A little walk down memory lane....

With the recent talk of the big NKOTB Reunion, I have been traveling back in time and rehashing all sorts of memories of long ago.

I think I was getting ready to enter the 4th grade when I bought my first New Kids on the Block tape. I was only 9 years old (Morgan Carter is 9 right now). My Grandma Mamie was still alive. Mom and I lived in the trailer next to Justin Anderson (and Jan and john) My dad lived in Tulsa. Aunt Jody still delivered McDonald's cheeseburgers every friday night. I am pretty sure that Amy Jones was my best friend in the entire world (besides Justin of course). Amy and I were both in love with Jim Leonard. Mrs. Beckman would be my teacher that year...

I remember going to Wal-Mart one evening with my mom, which was a rare occurance b/c we hardly went to town w/ out Grandma. This is, of course, when Wal-Mart in Pittsburg was located where Big-Lots is now. I had been begging my mom to let me buy a new tape of this band I really liked who had just released a new album. She finally said ok.


We got into the overly crowded electronics department. I knew JUST WHAT I was looking for. I found the "Hanging Tough" CD hanging on an end cap. It was on one of those big huge plastic hangers that held CDs and the clerk had use a special tool to remove it. I picked up and admired it...mom says "Is that what you are looking for?" and I said..."Um, no, I think you have to have a special player for these, but I'm not sure...but its pretty expensive anyway...I better just get the tape"

So there I go on my way down the isle to find the hanging tough tape. This tape had been out for quite some time, but I only became familiar with it towards the end of my 3rd grade year. I think maybe that is how I got my mom to let me get it...kind of as a "you did good in school this year" treat. Not really sure. I remember finding out that this new favorite band of mine had not one but TWO tapes out...oh what to do? Do I get the brand new hanging tough...or do I get the first tape ever released? Decisions, Decisions...I went with Hangin' Tough

I listened to that tape over and over and over and over. I remember my grandma and my mom making such fun of me b/c I would be in the backseat listening on my walkman and all they would ever hear out of me was a random "uh-uh-uhhh-uhhh" or "oh oh oh oh ohhhhh Hangin' Tough" :)


Justin and I listened to it all the time too. He even helped me act out scenes from the songs once in awhile, but I bet he would never admit that today. The one I remember is him sitting and reading a magazine, then moving it down when it says "still your pretty face is the prettiest I've seen" and then we'd break into dancing to the rest of Cover Girl.

I remember making up my own baton routines to alllll of the songs. When Step by Step came out at the very end of my 4th grade year, I was one of the first ones to get it. I still remember part of my "self made" twirling routine to "tonight" It was the first of many SUPER-FAN episodes in my life. I had all the tshirts, I had the buttons...and I had LOOOOVEEEEEE for Jordan Knight. I think maybe Amy moved away in the 4th grade, bc I do remember becoming best friends with another super NKOTB lover....Laura Wentz. We were freaks!!!!!! (I guess I still am)

I will never, EVER forget when the New Kids said they were coming to Oklahoma. I wanted to go so bad, and I made that perfectly clear to my dad and I told my mom to tell him too. I thought for sure I was getting tickets for Christmas. I couldnt hardly wait for Christmas. Guess what I got from my dad? A new kids on the block PUZZLE. Are you kidding me??? Yes it was HUGE and yes I loved it but I had my heart set on those tickets. sigh. I dont think it helped that my older step brothers called my favorite band tons of awful names and my dad probably realized if they didnt go to the concert with me , then he might have to....too bad I wasn't friends with you, Stacy, back then huh? (She got to go to the concert, meanie!)

Anyway, if I could go back and do things different in life, one thing I would do is go see them live. I remember seeing All 4 One live and I thought that was awesome. Who knows what i would have done if it could have been NKOTB!!!

Well, hopefully they WILL be coming back....and I WILL BE GOING to see them, somehow!!!!

Funny how things come full circle huh?

As I typed this, I was thinking about how I ran into Amy Jones last night at Body Waves...and how we are hopefully attending a superbowl party at her house on Sunday.

Then, JoeDel and I had dinner at Sundowners and guess who was up there watching the game - Jim Leonard.

I see Mrs Beckman pretty much everyday when she brings her great-nieces out to Derailed where their mom works.

Grandma is gone...and I wish I had another chance to thank my dad again for that puzzle instead of being upset that it wasnt a concert ticket.

Justin is still one of my closest pals, although I dont talk to him or see him often enough at all.

Aunt Jody gave up the cheeseburgers and now looks forward to her weekly strawberry milk shakes that mom takes her every Sunday after church at the nursing home....

I still become overly obsessed when I like a new music group...

....and Avery and I hardly ever go to Wal-Mart without her Grammy.