The days go and all I do is think of you...

**BSB Cruise 2014 Vacation**

October 24, 2014 - October 30, 2014

Miami, FL * Half Moon Cay, Bahamas * Ft. Lauderdale, FL

I have started and restarted this post several times now.  I know I'm so far behind in my writing and I want to make sure I get this post done but I keep changing my mind about how much I truly want to include in this post.  I know that I had many different experiences than others on the cruise so I definitely want to hit those points.  However, I also know that I have readers who are friends that want to read about the whole cruise experiences as a whole, while those who were on the cruise already know what happened during all of the events.  I do want to eventually hit on all of it to satisfy anyone who makes their way to this blog to read. 

So what I think that I have decided is that I will just hit on my personal experiences and how they fit into the overall cruise first.

New Friends on the Airplane
In typical Chrissy fashion, I did my travelling to and from Chicago alone.  I would just be meeting all of my friends there so I had to endure a bus ride and flight all alone.  Because of work, I had not been able to check-in for my flight the minute that I was allowed and because of this I had an awful boarding position.  But as I searched for a single window seat that might be left, I saw two people starting to wave at me with an aisle seat open.  They were fellow BSB Cruise travelers!  Apparently they had seen me in the airport with the Cruise bag from last year and had been saving me the seat.  They were first time cruisers from New Jersey (their flight from the previous day had been cancelled so that were on a lay-over in Chicago) and had plenty of questions for me as a veteran cruiser.  It made the three hour flight go much faster than it normally does and I was so happy to meet even more BSB fans before my trip even began.  So I have to give a shout-out to Brittany and Christine....I hope you girls had an amazing time.

Wylee Party

Me with the Wylee Trailer

You better believe that as a Brian Littrell and Wylee fan that I was going to be attending the Wylee Party before the cruise.  I was even one of the winners for the contest to win a ride in the Wylee Hummer to the party.  While I was super excited about this ride, several things happened before the party that made me begin to think that my vacation as a whole was not going to go well.  First, my cruise roommate, Cory, and I walked to the hotel in which we were going to be picked up in the Hummer.  A half mile into the mile and a half walk, it started to pour down rain on us.  The drowned rat look is always what a fan girl wants before seeing her celebrity love.  Then, the Hummer was an hour and a half late to pick up the first group of winner.  Brian was driving the Hummer but not everyone could fit.  When the Hummer came back for the second and third group, Brian was no longer driving.  I didn't think this was fair at all.  I hadn't even expected him to drive even one group but it was a nice surprise when he did show up for that first time.  Then that high feeling crashed quickly when he wasn't there for the next round.  I was in the last group to go and we weren't even picked up until 7:30....the party started at 6:00.  So while, I got the privilege of riding in the Hummer, it wasn't much of a prize at all in the end.  I missed half of the party and when we got there I was terribly afraid that I was not going to get a chance to shop AND get a photo with Brian since there was only an hour left in the party and it was still incredibly crowded. 

Cory and I took the chance to shop for Wylee merchandise first after waiting in line for Brian for a good 20 minutes or so based on the word of some guy that approached us (I think he might have been a Wylee person) and said that he would guarantee that we would still get our photo with Brian after we shop.  My worst fear was that by the time we finished shopping, Brian would be done with photos.  My anxiety was sky high by this point.  But, I shopped and I found two items that I loved (I never leave a Wylee party without buying something).  And that is when another misfortune occurred.  As I went to pay for my merchandise, I realized that I had left my debit card back in the hotel room.  I wanted to cry.  Luckily, I had transferred my cash over to my purse and by getting an additional $5 from Cory, I was able to pay for my merchandise.  I now had $0 in cash to my name for the rest of the trip that included the cruise and a two day stay in Ft. Lauderdale (other than the cash that was already set aside for specific things like transportation, tips, etc.).  I figured things could only get better because next I was going to get my Brian photo - more importantly I was going to get my Brian hug.

