Mammo-G '09

Ten years ago, as most of you know, my mother, at age 45, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following a double mastectomy in December 1999, my mom actually just had reconstruction surgery last year. Because of her cancer, my chances automatically increase, so what does that mean for me? That means, I have my first mammogram prior to age 40. And more specifically, that means when I went for my annual obgyn visit in March, it was decided to go ahead and schedule my first mammo. Scheduled for April 16, I wasn't really any kind of emotion about it...it's important to take care of your boobies!

You're given a cape - and not a cool one like Superman or Zorro...nope, one that could only be described as 'hospital gown's cousin.' D'oh! Mildred was great and explained everything to me prior to doing anything. It was described to me as feeling like a blood pressure cuff..."just when you think it can't squeeze anymore, it releases." Even sitting in the room listening to what was about to happen, I still wasn't any type of emotion. Now being that I haven't had children yet, I don't know that discomfort/pain, so I have nothing to compare this to, but I can state this was the MOST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT! Not even kidding, I don't think I want children now...(yes, I know, I know - they make drugs for that, but there is some serious thought behind my statement...keep reading)

Now to be fair to Mildred, it did feel like a blood pressure cuff BUT just when you think it can't squeeze anymore, it squeezes the hell out of you! Not even joking, I started to get overheated and started to see white spots. In between each film, Mildred asked if I was doing okay and I kept saying yes just to get it over with. Oh, let me not forget for the first one, I apparently jerked and had to be reset...so I had to go through this five times instead of four. When your breast is placed on the machine, this clear plastic tray comes down and then you are tucked and stuffed and situated just right for the film to be taken. Then the machine is rotated on a 45 degree angle...Now to be fair, the ones taken on the 45 degree angle did not hurt as much, but it was still unpleasant. Also to be fair, you are only in this painful predicament for about 10-15 per and there is no residual discomfort...once the tray lifts off, you're thanking God that it's over.

Mildred advised me that because this was my baseline, there was a very good chance I'd get a call back to do it a second time...but not to worry. So I'd either get a phone call in 3 days saying 'come back' or a letter in 5 saying all was cool.

Well guess what?? Yeah, that's right I got the call...SOOOOO, on April 22 I went for mammogram no. 2. At least this time I knew what to expect and could prepare for it. I was the first appointment of the day instead of the last and stopped off at McDonald's for an iced mocha, so I was well hydrated and did not get overheated or see any spots. Mildred was my tech again and I joked that I had such a good time last time that I couldn't wait to do it again and was back.

Though I thought I was completely still, I had to do a repeat because of 'detected motion.' So for the second trip, Mildred squeezed down harder to eliminate any chance of motion...squeezed so hard that the tray left red marks on either side of my chest just below the collarbone. And like that, I was done...again...

So once again it was phone call or letter, but Mildred advised that if I got a second phone call it would not be for a third mammo, but for an MRI. So again, I got to wait...but not really cause I didn't think about it any.

Well today it came...my letter:

"We are happy to inform you that your mammogram on April 22, 2009 showed no suspicious abnormalities."

YAY...no suspicious abnormalities

So yeah, two mammos in a week's time. Uggh! But it's good to be pro-active and while it was not remotely pleasant, I did something necessary to care for myself and my boobies.

2009 NCAA CHAMPIONS

All kinds of records broken by
the Heels last night...

Those guys are totally sitting on top of the world right now and they totally deserve it! Last night's game against Michigan State was unbelievable! From the twice done tipoff to the final buzzer, Carolina could not be stopped.

Congratulations guys!!

Full Service 2009

Find more videos like this on New Kids on the Block



Let me just say that Donnie has some pretty eyes...a girl could get lost looking in them...

NKOTB Summer Tour 2009

FULL SERVICE 2009

Well, the dates have officially been released and their site once again has officially crashed! Same thing happened with the cruise when it went on sale...it's hilarious to me, but it also proves that these guys are loved by their fans. :) Luckily, Sarah-Jane was able to get the dates and send 'em to me, so I'll be seeing them June 5 in Virginia Beach at the VAB Amp and again June 7 in Bristow at Nissan Pav. They'll be in Raleigh June 3, but I can't see them there cause I don't have enough vacation days and it's not like I could call in sick...

So I speak up now...while my birthday isn't until July 14, I would really like my present to be cash and several months in advance. :) And then you can say you helped to pay for me to see New Kids On The Block... *giggles* So that'll make four times in one year and five times in eight months...call me crazy if you will, I call it dedicated...

...and I guess this also means I won't be going to see DMB in VAB either...cause I won't have a vacation day left for their August show...oops...

I also hope that by this tour being called "Full Service" it means they've added the song to the playlist...

I heart March Madness

We're in the thick of it now...being that this is Elite Eight weekend. While the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship is composed of 64 games, there are only potentially 6 games that I care about: North Carolina and whoever they play.

