**Big Blue Weekend**
April 13, 2013 - April 14, 2013
Lexington, KY
When I tell people how much I absolutely love the city of Lexington, it never fails that I get a strange look from the Northerners that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. I may have been born and raised in Northwest Indiana, but my heart truly does belong in Lexington, Kentucky. Before you follow suit of those around me and start asking "why don't you just live there?", know that my husband has had to relocate us twice for work (once from Muncie, IN to New Albany, IN and once from New Albany to back up north where we were raised). Both relocations ended in a layoff. Now, he refuses to relocate ever again. It truly does sadden my heart. Northwest Indiana was a great place to grow up, but everyday I live here I am not entirely happy. People begin to question why I travel so much and I hope that this gives you some insight into that query. Whenever I can get away from this place, I take advantage of it - especially if my destination is my favorite city.
It is no secret how much I love University of Kentucky baseball (well, unless you are a new reader and just joining in all of my crazy adventures). After seeing the team during Regionals in Gary in 2012, I knew I had to actually make it down to Lexington to see them play, it was just a matter of choosing which weekend to make the six hour trip.
Hudson Valley Renegades jersey that Michael Williams wore during his first and only MiLB season
After contemplating the schedule, I saw that the Wildcats would be playing Tennessee at home. I knew that former Wildcat, Michael Williams, had a brother that pitched for UT and that Michael had been attending a good amount of his brother's games. If you recall, Michael is one of the WIldcats that I had traveled to New York to see play with his minor league team after he had been drafted. Additionally, when the team auctioned off the game worn jerseys, I became the proud owner of the #35 Hudson Valley Renegades Away Jersey (I had seen them play in an away series because a friend of mine worked for the opposing team) - AKA, the jersey Michael had worn during the three games I had attended in New York. I knew that if Michael happened to be going to the UK v. UT series, I could bring it with me and get it signed by him. And even though he is no longer playing (that's a different story for a different day), the jersey would always bring back the memories of my trip to New York and my conversations with this former Bat Cat. To some, it may seem silly to choose a series to attend based on the attendance of a person who could possibly not even be there. However, I knew that if I was ever going to get that jersey autographed, that would be one of the sparse moments that it could happen.
After determining this particular series as the best weekend for me to attend, I made a great realization. The 2013 Spring Football Game would be happening that very same weekend and it was going to be BIG with a lot of excitement for the football program drawn from the fact that UK has gotten new football coach, Mark Stoops. This was just the annual Blue v. White scrimmage but the interest to see what Stoops was going to do with this team was high. Ticket sales were through the roof compared to the previous year (more on that later). This scrimmage meant that I would not only get to see one UK team play this particular weekend, but two! You see, I am a true fan that bleeds blue for ALL Kentucky athletics, not just their ever so popular basketball team.
I began to make my plans for the weekend by buying my tickets and getting my hotel. I would be meeting a friend, Beth, from Huntington, WV who is not only a Kentucky fan, but a Backstreet Boys fan as well! I had invited Tammy, my usual Kentucky travel mate, to join me for the weekend, but she had been unable to make the trip.
When a workshop was offered to me the Friday I was supposed to head down to Lexington, I decided to take advantage of attending. The workshop would allow me to rearrange my schedule to get off work earlier than if I worked a regular day AND it was about 45 minutes closer to Lexington. Why wouldn't I take advantage of those two things? The workshop itself was also good so there were no regrets going.
As usual when I head anywhere south, I stayed with a friend in the Louisville area on Friday night so that I could continue my trip to Lexington the next morning. And as always - Indiana was as boring as ever to drive through.
Beth and I had made plans to grab lunch at Tolly Ho for some amazing burgers before heading to the ballpark so that we could catch batting and fielding practice....well, after a small detour to the Wildcat Wearhouse to browse their University of Kentucky gear. We got to the ballpark shortly after the gates opened and Kentucky was taking their batting practice. Unfortunately, my streak of sitting right behind the dugout was ended, as there is no seating in that area at Cliff Hagan Stadium and we had general admission tickets which is seating further up in the stands. I realized I was going to have to deal with another stupid net in my photography (I had this same problem the previous weekend when I had gone to a minor league game to see a former Wildcat). The camera likes to focus on the net in the foreground, rather than the subject in the background. When it does work properly, there is a stupid net in all the photos! Oh well, I guess there is nothing I can do about that.
Beth and me at the UK v. UT baseball game
While waiting for the game to start, we started a nice conversation with an older couple sitting behind us. After telling them that I had come from Indiana and Beth had come from West Virginia and discussing our love for all UK teams, we were asked if Mitch Barnhart (the athletic director at Kentucky) knew we existed. I agree with the guy that Mitch should totally give us jobs...I don't know what we would do but he wouldn't even have to pay me as long as lodging, food, and access to all games were provided. I'm just saying, that would be awesome.
I was on constant look out for Michael, as well as the mom of Kentucky player, Austin Cousino. We had been talking since Regionals on Facebook when she contacted me to thank me for the photos I had taken. I eventually spotted Michael talking to some of the players by the dugout so I wanted to wait until he was done catching up with everyone that he knew....and there were a lot of them as he made his way around the park talking to fans, family members of the players, and friends. I eventually saw an opening to grab my jersey and go talk to him. He signed my Renegades jersey and my photo with him from my New York trip. We then had what I thought was a very nice discussion. We talked about Luke and the Hot Rods since I had just seen the team play the previous weekend (many of the Hot Rods were on the Renegades with Michael). We also talked about some things that made me feel a little less bitter that he had been released from the Renegades. However, knowing that I might not get to see Michael play baseball in the future still makes me a bit sad. He was a great ball player. After our nice conversation, we got another photo together. It is always truly a pleasure seeing and talking to Michael and I am grateful that he is just a genuine good guy.