Me with Drew

The line had definitely gone down but we still had a bit of a wait.  And just when I thought things could only get better, I dropped my brand new, three hundred fifty dollar camera.  I couldn't quite tell if it was okay at that point and really by that point, I just kind of wanted to give up on everything.  And then we got to the front of the line and Brian was within eye sight.  it doesn't matter how many times I meet the guy, my heart starts to flutter and my stomach gets into all kinds of knots.  But first, I had to talk to my favorite body guard, Drew, and get my photo with him.

And when it was finally my turn to get that amazing Brian hug, I did not want to let go.  I mentioned what a bad day I had been having to him and that I needed to just hug him.  I already thought Brian Littrell hugs were amazing but I cannot put into words just how beyond amazing the hug he gave me then was.  He just stood there and squeezed me for the longest time.  And I cannot thank Cory enough for the photo she got of this hug.  You can just see by the look on his face just how one of a kind this hug was.

Hugs from Brian

Even if I would not have gotten an "official" photo at that point, I would have been happy.  All I had wanted was to see him, get that Brian hug, and speak with him.  He did compliment me on my shirt (Wylee of course) and we took our typical huggie pose photo.

Me with Brian

Me with Leighanne

After I finally got my photo with Brian, I got a chance to talk to Leighanne for a bit too, even though the party was supposed to have been over by then.  I told her what a bad day I had been having and even started tearing up a bit.  I was just an emotional mess by that point because of the mixture of feelings between the bad day I had been having and the incredibly good interaction with Brian, I had just had.  This was not exactly the way I had wanted to start my vacation and I hoped it wasn't a sign to how the rest of the trip would go.

Day 1

Getting ready to board

Day 1 was a bit different then the last few years because our group was split up a bit.  I didn't like not being with everybody as we boarded the ship.  Some of the girls had to drive down to Florida from Delaware and didn't get there until we had already boarded.  Part of the group was on the other side of the port terminal because they would be boarding with those with accommodations due to some medical issues she had been having.  While our whole group wasn't together, I was with some girls I knew well and some new girls that I would hang out with for a large portion of the trip.

While waiting, we checked out our goody bags and saw that there was something new this year...a Scavenger Hunt!  Each cabin was to pick one of the guys and follow the clues to win a personal event with that guy.  Well, you all know that I would have normally been all over that Brian scavenger hunt.  But, my cruise roommate, Cory, is an AJ girl and because she is a single mother of two and lives in Oklahoma where the guys rarely go, I decided it would be nice to do the AJ portion of the scavenger hunt for her.

Winning AJ Scavenger Hunt

After reading the first clue, we knew exactly where we had to go once we got on the ship.  Since we had been one of the first one to the port and knew exactly where to station ourselves to be a part of the first group on the ship, we were able to find the first clue before anyone else did.  You can see more specifics about the scavenger hunt in my AJ Scavenger Hunt post.  It took some time, following some fake clues, walking right past two Backstreet Boys (Howie and Nick) and giving up on photo opportunities, searching for clues in the rain, and some help from some friends, but in the end, Cory and I ended up winning the AJ Scavenger Hunt!!!!  When we got our notice that our event would be Sunday, we had no idea what we would be doing with him but knowing we were going to have a personal interaction with him made us very excited.  It was a huge turn around from the very bad day before.

So close to photo with Nick

The sail away party was pretty uneventful for me for the most part.  I was very close to getting a photo with Nick though even though I could just tell how over taking photos he was as he made his way on our floor (1st floor overlooking the atrium).  Because he was so over taking the photos, I'm not sure I would have liked how the photo turned out.  But, it is such a rarity to get photos with Nick that I had to try.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the BSB Loves the 90s game show but I was overall pleased with it.  I think the Boys just had fun with it based on the dancing and talking they were doing.  I love it when events like this can just show the casual side of the guys.  While this is work for them, you can tell that they are just having fun with one another.  I believe it gives us a brief glimpse into how they might interact with one another when no one else is around.  You can view all my videos from the cruise on my YouTube page but some of my favorite moments are below:

We found out at the game show that our itinerary would have to be changed because of the weather in the Bahamas.  Now, everything on Saturday would be on Sunday and vice versa.  Cory and I also figured this would mean that our AJ event would be changed from Saturday to Sunday, as well. 

