I know this post is a very long time coming since it has been months (okay two months shy of a year) since we got off of the Carnival Imagination. Sometimes life just happens. This is the last of my BSB Cruise 2011 reviews so I hope you have enjoyed my reviews as much as I enjoyed being on the cruise.
Ashley and Cortney's
Winning Door
The last day of the cruise began with the phone ringing in our cabin. All I could think about was the fact that it had been another late night the night before and I still had another 30 minutes until the alarm went off. I had no idea who was calling and I thought maybe the clock on my iPod was off and we had overslept and were going to miss the photo. I answered the phone and heard Ashley's excited voice on the other end. She was calling to tell us that her sister and she had won the door decorating contest! Their prize was front row seats to the group A concert that evening...the lucky ducks were going to get to see the concert again! Their door was great and they totally deserved the win.
After Ashley's phone call, all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep for days. However, we had a full day of photo shoots, karaoke, enjoying the sea, and the pajama deck party. I decided to drink down a 5 hour energy shot to see if that could get me going. Between that and knowing I would be meeting BSB again in a few short hours, my energy was back and I hoped I could make it through another long day and night. We got dressed for our photo and decided to explore some more door decorations. There were some very creative doors and we loved seeing all of them. There were not nearly as many as last year. My guess is that it had something to do with the fact that no official door decorating contest was announced. After we killed some time, we decided it was time to go get in line for our photo with the Backstreet Boys.
Bottom Row: Jen, Ashley
Middle Row: Cory, Chrissy, Laura
Top Row: Anne Marie, Cortney
Fans were supposed to be in groups of 8 for the photo (2 girls for each boy). We had seven and hoped that there would not be an individual to be put into our group (although I would not be the one to be alone with the Backstreet Boy of my choice). However, there was an individual person who needed a group and it just happened that she wanted AJ, who happened to be the Boy with only one person in our group. This fan seemed nice enough and was very grateful we let her into our group. We took some nice photos while waiting to meet the Boys and tried to get over the nervous feelings we were all feeling. Yes, I have gotten several photos with the Boys but still get star struck every time I meet them.
We spent the biggest marjority of the time in line figuring out what kind of pose we wanted to do. It was decided that we would each do "Huggie Pose" and have everyone hugging whichever Boy they were paired with. We had it all planned out but as we got closer and closer, some girls decided to get a bit nervous, especially after the security guard told us "no hugs." They didn't want to get in trouble if we did huggie pose. The rest of us knew that it was going to be okay, it was more that we couldn't give them hugs before or after the photo. As we got closer, we got into the order we needed to make the photo go smoother and faster...we didn't want to be scrambling when it was actually time for the photo. Howie was up first and I told him how much I loved his album and he thanked me for the compliment. Then I asked Nick if he would be coming to Chicago for his tour (he had released some of his tour dates but had announced that there would be more dates added). He told me "probably." That made me happy. By that time we were all next to the person we were going to be standing next to in the photo so we all stayed where we were as we knew we could continue with the rest of the guys as we left the photo. Brian squated down in the front of the group and Cortney and I kneeled down with him and then threw our arms around him. As we did, he giggled and stated, "Oh their holding me." It wasn't until I got the photo that i realized that he had his hand wrapped around mine.
So it appears that two of the girls chickened out on "huggie pose," I guess that is their loss! After the photo we continues on with the rest of our greetings. Brian shook my hand and said, "It's good to see you again Kentucky Girl." I couldn't believe it! He had remembered me three days later, in a different setting, and a different outfit. I simply placed my hands over my heard and exclaimed, "Oh, you remembered?" He smirked and nodded his head as I moved on to shake the hand of the final Backstreet Boy, AJ. I also told AJ that I loved his album. Even with all of the amazing things that happened on that cruise, I think this was my most memorable moment because it was a special personal moment. It made me truly believe that Brian was actually starting to remember me.
After the photo session we knew we had time to kill before karaoke began. We did what we always seemed to do when we had time to kill...we ate. We also took the time to grab some photos around the ship.
As we waited on the Lido Deck for Karaoke to start, we noticed the skies getting darker. Karaoke was a little different during this cruise than the previous. Before the cruise, Rose Tours sent out an e-mail with a sign up for karaoke. Those who could potentially sing, were picked and placed into the VIP area. The guys then had the names of the people and songs in their pockets that they chose from so not everyone who was originally sent an e-mail was chosen. But first, karaoke started with something very special. A fan had tweeted the guys sometime before the cruise explaining that she would be going through chemotherapy and wanted them to shave her head for her. So that is exactly what happened. I thought it was a very cool thing for the guys to do and an experience for the fan to maybe associate something good when she was going through chemo.
