Boston Meet and Greet...

To help promote the release of their new CD, "The Block", NKOTB had 5 CD signings scheduled the week of the release. Of course they were doing a Meet & Greet at home in Boston! And that meant I was going to be there! I got to Newbury Comics at 4:25am even though the guidelines said "not to line up before 5a". Shortly after I got there, my sister & cousin joined me in line and then the rain started. And it was pretty heavy for a bit. It probably rained consistently until about 6:30am or so. My sweater was soaked even under my running jacket. Guess that wasn't waterproof.

Did I mention - it was a New Kids On The Block event so of course rain was required. All I want to know is who pissed off the weather gods so that it always has to rain?! It was so foggy out that you couldn't even see the top of the Clock Tower. About 750 people turned out and the line was all the way around the corner and down the street!

The first 3 1/2 hours went by a lot faster than I expected. The line to buy the CD started moving around 7:40am or so and we had our CDs in hand by 8am. Then we moved over to the autograph line and got ready to wait for the next phase. A lot of people walking by asked us what we were waiting for...sometimes we told them the truth, other times we played with them by answering "Neil Diamond". The expressions were priceless no matter what.

Here we are hanging out in line - we don't look half bad for girls who stood in line for 10 hours while wet, hot & sticky.

And this picture of me has quickly become the favorite solo picture of me - thanks Moira!

At about 12:50pm, the blue van pulls up and Donnie, Danny, Jon & Joe get out of the van. Jordan got out of a Cadillac Escalade soon after they did. So they were all there for 1p. Of course people swarmed the streets to try to get a shot of them coming out of the vans so then when they got back in line things were a bit crammed in. Thankfully the rain had gone away but the mugginess arrived. Needless to say, we were all wet from the earlier rain, and then sweaty & gross from the humidity. These poor men were going to have to hug 750 wet, sweaty & smelly women. ick.

Finally the line began to move.

They let us in in groups of 10 and the staff kept saying "no hugs, no cameras and no leaning on the table" but we all knew that wasn't true! The girl who counted the groups would say it because she had to but she knew it didn't mean anything. Finally, it was our turn to get sent in...the butterflies really started to kick in. We walked upstairs and immediately the AC & fan really helped cool us down. Jordan & Jon's mom & sister were hanging out in the corner. Their mom looks amazing!!!! And she was so friendly too.

Put it on my Tab was playing as I was standing waiting to go in...I was getting really nervous because I knew this was my moment to get some Face Time! I was standing ahead of Alyson & Moira and I could hear them talk to each other wondering if I was okay. I turned around and told them I'd be okay. Although my eyes were tearing up so I think I was trying to convince myself. I knew that Alyson couldn't look at me because if I started to cry, she would too. I hand my camera to the staff and ask her to take a picture of me when I'm with Donnie... I got the thumbs up so I felt confident. I stood there patiently waiting for my turn. Rachel (my line buddy) was talking to Donnie so I wasn't going to interrupt her. Finally she moved on to Danny and I kind of stood there. Donnie had the left hand on the wall and the right arm stretched out. I stepped up and he said "Hi beautiful". I just about died. I leaned in and he gave me a HUGE hug with just one hand. I gave him the hug back, kissed him on the cheek and then said "Hi, thank you" in his ear. He replied back with a soft "no, thank you gorgeous". I was so caught up in that moment. I could have stayed there for days just whispering to each other in our ears. I told him I was so excited and happy and he replied back with "I'm glad". This whole time we are hugging and talking into each other's ears. Then I said "Can I just say from one Dot Rat to another Dot Rat, I am extremely proud." He hugged me harder and said "thank you that means so much". He stepped back, signed my CD, smiled and just stared at me and smiled. *SWOON*

I said thanks again and went to go to Danny. He was smiling at me and saying "hey how are you". I was trying to reply with "thanks" but my voice was cracking so Donnie looks at me, smiles and says "it's okay sweetheart" as he rubs my cheek!

I just about died.

I moved to Jon who signed it and gave it to Joe. I said thanks to Joe and he was like "Hey no problem". He's so nice. Jordan signed it and smiled but he really didn't seem all that into being there. While I was standing there I thought it would be perfect to use my Dorchester line again. So I said the same thing to Jordan & Jon about being from Dorchester. And Joe says "what no love for JP?" And I said "Sorry man, I grew up in Dorchester" Joe said "it's all good" and I said "actually I grew up a street over from Jordan & Jon..." and Jon perked up and said "where" as if to test me. I told him the street and he was like "oh cool" Jordan asked which direction. I told him Fields Corner here, your street, then my street. And he was "oh it was parallel, right" and I said yes and he gave me a big smile.

I walked downstairs completely satisified.

Went to lunch with my sister & cousin to cool off and then I met with up with some of the ladies I had met to see how there experiences went...We sat there for a bit shared our stories and I explained I was going to go back and watch them leave. Hey - why not! We all headed back over and prayed for no rain. It did sprinkle as expected.

They had the van & the Escalade parked waiting. Robo came out and said "okay ladies, you can stay where you are and take pictures just don't rush them or the van when they come out." We were good and stayed put...Danny came out first. He waved and said thanks and got into the van. Joey came out next, waved, said thanks and then said "hey 15 years ago you would have been all over this van...you're old!!" then he got in the van. Robo got into the van and they drove away. Jordan came out and got into the Escalade and they drove away. No Jon or Donnie. The staff closed the doors so I figured Jon left another way so he didn't needed to be hounded.


Donnie probably had to go out another way so obviously it wasn't meant to be...So time to go home. Stacey & I decided to make a stop at the bathroom before heading to the garage. We went up to the bathroom right by the Newbury Comics entrance on the 2nd floor. As we're coming out there is a very small group going down the stairs in front of us. Donnie was one of them!! I think I hit Stacey and pointed Donnie out to her. We went down the stairs rather quickly to catch up to him. We weren't going to be rude or interrupt just say Thanks and keep going. We got right next to him and I said "Thanks again Donnie" and started to walk towards the door. He stopped, put his arm out to stop me, and then put both arms out to give me a DONNIE HUG and then leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips. I just about died right then & there. I said thanks again in his ear and he hugged me a bit more. Then he hugged & kissed Stacey!! I felt so incredibly lucky & thankful.

We walked out the door because we didn't want to harrass him after all he had done. Why we didn't ask for a picture I'll never know but hey I got a kiss on the lips!!

Stacey & I walked back to the garage in awe, screetching like teenagers. Stacey, I'm so glad we were able to share that moment together. And I'm so happy that after 20 years, I was able to spend a quiet, intimate and personal moment with Donnie.

He didn't have to stop but he did...
he didn't have to hug, but he did...
he didn't have to kiss us, but he did.

God, I love this man. I will be 85 years old and someone will say "Donnie Wahlberg" and I will be giddy as a school girl.