The road to take...

**2013 Boy Band Bonanza**

August 2, 2013 - August 4, 2013

Chicago, IL - Clarkston, MI - Indianapolis, IN

If there was a prize for the weekend that could have been the death of me in 2013, the winner would be my Boy Band Bonanza Weekend.  During this particular weekend I traveled to three cities in three different states to see four different boy bands (five if you count Boyz II Men as a boy band).  Sounds like a complete blast right?  Oh, IT WAS!  It was so much fun that I only got a total of six hours of sleep in the whole 72 hour period.  I guess travelling about 1,000 miles in that one weekend was probably not the best idea on that little sleep....but at least I wasn't driving for some of it.  So let's get started on one of my best weekends in 2013.

Friday, August 2, 2013 - Backstreet Boys - In A World Like This tour - Chicago, IL

Late in the evening before the Backstreet Boys were supposed to be in Chicago, I discovered that they would be making a performance with a local TV station early in the morning.  It was already pretty late and by the time I found out, I would have only gotten about two or three hours of sleep.  So, I did what any rational person would do, I just decided to stay awake.  I won't go into many specifics because I will be writing a blog post on this specific day.  I was front row for the event and stood my ground as the rain came pouring down and soaked those that had disregarded the announcement to go to our cars when the storm came through.  There was no way I was giving up my spot.  It served as a first for me - the first time I stood in the rain waiting for the Backstreet Boys.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The Boys sang a few songs and I was able to snatch a photo with AJ (which also just so happened to be caught on TV by a high school classmate of mine).

Photo with AJ that makes the morning news

Chicago and Lake Michigan

Brian and I had one of our moments where he noticed me and did one of his signals to let me know that he had seen me.  Kevin saw my Kentucky shirt and gave me a "Go Big Blue."  After the event, it was time to head to the venue for sound check.

I had a little time to kill so I went for a walk along the lake front (Lake Michigan) and then found a nice shady spot to rest for awhile.  Remember, I had yet to be sleep since about 8am the previous morning.  The Chicago show was the first stop of this leg of the tour and there were SO many people for VIP, plus they were running behind (imagine that!).

We got a few songs for sound check, as well as a few songs that they would be doing during the actual show.  Brian once again saw me and signaled to me.  He surely knows how to make me happy.  By the time we got done with sound check, they had already started letting people into the venue but holding them behind a barrier.

Me, Samantha, Susan, and Amanda

The show was beyond amazing!  There was of course the small incident where the venue cut the show off right at 11 (more on that in a later post), even though they still had five songs that they had to sing.  The guys were livid.  I must have caught Brian's eye when the guys were trying to get the venue to let them continue and we mouthed an entire conversation with one another with him on stage and me in the audience.  It seemed like it went on forever but I'm sure it was only a minute or so.

Me and Kevin at the Chicago After Party

After the show, I had decided to attend the after party.  It was really the first after party I attended that was set up in the format of having the party on the venue site.  Nobody really knew what to expect since this was the first like this.  Kevin and Howie made their way into the audience while Nick did some deejaying and I was able to get a nice conversation in with Kevin.  He told me he had spotted me in my Kentucky shirt during the show and had just been about to say something when they had cut off the Boys mics when trying to shut them down.  We also discussed Kentucky football and how we felt about what kind of 2013 season we were going to have with it being Coach Stoops' first year.

I had decided to go with the package that got me a photo but I have NO idea who the other girls were in my photo.

Official Chicago After Party Photo

The after party did not end until 1am and I did not get home until much after that.  I think that by the time I finally went to bed, I had been up for 44 straight hours.  I was looking forward to some sleep but knew I wasn't going to get much because I had to drive to Detroit the next day for a Big Time Rush concert.


Saturday, August 3, 2013 - Big Time Rush - Summer Break Tour - Clarkston, MI
After a short five hours of sleep, I woke up the next morning ready for the next part of my Boy Band Bonanza Weekend.  Before leaving, I had gotten a phone call from a local newspaper to discuss the events of the previous evening at the Backstreet Boys concert and their early shut down.  I thought that was kind of cool and you can read the article HERE.

Me, Ash, Cort, Tiela, and Kat

Three and half hours on the road later, I met with the group I would attend the Big Time Rush show with.  I had actually seen a few of the girls the previous month when I met with them while on my Baseball Bonanza adventures.  However, this was the first time I was attending a show with some of the others.

I really liked the venue this show was held at and it was SO loud that night.  While we were way off to the side, we were only about three rows back.  I got a few more videos than I had at the Mohegan Sun show but the sound on some is not high quality because we were so close to the speakers.  The show was just as good as the last time I had seen them...and did I mention how incredibly LOUD it was?

While the other girls were staying there that evening and driving to the Big Time Rush show in Chicago the next day, I had to head back home right after the show, as I was going to be leaving the next morning to head to Indianapolis for The Package Tour. 

I had a tough time on the way home and had to stop often.  After all, I had only gotten five hours of sleep after having been up for 44 straight hours.  Luckily, I wasn't going to be the one driving to Indianapolis the next morning.

Sunday, August 4, 2013 - New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men - The Package Tour - Indianapolis, IN
Instead of sleeping when I arrived home from Michigan, I decided to post photos and videos instead.  An hour before I needed to start getting ready was when I finally decided to rest my eyes for a bit.  This means I had only gotten 6 total hours of sleep between my three days of boy band adventures.  You could just tell by listening to me that I was not at 100%, as my voice kept going in and out.  That's what happens after two nights of screaming at concerts and little sleep.  And I was about to head to my third.

