Monday, December 28, 2009

Warren Miller

Well, now that it's ski season (I went snowboarding for the first time this season, two days ago), it's time to pull out the Warren Miller movies. Who's a fan!? I also decided to take a look at some more of his films and add them to my Netflix. In the process, I decided to update myself on Warren Miller. He hasn't been a part of any of "his" films since 2004! Bummer! Time Warner bought the company from Warren's son and Warren has pretty much retired. Such a bummer! I can't believe I didn't know that. Guess I need to pay better attention.

I remember when I was growing up, it was always a big deal to get together as a family and go to the premier of Warren's new film each year. They were such big events and so much fun. The films just aren't the same without him narrating. It's going to be a major loss to the ski/snowboard culture when we lose Warren (who's in his 80's now). At least we have his films! So, get to your local video store (or online rental store) and rent a Warren Miller movie. Talk about pure winter sports entertainment! :-)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Another NKOTB Video

Here's another NKOTB video! This is the video for "Coming Home." They also have put together a DVD titled, "Coming Home" that has footage from the concert tour that was from September 2008 to July 2009. I pre-ordered a copy. :-)




On a side note, Joey McIntyre is doing a short tour in January. He's headed to Detroit on January 19. I got my ticket! I think Zac might come down to Detroit with me but he won't go to the concert. I'm excited to see Joey again in a club though. Should be fun.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

NKOTB Update

Ahhh... the boys just keep it comin'!!! Gotta love it!!! No news yet on a summer 2010 NKOTB tour but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I just hope that if and when they tour again, I'll have the money to buy VIP5* tickets for a show. That's the only way to go when seeing the whole group. :-) In addition to a constant stream of Twitter tweets from the guys, they're doing a charity event on December 20 for Toys for Tots. I can't make it because it's in a different state and I don't have that kind of money to spend for a ticket and the trip. Donnie keeps tweeting about new things coming... we're just holding our breath, waiting for news. Boy, he sure knows how to keep the excitement and anticipation flowing. Donnie is working on some solo stuff. He's released one song so far with more to come, I'm sure. Danny finished his album in which all proceeds will go to Komen for the Cure. I got a copy. Great album and great cause! If you're familiar with the singer Jamie Walters and like his music (he never really got super big) then you'll enjoy Danny's album. It's the same kind of sound. The biggest thing happening is Joe's new album. He just mentioned that some copies will be available tomorrow (only 3000 copies) so I've gotta make sure I jump on that and get a copy ordered. In addition, he says (according to his blog and website) that he'll be announcing tour dates soon. Sweet! He's going to do a solo tour (probably a fairly short one) pretty soon here. Again, I'm hoping that I can get the money to buy a ticket. If he does a show in Detroit, I'll go down and stay with my aunt and uncle the night of the show and possibly the night before if my work schedule will allow it. I've seen Joe in concert by himself one other time (when I was in college). I really enjoyed it and would love to see him again. Jonathan and Jordan are remaining pretty low key other than Jordan doing a "Jordan Idol" thing in various cities where he's giving people the chance to audition to sing backup on the album he's working on. Jonathan is back to living his "normal" life and enjoying it during the NKOTB down time. I guess that's pretty much the latest update on NKOTB. Keep watching for their tweets for the latest and most current updates.

Also, check out Joe's video.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Meet and Greet- Denver- NKOTB



Here are my meet and greet pictures from the Denver show on July 15, 2009. I was in group P.

