09/08 ~ Wilkes-Barre PA

[etihwwons]

Okie dokie....I've got my whole explosion done. It's REALLY long, so I'll post it in sections, and then after I get it all up, I'll put my pictures up too. DDB seems to be down, and I don't know how to get in touch with Tish. I've got her pictures ready to send her. I don't know if she'd want me to post them here, or send them to her personally. Is she even here yet?

Okay, here's the first part of my concert explosion. Everyone who hasn't seen these yet, well, hang on. ;D













Alrighty, let’s get this party started!

To start off, let me just say that Sunday night/Monday morning, I got a grand total of precisely ONE hour of sleep. Yes. One stinking, blooming hour. It was a nightmare. Monday morning started with me shaking and staggering and feeling like I was about to collapse.

My dad said that if I needed to go back to bed (I was in FIERCE shape when I finally got up) and sleep for a little while, and then leave a bit later, that it would be okay. I shot that idea down real fast. (I just thought of I shot the tambourine man….love those shirts.) I was grumpy, panicky, near death and exhausted. But I was DIPPED if I was going to let it ruin my chances of getting a hug from Jason! Wild pigs (as Sooner would say) could not have held me back from at least TRYING for a hug. And my expectations were wobbly to begin with, because of past reports of how things had gone in Wilkes-Barre, and what liars the venue staff had turned out to be with the people who went ahead of time to ask questions.

But still! It didn’t matter! I WAS GOING TO THE CONCERT! I’d had a crappy 2 months, I was stressed out like you wouldn’t believe, and this was the one REALLY fun thing on my radar. I WASN’T GOING TO LET ANYTHING STOP ME FROM BEING AT THAT ARENA!

Okay….So I went a little crazy in the head. But I’m all better now.

So anyway, my friend arrived at our house at 10 to nine, and we wound up leaving at about 9:30. I managed to revive a little bit in the car with some music. Listened to Josh Groban for the whole trip down. It was really weird…..Josh Groban is my head cheese dude, I’ve seen him 7 times in concert, met him, love him. One of the concert we went to was at the arena in Wilkes-Barre about 3 and a half years ago. LOVED that arena, and it was one of the best concerts of his ever. Also, for this AI concert, we had the EXACT same seats that we did for the Josh concert, just on the opposite side of the stage. (Section 119, row F, right next to the catwalk BABAY!) Also, Archie (my second favorite) does a Josh song (When You Say You Love Me), and I had made a sign for our first AI concert in Rochester saying: “Archie + WYSYLM = 1 Grobanite”. And I brought it with me to the Wilkes-Barre concert too. It was all very weird, and had me feeling almost like I was going to a Josh concert. LOL!

Anyway, we got into Pennsylvania, and ran into construction. At noon (when I’d wanted to be at the arena) I asked how much farther we had to go, and found out we had 45 minutes to an hour left. Then we ran into more construction, and reduced speed limits. I started to get a little bit nervous, afraid that we were going to get there too late. Of course, we’d gotten held up just north of the border, when we stopped at a drug store. But I’d managed to get the perfect gift bag for my gift there (which had been spotted by my friend).

I’d gotten him a Tiger Eye pendant necklace with a long brown, almost suede material cord, which tied around your neck. Thought it was very cool, and very him. I’d also gotten him a B&N gift card. That was gonna be it for this time, and then the other night we were in Wegmans of all places, and as my mom and I were walking, she spotted something that was INSANELY cool. They had a shelf with a bunch of guitar shaped pillows. That would have been cool enough, but the pillows had an MP3 player hookup, and SPEAKERS in it, for Pete’s sake! So we HAD to get one. Thought it was the most perfect thing in the world to get him.

So we’d gotten a gift bag for it, and everything was all set to go. It was just that now, we weren’t going to get to the arena until 1:00, and with how up in the air everything had been for this venue, it was an hour later than what would have been comfortable. But that was okay. We DID finally get to Wilkes-Barre.

[etihwwons]

As we pulled onto the road that the arena was on, I saw what looked like a huge crowd of people just beyond the parking area, which made me really excited because that meant that the arena might have put up a nice barrier, and that our chances of GETTING TO MEET JASON MIGHT HAVE INCREASED!