Me and Danny Wood during my
meet and greet

I was actually going to get to meet Danny Wood from the New Kids on the Block because of some fundraising I had done for his charity organization, Remember Betty.  I was taking a Facebook friend of mine that I had never actually met in person (she was a fellow New Kids fan also living in Northwest Indiana and had donated to my fundraising).  She was a huge Danny Wood fan and I couldn't think of anyone better to take than her.  She was also going with several of her friends so I met a lot of cool girls for the first time that day.

Diane and me

While my meeting with Danny was very quick, it was pretty awesome.  He is a very nice guy.  However, the best part of it was seeing my guest's response to meeting him.  As her tears of joy fell after he was long out of site, I could not help but be reminded of the reaction I had the first time I had met Brian Littrell.  I knew exactly how she felt at that moment and I felt a great sense of pride knowing I could give her that moment.

Abbie and me

Once again, I was able to witness a fabulous show.  They were doing it slight different then when the New Kids and Backstreet had toured together (first was Boyz II Men, then 98 Degrees, and the New Kids as the main act, whereas during NKOTBSB both acts had been the feature).  This also happened to actually be the last stop of The Package Tour so we got a few extra songs that normally were not a part of the show.  Much like with last shows that the Backstreet Boys hold, there were some shenanigans when both 98 degrees and Boyz II Men attacked the New Kids with water guns.  It was the perfect ended to an awesome weekend.

That night when I got back home (with no sleep in the car on the two and a half hour ride back), I recorded the following video just to show what my experience this week had done to me:

You would think that I would have slept all of the next day away, especially since I didn't have to work.  That was NOT the case.  I was pretty dumbfounded when just four short hours after my head hitting the pillow, I was awake.  It actually took several days for me to regain full use of my voice.  I even had a job interview while my voice was not at 100% but I got the job so it must not have been too much of a hindrance.

This weekend will also be such a memorable one for me.  I traveled about 1,000 miles to three different concerts in three different states to see four different boy bands with three different groups of wonderful ladies.  The pure exhaustion I felt after those three days was well worth it!

Michigan City -> Chicago -> Michigan City -> Detroit -> Michigan City -> Indianapolis -> Michigan City
approx. 1,000 miles

I think this also gave me a tiny glimpse into what Mega Tour might be like.  It was the first time I had done three concert nights in a row and it was not easy.  Would I be able to handle a whole tour on the road?  The fact that I went back home after each show, rather than just going city to city, made it a little more difficult I think.  However, I see that Mega Tour will be extremely difficult to do if I ever got the chance.

Backstreet Boys - WGN Back to School Fair Photos
Backstreet Boys - In A World Like This - Chicago - Sound check and After Party Photos
Backstreet Boys - In A World Like This - Chicago - Concert Photos
Big Time Rush - Summer Break Tour - Detroit - Concert Photos
The Package Tour - Indianapolis - Concert Photos

View all of my videos from this weekend by visiting my YouTube Channel.



**Title Credits - "Back To Your Heart" - Backstreet Boys - Millennium**

Can we try to erase all the pain...

**2012 Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day**

August 10-12, 2012

Chicago, IL

2012 was filled with more than just fun trips to see basketball games or baseball games or go to concerts or have girl's weekends.  I had my share of hard work, as well.  One of the most difficult things that I did in 2012 was to participate in the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day.  

One year ago I made the announcement that I would be participating in the 2012 Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day thanks to the positive influence of New Kids on the Block member, Danny Wood, and fellow fans.  Imagine my surprise when I got the following comment on the blog that I had written. 

I really wasn't sure what to think when I saw the "@dannywood" signature.  There was no way it could be the real Danny Wood reading my blog, could it?  Because of a tweet that I got from Danny after the race, I have to believe now that it might have actually been Danny reading that post and that just makes me feel good.

I held bake sales, raffled off baseball tickets, held pork chop dinners, wrote fundraising letters, and sold t-shirts to try to make it to the minimum $2,300 that I needed to raise in order to participate.  I was happy that one of my friends had decided to join the team and that we would be taking this journey together.

Team Betty bake sale at the Portage Moose Lodge #1900 (Portage, IN)

I was incredibly happy to have the support of the Remember Betty organization as some national raffles were held that benefited Team Betty's across the globe.  Danny Wood himself even advertised one of our fundraisers...

By the middle of March, I had reached my $2,300 fundraising minimum!  I had only been fundraising for two months!  The support I had received from family, friends, and even complete strangers amazed me.  It made me realize that there were, in fact, still good people on this planet.  Just because I had reached my minimum did not mean I was going to stop.  My teammate still had to reach her minimum and I tried my hardest to get her those donations through the team's Twitter and Facebook pages.  In the end, she was unable to reach her minimum and I was going to have to walk alone.  I wasn't worried about doing it alone.  After all, how many things had I done solo in 2012?  Quite a few.  Everyone there would be there for one common reason, to fight breast cancer.  I knew that I would meet some new people and hoped I could find someone right away to walk with.

In March and April I began to work sixty hour weeks, split between four different positions within the same school system.  As if the sixty hour weeks weren't enough to keep me from my training, the fact that for the most part I did not enjoy my job sure did.  I would come home physically and emotionally drained.  The stress from working so many hours gave me a constant pain in my shoulders and upper back.  Headaches would plague me daily and a depression set in very quickly.  Luckily, I only had to endure two months of this agony.  However, even after those two months were up, I was still incredibly drained and had no motivation to do anything.  School let out and I was going to have a new position during our program's summer camp, a leadership role.  I would continue working a full 40 hours but my new position was not any better than my position during the school year.  I would come home tired and with little motivation to do my training.  In other words, while my training started out great in January and February, it was almost nonexistent from March through August.  I knew that I didn't have to walk the entire 60 miles and that Sweep vans would come to my aid if I needed to take a break from walking so I was just going to try my best at completing the 60 miles in 3 days. 

