April 14- More DD in Brooklyn

 I can’t remember much about that concert except that I wish that I hadn’t made a total dance party out of it. My moves should have been kept to a minimum. I am really upset that my memories of their performance at the Sands show are even less. I must have had a good time at both of them.

   My head is spinning from the what- ifs of this event and some others. I should just let it go. Even Mike said “What’s done is done”. Gosh, it is so hard to forgive my stupidity in these type of matters.

   I have been attempting to give myself a positive message of “How was I to know that they were going to upgrade Mike’s ticket?” so I can just focus on the fact that I did have a great time during the show despite not being as near to the stage as we had hoped. My jealousy of Mike getting that opportunity is clouding over this though.

   Jenny told Mike how many DD shows that she has been to- 37 since 1987. He later told me that she is just too into this group which made me defend her. If he knew that I have been to 16 since 2000, I would hear the obsessed word about this.

  Looking back, I would have been like Jenny and just stuck mainly with going to DD concerts. I would rather have seen them more instead of many of the other performers, including Bon Jovi. She said that she would like to go to the Cure one that her parents are attending but DD is a priority. I am totally understanding of this.

   I was surprised that my brother said that he enjoyed Chic’s performance. He was also going around trying to sing “Wild Boys” off and on throughout the day. This isn’t really a DD song that I am fond of but when I see it done in person it is quiet exciting.

   A small part of me would have liked to seen and /or heard my brother’s reaction to the concert during it. We always have a good time at these events.

   I sort of would like to write more about this concert and about the Duran Duran topic but I am getting frustrated from having problems expressing myself in my journal.

   Lately, I haven’t had the creativity and desire to work on my dream project either, not even my DD related ones. I did write a bit about the one that I had a couple of weeks ago. I would love to be able to add to this. The details and ideas are stuck in my head though.

   I was at 3 concerts- 2 Duran Duran and 1 Sting and Peter Gabriel (who are actually touring together this year). They all were taking place in churches. These music artists talked to some of the fans in the audience beforehand.

   At one, I was watching Simon speak with a pretty blonde girl. I heard someone talking next to me. I looked over and saw John. I wasn’t even that nervous. I told him that I had been too anxious to talk to him at the album signing. I thanked him for signing my CD. If only I could’ve done so in reality.

   My brother was listening to the first 4 songs on that CD today. If Jenny knew that he has listened to it more than I have, she might not consider me to be a truly devoted fan. I like Paper Gods, I just haven’t been in the mood for it lately.

   I wonder if my brother noticed that I had the binoculars in a small tote bag instead of the case that it came with. I still haven’t told him that I accidentally left it behind in PA last August yet. It was damaged anyhow so I need to buy a new one. He will mostly be mad about the fact that the lens covers were still in it.

   I didn’t even use them at the CT show. They might have zoomed the DD guys in too much. I could have brought my digital camera with me to use as binoculars since the zoom isn’t as good. But then I might have been tempted to take photos and gone overboard with this again causing even more self-criticism in my mind.

 

Note- these photos are from the internet.

 

April 13, 2016- Duran Duran in Brooklyn-Part 2

  

The show was absolutely wonderful. It was the same set list as Mohegan Sun. I am pretty sure that the order of the songs were the same. We did get a couple of special guests- Lindsay Lohan during “Danceophobia” and Kiesza during “Last Night in the City”. Naturally, Nile Rodgers was with them during “Pressure Off” and “Notorious”.

   Mike seemed disappointed that Janelle Monae wasn’t there during “Pressure Off”. I didn’t think that she would be but that would have been nice too. I know that he must have been going gaga over Anna. I teased him about this later. He said that he was, by the way.

   We didn’t get “The Reflex” which I was thinking that they might treat the NY audience to. I forget which shows did get to experience this super hit of theirs. I am okay with not hearing it, I suppose. I would much rather hear “Careless Memories”.

   We didn’t get home until around 12:45 a.m. I felt worried about Jenny having to drive back to PA so late at night. I did invite her to stay at our place but she said that she couldn’t. I told her to send me a message that she arrived there safely; thank goodness that she did.

   The train was packed during the ride home. Lots of DD and also David Gilmour (Mike forgot that he did a second show) people. There must have been some Mets fans too. We found out that they lost again.

   Mike and I stayed up until 2 a.m. eating our snack and watching “The Rockford Files.” It was a 2 part episode so I have to DVR the other one tonight. I thought that he had jury duty today so I tried waking him up at 6 a.m. but he told me that he didn’t have to go to this.

   Now, July 21 seems even further away to me because of the fact that I am eager to be close to DD again like I was fortunate enough to be 5 other times. It won’t be as near as any of those, especially because of that pit area, but row F is damn good.