The closer we got the more obvious it became that there was a nicely sized crowd. Before we even got into the parking lot, I was like: “LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!” The hyperness levels were just way too high. We pulled into the parking, parked, and I leapt out. I grabbed all my stuff out of the trunk, and me, my mom, and my friend all went to the crowd. It was not at all difficult to spot the Dreadheads. There was a mini sea of baby blue t-shirts and balloons. I excitedly told my friend that the Dreadheads were right there, and she was like: “How do you know?” LOL!

Now, for me, going up to strangers and striking up a conversation is the very LAST thing I like doing. I’m pretty shy about that stuff. However, I was very motivated. I knew that my best chance of getting my Jason moment would come if I huddled in with the rest of the Dreadheads. I went up to them, and said: “I see Dreadheads!” And then I turned all splotchy.

It was nice meeting them, they were really nice. My friend actually said later that the Dreadheads were nicer than the Cookie fans. LOL! (Her favorite is Cookie, second favorite Jason.)

So we stuck with them, and there was only one person between me and the barrier, and we all just kind of hung out. Indreadibly gorgeous had those magnets and she gave them out, someone was handing out water to us all (it might’ve been her too). I also think it was her who had the little folder of Jason pictures that she’d printed out, and she showed them to us. Lovely pictures.

One of the other Dreadheads was eyeing my guitar, so I told her what it was, and she said she thought he’d love it, which made me really excited.

It was blazing hot out! At least the sun was like right on our heads, anyway. There was a lot of wind because of how the venue was situated, but it was still fierce, and we were very glad that we’d gotten some sunscreen at the drug store we’d stopped at on the way. It was really really hot. And I have VERY pasty white skin. And I was wearing black. Yay. LOL!

I’d brought my shirt that I’d made for the Rochester concert with me for him to sign. And I also had the printed out picture I’d taken with me to Rochester too. In Rochester after the concert, I did get the picture signed, however, there were 5 people between me and him and by the time it got up to him, it was backwards, and so he wound up signing the back of it. Which was really great, and I was happy to have gotten his autograph. But I decided to try to get the front of it signed this time, and my shirt.

We waited for, a good half hour after we got there not knowing if they were already inside or if they hadn’t gotten there yet. There were buses parked down below us in the parking lot, but we didn’t know if they were THE buses or not.

Finally, one of the buses passed us on the street (they were greeted with cheering and screaming, and some MJ fans with signs). And as they were passing us for the second time (had to do a U-ee just up the road a little and go back down to the parking lot) they beeped the horn at us which was wicked cool.

A few minutes later a second bus passed us, and they went WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY up the road before coming back down, which was kinda weird, but whatever. LOL! They got a good reception too. There was really no way to tell which bus came first, whether it was the boys or the girls. But judging from the honk, I’m thinking the first bus was the guys. Hehehe.

So both buses got into the parking, and I started to get really nervous. WAY more nervous than I was for Rochester. I mean, this time, things might actually work out so that I could get my dream encounter. LOL! They hadn’t come out yet, so we weren’t too late, and there were lots of people at the barrier, so they had lots of motivation, and I was standing with the Dreadheads. I had an overwhelming feeling of DREADHEAD SPIRIT! LOL!

I mean, don’t get me wrong, things in Rochester had gone well. I’d gotten to give him my gift for that concert, and I got an autograph, and a brief conversation. It was really great. But I SO wanted a hug. Words can’t describe how much I wanted a hug. And when I realized that things might actually work out so that I could get a hug, I exploded. LOL!

After the buses arrived it was probably at least another half hour before the first person came out. And that was David Cook. Needless to say, my friend was EXTREMELY excited. She hadn’t gotten her hug in Rochester either (though she’d gotten his autograph), and she wanted one really really bad. About as badly as I wanted one from Jason.

Cookie came out, and the crowd started screaming, and getting REALLY excited. We were probably just about in the middle of the crowd, and instead of starting with the people who were in front of the doors where he’d come out, he came down, past us, and started on the opposite side. He looked absolutely exhausted when he came out. He had slippers on, which was really cute. People were screaming at him as he went by, and he looked almost pained by it. He really looked like he’d just fallen out of bed and came outside. He had on a red baseball cap, and looked very cute.