70s Night

The first night was the "Get Down" Studio 54 Party and it had to take place in the Atrium because of the weather.  The last time a deck party had to take place in the atrium, it was the best deck part of all time (PDA Pajama Jam Night - BSB Cruise 2011).  This one, not so much.  Overall, it was pretty uneventful. 

It was nice because we were able to stand next to the handicapped section where my friend and her roommate was so we weren't separate from them like we were a lot of the other events during the cruise.  AJ did happen to make it to that section to take photos so because of where we were, I was able to get one as well.

Me with AJ - 70s Night

Me with Jodi - 70s Night

As is tradition, once the deck party started to die down, our group made our way to the pizza and waited in the long line.  While waiting, I saw Jodi (good friend to Brian and Leighanne) waiting in line, as well.  I had seen her the previous day at the Wylee Party but had not been able to get a photo with her.  I took my chance here.  Jodi is always so super nice and I love running into her around the ship.

Bed time this evening was an early 3:45am. 






Day 2
While we had started putting our door decoration up earlier in the previous day, we had not been able to finish since we had spent the biggest majority of when we boarded doing the scavenger hunt.  So we finished putting up our door decoration the first thing the next morning before we had to get to our group photos.

So, the idea behind our door decoration came to me in February during one of my very restless nights.  That night my mind could not stop thinking about all of the songs that the Backstreet Boys have that mean something to me or that can be helpful when I am in certain moods.  I started to wonder what these songs might mean to others out there, as well.  So, the idea came to me to display the lyrics to every single one of their songs somehow.  I came up with the idea to have each song written on a CD and then to hang these strands of CDs from the ceiling around our door.  As you can imagine, it took some time to handwrite the lyrics to 250 songs that were recorded as a group, solo, or collaboration.  We also left some blank CDs on the door so that fellow fans could share their favorite/most meaningful lyrics with us. 

 

 

Door Decoration

 

Usually our photos are done on the last day of the cruise but because of the change in itinerary, they were now going to be on the second day.  Usually when I am standing in line waiting for my photo, there is a feeling of sadness because I know it is the last day.  When that feeling started coming across on this day, I had to remind myself that I still had a whole day left after this day was over.  Once that feeling passed, the nervousness that usually occurs when I'm about to see them kicked in.  I've lost track at how many times I've actually met the guys, especially Brian.  However, it never fails that I become a hot mess as I am waiting in that line.  A million questions start to go through my mind.  Do they remember me?  What am I going to say to them?  Am I going to sound like an idiot when I talk to them?  Part of the problem when a fan meets them like this is that there is so little time to say anything to them that a fan has to make it count in the few seconds that she is actually with them.  Then there is mixed with that the fact that I just feel like a teenage girl when I see them and my heart starts to race and I get butterflies in my stomach.  I know that I am about to see my first loves and that transports me to the 14 year old I was when I first became a fan.

