a panic attack. Probably because I had just finished watching another spoiler (yeah, yeah, I know, shame on me...) where they were on that 2nd stage. I swear to God, I'm thirteen years old right now. And it gets worse with every passing hour. By Friday morning I'll be unable to communicate without screeching like a deranged monkey. And I'm good with that.

To complete my spiral into teenybop land, I'm off to shoo the kids to bed, make a fried pb sandwich, a cappuccino, and settle in with 90210. Tomorrow, more on fall TV, and probably more on the upcoming nervous breakdown. LOL

9/28/08

Here We Go...

Things are speeding up over here, Internet. My mind, as always, is racing in a zillion different directions. This week is going to be insane- for the ton of stuff that needs to get done, as well as my not so slow descent into a wriggling mass of nerves and excitement as this Friday edges closer. (5 days!!)

I'm thinking more and more about the non profit organization idea. It's sticking with me, and when something sticks, it must mean something. I love the idea of opening doors in our community (a very very small community) to bring in more information for the places that need to know more. There's not a lot of education regarding autism here when it comes to schools and other facilities that may be dealing with autistic children. And there should be, because if you do not know how to deal with the possibilities, the spectrum, the individuality of each case, then you as well as the families you deal with have less hope than they should. How can you properly advocate for a child, or children, that you don't understand?

In no way is that knocking the lack of education or on hand information here- we're in a place where funding doesn't allow for a lot of things, where knowledge is coming in from larger cities, and is pretty scarce. To learn more, you basically have to look for it on your own. that makes it more difficult- how many teachers, social workers, etc., have that extra time? They have their own families and lives to enjoy after their day is done. And for social workers, case managers, and CS, I know those days sometimes stretch into long evenings keeping them at work. When they finally do have a minute, they need the break.

What we need to do is bring it to them. And after going through the last couple weeks, I wonder if I may be able to help do that, even if it's just a nudge in that direction. That would be a huge movement here; the more you know, the more you can communicate with people and places that don't know, but want to. Or need to. It's definitely on my mind.

The other thing on my mind is that Cleveland is creeping up on me. There's less than a week to go, and I keep thinking about this "Face Time" we keep hearing about ;). as well as whether "I'm ready" or "Got my mind right." I don't know about ready- can you ever be? LOL I'm ready as I can ever be, is my final answer. And ready for what exactly? The concert itself? Meeting all the fans and hanging out with them? Possibly seeing, up close, the group of men who have caused all this insanity? :) Yes, yes and aw hell no. LOL That's the best I can do. there are no promises on that whole "I'll say this or do this if we happen to meet them.....". Get me through sounding semi intelligent, with little to no crying, and not feeling the need to puke? I'll consider that a success. (That puke thing is a valid concern. I have puked before. On the outer front of a tour bus, and I WAS an over anxious kid.. But, you see my concern. Being remembered would be one thing. Being remembered as the chick who pukes? Quite another. Let's have the possible memories be pleasant, shall we?)

Like I said, I will be twittering here, so feel free to add me if you want updates on the chaos as it happens. I will not be updating during the show, but before and after, you can expect to know just about anything and everything happening. LOL

I'll keep you posted, Internet, on any and all things happening this week. Meetings are still running rampant, but for different, better reasons. I feel more at ease, even as my stomach clutches at the thought of the opening chords and being asked "Are you ready for Showtime?...."
This is gonna be one hell of a week, so my question to all of my readers.. ALL of them... is this - Are YOU ready!?!?!??!

9/3/08

Tell the DJ Run It Back....

In honor of what I'm officially calling "Block Week". here is the brand new video "Single", featuring Ne-yo, off of the newly released album "The Block."

You can't tell me there isn't an overload of numminess here. Yes, i said numminess, people. Live with it.


8/21/08

Sneak Peek!

Samples from "The Block", available 9-2-08. "Summertime" and "Single" are available in digital format on ITunes, amazon.com, etc...


8/15/08

Thank you, Walmart

Have i told you how much i frickin love Walmart? No? I LOVE WALMART!!!




