It was like taking a step back in time Saturday (October 11, 2008) as my sister-in-law and I walked into the New Kids concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas! I am a storyteller so I need to go back in order to move forward…

Easter Sunday 2008, my sister-in-law, Angela was here from Las Vegas visiting her step-daughter. Sammy was so excited we were getting ready to go visit, he was running all around… Kinda normal actually… but, this time Sam had a bit of an accident and we ended up rushing to the emergency room instead of my mother’s house. I won’t go into too many details here because this is just a slight digression from the story. After a trip to the emergency room and Sam recovering, we drove over to my mother’s house meeting up with Angela and other family. I was sitting on the floor with Jack when Angela brought up the New Kids topic and how they are going to tour again! Memories came flooding back and I longed to relive those days of stupid teenage bliss. Angela and I made an agreement right then and there at my mother’s place that we would go together to see the New Kids on the Block in concert!

Fast forward about three months and I got a text from Angela saying (excitedly) that New Kids were coming to Vegas October 11th! I was online within seconds looking at ticket prices, but Angela wanted to see if she could get a deal with a friend of hers on the cost of tickets – so I waited. Meanwhile my mother had knee surgery and I had forgotten all about the New Kids concert. My brother came up for a week and helped with mother and hung out with his daughter. Shortly after he returned to Vegas I got an e-card from Angela but the site wasn’t working and I wasn’t able to open the message attached to the card. I figured I would go back later and read the message…

Fast forward another month and I was driving when my cell rang. It was Angela wondering if I had ever gotten that e-card she had sent. I explained that I got the e-card but not the message. She said – and I will never forget – “You were supposed to read the message silly – I got us New Kids tickets!”

We made plans to fly down to Vegas and stay the whole weekend so not only to enjoy the awesome concert but to enjoy Angela and Paul too! Not everyday we get to see our favorite people! And I am not just saying that because Angela took me to see NKOTB! *smile*

October 9th finally arrived and I could not wait – the entire trip was so unreal! We got onto the plane and Sam wanted to look out the window and Jack fell asleep… sweet! We got there fast and then waiting for the damn rental car I lost all my energy! Their printers broke and they had everyone waiting in line while they fixed the damn things… then the light bulb went off and someone had the Neanderthal idea of hand writing the receipts out… Ding! (writing by hand… what a concept!) Morons all around… So after waiting in line for (no joke) over an hour we finally got our rental! I was yelling and throwing a fit at how long it took them – think there was an apology? Of course not! The children were hungry and thirsty and so we headed to the hotel for a quick check-in and then off to food! We got to the hotel and although it was clean and kinda nice – it creeped me out! Good god, what was going to happen next? Could this really kill my New Kids buzz??? Not really – it was going to take a lot more than that… and just wait, because the buzz was almost killed by the husband. So, we finally get to a restaurant and sit down and order our drinks when Sam got sick! Not vomiting all over – thank goodness – but a quick spiked fever, whimpering and falling asleep… We tried giving him a drink but it wasn’t helping – we had to get up and leave… mouths watering! We went through a drive-through and took food back to the hotel – what we should have done in the first place… Lessons learned! Sam fell asleep on the way back to creepy hotel and never got to eat. Poor little fella. So, the next day we decided Sam needed a treat and hit the midway at Excalibur! Then we walked over and through New York New York, and MGM to the M&M Factory! Madness! It was fun. The Boyz got to see the lions at the MGM and Red (m&m guy) at the M&M Factory.

After the joy of walking around we went to meet up with Angela at her place so we could go out and shop outfits for the concert! Concert and shopping – my head almost exploded! We had time to hit a few different stores but got lucky at a place called The Fashion Bug. After getting twin-like outfits – and I would tell you that at the time we didn’t even realize it – but would you believe me? We went to a paint your own pottery place so Sam could have fun killing time while we waited for my brother to get off work.

We went to dinner with Paul and Angela and had a great time chatting and hanging out, but when Sam became too wild to deal with any more Cool Uncle Paul took him out to play on his motorcycle…. ohhh yeah… Uncle Paul became Sam’s hero all over again that night. Not only is Unca Paul a pirate but he also rides a motorcycle?! Good god – every boy’s dream of the perfect Uncle!