Friday, August 10, 2012 - Check in started very early on Friday morning, about 6am.  I still had to make the 1.5 hour drive from home so I had to get up VERY early.  Like I usually do before a big event, I got only about two hours of sleep.  It was going to be a LONG day since I still had over 20 miles to walk that day.  Since I did not know where I was going, I left extra early and got there right when everything opened.  I was majorly disappointed when it started raining as I drove to the opening ceremony.  That would add an interesting component to the day.  I was relieved that by the time I parked, it had stopped.  I dropped off my bag to the truck that would deliver it to the camp site, got my lanyard to put my credentials in, and then registered an app for Facebook to show my friends my progress throughout the weekend.  When I was done, I still had about an hour and a half to kill before the opening ceremony started.  I had meant to eat breakfast on the way, but had decided to wait until I got closer to my destination to ensure I would be on time.  Once I got closer, there seemed to be no where to eat!  Luckily, the mall that we were starting at had a few places that opened early specifically for all the walkers and I grabbed a quick breakfast.  I had asked some specific people on Twitter to keep me in their thoughts and prayers throughout the weekend but had not heard back from any of them.  However, I was surprised with a Tweet from one of them as I was eating my breakfast.  One of my favorite Bat Cats that had been drafted sent me some words of inspiration and it put a huge smile on my face.  I was ready to go!



Ready for a life changing journey



Rain, rain go away...

As I left the mall, I noticed that the number of people checking in and getting their stuff taken care of had multiplied.  It was getting crowded and we were all excited to get the show on the road.  I went over to the stage to wait for opening ceremonies and stretch.  The sky looked dark and I hoped that it would blow over so that there would be no more rain.  The sky opened up and the rain began to fall.  There was a scramble as everyone got out their rain gear to wear.  Several people were taking their shoes and socks off to put on flip flops.  I later learned why this may have been a good idea.



The reason I walk...

The opening ceremony was amazing and it was time to start the walk.  I still hadn't found anyone that looked like they needed a walking partner.  As I moved closer to actually moving to start the walk, I was afraid that I was going to be walking alone for some time at first.  Then, I was approached by someone asking if I went the University of Kentucky (I was wearing my UK hat).  I explained that I was just a huge fan and found out that she had actually been on the dance team there (and Kentucky has an awesome dance team)!  She was also walking by herself...I had found my walking partner!  Another person overheard us talking about how we were both there as singles and asked if she could join us because she was also a single.  I now had two walking partners!

As the race started it stopped raining.  However, just as we all decided it was safe enough to take off our rain gear, the rain came down once again.  The first pit stop was muddy as we had to avoid large puddles of standing water to get to the porta-pots for a restroom break.  I just want to take this time to discuss how incredibly clean all of these were throughout the entire three days, including the one's back at camp.  It was so impressive!  We got our delicious snacks and continued on the journey.  It did eventually stop raining which was good but not before our feet got soaked from walking in the rain. 

By lunch time the sun had come out.  The first thing I did after getting my lunch was get my wet shoes and socks off my feet.  It felt good to let my little toes breathe! The Youth Corps were buzzing around, refilling water bottles and making sure the walkers didn't need anything.  One young gentleman was even offering foot massages!  I didn't take him up on his offer but I thought it was way cool that a teenage boy was offering to massage the tired, probably stinky, feet of people he didn't even know.  The Youth Corps was amazing throughout the entire weekend, lifting up the spirits of a lot of tired walkers.  Once again my UK hat served its purpose and another Wildcat fan approached me at lunch.  We chatted a bit and then I changed into some dry socks, hoping my still damp shoes weren't going to cause problems.

Some of the neighborhoods we walked through were absolutely amazing!  The houses were gorgeous and BIG!  The other girls and I chatted away and my obsession with the Backstreet Boys came up.  They found it to be way cool that I've had all of the adventures that I have had because of those Boys.  Sometimes you never know if people are going to think you are absolutely crazy or if they are going to think it's fun.  In most of my experiences, people love to hear about the adventures I've had. 

As the day went on, I started walking slower and some problems started developing.  I could feel some hot spots forming on my foot, which means that blisters were going to start forming soon.  I did my best to prevent this from happening by bandaging them.  My right foot started to hurt along the side.  I knew right away what was happening.  Several years ago, I had had the same problem in my other foot after walking in a half marathon that I had not trained for...AT ALL.  The pain this time very much resembled that pain and it was in the exact same spot, just on the other foot.  The diagnosis the last time this had happened was tendinitis and it had put me on crutches for a month.  The pain started off small and got worse as the day went on, but I just wanted to finish the first day.  The other girls were pulling out ahead of me and I couldn't quite keep up with them but I didn't want to hold them back, either.  Occasionally, other walkers would join me, cheering me on and motivating me to keep going.  They could tell that I was in pain.  At one point the girls stopped to wait for me as we made a bathroom break and stretch.  The stretching felt amazing...until I went to stretch my calves.  As I went into my stretch, my calves began to burn and felt like they were on fire.  You know how it feels when you pull a muscle?  Yeah, it was like that only it was in both calves and made it even more difficult to walk.  I hoped that returning to the walking would help loosen up the muscles so that the pain would go away.  I decided that the next time I saw a sweep van I was going to have to take it because I was in bad shape.  I only had three more miles to go and it saddened me to know that I wasn't going to complete all twenty one of the Day 1 miles.  I began walking slowly.  One mile went by and then two before I saw a sweep van approaching.  I only had one more mile to complete in order to finish and made the decision to bypass the sweep van and complete those miles!  It took me awhile and it was painful but I was so happy as I crossed that finish line for the day and made my way into camp!  The first thing I did was make my way to the mats to stretch.  It was so difficult to even get down on the ground to even begin stretching.  Trying to get back up was even worse.  Muscles in my body hurt that I didn't even know existed.  The only things that were going through my mind were "I have two more days of this...I can do this...why didn't I train more like I was supposed to?" 

