June 18, 2012- Duran Duran Day

I arrived at the “GMA” studios in Times Square really early. It was still dark. No one else was even standing outside of it yet. I sat at a table nearby it for a while until a few other people turned up.

   We watched DD doing their sound check. Nick and Simon had waved at us. I wasn’t even afraid to wave back. Roger was smiling at us. I can’t remember if he waved or not. He probably did.

   Our view was of the back of them. Nick was basically blocking Simon. Roger was facing towards the side so we saw him the best.

   It felt kind of strange looking at them through the window like this. It was as if I were observing the animals at an exhibit in a zoo.

   Hopefully, my brother and I will be going to the Turtleback Zoo this summer. I am really looking forward to seeing the otter there. Otters are so adorable.

   One of the studio employees had come outside at one point and was asking if anyone was in the fan club then writing their names down. How did these girls prove that they were in it? Did they have a special pass or ticket?

    They were allowed in the studio to see DD’s performance. I was wishing that I had rejoined that fan club. I had only been in it for two years starting at the end of 2008.

   I saw the girl who I had hung out with during the Central Park show in 2008. I had seen her at the Wellmont Theatre too. She had mistakenly gone to that park thinking that they were performing there.

   A girl had a Nick doll. It was handmade and she paid a lot for it. She told me that she has been to 110 concerts. Damn, that is a lot.

   She showed me photos of her dressed up as River Song from “Doctor Who’” at Comic Con.

   They did the interview outside in the area that I had originally been standing in. I was sort of wishing that I had stayed there but then maybe I wouldn’t have been able to see them when they were performing.

   I am not sure if you could see them from there. I had noticed that the screen that Sam does the weather at was blocking my view of the inside when I did look in from that angle but maybe they moved it when DD did their songs.

   I better not think that much about this; I don’t need another thing to beat myself up about. I was already mad at myself for not looking at the TV screen inside sometimes to get a front view of DD during their performance.

   I did briefly try to get closer to them when they were outside so that I could take photos. These came out pretty shitty. I did get some okay shots of them through the window.

   They did “Sunrise” and “Girl Panic”. After the show, they did “All You Need is Now”. They must have been filming this for something else- maybe the internet.

   I was hanging out with a nice girl, Tammy. She lives in CA now but is originally from NJ. We waited outside of the studio afterwards with hopes of catching a glimpse of the DD guys.

   Our view wasn’t great. Pro photographers were doing a lot of the blocking. Dom and Anna came out first but we didn’t really see them that clearly.

   Tammy went across the street so I followed her. I am so glad that we did this. We got to see John, Nick, Roger, and Simon pretty well from there.

   I took photos then as well but the one of Simon wasn’t that great. He was getting into a vehicle so it is more like a side angle.

    I also took photos of the show’s hosts. Sam walked by us when we were waiting for DD. I had seen him in person like in 1986 when he was weather guy at “Eyewitness News”. That was when we were waiting to get in the studio to see Regis and Kathie Lee.

    Tammy and I were both going to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We ate at a place there. We were talking about DD a lot, of course. She mentioned that she had seen them in 2004 (or was it 2005?) when they performed in Times Square. She was in the second row; lucky her.

   I hadn’t been totally into them as of then. That didn’t happen until after my first concert at MSG in April of 2005. I am sure that if I had been, I would have tried to attend that event.

   Even though I was feeling a bit anxious about socializing with her and others at this event too, it felt sort of nice being around other people who have the same interest as me  

   My tickets for their Atlantic City concert came in the mail today. I was pretty happy to see this. I can’t wait until this event. I haven’t been there in 20 years.

 

 

 

 

Dreamtime

August 27, 2016- Alien Attack

I was in a department store that was Target-like but a bit bigger. My friend Joe was with me. He looked like John Taylor. Our appearances were younger though, like circa 1992.

   We first looked in the electronics department. There were many types of stereos from the 80s- present day. After this, we decided to split up for a little while. He went to the men’s department to look at shirts and I was going to look for a pair of jeans for myself.

    I saw about 30 people gathered by the housewares department. I was curious about this so I went over there to find out what was going on.

   I had thought that perhaps some sort of demonstration was occurring. I saw a keyboard set up there and standing next to it was Howard Jones. What the heck was he doing here?

  A girl was asking him a question. After he answered this, a man told the small crowd that Mr. Jones would return in about 15 minutes to perform a couple of songs.

    I wondered if these would be “Things Can Only Get Better” and “No One is to Blame” like he did at the “Today” show mini concert in June. I am glad that I hadn’t backed out of going to that.