Former Wildcat, Michael Williams, and his autographed jersey and photo
After months of waiting to see these Wildcats play in person, the game finally began. They had a nice crowd since the Spring Football game was later that day. Many fans actually left early from the baseball game to head to the football game and boy did they miss out on the end of a great game, even though Kentucky lost. With one out left in the bottom of the ninth, Kentucky was trailing by five runs and bases loaded for the second time in the inning. A grand slam by AJ Reed brought us within one but we fell short in our 9th inning rally.
Not only did I get to see the grand slam by AJ Reed, who is a fellow Hoosier from Terre Haute, but Max Kuhn who is also from the state of Indiana, had a home run of his own. As much as I hate living in the state of Indiana, it feels good when those raised in the same state are successful wherever they go.
After the baseball game, we still had plenty of time to do the short walk from Cliff Hagan Stadium to Commonwealth Stadium for the Spring Football game. When we got there, the gates weren't even open yet so we did some exploring and found the UK Alumni Association tent. Beth is an alumni association member, but for a mere $10 I received enterance and access to the food, music, and prizes (I won a UK waterbottle which I was quite excited about).
Beth and me at the 2013 UK Spring Football Game
I hadn't been to a football game in a couple of years so I was so excited to be back at Commonwealth Stadium to see the Wildcats play, even if they were just playing against themselves since it was a scrimmage. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this Spring Game because of the new football coach, Mark Stoops, and the promise of a much better season than those the team has had recenetly because of hiring him. This was my first Spring Game and I could not believe how many people were there! I actually think there were more people at this Spring Game than at the last regular game I attended. In fact, they completely blew 2012's attendance out of the water!
If the above photo isn't enough to convince you about how excited the Big Blue Nation was for this Mark Stoops era, let me give you another perspective on this attendance. The estimated crowd for this game was about 7,600 more than the largest crowd at a regular season game in 2012. So, there were more fans at a SCRIMMAGE than an actual GAME from the previous year. The attendance at this game also completely annihilated the previous attendance record of 20,325, set in 1987. Of the 14 teams in the SEC, UK beat out nine of them in attendance. The previous year, Kentucky came in dead last in attendance for the spring game. What is even more impressive was that of the 14 teams, Kentucky had the greatest increase in attendance from the previous year - by almost 6,000 people ahead of Auburn (who had the greatest attendance of all SEC schools). Hopefully, I have now gotten my point across at just how electrified this stadium was.
It was nice to see what the season was going to have in store for us as we watched the two sides scrimmage. Hearing the air raid sirens go off each time a team scored brought an excitement back to Commonwealth Stadium that had not been heard and felt in years. It was an excitement that had been growing since the following commercial had aired earlier in the year...
As can be expected, there were some mistakes out on the field. Overall, fans got great insight into what the upcoming football season will hold. After going into the half tied at 10, the Blue team came out the victors 24-23 when the White team's two-point conversion pass attempt failed.
2013 UK Spring Football Game
Four members of the 2012-2013 UK Men's Basketball Team
Not only did I get UK Baseball AND UK football in one day, but some of the UK basketball team was seen cheering along the sideline, as well.
Plus, there was plenty of spirit in the stands. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite moments was when The Wave graced Commonwealth Stadium and just kept going and going and going. After a disappointing football season the previous year and an even more disappointing 2012-2013 basketball season, it was great to see the Big Blue Nation excited about something again!
After an amazing day of Kentucky athletics, Beth and I weren't quite ready to leave the campus that we both love so much. We made our way over to the Wildcat Coal Lodge, which houses the men's basketball team and thought for a moment that we might get to see some Wildcats in the middle of a pickup game as we passed by a basketball court and saw that it was in use. We were kind of disappointed when those players turned out to be nobody special. After some pictures with the legendary Coach Joe B. Hall, we made our way over to the student center.
Statue of Coach Joe B. Hall outside of the Coal Lodge
Beth, Coach Hall, and me
On the way to the student center, I showed some love for my Bat Cats...
...and represented my love for all the Wildcats at Kentucky by giving the new Wildcat statue on campus some love...
It was finally time to end our day of fun and get some much needed rest for the next day of fun at the ballpark, where we would both get to see our favorite Wildcat, Corey Littrell, pitch. Beth made her way back to her friends as I took the short trip to my hotel and it's incredibly hard bed.
Beth and I met the next morning at Ramsay's, where I just couldn't quite bring myself to order a Kentucky Hot Brown that early in the morning. However, their breakfast was HUGE and I knew I wasn't going to have to eat again until dinner time. We decided that there was one more place we needed to go together...we needed to go visit a legend.
Coach Adolph Rupp is buried in the Lexington Cemetary
It was such a perfect day for a baseball game. I might have gone a bit overboard at the merchandise stand, where I bought three more Kentucky baseball shirts to add to my already large Wildcat wardrobe. While walking my merchandise back out to the car, I realized I had parked in the wrong parking lot. It just so happened that I was able to move and park right next to some of the Wildcat parents that were tailgating before the game started. I had, of course, already met some of them between the day before and during regionals last year in Gary, but it was cool to get to meet more of them. They made me feel right at home among them as a fellow Wildcat baseball fan.
Unfortunately, this game wasn't nearly as exciting as the previous day due to the fact that Tennessee was able to shut out the Wildcats and win 5-0. While the game had been scoreless in the first five innings, four Tennessee batters in a row reached base in the sixth - scoring three runs.
