It all started on May 6, 1999.
Hubby and I were just getting ready to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. We wanted to take a short honeymoon since we didn't get to take one after our wedding. We decided to go out to Boston to visit my friend Chrissy.
While on the phone with Chrissy, she mentions how close the Boys were going to be that weekend. That little lightbulb went off over our heads and we decided to try to find the Boys in New York City.
Knowing that it was going to be practically impossible, I enlisted the help of a friend - who shall remain nameless per her request - (Thanks Girl! I STILL owe you one!). She told me where they were staying. Right away I got on the phone to try to get a room. They said 'Sorry, no rooms available.' Then Chrissy, knowing that we couldn't get that close and quit, called and they told her the same thing. My husband noticed how upset I was and offered to call for us to see what he could do...and you know what?!? 'Sure, what kind of room would you like? Smoking? Non-smoking, one bed or two?' THEY HAD A TON OF ROOMS, but they weren't renting out to young women/girls. Needless to say, my husband sat there with a smug grin on his face while Chrissy and I screamed for an hour.
Fast Forward...

Drove all night (over 14 hours) to Boston...slept for about 45 minutes in the car. Started getting ready to go after another short nap.
Of course since we were all wired up, we hit terrible traffic going into the city.
I tend to always hope for the best but expect the worst...just because that is usually my luck!
We passed the hotel the first time, and had to turn around...it was just our luck that they were havign some kind of ethnic festival and all of the streets were closed down and it took us another half an hour to get back to the hotel.
As we pulled up and saw what must have been 200 girls standing outside with signs and stuff, I knew we had found the right place. The valet guy took out bags and ushered us in. We felt like royalty. Tons of girls screamed at us and called us names, but that was OK, because who was going into the hotel and who wasn't?!?! HUH?!?!?
Fast Forward...

We got our keys to our room...we had to keep them on us at all times because they were kicking out girls left and right who weren't hotel guests (There weren't that many legitimate guests that were young women/girls).
R We were hungry from our long drive, and decided to get something to eat...we walked down the block to McDonald's and ate. Then came back to the hotel. And who did we see? Leighanne and Mandy. (For those of you that INSIST that neither Mandy or Leighanne were there with the Boys in New York, I saw it with my own eyes, and have pics to prove it!)
I looked over at Chrissy after they got into the elevator and Chrissy said "You know who that was right." and I said "Leighanne and Mandy right?" and we got all excited.
I called my little sister to tell her about seeing them and how I thought it was as close to the boys as we were going to get...

How wrong I was....
Fast Forward...
We went and did all of the typical tourist things...
Came back, Chrissy and I were a bit 'buzzed' from the drinks we had just had...she decided that against my better judgement, and going against plans, A, B and C...YES, we made several game plans...we didn't come all the way to New York not to meet them! Hell, we even snuck up to their floor while they were gone and rigged the back staircase so that we could get back up to their floor after they came back! LOL!

ANywhoooo...we walked down to where they taped SNL...tried to get the pizza guy to let US deliver the pizza to them. Chrissy was almost carried away by a cocroach as big as my foot. And then we went back to the hotel to watch SNL, where I proceeded to munch on one of the hotel cookies and almost went into an allergic coma, but didn't tell anyone because I didn't wanna miss the boys because I was in the hospital. (I have terrible allergies to walnuts, and they were in the cookies and I didn't realize it until I began to get sick).
Fast Forward...

If I really thought that we were going to meet the Boys, I would have taken longer to get ready, but I didn't, so I met them looking like hell...Oh Well!
We couldn't wait, about 10 minutes before SNL was over, we headed down to the lobby. We waited and waited...
I had my camera ready, Chrissy had the video camera ready...I was being totally level headed about it. I kept saying, I am not gonna scream, I am not gonna grab at him...I am an adult, not a teeny-bopper.
Well...about an hour and a half later, the elevator doors open and I heard a distinctive "Hello Ladies" and Nick walked out. (I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Nick at that point...I was there mainly to see AJ, and that was about it.) He walked in and all the girls ran after him (about 12 of them). WHat did I do? I sat there, with my camera in my hand totally frozen. Totally star struck. A TOTAL IDIOT!!! By the time I regained use of my legs, Chrissy had trampled over several little girls to get to Nick, and I snapped a picture as she said "Nick can you sign this for me?" and he said "Give it to me quick." and he put my pen in his mouth and pulled off the cap and signed it on the plastic of the picture (remember ladies...cute, not smart). Then I asked "Nick can you sign this for me?" and he grabbed for my CD and the body guard pulled him into the elevator. "He said, I'm sorry, I can't."
OK, most of you don't know me very well, but those who do, know that I can flirt my way into and out of just about anything, totally subconsciously, not even meaning to. So, I said "Please Nick." giving him the little pouty look and puppy dog eyes. And he looked at me and said mouthed "sorry" and gave me that little half smirk and a wink. I am surprised that I didn't die right there on the spot. That is where my small infatuation with Nick began.
Chrissy came back to the chairs and looked at me with a straight face and said "Nick told me to give it to him quick." and we both busted out in a fit of laughter after that small qoute that could be construed in a different way...Now Chrissy's fave saying is "I gave it to Nick quick in the elevator of the Double Tree Hotel!" LOL!

I was an idiot and did not get one good picture of Nick, so we went upstairs and woke up my hubby to take pictures...he wasn't happy about it, but he did it all for me, knowing how much it mean to me! *awwww!*

Fast Forward...Like 3 and a half hours ... we took several fresh air breaks and cigarette breaks for Chrissy. I was appalled by the fact that everytime we walked out of the hotel, someone would shout something mean at us...things like 'stay away from our boys you sluts' etc...Now I am on a total rampage for supporting the girlfriends...I don't think I could handle that every day!