The evening was not over yet, as I still had to set up my tent in camp and grab my bag from the trucks that had transported them there.  I could barely walk, how was I going to carry a heavy bag and set up a tent?  Thankfully, the 3-Day had Tent Angels to assist us.  A young guy happily grabbed my bag and a tent and made his way to my camp site where he set up the tent in no time.  I'm no stranger to putting up tents but I felt like in my condition it would have taken me at least two hours to put it up.  I was moving at the pace of a snail.  Originally, I should have been sharing the tent with my teammate but since she hadn't raised enough money and wasn't able to walk, I was going to get the tent to myself.  I decided to get dinner next, which was good.  The food all weekend was good (including all of the yummy snacks along the route at the pit stops) and there was plenty of it.  The 3-Day Crew was ready and willing to refill your water bottle, take your plates, and help you in any way that you needed.  I cannot compliment all of the Crew enough for their amazing help all weekend.  They definitely made the weekend even that much more special. 

Similar to our 3-Day Showers

A nice hot shower was next on my list of things to do.  I hoped it would ease the pain that I was feeling.  Questions about showers were usually the first I got after my 3-Day weekend.  Camp was set up at a local school in a field (either soccer or football, I can't remember now).  Rows and rows of pink tents filled the field.  Off to the side were four large eighteen wheelers...with showers in them!  It was definitely something different and a new experience for me.  The showers inside reminded me off my days back at the college dorm.  You stepped into the small, curtained changing area and then into the curtained shower area.  It was totally sufficient and clean for our needs for the weekend.  Again, another impressive accomplishment by the 3-Day.



Medic Rob and me - Day 3

My final stop was the medical tent to see if I could get any help with some of the pain I was feeling.  By then, the hot spots that I had during the walk had turned into blisters.  My first stop was to take care of those...all 11 of them that I had (6 on one foot and 5 on the other).  Luckily, only one of them had come open during the day.  The medic that took care of me, Rob, was extremely nice as he took particular care of each and every single one of those blisters.  He told me it had been the most he had seen that day.  I knew that it had been bound to happen between my lack of training and the rain that had soaked my feet at the beginning of the walk (all those people that had put on their flip flops when it had started to rain had been geniuses).  When Rob was done lancing the bad blisters and using a variety of bandages to cover the others, we both admired the masterpiece that was his first aid job.  Little did I know that it was going to be the start of a friendship developed over the weekend.  My next stop was to get my foot checked out.  I informed them of the problem I had a few years back but they checked it for fractures just in case.  I was clear there!  There was nothing they could really do for the tendon except some ice and ibuprofen.  I then went to the third part of the medical tent to see about getting some relief for the fire that was still radiating throughout my calves.  It was determined that I had overstretched them at my last stretching stop.  They were rubbed down with Bio Freeze (greatest stuff ever!) and I was sent on my way. 

I joined back up with the girls I had been walking with and we made plans to meet the next morning.  I hoped that a good night of rest would ease all of the pain that I was feeling and that I would be able to walk the next day, even if it was only for a little bit.  I thought I would have no problems falling asleep on that first night because of the lack of sleep I had had the night before and how exhausted I was from the walk that day.  We had been lucky that the day had not been hot, even though it was the middle of August.  That also meant that the temperature dropped drastically that night and the cold was just one of the things that kept me lying awake that night.  The fact that my body hurt all over was another big reason for my insomnia.  I had not brought an air mattress (partly because I had no portable pump to blow it up and partly because there had been no room in my bag) so lying on the somewhat hard ground was not helping the pain and soreness I was feeling.



Saturday, August 11, 2012 - After another night of very little sleep, I woke up to a chilly morning.  I was sore but I didn't know how bad my foot was until I stepped outside of the tent.  I could barely walk.  As much as I wanted to walk that day, I knew that doing so would just make the pain worse and could cause more damage.  Besides, if there was one thing I wanted to do, it was cross that finish line on the third day.  I thought that maybe if I rested my foot the entire day, it would okay enough for me to walk at least part of the third day.  I made the decision to catch the SAG bus right from camp, which would take me straight to the lunch stop.  Only one other person was on the bus with me but she had been red carded by medical because they had determined that she had a stress fracture in her foot.  My medic friend Rob had seen me that morning and had threatened to red card me himself after seeing the pain I was in.  I told him that I was red carding myself and not to worry because I had no plans of walking that day.  I took the bus to the lunch site and hoped I would see the girls as they came into lunch.  I talked with some other walkers who were also having issues and spent some time icing my foot, after finding another blister that Rob and I had missed the night before (that made a total of 12 blisters).  The girls eventually came into the lunch site and they updated me on everything that they had seen so far that day. 

An example of some cool things along the route - Day 1

What had impressed me so much on the first day was the support the walkers seemed to get from others in the community on our journey.  Cheering stations had been set up along the route as people cheered you on and passed out goodies.  Cars honked as they passed you going down the street.  It made me feel good that people were supporting the cause even if they weren't walking themselves.  It gave hope to the walkers as they chugged along.  From what the girls were telling me, I had missed some good times along the route that day.  I felt bad that I had missed it.  They seemed to still be going strong as they continued on their journey. 

