October 19, 2012- John Taylor Book Signings

 I can’t believe that I actually met John Taylor twice this week. I didn’t tell Amy about going to the signing in Ridgewood yet because I was pretty embarrassed that I even did so. Naturally, my brother is saying that I must be obsessed with him which is upsetting. Amy would just say to ignore him.

   I would have only gone to the NYC one if there was not a train that went to Ridgewood. I had done research into this a few weeks beforehand.

   I took the 6:05 a.m. bus into the city and got there by 7:00. I had intended on going to the Plaza because John was a guest on the” Today” show but part of me was feeling too afraid and embarrassed to do this. I chose to drink coffee at that bus terminal instead.

   I finally got over those feelings and decided to head on over to that location. I didn’t really get to see him that much then though because a screen came down over the window during his interview. I could have watched this on the TV screen that was in the Plaza but my idiot side wouldn’t let me.

   I found out from two girls that John had been sitting on the couch close to the window earlier. I would have seen this if not for my fear and shame issues. I sort of wish that I hadn’t even known about this.

   I saw Chris Rock and Martha Stewart who were outside for their segments. I took a few pictures of them. The ones that I took of John through the window didn’t come out that good.

   I couldn’t find the Barnes & Noble but was too afraid to ask anyone where it was. I did eventually get up enough nerve to do so but didn’t go there right away. I went into Starbucks and had a cappuccino.

   When I bought the book, I told the cashier that I was doing this for a friend, that’s how ashamed I was to be there for this signing.

   It felt a little weird to be hearing DD music throughout this event. I also was feeling a bit depressed being around books. I used to love reading but for years now it has been hard even getting through a short magazine article.

   The only book that I was able to read this year was one about Katie the Cocker Spaniel. I really enjoyed that as did Mom. Hopefully, it won’t be too difficult and frustrating when I am reading JT’s book.

   I didn’t even feel like talking to anyone. I did listen in on the other fan’s conversations. The girls behind me had tickets for the lecture/Q&A event that John would be doing that night in the city. I was a little jealous of them; I had been unsuccessful in getting a ticket to that.

   I would have been further up in the line if I hadn’t spent like 45 minutes in Starbucks. But then I would have probably missed John’s grand entrance. I think that he said “Hey, I know all of you”. I liked the scarf that he was wearing.

   I was not quick enough to snap a shot of him then. Most of the pictures that I did take that day came out not that great. Maybe there would have been better shots if I wasn’t holding onto the book in one hand. I don’t know why I just didn’t keep it in my tote bag until I got up to the table.

    I told the lady employee near the table that I am klutzy and was afraid that I would drop the book. I wonder if John heard that. I did say “Hello” and “It was nice to meet you” to him. But I also said a couple of really stupid things too.

   A guy (was he a store employee?) was taking photos for each person using their cameras. I said “I will just uglify the picture” and also “I have a pretty crappy camera.” I shouldn’t have said either thing.

  John had shaken my hand; maybe he did so because he felt sorry for me. The guy said that I got a special privilege regarding this but I know that he was just joking.

   When I looked at the photo that he had taken, I saw that I nor he had not adjusted the zoom so we are too close up. Part of John’s one ear got cut off as did part of my hair. I was really upset about this.

   Also, there is a girl behind the table- another employee, I guess- who is in between us because I was too afraid to get that close to John. That sucks as well.

   I saved the bag that the book was in and not just because John touched it. I had nearly left it on the table and he handed it to me. I just want to keep the book inside of it. I have it and 2 others, his audio book, and about 8 DD 45s in a small container.

    I was really embarrassed when a security guy told me to move along afterwards. I had heard him saying this to other people who were standing around in that area trying to take photos. And yet I attempted to do the same thing; how dumb was that?

    I wish that I had been in a better mood that day and that my self-esteem was not so low. This made the experience less enjoyable. I was feeling tense being in the city- the noise, the crowds, and craziness of it all. I was so relieved when I finally got home.

   Shouldn’t I have just been totally thrilled that I got to meet John Taylor? Yes, this was a pleasure but all those other negative factors, including my screw ups, sort of tainted this encounter. It sort of seems like one of my strange holodeck dreams, in a way.

