One more video

I just can’t help it. My inner 15-year-old is in cahoots with my video editor side… This time, I put together Twisted. Jordan and Donnie are lookin’ hot, but Joe absolutely owns this song in concert…

Addendum

All that story telling and I forgot one thing. (Well, that’s not true… I left out a whole bunch of stuff that my inner 15-year-old thought was totally pertinent and should be shared, but the woman in me realizes should be kept secret, close to my heart and brought to mind by the mere mention of the New Kids and Donnie in particular) (Hell, I’ve even left out the detail that I wasn’t a Donnie fan back in the day. Yep, he stole me during that hug in Las Vegas. What’s a girl to do?)

Anyway, there’s one more part of my story… Because I was able to sneak some footage at three of my four shows, I thought it might be fun to cut together my own little music video. It happens to be of Grown Man. The footage that’s closest to the stage is from Las Vegas. (I told you there were no superlatives that could accurately describe how freakin’ awesome of a time we had!) My best friend and fellow Babe of Us Three, was using my camera and I love her for it. It’s best to go directly to YouTube and watch the video in high quality. I swear Donnie sees us and winks in our direction a few times, but maybe that’s just my inner 15-year-old dreaming again…

My Loss of Immortality

All right, so for this concert, we teamed up with Wendy. Once upon a time when we were all thirteen, I’d shockingly coined the phrase “Us Three Babes” which we still use to this day. So, when us three babes headed to Las Vegas, we were certain to have a great time.

We had no idea that there’d be no superlative to accurately describe the time we were to have.

In fact, we had such a wonderful time that it’d take far too long to blog the entire thing, but suffice it to say that even when this post ends, the time got better that night and into the next morning. And the two shows in November were just as awesome although the fireworks were of a different kind.

Okay, by some strange miracle we ended up at the front of the line. We did not plan any of that. It just plain happened. I was standing right there by the curtain, nervous as hell, but I was dressed as Commando Barbie and she’s got her shit together. She’s not gonna act like a lunatic. She’s gonna be civilized and oh, so sweet-sexy-cool.

Standing there in front of the curtain, I turn to my friends and say, “Sorry girls, Donnie’s mine. I missed him last time, so I gotta get him this time.”

And get him I did.

When the guys were in the room and the curtain was pulled back so that we could go in, I went straight for Donnie…and something kinda funny happened.

See, Commando Barbie gets a lot of looks. While walking around Comic Con this year, she was even photographed by Hustler for their Hot Babes of Comic Con feature. And as the guys had walked in, the curtains were a little split and even according to Jen–who hears stuff when my ears turn off because my mind gets full–both Jordan and Joe said things to the effect of “Damn, did you see that girl? Wow.” and other things alluding to the fact that Commando Barbie’s got her shit together.

So, when it was time to go in and I went straight for Donnie and he grinned like a very, very happy man, it was as though the world stood still for a moment. Just a moment. Just the amount of time it took me to open my arms and walk into his for a hug just as my friend Gina had done a few days earlier.

Okay, this is when it got kind of strange for me…

He wrapped his arms around me so tight–like he seriously wasn’t gonna let go–and then lifted me off the ground.

So what did I do?

I did what any other girl would do if she was really inspired to live the dream:

I WRAPPED MY LEGS AROUND HIM! WOOHOO!

And can I just say that I had a blast, too? Jen tells the story better than I do because being in the hug was one thing, watching it was completely different. Just like watching Gina get her hug, Jen watched me as Donnie spun in a circle all the while smiling and laughing just as I did. Good golly, I had such a fantastic little time for those five or ten seconds. It could’ve been forever as far as I was concerned. It was the time of my life.

I’d lost my immortality, but what’s more, I’d done it with quite an unexpected bang and that is one of the many reasons I love my life and the New Kids on the Block and all the crazy adventures I’ve been on because of them. I hope they never cease to inspire me and Jen without even trying.

And, seriously, I really hope I don’t die before meeting them again!

More and More

Technically, my first gig as an extra was in 1999 when I was in Jordan’s video. I was kinda in Joe’s video, too. But while I was accidentally in frame, I was hiding behind a tree. (I didn’t know they were rolling until it was too late!)

Anyway, since I’d only met Joe and Jordan and Jen had only met Joe, Jordan and Donnie, we’d figured we were still immortal since we couldn’t die until we’d met all the New Kids.

Silly, yeah, but we were fifteen when we’d made the pact. It doesn’t have to make complete sense in order to work.