I joined the SAG bus to take us back to camp and it was much more full this time.  Since we rode the bus back, we got into camp before everyone else.  It meant I didn't have to wait in line for the shower, which was nice.  However, I was tired.  My lack of sleep from the night before and the fact I had pretty much just sat all day had drained me of any energy.  I decided to lay in my tent for awhile and take a nap, since we had some time before most of the walkers would make it back into camp.  Even though it wasn't especially hot out, anyone who has been camping knows how warm it can be inside a tent that has been sitting in the sun all day.  I layed down but the oven-like conditions were not conducive to getting any shut eye.  I eventually made my way to the dining tent to grab dinner and was joined by the girls once they returned and had completed their showers.  We all decided to partake in the festivities that evening since we had been too tired to stay up the night before.  They had a performer singing and playing his guitar, presentations, and special recognitions.  The part that everyone looks the most forward to at the end of Day 2 is the Dance Party.  It's exactly how it sounds...they play music and everyone dances.  It looked like fun but we were in no shape to join in those particular festivities as we decided to call it a night. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012 - I slept a bit better on the second night but it still wasn't a great sleep.  I made sure to layer more and that helped a bit but it was still very cold.  Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning to my foot not feeling much better at all.  I was mad that I was going to have to miss another day of walking.  After slowly and painfully packing my bag and taking my tent down, I made my way to breakfast.  I hopped on the SAG bus, which had WAY more people than the first SAG bus of the previous day.  At least I was not alone.  We headed to the lunch site, where I had a nice visit with my medic friend and helped where I could in restocking the blister materials as I sat at the table and iced my foot.  I was able to see the girls, who had diligently walked every mile of that walk, before I got on one of the sweep vans to head to the finish at Soldier Field (mind you, that will be the ONLY time I am ever caught in that building - Go Pack Go).  Unfortunately, we entered the stadium in a spot that we did not cross the finish line.  I wasn't about to end this journey without crossing that line!  I limped over to the finish line and crossed it - and the crew of the 3-Day cheered for me even though I hadn't come across it like everyone else would that day.  I knew I had some time before the first walkers would finish for the day but I stayed by that line and cheered on everyone who came across that line.  I was so angry at myself for not being able to walk that entire walk but I was so happy to be a part of the experience, even if I had not gotten to experience to the fullest extent.  I eventually saw the girls coming across the finish line and gave them each a huge hug for their accomplishment!  

The girls and me waiting for closing ceremonies to begin

It was then a waiting game, as the closing ceremonies would not begin until all walkers had crossed that finish line.  We sat and I had them tell me about everything I had missed that day.  It sounds like the walk through the city and along the lake front was a great one!  When it was finally time to line up for the closing ceremonies we happened to be standing right where the line was to begin to march into the closing....so we were the first to be greeted by all of the family and friends that had come to cheer on their walker.  Sadly, I had no one there for me since my husband refuses to come to Chicago.  It was great walking through the crowd as they cheered us on, although I had problems keeping up with those that were the first in line because of my foot.  We were in the front row in front of the stage to experience the closing ceremonies, which were very emotional, to say the least.  I know I had some tears running down my face.  In 3-Day tradition, we all removed one of our shoes and raised it into the air as the survivors entered the closing ceremonies to signify that it was not only them that we were walking for, but all survivors of breast cancer and those who will be affected by it in the future.  It was announced that the Chicago 3-Day had raised $3.5 million as of the closing ceremonies!  And I was just a small part of that...  

Cats Fans!

As the closing ceremonies ended, I headed to pick up my gear and head to the shuttle that would take me back to my car where the opening ceremonies had been held.  All around me, walkers were in great spirits as they recalled their favorite memories of the weekend.  I ran into the Kentucky fans I had met earlier that weekend in the parking lot and got my photo with them.  Later, I had posted this photo on Twitter and had tagged the University of Kentucky to let them know that the Big Blue Nation is truly everywhere (this is important for something that happened later)!

I drove home, stopping by Taco Bell to grab some dinner.  There I had a discussion about the 3-Day with someone who had seen my limp.  They congratulated me on my accomplishments for the weekend and it made me feel good.  People outside of the 3-Day community were recognizing the effort I had dedicated to the cause. 

Post 3-Day:  The love and congratulations that I received from everyone after the 3-Day was amazing.  The biggest surprise was the following tweet.... 

The fact that Danny took the time to tweet me and thank me for my efforts was beyond anything I could ever imagine.  What really got to me was the fact that he (or someone) had taken the time to get the photo that I had tweeted to the University of Kentucky and crop it to only show me.  It truly made me feel so incredibly good about what I had accomplished, even though I had been upset I hadn't gotten to walk the entire event.

Even before this had happened, I had made the decision to participate in the 2013 Chicago 3-Day once again.  I think I had actually decided this at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 3-Day.  So, you may be asking...."It kind of sounded like you had a miserable time with your injuries.  Why do it again?"  Well, that is a very good question.  Let me answer that for you.

1.  By the end of the week my blisters and tendinitis were practically healed.  It just took one short week of rest to heal.  My ailments did not need chemotherapy.  I didn't need to have a full mastectomy or hysterectomy to keep this pain from returning.  These injuries were not life-threatening.  I was going to be able to go about my life normally after one week of healing, while those with breast cancer would have to suffer for months or even years.  If it takes feeling that pain for one week in order to fight breast cancer, I will be more than happy to suffer for that one week.