I had been looking forward to seeing Corey Littrell pitch again since I had decided to go to Lexington for this series. He pitched 7.1 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs. He walked two and struck out three. So, it wasn't his greatest outing but I was still happy to see him play. Having a pitcher as your favorite player can be difficult since they play so rarely. You have to stand behind them 100% during that one day a week where they do play.
Every Sunday when the Bat Cats are playing an SEC team, they have an autograph session after the game. I think this was the part that I was looking forward to the most. Beth had gotten me a team poster during one of her many trips to see the basketball team play that season but it had gotten a little beat up in the transition from her to me. Luckily, they had fresh new team posters there awaiting to be autographed. When I had seen former Wildcat, Luke Maile play just a few short days before in South Bend, he had asked me to tell everyone that he said "hello." So, as I went down the line, I informed all of those he had played with the previous year of his message.
My signed and framed 2013 UK Baseball Poster
Corey was all the way towards the end of the line and I had the photo we had taken together at Regionals for him to sign. He didn't appear to be in the greatest mood because when I asked him how he was doing, he had replied with, "I'm hanging in there." I'm sure he was probably disappointed with his pitching outing that day so I wasn't going to push anything any further. When I was finished getting all of my autographs I decided that I was going to try to wait for Corey to possibly get another photo. Many of the families of the players were waiting outside the ball park so I waited, as well.
We waited and waited and waited. When all of the players appeared to be out of the ball park and the gates were being closed, we headed back to the car. Corey had never appeared. There had been another exit that he might have taken...oh well. As we exited the parking lot, we got a nice little surprise. Corey was walking down the side walk, crossing right in front of us, with his dad. I waved out the window and got a wave back. Beth rolled down her window and I shouted out a request for a photo. When he agreed, I quickly put the car into park right there in the entry way of the parking lot (luckily there was no one around because everyone was already gone), hopped out, and had his dad take the photo (thanks again Jack). I absolutely love the photo and think it might be one of my favorites with the two of us. I thanked him again for everything and went on my way.
Corey Littrell and me
After dropping Beth at her car, I started the six hour drive back to Northwest Indiana. It had been an amazing weekend in my favorite city, filled with some of my favorite things. I made a very important decision on my drive back north....next year I wanted to earn myself a Cliff Dweller shirt. I was certain that I did not go another season without travelling down to Lexington to see the Bat Cats play.
You can see my entire album of photos from this weekend HERE.
**Title Credit - "The One" - Backstreet Boys - Millennium **
Call off the search party, I'm alive! First, I would like to apologize for not writing in MONTHS! This year has been full of work, big life changing decisions, and lots of travel. I know I still have to finish my 2011 cruise review and do my reviews on the UK baseball regionals, UK basketball championships, my cruise reunion in Washington D.C., and a trip I took to New York to see some former UK baseball players play. However, with my first post back, I just couldn't go without writing about my birthday weekend last month. It was a weekend full of my favorite things and favorite people, a weekend that will forever stay with me in my dreams.
September 15th was my birthday. I had been super excited when it was announced that there would be a University of Kentucky Alumni Charity basketball game on September 15th, which would bring back former Wildcats who are currently playing in the NBA. Well, any University of Kentucky athletic event is to my sports world as the Backstreet Boys are to my music world. To make things even better, there was also a UK football game that day AND my husband was actually willing to go with me for once. I was totally ready for a day full of Wildcats!
And then something happened that completely changed my course of action...Leighanne announced that there would be a Wylee Party on Saturday, September 15th in Roswell, Georgia. Now I was completely torn. Lexington, Kentucky was only 6.5 hours from me and would entail an entire day of festivities. Roswell, Georgia would be at least a 12 hour drive and the Wylee Party would only be five hours. To some this would seem like an easy choice, but I was presented with two options and I had to make a choice. No matter which I chose, I knew I would have a great time. I discussed my options with my husband and my friends and took suggestions. I guess my husband really knows me best when he told me, "Go spend your birthday with Brian." He was right. There would always be another UK game but spending my birthday with Brian would be something that I had only dreamed of ever happening. Little did I know that even afterwards, it would seem like a dream. So I made my decision. I was going to drive down to Roswell, Georgia for my birthday.
Then some news was announced that I thought would once again change my plans. Just a few days before I was supposed to take my trip, it was announced that the Backstreet Boys would be performing in New York at an event for Old Navy on Friday, September 14th.....yes, the day before Brian was scheduled to be in Georgia for the Wylee Party. Since the Old Navy Event seemed to be so last minute, I was worried that Brian would not be able to be at the Wylee Party. Don't get me wrong, I love Leighanne and I've bought my fair share of Wylee products. However, I would really have to think about making that long of a drive without Brian being there. Luckily, there were still tickets left for the UK Basketball Alumni game if need be. There had been no word one way or the other as far as whether or not Brian would be at the Wylee event. So I decided to send out a little tweet to Brian, Leighanne, and Wylee to see if I could get some kind of confirmation one way or the other. Anyone who has tweeted Brian or Leighanne know that it can be a bit difficult to get a response back. Apparently, my birthday was going to start two days early because I received my second ever tweet from Brian Littrell...
Let's just pretend that it is my birthday that he wouldn't miss for the world...