The truth is that I never know what to say to Howie, AJ, or Nick....ever..... because I just don't ever feel like I have anything in common with them like I do Brian and Kevin.  At least this time I was able to tell AJ that I would be seeing him later that day because my cabin won the scavenger hunt prize for him.  He seemed very excited about it.  I just told Nick and Howie that it was good to see them again.  As I hugged Kevin, I asked him if he thought there was any chance Kentucky could beat Mississippi State that day but I moved onto hugging Brian before he could answer.  Then, I was in the arms of Brian Littrell, which is seriously one of the best feelings in the world.  He complimented me on my dress (I was wearing Wylee of course) and when he went to stand for a normal photo, I explained that we were doing huggy pose.  The I felt his face right up next to mine and all was right with the world.  He always makes sure he's right up against me when we do that pose.  Then Kevin turned to me and told me that he thought Kentucky could beat Mississippi State as long as they played well.  It made me so happy that Kevin had made the effort to answer my question even though several moments had passed.  I hope that he realized that I was a true Kentucky fan since I was able to actually talk about a specific team, rather than just one of those fans that just wear Kentucky to get the attention of Brian or Kevin.  While I always get extra attention because I wear UK gear, I wear it because I am a die hard fan.

Overall, I like our photo....except for the fact that AJ failed at the huggy pose.  There is always one that always seems to get it wrong.  But I'm really close to Brian and it makes for a great cropped photo too. 

 

Official Group Photo

Waiting for "Don't Forget the Lyrics"

After our photo, several of us decided to grab a good spot next to the stage for the "Don't Forget the Lyrics" event....even though some of us were a tad bit hungry and probably should have eaten first.  Luckily, we were brought a plate of hot dogs by one of the girl's mom and that was enough to hold us over until the event was over.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this event.  Would they be singing other people's songs?  Or would they be singing those songs of their own that Nick usually has to Google during sound checks?  Would fans play?  Or would it just be the guys?  While, I have been on four of these cruises now, there are always questions going into new events like this.  In the end, it was a good event overall.  It was a play on the karaoke they did the first two years (that we were all kind of over after the second one) but the guys were more involved in this since they were actually singing and competing against fans.  However, where we were standing, we could really only see two of the guys when they were sitting down because we either had the pole for the stage in the way or the TV screen they were using for the words.  Still, there were some priceless moments like....

Howie attempting "Let It Go" and even though he has children, not knowing the words at all (he got some help from AJ and Brian)...

 

 

Brian having to sing that other boy band that I refuse to name and confirming what we all already know about the group...

I was kind of disappointed because this was the only time Brian got to sing during this game and it was so short.  And he's the band member that really knows the words to EVERYTHING.  I really would have liked to see him get another shot at another song.

Then, there was Howie doing a great impression of Enrique Iglesias...

Then we got some Kevin love right in front of us on the cat walk...

 



Backstreet Cutout

After this event, it was time for us to get ready for our private AJ event!!!!  If I thought I had been a mess earlier in the day with the group photo, I was wrong.  It was nothing compared to what I was feeling as I was getting ready for that event.  Cory and I were about to have some real quality time with one of the Backstreet Boys!  I had not planned on this happening at all when I had packed for the cruise.  What was I going to wear?  Cory and I decided to wear our tank tops that we had on when we had boarded the ship because we thought he would get a kick out of them.  Then after some photos with the cardboard cut outs (before they were stolen by some eager fans), we started our wait at the Atrium Bar with the winners of the Howie event (who were to meet there at the same time as us).



Winners!



The time that the staff member was supposed to meet us came and went.  After 15 or 20 minutes of waiting, we made a visit to the hospitality desk and found out that our event hadn't been changed like we assumed when everything else had been changed.  Our event was still going to be the next day but they did not have a specific time for us.  This news was pretty disappointing but in a way I was relieved.  I had been afraid that we would get our event with AJ and it was going to be such a great experience that the rest of the cruise wouldn't be able to compare to the experience.  By moving our event to the last day, this would help circumvent that situation.

Our dinner group for the second night was much smaller because three of our girls had won the scavenger hunt with Kevin (we were a very lucky group this cruise) and were at his event the same time dinner was occurring.  I will say, it was a good thing that I had changed back into my Wylee dress I had worn earlier for the group photos (the fabric she uses for her clothing is amazingly easy to clean and is great for travel) because one of the girls threw her wine at me!  Really it was that the boat happened to sway at just the right moment as she was holding it to drink.  Still, I like to remind her how she just threw her wine all over me that night.  Now, I probably would have been a bit more upset if it had been a red wine, instead of a white wine since it was the Wylee dress I had just bought two days earlier.