To recap:
19 March UNC v. Radford 101-58
21 March UNC v. LSU 84-70
27 March UNC v. Gonzaga 98-77
29 March UNC v. Oklahoma TBD

Now, I'm not a sports junkie, so I can't talk the talk. I just know what I like and I like UNC. My love of UNC basketball came about in a strange way. In 1989, there was this group - oh, you may have heard of them: New Kids On The Block...and with them being fans of the Boston Celtics and me being a fan of them, there started me watching the Celtics. Well, the more I watched basketball, the more I realized I liked the Chicago Bulls. My grandma and I watched a lot of their games together and watched them take three straight NBA titles. While the NBA is fast-paced, I found that it was easier (therefore more enjoyable) to follow college basketball games...and due to Dante Calabria...I discovered a love for UNC basketball, my senior year of high school. UNC came to mean even more to me after doing my summer internship in Chapel Hill in 1999. I can't say I follow hardcore, keeping up with stats and whatnot...I catch a game when aired...and am sure to catch all UNC/Duke games...

So, will UNC secure yet another championship? I certainly hope so. Hansbrough, Ellington, Green and Lawson and the rest of the guys certainly have been rocking the court. Not to mention they have now won the most games in NCAA history, pushing out Kentucky. Pretty dang impressive if I do say so myself. :)

Go Heels!!

Update: Carolina took Oklahoma 72-60, so off to the
Final Four...

Ponder This

What if real everyday life was like a musical and we all sang and broke out in choreographed dance. How sweet would that be?!?

Caleb's POV #2

My sister's family dog is obnoxious...unless he is eating or sleeping, he barks essentially non-stop. While watching the kids Thursday, the dog would not shut up, so I shouted to the dog, "Shut Up!" Caleb responded, "Auntie Sarah, the only person he listens to is me." So naturally, I asked Caleb to get the dog to hush. Caleb opened the laundry room door and called out, "Shut up you damn dog!" My eyes grew, I know, and said to Caleb that he shouldn't say that to which he responded, "Yes, I can" - to which I responded, "No you can't."

To which he ultimately responded, "Yes I can, Mommy says it all the time."

It took everything in me to not laugh at his response...

NKOTB-RVA

This first is my favorite group shot (Pose-off further down would be 2nd) I'll let these photos speak for themselves :)

"Laryngitis of the Feet"

Okiedoke, so I was traveling on youtube and came across the "Get Up With New Kids Saturday" [1990, MTV] and I almost posted those two Saturdays here, but just like endless travels on wikipedia, you too can have endless travels on youtube...and I ran across the above...it definitely took me back...and definitely made me reminiscent...Friday Night Videos rocked - especially if you didn't have cable (which I didn't during this time)and I remember watching this when it originally aired...

So if you wish to 'relive' some NKOTB action from back yonder ...youtube is the way to go...

Sidenote: Asides the fact that I can't get laryngitis, I would love to call in sick to work one day with an excuse of laryngitis of the feet ;)

Can't Believe It's Over

Just a smidge of Donnie and Jordan
I really like this first one of Donnie

Show Highlights with sidenotes:
Donnie had commented that we were the 4th loudest crowd and recognized Richmond was a smaller town and didn't expect us to beat the larger cities...and he had us scream again..."I think you just beat them."

It was definitely loud! I have never in all my life worn earplugs to concerts and yet still somehow have excellent hearing...but I had that post-concert buzz going on until a couple hours ago...

Donnie asked "Is it true that Virginia is for lovers?" and he stated that Richmond was the last stop in the south for a while (yay us!) He commented he needed a new girlfriend and thought she'd be from the south...HELLO! Here I am...you just need to find me. :)

My co-worker, Allan, had asked me what would I say upon meeting them...and I joked that Donnie and I would lock eyes and he'd say to me "You're the one I never knew I needed." *giggles* It's a nice dream...I bought Donnie a Virginia is for lovers t-shirt and Sarah-Jane got a gift for Danny...we were promised they actually receive the gifts, but with my trust issues, I didn't/don't believe it to be true. I hope he got the shirt...but I'll take another one on the cruise just to be sure...unless I hear otherwise... (also Allan asked what would I do if the ship wrecked and Donnie and I were on a lifeboat alone and landed on a deserted island - "Well, we'd have our own version of The Blue Lagoon." Yeah, nothing at all like LOST with the 'others'...haha!)

While it was Sarah-Jane's Cover Girl video that won us the opportunity to meet the guys...her change in lyrics were great...Donnie's change in lyrics, however, were surprising...I probably shouldn't 'capture' them here, but it's not like I keep a
3-D diary, and it's definitely memorable, so here goes:

...Won't you stay here with me, so I can put it in you...

*giggles*
Any comments I may have on this would go directly to
Mr. Wahlberg ;)

While I didn't get a for-real kiss at the M&G, it was nice that I was able to catch his attention from the platform and exchange air-kisses and get that oh so hot wink/smile combo of his. Gaaah!