2.  The support I received before, during, and after the event were amazing and made me feel like I was doing something important and making a difference in the world.  Who doesn't enjoy that feeling?  I cannot thank my family, friends, and even complete strangers enough for what they helped me to accomplish.

3.  The people I met during the event were inspirational.  There were survivors who were walking to make a statement.  They had beaten breast cancer and they weren't about to let it defeat them.  There were family members who had lost loved ones to cancer.  The memory of the loved one was being honored.  There were men dressed in bras and tutus, walking for a cause that affects so few of them.  Those who don't want to or can't make the walking and fundraising commitment are still there to support the walkers on their journey.  For one weekend, so many people came together, forgetting about their problems, to fight for one common cause.  We were all a family that weekend...we all belonged.

4.  I know too many people that have been affected by breast cancer.  My grandmother is a 17-year survivor.  I have at least two sorority sisters that are survivors (and more that I'm sure I don't even know about).  A fellow member of my Moose Lodge is a survivor.  Luckily, everyone I know has been able to fight and defeat the disease.  It's because of research and funding by organizations like Susan G. Komen that aids in this fight.  Unfortunately, I also know many people who have had loved ones not be able to defeat those cancerous cells.  That is why we need to keep fighting and not stop until that survival rate is at 100%.

5.  I want the FULL 3-Day experience.  I want to be able to walk EVERY one of those 60 miles.  I want to experience EVERY one of those cheering stations.

Those are just five reasons why I am going to experience all of this all over again!  I would love for more people to join me, as I am the only member of Team Betty for the Chicago 3-Day right now.  You can visit the Team Betty Participant Page for more information.

I started my training about 4 weeks early and am in Week 5.  To date I have logged 62 miles of training.  It has been going great!  And now that I have a new job that I enjoy, I believe that training will be so much easier for me than it was last year.  I also know that I need to make so much more of an effort so that I don't have the same problems that I did last year.  I would love everyone's encouragement and support so that I keep up with it though!  You can do this in a number of ways:

"Like" us on Facebook - Team Betty - Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day
Follow us on Twitter - @TeamBetty_Chi
E-mail us - teambettychicago3day@gmail.com

My fundraising has also been going well.  I have decided to make my goal $3,500 this year, which is slightly higher than the amount I was able to raise last year.  I am just about to break the $1,000 mark.  I have several fundraisers going on right now including Training Sponsorships, White Sox v. Cubs ticket raffle, and "Cancer Sucks" t-shirts for sale.  You can get all the information for these fundraisers or donate on my Walker Participant Page.



Team Betty - 2012 Top 5 Teams

I discovered recently that our team last year was actually in the Top 5 for fundraising Team Betty's across the world.  That was with two of us fundraising.  I would love to get on this list again this year, especially if I am the only member of the team!

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this and I hope that I can count on you for your support!

  

**Title Credit - "The Answer To Our Life" - Black and Blue - Backstreet Boys

It's your gravity, that's holding onto me...

**2/11/2012 - I'm Taking Off - Nick Carter - House of Blues - Chicago, IL**

This weekend was another first for me...my first solo Nick Carter concert.  And what a show it was!  If you recall, when Nick first released news of this tour, I had hoped that he would come closer to where I live or add more weekend shows so that I would be able to go.  During the Pre-Cruise event in December, I asked him if he would be coming to Chicago.  He replied that he probably would.  Not only did he add a Chicago show, but it was on a Saturday.  I was happy I was not going to have to miss any work to see him.

I decided right away that this would be the show that I wanted to see and I wanted VIP.  I saw how quickly the VIP sold out for the other shows so I knew I was going to have to join his fan club in order to even have a slight chance of getting VIP,  let alone four of them for the group of girls I was going with.  So, I paid the small fee to join the online only fan club and waited patiently for my tickets and VIPs to go on sale.

The tickets went on sale one hour earlier than they were supposed to and luckily I happened to be waiting and ready for those VIP sales.  The concert was going to be General Admission so getting the tickets right away was not a huge deal.  My fingers moved like lightening as soon as those VIPs went on sale though. Within a minute, I had four VIPs in my cart and paid for.  By the time I finished, VIPs were sold out.  I found out this weekend that two more rounds of VIPs were released between then and the concert.

When news was released the week before our show of the death of Nick's sister, Leslie Carter, we were not sure if the rest of the tour was going to be cancelled or not.  We had been making plans on renting a limo so that we would not have to drive into downtown Chicago and Susan was supposed to book it on the day that the news was released.  Luckily for us at that time, the company's credit card machine was down and she was not able to book it.  This was a good thing since the deposit could not have been refunded of the tour was, indeed, cancelled.  I personally thought he should have at least postponed the first few shows after the death of his sister but he chose to go on with the tour as planned because performing was going to help him.  I know he had some trouble at his NY show, which was the first after Leslie's death but after that I believe he stayed pretty strong.  I do know one show was cancelled but there were several rumors as to why...he was either sick or the show did not sell well.  Anyway, we never did end up booking the limo after we found out the tour was going to continue because the limo place never did return any of Susan's calls and all the other places were more expensive.

On Friday and Saturday, Northwest Indiana had a Winter Storm Warning and the temperature was significantly lower (Teens) than what it had been the rest of the winter (40s).  Chicago itself was not under the Winter Storm Warning but it was going to be cold.  We knew that with our VIPs we would not have to wait in line forever to get a good spot.  We just hoped that we would not have to line back up outside after the VIP for the show.  Because of the weather and the notorious Chicago traffic, we made sure to leave with plenty of time to spare.  Once we got into Chicago and parked, we had several hours to kill.  We had decided that we would get a late lunch in order to kill this time we knew we were proabobly going to have.  