Dreamtime

 October 11, 2012- Animals and a Poodle

I was walking on a wide path through a forest with my brother and Cousin Missy. In my hand was a stuffed animal- Seamore the otter. I was carrying a small wicker wastebasket in my other hand which was very odd. The weather was perfect and the scenery beautiful. I was feeling so calm.

   We saw many animals, some that don’t even really belong in this type of setting together. But since this is a holodeck, anything is possible. There were deer, a mama bear and her 4 cubs, and a leopard.

   Other people were also on this path. I saw a couple taking a picture of 2 elephants and a giraffe - they seemed to be posing for this together which was funny.

   There was a river on the one side of the path. I went over to it and saw an alligator. At first I was a little scared but it seemed as if all of the animals here were tame and wouldn’t hurt anyone or each other.

   A little further down the river was an adorable otter. I was so happy to see this. I pointed it out to Mike and we took pictures of it. Missy was looking at an owl in a nearby tree at this time. I took a photo of that too.

   I looked at my watch; it was nearly 4:00. Mike mentioned that there was going to be lots of good food at a barbeque party in a nearby field. Even the hologram Mike was excited about food. We reached a field but this one was empty so it had to be in another one.

   I realized that I was no longer carrying the wastebasket. I must’ve left it by the river. I told Missy and Mike to go ahead without me and that I would catch up with them. Why was I even bothering going back for this? I guess that I didn’t want to leave any litter in this lovely forest.

  It was starting to get dark which seemed strange because it was still kind of early but time must be different in this place. I was getting a little scared of the darkness and also being alone. I found the wastebasket and got back on the path.

   I did see one other person ahead of me then but as I was getting closer to the first field, the storyline suddenly changed. I was in an entirely different environment now, a town that looked sort of like Linden but not as many buildings and people.

   I saw a doggie lying on the grass near the church. She appeared to be injured. I went over to this apricot colored standard poodle. That size one doesn’t usually come in that color, does it? Well, here it does.

  The poor girl doggie’s back paws were wounded. Had she been in an accident or was she a victim of abuse? I didn’t know where a vet’s office was so I asked an old lady who came out of the church. She said that she would drive us there. It wasn’t that far.

   I was holding the doggie and telling her that she’ll be alright. I wasn’t even caring that blood was getting on my outfit. In reality, I have blood anxiety. The lady told me to wrap the blanket that was on the backseat around the injured paws so I did.

   At the vet’s office, I saw a guy who looked like a character in” EastEnders”- Robbie. He had his dog Wellard (I think that is his name) there for an exam and was supposed to be next to see the vet. But since my poodle had a serious injury she was a priority so he had to wait. Robbie told me that he hopes that my dog will be okay.

   The vet cleaned up the wounds and put bandages on them. There were no broken bones, thank goodness. I didn’t want to leave this doggie alone there. It didn’t have a collar or microchip. I paid the bill and said that I would take her home with me. I was surprised that the vet let me do this.

   I had to take the bus because that nice lady had not been able to wait around for me.  How did I even know that I’d be allowed to bring a dog on the bus? Sam must’ve telepathically told me this along with the fact that once again I was living at my old apartment. I had a feeling that I would be anyhow.

   Why do I hardly ever have a place of my own in these storylines? My family and I do get along in all of them so I guess that it’s okay that I’m living with them but this does seem strange.

   Mom loves poodles. She used to have 2 of them, Shu Shu and Prince. Well, they were more like her Dad’s. She immediately fell in love with this one. We called her Princess. No one seemed to be looking for her so we would keep her permanently.

Robbie and Wellard

Prince and Shu Shu

Note- All photos except the last one are from the internet.

                               

My Tea Time Mug

 I bought this mug in the mid-1980s at a Hallmark shop on Wood Avenue in Linden. I used to love going to that place, they had a nice selection of stickers, cards, knick-knacks, stuffed animals, and more. There used to be 6 or 7 Hallmark stores in our area, but now there is only the one in Clark.  

May 31, 2008- Duran Duran in Central Park

Mike and I looked in a few places like the Swatch store and Virgin Megastore before going to the park. I can’t believe that we actually walked there.

   I saw Stacey on the line but felt too anxious to talk to her. I heard a girl mentioning how she had seen DD in Vegas and Connecticut this year.