You know this being the second time in a row...I just might come to expect this interaction with him :P

Maybe I shouldn't comment, but while they have some great fans (Sarah-Jane and myself included) they have some crazy fans...like 'psycho-cheerleader-chick' in the group photos from the 5*VIP post (I'll skip her crazy story, but will simply say 'egads!')...while waiting in line we met these two girls who had nothing nice to say about any of them and I wanted to ask 'then why are you here and why do you claim this to be your third M&G?' Usually the first question asked to another fan is "Who is your favorite?" And while I've made it clear that Jordan was then, Donnie is now...it's because I recognize these men have lives outside of New Kids On The Block. Jordan has a wife and a family and while I still think he's super hot, I can't (famous or not) crush on a married man...Donnie's being single...well, that's acceptable. And the same girl's response was "They are rock stars" stating it was okay for me to crush on Jordan...because "they are rock stars" Well sorry girl, I don't see it that way! They are men with families, responsibilities - this just happens to be their job...and while they are known all over the globe...at the end of the day when they aren't in the limelight and it's just them, they are men - plain and simple. That's who I would want to get to know - not New Kids On The Block member Donnie Wahlberg, but Donnie Wahlberg, the man - you know, Donald Sr. and Alma's son. *sigh*

...57 days until the cruise...

Are You Down?

Photos will be coming soon...I took over 200 pictures, so I gotta figure out a small percentage to post here...I put 76 of 'em on my facebook page...but I'll start with this one of Sarah-Jane and myself. :) ...and the beginning of the show (Call It What You Want)

Being second row was a pretty dang sweet place to be :)

So again, the show opened with CIWYW and closed with Step By Step and Hangin' Tough. Songs in no particular order:

My Favorite Girl * Games * Valentine Girl * Didn't I Blow Your Mind * If You Go Away * Please Don't Go Girl * Baby, I Believe In You * Give It To You * Where Do I Go From Here? * Cover Girl * You Got It (The Right Stuff) * I'll Be Lovin' You (Forever) * Dirty Dancing * Click, Click, Click * Twisted * Grown Man * Summertime

B-stage songs: 2 In The Morning * Single * Tonight

5* VIP RICHMOND

Lookit! I'm chillin' between Donnie and Danny :)
...and Sarah-Jane is all about some Danny

Upon walking in and seeing them in the 'for real', something unexpectedly inappropriate came from my mouth. "Holy f*ck!"

I know who they are but they haven't a clue who I am, so I hugged Jon and said, "Nice to meet you"...I hugged Jordan and said "My name is Sarah, nice to meet you (or so glad to meet you) and he said my name twice with that deep Boston accent of his (gaah!) - and then there was Joe...then the photographer calls out picture time. What?? I hadn't gotten to Donnie or Danny so I scrambled and got between Donnie and Danny. I don't know why, but I was afraid to relax my hand on Donnie's waist - I did for the second picture though :) With that wrapped arms came untangled and Donnie unknowingly elbowed me in my chest. It didn't hurt or anything...

So, picture time is over and they're 'moving us along'...WTH?...Oh hell no! I didn't get to this moment to not have any interaction with Donnie...I got my hug (sadly, I didn't go in for a kiss - timing wasn't right) And I honestly have NO CLUE what I said to him...I know words would have come out...don't know why I can remember everyone else and not him?!...Last was Danny. Got a hug and commented to him that I would see them on the cruise (why I didn't say that to Donnie, I have NO IDEA) But Danny replied with headnod "Oh, so you're going on the cruise." and like that it was over. I was tickled to meet them don't get me wrong! Hopefully instead of 'face time' I'll get 'FACE TIME' on the cruise. :)

Don't You Know That The Time Has Arrived

Ohmyword!

Sarah-Jane won the Mix 103.7 New Kids karaoke contest so that means:

I GET TO MEET NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!MARCH 18, 2009

It's taken me 20 years to get to this moment and while I knew I'd be meeting them on the cruise, I also thought it would be nice to meet them at a show prior to the cruise...Now that I've known about this for a handful of hours, I still feel nauseous and have no clue what I would say to any of them except that I'd see 'em on the cruise...I already know I wouldn't scream at them, but seriously what do you say?!

I remember when I met Jill, Gabby and Kate of Luscious Jackson (it'll be 10 years ago this October): I got pulled up onto the stage to dance with them (and other fans) during the last song: Citysong and after, they autographed my ticket, got pictures and got a few minutes one-on-one. I honestly couldn't tell you what I said with the exception of my talk with Kate. Remember when Queen Latifah had her own talk show? Well the lovely ladies of LJ had been on there prior to my concert and I had commented that I had skipped an art class to watch...Kate told me that I shouldn't have skipped just for them...but now I'm glad I did cause I've got this great element to my "I met Luscious Jackson" story :)

...and in all honestly, my picture of me and Jill is framed on a shelf above my bed...looks like she'll have to share the space now...

but back to the matter at hand...guess it'll come to me in the moment...but I don't want to be one of those girls who:

1. gets tongue-tied
2. becomes speechless
3. becomes a rambling idiot
4. gushes about how much I've loved them the past 20 years
(duh! they know that already ;)

*giggles* I get FACE TIME *giggles*

WANTED: Face Time Pt. 2

Here's a pic from Q94's website of Sarah-Jane and I at the NKOTB event:

WANTED: Face Time

It is said that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice...well, I no longer believe that statement to be valid. Reason being? Uhm...NEW KIDS!!
It's hard to believe that one week from today I'll be going to my fourth NKOTB concert...and even harder to believe that 58 days from the concert, I'll be in Miami boarding a cruiseship to sail to the Bahamas with them.