Also, if you want to see ALL of my pictures from the concert check out this link. http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jsp?shareCode=A2355A2C8DF&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW

Monday, July 20, 2009

Emotional NKOTB Good-bye- July 2009

This was posted on YouTube. This is from the last show of the 2008-2009 tour. The guys totally got emotional (especially Jon). I wasn't there but had to preserve this video in my blog. The love between NKOTB and their fans is so immense and strong. Nothing compares. I hope we get to see them again in 2010(I won't be able to go on the cruise they'll do. It's too expensive.). I'm hoping for another tour next summer. :-) If they tour next summer, I HAVE to do a VIP 5* then too.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

NKOTB- Denver- July 15, 2009

I went to the July 15, 2009, New Kids on the Block concert in Denver. It was an awesome experience. To top it off, I also had the opportunity to do a VIP 5*. I had done one in November 2008, when they were in Denver too. The second time around, I wanted to take my time and truly enjoy the experience. For the most part, I was able to do that. The waiting area at the meet and greet had all kinds of food… hotdogs, hamburgers, pretzels, pop (soda) and beer and wine… among other things. There were good choices and a good selection. I had two bottles of water, a little bit of Coke, and a hotdog. The temperatures that day were in the low 80s so it wasn’t too bad but it was still hot. My group had gotten together online so that we each knew who we were going to stand by and we all got to stand by who we wanted. We were group “P.” So, we were kind of towards the end of the groups which probably gave us the opportunity to spend a little more time with the guys than some of the earlier groups. We were in the meet and greet area with the guys for probably 2-3 minutes, I think. I’m not 100% sure though because I didn’t time it. I was the first one in our group to go into the area where the guys were. As I walked in, the guys were kind of all standing around, in no particular order. They didn’t seem to be in much of a rush to meet us. I pulled my sunglasses off of my eyes and placed them on my head so that the guys could see my eyes. As I got closer, the guys noticed our group coming in and prepared to greet us. First I went to Danny, said, “hi Danny” and reached to give him a hug. I put my arms over his shoulders to hug him and squeezed pretty tightly. Next I went up to Donnie, said, “hi Donnie,” and reached to hug him, giving him the same kind of hug I gave Danny. I don’t remember if I approached Jordan or Joe next. Either way, they both received the same kind of greeting and hug from me as Danny and Donnie had. After greeting those two, I stepped away from the guys to asses who I had hugged and who I had missed. I realized I hadn’t hugged Jon yet. So, I start to walk over to Jon. As I was approaching him, his attention shifted to a girl in my group named Angi, who had a tattoo on her right shoulder that said, “New Kids on the Block” and it also had vines and flowers on it. I reached to grab Jon for a hug but missed him and touched his side. He went over to Angi, touched her shoulder and looked at her tattoo. I waited for him to get done with Angi. After he got done looking at her tattoo, I told him that I still needed a hug from him. He turned towards me so I could hug him. I gave him the same kind of over the shoulder hug that I had given the other guys. When the guys hugged me there wasn’t anything extra special about how they hugged me. They kind of just put their arms around me and didn’t really squeeze nearly as hard as I had squeezed them. Next the photographer told us that it was time for the picture. Everyone got into their places. I paused, looked in Joe’s direction, and then headed towards him. He is my favorite New Kid and the one I was supposed to be by in the picture. When I got over to him, I said, “I’m supposed to be here” or “this is my spot,” I can’t remember which. Anyway, I slipped in between him and the girl to his left (she was supposed to be by Jon and was standing between Jon and Joe as I approached). I put my right arm around Joe and then tried to reach around to touch Jon’s back with my left arm. I think that I ended up resting my hand on the girl’s arm instead of Jon’s arm. Oh well. Then they took the picture. Right before the picture was snapped Joe yelled something that involved the word, “balls.” I can’t remember exactly what he said. Then I was going to yell, “it’s sweating balls out here” or something to that effect but I don’t remember what I actually said, if anything. The next thing I know, security is telling us it’s time to leave. I have no idea at what point the photographer took the second picture. I just know that one was taken. I hope I don’t have some kind of weird expression on my face in the pictures. Before leaving, I turned to Joe and told him that I wanted one more hug, which he gave me. Then, on my way out, I saw that Donnie was open and I gave him a second hug as well. When I got back into the meet and greet waiting area, I noticed that my hand was shaking. I just smiled. I was definitely nervous throughout the whole time I was with the guys but I handled it much better this time than I did the first time I did a meet and greet. In the meet and greet, when I met the guys, their demeanor wasn’t extra excited or anything. Both Jordan and Joe were smiling but I didn’t notice the other guys really smiling. Donnie seemed kind of serious and focusing on something else. Jon and Danny also seemed to be very mellow. I didn’t take it personally. I figured they were probably just preparing for the concert, mentally. Nothing extra special happened to me when I was meeting the guys. I was a little disappointed with that fact but I still really enjoyed the experience. I’d definitely say that my experience this time was better than last time. I was better prepared and a bit less nervous and shy. I hope that the guys do another tour in the not too distant future. I’d totally do another meet and greet. The third time’s a charm. :-)