BSB Hair Cut - Part I
BSB Hair Cut - Part II
I think that was the shining moment of karaoke on this cruise. I have to say that, overall, I was not impressed with the event for a number of reasons. First, the location of the event was not ideal. The bars on the deck made it difficult to see at times. Second, the guys weren't as into it on this cruise as they were the last. Granted they would sing every now and then with the girls, they didn't do all of the dancing that they did the previous year. They did bring back the "Baby Got Back" fan but if you were on the first cruise, it just wasn't as good because you knew it was coming. It wasn't as spontaneous and surprising as on the first cruise. Karaoke was also cut short when it started to rain. I think that shaving the girls head took them a little longer than they had expected, which also cut into the actual singing. While I think this was my least favorite of the events, it still had its funny and good moments.
My favorite featured none other than my favorite Backstreet Boy, Brian Littrell, singing a little country music....and divulging a little information about fellow group member, AJ, regarding a situation with an ex-girlfriend. (I had to take my video of this song off of YouTube because of copyright issues but I'm trying to find a way to get it on here for all of you.)
The Backstreet Boys decided to do a song with just them. Again, not as good as "Bust A Move" from the 2010 cruise, but its still the Backstreet Boys singing. They could sing the alphabet and I'd love it. Now, if only they truly understood how sexy they really were.
BSB Sing "I'm Too Sexy"
After karaoke, my roommates and I decided we needed to grab a quick snack since we still had some time before dinner so we made our way to the sushi bar. There we chatted away about anything and everything we could think of. We also had a Lauren and Nick sighting in the casino as we sat there. Finally, we made our way to dinner....where we totally took advantage of paying for the food with our cruise fees. Several other of my dinner mates and I decided that we wanted two appetizers and two main courses....as well as dessert. And it was all delicious. Dinner just wasn't the same without Ashley and Cortney since they were at the concert because of their door decoration win. Dinner was also very hard because we knew at that moment, the Backstreet Boys were performing a concert and we weren't there to see it. I think we were also getting to the point that we knew the cruise would be ending soon...it was our last night together and with the Backstreet Boys. After dinner, we all went back to our rooms to change for pajama night and attempt to pack so we wouldn't have to do it later, when all of a sudden we heard an announcement that the deck party location would be changed to the Atrium due to the weather. Laura and I bolted out of the room and joined the hundreds of girls running towards the atrium to get a good spot. Apparently, they had made this same announcement at the end of the concert because the atrium was already full of girls. Despite the change, this ended up being the best night on the ship!
First of all, my group had shirts made for PDA Pajama Jam night that said, "I dream of BSB," as well as pants that had "BSB Cruise 2011" down the pant leg. While I purchased these items, I went a different approach with my pajamas...the University of Kentucky approach. This included a Kentucky t-shirt over a long sleeve shirt with UK repeated on the sleeves, UK pajama pants, my UK shoes, and my UK earrings. I also ran into what appeared to be a fellow Wildcat fan (sometimes I don't know if fans wear it because they are truly a fan or because Brian is a fan). The only problem with my ensemble was that it was HOT during the "deck" party and the shirt layers were not helping. I know some of the girls actually went and changed from their pants into their shorts at one point because it was so hot.
As I mentioned earlier, this was, by far, the BEST night of the whole cruise. I was truly grateful at this time that this cruise happened to be a full charter so that they could move the deck party into the atrium. This avoided the disaster that was Black and Blue night on the first cruise. I don't know if this particular night would have been the same if we had been out on the deck so I was perfectly happy with the way things happened to play out. So why was this evening so good? Three little words for you....TRUTH OR DARE. Words cannot really explain this evening in its entirety so I'm just going to have to show you.
Brian crowd surfs and it wasn't even a Dare
Nick shares his marshmallows with some fans
Brian's Dare - The Worm
Howie's Dare - Love the Pillow
AJ's Dare - Tickle Nightmare
Nick's Dare - Massage by Fans
Fan Dare - Booty Dance with Nick and AJ
Fan Dare - Beg to be spanked by Brian and Howie
There....I hope those videos explained to you why exactly this was the best night of the cruise. Because of the lighting, it was difficult to get good photos at times but here are some of my favorites from the evening. I think the two photos with alcohol pretty much sum up that night on the cruise for Nick and Howie...
We left the party sometime after 4am but we weren't quite convinced to go back to the cabin to sleep just yet even though we were tired, our legs and feet hurt, we were starting to get some cold like symptoms, and we really just wanted to do this right where we were...
