22 yrs Later My 1st Facetime w/ Donnie

WoW..last night was a complete whirlwind...Im still I think flying on a Ddub High. 22 yrs ago I was 17 (I feel SO old now) getting ready to graduate from High School. And starting to fall in love with a little unknown Boy Band called *New Kids on the Block* or more or less Donnie Wahlberg.

Slowly the old Menudo posters were coming down off the walls & being replaced with the Nk's. The 5 Bad Brothers from Da Beantownland. I graduated & started my Freshman year in college..Still living at home & my Dad was happy as hell that finally I stopped listening to the spanish music (because basically I didn't understand a word of it) and driving him crazy to send me to Puerto Rico to meet Menudo! LoL..Replacing it with trying to go to Boston in my Mom's Horizon w/ only a lerners permit to find the New kids. I laugh at myself just reading this.

The Spring of 1988 my first wish came true. New Kids opened up for Tiffany. Thats right the OPENING act for Tiffany. At a tiny racetrack in Hagerstown, MD. I remember standing outside the gates w/ my childhood best friend & my Mom (who loved them as much as I did) with literally 100's of other girls screaming at the top of our lungs for those Gorgeous Guys we were all falling so hard in love with!! They were the opening act but we were all there to see them. My pictures I was SO proud of, back then?? lol..they looked like ants..the only thing I can make out in the photo is the guy in the striped Blue & White shirt...Which I remember as being JON...

That same summer they started showing up on Dance Party USA...I begged, I pleaded & cried to go to Philadelphia to get on my fave dance show & see them at the same time. but still I had no car & there was no way that my Dad was going to let me & my Mom venture into Philly by ourselves..My Mom tried. Her fave show growing up was American Bandstand, so she knew right where I was coming from. So we settled for watching them on the TV..I remember the interview (cause i still have it on video) of Donnie promoting his *North Side Boys* And of course Jimmy Marsh was part of that Duo.

Then the big tours started. Once they really blew up on the scene. They landed at the Star Lake Amphitheater in Pittsburgh. I had that Concert add cut out & hanging on my fridge. The place where all the Hints of a present i really wanted was for my Daddy. :) Something happened. I think it may have been that the concert sold out or the car broke down? But I never got to go & all I did was cry...I was devastated..1988 ended up being the only concert I got to see with them all together.
A few years later we all (the nk's & I) started growing up & going our seperate ways...My posters started coming down. Although Face the Music was my very First CD (how funny is that?) Inside? Yeah I was still secretly loving them, but no one really needed to know that!! :) The Fan Club stuff, The letter I got from Alma about Donnie, the posters the pins all got packed away in my memory chest..I wasn't going to part with any of it..And life moved on...


Then my Father was diagnosed with Cancer. He was in the Vets Hospital in DC for over 6mths. My Mom & I spent at least 3 days a week driving back-n-forth to that hospital, which was a 2hr drive. Life was hard but we managed to get thru. My Daddy came home, weak but getting stronger everyday. That is until my Mother was diagnosed with cancer a year after that...It wasn't long before she was gone. It was a Cancer that came on fast & took her before we knew it...

I started escaping into the world of 98 Degrees. My mom did manage to see their cassette cover (haha) right before she passed & honestly somehow they helped me get thru that horrible summer of losing her & having a Daddy that was fading fast as well. I lost him 6mths later that same year... Please do not pitty me. Just cherish the ones that you love closely. And give all the love you have to them while there here...

Why do I bring up 98 Degrees?? Because sometime after they went there sepearte ways...Jordan hooked up with my Fave guy Jeff Timmons. They made a song *Where is your Heart tonight* & started touring. I had plans to go see them. But for some reason ticket sales were low. And the concert I was supossed to see? You guessed it...was cancelled due to lack of sales....

So last year I hear the New Kids are coming back. There website started showing signs of life & some of my longtime NK friends that I met on a Yahoo Board. Rodelyn & Jen were SO super excited. Inside i secretly was as well...But I was layin low. Trying to stay in denial where i thought i was happy. (go ahead & laugh if you really know me). Concerts in 2008 came & went...None of my real friends were much into NK so it was very easy to stay there...in denial.

I started meeting some Nick Lachey friends (once again 98 pops back in the picture) @InSearchofNKOTB girls...just so happened to know someone that had 2 free tickets to the Baltimore Show & wanted to know if I wanted them...I fought with it inside & finally I thought what the hell do I have to lose there free right? I grabbed a friend that was remotely interested & went...

WELL....

Were all the way up in the balcony on the side seats, where they were not the greatest but they were free. Were looking around at all of these girls in there old New Kid Garb...Neon clothes..shirts that said I Heart NKOTB etc...and thought seriously?? Do not judge me here I was Still in Denial remember that...

THEN they came out on stage...Tears welled up in my eyes like they are now & I had the best night ever...I was on the phone calling my old bestie from college wanting to see if she wanted to go to the Penn State show with me that following week. All it took was a simple glance at the 5 bad Brothers from Da Beantownland once again & that denial Bubble that I had myself in was gone in a poof of an eye!! The concert ended it was frezzing in downtown Baltimore but i braved it to go bus stalk to see if I could find DDUB 22 yrs later...We waited & waited. I was froze had a 2hr drive home so we left. As i was entering the parking garage i hear screaming coming from the buses & find out the very next morning that Donnie walked out 5 minutes after i left...I was ready to cry my eyes out that next morning...

