NKOTBSB

I am so excited for July's concert mayhem! The merging of my two favorite boy bands ever (okay, who am I kidding, they were ALL my favorite boy bands ever - Take That, N'Sync, Boyzone...I digress) has me wiggling in fits of excitement. I can't wait for the performances, the mash ups, and the shenanigans that will, I'm sure, be happening on that penis stage.

Tonight's AMA performance sealed the deal for my anticipation. I know that there are going to be many who don't understand, but fuck 'em. I know that we all get it. While their music and images may not be as pervasive as they were in their heyday, these men have show that they still know how to grab an audience and keep them guessing. Through the shows, the cruises, the collaborations, we've seen the New Kids keep us on our toes and keep us coming back. This latest collaboration (IS HUGE) is just another example of how the godfathers of boy bands know their market and their business.

Almost three years later and I am still so happy to be on this ride.

Really?

Holy coconuts? I have no idea where that came from.

What?

Holy coconuts! Less than 175 days until the cruise? That's crazy!

What are you packing? I'm bringing:
- bikinis
- flip flops
- sunscreen
- sundresses
- sunglasses
- money
- a good attitude
- well, for starters anyway

Time Flies When You're Cruise Planning

I can't believe it's been five weeks since we booked our tickets for S.S. NKOTB. I also can't believe the due date for the first installment is only six weeks away. Get your $500 ready! Time is going to fly, folks. It's going to fly. The next thing you know we will be sipping cocktails on the Lido Deck!

Right now my main concerns are the installment and getting a flight booked. Once I get those two things in the bag, I think I'll be able to relax a little. Maybe.

It's Probably Too Early, But...

I'm sure it's way to early to be cruise planning, but I can't help myself. And from the look of the Ning forum, it looks like there are others like me out there. Yes, I wish they would release the themes already. Yes, I wish we knew what our activities were. Yes, I wish that I could be certain that Donnie would be delivering room service to our cabin one night...but, I digress.

There are probably some productive things we can be doing aside from speculating about themes and what-not.

I know I already have a passport. So, check that off of the list. But, if you don't have one, I'd suggest getting one.

I also have a place to stay the night before the cruise. Luckily, on of my oldest and dearest friends lives in Fort Lauderdale and is kind/crazy enough to let three girls descend on him for a night. I am sure that we will owe him lots of beer.

Flight arrangements. This is the trick. Book now? Book later? When will it be cheaper? I've been watching the flight prices and they just seem to be going up, up, up. Except for Virgin America, whose rates seem to be flat except for when they send out specials via email. Thanks to KTSummer, I've found useful tools such as Kayak and Bing Travel. So, until I can see more of a pattern or Virgin America opens up booking for May 2011, I am in a holding pattern.

I have also created a cruise budget. Without going into too many specifics since everyone's means are different, I have taken the total amount of the cruise (plus port fees and taxes, minus the $300 deposit), the amount I'd like to take on the boat for spending, an estimate of what I will pay for a flight, and what I'd like for spare cash as a float - for pre-cruise shopping, unexpected costs, etc. I divided the total by 35 (how many weeks we had at the time of booking) and made that my budget to save per week.

I've also been researching for general cruise information. Cruise Critic and the Carnival website have been very helpful. You can get an idea for sea-sickness remedies, what to pack, and more. Some people's packing lists are over the top, but who am I to judge?

While all of this is doing more to stoke my excitement rather than quell it, it's still a lot of fun! Besides, I figure, the more I prep now the less stressed out I will be later. Then, as soon as I step on that boat, I can just relax and let the good times roll. Err...float.

I'm On A Boat - Part Deux

Now that I've had a little more time to process the big event of Friday the 13th of August I have to say that there may not be any amount of processing that will have me comprehending that I will be getting on a boat with the New Kids on the Block. I may not believe it until I am walking on to the Carnival Destiny....which I will not be doing for another 8 1/2 months.

So until then, I will keep myself occupied with copious amounts of cruise research and the inadvertent memorization of KTSummer's blog. I will drive my friends crazy with emails regarding flights to Miami and questions about what we should do and how we should do it. I will make the most of our long preparation period and love that I have time to let my imagination run wild with thoughts of every possible scenario. I will enoy the ramp-up to the cruise almost as much as the actual cruise itself, I'm sure.

I love that time before something really, really exciting, the time where there are butterflies in your stomach and your heart seems to buzz in your chest every time you think about the upcoming event. It's so fun to daydream about what might happen and plan for what will happen. Mentally packing and unpacking my suitcase and planning outfits can keep me entertained for...well, hopefully 8 1/2 months. Ha ha! Wondering what the themes will be and what the events will be is like a playground for my already over-active imagination. Who am I kidding? Playground? More like Six Flags. And knowing that nothing that I can imagine short of...well, something naughty...will measure up to what will actually be? AMAZING.