Now, here we are in 2008, still following the New Kids’ whereabouts, although nowhere near as vigilant as we used to be. But then they got back together. We had opportunities to meet them. Really meet them. How awesome would it be? So awesome, I couldn’t wait to get us tickets. That was months ago. There was still a lot of distance between getting the tickets and actually being at the shows.

In fact, it took months before it actually sank in that we would meet the New Kids and thereby lose our immortality. Hmmm…

“Maybe we should back out.”

“No, we need to go. If only for our inner 15-year-olds.”

“It’s too incredible. I don’t think I could handle it.”

“We’ll be fine. How many celebrities have we met in the last decade?”

“But none of them were all five New Kids in the same room.”

“You’re right. What if we make asses of ourselves?”

“Let’s not go.”

“But we already have the tickets.”

“And we really wanna see the concerts. They’re awesome in concert.”

“Yeah, they are. I guess we have to go, then.”

“Do you really think there was any way that we wouldn’t go?”

“No, but that doesn’t stop the dread, the nerves, the fears.”

“And once we’ve met them, we can die.”

“That’s scary enough.”

This went on the whole week before the first two concerts. I stressed over what to wear. I still have my New Kids T-shirts and the jacket I’d put 250-hours-worth of rhinestones and chains on back in the day (Yes, it’s partially the New Kids’ fault that I’m so into sewing and beads.) but I wanted to wear something else. Something fun, yet casual. I settled on a funky pair of jeans, red ankle boots and a cute little slitted, low-cut top that tied in front. It was technically from back in the day, but I got it at a thrift store about a decade ago so it had never been to a New Kids concert with me.

I felt okay in that outfit, but that was all I was okay with. Our whole journey to the venue was spent in fear, lamenting, prepping for embarrassment or whatever other horrors should find us the moment our immortality was lost and we were in the same room with all five New Kids and actually–*gasp*–meeting them.

All in all, neither of us fell apart. I know I was awkward at times, but all that faded away when Jordan looked at me appreciatively and said, “Damn girl, you’re really workin’ that top.” (Special thanks to Jen for hearing him completely because I was lost in shock at “Damn girl” and didn’t hear the rest.) Basically, we’d survived…and gotten inspired, too.

And did I mention that technically, I was still immortal?

Jen had met them all that night, but me…well, something funny happened.

When I walked in, I was greeted by Danny. By the time we were done, I was about to go to Donnie, but my friend Gina was already headed for him, in fact she cut me off to get to him!

But that was totally okay. Over the last decade, she’d regaled us with story upon story of all the times she’d met all the guys–even Jonathan while innocently walking around Manhattan–except Donnie. Somehow, one way or another, she just never quite got to Donnie.

So when Donnie wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, I was in heaven with the joy I was witnessing and figured that I’d get back to Donnie later. It wasn’t until I was out of the room that I’d realized I’d missed him.

My big chance and it completely passed me by. Oops. Jen made fun of me while I consoled myself with the fact that I still had three more chances, so therefore the odds were damn good that I wouldn’t screw up again.

In fact, since Jordan had slid me that compliment on my clothing and Jen had heard it, too, it was decided that since our next show was in Las Vegas, Commando Barbie absolutely needed to be in attendance. She has her shit together even though I don’t. She’s met celebrities. She even had her picture taken for Hustler. I may be a complete dork, but Commando Barbie, well, she wouldn’t screw up… Or would she?

A Little About Beginnings

Now that I’ve done over a hundred shows, it’s fun for me to look through all my Tales and reminisce. But there’s one in particular that I’ll never forget. And it’s not because of the show, it’s because of what happened when I was walking to the stage. West Wing.

That was one of the times it hit me the hardest that just walking on the lot was a dream come true. I’ve had a lot of mini adventures getting to and from locations on studio lots and elsewhere in LA, but that particular day was beautiful. I can still recall it with such amazing clarity. There was nothing special about the day, the show, or anything else. It was just the experience of being there.

Just. Being. There.

Would you believe that my best friend Jen and I practically dreaded meeting the New Kids our first time? You’d think we’d’ve seen it as a dream come true and been anxious for the day, the moment to finally arrive when we would be in the same room with all five guys.

We’d met Joe and Jordan when they were solo. She’d met Donnie at one of Joe’s concerts (through a strange twist of fate, I grabbed his ass in the very crowded VIP section at that same concert, but didn’t actually meet him). I’d only seen him on the set of Purgatory before that concert, before I was an extra, too…back when I was a manufacturer’s rep for lighting filters. Yeah, I’d gone through a lot of trouble not only to track down what he was working on, but find out who was doing the lighting. Cross-referencing a few sources and making a few phone calls, I found out when and where they were shooting some location stuff.

