BSB Trip
Experience #2
September 25th/2001
I was up early and
left Kitscoty for a 6 hr drive to Calgary.
In light of what had been going on in the world I wasn’t as excited as I
should have been. I got gas a little gas
station outside of a town called Hanna and heard on the radio a special BSB
announcement was coming up. I have
never pumped gas faster… Get into the
car to hear that the Boys have already been in Calgary for one night…DAYUM. At the top of my lungs, in my car mind you,
I scream out…”I’m going to see the Backstreet Boys.” Looked like an idiot but I didn’t care. So I continue driving, now half way there getting more excited as
I get closer. Soon I can see downtown
Calgary and I know the Boys are there.
I finally turn my
car off at 2:30pm in front of my Dad’s house.
Stayed there until my best Brian loving friend, Lindsay picked me
up. Her birthday was the next day so we
went for supper becoming more excited as we sat there.
After supper we
called Sarah (who likes Nicky) and went to get her. We were going to park the car down from her apartment in downtown
Calgary but there was a wacko in the parking lot so we thought we would pick
her up on the fly.
Head over to the hotel we think the Boys are at…no fans, so headed to
the next. WE HIT THE JACKPOT.
30 minutes is all
we had to wait before the first glimpse.
A smaller guy and a big black guy walk out. At first not sure who it is, we were across the street and the
guy had his baseball cap pulled down over his eyes…LOL!!! But it was…B-rok. He had come out to go to the gym, or so we thought he was
carrying a gym bag. There were about 5
or so fans on the corner and he didn’t even say hi. Just kept walking. Sarah,
Lindsay and I decided to follow him from far enough away that he wouldn’t
see…little did we know that we wouldn’t see either. We lost him in some darkness and we also had to wait for a light
to change. We walked down the YMCA
about two blocks away and see nothing so decide to head back. We parked our butts on benches across the
street…the girls that were on hotel property were getting kicked off. We certainly didn’t have to wait long. Lindsay pointed to the hotel and who is in
the window of the lobby but Kevin. He
was wearing black track pants with a white strip down the side; a white shirt
with capped sleeves and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. (He looked very good. I thought about all the people that like
him…they would have this night). This
all happened a little before 9:45 or so.
We waited until 11 to see if Brian would come back. And also Nick. There was a rumour that he was shopping at a mall on the
Southside of the city. (We would find
out in the morning that he was…).
Another thing we saw outside the Boys hotel room was a guy in a dress…he
looked stoned on something. I was being
mean and made the comment that is was Kevin’s guru. (Sorry girls…). Oh yeah
and the hookers in the thigh-high boots began to work their corners, just
behind the Boys hotel. (Right there for the picking).
Sarah and I went
back to her house and decided to watch the CBS concert and have some
nachos. We watched until we were so
tired that not even the Boys on TV could keep us awake.
September 26th/2001
Day two began
early. I couldn’t sleep that
night. The day that I had been waiting
for, for what seemed like years was finally here. Sarah woke up to me on the computer posting my first Calgary post
and also looking at pics of people who had been traveling with them…just to see
who was with them now.
After showers and
make-up and lots of blow-drying we were ready for the day. Got McDonald’s and caught the train down to
the hotel. Met some girls from the
night before (Brenly and Shannon). We
didn’t miss a thing. They had gone the
night before to the mall and got Nick’s autograph after he ate at NY Fries and
had cookies and milk at Cookies By George (this info was also in the Calgary
Sun the next day). We ate our
McDonald’s and waited. Soon two more
girls came over (Joelle and Sandra).
And so now we all waited…and waited.
In the mean time Brian’s bodyguard had left the building. I watched as he walked around the side of
the building talking to someone…who I couldn’t see. Then they came into view and it was Leighanne. It took me a minute to process it but decided
to open my mouth (something I usually don’t do). “Hi Leighanne.” She
turned and smiled this amazing smile, said hi and gave me a little wave, then
inside. No one else outside said a word
to her…there were about ten people there.
Both Tyke and Litty were there with her in a carry-on bag with mesh
around it. Those dogs are very tiny.
And then again we
wait. One of the girls we are with gets
a call on her cell phone from her brother who is behind the hotel talking to
who we would later find out is Nick’s bus driver. He tells him to tell his sister that is she gives him a ‘you know
what’ he will get her backstage…she of course declines. Soon a black Cadillac SUV pulls up and for
the longest time no one gets in. Then
the driver and Marcus get in and pull away…but no boys.