   I found out that he had been doing a question and answer session for around 25 minutes. I wish that I had been there for this. I decided that I would find Joe because I knew that he would like to see this performance.

  As I was walking towards Menswear, I saw my cousin Missy. We talked for just a couple of minutes. She was heading towards the fitting room to try on a couple of outfits.

   Before I got to that department, I saw something very unusual. A small orb shaped object was flying nearby me. It was about the size of a soccer ball. I saw it get close to a guy and then bump into his arm.

   The man immediately fell to the ground. He was in a frozen, statue-like state. I became really scared, started running, and looked for Joe. I was worried that the same thing might have happened to him.

   He was looking at ties. I told him what I had witnessed. We heard a woman screaming a few seconds later. We saw that two more people had been attacked in a similar manner.

   Was this some sort of alien technology and were there more than one of them in the store and/or perhaps elsewhere too?

   I prayed that my cousin had not been harmed by this sinister object but when I went into the fitting room I saw that she had been.

   Joe and I began running towards the front of the store so that we could escape this attack. Before we could get there, however, we saw the orb coming towards us.

   We were near the electronics department. A stereo on the endcap was turned on. A Barry Manilow song,” Mandy” was playing. I noticed that the orb had slowed down and some sparks were coming out of it.

   I wondered if the music was causing what appeared to be a malfunction. I turned the volume up really loud. Even more sparks were shooting out of it now. It then fell to the ground. It seemed to be totally damaged which was a relief.

   Luckily, shortly afterwards the people who had been attacked were no longer in a statue-like state. I am not sure how destroying this weapon had reversed the effects of it though.

  Joe said something like “Barry Manilow music saved us” and we laughed. Would any music have caused this to happen or just a specific kind?

    I was no longer in this storyline right after this so I never did find out if other such alien weapons were around. If there hadn’t been, would Howard Jones still have performed for us after such a terrifying incident?

 

 

September 3, 2016- Howard Jones Concert- Part 2

   I hadn’t really wanted to talk to anybody but wound up doing so a little with the couple who was sitting next to me in the theater. They had wanted to know if I had seen Howard Jones in concert before. I told them only for the “Today” mini concert. They had seen him twice in the 1990s.

   I forget which song the guy had asked me if I liked when it was just beginning- maybe “Life in One Day”.

   I asked a guy at the station if he knew when the next train was coming. That was the start of a long conversation which is very unusual for me. We were talking so much that he nearly missed his stop.

   He likes jazz music. I mentioned how I liked listening to my Mom’s Nat King Cole albums. I said that it would be cool if our spirits could travel back in time and see him in concert. I was afraid that he would think that this was kind of crazy but he liked that notion.

   The girl who had been sitting behind me was also on the train. She is Japanese and doesn’t speak much English. She showed us pictures of the CD that Howard had signed for her that day. She mentioned some other music stars that she likes- Phil Collins/Genesis and Tears for Fears included.

   Most people wouldn’t really understand what a struggle it is for me to socialize. A big part of me would rather not say much if anything at all but there is a little of me that wishes that I could be better at this, including not feeling so uncomfortable.

   I am glad that I didn’t back out of going to this concert. I feel bad that I was thinking about Duran Duran a few times during it though, including my screw ups during this tour. I need not rehash all of that.

  Sorry, Mr. Jones- I couldn’t help that my brain was distracted by that group, my anxieties, my depression, and other things during your performance.

   I didn’t really get any sleep last night. I had tried going to bed like 5 minutes after I got home. Sometimes when I am overly tired like that, I have strange images running around in my head. This time it was unicorns, rainbows, and My Little Pony.

 

Note- The 2 My Little Pony photos are from the internet

September 3, 2016- Howard Jones Concert- September 2-Part 1

I decided to walk to the Paramount Theatre so I wouldn’t have the anxiety of calling for a cab then. I was worrying about having to do so for later throughout the day though, even during the show. It turned out to be a longer trek than the one mile that I thought that it would be. It was more like 2.

   I had a lot of time to kill so I looked in some stores. I went into Walgreens and bought an unsweetened iced tea. A girl outside of here thought that I was one of her former teachers at first. In a shopping plaza, I went to K-Mart, Marshalls and Old Navy.

   I passed by a cemetery too which was freaky because I was walking through one in my nightmare of a few days ago.

    Normally, I don’t mind being on such adventures by myself but for the first time I was feeling really lonely. I was wishing that Sharon could have been a part of this one.

    I was pretty close to the stage- row 4, seat 3. I had mistakenly thought that I was in row 3, seat 4. I had a perfect view. I feel awful for wishing that this was a Duran Duran show instead; I would be right in front of John.