I can't wait to meet more fans. There are so many of you that I know from Twitter, and have known for...wow...years now, that I have never actually met face to face. I can't wait for that. Honey Dips, you know I will be looking for you on that boat, ladies! We have shared too many virtual laughs to not share actual laughs. Tori, I owe you a Vegas-sized drink! And we have to be able to have an actual chat, not just a screamed "hello" in the middle of Rain.

I can't wait to lay on a beach in the Bahamas! I mean, really. The pictures alone are ridiculous. I can't imagine what it will be like to have that gorgeous sand between my toes and that beautiful water stretched out in front of me. On top of it all, not only do I get to see it, I get to swim in it? SHUT UP!

I can't wait to go on a cruise! I've never been on one and have been dying to go for years. I can't wait to swim in a pool in a boat in the ocean. I want to see the buffet and have dinner in the dining room (if we ever get there). I want be rocked to sleep by the ocean, gently anyway. I'm dorkily excited for the towel animals and intrigued to see how three of us are going to fit in one tiny little cabin, especially after seeing how much we packed for Vegas.

I can't wait to vacation with two of my NKOTBFFs. I love, love, love spending time with the amazing people in my life. The more I get to surround myself with the people I am connected to, the happier I am. The two ladies that I am lucky enough to be on this cruise with are both very special. And, while I am sad that we will be 3/4s of what we should be, I am so, so glad I get to share this experience with at least part of the whole.

Did I miss anything? Oh, I can't wait to party on a boat with the New Kids! Who's with me?

I'm On A Boat

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I'm going on the boat. I am so excited. All of the nerves and stress and were worth it. I'm going on the cruise with two of my NKOTBFFs!

To Cruise Or Not To Cruise, That Is The Question...Again

So, here I am, staring another cruise ticket sale in the face. (I also think it's ironic that my last post was the day that the last cruise docked.... Less than 3 months ago, FYI.) I am staring at this sale date with mixed emotions and a little anxiety. Who am I kidding? A lot of anxiety. Dude, it's a lot of money to spend for a boat ride with some boys.

But, here's what. I passed on the cruise two years in a row. The first year I was just not sure how it was going to be. Was it going to be four days of craziness? Four days of being pushed around because of someone else's hopes of getting Face Time? Four days of shrieks and shouts ringing in my ears? Four days of sea-sickness and misery? So, I passed. I thought that it would be my worst nightmare and left it at that.

The next year I decided at the eleventh hour that I just didn't have the money. And what money I did have was better spent elsewhere. It didn't make sense as a (somewhat) responsible adult to put that much money toward four days of frivolity. So, I passed again.

I regretted it both times. I wished I was there for the games and the shows. I wished I had seen Donnie "pull the cream" or play poker. I wish I had seen Jon sing at the deck party. I wish I had seen Joe's performance in the piano bar. I wished I was on the beach, laying by the pool, chillin' in the hot tub. I wished I was at the bar or running around the Lido Deck. Both years, I wished I was on the boat. I even tried clicking my heels together three times, but I guess I just didn't have the right shoes on.

This year, I know not to regret. Yes, I may wish that I put that money towards something else, a bill or groceries. But, that regret will not be as strong as the regret that I didn't go.

Thus, I begin my Cruise Ride.

Hopefully I get on the boat.

Ain't No Party Like A New Kids' Party 'Cause A New Kids' Party Don't Stop

There is being a fan. And then there is being a New Kids fan.

I don't really know when I went crazy. Maybe when I was in fourth grade and went to my first New Kids concert. Maybe the first time I was in GA watching them in Mannheim, Germany. I still swear that Donnie looked right at us. Maybe it was the first night that I slept on my New Kids sheets or when my shop project in 6th grade was a wooden NKOTB sign. Whenever it was, it was never as fun as it is now.

I love that we're adults this time around. I love that we're going crazy because we want to, not because hormones are dictating our actions. I love that last weekend in Vegas was one of the most fun times that I have ever had.

For the first time, I really let go. I did. I let the frenzy truly overtake me and let myself enjoy the ride. It was like being filled up with warmth and love and fun and life. I wasn't worried about trying to meet the guys. I've never met them and am not worried about whether or not I ever do. I wasn't worried about how I looked or what I was wearing. Sure, I looked amazing, but it didn't matter. I wasn't worried about anything because I was just there to have a good time and enjoy myself and my friends.

I think, for the first time, I really understood being a fan. Don't get me wrong, I've always been a fan, always loved being a fan, and always loved meeting other fans. But, I understood it for the first time. I understood the freedom of just letting go of the safety bar and throwing your hands up at the top of the rollercoaster. For that, I am so grateful.