We leave and go to
Lindsay’s for a little bit of a rest before the show. We hit the Saddledome around 5 or so. We meet up with Sandra and Joelle and hang out with them until
the show starts. We go to our seats and
are freaking because the bridge it right beside us. The show is awesome and I got some pretty good pics on the
bridge…(the big night for the show is the next night…we were just warming up at
this one.) Oh yeah and I have to say
that I hate little boys (ones who look like the kid from Deliverance) who try
to tell you that the show has started and it is only like 5:30…so I had a few
words with him and he left. LOL
So we leave after
the show and head back to the buses but realise that the van that brought them
all here earlier is gone so we hightail it to the train. Get on and go to the hotel. Get there just in time to see Lee B getting
in the van and Howie not to far behind. (As many of you know this hurt…I didn’t
want to have to see it with my own eyes…I just wanted to see pictures of
it.) Next Kevin got in with Carlos and
a way they went with a police escort I might add to an IMAX movie theatre just
round the block…two blocks for a movie with a police escort…weird. We waited until about 12:30 and decided that
we were to cold and hungry so we went to Subway on the way home and then went
to bed.
September 27th/2001
As if yesterday wasn’t enough…today was even
better. But we wouldn’t find that out
until a little after one or so. Got
ready a little faster today, only because neither of us curled our hair…LOL!!! We head to Eaton’s Centre to meet
Lindsay. As we are going up the
escalator Sarah says to me to keep my eyes peeled. It must have worked because the gentleman in front of us was
holding a backstage pass in his hand.
So we went to get some lunch and sat where we could see this man. (Ok a little obsessed…maybe???) We watch him as he goes in and out of
computer stores…(rumour was that Nick was looking for a computer game)…he is on
the phone the entire time. Then upon I
can only assume not finding what the person on the other end wanted, he left. He was an older man who didn’t look like the
type to go shopping on his own.
Sarah went to talk to one of her old bosses
while Lindsay and I headed over to the hotel.
We got close and noticed that the buses were out front. Weird…since for the past two days they were
out back. So we wait. I walk closer to the busses and see Marcus
and say hello. Then I smile over at
Brian’s bodyguard…who in turn mouths hello to me. LOL…flirt much??? Soon
things out front start to get a little hectic…which is a good indication that
the Boys are coming out.
First out is AJ…he walks past and says he
doesn’t have time to stop for pictures but I snapped one…it is actually a good
one. He gets on his bus and it
leaves. Nick is next and as soon as he
is out the door the girls swarm him.
Where is Sarah you ask??? She is
still talking to her boss. Lindsay and
I are just standing off to the side. I
say hi to Nick and he didn’t even look over…so the picture that I have of him
is the back of his head...LOL!!! It is
a nice head, but really. Brian walks
out and heads over to a van and is signing autographs over there. I tell Lindsay to go get one...she
doesn’t…but she did come over by him. I
have to pics of him...one with his head down and the other one he is making a
funny face…as if to say…to many flashes…it is priceless.
Ok here is my dream coming true. I see Lee walk out and head to the bus and I
know that Howie isn’t that far behind.
So I get ready. I have a picture
of him coming out of the hotel waving and then Lindsay says to me, ‘Melissa
go…go get an autograph.’ So I go…I have
no clue how to do this…LOL!!! His
bodyguard says that if we stay calm and form a line that he will let us all
have autographs. This older fan looks
at him and rolls her eyes. He turns to
her and says, ‘Don’t roll your eyes at me…’, she gives him another look and he
just laughs. Then looks at me, smiles
and I suddenly feel very small. I wait
my turn patiently and as calmly as I can…as I begin to realize that my dream
for the past three years is about to come true. I hand him my piece of paper and he looks up into my eyes and
asks me how I’m doing. A little star
struck I answer with fine and you. Then
he says he is good. I then tell him
that I have something that I wanted to tell him. “Howie I have something that I want to tell you. It might be a little sad. When your sister died I tried to start a
fund for you but it flopped…I donated but that was it. I got in contact with AJ’s cousin and now I
am working on some other things for your foundation. My mom is drawing a picture of you and we are going to auction it
off and all the proceeds will go to your foundation.” He stops signing and looking up at me and says…”Thank you so much
that is very sweet of you…God Bless.” I
at this point had melted into mush. The
entire time I was talking to him he was signing the autographs but was always
looking up at me. He got this goofy
grin on his face when I mentioned the picture.