Our local radio station, Q94, is having a contest tomorrow night..."Are You New Kids On The Block's Biggest Fan??" Well, I may not be the biggest as I would think their families are their biggest fans (but what do I know?) but I'm definitely a huge fan. :) I'll be throwing on a NK t-shirt, along with my Hangin' Tough tour jacket (covered in buttons) along with the below poster. Basically, you need to be 'over the top' in appearance, have your photo taken by a Q94 staff member...your photo will then be put on their website for the public to vote...so if you're reading this...vote for me. Prize: Front row tix and meet-n-greet...ahh, some face time with Donnie, Jordan, Jon, Joe and Danny *giggles*

Here are the details: http://www.q94radio.com/pages/NewKidsOnTheBlock.html?_show

Side one of two sided poster featuring my guys!

The Jordan half...

...and the Donnie half

Side two: All the guys :)

UNC 79 - Duke 71

Couldn't be more prouder to be an UNC fan! So thrilled for the team... ACC regular season title now secure...once again, March Madness...

What an exciting time of year!!

The Bachelor: Jimmy Kimmel Edition

This is sooooo funny!! Now, I gotta be honest...I quit watching The Bachelor several seasons back, but I continued to watch The Bachelorette. Seeing what happened on the last season between DeAnna and Jason and learning that Jason would be the next bachelor prompted me to watch this entire season of The Bachelor. Initially, I was pulling for Jillian but once she was sent home, I found myself pulling for Melissa. And the finale last night, blew my mind like it a ton of America. I will keep my comments to myself as that is not what this particular blog posting is about (nor is it really my place to comment being that I wasn't there or a part of the relationship(s))

...but thank goodness for late night talk shows....this Jimmy Kimmel clip is HILARIOUS and I was busting up laughing the WHOLE time!! I myself would be 'torn' between Donnie and Jordan, but would ultimately choose DWahl being that he isn't married and Jordan is.

SNOW in RVA

So yeah, they were calling for snow and it rarely snows here - or if it does snow it doesn't stick and it certainly doesn't look like this the next morning...it hasn't snowed like this since winter '99-'00. It was nice to stay home today though...

Sure, snow is pretty, but honestly I'm glad it doesn't happen that often for us. Oh, and I was one of the silly ones who didn't believe the snow was coming and so I didn't rush to the grocery store - asides the fact that it was on my list of things to do today - and so yeah, I'm not going...and I'm actually out of milk...d'oh!

Below is what it looked like Sunday night while it was snowing - about 3 or so hours after it started and then a 'morning after' shot...it was not fun going outside to clear the snow off my car...the snow/ice/water soaked clear through my New Balances and at that point, I called it quits and came back inside...

Not looking forward to the overnight ice...think I may be taking a vacation day tomorrow, cause I'm not keen on driving in those conditions - simply cause I never have and don't really plan on it now...





AFTERTHOUGHT: Prior to going out on the balcony, Jonas and Peanut were looking out through the sliding glass door at the snow and so when I opened the door to go out on the balcony, I was going to let them go out there...but once the cold air brushed past 'em they took off running into the bedroom...from the beginning, Molly Belle was nowhere to be found...so sadly, no pictures of mis gatos in the snow...

Caleb's POV

My sister's three children participate in Upward Basketball at their church and yesterday were the last games of the season. After Caleb's game, he tends to wander around the facility...with his autism, it's kinda hard for him to focus to be still for long periods of time...so wander he does and every now and then he'll come back into the gym whether it's to get money for a snack or to give a big hug. Sometimes though when it's been too long, my sister will go herself or send a family member to check on him. She was videotaping their games, so she couldn't exactly stop to check on him. My mom went and came back stating that he was in room 108 and requested privacy. *giggles* So some more time had passed and I thought I'd go check on him - without even being asked.

He had moved on to another classroom, but allowed me to come in (Hey, I showed up with money. Any kid will deny their own privacy for a buck.) So, once I'm in the room, he tells me which seat to sit in and after giving him the dollar, asked if I had any more money. I found a nickle. His response was "Taxes for the dollar I have to spend at the Dollar Tree." Smart for a six-year old, yes? He then proceeded to tell me all about the Dollar Tree.

Caleb then decides he wanted to go through my purse. Nothing of real interest to a child - checkbook, keys, lip gloss...ah, the wallet...something of interest. He opened it and asked if I was broke because there was no money in it and said he would give me back the dollar so I'd have some money. I explained to Caleb that Auntie Sarah rarely carries cash and then I whipped out my debit card and explained how it worked. He thought that was cool!