ANywhoo...a girl came up to me and asked "are you here for the Backstreet Boys?". I felt like saying OK, I may be 25 but yes, I am here to see the Backstreet Boys alright!, but I didn't I just nodded politely, and she went on this ramble about how she wanted to get into the hotel to see them, but she has passes into the MTV thing int the morning, etc...I didn't even realize that she was talking, I knew that I had seen her someplace before and was trying to figure out where. After we wnet back inside and Chrissy and I touched every possible place that the Boys may have touched in the elevator...(yes, it was late, we were psychotic by then!) I realized that she was one of the girls that got to dance with the Boys on that one BSB special they did on MTV...

Anywoooo...
After freezing to death in the lobby until 4am most of the girls had left the lobby and stuff and there were only a few of us left. Kevin walked out of the elevator with 2 guys who appeared to be his brother, and possibly Trey D (DOn't qoute me on that, cuz I am not sure) and his body guard...who is a total hottie himself!! *Whew!* As soon as he walked out, the body guard spotted Chrissy with her video camera instantly and politely threatened her to turn it off and kept her standing there discussing video camera etiquete while I was thinking "I am not gonna blow it this time", and sauntered right up to Kevin as he has coming right towards me, looking me right in the eyes. I smiled and offered my hand as I introduced myself and we shook hands. We talked for a long time, discussing the SNL performance, the new CD, the upcoming tour, etc. From what Chrissy told me, He hugged me and I kissed him on the cheek, leaving lipstick marks on him. Then we took pictures, I shook his hand, told him it was nice to meet him and that I couldn't wait to see them in Detroit. He was so polite and nice. My hubby said he was a bit too nice because he was very "touchy feely" and he wanted to go up to Kevin and say "Hands of my wife Backstreet Boy!". None the less, I think Kevin is the nicest guy...or Howie, I am not quite sure ... they are both great!

Then about 10 minutes later Brian came in, and was rushed through the lobby to the elevator, Chrissy started freaking out because she didn't know where her picture was or her pen, but they were both right in her hand. I knew that at least one of us had to get an autograph and a picture, so I darted after him and hubby took pictures as I got him to autograph my CD. He kept walking toward the elevator, and I said "Excuse me, that's my pen." and he continued to walk away and sign things every so often, then Iheard someone say "AJ is here" and I froze. I was not nice anymore. I stepped into the elevator with Brian, not even realizing that I wasn't suppose to be there, looked at him and said "Hey! That's my pen." grabbed it out of his hand, tuned around, walked out of the elevator to leave Chrissy there talking to him.

I stood at the edge of the carpet, again, almost frozen in fear. It is one thing to actually say that you want to meet someone, and plan out exactly what you want to say to them when you do, but when you are faced with it, it is a totally different situation.

I mean, AJ is the inspiration in so many aspects of my life.
I was like being only 5 feet from the president, or god, or something....I can't describe it.
So, I finally as I walked toward him, I tried to compose myself so that I didn't come out with something like "I love you" or something stupid like that. Then he turned and looked right at me. My stomach dropped and I felt numb. I barely was able to say "Excuse me, but could you sign this for me." as I handed him my CD. He said "Sure sweeite." and I just kinda stood there thinking that if I didn't tell him now, that I may never be able to tell him what he has meant in my life. So finally I just said "You know, you are a huge inspiration in my life, and I know that sounds really corny, but...", then he interrupted me and said "No, that doesn't sound corny at all". and he gave me a little grin, and I felt totally comfortable that I had shared that with him.
We got pictures taken and I walked to the elevator to go up to bed, I was extremely tired. Chrissy yelled something to the extent of "aren't you forgetting someone?" and I was like "Uh, No, I got to see AJ and Kevin. Now I am going to bed." Totally forgot about Howie...

This is the funny part...I always told my friend Donna that I was gonna grab AJ's butt if I ever was close enough to do it. and you know what? Going back to Chrissy, I walked right behind him and scooted myself against the wall so that I didn't touch him and walked right by him. HOW STUPID AM I?!?!? HOW NUTS WAS THAT?!?!? I AM A TOTAL IDIOT!

ANywhooo...

I walked back to Chrissy and watched him get into the elevator and the doors close over him. I looked at Chrissy and just started to cry. I was so overwhelemed, I just couldn't contain it anymore.

I settled down a bit and relaxed...got a bit upset that it took Howie a half hour longer than everyone else but, I still waited. When he walked in, everyone mobbed him, yet he took it in stride. I got bumped into as I waited for an autograph, so I said "That is OK, I can wait, I can be patient." Howie looked up at me and smiled. I waled over to the other side of the hallway and waited for about 5 minutes and Howie came right over to me, again, I shook his hand and introduced myself and commented on his performance on SNL, and we chatted for a little while. I must say, I was VERY impressed with his mannerism. It was 4:30 am, they had a long day, and a long night, and an early morning ahead of them, yet, he took the time to chat with me before he went up to his room.

Chrissy and I went back up to the room and screamed and vented in front of the video camera for a few, and then she decided that she needed cigarettes, and I needed chocolate. So Chrissy and I, two little white girls in the heart of Manhattan, walking around with the dope dealers at 5:am...not a good thing!
I slipped and twisted my ankle on the sidewalk. HURT LIKE HELL!!!!
But, looking back on all of this, it was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
Now I sit here trying to figure out how to get my little sister to experience the same joy when they come to Detroit in November.

Who knows what will happen....Stay tuned....


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