I TOLD you I'll Be Loving You Forever...

Okay, okay...I will no longer call them OPOTB. (Though, some of the songs still validate that moniker!) I will just call them THE BEST CONCERT OF MY LIFE!!!

Yep--with much trepidation, I admit, Nanci and I drove over to the Verizon Center last night and had the time of our lives!! NOT only were the seats freaking FABULOUS, they got BETTER!!! Yep...our seats were 3rd (YES, THIRD) row...just a little left. They were incredible. We were just shocked (though that's what lots of money buys, I guess) at how flippin' close we were. Then we realized that the row we were in was not very full at all. I guess most know that you don't have to get there right on time because who you really want to see doesn't even come on until about an hour after the show starts. So...we figure we'll move down a few seats to be practically at the best place (minus the stage) in the whole arena. We were there for a bit and really couldn't believe how our great seats got even better. And THEN, they got better than that!! Apparently, the people who had tickets for the seats we moved to came, and that was no problem, we just slid on down back to our seats. The thing is, though, they wanted to have their group of four sit together and they only had two seats in our row--their other two seats were TWO ROWS UP!!! TWO ROWS UP!! FRONT ROW! So, they asked if we would mind trading. WHAT? Unfortunately, the two they needed for their group were two on the other side of us, but I told them that if I was them, I'd sit there and we would all move to our regular seats if the official ticket holders came back. They agreed, and sat down, while Nanci and I hopped right on up -- to literally where we could get no closer!! It was AMAZING! We made friends with the girls behind us (who, we learned, paid about the same we did and got to MEET the 'Kids'--but said it was sort of awkward, so Nanci and I are glad the myth hasn't been debunked!) while the two new girls on the other side of us basically told us that we should switch seats with them (as ours were better) because they paid good money to be where we were (which they didn't, or they WOULD have been where we were) and we didn't. Ummm...no. I heard this conversation going on with them and Nanci, and purposely stayed out of it because Nanci was handling it just fine and I would have been snappy. Better to not start an argument and mess up a good thing. In the end, they ended up moving to where they wanted anyway, and we still had great placements, so, whatever.

So...let me tell you, the concert was amazing. They TOTALLY played the good stuff...and the new stuff they played? Well, they played the more benign stuff and some of it you couldn't even make the words out the words to very well, so...we enjoyed the great beat, the dancing, and the fact that we could SMELL THEIR COLOGNE, we were that close!!!! Now...here's the best part. And, if you are a Facebook friend, you already know this. Joey loves me. He does. Ask Nanci, ask the girls behind me...ask that whole front section. NOT ONLY did he and I share eye contact and face time on at least SIX different and countable occasions, he blew a kiss AT ME. TOTALLY AT ME. And I am not making this up--ask Nanci! I wouldn't have believed it myself, if I wasn't there, but he DID! AND...as I nearly had a conniption fit that he did, he and Donnie (who totally dug Nanci and her button--winks were witnessed!) laughed about my reaction. FOR REAL, friends...FOR REAL. Does it get any better???

Seriously, I had such a great time last night and the concert was fabulous and I am so happy that my high school crushes still remain (keeps me young) and LOVE ME BACK! Ha ha...they put on a great show and the outrageous amount of money it took to get there was worth EVERY PENNY. According to the girls beside us, it was worth more, apparently!!

I was a little peeved because they distinctly said no cameras, recording devices, etc...and the place was FULL of them, so Nanci and I were stuck with our camera phones, but at least we have some proof.

Here's Nanci and me just giddy beyond belief!


Here's Joey Joe on his knees crooning!



Here's Nanic's man...Donnie--her first DW!



You tube is alive with some video already, so I will have to download those as well and create my NKOTB folder.

John? Yeah, well, not to worry. As Joey is happily married with a new baby and I am happily married (with a new baby hopefully very soon) I guess we will just remain the star-crossed lovers we have been for the last 20 years. Another time, another place? Who knows? In any event, the chaste kiss blown to me was enough to make my heart pitter patter with thanks to them--if for no other reason but the glorious walk down memory lane.

Now...back to real life!