Alright, so I was going to be heading down to Georgia after all. My plan was to drive to Louisville on Thursday night and stay with a friend so that I'd only have an 8+ hour trip, rather than 12+ hours. However, a baseball team that I had been following all summer had made it to the playoffs and were playing the championship game on Thursday. I had started listening to and following the Hudson Valley Renegades (Class A Short Season Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays in the New York-Penn League) as soon as I had discovered that one of my favorite UK Baseball players, Michael Williams had been placed on the team after he had been drafted to the Tampa Bay Rays. It was also very convenient that another UK Baseball player, Luke Maile, had also been placed on the team. I had actually taken a trip to New York just two weeks prior to see the two play, but that will hopefully be another blog entry at another time. Anyway, the Renegades had tied a best of three series up with the Tri-City ValleyCats and were going to be playing the Championship deciding game on that Thursday. If I drove down to Louisville that night, I was going to miss it. I made the decision to stay at home and listen to the game (yes, listen since it is only minor league baseball and not on TV). The Renegades ended up winning the New York-Penn League Championship that night! Two of my Bat Cats (UK Baseball players) were Champions and this would be considered early birthday present number two!
2012 New York-Penn League Champions - Hudson Valley Renegades
And I bet your wondering where this talk of UK Baseball all of a sudden came from? Don't worry there will eventually be a blog post about that too!
So, Friday rolls around and I am on very little sleep. I never get any sleep the night before I leave for a trip because I'm up late getting everything packed and prepared. It's the one aspect in my life that I never finish early and I have no idea why. In order to pack for Georgia, I still needed to unpack from New York two weeks prior since the vacation fairy had failed her job miserably and hadn't done it for me. Even though I was on little sleep, I knew the adrenaline of the trip would keep me awake. The fastest way to get to Georgia from the Chicago area is to head straight down to Nashville and then over to Atlanta. However, I was heading south. Lexington is south. I love Lexington. Do you see where I'm going with this? By cutting over to Lexington and then heading south, I was only going to add thirty minutes to the drive. The feelings of pure joy I get when I am in Lexington was going to make that extra time well worth it. I had been getting some suggestions of places to eat in Lexington that I wanted to try. Additionally, I thought it was very convenient that Lexington is pretty much the exact half way point between here and Roswell (6.5 hours for each leg).
Michigan City, IN -> Lexington, IN -> Roswell, GA - Approx. 733 miles
As I crossed the bridge over the Ohio River and into Kentucky, I immediately felt a sense of peace. It's the feeling I always get when I travel to or through the state. I just feel so at home there and there is a calmness that passes over me as I see that "Welcome To Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit" sign. I said so long to Indiana and hello to the place that I most want to live. I said goodbye to the miles and miles and miles of this....
This is the only cool part of Indiana, our wind turbines amongst the corn fields.
And said hello to this...
The hills of Kentucky between Louisville and Lexington
If only it had been slightly later in the fall so that the leaves would have begun to change....then the drive is even more beautiful and breathtaking.
I finally got to Lexington at about 4:30 or so. It was an odd time since it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner really. However, I had planned it so that I would be hungry at that time. I stopped at a recommended hamburger joint just off of campus called Tolly-Ho's. I ordered my burger and was just getting ready to leave when early birthday present number three walked in the door (although it took me awhile to figure this out).
I saw a young guy walk in wearing a Milwaukee Basketball shirt. I thought it was funny since one of the UK Basketball players, Doron Lamb, from the 2012 Championship team had been drafted to the Bucks. Then I noticed that he kind of looked like Lamb. He walked away to the bathroom (I'm assuming) while the two people he was with ordered and sat at the table caddy corner from me. It was then that I realized that one of the other guys looked like Marquis Teague, who was also on the 2012 Championship team and had been drafted to the Chicago Bulls (and was from Indiana). I started to get pretty excited but wanted to make 100% sure it was them before I went up and made a fool of myself. I always have a problem recognizing athletes when they aren't in their jerseys...you're just used to seeing them that way. Luckily, Tolly-Ho's calls out your name when your order is done. Then there it was.... "Marquis"....."Lamb." I started to do some major fangirling. These were like the Backstreet Boys of my sports world. Not only did I have two University of Kentucky basketball players sitting next to me, but two UK players that played for the 2012 NCAA Championship Team.....AND were now professional basketball players. They were in town for the UK Basketball Alumni Charity Game (remember that was supposed to be happening the next day). It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve to go ask them for a photo. When I did, they had already started eating. Remember, I had already finished eating when they had walked in or else I would have waited to bother them until they were done. The friend they were with (I later found out his name was Dion) asked if I could wait until they were done eating and I willingly obliged. Thank goodness the restaurant had wi-fi so I could fangirl on Twitter and Facebook for the thirty minutes I had to wait while they sat there in silence, not saying a word to one another, and on their phones. Finally, they started to get up and Marquis gave me a little nod to let me know they were ready. I told them what a big fan I was and how I had been there in New Orleans to watch them win the championship (again, another blog entry eventually). I don't think they said a single word to me. I got between them and they of course towered over me. I'm glad I got my photo but their social skills need some working on. Maybe its because I'm spoiled by the four Bat Cats that I've met, chatted with, and had photos with (three of whom are now pro in the minor leagues). The photo could have been better in so many more ways but I will gladly accept it since it was a totally unexpected part of my trip. Just think, if the Renegades would not have been in the Championship game, I would not have been at Tolly-Ho's at that exact moment to get that experience. Everything does happen for a reason.
Doron Lamb, Me, and Marquis Teague - Former University of Kentucky Wildcats (basketball)
I was walking out of the building at the same time, thanked them, and wished them a good weekend. What happened next was just weird. As I got into my car, which they had parked right next to, Dion (the friend) asked if I was from there and if I wanted to hang out with them. I explained that I was just driving through and was headed to Georgia (but really I was thinking that there was no way I was going to put myself in a sticky situation)!
I was sad to leave Lexington, even though I knew I was headed to see Brian that next day. I'm just always so happy when I am there. Because of my stop in Lexington and other pit stops along the way, my total trip to Roswell took about fifteen hours, although I did have a little motivation along the way from one of Leighanne's good friends, Jodi...