As for the concert itself, that was also awesome! I wish that I could have a video of the entire thing. The guys were on top of their game and put on a great show. Danny even sang a few solo parts. He rarely does any solo parts. When he did, the entire audience cheered extra loud. Donnie, Jordan and Joe each had solo performances. Donnie sang, “Cover Girl” and brought a little girl up on the stage. It was SO cute. Jordan sang, “Give it to You.” This is not one of my favorite songs from his solo stuff but he still had an awesome performance. Joe sang, “Popsicle” from the first NKOTB album that came out in 1986. He was dressed in his topless hat from back in the day, as well as a “Members Only” jacket from the 80’s and SUPER tight pants. He looked kind of funny but was still super cute. After he sang that song, he ditched the topless hat and sang the song, “5 Brothers and a Million Sisters,” which he had written while they were on tour in the spring. During the concert, towards the end, the guys sang, “Step by Step” and when it got to the part where they sing the steps, Donnie’s son Elijah (who is 8), walked out on stage and sang that part. He was a cutie. At the very end of the concert Danny’s two youngest kids, both girls, came out on stage for the final bow. Also, Elijah came out on stage again and bowed. The kids were all super cute. For the majority of the concert, I was looking through my camera lense… hence why I have 447 pictures from the concert. :-) I wish that I hadn’t done that but, on the other hand, I’m glad that I have so many pictures. It was just so cool! The guys are pretty much done for now with touring. I hope that they come back again in the near future so that we can enjoy them more. I guess that we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Friday, July 17, 2009

"Cover Girl" Denver- July 15, 2009

So, I got to see the New Kids on the Block again on July 15. The show was awesome! I did the meet and greet again too. I'll tell you more about it when I have the time to write the blog. Anyway, here's a video of Donnie singing, "Cover Girl." He pulled this cute little girl up on stage for it too. Enjoy.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

A Reason to Keep Music in the Schools

Someone passed this link on in Twitter and I just had to share it. This is the PS22 school choir. These kids are great and are really enjoying themselves. This is an excellent example of why we need to keep music in the schools.

Friday, June 12, 2009

NKOTB Showin' The Love

I just wanted to share this video with everyone. Among other reasons, this is one of the reasons why I love the New Kids on the Block. They are AWESOME about being accessable to fans (most of the time). Here is just one example.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Zack is Back

Zack Morris that is. Just saw this video via a link that Jordan Knight tweeted on Twitter. Mark-Paul Gosselaar went on the Jimmy Fallon show as his character Zack Morris from "Saved By the Bell." This was pretty funny so I had to share it. Enjoy.




Here's what's even more funny, I fell in love with the name Zack thanks to that show. Ironically, I met my Zac when I was 14, became best friends with him, and am now marrying a Zac (him). Funny, huh?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A "Twisted" Compilation

Leave it to Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block and he will continue to keep the fans motivated. A couple of weeks ago, Donnie asked all of the fans to submit "twisted" video or pictures to him via a Myspace Video website. He asked that the fans dress in Goth make-up and do a dance routine to the song, "Twisted" performed by the New Kids on the Block. Around the same time, he put together a video he called, "Twisted Helena" (I believe that it's in one of my early posts). Another guideline to the submissions was that they have aspects of the "Twisted Helena" video that Donnie put together. Well, what did Donnie do with all of the video and pictures (with a little help from some friends)? He compiled a video with everyone's submissions. So, here it is. Enjoy!