So, he goes down and starts with the autographs, and it wasn’t long at all after that that Kristy came down, and went down and started where David had. She went very quickly though, because she was in a hurry. I think they all have different schedules as far as press goes. Or at least they did in Wilkes-Barre. She was in a hurry to get in for press while David seemed to be totally carefree, at least as far as time went. We tried to have her say a quickie hello to my brother on the phone. Called him up, even asked, but she didn’t hear us, and was in too much of a rush to do it. But we tried. And it gave my brother a nice twinge of excitement. Hehehe. He did get to meet her in Rochester though, and got her autograph. (And Carly, and Brooke, and Ramiele….he was very happy. LOL)

So, Kristy’s excursion outside was pretty quick. The fact that she had press though made me REALLY REALLY nervous, because I was afraid that Jason wouldn’t be able to come out at all. And we couldn’t stay afterwards because we had a 3-hr drive ahead of us. So staying was pretty much out of the question. If it was going to happen, it had to happen then. This was pretty much my only opportunity. Only 3 concerts after Wilkes-Barre, nowhere near me, and after that, who knows what. This was it. I was thinking to myself that if after all the effort I made to get down here to get my hug only to be thwarted by PRESS, that I was going to go on a head bonking spree with those people.

Of course, at this point, again, I was functioning on one hour of sleep after a period of increased stress, and not sleeping well anyway, plus I was insanely excited and overwhelmed (more so than usual) and REALLY REALLY nervous about the possibility of seeing Jason. So, like I said before, I went a little crazy. LOL!

It was funny, at one point IndreadiblyGorgeous came up next to me and said: “You’re not gonna get all fan-girly on me, are you?” And I went: “Oh yeah! I am. Definitely.” And she was like: “Oh no.” LOL! I was so tired and fuzzy and excited that I was convinced that if he came out, and got to me, I’d be sputtering out sentence fragments and making strange noises that would frighten him.

Well, my head didn’t get any less fuzzy when Archie came out, let me tell you. David Archuleta is my second favorite. I love him to pieces. He’s just so adorable, and he has got such an incredibly gorgeous voice…it just completely makes me melt. If he were just a few years older, I would be SO MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM! Fortunately, he’s not older. LOL!

He didn’t come down past us and start where Cookie had. He started with the crowd by the door. And holy crap did he go slowly. WOW! He was so sweet, totally taking time with everyone down there. Cookie was taking his time too. A lot of time. Which was great. You know, it’s really nice when they take their time with the fans. However, when you’re in the middle, or one the opposite end of where they start, it’s like: “GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!” LOL! Of course I didn’t feel that way personally…no…Not at all…

I got a little more worried when a security dude came outside and went up to the security dude who was sort of taking care of Cookie and started whispering something to him. I really had no idea what they were saying, but something made it seem to me like the guy had come out to tell Cookie’s security guy to have him wrap things up because it was almost time for press. That was the impression I got. Don’t know why. Maybe it was a brain fart Heaven knows I had plenty of those on Monday!

I don’t know how long David Cook had been out, I don’t know how long David Archuleta had been out. But Cook was probably about 20 feet down the line from where we were, and Archie was a little bit further away than that, but closing in our position, (it was weird….both David’s were closing in on us…odd, very odd), and then it happened. The moment we’d been waiting for. The building doors opened, there was EXTREMELY loud screaming, and a flash of what else, but DREADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I let out 2 blood curdling screams as my brain imploded.

[etihwwons]

Yes, it imploded, and then goo came out mah ears, and I exploded all over the place. I tell ya, the staff at that venue is gonna be scraping up green goo for a month. Okay, maybe that was a little sick. But explosions always produce green goo which comes out of my ears as I explode. We’ve had to scrape it off the ceiling several times…

Anyway, after I exploded, needless to say, I could not think. At all. Jason started on the same side Archie had, and I had no idea what the heck to do. I wanted an autograph from Cookie, I wanted to get an autograph from Archie, and I was desperate for Jason. I had so much stuff with me, my purse, my water bottle, my HUGE imposing gift which made me feel conspicuous, my program with my printed out picture in it, and the Archie headshot I was gonna get signed, and I felt like a juggler, and couldn’t figure out what to do with what.