Then he saw that my driver's license had a heart on it and asked if that meant I was an animal lover (which I am, but...) I explained that I was an organ donor. "What's an organ Auntie Sarah?" So we had a nice talk about what organs were and what it meant to be a donor and by having the heart on my license if I were to get in a bad car accident the emergency people would know it's okay to give my organs to people who really need them.

I was sitting there thinking - Am I freaking this kid out by talking about death? Nope, I think he was truly interested in what I was saying, cause later on he commented that he loved pork chops and did I? Without thinking, I said "Yeah, I like pig." His face wrinkled a bit and asked, "Do animals have to die for us to eat them?" I take a moment to panic in my head ("Crap, where's Anne when you need her?") But I simply asked Caleb if he wanted to know the truth and would he be sad if I said yes. Caleb: "No I won't be sad, just tell me the truth." So, I responded with honesty - yes, animals have to die for us to eat them.

His next response cracked me up! "Good, cause I like chicken."

Made Especially For You By Me :)

Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:


1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!


2. What I create will be just for you.


3. It'll be done this year.


4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or maybe even some creation I haven't even invented yet. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!


5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!


* * *Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Purchase Swimsuits: Check

Ohmygoodness! Being rather blunt, I'd much rather get a pap smear then try on swimsuits...it's one thing when you grow up anorexic and are a stick...it's another thing to be a grown woman with curves...but I found two tankinis that I couldn't decide between...hey, why not have one for each day of the cruise?! (Oh, I have a third suit from last summer) So yeah, I ended up with two out of like a handful that I tried on. Thank goodness for my friend, Sarah, who went with me to give her thumbs up/down...but with these two new suits, I hope I don't have to subject myself to trying on swimsuits for a couple of summers...

The Right Stuff

Credit: RD/Dziekan/Retna


I just have to comment ... Never has anyone made jeans and neckties look hotter then these guys!

Funny Feeling

Let me first start off with the backstory...at the DC concert, we were told to text a message to New Kids to a certain number and it would give us a chance to win front row for a handful of songs...I remember texting something to the affect of "Hugs to Duddits [blah, blah, blah]" 1. as a reference to the character Donnie played in the movie Dreamcatcher and 2. Donnie was/is all about hugs...a million and one to be exact...

Prior to the show they were showing the texts on the jumbo screens to either side of the stage...they were fun/interesting to read...anywho, in all actuality - texting to this number signed you up to get texts 'from New Kids' like for example: Spring Tour Dates, Enter code "NEWKIDS" for 10% off merchandise on site, etc., etc.

So, I get this text yesterday saying "CALL US!...and maybe we'll even call you back."

Sad but true, I debated for about two hours whether or not to follow through. I mean, as a teen I NEVER got to call 1-900-909-5KIDS (yes, I remember the #)and that would have been at like $2.95/minute or something to hear a pre-recorded message...

What do you say to a recording that you are confident will not actually get to them...honestly, here the morning after I remember commenting on seeing them in DC, seeing them soon here in the RVA and that I was going on the cruise and looked forward to meeting them...*hangs head down* ...Yes, I called... Got a pre-recorded message from Joey Mac basically saying how they were kicking it old school with a phone...it was fun to listen to...

Got a funny feeling there's no actual call back - like an actual conversation. The guys are waaayyyyy too busy to be calling fans individually. So, do I expect a call back? Honestly, no. But, I think I'll get a text telling me I have a message and it'll be another pre-recorded message...sent out to all who called in the first place.

Skeptical...sure...wouldn't you be? Can you even begin to imagine the number of girls who called yesterday...and while it was a Massachusetts number, praises for free cell minutes after 7 ... didn't cost me a dime.

...eh, guess I'll keep you posted - if there's anything to post about...

Purchase Flight: Check

So, I just purchased my roundtrip flight to Miami via American Airlines via travelocity...both flights are non-stop, so I don't have to worry about layovers or lost luggage...yay...too bad I gotta BE at the airport on May 14 at FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING...oh well - do whatcha gotta do...I'm actually going to Miami the day before the trip. Cannot wait...less than 88 days to go...jeepers!!

Next on the checklist is passport. It's not required, but I'd feel more comfortable with it. That's on my to-do list for this coming weekend...

Jordan Sans Passport

Find more videos like this on New Kids on the Block


So, I yanked this from www.nkotb.com ... out of all the videos the guys have posted, I'd have to say this is one of my favorites (besides the cruise announcement on people.com) The few subtitles in the video above are classic *giggles* Yay for Starbucks on the train and not on the plane ;) (Wonder what kind of coffee is J's favorite??)
I also like the reflection of the camera in the train window at 3:09. Thanks to Jordan and Dave for sharing their adventure...looks like it was a hoot!