The Unofficial Officially TWISTED Video

Friday, May 8, 2009

Top 15 Most Infamous Child Mugshots

I'm watching this show on E! right now and they are talking about infamous celebrity mugshots. Sadly, most of the actors and actresses covered in the show are not acting or performing anymore. Many of them are people who could probably be still contributing a lot to the entertainment industry, besides negative stories. One of the actors, Brian Bonsall, he played Andy Keaton on "Family Ties," got into trouble with the law due to a domestic abuse incident. Anyway, apparently, Brian is wanted by the police now. Oh boy! Brad Renfro, another one of the celebrities, has since died, of a drug overdose. :-(

Well, the reason I wanted to blog about this show is because I just think it's really sad. I mean, these people had all kinds of opportunities and they couldn't deal with the stresses of life in a more positive manner (i.e. without alcohol or drugs)? It's really too bad that so many celebrities can't deal with life after being famous, or while they're famous. Honestly, it makes my heart ache. I dread the day when we hear about Corey Haim dying of a drug overdose or other people that I grew up being a fan of. It's a real shame that stuff like this happens.

I hope that the tides change and that all of these people can turn their lives around and stay clean and sober.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Twisted Synch

So, Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block posted a link to this video on Twitter. I'm sure that the person who created it, passed the video onto him. Anyway, have you ever seen Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" synched with "The Wizard of Oz"? This video is the same kind of thing. The song is NKOTB, "Twisted" and the video is by a group called, "My Chemical Romance." Enjoy.

Twisted Helena

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Denver 3-Day

Let me just say, that one thing I've noticed about myself is that I'm kind of ADD. I don't mean that I have ADD but I do tend to get bored easily. My focus is always changing. I'm really into something for a while and then my focus changes to something else. I can't seem to stay focused on one thing for very long. of course, I always come back to things but I have found that I'm the type of person that really needs to have a few things going on.

Well, right now my focus is primarily on the Denver 3-Day walk that I'm doing in August and on my wedding planning. Come May 4, I'll have to fit school into that too as I'll start my first class to get my Masters in Education on that day.

Anyway, last night I was on http://www.the3day.org and finding out more about the 3-Day. They had a training schedule on there. One was for 24 weeks out and the other one was for 16 weeks out. Well, I counted down on the calendar and learned that I'm about 18 weeks away from the Denver 3-Day. Needless to say, I kind of hit panic mode... just a little. I live at 11,600 vertical feet and because of that, I think that I'll have a little easier time getting prepared for the 3-Day with less time to spare. Still, I realized that I really need to step it up and start my training. I also realized that I need to get a lot of things together that I'll need. I have a pair of running shoes that are pretty well broken in but according to the 3-Day website, I'll need to have an "extra" pair as well. So, that means trying to come up with the money to buy a second pair and then I'll need to break them in as I'm doing my training. New shoes will cost $75-$100 for a good pair that isn't TOO expensive. Oh geez. I hope I can get the money together soon so I can start breaking those in. I also learned (I kind of already knew this since I work in a shop that carries hiking gear) that I'd need to get some new socks and have a few pair to train with. They don't recommend cotton socks so I need to get some synthetic, breathable socks. I can get some through the shop, luckily. I also might want to get some "work-out" clothes that wick moisture rather than use just my standard cotton stuff. I can't believe how the expenses are adding up. I will be staying at the 3-Day "camp" while I'm doing the Denver 3-Day so at least that will save on a hotel room in Denver for me and I won't have to have money for additional food over the weekend. Also, they recommend doing some cross-training as part of your training... i.e. work-out machines, bike riding, swimming, etc. Well, I don't have a bike right now. So, in order to do the cross-training stuff I'll have to get a membership at the rec center. That will allow me to have a wide variety of options regarding my cross-training part of the training. That's $53/mo. There's just really a lot of training and stuff to do and the date is getting closer. Let's see how I manage it all. :-)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

MySpace, Facebook, Twitter... Technology

Okay, so, it seems that just as you're REALLY getting the hang of something... something "newer and better" comes along. It's constantly a game of catch-up.