It didn’t help that Mr. Gee-tar seemed to like the leg of the girl who was standing in front of me, and it kept falling on her, (I’ll just call the guitar: Mr. Gee-tar, the Leg Groping Fairy) and I NEARLY lost my printed, backwards-autographed picture once too! It fell out of my program, and wound up, somehow, on the ground in FRONT of the girl whose leg kept getting groped by my guitar. It was all so great. Not to mention confusing!

Of the two David’s, I’m really not sure which one got to us first. I think it was Cookie who got to us first. I have no idea what my friend got from him when he made the first pass. She might have gotten his autograph, and he couldn’t stick around to hug, because now, suddenly, he was in a bit of a hurry. He said that if he had time, then he would come back down and do some hugs and stuff. So my friend was a little disappointed and concerned when she didn’t get her hug on the first pass. And I honestly can’t remember if I got my program signed or not…I’ll have to go look. LOL! What can I say, Jason was outside, AND I WAS GONNA GET TO MEET HIM AS LONG AS THE STINKING PRESS DIDN’T TAKE HIM AWAY! I was too hyper and frazzled to think clearly.

Even if I didn’t get his autograph though, that’s okay because I got one from him in Rochester, and it was really fun just to be so close to him.

Now it was Archie’s turn. He’s so little and sweet and cute, and I just wanted to pinch him as he made his way to where we were. The headshot I had, I’d gotten for my cousin. She LOVES David and couldn’t get to a concert. So I wanted to get her an autograph. I wasn’t able to in Rochester. I’d gotten one from him for myself, but not for her. So I had the headshot all ready to go. I don’t even think I tried to get one for myself. Especially after he said that he had like, literally 5 minutes before he had to be in for press. And that he was in such a hurry that he couldn’t really do pictures, and he could only sign his initials.

I got to hand him the headshot, which he signed his initials on (and which my cousin will worship me for, LOL), and I just melted a little bit as I was so close to him and his cute ADORABLE LITTLE HEAD!

He apologized so many times for having to have to rush things. It was so cute. And later on, as he came back up to make his way inside, someone down a bit from us asked for a picture, and he was like: “I really don’t know if I have time.” But they must have begged, and he said: “Okay, just really quick!” And he went in, and posed for a picture with them. It was so sweet! Can I please have a mini him so I can put him in my pocket?

Okay, so we’d gotten David (first time through), and we’d gotten….David, and I’d gotten the autograph for my cousin, and I got to see him up close and personal in all his sweet adorable cuteness. Now all that was left was Jason. And merciful heavens, if Archie only had 5 minutes before he had to get to press, did that mean that Jason only had 5 minutes before he had to be inside for press? If so, there was no way he’d make it to me before that!

[etihwwons]

I tell ya, at that point I was feeling very rageful against the press. It had been the press that had prevented me from having my moment with Jason before the concert in Rochester too! We’d gotten there just as Jason had to leave the crowd to go do press, so if they dragged him away from me again……it was not going to be pretty. I was going to jump on somebody’s head, and beat them with Mr. Gee-tar!

Okay, maybe not. But, you know…
So, I’m standing there all nervous and everything. Nervous about meeting Jason, nervous about not meeting him, nervous about what will come out of my mouth if I do meet him, nervous about accidentally spitting on him, or making sputtering noises, or frightening him, or passing out in his arms. Although, that thought was actually rather pleasant. And then I started to think about how HUGE the gift was, and how it was going to be hard for him to hold it and everything. But I stopped worrying about that, and figured he’d have a nice man behind him who would take Mr. Gee-tar and hold him safe and sound for Jason.