Saturday morning – morning of the concert! I was high on pure excitement! I wanted to hit Caesar’s and roam around their massive mall. Scott didn’t really want to go there, but didn’t really want to talk about where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do either. So, we went to Caesar’s and the entire time it was like pulling dead weight around with me. We went into the Gap there and while I was looking around Sam had to go potty so Scott took him and I waited for them to come back.. and waited…and freaking waited! When they finally came back I wanted to show Scott these cute shoes for Jack, but Sam was a mad man (again, nothing too new) running amok. So, tired and becoming annoyed I told Scott to just buy the few things I had picked out and let’s just go. We headed back to the hotel and Scott says he doesn’t want to go back there. Fair. I asked where but he didn’t know. He didn’t know where or what, but just not back to the hotel. I drove back to the hotel and told him as soon as he figured it out to let me know. Sam was supposed to go to a pumpkin patch with Aunt Angela but after the nightmare in the mall and Scott not wanting to go to a freaking pumpkin patch I called it off! There we sat all afternoon in Vegas at our creepy hotel waiting for Scott to figure out what he wanted to do. Lunch came and went and the boys ate snacks we had bought… waiting… This was a total buzz kill. Here we are in fucking Vegas and I am going to a concert I am totally excited about and there’s Scott needing some kind of anti depression pills! I was so mad I wanted to just throw my hands in the air and say, “Let’s go home!” Finally he came up with the brilliant idea to go to the pumpkin patch – with an hour left before I had to start getting ready to go! Sam’s yelling that daddy said he could go and I am yelling that we only have a half hour to do it… So, of course we went! There was almost no one at the pumpkin patch and Sam did a few rides and then picked two small pumpkins out for Aunt Angela and Unca Paul. We hit another drive-through so they could have dinner and we went back to creepyville so I could get ready for the New Kids On The Block!!!

The excitement was returning as I got ready for the concert! I put on my new outfit and waited pacing the floor for Angela to come pick me up! It was really happening – and I could not believe it! Angela showed up and it was then we realized we had bought twin-y looking outfits. It didn’t matter because we looked sweet and we were going to rock out! Scott took a couple pictures of us and we were off. Although, we had to go back to her place first and pick up my brother so that he could drive us. Our plans for the evening were to totally get sloshed and not be able to drive home. Paul took us and dropped us off at Mandalay Bay. We went to Rum Jungle for food and our beginning drinks – yum! Oh dear god! The food was awesome! Just thinking about it, bringing the memory back of how my salmon tasted… Mouth watering! My fun named drink was totally awesome as well – I ended up having two of them! Ohhh yeah… Mama was feeling good, but not drunk. So after we ate and drank a couple we headed over to the convention center for the concert…

It was like stepping back in time… Girls everywhere, with excitement busting out of every pore on their bodies! Giggling coming from every which why – including us! Some ladies decked out in cool outfits from the late 80′s early 90′s era. It was totally awesome! I so felt like I was fourteen all over again… Only this time I hit the bar before I went in to sit down. *giggle* Malibu and coke was my drink choice and Angela got Cran and Vodka. We found our seats and listened to the pre-show to the opening act do her thang… Lady Gaga. We chatted with fans all around us and spotted all the unlucky husbands and boyfriends who where were dragged there – no doubt. During the opening act I had to go potty and I grabbed Angela another drink. I decided not to get another for myself because I was already feeling sleepy and didn’t want to kill any buzz I still had before the New Kids performed. I got back and enjoyed Natasha Bedingfield. The the lights went out and we jumped to our feet and the screaming began! The entire place was filled with screaming women who once stood as teens and pre-teens screaming at these four adorable boys now men. Everyone’s inner child came back and presented themselves for just one more night of fuzzy teenage bliss…

We screamed the entire time – we sang to songs we had no idea we even remembered! At one point in the show the guys had left for a change so we were watching some video show filler. I told Angela it was killing my buzz and where the hell did the New Kids go?! When she turned to talk to me she spotted them rising out of the ground about twenty feet in front of us and Angela started screaming, “They’re right there!” Then we went back to the screaming and reaching out for them. Jonathan Knight came out of the floor sporting a Barack Obama Shirt! So, the screaming turned into a political pep rally as I screamed for “OBAMA!” every time I saw him… And I swear Jon looked right at me as I screamed my head off for Obama. I threw up an “I Love You” hand to show him I cared about him too.

They did a few goofy things – like Jordan Knight sang a few of his personal songs. But, he did them with his shirt open and a wind machine… Cheesy. Angela and I were screaming for him to button up and put the man boobies away. He wasn’t flabby, but like Angela said, “You can tell at one time he was really in shape, and then lost it and then was trying to get back into it.” Joey McIntyre came out singing one of his solo songs too, but they were like gospel music and a killer of the buzz. Donny Wahlberg brought us back with a New Kids song from the good ol’ days.

We were not ready for them to go and yet it was a nice way to put closure on that part of our lives. At fourteen watching them walk off stage at the end I had no idea I would never see them again. This time when they walked off stage I said, “Good bye.” Knowing this time will probably be the last time. It was a sad moment as we walked out of the concert. We had walked in as young girls and we walked out as women.

Thanks Angela for giving me that night, that return to stupid teenage bliss and for you being awesome you! I am one lucky gal to have the best sister-in-law ever! Thank you….

Yeah – you rock!

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