   The security guard was telling my brother and others not to run when they let us in. My brother had just been walking swiftly. We managed to get into a center, 4^th row spot. The girl next to us had bought a necklace from the souvenir stand.

   A few upsetting things did occur during this show which are unfortunately more vividly in my memory than the good stuff. A girl in front of me had on a backpack and I was being hit by this occasionally. The girl next to me was dancing around a lot and also bumped into me sometimes, esp. during the first 5 songs.

   It started raining lightly during one of my favorite songs, “Planet Earth”. This lasted for about 4 more songs. I put my dorky rain hat on.

   I was wishing that I had remembered to wear my cap. I reminded my brother to do so. If I had, then my glasses wouldn’t have gotten wet. When I was wiping them off, I was so worried that I would drop them and they would be stepped on and broken.

   They did a bonus song, “The Chauffeur” which was good.  I wish that I could remember more about their performance.

     Roger handed his drumstick to a girl in the front row. Another girl got injured when the drummer from the opening act, Your Vegas, threw his drumstick out into the crowd.

   I was feeling so confused and upset when we had trouble finding the subway station. I was so relieved when we finally did. I was very tired and headachy at that point.  

   I brought the binoculars again just in case we wound up further back in the crowd. It was stupid that I stood on the case yet again; can’t I ever learn my lesson. Mike looked displeased when he saw me doing so.

   I am so glad that I had gone to the show the night before; I was able to enjoy myself much more then. I wish that I could have had a great time at this one too. Not that it was a totally terrible experience. It is always a pleasure to see them and I got to be close to them again. I doubt that I will be that lucky in the future.

Tour Book

Dreamtime- January 18, 2006- Revenge Demon and Duran Duran

Duran Duran was doing a concert in my town. I had been the grand prize winner in a contest. I would also get to hang out with them beforehand. As if such a thing could ever happen in the real world.

   This would be taking place in the field across from my old apartment which I still lived in. The DD guys were already in the living room. I was not even feeling that nervous.

   When I went into the kitchen to get a couple of them something to drink, I overheard Simon saying something mean about me “She is both ugly and stupid”.  I was upset that this version of him had been such a jerk and that the others had laughed. I still wanted to hang out with them despite this.

   After that incident, very bizarre and scary things began happening. Simon was acting so strangely for a bit; he sprayed some hair spray around the room and was laughing. A couple of minutes later, the six of us were teleported into my neighbor’s 1970s white car.

   Andy was under a spell that had him driving fast and crazily. We hit a couple of parked cars. We were then sent to another location, the part of the field near the community center. An invisible force lifted up John, dropped him to the ground, and slid him through a big puddle of mud there.

   The guys were seriously freaked out and also mad. They even wanted to leave town then. A loud, deep voice said “You will not be allowed to go until after the show”.

   They did try driving out of here shortly after this but it was as if an invisible force field was preventing them from leaving my small town.

   We went back to my place. Nick actually asked me if I was a witch who was causing all of these horrible things to happen. Why would I do that? I was guessing that maybe some sort of demon was responsible for it all.

   They changed into their concert outfits and we went across to the stage area for a sound check. About an hour later, the crowd started arriving. There would be around 300 people at this event, including a few of my former classmates- Laurie, Michelle J, and Janet.

   Even more odd stuff occurred during the concert. Simon forgot most of the words to “Hungry Like the Wolf”, the sound system was majorly acting up during “Notorious”, and a herd of bulls was coming towards us then disappeared during “My Own Way”.

   The crowd would totally forget each of these weird episodes almost immediately afterwards. Only the DD guys and I would have the memory of them.

   As they performed “Hold Back the Rain”, it began raining heavily for about 45 seconds .Everything was totally dry afterwards.

   During “Save a Prayer”, a TV appeared near some of the crowd near the stage which is where I was. A Bon Jovi video, “Livin’ on a Prayer” was on it. I heard a girl saying “We would rather see Bon Jovi than you guys!” That vanished a minute later.

   Irene Cara magically materialized and performed her hit “Fame”. No one seemed to think that this was peculiar. She was gone right after that.

   I noticed that a giant zit was now on John’s chin during “Planet Earth”. Would such bad things ever stop happening? Laurie, who was standing next to me, told me that she suddenly recalled all of the concert fiascos.