Then it was time for our concert!  I cannot even begin to explain how amazing this concert was.  I would say it is probably in my list of top 5 Backstreet shows to which I have ever been.  What made it so wonderful?  Everything.  They sang songs that I have never gotten to see live...I've only seen in videos.  They sang songs off of the "This Is Us" album, which many fans thought they would never see live again once Kevin came back since he was not with the group during the recording of that album.  The show was more informal so the guys kind of each just did their own thing and did not have to worry about certain choreography, although some old school stuff was still pulled out every now and then.  Each guy was able to introduce different songs and different parts of the show so its always funny to see what they come up with for their part.  I would have to say that Kevin's introduction to "Straight Through My Heart" was the best.  They sang a cappella.  Brian waved at me twice and pointed out my Halloween costume.  It was just an amazing show.  I got pretty much everything on video that is not normally seen during the regular In A World Like This tour.

Halloween Night

It was then time for the Halloween Deck Party.  We had no idea what those boys had up their sleeves for this deck party.  Let's just say when they did come out onto the stage, I could not believe my eyes when I saw the Wicked Witch, the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion come out onto stage.  All that was left was Dorothy and Nick wasn't on stage yet.  Nick Carter was NOT going to be Dorothy?!?!?!?!  And then there he was in that blue dress with a basket carrying Toto.  I could not stop laughing.  It was so good! 

Then it started raining a bit.  It wasn't enough to really keep me from leaving the party.  Because I didn't I got to see this...

I mean who would have imagined when they first became a fan that Nick Carter would be singing and dancing to a song like that dressed as Dorothy.  It just makes me laugh everytime I hear the song now because I just picture the above.

Then, it REALLY started raining on us....

Soaking Wet Baseball Player
 

It looked like they were going to be setting up to continue the deck party in the atrium once it really started to rain so I hung out there for a bit.  I was soaking wet from being out in that rain.  But I didn't even really care.  I mean, I was on vacation, on a ship with my favorite guys and my favorite girls!  When it looked like the party was done for the evening, I headed back to the cabin.  The beach party was the next morning and we had to be up early to catch the tenders to the island.







Day 3

Me with Julie

Day 3 meant beach day.  I was so used to being on the beach on the second day that I had to keep reminding myself that this was actually the last day of the cruise.  But I had my AJ event to look forward to in wrapping up the whole great trip.  The beach party was pretty typical for the most part.  The guys came, they played games (some new and some old), and then they kind of all went their separate ways to do their own things.  I did actually finally get to meet a new Instagram friend in person so that was awesome.  Julie, from Germany, it was so great to finally meet you! 
 

So close to being picked

We were once again lucky enough to get a spot right in the middle so that when they split the audience down the middle to play games on the beach, we had a front row spot to see everything.  And when it appeared that there were not enough girls for the game and Brian started to look to pick someone, he looked right at me.  I so thought he was going to pick me!!!!  But, I guess one can only have so much luck on a Backstreet cruise, as he went down the line and chose someone else.  Can I say how excited it made me that he was wearing a UK hat though during that beach party???  Probably way more excited than I should have been. 

During the games on the beach, Nick was literally laying right in front of me.  Brian was just off on the other side.  I thought it was a perfect opportunity for some "beach selfies."

Me with AJ

After the games, the guys all kind of dispersed.  A couple ran into the water so the crowd followed them.  That meant that when AJ went back to the stage area, an opening became available for us to stand in case he came around to take photos.  He did and I got one....or so I thought.  Apparently, either there was user malfunction or camera malfunction but when I went to go look at the photo, it wasn't there!  I had never had this happen to me before where I have gotten a photo opportunity but no photo to show for it.  Thank goodness for friends because they were able to at least capture photos of me "taking" the photo.  At least it is a different type of photo than the typical selfie.