*sigh* I heart Jordan Knight...he is soooo handsome :)

Hope he either 1. found his passport -or- 2. it was easy to get it reissued...wonder how that works?! *scratches head*

PS - Head's up: video is 9:39 long...

2 In The Morning

Okay, so New Kids'll be on The Today Show once again (Friday, February 20) and hopefully there won't be any natural disasters to keep them from performing their newest single 2 In The Morning...seeing how I'm using vacation days for the March concert (34 days) and for the cruise (92 days)...I can't exactly take another vacation day for this performance...praises to the creators of youtube ;)

They will also be on Regis & Kelly the day before...will have to youtube that appearance after the fact as well...I should really consider looking into upgrading my 16 year old television, huh??

Games

This is a blended blog...I took Donnie's most recent blog from http://www.nkotb.com/ and put in my own responses...just for fun :)

Hey All….
Hey Donnie!
Canada? NUTS!
Really?
The US? CRAZY!
I know, right?
The UK and Europe? INSANE!
Oh yeah?
The US and Canada again???
Can’t wait for March 18!
ARE YOU F@#*ING KIDDING ME?!
Are you effing kidding ME??
Is your head really screwed on straight???
Last time I checked.
Is your mind really right?????
Yes
Are you absolutely sure you want to do it again??
YES!
Cuz guess what?
What?
I AM READY!!!!!!
ME, TOO!!!!
I am more than ready!!!!!
I was born ready!!!
I was ready the day we stopped.
I was ready when I first heard rumors about the reunion…
Here’s the thing….
Okay, I’m waiting…
We had so much fun….
Yeah, we did didn’t we?
Can we have more?
Endless supply
We let ourselves go….
Gone
Can we go further?
As far as we want to go
We pushed it to the limit….
C'mon, is there such thing as a limit??
Can we push it harder?
Pushing as we speak!
We got crazy…
Insane in the membrane
Can we really get any crazier???????
Uhm, really Donnie you have to ask??!
HELL YEAH WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!
I KNOW!
This is your time!!!!!!
My time?!
This is our time!!!!!!
OUR TIME!!!!
It only gets better!!!!!!!!!!
Better? What’s better than this?
I’M GETTING TOO EXCITED!!!!!
I’m excited for us. :)
I can’t even type no more…..
Awww…
It’s 4 am in Amsterdam and I gotta go for a run in the sub-zero temperatures to cool off!!!!!
Better you than me – Sarah don’t run
It’s about to get real crazy.
Real crazy?
You’ve been warned.
I consider myself warned.
Come ready or don’t come at all!!!!!!!
Oh trust me, I’m ready!!
In 2009 we go harder.
Harder than 2008??! Well, I guess so since there's a cruise this year and not last...
There is too much to be down about in the world right now…..
Yeah, I might not have a job come the end of this year…
Let’s laugh and sing and dance and hug and kiss and spread the love all the way through it!!!!
Can I take pictures?
It’s our time.
You and me time :)
Nuff said.
Nuff said.
As Always Your Man-
Donnie W
Yours, Sarah
PS- you ain’t get enough face time? You ain’t get any face time?
Nope, no face time but fingers are crossed for March 18 and most definitely May 15-18
It’s 4AM- I don’t sleep.
It’s almost 3am – Not sure why I’m still awake
Find me!!!!!
Oh, I’ll be sure to find you
Owwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!
*giggles*

LeRoi Moore's last concert with DMB...

Dave Matthews Band has a Live Trax series, where they release concerts on CD. Of the 14 that exist, I have been to two of them and yes, I own them both. With the series, I had decided long ago that I would only buy the concerts which I attended (I'm still waiting for the April 2001 concert in Charlottesville with Neil Young!!) I had said with the loss of LeRoi Moore that if DMB made Roi's last concert a part of their Live Trax series I would totally buy it...here it is (and I love the cover photo) The CD will be released Tuesday, March 24, but you can pre-order it on the site:

http://davematthewsband.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=1_15933

Photo above and info below are straight from the DMB website:

As part of a continual effort to celebrate the life and memory of our friend and brother, founding DMB member LeRoi Moore, we are releasing his last concert performance as Live Trax Volume 14. Proceeds from the sales will be donated by Dave Matthews Band in LeRoi’s memory to the Charlottesville Music Resource Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville-Albemarle, among other charitable organizations which best reflect LeRoi’s spirit and passions.

Highlights of the Nissan show include the acoustic version of The Space Between, a song that had not been played live since 04. Sledgehammer made its live debut at the Nissan show, afterwards becoming a favorite on summer tour set lists. Other highlights include the ever-passionate Don't Drink the Water, a tight version of So Damn Lucky followed by The Dreaming Tree; Boyd's jam on Louisiana Bayou and LeRoi and Rashawn's jam on Anyone Seen the Bridge are also noteworthy. The show ended with another summer tour favorite, Sly and the Family Stone's Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin).

100 days

One hundred days until the cruise...

...42 days until the Richmond concert...

NEW KIDS IN RICHMOND

Holy crap!!