I really don’t know how long we were standing there after Archie went by us. Honestly, I don’t know. But my mom decided that she was going to go to the other end of the crowd, where Jason was, and scope things out. She was worried that if he was in a rush, and he got to the Dreadheads, he’d want to be fair with all of them, and would just do autographs for everyone, or something. Or that he wouldn’t get down to us at all. So she went over, and left my friend and I where we were, waiting impatiently. Her for Cookie to come back, and me for Jason. And we were both anxious for the other one, hoping that the other would have their moment. So it was tense. LOL!

What had inspired her to go over there was that either the girl whose leg kept getting groped by Mr. Gee-tar, or her friend who was standing next to her, left our side, and went over there because she was nervous too. And a couple minutes after my mom left, the girl came running back over, swearing like a sailor about how she’d met Jason.

Oh yeah! I just remembered! (Random brain dropping here.) It was so awesome, before Jason came out and after Cookie came out, the Dreadheads started a “JASON JASON JASON” chant, which was REALLY loud, and quite a few people joined in, and it was totally cool! And LOUD! And awesome! And kinda exciting. It made me feel that Dreadhead spirit even more powerfully. LOL!

Okay, back to the present….or rather, the past which is currently the present in the story…(WHAT!?)

I had to air myself out quite a few times while waiting there. I’d been listening to Josh all the way down, and now I’d been standing out in the roasting sun for over an hour, and Jason Castro was so close to me I could see his Dreads when I stood on my tippy toes! Fortunately my back just felt hot from the blazing sun (or, Ra), and not wet. Thank heavens for small favors!

Suddenly, my friend turns to me and says: “Your mom is waving you over!” So I gasped, looked back at her, and sure enough she was standing there, waving me over, and pointing. I grabbed my stuff so fast you wouldn’t believe, and ran over to where she was, and was absolutely STUNNED that there was a spot in the crowd where there was only one person at the barrier, and then ME! And Jason was COMING QUICKLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn’t believe how close he was when I looked down the line. He was just a few people away, talking and smiling and looking so sweet, and being so nice with the fans. And now I was going to have my moment! Just as long as I didn’t fall apart at the seems and run away screaming.

I tapped the shoulder of the girl who was in front of me, and said: “If I promise to leave right after, after you get to meet Jason, would you let me up to the barrier?” She was very nice, and said absolutely. So I was like: “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” And then, there was a moment.

When he was JUST off to my right, he posed for a picture with someone, and they were both facing my way. Jason had a huge, unbelievably gorgeous smile as he posed for this picture. And his teeth were just absolutely perfect. I couldn’t believe I was getting to see his smile up close and personal and I let out a giggle. Well, he heard the giggle, and he looked at me! Still smiling, and I was still smiling. Needless to say, I turned into a puddle of goo. TOTAL goo. I died. It was like: “OHMIGOSH! We’re making eye contact!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Yeah…it was nice. It was also nice when the nice girl in front of me who I’d tapped, and a girl next to her, who I think was her friend, actually made room for me at the barrier, before Jason had gotten to us. I couldn’t believe it. I was at the barrier, and Jason was RIGHT THERE! Coming toward me very quickly. I can’t remember if he got to the girl on my right before me or not. It’s a little bit fuzzy. But he was suddenly right in front of me, and I was hurling Mr. Gee-tar up onto the barrier and looking at him desperately, unable to actually say anything. He’d almost passed me before he realized it was for him. I might have said: “This is for you,” but I can’t remember. I know there were words somewhere along the line. I think he said thank you when he took it, but I seriously can’t remember that clearly. I was just desperate to make sure he knew it was for and I couldn’t really say it! LOL! Even if I did say it, I can’t remember it.

Now, I’m really not sure what order things went here, but I’ll just pick one order and go with it. LOL!

After I gave the gift to him, he backed off a little bit from the fence and put the guitar down on the ground. And then he stared at it for what seemed like quite a while, almost like he wanted to ask what it was, but didn’t want to sound stupid. It was really funny. I think he also saw the little gift bag that was hanging off the guitar’s neck, which had the necklace and gift card in it, and he might have been debating whether to look through it or not.

But anyway, after he was staring at it for a while, I answered his question before he had to ask. I just said: “It’s a pillow with an PM3 player hookup, and it has speakers in it.” Well, wasn’t I delighted when he lit up like a Christmas tree! He said: “Oh wow! I saw one of those once, and I thought it was so cool!” Of course, I went into the land of delirium, and in this squealy, fan-girly voice, I went: “Yyyyeeeeaaaaahhhhh!”