8/11/08

A New "Single"

Here's my new favorite song, Internet. It took a few listens (ok, it took finding a clear version, and about ten listens) to get past "so-so" to "omg, i love this" status, but I had to share with with you guys. (I know there are some closet fans who peek in here! Fess up!)

So, without further ado, and available tomorrow on ITunes, is "Single" by my guys, featuring Ne-Yo.



7/29/08

5 Guys, 3 Clicks

Some things need no more explanation than that. And yes, that *is* a New Kid asking you to remove your clothing.


6/7/08

Summing Up the Mania

Head on over here and read this blog in the Houston Press. Jennifer Mathieu explains about the NKOTB fever in a far better way than I ever could- you'll be tasting the cookie dough before you are through. Amazing writer!

6/3/08

New Month, New Attitude!

OK, first, let's do a recap of May. Jim's layoff. Foot injury. Assorted animal issues (ranging from kittens being dumped here to the cold that managed to sweep through all of our cats, leaving a trail of pissed off animals at having noses and eyes wiped and cleaned.) Jake's school issues, then his school letting out. Prepping for Alyssa's school to let out. Taylor's shots. The flu that rendered Jim practically immobile for almost three days. Some issues that left me wondering how I could make him immobile and not get caught... A chunk of the ceiling crashed into our house on the last day of May... and seriously, I don't make this shit up. I wish I did....

But now... now it's June. A new month, new hopes, and new time. Summer has definitely arrived, complete with humidity carrying thunderstorms. But, BUT- all is well. And not just because I'm a bubblegum popping, metal mouthed 12 year old trapped in a 29 year old woman's body. OK, maybe partially, but still! Things are turning around.

Health is better. Alyssa's last day of school is tomorrow. Work should be rolling back around this week. (I hate layoffs.... I absolutely hate them. Vacation is nice, because he doesn't have time enough to get bored. When he gets bored, he gets in the way. lol) And yesterday... yesterday, he did the nicest thing I think he, or anyone, could have done for me.

Anyone who's been reading here for the last little while knows I have a slight affection (raging, raging obsession) for these guys right here. And it seems that in October, these gentlemen will be visiting the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. So, I sort of (desperately, desperately) wanted to see about nabbing a ticket or two and heading on over there. I'd had some cash set back for a rainy day (cheap seats) and that was gonna be that. Jim, however, upped the ante a little and nabbed me a better seat. Without my asking, because I honestly don't care where I sit as long as I'm there, ya know? So, as of 10:12 yesterday morning, yours truly is the proud ticket holder for the 10-3-08 concert at the Q. Stoked does not even cover it- and if you've never had a thing for a group, band, singer or some such celeb ish person, you just won't get it. My friends don't. My family doesn't... but they love me anyway. And put up with the possible overplaying (repeat, anyone?) of Summertime, the new single (yep, that means go find it and check it out.. like here)

So, things are looking up- and not just because I get to relive my childhood (the good parts anyway). A new month is a new start.... and June rolled in with a wink and a smile. May is always a bitch, and she smacked us down pretty harshly this year. Now we're past the iffy weather, the spring to summer transitions and all the other ish that May tossed at us. We can kick back and enjoy our summer. Kool-aid and bare feet, water guns and that shrieking laughter you just can't pass up.

Here's to June! To walking on both feet, barefoot in the grass with your kids! To clear eyed kittens and men going back to work (and getting the hell out of my house!!!) And to getting a moment... whatever it is... to smile like you haven't in ages.

5/17/08

Oh yeah....


And who saw The Today Show yesterday??? Aka, who saw the New Kids on the Block and the crowd they drew??? Beware- huge post all about it coming soon!






(Photo courtesy of wireimage.com)

4/10/08

Like I said....

YUM! (Photo taken from the official NKOTB website)

this is the first official photo in fourteen years.

From the left- Joe McIntyre (not Joey, thankyouverymuch), Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg.Jordan Knight (Jon's brother),and Danny Wood.

4/5/08

Well, I Guess It's a Brand New Day After All!

Welcome to 29 going on 12, ladies and gentlemen. I am no longer in charge here; a prepubescent girl with braces and a bad perm has temporarily taken over. Because of this and this.