Volleyball with Nick

I was hoping Brian would make his way out but when he didn't, we decided it was time for us to get back to the ship to prepare for our AJ event.  Then, on the way out we saw that Brian and Nick and snuck off to play volleyball and there wasn't a very large crowd there.  It has been my dream since that very first cruise in 2010 to play volleyball with Brian.  Here was my chance.  I got in line but was actually on Nick's team.  That was fine with me...I was playing volleyball with two Backstreet Boys.  When I stepped out onto the court, Nick made a comment that it looked like he had girls who looked like they knew how to play.  I told him he was looking at Miss Volleyball 2002.  He seemed very excited about that as he high fived me.  I did not live up to my bragging rights though.  I was so nervous that I didn't return a single ball that was hit to me.  And the one time I was able to serve, I didn't make it over the net.  Granted, I had no warm up time and my shoulder has been bothering me for about the past year....still.  When I did serve though, Nick basically yelled out saying what a good form I had and that I really did know what I was doing.  So that made it better. 

We basically got our butts handed to us by Brian's team very quickly, which meant that I wasn't on the court for very long with Nick.  But, as soon as the game was done, I headed over to Brian's side for a hug from him.  I didn't even like high five or hug Nick again before I ran right to Brian.  I'm so awful!  Anyway, I asked Brian for a hug and he happily obliged and told me it was good to see me again.  I always love hearing those words from Brian's mouth.  I should have had us turn really quickly for a photo because Laura was right there with two cameras.  When a fan is around the Backstreet Boys though, we don't always think clearly.  At least Laura got the photo of us going in for the hug.

More Brian Hugs

 

 

Lucky Volleyball Girls

Cory and I were ready to leave so we could get ready for our AJ event but some other girls in our group decided to play volleyball after us.  We had to stick around to support them.  Once they were done, we headed back to the tenders to get onto the ship.  I found out once we got back to the ship that once Nick had left volleyball the crowd had cleared out a bit and Brian took a photo with every single person that stayed at that volleyball court.  Dang it!  This is one reason why Backstreet cruises can be so difficult especially when the Boys aren't together.  When do you leave an event?  With which guy do you wait in line for to try to snap a photo?  We had made the decision to leave for AJ and in the process missed the opportunity with Brian.  You better believe I'm kicking myself for that.  I can never have too many photos with Brian!

Half Moon Cay

 At some point we went to the Lido buffet to eat.  It must have been after we got back from the beach party and changed but before our AJ event because I was wearing my yellow Wylee tank when Brian and Leighanne walked by after eating and Brian complimented what I was wearing.  I love how he supports his wife's business by always addressing the fact when I am wearing Wylee.

The next part of the day was essentially freaking out about getting ready for our AJ event and the actual event itself.  Again, I've reviewed the actual scavenger hunt in an AJ Scavenger Hunt post so head there if you didn't read it yet.  Because I've already reviewed it, I'm not going to type everything here again.  I'll just give you some brief details.  Our event was having coffee with him in the coffee shop.  He ordered what seemed like everything on the menu, we ate off the same piece of carrot cake, we talked about cruising, recording albums, the concert the previous night, his jewelry line, his clothing line he will be making, his obsession with Friends, touring, and many other things.  We seemed to jump from one topic to another easily and AJ didn't have a filter when it came to some topics.  It truly was an amazing experience that I will never forget.  It was an experience that I thought I would never have, especially with AJ.  I just never pictured me having the opportunity to have an event like this because I'm always so focused on Brian.  But, it was amazing getting to know a Backstreet Boy other than Brian on a level like we got to know AJ with this event.  I was asked after this even if this made AJ move up my list at all.  I think he is still in the 4th spot, but he is much closer now to that spot above him. 