Granted, it was my job to know who was shooting what and what filters they had on their lights, but that had nothing to do with my reasons for trying to catch up with this particular show. I wanted to meet Donnie. I worked my ass off sweet talking various people and having a good time. While there, I saw hide nor hair of Donnie Wahlberg. I was disappointed, but since I’d made a new friend in the gaffer, I made sure to get invited back… Okay, so doling out swag was part of my job, not a bribe, I swear it.

Then in an attempt to match Jen’s future magical meeting of Donnie, I–unfortunately as fangirl–finally got my chance.

And blew it.

I couldn’t even squeak out a hello. All I did was smile. Donnie looked at me like I was deranged and I turned and kept on walking before any words could be exchanged, already having embarrassed myself enough for the day, the week, the millennium before I’d even started.

Luckily, our little interlude had a good twenty feet of aesthetic distance. I was safe. He’d never remember me.

But that did not mollify my fears during 2008. Jen is usually the better-spoken of us. I just hide behind her because I’m too shy and far too afraid of actually saying something unless I’m answering a question or agreeing with something that was said. Yeah, it sucks to be shy sometimes, but whatever. That’s me and I’ve learned to be okay with it. But when Jen says she’s afraid, she’s worried that her inner-15-year-old fangirl is gonna wreck the moment, I’m scared. I’m terrified.

We were utterly terrified to be meeting the New Kids even after all these years. We reminded ourselves that we’re adults and should act as such, but good golly that wasn’t helping when all we could think about were all those near-misses back in the day which lead to big disappointments. We only barely had our shit together when Joe and Jordan were touring solo.

[Funny I should mention that… The way I got onto the Purgatory set was the same way I got onto the set of Joe’s first video, Stay The Same…and the same way I got onto the set of Jordan’s first video, Give It To You–except it was all actually a little harder. And being shy, but still adventurous, I actually weaseled my way into Jordan’s video because the director had wished he’d hired more extras. So yeah, I took advantage of that opportunity and I’m behind the professional dancers, in a dark green shirt and I’ve got a light green balloon in my hand as I try not to look frozen while shaking my thang to the music.]

[You’d think Jen or at least myself would be totally okay in a room with the New Kids by now given all the adventures. You’d think we’d be looking forward to it and so excited to finally see them all.]

Did I mention that when we were fifteen, we’d also made a pact?

Yeah, we couldn’t die until we’d both met the New Kids.

But then they broke up in 1994 and we were kind of enjoying the immortality after awhile. It seemed more like as long as the New Kids were alive and we hadn’t met them all, we simply could not die. Not that we tested that theory, but we sure did feel like we’d be in for a very long life…that is unless we were somehow able to meet all the New Kids.

My Inner 15-year-old

Okay, so I’ve already come out of the closet and admitted that I’m a New Kids on the Block fan. Usually when I say that, jaws drop, confusion sets in, sideways looks are tossed toward me followed by, “What?” or “No way…”

Generally, my admission shatters people’s image of me. Well, sorry about that, but it’s the absolute truth. I’m fangirl for very few Hollywood personalities…well, hmmm…make that none others. Sure, there are a few people I’d love to be in the same room with, but for the most part, I don’t swoon or blush while around them. I’m capable of being an adult and perhaps even having an intelligent conversation with those whose work I admire.

My limited fangirl-ness has to do with the way my life is structured…or more accurately, how it unfolded.

The part of my life before I moved to LA in 1996 is when fangirl was alive and well. If the Hollywood-type came into my life after 1996, there’s no swoon. Before I moved, fangirl was, well, a fanatic and she didn’t get out much.

See, as a girl, I never imagined I’d come to LA. I never imagined I’d walk on a studio lot for reasons other than a tour. I never, ever in a million years imagined I’d actually work on a movie or television show. Really. Like, I still grin whenever I read the name of the production on my paychecks for background acting. Yeah, my inner 15-year-old still goes crazy. She had stars in her eyes and big dreams that she never imagined would come true.

Whenever I’m on the 101 heading south and I see the Capitol Records building and the rest of Hollywood, I grin. And when I see Downtown, I always thank my lucky stars that I made it to LA. That somehow, this little girl went somewhere. Where it is that I went still remains to be seen, but then again, I will be seen in movies and television shows for years and years to come–maybe even after I’ve died. I doubt I’ll be remembered by name unless this blog stays up somewhere, but that’s not the point. The point is that I was there and for that I’m so thrilled.