   She said that she believes in the supernatural. She had heard of a revenge demon and believed that it must be responsible for everything. I told her about Simon’s mean words about me. She said that the demon would go away if I get him to apologize.

   I went up close to the stage and motioned for him to come over to me. I told him what Laurie had said. They all did apologize. Roger did say that he hadn’t laughed and even tried defending me which I hadn’t recalled but believed.

   The rest of the show-only 3 more songs-went smoothly.They did not stick around my town for much longer following this. I am sure that they were glad to be out of there.

   Before the demon departed, he telepathically told me that I would be the only one who remember that this concert had happened. I wrote a short fiction story based on this strange experience that was published in a magazine.

Mr. K's car

Our Town Field

Note- The last 2 photos are from the internet

Duran Duran- May 30, 2008- Central Park

I made a last minute decision to try to get a ticket to this concert. My brother and I were going to the one the next night but part of me wanted to see them both times. Also, rain was in the forecast for Saturday so I wanted to see them on a perfect day; the weather was lovely on Friday.

   I feel sort of guilty for lying to my mother. I told her that I was going to the mall then a late night movie. I didn’t want her or my brother finding out that I would be seeing DD twice in one week.

   I was a bit worried that there wouldn’t be any more tickets but there were. I got them at the box office. I arrived at Central Park by 5:00 and only had to wait about an hour before they let us in the venue, the Summerstage.

   I was lucky enough to get in about the third row, to the left. I was talking to a girl for a little while. She moved back to sit on a blanket. She had asked me to join her but I did not want to leave that excellent spot.

   I was kind of annoyed when she interrupted me during the show to ask my name and if I wanted her to get me a drink. It was nice of her to offer but I don’t want to miss a moment of seeing DD.

   I had eaten my dinner at a deli place on 57^th Street. Their prices were kind of high; the orange juice cost $3.00.

   Another girl, Stacey, started talking to me. She asked me that question that I dread and am embarrassed to answer- who is my favorite DD guy. I didn’t really answer her. She said that hers is John and I smiled so she figured out that I like him too. She said that I should not be ashamed about this.

   The two girls in front of me were tall so I stood on my brother’s binocular case to get a better view. It got a bit ruined because of this. I probably should not have done that. My brother will surely be mad at me. 

   I hadn’t been sure that I would get that close to the stage which is why I had brought his binoculars with me. He had won these at Wildwood in the early 90s.

   Stacey asked me why I wasn’t singing along to “A View to a Kill”. When I told her that I don’t know the words she seemed baffled. I did sing along a bit during “Save a Prayer”.

   Simon asked everyone to hold up their cell phones during the latter. Stacey held up a lighter for a little while which made me nervous. I am afraid of fire. I jokingly said “Fire bad”.

   She jokingly offered me $20.00 to say hi and wave to John. No way could I ever do that. At one point, he was looking in our direction and smiling. I am embarrassed to admit that I smiled back. A small part of me wanted to believe that maybe he was just smiling at me but obviously that wasn’t the case.

   John had changed into an Obama t-shirt. I am pretty sure that he still had the armband on then. He threw his orange cap out into the audience. A girl near me caught this. If I had done so, I might have given it to Stacey.

   I did the reaching up thing during “Sunrise” as I had at Roseland. I like that song a lot. Part of me was feeling embarrassed about doing so both times, naturally.

   Simon did that intro bit during “Girls on Film” at the end. I think that he did so at the Roseland show too. I am so glad that I went to this concert; I had such a good time.

   Stacey bought a hoodie and I got the tour book at the souvenir stand. We agreed to share a cab back to Penn Station. We walked around a bit beforehand. Central Park is nice; I had only been there one other time before twelve years ago.

   She showed me The Plaza Hotel. We saw a puffy shirt in a store window. She said that Nick would probably like that. I laughed and agreed with her.

    She asked me what my favorite DD song is. I said “Rio” and “Save a Prayer”. She also wanted to know which one I don’t like. I told her “Wild Boys”. She said that she likes it.

   She asked me another question that I am ashamed about replying to- where do I work. I usually lie and say at a small bookstore but this time I said that I haven’t had a job in 4 years. It has actually been much longer than that.