   I hate that I was thinking about DD a lot yesterday. In the morning, I had actually seen a picture of John with Howard on Tumblr.

   The concert was good. I forget parts of it already, like which song was first. I was so happy that he did one of my favorites “The Prisoner”. I was hoping that he’d perform “Lift Me Up” but he didn’t. The songs of his that I’ve been listening to the most lately are these and “Everlasting Love” which was also a part of the set list.

    I am pretty sure that the last song was “Things Can Only Get Better”. ? I was feeling kind of depressed and thinking “No, nothing is going to get better for me”. Was “New Song” included in this encore too or had that been done earlier? 

   Luckily, a cab was waiting outside of the theater already so I didn’t have to call for one. He waited to see if he could get another passenger (because his boss tells him to do so) but no one else needed a ride.

  Thanks to the LIIR, I missed the last train out of NYC by about 7 minutes. This wouldn’t have happened if they had just let passengers on the train sooner instead of just having the train sit there for like 15 minutes first.

   That 3 hours and 40 minutes in Penn Station seemed to last forever. The time of the first morning train on the weekend is 50 minutes later which made it even worse. I was too exhausted in every way to focus on my book. I was only able to read a couple of pages and even that was difficult.

   My brother was sitting outside waiting for Tony. His merchandise for the flea market was there too. They usually load up the truck on Friday night. He thought that I had been in Manhattan. I hadn’t wanted to tell him that this show was in Huntington for fear that he would tease me for wanting to go out that far for it.

 

Figure Skating Show 1991

My mother, brother, and I went to this show at Madison Square Garden. I wish that I had been keeping a journal back then so I would have the details about it now. I did write on the back of one photo that Underhill and Martini did their routine to "Unchained Melody". I forgot to write the names of the skaters on some of them and don't recall who they are. I do know that I had a very good time at this event.

 

Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt-

                             
                                               Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini-

                                                 
                                                                   Others-

                                              
                                                                  Finale-

September 15, 2016- School Days

I didn’t feel like sitting in the waiting area of Dr. T’s office when I took Mike there for his appointment so I went across the street to Rahway Park.

   They are messing up this park now with a football field and parking area. Mike and I signed a petition against this but of course this didn’t work to stop it. This is upsetting to both of us.

    I ate my lunch then walked around the big pond. Our parents would bring us there to feed the ducks when we were kids. Did we ever do this walk then?

    Our grade school used to have their Field Days here. I always hated the sporting events like softball and track and field. We did stuff like tug-of war and three legged races too. Or was it sack races? Maybe both. Mike said that there was egg races also. The food was the only good thing about this event.

   Fourth grade was the best because of the camping trip. It might have been 3 days. I do still have the daily schedule of activities and the directions to that place, Camp Hoover. It was also our Girl Scout camp. Our teacher, Miss K, was my troop leader for a couple of years.

   We also made applesauce. We baked chocolate chip cookies for the nuns at the retirement home in Caldwell. We learned our state capitals. My Grandma at the farm helped me study for that test.

   I do have some bad memories of that place. Like a few incidents of humiliation. My 7^th grade teacher used my essay as an example of poor writing, withholding my name, of course. That was upsetting.

   I had trouble doing fractions and percentages in 3^rd grade. My neighbor had to tutor me in this. One day, Sister M. made me go up to the board to work on one such problem but I was unable to do so. She made me feel so ashamed then.

   Somehow, I was elected class president in 8^th grade, not that I really did much in that role. I did have to make an announcement in front of the class once. I got made fun of by one of my crushes which was very embarrassing.

    Sister J said that I had a big, fat head when measuring it for my 8th grade graduation cap.  This was upsetting then but later it was kind of amusing.

   Some of the good memories were our day trips. We went to Sandy Hook in 6^th grade, the World Trade Center in 7^th, and Great Adventure in 8^th. I think that Mom was a chaperone for the latter. I have been to that amusement park 4 times besides that, 3 with various family members.

   Was my visit to the Statue of Liberty with my class or Girl Scout troop? Mike went to Philly 2 times on his class trips. Why didn’t ours ever go there?

   I remember watching the very first launch of a space shuttle, the Columbia, in 6^th grade. We were in Miss M’s classroom.

   Mike doesn’t really have any fond memories of that school and definitely hated our high school as do I. My 30^th reunion is next year and I could care less. I never went to the other 2. I try not to think much about that place.