In my life, there was first a cell phone (after I had graduated from college and not counting the family Apple Mac computer we had when I was 12 that had a black and white monitor and the "internet" didn't exist). Then came designing my own website. Then there were text messages, MySpace, Facebook and now there's Twitter and "Tweet Deck." I'm of "Generation X." Computers in every home, internet and everything else related to that, were JUST becoming a part of life when I was in high school (graduated in 1996). I remember playing the computer game "The Oregon Trail" when it was essentially a DOS program... not Windows and point and click. I really wanted a beeper, to keep in touch with my friends, and never got one. Isn't it just amazing how times have changed?

When I wanted to know what was going on with my favorite singing group, I had to buy a "Teen Beat" magazine or something else like that and hope that the local radio station was interested in playing their music and giving the listener updates. If you wanted to buy concert tickets, you had to wait in line at a Ticketmaster ticket window and hope you got lucky. Meeting the group? That was pretty much completely out of the question unless you, somehow, had an "in" and knew someone who knew someone. Now you just get online when the tickets go on sale and select to buy a VIP package. It's a guarenteed meet and greet! On top of that, I can now "follow" the group members on Twitter and see anything they want to say or what they're up to, first hand. Pretty cool.

Here's the thing... it seems that just as I was getting really comfortable with MySpace and using that to find out what's going on with friends and celebrities I like, people were talking about Facebook and setting up accounts with Facebook. So, I had to set up a Facebook page if I wanted to find out what my friends were up to and reconnect with people. Then I heard about Twitter... ahhh, another "social networking" site to find out the latest about what's going on in the lives of friends and the "rich and famous." Now I'm in a position where I'm updating 3 different sites a day. Talk about time consuming. I mean, afterall, you want to make sure that everyone you know and that knows you, knows what's going on, don't you? :-) It's just all pretty amusing.

I wonder what they'll think of next?

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Cricut Expression


Okay, so, I had to do a blog about this. This is the Cricut Expression. I've wanted to get one for the last several months and I FINALLY was able to get one. This is such a cool die-cutting machine. Prior to this, I only had the Xyron Personal Cutting System. The main things I disliked about the Xyron are that it will only cut out shapes and letters as big as about 3 1/2" and each time you want to use it, you have to cut out 4"x4" pieces of paper and put them on the cutting mat. You can also only do one letter or shape at a time. Now, with the Cricut Expression... you can print a shape almost as large as 12"x24". You can also do more than one letter or shape at a time (depending on the size you're cutting). With the Expression, you can also position the cutting blade where you'd like it to cut on the paper so that you can use almost an entire piece of paper, very easily and it's much less wasteful. So far, I've only been able to do a little with the Expression as life hasn't been very eventful so there hasn't really been much to scrapbook. I am, however, very excited about all of the projects I can do over the next several years, using the Expression. I'd say that the biggest "problem" with the Expression is just that the cartridges are very expensive ($50-$100 each). However, at least we have eBay. :-) So, you can get the same cartridges for half the price (or better). I also think that owning an Expression can save lots of money in the long run. Some of the main things I spend my scrapbooking money on are stickers and paper embellishments. With the Expression, I don't have to buy as many stickers or paper embellishments because now I can just make everything I'd like to use on a page very easily. It's pretty cool. I'm SO glad that I got this machine and I look forward to many, many years of creative scrapbooking projects with it.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Denver 3-Day- 2009

This year, I'll be participating in a very special event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day.

I'll walk 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

I've agreed to raise at least $2,300 in donations. I've set my personal goal at $2,300. So I need your help. Would you please consider making a donation of $10 or more? Keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I'll have to train. You can give online at http://www.the6day.org/ or just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.