We thought we would grab one last bite to eat in the 24 hour pizzeria (most brilliant idea by the way) before we went back to our cabin to call it our last night. As we ate, we kept hearing cheering coming from the balcony just behind the pizzeria. We thought that it couldn't really have anything to do with the Backstreet Boys at this hour of the night. We were pretty sure that all of them had gone to bed. However, it piqued our interest. As we stepped onto the balcony there was a large swarm of girls surrounding Nick and AJ. They were having a nice intimate Q&A session...no photos, no videos allowed. It was very hard to hear them at times because they were just talking and there were some very rude fans behind us who wouldn't stop talking and laughing. Because of the nature of this event, I feel like it is my duty to keep what was said private. There may be others that have discussed what was talked about but I don't feel like its right for me to divulge what was discussed. The fact that this happened is one of my top cruise moments because of its intimacy and the fact that we have stumbled upon it by chance.
I honestly don't know what time we finally went to bed that night but I do know that we had to get up early the next morning to debark the ship. It would be the final moments on the Carnival Imagination with the Backstreet Boys and my friends.
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.
**3/17/2012 - NCAA March Madness Round 3 - Louisville, KY**
If you are a friend of mine or have read my blog in the past, you know I am a HUGE University of Kentucky fan. I've had conversations with Brian, his wife, his father, and his bodyguard about the team (either football or basketball depending on the season). I was a UK fan before I was a Brian fan but the fact that Brian is from Lexington and also a UK fan does not hurt the cause one bit.
I would also hope that most of my readers know what an AMAZING basketball season the Wildcats have been having this year. They currently hold a 34-2 record and a perfect 16-0 conference record. They were the number one overall seed for the NCAA tournament and many believe that they have what it takes to win the championship even though they are a young team.
Imagine my joy when it was announced that the University of Kentucky Wildcats would be playing in Louisville, KY for Rounds 2 and 3 of the NCAA tournament! I happened to be out of town the night of Selection Sunday but hopped on my computer and bought tickets for round three right away. Unfortunately, I couldn't miss the work to go down for Round 2 on a Thursday. Of course, the event was "Sold Out" and I had to resort to paying higher than ticket value on Stub Hub. I wasn't sure at the time who was going to go with me but I was certain I could find someone and bought two tickets. I knew I was going to have a free place to stay for the weekend and thought that would be a huge motivator for whoever decided that wanted my spare ticket.
As the week moved on, I had no takers on my ticket, even after a huge reduction in price. I was going to be traveling to Louisville by myself and attending the game alone. At that point I just wanted to get some kind of money out of the extra ticket. I was going to have to resort to selling it on the streets of Louisville.
I left right after work on Friday night and made the boring five hour drive down to Louisville. I said goodbye to Lake Michigan and hello to the Ohio River. If any of you have driven the length of Indiana, you know what an uninteresting drive it is. The lack of any kind of scenery besides corn fields makes it an ideal night driving state. You can be sure you won't miss anything by driving in the dark. I arrived to Southern Indiana just after midnight after being stuck in some stop and go traffic just north of Indianapolis due to road construction. I was beat and knew I had a long day ahead of me the next day.
The next day I had one primary goal before heading across the river to the game....stock up on University of Kentucky gear because I can't get it up here in Northwest Indiana. There are two stores I must always hit when I travel to the Louisville area. The first is called Kentucky Korner, where there is nothing but University of Kentucky and University of Louisville merchandise (but more UK than U of L). The second is actually a craft store called Ben Franklin's. Here they have some regular merchandise, but also some crafty stuff as well. Between the two stores, I picked up a new t-shirt, hoodie, pair of socks, keychain, lanyard, and purse. I know when I see something that I really like, I have to pick it up then because I never know the next time I will be in the area and whether or not it will be in stock.
I was fully stocked up on new gear and decided to head to the venue to try to sell my ticket. The streets of Louisville were crawling with Blue and White, even though it was St. Patrick's Day. The Big Blue Nation came to represent. I walked up and down the streets to scope out the ticket selling situation. Eventually I found someone buying tickets on one of the corners. He bought it for much less than what I paid for it, but it was better than getting nothing back. I could now head back to the venue and wait for the doors to open.
Waiting outside the venue in my new UK gear
I had to smile as I arrived to the KFC Yum! Center because of the amazing memories I had from the NKOTBSB show. I was now going to get to see my Wildcats play here. It was a gorgeous day, the sun was shining, and the Wildcat spirit was in the air. I talked to a nice couple from the western part of the state after taking their picture for them. She had always been a Louisville fan until she started working for a UK outfitters company. I'm glad she turned away from the dark side.