Me with AJ

Scavenger Hunt Winners with AJ

 



When the event was over, AJ left with his coffee but left his milkshake sitting there on the table.  We may or may not have taken it with us and may or may not have drank out of it as well.





Who's Milkshake????



Because of our event, we were slightly late getting to the Show 'Em What You're Made Of documentary preview.  We missed about half of the preview but the part that I did see had me in tears, much like the rest of the venue.  Several of my friends have already seen the documentary and have told me especially to bring tissues.  I cannot wait to see it when it comes out in January.

 

More celebration

Celebration

On the last night at dinner we celebrated what a great trip it had been and just how lucky our group had been this cruise with a few toasts.  At our table, we had the girls that had won the AJ, Howie, and Kevin scavenger hunts.  We had two girls who had won the chance to play Blackjack with Howie in the Blackjack tournament.  We had one girl who got chosen to play one of the games at the beach party and had been paired with her favorite Backstreet Boy, Nick.  Two of us had gotten to play volleyball with Nick and Brian.  It was finally our year.  We had all gotten selfies with at least one Backstreet Boy.

The Luckiest Table on the Cruise

 

 



The last night at dinner can always be difficult because all that is left is the last deck party of the evening.  One of my major dislikes of the cruise is that there is no real goodbye on that last night.  While there is a deck party, the Boys tend to just kind of disappear at the end of the night like they do at every other deck party, without really saying goodbye.

Brittany, Me, Christine

As I dressed for the ABC (Anything But Clothes) Deck Party that night, that sadness of knowing it was almost over hit me.  We wanted to get a good spot for this deck party because we could only imagine what these boys would be wearing...or not wearing.  I was able to incorporate the University of Kentucky into another theme outfit by making a dress out of a UK shower curtain.  Once out on the deck, I realized that I had forgotten my new UK earrings and made my way back to the cabin.  On the way back, I ran into my new Jersey friends and made sure to get a photo with them.  They seemed like they were having an amazing time on their first cruise.

I also had an interesting run-in with a Rose Tours staff member.  he noticed my UK themed outfit and we chatted about the fact that it was a shower curtain and not a flag like he had originally thought.  I showed him how it was even connected in the back with shower curtain rings.  He then asked how many people were in my group as he pulled VIP bracelets out of his back pocket.  Score!  I got four bands for the four girls that were with me at the deck party.  However, as I made my way back to the deck, I debated whether or not I was really going to use it.  The previous year, Laura and I had received VIP bracelets for the Halloween night.  We had been in the VIP section when the guys had come out in their Village People costumes and had not seen a thing because we had been all the way in the back hoping that they were going to come out on the top balcony and not the center stage.  The guys had also not come to the VIP section when I had been up there.  I did not want a repeat of that this year.  However, I also didn't want to be down on the Lido deck if they did go up there and I couldn't get up there because it was too crowded.  I had to make a choice and I decided to head to the VIP section before it got way too crowded.  Because I was one of the first up there, I was able to get a great spot to watch the deck party from.  I didn't have to deal with people in my way and had a great view.  My photos were even better from there then if I would have been on the actual deck.  While I wasn't super close, I wasn't dissatisfied with my spot.  Overall, their themed outfits weren't as risqué as I thought they might be but I still enjoyed them.  Nick had used the luggage mat that goes on the bed, Brian had used Priority Shipping envelopes, Howie had used Hershey Kisses, AJ had used popcorn and candy boxes to become a walking concession stand, and Kevin became everyone's lost luggage.