Thanks to my friend Jessica, Leighanne had been informed that I was coming a bit of a distance and I got my first tweet from Leighanne, thanking me.
It feels really good to be appreciated for my dedication
I was still too pumped from everything that had happened to me thus far to really get any sleep. It was officially my birthday by this point and I was going to get to spend the day with Brian and Leighanne Littrell. I knew the next day would go by incredibly slow as I waited for 2pm to roll around. Luckily, I had an old high school friend that lived in Roswell to go to lunch with and get my mind off of the waiting.
I showed up to the Teal Gallery about 15 minutes early and there was only one person waiting outside at the time. It made me wonder how many people were actually going to be at this Wylee party. I looked in the window and Leighanne happened to be standing right there setting things up. We waved at one another and I took a seat outside to wait for the party to start. More girls started to show up as it got closer and closer to 2 o'clock. At one point Brian came out to make a quick trip to the Wylee trailor that was parked outside. He apologized that it would only be a few more moments...imagine that, the event was not going to start on time. Don't we all know and love Backstreet time? Brian then poked his head outside again to take a photo of the group that was so patiently waiting to get inside and tweeted the photo.
That's me in the "Birthday Girl" sash
He tweeted the photo at 2:09 and I would say that we still waited another 10 minutes or so before they finally let us into the building. I would say that there were probably 20-25 people in line to get in as Brian took some video.
Video courtesy of SimplyLeighanne
I knew exactly what I wanted but I decided to look around anyway. As I looked around Jodi and pretty much all of Leighanne's family wished me a happy birthday and thanked me for making the long trip. I knew that she would have some new stuff that wasn't on her website yet. There was and I, of course, wanted it. However, I'm not made of money and knew that there was one item that I wanted more than anything else there...the Brian Cross Necklace.
I didn't see any as I looked around and had to ask Leighanne if she happened to have any with her. She gladly helped me as I became the first customer of the day. As she was checking over the necklace to make sure that it had not been damaged at all, Baylee and Prue (Jodi's daughter), came up to Leighanne to let her know that they were leaving (they were going somewhere with a family member, I'm pretty sure it was Leighanne's step dad). Leighanne asked if Baylee had visited any of the customers and told him that it was my birthday. Both Baylee and Prue told me happy birthday. Baylee then told Leighanne that I should get the special birthday discount. The boy is just too adorable and so much like his father. I would say that I was done with my purchases by 2:45 but there was no way I was going to leave that party until it was over. Brian, Leighanne, Jodi, and all of Leighanne's family (mother and sisters) were busy selling away as the crowd grew bigger. I would say at one time there were maybe 50-60 people there at one time, since people were constantly coming and going.
At about 3:00, Brian said that he would be taking photos in 20 minutes. I found some very nice fellow Backstreet fans to talk to as we waited. An hour later, Brian finally started the picture taking. He was running on Backstreet time once again but I really didn't care. I was having a good time with everyone as I waited. I got into line and started chatting with some new girls around me. At one point, Leighanne was standing next to me so I got my photo with her...
Leighanne Littrell....looking gorgeous as always
It was at about this point that Brian announced that he would really appreciate it if everyone only got one photo so that those people that were in the back of the line would get a chance to get their photos. Apparently, a lot of girls were asking for a serious photo and a funny photo. When he had started the line, I was pretty much the end of it. By the time that I got closer, there were 15-20 people still behind me. As I had waited in line, I new exactly what I wanted my pose to be. The girls in front of me said that they would be happy to take my photo for me. When I finally got up to Brian, I asked him, "Since it's my birthday, do you think that I could get a kiss on the cheek for my photo?" That was when he leaned in very close and whispered into my ear, "Now if I do that for you all of these girls are going to want that," and it just so happened that the girl with my camera just happened to get a photo of it.
He asked me if huggie pose was okay instead. Ummmm, what girl would ever refuse being in Brian's arms for a photo??? Not me....Happy Birthday to me!
Before the party, I had been trying to decide if I was going to wear something Wylee to the party or if I was going to wear my University of Kentucky football jersey because Kentucky was going to be playing later that day (and because I wanted to see if he would remember me as "Kentucky Girl" like he called me on the cruise). I eventually had decided to compromise and go with my Wylee No EGO's (Edging God Out) shirt but was wearing my University of Kentucky shoes and earrings. I had brought my jersey with me in case I decided last minute to change my mind. After my photo, I decided that it was time to show my team spirit and threw my jersey on over my shirt. I was now in football mode. In between a set of photos Brian had looked across the room at me and just kind of laughed as he shouted, "You changed!" I had to shout back "Of course, Go Cats!" I'm not going to lie, I had a huge smile on my face because 1) Brian had noticed me specifically in a room full of people and 2) He had remembered what I had on to realize that I wasn't wearing the same thing. Leighanne also got a big kick out of it. She asked me if I was trying to make it look like I was at two separate Wylee parties in my pictures.
It seemed as though once people got their photos, they left. I had kind of been hoping for that so that the crowd would get a little smaller and Brian wouldn't be so busy trying to get around to everyone. I do hope everyone that was there bought something though. If it is one thing I can't stand, it is those fans that go to Wylee parties for the sole purpose of seeing Brian. I have been to five Wylee parties and have bought something at every single one because I love her stuff. The girls I had been talking to stuck around for a little while longer before they decided that they had to get going. Once they left, I just kind of wandered around.