We decided to stop in at Bar Louie's which was right next to the House of Blues.  When we walked in we were told that they had $1 martinis as their special.  We knew this was our place!  We then found out that they also had $1 appetizers....could we get any luckier???  We each ordered our first round of drinks, an appetizer, and an actual meal.  We could have gone without the meal because sharing the appetizers would have been plenty for us.  We took our time eating, drinking, and just socializing before it was time to head to the venue.  None of us had been to the House of Blues before so it took us awhile to find out where to go.  There were so many VIP girls!  I later heard that there were about 120 of us.  We were given one very simple set of instructions...do not bring up anything regarding Nick's personal life from the last weeks...AKA the death of his sister, Leslie.

For the soundcheck, we were about 8 rows back.  Nick came out and sang two songs, "Fly Away" and "Free Falling."  I liked the fact he did other songs that we would not be hearing during the concert...or so I thought.

"Fly Away"

"Free Falling"

After two songs, it was question and answer time.  Here are the questions that were asked that I remember.  They are not word for word but get the idea across...

Q:  She liked the fan club t-shirts (my guess is the ones that come with the non-digital only membership) and asked if there would be anymore like it.

A:  He said that he liked designing shirts that have more than just his face plastered on it so that there would probably be some more in the future.

Q:  Could he teach us the Burning Up dance?

A:

Teaching the "Burning Up" dance

Q:  Is there anything special planned for the Backstreet Boys 20 year anniversary next year?  

A:  Yes there are plans being made but he could not elaborate on it.

Nick got a kick out of the ice cream question

Q:  A fan showed him a photo of "Shweaty Balls" ice cream and then asked him what kind of ice cream he would be.

A:  He'd throw in a bunch of things that don't mix.  Popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, Warheads.  He hates chocolate ice cream, although he "likes other things that are chocolate."  This got a laugh from the audience.

Q:  The fans then tells him what she thinks he would be.  Peanut butter so you can take it out of the jar and lick it.  White chocolate.  Nuts because he's crazy.  And mint chocolate chip (which he says is actually one of his favorite ice creams).  

So I found out that one thing Nick and I have in common....we both hate chocolate ice cream!

Me, Amanda, Susan, and Samantha (bottom going clockwise)
waiting for our photo op with Nick

Next, it was time for our VIP photos!  I had been thinking about what I wanted my pose to be since I bought the VIP.  This was going to be my first solo photo with Nick.  I kind of wanted to do something fun but then I decided to go with the standard "Huggie Pose."  I figured that maybe eventually I can get  one of these poses with every single Backstreet Boy.  I already have several with Brian so why not get one with Nick?  I walked up to him and he said, "Hey Kentucky."  I just happened to be wearing my Kentucky Anthony Davis jersey.  UK was playing that night and Davis is from Chicago.  I thought that I wanted to dress warm and comfortable since I didn't know if we would be standing outside and I knew we would be standing for several hours during the show.  I gave Nick a hug and he gave a nice tight hug back.  I asked him for a hug in my photo and he said "of course."  After the photo he kind of held onto my hand for awhile and then thanked me for coming.  I have to say that is the nicest that I think I have ever seen Nick.  When I would see him on the cruises he would just seem to be a bit rude and not interact with the fans much.  And I think when I have met him at the group VIPs, I am always so focused on getting to Brian that I don't notice him.  But he was amazingly sincere during this meet and greet and I have a whole new respect for him after this show.

Me and Nick Carter - VIP

After all the photos were done, we got ushered back down to the lobby while they set up the stage for the actual show.  Luckily, we did not have to go outside and VIPs were put ahead of everyone else.  After waiting for some time, they let us back upstairs into the venue, where I was able to get about 5th/6th row back.  Susan, Amanda, and Samantha decided that they were going to try to get a table to sit at so that they did not have to stand.  This made it perfect so that I did not have to hold my sweatshirt and coat while the concert was going on.  I stood next to a few nice girls, one of which happened to have sung with the Boys (10,000 Promises) during karaoke in 2010 on the cruise.  She had flown in from Las Vegas to visit some of her friends and see Nick.  

The concert started with an opening act named Gwenevere.  She wasn't horrible but her songs were a bit angry and I could have done without all of the flipping off she did.  I've seen worse but sometimes I don't get the idea behind some of the opening acts that the Boys have had.  

It was finally time for Nick to come on!  I had done a good job of not looking at the set list before the show, because I like to be surprised.  It made recording videos a little harder but I managed.  Nick slowly walked out in his space suit and opened with "I'm Taking Off,"  which happens to be my second favorite song on his new album.  

"I'm Taking Off"

He then went right into "Blow Your Mind," from his debut solo album.  One of the things that I very much liked about Nick's show was that he did several medley's with other artists songs.  The third song he performed was a medley of "Not The Other Guy" and The Killers "Somebody Told Me."  These medleys made the show interesting and showed how music influences other's music.  Another of Nick's songs from his first album, "I Got You" followed the medley.  Next, Nick pulled up a lucky fan to sing the beginning of "Special."  She seemed so nervous at first and had the same reactions I probably would have had.  She did seem to loosen up as the song went on though.  As always, I was super jealous it wasn't me but happy for her.

"Special"

"Nothing Left To Lose" was next on the setlist....and then it got really good.  Even though this was just Nick touring as himself, you can't have a Backstreet Boy give a concert without singing Backstreet Boys!  "Incomplete" was Nick's first Backstreet song of choice in his setlist.  This song was amazing as always, but I do prefer it with the voices of the other Boys.