So, when I say that I’m a New Kids on the Block fan, I really mean it. I’m fangirl. When I’m in a room with the guys, my heart beats a million times a minute. I get weak in the knees. All that crazy stuff. And since I’m only fangirl for them, I can put all my focus, all my energy into it.

This past October and November I was lucky enough to get tickets and Meet & Greet passes for 4 shows. Yeah, four. That ties a record from back-in-the-day as well. 1 in 1989, 2 in 1990, 4 in 1991 and 2 in 1994. (And back in the day, that meant saving allowance, extra chores and begging parents to drive us to the shows…I dunno how we did it. I only drove myself to my last show.) Anyhow, because my situation has changed, I figured I’d make up for all the lost time, all the near-misses, by going to as many shows as I could. Yeah, 9 concerts in 5 years and I still hadn’t met the guys. WTF?

Can we say karma in action? Hell yeah.

Come with me on this little journey. I’ll try not to be long-winded, but my inner 15-year-old is going to ramble and I just can’t help it.

Queen Mary addendum

I got Denise’s permission to post our non-paranormal adventure during lunch on the Queen Mary. Enjoy!

Queen Mary

So, earlier this year a friend of mine wanted to go to an event on the Queen Mary, but didn’t want to go on it herself. She said, “Hey Lisa, you’re into ghosts, right? Wanna go with me to this thing?” Me, being unafraid of both ghosts and adventure said, “Hell yeah!” and we went.

Little did I know it’d be a life-altering event.

This pic was from the first night. Before all the discussions, investigation, just about everything. I had no idea that being there on that ship for this little paranormal convention was going to change my life…

Well, not really change it. I’ve always believed in ghosts. (Click here to read the whole paranormal category including my personal ghost experiences up to now.) I’d just never really done anything with my sensitivity/sixth sense other than ignore it or play with it. I’d never pursued using it to help others.

So energized and excited about the paranormal field after that event in February, I got on myspace and started friending all the people I’d met at the event and blogging my experiences. One thing led to another and I was invited to join the TAPS West Coast Home Team.

That has certainly changed my life. I made a bunch of new friends all in one shot and not only are they friends, they understand when I say that I can sense ghosts! They probably do think I’m crazy from time to time, but for the most part they understand and that’s good enough by me. I’m weird enough as it is… I understand when I’m considered too weird.

Getting involved in the paranormal field has made a difference in my life and I hope it makes a difference in others’ lives as well. I don’t want anyone to be afraid of ghosts. There’s really nothing to fear. I’ve met some of the most interesting people alive or dead because of my interest in the paranormal.

Back to Denise, who dragged me to that first event on the Queen Mary back in February… She had no idea that within a year I’d not only get re-energized about the paranormal, but also become an investigator, let alone a TAPS member. No idea. But the moment I saw Grant, I had to get another picture with him and Denise because it’s her fault that all this happened in the first place.

We didn’t get a picture with Jason for some reason. Oh well. There will definitely be a next time.

My time at the Stanley Hotel

For all intents and purposes, this was a vacation. It was not my usual kind of vacation because I really love to go and see and do when I’m on vacation. This was more for my husband. He likes to go somewhere and do nothing. Well, he did write a significant chunk of his novel on this trip. Got it out of the starting gate with a huge bang, I might add. Me, well, I had fun for a few days and was bored for a few more.

Anyhow, back in February, I’d gone to a paranormal event on the Queen Mary (which I’ll post about in the coming days) and afterward, I was hooked. I wanted to do more, so I booked the event at the Stanley hotel almost immediately. I figured that since it was so far in the future, I couldn’t turn back if I already had the tickets. I couldn’t weasel out somehow and neither could my husband. We would have to go.

And go we most definitely did.

That place is crazy with activity. It really is. I was astonished. But mainly, what I wanted to do was meet Jason and Grant now that I was part of their extended team. I’m a TAPS West Coast Home Team member and loving every minute of it, so meeting them again on those terms was so awesome.

I truly enjoyed being there, listening to all the discussions and meeting new friends.

It was also my husband’s first event. Being a photographer, he even got a few action shots during the day between investigations and discussions. It’s just hard for me not to be investigating when I’m in an area where everyone knows what I’m doing and not just talking to myself or recording thin air.

It definitely helps the photographs that the Stanley hotel is so darn gorgeous. I can’t wait to go back, but I know it’ll be awhile.

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