Brian eventually finished his photos and started interacting with those left a little more, rather than going back to selling things. I did have a few conversations with him. We talked about how I had run into Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb on my way down and got to show him my University of Kentucky shoes. He seemed to like those. I had also started a conversation about the UK Baseball team and then he called them the "Bat Cats." It made me smile because only UK fans really know them as that...at least those of us that are more than just fans of their basketball team. Then we started talking about Corey Littrell....a junior left handed pitcher that pitches for the University of Kentucky. Brian actually wasn't familiar with Corey and I had to show him the photo I had of him on my phone. Apparently, Brian did not know of this Littrell (who also happens to be from Kentucky, only Louisville). It seemed to intrigue him.
Corey Littell - Junior - LHP - University of Kentucky
It was also quite funny because as I was looking for the photo, Brian happened to notice my background on my phone, which just happens to be a photo of my favorite poster...
When he saw it, he started cracking up laughing and asked "who is that young good looking guy?" as he struck the same pose as he was in the photo. The whole situation just made me laugh.
Earlier I had overheard him talking about how he had actually flown back into Georgia that morning from New York where he had been with the rest of the guys for the Old Navy event. I asked him about it and he had told me how Kevin, Howie, and he had gone out after the event and time had slipped away from them. Before they knew it, it was 3am. Brian had to be at the airport at 6am so he only got a few hours of sleep. Once he got back into Atlanta, he got home, showered, and then basically started to get ready for the Wylee party. Sometimes I just don't know where he gets his energy! I had noticed that during this conversation that more girls had come in and were just kind of standing there. I told him that since there were some people waiting to get photos with him, I was going to let him talk to them and that I would talk to him later. I wanted to make sure that everyone got a fair shot to talk to him and get their photos with him. I knew that as long as I kept talking, Brian would probably keep listening and I didn't want to hog him. I know I dislike it when other people do that. I moved on and chatted more with Leighanne's family, who couldn't believe I was still there. I told them that I had traveled 15 hours, I wasn't going anywhere!
I was eventually able to catch Brian again and since I had changed shirts and there wasn't a line of fans to talk to him, I decided to ask him for another photo. And in case you were wondering....he did not call me "Kentucky Girl" at all this day.
With about an hour left, there were probably only about 10 fans or so still there. I realized that if I was ever going to tell him the story about how he brought me closer to God, it was probably a good time to do it. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this story, I encourage you to read about it in my You did reach out your hand post. When I had decided that it was finally the appropriate time to tell him, he was having a conversation with what appeared to be a nice couple.
At about 6:30 I saw my chance when he had finished talking with them. I went up to him and told him that I just needed to thank him. He told me you're welcome and we both laughed since I hadn't told him what I needed to thank him for. I told him that I needed to thank him for helping me make what I thought was the most important decision in my life, the decision to become a Christian. It was then that I went into the story about how God had found a way into my heart during his Christmas tour with Rebecca St. James at the Naperville show (he told me that he loved that tour by the way). I told him the whole story with tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheek....something I knew would happen if I ever got to tell him my story because of what it meant to me. He thanked me for telling him that story and that he enjoys hearing stories like that...than he wrapped me into one of his hugs and just held me for a few seconds.
I went on to explain how its been very hard for me for about the last two years since I moved back to Northwest Indiana because I don't have the same support with my faith up here like I did when I lived in Southern Indiana. I told him how I hated being back north even though all of my family (and my husband's family) is there. Then Brian told me something that I think I always knew but could never really put my finger on....he simply said, "Because you've changed." He was absolutely right. He then told me how it was okay because change can be good and that I should just keep changing, there was nothing wrong with it. He explained that now that he was out of Lexington, he was probably never going to live there again even though he loved it growing up...because he had changed.
I couldn't believe it, I was having a heart to heart life lessons conversation with Brian Littrell. And it was only going to get better...
I went on to tell him how I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2006 and how when I get into my depressive states after my high anxiety states, it is knowing that God is there and his album that usually helps pull me out of them, especially my favorite verse of "Angels and Heroes." He asked me if it gets especially bad for me during the winter. It totally does, especially now that I am back north and the winter suck with the lake effect snow that we get from Lake Michigan. I just couldn't believe how much he just genuinely cared about everything I had to say.
There were two more amazing parts of conversations that occurred while in this conversation. However, I am sorry to say that I just don't feel like I can share them. They were stories that Brian shared with me about his life so I believe that they are his stories to share when he wants to and with whom he wants. I will say that the fact that he shared them with me makes me feel very special because he felt comfortable enough with me to share them and he was sharing aspects of his personal life with me. A Backstreet Boy was sharing a part of his life with a fan (there was actually one other fan with us and one of Leighanne's friends). I'm sure he's shared the stories with others and I am not the only one. If the stories ever come to light in the fandom then I will be more than happy to share them.
The whole conversation from start to end was probably about a good 45 minutes. That was 45 minutes of personal heart to heart conversation, with his strikingly sparkly blue eyes looking me right in the eyes as he focused his attention on me as I was sharing with him some of my stories. The fact that it was my birthday, was just icing on the cake. I'm getting goose bumps now as I even just type this. I have to believe that the conversation actually would have been longer but it was already 15 minutes after the party was supposed to end and they started to kick us out so that they could get out of the there before they were charged extra for going over their time. I said goodbye to Brian, thanked him again, and gave him one last hug. Before I left I had to say goodbye to Jodi and Leighanne as well.
Jodi and me
As I was saying goodbye to Leighanne, I thanked her as well for everything and for having the party because I had finally gotten to tell Brian my story of how I was influence to become a Christian because of him. I wish that she had also been standing there when I had told my story. She thanked me, wished me a happy birthday, and asked if I had gotten some cake (they had finger food, wine, and sweet tea the entire day....at one point when I was talking to Brian I had spilled my glass of ice all over right in front of him...only me). I ensured her that I had and realized that I have a lot of photos with Brian and a lot of photos with Leighanne, but none with the both of them together. So I asked for one more quick photograph as they were ushering us out...