The Today Show was something to see. It was a definite flashback for me, and I'll bet it was for them too- there were girls everywhere. Or I guess I should say that there were women everywhere- women crying, screaming, jumping up and down. Women wearing smiles and laughs that made them look like young girls. Women wearing New Kids T-shirts, holding up signs, banners, etc., which was making me smile before the boys (yes, they're men, but they'll always be the boys) even came out. When they did, it got louder in NYC and deathly quiet in my living room. It was the oddest thing, seeing them standing there together after all this time and feeling like it was yesterday.

We haven't changed much, the Kids and the girls. We're all a little older, a little more worn around the edges. We've all seen more, done more, been more since the last time our paths crossed. But, it felt so good, in the midst of all the terrible stuff we're now privy to as adults, to remember that innocence, that sweetness, the thrill of them. They look good, fit and healthy, not tired and worn out and just exhausted of it all the way they were starting to there at the end. But, like all the girls (and some guys, too) they've been away from it, done their own things, had families, marriages... and entire life separate from the mayhem of being NKOTB.

So, I'll bask in my inner teeny bopper, remember being twelve, and say Welcome Back. It truly is nice to see you all together again.

1/29/08

The One Where She Geeks It Up…

Up until this point, I have managed to sound like a fairly normal mom and housewife. I have let slip my passion for Oreo’s and all things chocolate. I have shared my tendency to hide said chocolate from my children (they don’t need the sugar high, believe me!). My “What I’m Up To” page boasts my love for Nora Roberts (cause she doesn’t write sex books with a little other stuff tossed in, she writes life stories with a little sex tossed in). We haven’t covered favorite shows, movies and music yet, but we will. Today, however, I leave my seemingly normal self behind and expose my dirtiest little secret. I have hinted at this previously, even warned. But now it will be fully exposed.

When I was nine, some twenty years ago (good God I’m honestly saying twenty years…) my mother gave me a cassette for Easter. (Repeat above, insert cassette.) On the cover was a blurry black and white of five young men. (Yes, this *is* where this post is going, read on at your own caution.) I had seen the video on MTV of these guys, and I admit (to my later shame and horror) that I was unimpressed. I had Kirk Cameron telling me to Just Say No at the time, and I was cool with that. The photo my mom took of me holding the tape showed me looking relatively bored, in my pink nightie. Needless to say, this photo became the first picture in a later scrapbook with the caption “The Beginning!!” in large, tweeny scrawl across the page. **sigh**

To go into complete detail, I’d have to give you a total breakdown of my childhood, and that’s something I’ve done and would rather not do again at this time. I’ll just say something clicked and I decided fairly quickly that Kirk could tell someone else what to say. :) And then I went crazy, along with eighteen bazillion other girls.

When I say “crazy”, this is not a lighthearted term. The three large totes and one NKOTB trunk in storage speaks for itself. If it had the logo, or their faces, I had to have it. Being an only child and sheltered (suffocated) by my mother, I was… over indulged, shall we say. T-shirts, nightgowns, dolls… it was a never ending stream of these cuties. My room looked like the merchandising people came in and threw every single thing they made all over the place. I didn’t know what color my walls were for who knows how many years. And honestly, like a lot of other people say about things, these guys got me through. To this day, I can de-stress immediately by listening to their voices. It was a haven and escape having them to grow up with, and for that reason alone, my loyalty can remain. (We don’t need to talk about the fact that when I was ten, I planned my wedding to Joe- that’s just unnecessary. LOL) My friends still mention them, my husband still teases me. And I still smile like a kid in a candy store.

I was an oddball, and never quite fit. I had few friends, and wasn’t allowed to do a lot. So my fixation was something psychological, I’m sure. whatever it was, I loved them. Fiercely. I took a lot of shit about it, but I never wavered. And, to their credit, they were huge. They were compared to The Beatles, The Jackson Five. And rightly so. They had fans worldwide, and still do. They were a part of millions of girls lives growing up, and some grew out, some stuck right with them for the entire ride. And then they disappeared, walked away from it, and for me, the world was a little darker for awhile.