Rahway Park 1972

 

Camp Hoover

Camping Schedule

 

Sandy Hook

 

 

 

July 21, 2016- Duran Duran at the Apollo- July 19

I was so lucky that I got a seat in the 3^rd row orchestra section. I didn’t even have to pay that extra fan club fee. The price was high enough as is without it. My seat was the furthest one to the left though. My view of Roger’s drum kit was partially blocked.

   John must have been on that mini keyboard thing during “Last Night in the City” as he’s been at the other shows but I couldn’t even see that at all. Kiesza was performing with them during this song.

   A girl who had been at the album signing recognized me. I thought that she did look familiar. We were talking to each other outside of theater, mostly about music and concerts. She mentioned that she had been to the Def Leppard concert at the PNC Center this summer. I told her that my brother and I saw them in 2005.

   It turns out that she was in the row behind me, two seat over. I was a little jealous that she had a better view than me. I should have asked what her name is and found out if she’s on Facebook. It would have been nice to keep in touch with her that way. Not that I have really contact my Duran Duran buddies on there, except for Jenny around certain concert times.

   I was also talking to a very nice employee. I had thought that Chic was going to be the opening act but he told me that they weren’t. He likes them too.

  Tokimonsta, a girl DJ, was the opener. She mistakenly said that Chic would be there. The show had started at 8 p.m. so there couldn’t be 2 opening acts.

   The theater is beautiful and also small. I am pretty sure that Simon said that 1,800 people were there. I don’t recall exactly what John said about this place; it might have been something like they were happy and honored to be performing there.

   Unfortunately, I don’t remember much about the show.  I read other fans’ posts about their concert experiences and they always include lots of details- usually good- about them. I wish that my brain could hold onto such things too. 

   I do recall some insignificant stuff like John shaking a few girl’s hands. He also handing a couple of them his water bottles, I think. The front row fans ran right up to the stage shortly before the show began.

   I am almost certain that the two people who had been in the seats in front of me did so too. That wasn’t right. Well, this gave me a clear view of John so I won’t complaining that much about this.

   I had arrived in the city earlier than I originally had planned on. I looked around Macy’s. I bought a Kiehl’s facial cleanser there. It is expensive. This better work for that price. I am getting so tired of wasting money on ineffective beauty products.

   I looked around some other stores in the Herald Square area too- H&M, Old Navy, and Urban Outfitters. The latter has records and portable turntables. I ate in McDonald’s inside of Macy’s and sat outside of that store for a little while too.

   I should have stayed in that part of town for longer. I got to Harlem way too soon. I did look around some stores to kill time but this was so boring. I got unsweetened iced tea at Barnes and Noble.

   My cab driver, Quinn, remember me from a previous time. That was probably after another Duran Duran show. I mentioned that I had been at the Apollo to see them. He seemed shocked and impressed that I had gone there alone. We talked about music. Did he say that Duran Duran is cool (or something like that) this time or the last? Perhaps both.

Confetti

Note- all of the concert photos are from the internet.

September 24, 2016- Amusement Parks

I’ve been to Great Adventure 3 times with my family and once with Mom, Helen and Kathy. I also went on my own one day, mostly for the Oak Ridge Boys concert. I did go on some rides too, like the Buccaneer and the Parachute. The water rides are the best ones there.

   Aunt Ann drove us through the safari the first time. They stopped letting people do this 3 or 4 years ago. Fran and Mom went on Lightning Loops but I was too scared as were Mike and Missy. We all did go on the Runaway Train though. I was even scared on that roller coaster; it felt like I was going to fall out of it at one point.

   It was just Missy, Aunt Ann, Mom and I the 2^nd time. I was a little frightened in the Haunted House; that burned down like a year or 2 later. We saw a water show- dolphins must have been a part of this. I wish that I could remember more about that.

   Our cousins Jen, Terry and Mandy came with Mike, Mom and I in the late 80s. The bobsled ride was very cool but they had to keep temporarily shutting it down for repairs. We got stuck upside down in the Space Shuttle ride for a little while which was scary and painful.

   Wow- I can’t believe that it has been 25 years since I was last there. I am no longer interested in going on most amusement park rides so it is doubtful that I would ever return to that place. I’d love to go to Disney World again though; that’s a different story. Yikes- 33 years since that vacation to Florida and 40 since our first time there.

 I was brave enough to go on The Loch Ness Monster both times that I was at Busch Gardens, VA- once with the Girl Scouts in 1982, then 4 years later with my family. The Big Bad Wolf was pretty scary there too but Mom and I kind of liked it. I get anxious and frightened just thinking about being on any roller coasters now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note- The Great Adventure 1980 brochure and Map are from the internet.