Brian, me, and Leighanne
Once I got into my car, all I did was sit there for about 15 minutes and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe what had just happened to me. Even that 45 minutes would have made the 15 hour drive all worth it. I probably could have sat in that car for hours just thinking about what had just happened...but I had a Kentucky football game to watch at my friend's house and I had already missed the first 30 minutes of it, except that once I got to the friend's house, he told me that he was recording it for me. Kentucky lost, imagine that. They may know basketball but they do not "know their way around the pigskin," as Brian had mentioned earlier that evening.
Once the game was done, I went back to my hotel room but there was NO way I was going to be able to sleep. My computer at the time was broken or else I would have actually typed this whole thing up that night instead of now, one month later thanks to all the studying I have been doing for my Graduate Record Exams. At about 3am, I started to not feel too great. The next morning when I was supposed to drive back home, I was flat out sick. There was going to be no way that I was going to be able to drive home. So, I got the hotel for one more night and spent Sunday sick as a dog in Roswell, Georgia. I was just thankful that whatever it was (I'm pretty sure it was because of my dinner from the night before) hadn't hit me the previous day. I woke up Monday much better, although tired and weak and drove home in some pretty crappy weather, stopping once again in Lexington, this time to have a Hot Brown at Ramsey's.
So, there you have it....what is the the best birthday I have EVER had and a birthday that pretty much started two days before my actual birthday.
It is New Year's Eve and 2011 is about to end. Overall, it was a great year filled with concerts, new friends, my favorite University, and a cruise to top it all off. It's going to be hard to count down my Top 11 Backstreet/University of Kentucky moments of 2011 but I'm going to try.
11. My Very Kentucky Birthday - I am clearly a University of Kentucky fan. For my birthday this year, I received an authentic UK basketball jersey and a pair of UK shoes. I like to wear them proudly around Northwest Indiana where people give me questionable looks and often don't understand than UK stands for the University of Kentucky and NOT the United Kingdom. I will ALWAYS be a Wildcat fan and wish more than anything that my husband and I would move to Lexington.
Me and Tammy - Wildcat Fans Forever
10. My First Kentucky Win - Going along with my University of Kentucky gifts was my chance to see my first UK win ever when I went to a UK football game with Tammy in November. Up to this point, we had been 0-4 when we had gone to see either UK football or basketball games. During this game against Ole Miss, the curse was broken!
All the Girls Minus Tammy and Susan - We missed you!
9. New Backstreet Friends - This year would not have been the same without meeting some new Backstreet friends. The daily e-mails were always enough to start my day out on the right foot and after one of us had just gotten done with a concert, the e-mails got even better with photos and videos. The daily communication was a way to help one another deal with our Backstreet withdrawals...or to make it worse in some cases. In some cases we were enablers to one another but we were always there for one another. So, to Laura, Cory, Tammy, Susan, Ashley, and Anne Marie....thanks for filling up my e-mail. To Cortney and Jen...may we have more time to become even better friends.
8. The Great Ab Debate of 2011 - One of the many e-mail threads that were exchanged among me and some of my new BSB friends regarded a very important topic...who had better abs...Donnie Wahlburg or AJ McLean? Yes, here was group of 20-30 something year olds arguing over which Boy Band Bad Boy had the best midsection. Who needs to debate about politics or religion or education? Not us, I guess. This e-mail thread was composed of 51 e-mails between the group, with photos and videos attached to try to prove one's point. There never was a clear winner but we all agreed that both men were just too sexy for their own good anyway.
7. The Summer of NKOTBSB - So this isn't really one event per-say. 2011 was the year where NKOTBSB dominated the thoughts of many, many, many girls across the United States. I was a New Kids fan as a first grader, but I have now been a Backstreet fan for almost half of my life. What started as hesitation for this tour at first, turned into never wanting it to end. So, by the end of the summer of 2011, I had attended 6 NKOTBSB concerts (Grand Rapids, 2 Chicago, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis) and had wanted to go to so many more. I went with a different "group" to each concert and realized that the Backstreet Boys do truly bring people together. I traveled a total of approximately 2,331 miles to see those nine men perform and who knows how much money was spent on concert tickets, VIPs, merchandise, gas, and food. But every mile, every dollar, every minute of my time was worth the happiness that filled me when I went to those concerts. The withdrawals afterwards were not so much fun. Maybe if I ever do go back to grad school for psychology I can do an experiment on how the Backstreet Boys affect their fans similarly to how drugs affect drug addicts.
Wildcat until the day I die....
6. My Louisville Acknowledgements - During my Louisville NKOTBSB show, Brian ackowledged me, not once, but twice from the stage. I had to wear my University of Kentucky gear to represent my Wildcats while we were in the nest of the enemy (University of Louisville Cardinals). Being second row, I also knew it would catch Brian's eye. He acknowledged me first at the very beginning of the show and then again when the Boys were choosing people for "I'll Never Break Your Heart." The people next to me said he would have picked me for sure if it wouldn't have been Leighanne's birthday. I was happy he had laughed at my sign and do believe deep down in my heart that I might have had the chance to be picked. One day I hope to have that moment.
5. Crazy for Wylee - I had been to two of Leighanne's Wylee parties during the NKOTBSB concerts, both of which Brian had made very brief appearances. My third finally paid off when I was able to have a pretty long conversation with Brian and get a photo. I also talked to his dad and bodyguard that day. It made me feel like I was a part of something special and I must have been nuts to leave the party before Brian left but I had been on a mission to find him a UK jersey to wear for the final number of the concert. I returned to the soundcheck with no luck but Brian happily remembered me and thanked me for trying.