And then I asked him if he could sign my shirt, and he said sure. He left Mr. Gee-tar in the competent care of the security guy who was standing next to him, and came back to me. There was a part of the design on my shirt that was just light enough so that black ink would show up. So I laid it out flat for him, and said: “Can you sign right…there…?” And I TRIED to point to where I wanted him to sign, but as I was pointing, I noticed that my hands were shaking REALLY badly, so my finger was like all over the shirt. LOL! It was really funny. And I was made a little more nervous because I knew he could see how badly my hand was shaking, so he knew I was really nervous. But that was okay, he got that I wanted him to sign on the light part of the shirt. And then I had another gooey moment. VERY gooey.

He had his hand under the shirt, but he needed to have me put my hand right under where I wanted to have him sign it. So he asked me to put my hand there, for support. Now, I had another brain fart. Okay, again, I was functioning on ONE hour of sleep, and I was talking to Jason, and he was EXTREMELY close to me. So close that if he had been wearing cologne, I would’ve been able to have smelled it. I could not for the life of me figure out where the heck he wanted my hand! I put it under the sleeve to begin with, then he was like: “No, right under there, like a table.” And I tried again, and that wasn’t the right spot. Then I wound up stabbing his hand (the one that was under the shirt) with my finger nail, which strangely made me even more nervous. Like: “HOHMIGOSH! I JUST JABBED JASON’S HAND WITH MY FINGER NAIL! MY HAND TOUCHED JASON’S!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I wanted to scream. But I didn’t. I FINALLY got my hand in the right spot, and he said: “There we go!” I was grateful that he probably knew how nervous I was, and so wouldn’t assume I was dumb or something.

After all that, his first try at signing the shirt was a failure. Nothing showed up. So then he just put more pressure on the sharpie (and on my hand!!! SQUEEEEEE), and got it to show up, and he started signing. He signed very slowly, and deliberately, and I nearly screamed again when he did a little smiley face. I couldn’t believe it. Words cannot express how flubbered I was. I usually get really fan-girly anyway, but dude, this was special. I was flying high on exhaustion and stupification! Every little thing filled me with such great swells of excitement and delight that I couldn’t breathe. Like, the whole, stabbing Jason’s hand with my finger nail thing…that was an incredible moment for me. LOL! I LOVE his hands, and the fact that his hand and my hand were hanging out underneath the shirt, and that they were TOUCHING was just…too too much. LOL!

So, I’ve given him the gift, and he loved it. I got my shirt signed, and that was perfect. So now, he starts moving away, and I can’t ask for a hug! I’m totally mute, and he’s moving away, and if I don’t ask for a hug, I’m not going to get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[etihwwons]

It’s not really surprising that I was unable to speak for a few seconds after watching him so sweetly sign my shirt, and after having had words with him. Especially when what I needed to say was: “Can I have a HUG!?” A hug! From Jason! Oh the mere thought of it made my head tingle! Of course my head was already tingling, and I was about to just burst into flames right there on the spot.

Finally though, when he was like, about 2 or 3 people down the line from me, I leaned as far against the barrier as I could, and called out pitifully: “Can I have a hug?” He said sure, and started to come back over to me. He got close, and stretched out his right arm REAL wide. I was like: “Heeeeee…..I get to go there!”

So I leaned in, and put my arm around him, and he put his arm around me, and HE HUGGED ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly don’t remember an awful lot about it, except that I got to feel the DREADS! DUDE! They feel fuzzy. There I was, hugging Jason, and as a bonus, I got to feel the dreads! With my left hand. Oooooohhhhhhhooooooo! It was nice! LOL!

It was a REALLY great hug. Absolutely perfect. That image of him with open arms (or rather, open arm) is burned into my memory. And the way his dreads felt, of course. After it happened, I couldn’t even remember feeling his arm around me, but I know it was because Christie’s husband got the whole thing on video, and she sent me a cap of the hug moment, and his arm is around me. It was just all a blur of intense delirium. And everything else was overshadowed by the dread touch. If I ever get another hug, I’m going to ignore the dreads, and concentrate on how it feels to have his arm around me. LOL!