Fast forward fourteen years or so, to an adult woman with a husband, house and kids. I still listen to Joe’s music and have connected with other women who grew up listening and still do. I have watched these guys I grew up with in movies, on Broadway, and marveled at how they haven’t changed a bit, to me. They are old familiar friends. They are a hell of a lot of what is warm and safe and fun from a lot of my younger years. Now, recently the rumors started about a reunion, a comeback… I’m not quite sure what the actual deal is, if any. I was nonchalant, but curious. Wow that would be neat, was my main thought.

I’ve never been one of the fans who wanted a reunion, really. They are adults, with their own lives and families, much like all us crazy gals now are. I never understood the crazed way people still got over old groups reuniting, doing shows, etc. Yesterday, I stumbled upon their official website however, and there is a teaser of a new song. Again, “well, that’s neat, let’s check it out.” I popped on my headphones, since Jim was sleeping (along with his writing, he works a 40 hour 3rd shift job, so I can stay home with my babies) and decided to listen. And I went crazy. Again.

I lost all adult reasoning as I attempted to freak out silently. I cried a little. LOL Memories ran through my head like crazy and it was the strangest thing, hearing them now. My children wandered in and stood watching me for who knows how long, waving my arms in excitement and mouthing “ohmygodomygod”. They sound the same, almost. But they still mesh. And it still clicks. And a twelve year old girl came alive in a 29 year old body and felt that freedom again.

I, of course, showed it to the kids. Miss Lyss was excited. “I am so happy for you,” she said seriously. “But, aren’t they old??” **sigh** Jake was a little puzzled. “Is that Dad?” **snickers** No, my dear, but my taste has always leaned to the blue eyed ones…. and let’s not ask Dad if that’s him, mmmkay???

So, there it is, my dirty little secret. I was a Blockhead. Guess “am” would be a better term. If that makes me a weirdo, geek, dork, what have you, so be it. I’m not alone, believe me! LOL I like to think it gives me some quirkiness, and makes me fun. Or strange, take your pick. ;) But to have that huge chunk of my life revisited is something I look forward to…. and I promise, honey, I won’t put their posters on the bedroom walls!

1/17/08

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered….

So we’ve been watching American Idol. **sigh** I can’t seem to get away from it, and I’m not really sure what prompts me, or Jim (handsomely bearded husband) to plop down four hours of our week to see some good, more mediocre, very few super talented, and hundreds upon hundreds of train wrecks. But, we do it. And we are not alone.

But, I digress (as usual). Tuesday we were watching, and a woman named Beth popped in and sang some Sinatra. Beth is 28 ( I think??) and there was just something, something besides her age and that particular song that opened my mouth. (Beth is going to Hollywood, by the way. Yay Beth!)
I wandered back into the room and leaned against the couch for a second. “Wonder if she’s one of us?” I said more to myself than to Jim. “Us” meaning the women of my age group that not only grew up on a little group called New Kids on the Block (cue memories of screaming tweenys and flying panties), but still purchase solo albums from any of the ex members with their own thing going on.

The reason I asked this was because of “Talk To Me”, the latest solo from Joe McIntyre, the baby blued cutie that made me (and eight hundred thousand other girls) shriek at levels only small children and animals can hear. TTM is a tribute to Mr. McIntyre’s own all time fave, Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra. And “Bewitched” is on that album. So it seemed reasonable to wonder if that was where Beth’s song came from. Not that I’ll ever know, but it was interesting. (To me.)

The boy band rage has slowly been coming alive in our house these days, anyway. My 7 year old is slowly sinking into the craze with the Jonas Brothers. I recognize the glazed look she gets in her eyes. I recognize it and pray that there is no merchandising for these Brothers- my parents probably spent a small fortune on all of the NKOTB paraphernalia I had to acquire (or DIE! just DIE!! without it!!) and could probably very well have retired to Aruba or something, had I not needed that last hot pink slap bracelet. But I did need it, dammit, just as I’m certain Miss Lyss will need whatever version of little girl eye candy comes from this. And who am I to begrudge her? I still have everything New Kids packed away, and I still smile a little when Radio Disney plays The Right Stuff. I will embrace my daughter’s boy band love and have my own walk down memory lane as I do it. Too bad none of ‘em have those pretty blue eyes, though….