While I was pretty content where I was standing in the VIP section, I shouldn't have been.  AJ had been taking photos just on the other side of the VIP barrier.  I had seen the line form and he was there for what seemed like forever.  Probably because it was a nice orderly line and people weren't being crazy.  However, I did not take the chance.  I also saw a line forming on the balcony on the other side of the ship.  At first I thought it was Brian but found out it was Kevin.  It took me some time to make the decision to get in line because I figured by the time I got over there, he would be gone.  Eventually I made my way over into the line and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  I was about 10 people away from getting my photo with Kevin when he decided it was time to stop and go to bed.  I was SO close!!!!  If I just would have made the decision even 10 minutes earlier to get in line, I would have gotten a photo.  What really made me upset was that there were two girls off to the side who had not been waiting in line that stopped Kevin and proceeded to take about 10 photos each with him.  They just kept snapping photos.  That upset me because he could have taken that many more photos in the line in which people had been waiting and gotten through more people by not taking all of those photos with two girls who hadn't sacrificed their time to wait.  Oh well, that's the way it is in the Backstreet world.

Once Kevin went to bed it appeared there were no Backstreet Boys left.  Then I saw Howie partying in the Rose Tours area.  There appeared to be a lot of people around him but I assumed they were Rose Tours people celebrating the end of a successful cruise.  Then I realized that they had moved the fan VIP section over and it was all of the VIP people that were over there.  Boy was I there in a heartbeat.  Now, keep in mind that even though I had gotten VIP writ bands for my three friends, not one of them really used it so I was pretty much by myself the whole night.  Not the ideal situation but I guess that was my choice.  Howie must have pretty much taken photos with everyone there already because he was just kind of dancing around with no girls swarming him.  We had free access to alcohol and many girls were taking advantage of that.  I pretty much just got my photo with Howie and Mike (Nick's bodyguard) and then got out of there.  I didn't know anyone and I wasn't drinking so just kind of sitting there wasn't much fun.

Partying with Howie in the VIP

Me with Mike in the VIP

And that really marked the end of the cruise.  I spent the rest of the late night taking down the door decoration and packing.  That's always the saddest part of the trip because you then know it is truly over.  I did see the guys debarking the ship the next morning which was kind of nice because I got to see them one last time.  So the cruise was officially over but the vacation was not.  I still had two days of relaxation in Ft. Lauderdale with some of the girls.

View from hotel room

We had learned a very valuable lesson last year...taking a post cruise vacation was the way to go.  It extended the trip and allowed us to relax with one another.  Instead of heading our own separate ways and each of us slipping into our post-cruise depression, we got to talk about the cruise with one another in person and relive the entire cruise and our favorite parts as we floated in the lazy river of our hotel next to the beach.  We had decided it was a must do again.  This time, instead of nine girls, we were only going to have five.  Then, two of the girls had to cancel at the last minute on us so we were down to three.  It wasn't exactly what I had in mind but I was still going to get some much needed rest and relaxation with some good friends.

Our Limo

Riding in Style

We had originally just ordered a van from a local limo company.  When I received the call that our driver was there and he would be pulling up in a limo, I was surprised.  The good luck we had maintained on the cruise was going to continue!  With the way things had been going, I halfway expected one of the Backstreet Boys to be staying at the same hotel for some much needed relaxation as well.  It didn't happen but it's still nice to dream. 

Last night together

This post cruise vacation wasn't quite the same as last year's.  Two of the three of us were sick and the third ended up getting sick as well.  We didn't float in the lazy river nearly as much as last year and with there only being three of us, there weren't nearly as many stories to tell from the cruise.  However, sitting out in the Florida sun still made it very much well worth it.  We also had a very nice dinner on the hotel patio overlooking the beach on the last night.  It was a fantastic setting and there was great food. 

Sunrise

Once again, we had to leave much too early on our last morning to head to the airport for our flights.  Seeing the sun rise was a great way to end the trip.  The only problem was that I didn't want the trip to end. 

Even though the post--cruise vacation wasn't quite the same, I would do it again in a heartbeat! 







Title Credit - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" - Backstreet Boys - Backstreet Boys

You're never far, I will be where you are...

**My Birthday Weekend: 9/13/12 - 9/15/12**

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.  

Brian's Cross Necklace - Wylee by Leighanne Littrell

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.