They're coming to Richmond March 18

"The comeback of New Kids on the Block continues this spring with a March 18 stop at the Richmond Coliseum. Last year, the mega-popular ’80s boy band of Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood reunited for a tour and a new album, “The Block.“ Ticket sales were brisk enough that a new leg will commence March 7. Tickets for the Richmond show go on sale 10 a.m. Feb. 6. Prices will be announced soon."

Just gotta love Melissa Ruggieri for posting this stuff to The Richmond Times-Dispatch...I've never seen them here...

Ponder This

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

Seriously? Are you kidding me? What genius in DC thought this up and how did it get passed? If I'm understanding this correctly...to think the things from my childhood no longer available to me (so much for getting Smurf items off eBay) - I played with them then and nothing happened to me. I understand concern - but this just seems extreme to me...

My friend, Melanie, has a great post on her blog about it: http://www.thriftyandcreative.com/2009/01/very-important-information-on-new-law.html

Children's library books...c'mon, give me a break...so does this mean that there will no longer be a library in your child's elementary school because of this act...this is probably one of the stupidest things I've heard of...Melanie, thank you for posting this on your blog and bringing it to my attention...being that I don't have children, I don't keep my eye out for things like this, but am glad to know.

Ch-check It Out

http://nkotb.liveautographs.com/

It's a great concept...and can be yours for the low, low price of $250-275 (depending on what you have physically autographed)...and if I wasn't dropping a huge chunk of change on the cruise, I would totally be down with this idea...but at this point I don't have $250-275 to drop on a live autograph...not to mention I can get them for 'free' on the boat...

This also would have been really cool back in 1990 - provided the internet had been the information superhighway that it is today.....

Tick Tock ... How much longer will I be employed?

Well, some of y'all may have heard about the Pfizer merger with Wyeth...(press release at http://www.pfizer.com/) We aren't being told much of anything as expected as the deal won't be final until later this year, so I guess there isn't much to tell at this point. And I understand this as there's tons 'o stuff for the top peeps to figure out.

So, I feel secure that I'll have a job at least until the merger goes through...hey, as long as I have a job through my cruise with New Kids, I could really care less about what happens after that. It's not like this is a career...it's just a pitstop en route to becoming a photographer. :)

I'm thankful to have a job, don't get me wrong...it's nice to have a roof over my head, a reality-dream vehicle to drive, food in my stomach and clothes on my back...but why should I stress/worry about something over which I have no control. Just gonna roll with the tide cause this merger will be whatever it will be. While I can't see down the road, God can and I don't have to worry (God told me so) - so I'm not. With the merge, maybe I'll still have a job - maybe I won't - maybe I'll find another job beforehand - heck, maybe Donnie Wahlberg will be sooo smitten with me that after the cruise he'll invite me California....hahaha! Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Only 107 more days....awww yeah!

I heart 2009

My first "I heart" of the year and it's about the year.

Now, to come up with my first "Ponder This" for 2009

uhm, I'll have to ponder that [insert drum rim here]

So I've got my tickets to Dave Matthews Band in Charlottesville (#14) AND I've put down my deposit on the New Kids cruise...The first half of 2009 appears to be boomin'. Throw in a couple of Yacht Rock parties and it's on to tha break-a dawn...uhm, what else...I'll be turning 32 this year and I'm looking forward to that...the 30's just keep on getting better! What else? My niece, Rebekah, will be turning 13 this year. Oh my, my sister will have a teenager...

So, just keep reading throughout the year...I already know it's going to be

legen - wait for it - dary!

Call It What You Want

New Kids On The Boat?!

New Kids On The Sea...
(perhaps?! I like that one better :)

Straight from nkotb.com: Photo by: Albert Ferreira/startraksphoto.com

In December, I got an email telling me to "Save The Date" and so I immediately put in a vacation request, not knowing what I was putting a request in for...and then I kid you not on January 14 (my half birthday, btw)...I got a follow-up email telling me that what I had suspected for the past month was in fact a reality...

...NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK CRUISE...
MAY 15-18, 2009

Holy cow! Seriously?! A cruise...with five guys I've known of for 20 years...and not only is this a once in a lifetime opportunity (unless somewhere they decide to do a second cruise)...but you'd actually get to meet them. Shut up!

I found it odd that the same day the email came out was the same day the cruise went on sale...at first I was torn because I wasn't crazy about traveling on a cruise alone and then with the pricing...well, did I really want to spend all that money? It didn't look like it would be selling fast as girls were posting comments on the site about not going. And, I had already decided that most of my tax return would go toward moving to Raleigh - whenever that happened...

So Wednesday night I had a long, long talk with my sister...and I thought she would think I was crazy for even considering this trip. So, I asked her: "If it were Rick Astley and you didn't have to worry about the money to pay for it and you didn't have to worry about your kids, would you go?" Her response, of course, was yes. She advised that I wouldn't want to live with regret and she knew me well enough that if I didn't do this, I would look back with regret...by the end of the conversation, I found myself saying "Raleigh will always be there and I'm willing to put it off for another year to do this." All the while I'm crunching numbers to see if I can really afford to do this...