I leave and go over to Lindsay…I am shaking and trying to calm myself
down so I can tell her. I eventually do
and then head back over to see Sarah there.
She missed him too. I feel so
bad for her…she missed them all. We
decide then to head over to the Saddledome.
On the way we stop at a mall and I call James…he doesn’t believe me that
I just talked to Howie. He didn’t
believe me until I talked to him again after the concert that night…LOL!!
Ok now we are at the Saddledome and it is
early…like 2 or so. So we wait and soon
AJ is coming from inside to get back on his bus. We say hello and I tell him how very proud of him we are. He very graciously says thank you, then gets
on the bus. So again we wait…and the
next person I see is Lee. So I say ‘Hi
Lee’…she waves back with a big smile.
(Was my smile to her real…)
Seems like all we were doing was waiting…and we were. Lee came back out looks up and asked me how
I am…I answer fine and in turn ask her…she says she is great. (Yeah I wonder why!!). So we continue to wait. In the process of waiting we meet one of the
truck drivers for BSB…he is a really nice guy and is out playing with is
dog…(there is something attractive about a man playing with his dog.) He stays out there for along time actually
and tells us that BSB isn’t his cup of tea.
We meet another driver who is doing the Ozzy tour after this and he has
been working for BSB for three months.
Ok things I need to point out that made me
mad.
1.
Fans screaming at anyone and
everyone to get one of the Boys to come over.
The BG’s and whoever don’t even notice
them. I sat there and smiled and waved
and they
smiled and waved back but ignored the screaming ninnies…
2.
If you are going to bring your little kids there with you. WATCH THEM YOURSELF. This
one lady was there with her two sons…she had waited at the hotel the night
before until 2 am with her son and when Nick came back he didn’t even say
hi. She was mad…but I understand why
Nick didn’t say hi. And then while she
waited out back with us…her son needed to go pee…she told him if they went that
he wouldn’t get to see the Boys. And
she also told him to and I quote ‘stop fucking around’…she also said that she
wanted him to get run over. IF YOU
DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR KIDS THEN DON’T BRING THEM!!!
Ok now we finally get in and realise that 8th row is very,
very sweet. We both bought an alcoholic
beverage to cut the edge…I was feeling mighty fine by the time Sisqo came
on. We again sat beside some great
people and had spent the day with two great girls…(Katie and Sara). Note: BSB fans are the nicest
by far. I had bought a
beach ball for the show to throw up to the Boys on the bridge and was busy
blowing it up just before the lights went down. Sarah and I had also snuck signs in. (They would come in very handy when the Boys were on the
bridge.) The show starts and the Boys
are so close. During YIW…Kevin looks
over at us…Sarah points it out that he is and I agree. It was that look that you can’t turn away
from…we have all had that happen to us once or twice. At one point AJ told Howie he looked like Bon Jove…Howie answers
with…Bon Jovi ain’t got nothing on this hair.
The bridge is
coming up and I get everything ready for it.
LOL!!! And soon AJ is near us and
we tried to get the beach ball up to him…but it didn’t work. Oh well (after the show I see a girl walking
outside with it.) Ok Sarah holds up a
sign that says ‘Nick look at me.” And
well it paid off cuz Nick did look at her.
He waved and smiled. It was so
cute…that Carter grin. Next is Howie…he
seems to be the last one at everything…including the bridge. So I hold up my simple sign with a message
that read ‘Hi Howie’, he sees it, points to me…winks and blows me a kiss. Could it get any better then this??? Well it can. During ATOL Howie is going nuts with a cowbell…if you haven’t
seen the show yet…wait for that part…you will pee yourself laughing. During the Call and Get Another Boyfriend I
notice that Howie is looking over at us.
It seemed as if everyone standing in front of me had either shrunk or I
was standing ten feet tall. He was
right there and I was right in his line of sight. Sarah says to me…”His looking over here.” And yeah …he was…what a dirty dog. I was singing back to him and blowing
kisses…he got a little giggle out of it.
And all too soon the show was over and I knew that was it…no more Boys.
But the night
ended on a good note…it was a closure of sorts. We went out to wait for the buses to leave. There was a crowd of people on either side
of the street and as the dancers and band walked though it was like a parade
and everyone clapped and cheered for them.
Then the buses. First
Brian…Kevin…Nick…AJ and finally Howie.
He was last. And this was the
last…and I am ok with it.
As Chapter One is
released this BSB chapter in my life has come to an end. And I am ok. Everything happened the exact way I had pictured it happening in
my head…and I am grateful for that.
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