   I just hope that Jenny is able to go. Her friend has the row D seats. Gosh, it is so pathetic that I am even jealous of her being just 2 rows ahead of me. Well, I don’t want to get too excited about it because I am already worrying that something might happen to prevent me from attending this concert or that it could be cancelled. I am praying that everything works out for the both of us.

 

Note- These 3 photos are from the internet

April 13, 2016- DD in Brooklyn- Part 1

I got to see Jenny again yesterday. She called me to ask if I was doing anything that night and I said no. She had won the Live Nation ticket contest that morning and asked me if I wanted to go. Of course, I accepted. Wow- two get-togethers with her in 8 days. This is unusual for a socially anxious freak like me.

   Mike went online and purchased a ticket after I told him about this. He seemed really excited about going to the concert with us.

   We were worried that we wouldn’t make it to the will call window in time. You had to be there before 7:00. Luckily, we arrived by 6:48. We had just missed the earlier 2 train by 30 seconds and had to wait around the subway station for 8 minutes for the next one which was making us feel very tense.

   I wasn’t going to bring the binoculars but had a strong feeling that we wouldn’t be as close to the stage as we hoped that we would be. I had heard that not all contests give out the close seats. Boy, I was sure right about that. We were in the top row of section 112.

   Mike was in the first row of section 207 which is nearer to the stage. A part of me was thinking that maybe it would have been better to be in that spot even though it was higher up but then I was glad about the viewpoint that we were at because it was more of a direct one.

    He told us something after the show that was both upsetting and ironic. At first, I thought that he was just joking but then he showed us the ticket- they had upgraded the people in the 200 sections because there wasn’t many of them up there. He was in the F9 section- on the floor! He said that it was like being in the 30^th row.

   Jenny had made a comment that we had better seats at the Bethlehem show which made me feel not as bad about the whole ordering process for those tickets. I still will always feel upset that I didn’t do my best with that, esp. after this experience.

    She discovered that her childhood friend who she mainly keeps in touch with on Facebook was there and close to the stage in section 25. She posted her photo of the ticket and tagged me in it. She showed me that Allison left a comment that her and her brother were there too. I bet that they had closer seats as well.

   When I was on Facebook this morning, I found out that a girl that I met at the DD album signing was in the floor section too. This further added to my sadness. Geez, I feel bad for even being in a bit of a blue mood about this. I should just be totally happy that I was there with my DD buddy. I feel awful about having jealous feelings towards my brother and those two girls.

   I was doing the dancing around thing even though I swore that I wouldn’t. I couldn’t help myself. Jenny gets into complete enthusiastic mode while dancing which I admire her for. I still have the shame issue regarding this in my mind. I can’t remember if my doing so made me lose some focus on the show. Maybe just a little.

    I used the binoculars more than I intended on but I am not going to beat myself up about this as I have done in the past. I was a bit embarrassed that I was doing so though. Crap, I think that I did wind up focusing in on John more than anyone else on the stage with them.

Note- The 2 concert photos are from the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regis and Kathie Lee – 1980s

The first time that we went to this show Ann Abernathy was the co-host. It was called The “Morning Show “and was 90 minutes long then.  Regis was not there that day though; Ira Joe Fisher was filling in for him. There was a cooking segment, some sort of chocolate dessert. I really hadn’t remembered who the guests were; Mike told me that Gary Coleman was one of them. Dad was with the 3 of us as he was for the next time that we went.

   I don’t even remember any of the guests from the 2nd time, one might have been a girl from the US Olympic luge team or perhaps that was the first. Mike might know for sure so maybe I’ll ask him sometime soon.

   We stood outside the “All My Children” studios which were across the street for a little while afterwards. We saw some of its stars – the 2 who played Myra and Sloane, Julia Barr, Michael E. Knight who I had a little crush on and Peter Bergman who jogged right past us. Mike saw the actor who played Travis getting into his limo and actually went up to him and got his autograph.

   We both got Regis and Kathie Lee’s autographs. Dad talked me into doing so and he also took a picture of Regis and I together which was embarrassing. We did get Ira Joe’s and Ann’s autographs previously too.

   The third time Kathy and Helen came with the 3 of us. Mike told me that Dom DeLouise was the guest and that Kathy had said that she wished that it had been his son Peter that was there instead. She was a 21 Jump Street fan and might’ve had a crush on him.

   I have this vivid memory of the producer Gelman making us move over 1 seat. Before that I had been in the one that had the number of the winner of the contest prize winner on it. I was pretty mad about this. I think that the prize was dinner for 2 at a nice restaurant.

   We walked all the way back to Penn Station – that’s like 32 blocks. It was kind of cold out that day. I’m pretty sure that I had set up the videotape for this show. I never did watch it though; I wonder if we still have it and if we are shown when the camera was on the audience.