Penn State came around...Met more kool Friends @dori23 @inserachofnkotb @nkangel74 and froze outside in 4o degrees weather w/ a crazy old grandpa chasin us away from the fence. We were doing pose-offs to keep warm. Yes I said Pose-offs...No Donnie. No NKOTB just 6 frozen sad girls & NO Facetime! lmao...

3 concerts later & no 5* cause i really could not afford it at the time. I was still a facetime virgin with all 5 guys...I really only wanted to meet Donnie. Gotta stay true to myself & my teenage years. But each one had grown into 5 beautiful men in there own ways...my last show was Pittsburgh. Well everyone knows how much he loves that Damn waffle House. There was one in Washington, PA. But it was 20 minutes away. Would he really go that far for Waffles? Twitter was growing by this point..I was meeting some new wonderful friends that ACTUALLY get me & know where I am coming from. Meaning why we get emotional or super excited when you meet one of the guys or get that FOLLOW that everyone wants to see so badly. Some going to crazy extremes at times. It means that the ones you were sending fan letters to all of those years ago, FINALLY noticed that you were alive! lol... Or why there are tears in your eyes at a concert etc... I would sit back & read about this person or that getting there facetime for the first time or fourth time. Going to shows & parties. Being sooo insanely jealous & Sooo damn happy for them at the same time. And everyone saying don't worry your chance is coming..And thinking its NEVER gonna happen. Back to the Waffle House in PA. As it turns out I went to that concert that night in PGH. Didn't have a ticket * got 11th row center when the gates opened & met @covergirl_76 whom i only met thru twitter & started a friendship I am pretty sure will last for a lifetime. Would you believe that this same concert was home of the old Star Lake the place where I missed that other NKOTB concert all of those years ago?? Amanda had to go home to OH-IO & I had to go home to MD. But we both had to pass that Waffle House. Should we go?? We chose no, because no one out there told us that yes Donnie & his posse was going to be there. Found out the next morning at work & once again those tears came..

What made it better?? Was the fact that about a month later I became Donnies 75th follow. All it took was just a little something that caught his eye. 1 simple little tweet..That meant something to me & it worked. #ThankyouDonnie (something that trended today) for that. It made me happy. Y? because of course I was finally seen 22 yrs after I first fell in love with him. (lol) Still it wasn't Facetime that I wanted so badly... Donnie announced numerous parties, after the concerts ended but i was working hard & had no time to take off. Then the Rise & Grind Parties were announced. And lo & behold my Winter layoff at work was hitting at the same time. He says hes going back to the Sugar Bar in OH-IO and I couldn't believe my luck. Would it really all fall into place this time that I could actually have the chance to meet him? Plans were made..4 friends from twitter meeting in OH-IO to go to a party together..We all kinda sorta knew each other some in person some not. But we have that BH Bond (sisterhood) & somehow it makes it ok.. We got tickets, then scored the Golden Ticket as like to call it. FACETIME...

4 hrs & no food trip to OH-IO and were waiting in line to see Donnie. It all seemed so surreal. We were let into the club. And we were the first 4 girls let in to see Donnie. ME? Number 2. I looked at him & was like holy shit! (lol) is that actually him?? Sunglasses & NO hat...I LOVE that look...I didn't even have time to think it all happened so fast. I walked up to him & hes standing there with arms wide open. What the hell do I do? LOL So i hugged him back. And he looks at me & says *Whats Wrong* (im such a goof) all I could utter out was the fact that I had never done that before!! He hugged me again, kissed me on the forehead & said *Well you are a Facetime Virgin No More* so softly that I think i am lucky I didn't passout right there.. I'm so serious. 22yrs of waiting to hear those words.

Then I regained my composure & managed to blurt out who I was on Twitter, and thats when if you watch the video we hug again when he realized who i was... *Now I know who you are when Im tweeting you* He high fived me and I was back out with my friends... So fast & so much I would have NEVER remembered had it not all been caught on Video Thank god!! (sorry Johnny!!)


On to his party. I had the MOST amazing night with new friends. @covergirl_76 @lioneris @stephspenser @ddubscookie @ddubslady77 Dancin, singing to Donnies new songs...Having a few drinks & just letting go for the evening. Maybe one of the VERY Best nights I have had in a very long time. And who Comes out first but Jimmy Marsh that goes WAY back to the North Side Boys & Dance Party USA over 20 yrs ago. How crazy is that.

Donnie puts on one helluva show. The Back Rub if you cant see it in person, Just prepare yourself. You think the podcast is Hawt?? Your in for quite a treat!! We got the the waffle house late & we missed the chant...But I still got a little bit of the waffle House experience as well. In fact. The first Waffle House we went to the lady asked us if we were looking for that Backstreet Boy Donnie Wahlberg. We had to laugh the poor thing was clueless!! BUT she did know which one he was at, So thank you waffle lady!! After Donnie left they were offering everyone that walked thru the door the Donnie Wahlberg Special. LoL Im still laughing... SO DONNIE if you read this.. You made my whole night, Your so Down to earth & made me feel so comfortable around you, that I could just be me. Thank you for being real & not tarnishing the Image I have had of you for so many years, like some stars do.

Hopefully we will meet again because I still have a harley Poster I need you to sign!!!!