I'm walking for several people. I'm walking in memory of my Aunt Barb (who lost her battle in 2001), in memory of my Great-Grandma Jo (who was a survivor), in support of my Aunt Robin (a survivor), in support of Zac's grandma who is a survivor, in support of my Grandma Stover (a survivor) and in memory of Betty Wood (one of the New Kid's mom's who lost her battle), as well as all of the other women out there who have survived or lost their battle and the many others who know people or will have to fight this battle at some point in their lives.

According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, approximately 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. That's why I'm walking so far. To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Sincerely,
Hilary

P.S.Ask your employer if they will double your donation through a matching gift program! Click here to visit my personal page. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://www.%20the3day.%20org/site/TR/Walk/DenverEvent?px=3098521&pg=personal&fr_id=1310&et=UpqPMHdOCFDZBQCvH_58Qw..&s_tafId=85236

Click here to view the team page for Rocky Mt.Cover Girls. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://www.%20the3day.%20org/site/TR/Walk/DenverEvent?team_id=71640&pg=team&fr_id=1310&et=2sVwbMOKzRfMUY5i4fr_ww..&s_tafId=85236

For more information about the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, visit http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRoZTNkYXkub3JnLw== or call 800.996.3DAY.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Scrapbooking

Well, as most of you know... I'm a scrapbooker. I even have an entire room devoted to this hobby. (Maybe one day, when we build a garage, I'll have an even bigger room for it, above the garage.) That would be sweet!!! This hobby is my year-around "outlet." With snowboarding, I can only do it in the winter and then it takes time to get to the area, get my stuff on, and get out on the hill. With scrapbooking, I need only go to my bedroom (which isn't really a bedroom at all) and I could even stay in my pajamas, if I wanted to. It is kind of crazy that this hobby has become such a part of who I am, especially since I only began it in 2003. Given, my life is not currently very exciting so there aren't a lot of "moments" to scrapbook but there's still some stuff going on. Also, nothing says that I have to scrapbook only big events or outings. I can also scrapbook day to day life or do a page about where I'm at in my life at this time. I really enjoy this hobby. I've even used it to show my family story. I have a series of Genealogy scrapbooks that I'm working on. That is definitely an ongoing project, as new information and research comes out. I look forward to scrapbooking "life books" for my children one day, as well. The one bad thing about this hobby.... it can be SUPER expensive. There are always new products coming out that are designed to make your pages more elaborate and easier to put together. It's ongoing. My favorite places to buy products are http://www.scrapbook.com and at Archiver's scrapbook stores. The biggest problem with going into the store is that it seems like I want everything that's there. So, when I do have money to go, I usually have to go with a budget in mind and stick to it. I could easily spend thousands of dollars at that store if I had the money to do it. I also have a scrapbook homepage online. On this page, I usually post some of the pages that I've put together. Check it out http://www.scrapbook.com/places/COscrapper It's really quite rewarding to put together my scrapbooks because it's more than just a bunch of pictures, like in a photo album. Pages usually include journaling and sometimes they even include things like audio clips or ticket stubs or things like that. It's a fun way to be creative, especially since I'm not a very good drawer.

One of the big things happening with it now is I plan on "redesigning" my room to open it up a bit, remove things from the floor, and make it more accommodating to my scrapooking. My room is fairly well organized but it could be better organized. Also, the floor has all kinds of shelves and things on it and I'd like to move stuff from the floor to shelves on the wall. By doing this, I think that I can also get all of my products, paper, embellishments, and various other tools, better organized. Plus, maybe it would open up the floor in the bedroom a little better to accommodate company when they come (not much but maybe a little). I'm hoping that I can start this project in February. I don't expect it to cost a lot of money because all I'm really going to do is buy some wood for shelves (maybe paint the walls too) and a couple of other things. Then, I'll just move the products and stuff I have to the shelves and put the stuff that's on the floor downstairs in the crawl space. This will kind of be a big project but I think that it will be a lot of fun. Also, it's something that Zac and I can do together. Afterall, he does have his construction knowledge and all of the tools needed to make the shelves exactly the way I want. :-) I'll be sure to post pictures when it's all done.