   My brother did not want to take the day off from school so the fourth time just mom and I went. We found out while waiting on the line that Phil Collins was going to be a guest. I hadn’t read the TV Guide or watched the show the day before to find out who would be there

 A couple of girls had driven all the way from Ohio just to see him and they didn’t even have tickets. They were asking people if they had any extras; we gave them our 2 which they were extremely grateful about.

   Mom had no idea who Phil Collins was. He didn’t even perform a song; all he did was a bit of the drum part from “In The Air Tonight”. Mom did take pictures of him and the other guests. I think that one of them was a sports commentator – Curt Gowdy?  Two celebrity impersonators were there – Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.

   Mom was in the hospital so she couldn’t go the next time with Mike and I. Petula Clark was the guest. The audience had to sing part of her hit,” Downtown”. There would have been a 6^th time too but Mom was in the hospital yet again and Mike didn’t want to take the day off from school. I was too afraid to go into the city alone. I wish that I hadn’t been; mom’s favourite girl singer, Rosemary Clooney, was the guest. It’s a shame that she had to miss out on her.

   One day when Mike and I were talking about our experiences regarding this show he mentioned that the actor who played Freddie Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies was taping a segment either before or afterwards which I hadn’t remembered until we were talking about this.  We always did have such a good time and kind of wish that we had gotten tickets to see it more.

Regis and Me-1986

Kathie Lee 1988

Phil Collins

 

December 15, 2016- More School Days- Part 2

-8^th Grade- The parents did such a great job of decorating the gym for our “M*A*S*H “dance. This took place not long after the final episode of that show in 1983. Mom and Dad were there as chaperones. I should have kept my 2 “M*A*S*H” shirts.

   I accidentally threw out my yearbook. I do still have the t shirt with my classmates’ signatures on it that everyone got. The girls also received a necklace; I don’t remember what the boys got. I have my class president pin too.

   My parents gave me a Brother typewriter as a graduation gift. They got Mike an in-ground basketball set for his.

   I’m pretty sure that Confirmation was after graduation. Mrs. P was my sponsor. I don’t remember much about this only that afterwards we went to a nice restaurant, The Sleepy Hollow Inn then over to Mrs. P’s house.

-Good Deeds- I don’t remember which particular ones that I did, probably help mom with chores. Mike lied, saying that he took out Mr. K’s trash for him. He was going to do so but never got around to it.

-Science Fair- Someone always did a volcano as a project. I did one on the weather in 6^th or 7^th grade. It wasn’t anything that elaborate, just posters about various types of clouds and some other stuff.

-Games and fun- Operation, Candyland, Perfection, hopscotch, line tag, jump rope, flipping trading cards (Mike won some” Happy Days” and Grease cards), Musical chairs; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Red Light, Green Light. I didn’t like when our class would play Seven Up or the Telephone Game.

-Hot Lunch Friday – Ellio’s pizza, Sabrett hot dogs, potato chips, soda, and Carvel Flying Saucers (ice cream sandwiches). I can’t remember if the milk was just then or every day.

-Gertrude Hawk – We first had this brand when it was part of our fund raiser for grade school at Easter and Christmas. Mom would always get us a white chocolate cross and the Smidgens. We liked the peanut butter filled ones a lot.

-Birthdays- Classmates would bring in either cupcakes or Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins on their birthdays. I am pretty sure that Mike and I brought in cupcakes for ours sometimes too.

-We would have bake sales to raise money for our school. Mom made cupcakes most of the time. My brother said that there were a couple of plant sales too. I do remember buying a few plants that we put in the garden.

-Mom covered our text books with brown paper grocery bags.

-Mom was a member of the PTA for a few years but quit after she and the principal, Sister HF, had a disagreement over the fact that she wouldn’t let mom take us out of class to go to the funeral of one of our classmates’ parent.

  I remember that Mom liked working at the bingo nights; sometimes she would take Mike and me. We would be in the teacher’s lounge with a babysitter and other kids. They served some of the same foods that we had for our hot lunches.

2011

1972

hopscotch

 

Photos 5-18 are from the internet

 

 

December 15- More School Days- Part 1

-1^st Grade- Mrs. M smacked the back of my hand with her ruler, The Magic Teacher, because of my sloppy penmanship which did improve after this. She got in trouble for using that after one girl lied, saying that this was the cause of her bleeding knuckles. She actually had deliberately scraped them against the pavement of the playground.

  

   Mom told me that our school wanted to keep my brother back a year – first grade, I think. She and Mrs. M fought against this and made sure that it didn’t happen.

-2^nd Grade- Miss M was one of my favorite teachers. She gave mom a couple of nice gifts- an angel ornament and a small jar of dried flowers. Our class gave her a watch for her birthday. Mom wrapped it in a small box then put this in several others, like it was one of those Russian nesting dolls.

First Holy Communion- 1977

Grandma next door gave me a 14K gold cross pendant necklace and I got a Timex watch from Grandma at the farm which I still have both of. I also have my dress which had been made out of Mom’s wedding gown by Aunt Ann. She also used that material to make 2 pillows- a star and a heart. Those are next to my stereo speakers now.