So, after the hug, we pulled away, and I was all like: “Heee hee hhehhhehh hhehhehhhh heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I just hugged Jason! And I didn’t spit, drool, OR frighten him!” The only problem was that I somehow managed to get a Charlie horse in my neck from hugging him. LOL!

I left that part of the crowd very quickly after the hug, and gooed with my mom who’d taken QUITE A FEW GORGEOUS pictures of our encounter, and we walked back to where we’d been before, near the Dreadheads. “Hyper” ain’t the word for how excitedly I told my friend I’d gotten my hug. LOL! The girl who, earlier, had come back swearing about meeting Jason was laughing at my hyperness. I was letting out machine gun bursts of laughter, and flying high. I just kept staring at my now signed shirt, all proud and happy.

Of course, we couldn’t leave let. My friend had yet to get her Cookie hug, and DUDE! Jason was still coming down our way, which meant I was going to get to have another encounter with him! HAH! How ‘bout that? Another encounter with Jason! After I nearly died from the first one? Dude…how much more would I be able to handle? LOL!

I decided that since I hadn’t asked for a picture with him, that I would do so when he came down past us, and also, I’d have him sign the printed out picture I had with me. My mom and friend were like: “You should ask for another hug.” LOL! My friend said he’d probably think it was funny, and he probably would have, but I didn’t have the guts to do that. I didn’t even have the guts to ask him to sign the picture myself. I had to give it to my friend and have her ask. Kinda weird, thinking about it afterward. I just didn’t want to seem greedy, even though I knew he wouldn’t mind.

So we waited until he came down to us. I know it was a little while, but it seems like it was almost instantaneous, from the time I got back to where we’d been, to when he got there, and I know it wasn’t.

[etihwwons]

We had only been going for what seemed like a minute when he started to round the corner, and come down to us. I chucked my picture at my friend, and mentally prepared myself to ask him for a picture.

Now, somehow, there was suddenly room at the barrier, and my friend jumped in, her picture and my picture ready to go. He got down to the group of Dreadheads, and started chatting with them, all very friendly and sweet. I can’t remember a word of what he said, but I remember being really really soothed by the sound of his voice (which is probably why I have no idea what the heck he said). He had this cute little drawl that I noticed for the first time. I don’t know if I’ve been deaf this whole time (possibly, I don’t always hear accents), or if he was just trying to talk cute. But it was really nice to hear his voice and hear him talking like that.

The one thing I remember clearly is when Tish had her moment with him, and gave him the books. I thought it was so cute how she told him not to stay up all night, and he said he was, ‘cause that’s just what happens. Just so cute! I also think it was her who posed for a picture with him, but the camera that was taking the picture pooped out, and after she left him, she went back and asked for another one! And he said sure! I was like: “Dude! I can’t believe that!” It was just one of those moments that really emphasized the point that he’s really easy-going and sweet. Not that asking for a second picture wasn’t good or anything. It’s just, he was so accommodating, it was so sweet!

I was also amazed by how calm Tish looked as she was meeting him. I seriously wish I had her calmness! LOL! For me, explosions were happening by the second.

He had the two girls next to the grouping of Dreadheads (the one who swore about meeting him before, and the friend, who were getting groped by Mr. Gee-tar) to go through, and then I think my friend was next, and he was right in front of me (AGAIN). She handed him my picture to sign, and as he started to look at it, she told him it was for her friend. He said “Okay”, and then he looked at the picture VERY intently. At the time, I was like: “Okay, why is he staring at the pic for so long!” All insecure and stupid. Now though (and after my friend said what she thought), I think he was reading the words on the picture, and figuring out where he was going to sign it.

He propped the picture on his left wrist, so he could sign it with his right. It was very awkward though, and the sharpie slipped right off the edge of the picture, and he went: “DANGIT! It went off the side!” And his “Dangit” was absolutely adorable! My friend and I both giggled girlishly, and he just shook his head, and put a smiley on it.