"Incomplete"

The first song that Nick wrote for I'm Taking Off was a song called "The Great Divide."  This song was next in line and put into a medley with "With Or Without You" by U2.  Again, it was great combination.  Not only did Nick sing his own songs put with songs from other artists, but he also rearranged some of his own songs.  His ballad "Do I Have To Cry For You" was given a new twist.

"Do I Have To Cry For You"

"So Far Away" was next, followed by another Backstreet Boys classic, "Larger Than Life."  This got the audience pumped and the entire floor was shaking, hence the not so great camera work.  This song was also mixed with another song and done as a medley.  Nick's mix choice:  "Fresh" by Kool and the Gang.

"Larger Than Life"

"Just One Kiss," Nick's first single from his second album was performed next.  However, it was the song that followed this that I was looking forward to seeing performed.  During his NY show, it was "Falling Down" in which he broke down and had to leave the stage.  I knew that by our show he would be stronger and be able to perform the song, but I knew it would still be emotional.  Nick came out with just his guitar, dedicated the song to "all the loved ones we've lost," and sang a beautiful acoustic version of "Falling Down."  Fans had discussed bringing glow sticks to hold up during the song in honor of Leslie and many of them did have one.  I knew I was going to be too busy recording to also hold something up in the air.

"Falling Down"

Nick revealed after this song that he was supposed to go off the stage but forgot.  So he just stayed out and continued playing and said he was going to add a song.  I'm not sure if this was the case or if the song has always been in the set list and he was just saying that.  All of the set lists that I have looked at online do not include this song.  And while this was one of his soundcheck songs, "Free Falling" is a great song and I loved hearing it again.

"Free Falling"

And what is a concert with a Backstreet Boy without "I Want It That Way?"  Not a very good one in my opinion since the song is so well known.  Yes, I know people get sick of it...I don't!

"I Want It That Way"

It was finally time to end the night with Nick's best song.  The high energy that "Burning Up" feeds into the room is amazing.  The entire floor was shaking as girls jumped up and down and danced.  Nick showed us some of his moves, which many fans compare to a muppet.  At one point, Nick pours water over his head and shakes it, spraying water all over the place, including right on me.  It was such a perfect ending to a great show.

"Burning Up"

On my way back to Michigan City, I seriously contemplated just making the five hour trip to Columbus, OH for the next and final stop of his tour.  However, I didn't know if tickets were available and knew that the show just would not be the same without a VIP.  So I got off on my Michigan City exit instead of continuing.  I blasted my I'm Taking Off CD and sang at the top of my lungs the whole way home.

The road trip itself was pretty uneventful compared to some of the road trips I have had to see the Boys but the concert was amazing.  If he does another leg of the tour, you can count me in on going to at least one of those shows.

It's the way you make me, kinda get me go crazy....

**Into the Millennium Tour - 10/5/1999 - Allstate Arena - Chicago, IL**

Okay, time to get back to my past BSB adventures!  I don't think anything beats your first BSB event....

Into the Millennium

The Backstreet Boys at the All State Arena

On October 5, 1999, one of my teenage dreams came true.  I got to see BSB live for the Into the Millennium show at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.  

The Seating Chart and Our Seats

I remember that I was so happy when we had gotten tickets.  As most of you probably recall, all concert dates for this tour went on sale at the same time and most tickets for ALL shows sold out within the first hour.  Chicago had three dates and we really did not care which one we got tickets for.  In order to ensure tickets my friend Stephanie and her sister, mom, and dad, were each on a computer at his office.  Stephanie was then on the phone with Jenny, who was trying to get tickets as well.  They were able to finally pull up tickets but of the six tickets, only two were together!  We did at least have three tickets in one section, and three tickets in another section....all the way across the venue from one another.  Jenny, Stephanie, and I did sit together in one section.  Luckily, two people next to Jenny never showed up so we moved down to sit next to her.

Now, this was before digital cameras were cheap enough for everyone to have.  I took my step-mom's camera and I remember being so excited because it had a zoom on it.  After all, I was going to need it since we were all the way up in the 200 sections.  I remember thinking that the pictures turned out so awesome (not realizing that at later shows I would be so much closer with a much better camera).  I had also taken my mini tape recorder and recorded most of the concert.  However, I am not sure whatever happened to that tape....plus it was mostly just me screaming anyway.  Luckily, I wrote in my diary after the concert so I can recall some of my favorite moments:

Nick and his pole

If, you attended any show on this tour, you probably remember the poles during "Don't Want You Back."  I know I remember them.  I also remember Nick getting very friendly with his...

Flying BSBs

During "Quit Playing Games,"  Kevin was flying in a section very close to ours.  While he was doing flips, he got stuck.  It was kind of funny.

I had two favorite outfits.  My first was the pajama pants that they wore at the end of the show.  My second was the pink suits....not sure what they were thinking there.

Pajama Pants

Pink Suits

The Perfect Fan

And I, of course, cried during the show.  When the Boys brought girls with their mothers on stage and sang to them during "The Perfect Fan," I lost it.  I thought they were so lucky and wanted to be them.  Plus it is just a beautiful song.

The concert was on a school night and we did not get back until late, of course.  I actually did not go to school the next day until lunch because I woke up not feeling well.  Probably something relating to sleep deprivation.  I would have just missed the whole day of school but I had to go to volleyball practice or I would not have been able to play in the game the next day.  Oh, did I mention that I also had no voice?  Have you ever tried to participate in school or play volleyball with no voice?  It is very difficult!

That night I also spent a ton on money on merchandise!  I bought the tour program, two short sleeve shirts, a long sleeve shirt (which is still my favorite BSB shirt to this day), and the Into The Millennium glow stick.  

Me in my favorite BSB Shirt