   

   I have the little purse with my Rosary beads and a few other religious items in it. One is either a small Bible or Prayer book. I opened this up for the first time in about 25 years like 6 months ago. I found a note from my best friend Kelly that I didn’t even know that I had in there. I put that in my personal scrapbook.

-3^rd Grade- International Day-We had all sorts of foods from the various countries of our families’ ancestors. I’m pretty sure that Mom made stuffed cabbage. She made me a nice outfit, a yellow skirt with flowers, white blouse, sash with Poland written with Tri-Chem paint on it and a sort of crown made with fake yellow flowers.

   

   The sacrament of Penance was this school year too. I doubt that I had that many sins to confess to back then; I was a pretty good girl. Unlike now- too many mean thoughts and lots of cursing.

- 4^th Grade- the Camping Trip- I remember canoeing, hiking to that store, doing charcoal drawings and square dancing (I think – or was that a scout thing?). Mom and Dad were there for a day. A few of the boys peeked into the girl’s cabin one night.

-5^th Grade- Sister FM was a major Red Sox fan and even had a pennant hanging up in her classroom. A girl got me a nice roller skate necklace that I still have as a Secret Santa gift.

-6^th Grade- Miss JM had an “Apple Day” during which we made stuff like shrunken heads out of that fruit. I painted an apple onto one of my handkerchiefs which I still have. I can’t remember if we made

applesauce too, maybe that was just a 4^th grade thing. Miss B. gave each of us an ice skating ornament that she crocheted as a Christmas gift.

-7^th Grade- I cheated on a test. This was the only time that I’ve ever really done so during my school days. I was having such trouble learning the metric system and converting temperatures. I think that someone saw me cheating but luckily they didn’t tattle on me.

First grade-1975

First Holy Communion 1977

International Day-3rd grade

Camp Hoover- 4th grade

6th grade Apple Day

October 15, 2016- More Toys and Childhood Fun Part 3

I was a little jealous that Kathy had that Barbie Styling Head and the Cher doll. I had fun reading her Archie and Friends comic books. We also enjoyed playing her Family Feud game. Terry had an Easy Bake Oven; I wished that I could have one too.

   We made a tent by putting sheets over our swing set. Cindy and Jessica were in it too. We used a blanket over a card table to make a cave in our basement. I made a camper out of a cardboard storage box and blanket over this. I slept inside of it with my Kerri doll.

   Was it just mom or both of our parents that made us a hut/cave out of the limbs and branches from the tree that we had cut down in our yard? One of my favorite childhood photos is of us in this. I’m wearing my Rocky and Bullwinkle sweatshirt and holding my Kerri doll. We would sometimes climb up the Christmas type tree in our front yard, Mike more so than me.

   Some other outdoor fun included bike riding, the tree swing at Grandma’s farm, badminton, Frisbee, lawn darts, playing in the leaf piles, our sandbox, and building snowmen. We made a snow fort once with Kelly. Mom helped Mike and I make a house out of the big cardboard box from our new fridge.

   
   I remember Cindy, Jessica, Mike and I were having such a good time on the swings up by the town school but then a little later something scary happened to my brother. He fell off of the monkey bars and had trouble breathing for a bit.

   Kelly and I played tennis there once but we gave up after only a little while. I was so bad at this. My parents had bought me a Miss Chris (Evert) racquet on clearance at either Service Merchandise or Consumers; I still have it.

  Some crafts that I did were making a couple of Shrinky Dinks over at my friend Michelle T’s house and the Make It – Bake It kits (which were like stained glass window decorations) with my brother.

   I botched up a Merry Christmas latch hook rug that I made though. Mom did a cute koala one. I was better at Punch Embroidery. We were into that craft in the mid-late 1980s. I still have the raccoon one that I made. Thank goodness that my cousin gave it back to me before moving to Florida. I let her temporarily take it to hang in the craft store that she was manager of.

   Mom was into the Tri-Chem paint craft in the late 70s and early 80s. The catalog from that company had some very nice pictures. She did a raccoon one for me which is hanging in my room. She also made a religious one for our grade school principal. I used the paint to do drawings on stuff like a t-shirt and the pillow case that I kept my Girl Scout sleeping bag in. 

   Is it weird that I actually liked the smell of that paint? Probably yes. I also have 2 little pictures – a dove that mom did and one of a doggie done by our babysitter Dina. She wrote the name of our dog, Rusty, on the sweater that it is wearing.

 

1975

1975

1975

1974

1975

Shrinky Dink

 

Make It Bake It 1979

Tri-Chem picture

photo for our school principal

 

 

 Internet photos- #1-7, Make It Bake It leaf, Tri-Chem Paints and religious photo.