We were finally let into the building and I made the long trek to my nose bleed seats. Even though I was only about nine rows from the top, they still were not bad seats. I was, of course, sad that I couldn't share the experience with a friend. However, I was at an NCAA tournament game....and getting to see an amazing Wildcats team. I was just happy to be there, even if it was alone. A high school kid named Parker eventually sat in the seat that I sold the ticket for. I wanted to know how much the person I sold the ticket to was going to charge for it but I thought it might be rude to ask Parker how much he paid for the seat.
1. Sad Alone Chrissy 2. Nosebleed Seats 3. March Madness! 4. Happy to be there Chrissy
By purchasing tickets to the entire round, you get to watch all of the games at that venue for the round. In the case of Round 3, it is two games. The first game of the night was the Murray State Racers (6) v. the Marquette Golden Eagles (3). There were two small sections of yellow (both teams main color) and some yellow spattered here and there. That arena was decked out in blue. Most UK fans were cheering for Murray State, a small state funded university in southwestern Kentucky. However after a tough fight for most of the game, the Golden Eagles came out on top 62-53 to get into the Sweet Sixteen.
It was now the time almost the entire arena was waiting for....Wildcat basketball! The crowd erupted as the Wildcats took the floor for warmups. The game set up the Kentucky Wildcats (1) v. the Iowa State Cyclones (8). During warm up, I heard a familiar tune played by the Iowa State band and knew it had to be a good sign.
"I Want It That Way" - Iowa State Band
2012 NCAA March Madness Round 3
Louisville, KY
Starting Line Up - Lamb, Jones, Kidd-Gilchrist, Davis, Teague
The starting line up included Doron Lamb, Terrance Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, and Marquis Teague. Darius Miller and Kyle Wiltjer would play at other points of the game. The Cats came out strong right away, roaring to a 7-2 lead capped by a Terrance Jones dunk. With only 11:27 to go in the first half, the Cats were on fire with their 3 pointers, making 3 in a row (one of which was later ruled to actually be a 2) and going up 21-11. The Cyclones would then battle back on an 11-3 run after after their first 3 pointer, but would not take the lead from the Wildcats who were still up 26-22 with 6:59 left in the first half. The first half closes with an 8-1 run by UK and a 38-27 lead by the Cats. Kentucky was able to dominate the boards the first half, outrebounding ISU 21-11. They also shot 48.8% and held ISU (a very good three point shooting team) to 1 for 8 from the three point line.
Doron Lamb for the 3
Kyle Wiltjer takes a bad spill
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist drives to the basket
It's always nice to have a nice lead at half time, especially knowing that they had won 60 straight games when leading by 10 or more points at the half. We were up by 11 but I knew it wasn't time to get cocky. Anything can happen in these games...just look at the 16 point comeback by Western Kentucky against Mississippi Valley in Round 1.
Miller started the second half in the place of Lamb, who already had two fouls against him. Just as I feared, ISU opened the half on a 7-0 run and Coach Calipari quickly used two of his timeouts. The Wildcats were clinging to a 38-34 lead with 18:26 left in the game. The lead does not last for long when the Cyclones tie the game at 42. A Jones dunk changes that and gives the Cats a two point lead, 44-42 and the UK outscores the Cyclones 30-10 with a 20-2 run. With 7:11 left in the game, UK is well in control with a score of 72-52. With 2:55 left to go, the Cats stay in control, 84-65, with Teague and Miller on a roll and ISU's White fouled out. The Wildcats end up beating the Cyclones 87-71 to move onto the Sweet 16 in Atlanta, GA.
This basket by Terrance Jones started a 20-2 run by the Wildcats.
An Anthony Davis block is not uncommon to see, but hard to catch with a photo.
Not happening with Davis and Jones around the basket.
Even the Wildcat gets into the Big Blue spirit.
Drive to the basket by Marquis Teague.
The Wildcats play hard but fight even harder. Davis ends up crashing into the media table after a well-fought battle for the ball.
Darius Miller for 3.
A brief overview of why the Kentucky Wildcats came out on top.
If you have never been to a Kentucky game, you need to....even if you aren't a Wildcats fan. The Big Blue Nation is like none other that you have ever seen. We were lucky that this game practically happened in the Wildcats back yard, but fans of this team will travel for hundred of miles to cheer on their team. Plus, fans are spread out all over the nation. The chants of "Go Big Blue" when the Cats are on fire is electrifying. The "boos" that erupt whenever Duke or a Duke player is mentioned or shown on the scoreboard will make you want to join in. And the "Ohhhhhhhh C-A-T-S - Cats, Cats, Cats" chant as you are leaving the arena after the big win makes you happy to be part of the Big Blue Nation. I would not trade the experience for anything.