Well worth every penny of the upgrade...
4. My First Platinum VIP - Obviously the Louisville NKOTBSB show was by far my favorite. Not only had I interacted with Brian during the Wylee party and been acknowledged by him onstage, but this was my first concert with a Platinum VIP. I had originally won a silver but had upgraded when I thought that Brian might switch with AJ for the backstage tour because he was in his home state. That was a bust but I had some interaction with Nick and AJ, they sang "Siberia" (one of my faves), I got my first ever solo photo with the group (in front of the barriers), and I got a backstage tour and photo with AJ. This particular VIP had been well worth it (not everyone has great VIP reviews).
This is what dreams are made of...
3. BSB Cruise 2011 - I have absolutely no regrets about this year's BSB Cruise. I set out to do everything that I wanted to do...stay up late, be brave, spend time with friends, relax on a beach in the Bahamas, and have a good time. I did all of those and had a great time doing it. After having last year's cruise to compare to, I wasn't sure how this one was going to stack up so I decided that I needed to go in there with low expectations again. Once again, this cruise blew the little expectations I had out of the water. I had fun, my friends had fun, the Backstreet Boys had fun...what more could you ask for? For the girl who told me that she didn't think the cruise was worth the money....I'd say she needs to get over the "I deserve more" complex that some fans (NOT ALL!), I am sorry to say, have.
2. Say Cheese! - I have been lucky enough this year to get 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys, either as a group or individually. These include: NKOTBSB Grand Rapids Silver VIP with group, Louisville Wylee Party with Brian, NKOTBSB Louisville Platinum VIP with group and AJ, Miami Wylee Party with Brian, Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo with group, 80s Night Deck Party with Howie, Prom Night Deck Party with Kevin, and BSB Cruise Group Photo. Every single one of these moments was special and I am so glad that I have these photos to remember these times when I was in the presence of the men that have meant so much to me in the past 13 years.
Laura wonders if I love UK or BSB more...
1. Brian's "Kentucky Girl" - So what can be better than getting 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys in one year? How about getting a nickname from your idol? Brian first called me "Kentucky Girl" after a brief talk about UK basketball during the Miami Wylee party. Yes, I know I do not live in Kentucky, nor have I ever (although I was really close). However, two of my top ten moments revolve around the University of Kentucky, three of my nine BSB photos (this year) include me in a UK shirt, and my dream city of residence is Lexington, KY....so tell me that I am not a Kentucky Girl at heart and don't deserve that nickname. I figured that I would just take the name and enjoy it for the night because there was no way I was ever going to be called that again....until he did it again at the Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo later that night. So he remembered me just hours after seeing me? It didn't matter....he still remembered me...I had made some kind of impression in the minute or so we had talked at that table at the Wylee Party! I spent the next two days watching him and the rest of the group entertain us with a Sail Away Party, a game show, a Beach Party, a concert, and two deck parties. There was no way when I went to go take that group photo on the third day that he was going to remember me after two days of busy work and seeing hundreds of fans. When the words "Kentucky Girl" came out of his mouth again during that photo and I wasn't wearing anything UK to have triggered that memory, I could have fainted. He actually remembered me...the girl who people seem to forget about in their lives, the girl who actually only had her first picture taken with him just last October, the girl who doesn't have the money to buy multiple VIPs (one Silver was won this year and the other was an upgrade from a won Silver). To this day, I am not sure if the Louisville show had anything to do with his memory of me since we had talked UK there as well and I was faithfully wearing my blue and white. Nor am I sure if my attendance at his 2010 HHC VIP Weekend influenced his memory since we had also talked UK there and I was wearing a UK shirt. All of those events could have triggered his memory this time, but this Cruise vacation was the first time he had called me "Kentucky Girl." Will he ever call me that again? Only he knows. I would think that if I wearing Kentucky or we started talking UK, then he would. Would I do that just so he would remember me? You bet I would. Until it happens again, I am going to keep it locked tight in my heart that for a brief few days I was Brian's "Kentucky Girl."
I hope that 2012 brings all of this same happiness for me and other Backstreet friends!
Beth and I had made plans to grab lunch at Tolly Ho for some amazing burgers before heading to the ballpark so that we could catch batting and fielding practice....well, after a small detour to the Wildcat Wearhouse to browse their University of Kentucky gear. We got to the ballpark shortly after the gates opened and Kentucky was taking their batting practice. Unfortunately, my streak of sitting right behind the dugout was ended, as there is no seating in that area at Cliff Hagan Stadium and we had general admission tickets which is seating further up in the stands. I realized I was going to have to deal with another stupid net in my photography (I had this same problem the previous weekend when I had gone to a minor league game to see a former Wildcat). The camera likes to focus on the net in the foreground, rather than the subject in the background. When it does work properly, there is a stupid net in all the photos! Oh well, I guess there is nothing I can do about that.
After the baseball game, we still had plenty of time to do the short walk from Cliff Hagan Stadium to Commonwealth Stadium for the Spring Football game. When we got there, the gates weren't even open yet so we did some exploring and found the UK Alumni Association tent. Beth is an alumni association member, but for a mere $10 I received enterance and access to the food, music, and prizes (I won a UK waterbottle which I was quite excited about).
Plus, there was plenty of spirit in the stands. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite moments was when The Wave graced Commonwealth Stadium and just kept going and going and going. After a disappointing football season the previous year and an even more disappointing 2012-2013 basketball season, it was great to see the Big Blue Nation excited about something again!