At work Thursday, I went back to the cruise portion of their site to either say goodbye to a dream or hello to a reality. Holycow! 95% of the cruise was SOLD OUT! I had to make a decision fast. So I called Anne again and by the end of that conversation, I had clicked "Submit."

Yeah, so uhm...*giggles*... I uh, well am going on my first real vacation since age 11 (no lie...my last vacation was my last family vacation to Jamaica Christmas 1988 - family split up the next year) and where am I going on vacation? Well, it's strange because last year I decided I would go on my first real vacay like to Wilmington, NC or maybe back to NYC or well...it hadn't been decided yet. So, by now you've probably guessed "Sarah is going on a cruise to meet New Kids On The Block." That would be a big YEAH!!

After I clicked "Submit" all of the sudden I got a knot in my stomach and my legs felt like Jello. Oh my lord, did I really just click "Submit?" I had the confirmation email that told me I had...so now I gotta book a flight from Richmond to either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami...JetBlue has a direct flight from RIC to Ft. L but we're leaving from the Port of Miami and all the Miami flights from RIC involve connecting flights *thumbs down* The cruise is from Miami to the Bahamas to Miami. Guess I should research things to do in the Bahamas...seriously? 4 days, on a boat, in the ocean with Jon, Jordan, Joe, Donnie and Danny...aww yeah!

If you want you can go to www.nkotb.com/cruise to see what my trip'll be...all the opps to hang out with the guys...and all those silly screaming girls...d'oh! *smacks head* But it's a trip of a lifetime and even as I type - it still doesn't seem real that in 4 months...you know, at the concert in October: drove to DC - it didn't hit me; got to my seat - it didn't hit me; 1st -and- 2nd opening acts - still hadn't hit me; lights go down - getting there; and when the letters NKOTB spread across the jumboscreen (see photo at top) - it finally hit me that I was 31 years old and at a New Kids concert - silly, right? I'm guessing my cruise won't hit me until I'm walking up to the boat or actually talking to any of them...

Ironic how having that moment with Donnie at the concert, I commented on my blog that the only thing that could have made that night better was to have met them...I never would have thought that 3 months later, I'd be 4 months away from that statement becoming a reality.

You know...Jordan's birthday is during the trip...wonder if I should get him something?? :)

Small News

I'm working on a post, but in the mean time, I'm going to let it be known that I'm not exactly moving to Raleigh in 2009 - as far as I know anyway...and I'm totally okay with that.

More coming soon...

Christmas Miracle

It's known that my sister, Anne, and I were not exactly on speaking terms the second half of 2008 and with Christmas approaching, I was sure that 2008 would be my first Christmas not in attendance at her home...

My mom had been hoping, praying, etc. that we would all be together for the holidays and I was doubting it seriously.

I got a phone call from Anne a couple days before Christmas..."What's this crap I hear about you needing an invitation to my house for Christmas?" I pointed out that because we hadn't been talking I wasn't going to assume it was okay to just show up...well, we were on the phone for THREE AND A HALF HOURS and by the end of the call, I had my sister back. :) We talked again for 90 minutes Christmas Eve, saw her Christmas Day, Matthew spent the night one night the following week and Rebekah stayed with me New Year's Eve, so we were all together for Mom's Birthday (NYE) and again New Years Day...

I have talked to my sister everyday (well night) this year...it's usually only 5-10 minutes, but hey, I'm just glad to have my sister back. I missed her...

An Ideal Way To NOT Spend Christmas Eve

So, Christmas Eve I go to my mom's where I'll (against my will) be spending the evening with her dad, his girlfriend, Jane, and all of Jane's family (who I was meeting for the first time) ...at first I kept to myself watching Can't Buy Me Love on the telly and mingling when persons would pass through the room I was in...and then came gift opening time...then came 'social time'...and then came 'verbal attack on Sarah for being...31 and single' *smacks head*

Jane's niece, who is easily in her 40's with a pre-teen and a teen, questioned where my family was...and it was soon discovered that not only was Sarah husbandless, she was also boyfriendless...this somehow created some sort of target on my forehead, back, wherever...

When asked what I look for, well I don't have a grocery list...so I said something to the effect of "I'm not particular on hair or eye color...he'd have to be employed...preferably his own teeth*...and preferably a non-smoker."
(* me stating the obvious of being a total smartass)

I was advised to join an online dating service...uhm, that'd be a no...I have friends who have found success with it, but for me personally, it's not my thing...I was advised other things to which I'll spare you the reader, but trust me, I was getting irritated. I had commented on my desire to move to North Carolina and a few days later it hit me that moving was more important to me than a guy...which, right now is the time that I can be selfish, right?!

And so that I didn't seem like a complete loser for 'being 31 and single' to everyone in the room, I threw out there that I had been married briefly once before...and voila...that pretty much ended the conversation... hmm, probably should have stated that earlier in the conversation...