   I mentioned that I have a lot of dreams with DD in them like a revenge demon one. She seemed to think that this was cool.

   I am fairly certain that Stacey said that she got to meet them once. I should have inquired about more details regarding this. I wish that I could meet them someday but I doubt that this will ever happen.

   That cab ride was only the second one that I have ever taken. The first was in 1985 with my family when we were going to the ABC studios to see Regis and Kathie Lee.

   Stacey said that she would be attending the next night’s concert. I said that I would be there with my brother. She said that maybe we can hang out again then. Part of me wanted to but a bigger part of me felt very anxious about that. Plus, if we did then my brother would find out that I had been to the Friday show too.

   I am mad at myself for forgetting to clean off my glasses before the show. They were dirtier than I even thought. I was semi-obsessing that my view would have been better if I had cleaned them.

                                                    

 

  

                 

 

 

 

Duran Duran- December 14, 2008- Wellmont Theatre

I spent a lot of money for the cab fare for this event- $90.00. That was even more than the ticket price. I was just too afraid to drive to Montclair. I didn’t even think to look into the public transportation situation. Maybe there is a train station near this venue.

  

   I bought my first digital camera the day before this event. I have never brought a camera to a concert before so I don’t know what made me want to do so this time. I am wishing that I hadn’t. I was going snap happy with it.

   

   This sort of took away from my total enjoyment of the music. I am not good at multi-tasking which is what it felt like I was trying to do. The battery had died before the last 4 or 5 songs.

  

   I didn’t even realize how much overboard I went until looking at the shots later; I took more at this event than I did during my trips to Switzerland and Germany. That is pretty bad.

  

   I went to a used bookstore before getting on the line. I got a book about dream interpretation there. I mentioned this to the two girls in front of me. They thought that it was cool that I have lots of DD dreams.

   

   The couple behind me, a Greek guy and Hungarian girl, were nice. They met at an airport after a DD concert. He told me that they were going to a club in the city that Roger Taylor would be doing his DJ thing at. He said that I should go too. Part of me was interested but mostly that just isn’t my scene, not even when a DD guy is a part of it.

   

   He also mentioned that he likes the group The Killers and that they would be going to a show of theirs soon. Or was it that they had been at one recently?

   

   I was on that line for nearly 3 hours. I was able to get in about a 3^rd row position, to the left, naturally.  The two girls next to me were from PA.

   

   I was so happy that they performed “Is There Something I Should Know?” I had never seen this at a concert before and was praying that they would do it.  I like “The Valley” off of the new album.

   

   I saw Stacey in the front row. She let me borrow her cell phone to call the cab company. I told her about the dead camera battery. She said that she always has a spare one with her.

   

   I can’t remember what kind of shirts that Simon and John changed into before the encore. I had wanted to take a photo of this. I am pretty sure that John still had on his armband.

   

   The one girl who was talking to Stacey and me was so excited about the fact that Roger gave her his drumstick. She had such a sparkle in her eyes when she was talking about him.

  

   While I was waiting for the cab outside, I talked to a couple of people, a Goth girl who said that she liked my earrings and a lady who was walking her Bichon Frise. I just had to pet that cute doggie.

  

   Some people wanted to hang around outside the theater with hopes of seeing the DD guys when they left it. I don’t think that I would ever be interested in doing that.

   

   I told Charles, the cab driver, that I had been at a concert. He asked me who I had seen. I told him but also mentioned that I was feeling ashamed to admit this. He said that I shouldn’t be. I know, but I just can’t seem to get over this feeling regarding that group.

   

   It is kind of ridiculous that I saw this show as a birthday treat, a week early. I am sure that other fans would not be ashamed to think and/or say such a thing. Some might even think I am strange for being embarrassed about liking Duran Duran.

   

   I gave my Buffy a big hug when I got home. This made me feel a little bit better about my screw up. I didn’t think of the fact that seeing a camera flash going off so much during a show might be annoying to the performers on stage.

  

   I hope that I at least got some good photos out of this. That might make me feel a little less mad at myself for going bonkers with my new camera. I want to take some pictures of my sweet spaniel tomorrow. She is much cuter than the DD guys anyhow.

Buffy