After he’d signed my friend’s pic, I asked if I could have a picture. And it was funny, because he said: “I’m gonna do pictures on the way up. I forgot, that’s my method!” And he said “DANGIT” again! It was so stinking cute!

After he’d gone down the line a few people, my friend gave my picture back to me, and I goooooooooooooooooooooooed myself to death. Couldn’t believe that I managed to get my shirt signed, AND the FRONT of my picture signed too! So the front, AND back are signed! It’s a very special picture now! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Judging from the order the pics are in, Cookie came back down the line while Jason was busy down the line. And my friend got her hug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And she managed to get out the question she’d wanted to ask him. She asked him how Adam was doing, and he said: “Good, thanks for asking!” She was thrilled! LOL!

So now, she’d gotten her hug and I’d gotten my hug. All that was left was to wait for Jason to come back up the line and for us to do a picture.

So, logically…

[etihwwons]

I have no clue how long it was before he came back up. Not a clue. By that point, my brain was COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY fried. Having 2 Jason encounters and a hug, and having my brains fried by the sun, AND having only gotten 1 hour of sleep…..It wasn’t exactly conducive to being able to think clearly.

I don’t even really remember him coming back up the line. I just knew he was coming, and he did some pictures with people as he came up (I’m sure), and suddenly, he was really close to me. He said hi, like he remembered my asking for a picture earlier, and I think I just said: “Picture?” And he was like “Sure.”

Now, I’ve had my picture taken with celebrities before. A couple, anyway. Every time it happens, I look TERRIBLE! I mean, we’re talking, just, BAD! I’m not photogenic anyway, but get me with a celebrity, and I just look like a blob of goo. So to avoid that, I had determined ahead of time that I was going to do a big goofy smile. Make a goofy look. And I’d also thought about just telling him to go ahead and make a goofy face too, but I didn’t think of it when the time came.

So he got real close to me, and leaned against the barrier. I was going to put my arm around him, but then I got shy, ‘cause his arm wasn’t around me, so I just rested my hand on the barrier, and did my pose for the camera.

Well, as I’m posing, I realize that my hand feels kind of funny, and I’m like: “Why does my hand feel so weird?” And then it hit me! Jason was leaning on it! When it hit me, needless to say, I exploded. “HOHMIGOSH! JASON IS LEANING ON MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” My hand was touching his stomach, and it was a total accident! So, my left hand had jabbed his hand and hung out with it under my shirt, and it had touched his dreads, and then my right hand touched his stomach!

Couldn’t believe it. I’d gotten to give him my gift, and he loved it; I’d gotten my shirt autographed, I got to touch his hand, I GOT A HUG! I got the front of my picture signed, I got a posed picture with him, and I TOUCHED HIS STOMACH! Without meaning to, of course, but still. Having Jason lean on your hand is a very unique experience.

After the picture, he moved on, and I heeeeeeeeeed and gooooooooed myself into an oblivion for the thousandth time. And then my mom showed me the picture that she took of us. OH MY GOSH! I actually don’t look like a mutant in it!!!! And the best part is that JASON WAS MAKING THE EXACT SAME FACE AS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were both making the same face, and neither of us knew the other was doing it! It’s TOTALLY awesome! It’s one of the best pictures of me, and it’s with JASON! Of course Jason makes any picture look beautiful, no matter who’s in it, or what’s in it. He could make a hunk of mold look beautiful.

So anyway, after that, even though we wanted to see Michael, we just left. We were hot, we were tired, and we’d gotten EXACTLY what we’d wanted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And there was much rejoicing.

[etihwwons]

So, we left the crowd, and went back to the car where my dad had been sitting the whole time reading and listening to music. We all gave him EXTREMELY hyper accounts of everything that had happened, and showed him the pictures, and all of that. Then we went Bennigan’s (or however it’s spelled) for lunch/dinner, and we got there at about 4:30 or so. I brought my t-shirt in with me, so I could put it on, and wear it proudly to the concert.

I tell ya, as we were sitting there, I got SO TIRED! Oh my goodness….that one hour of sleep really caught up to me, that and all the excitement of the afternoon, which had taken up a lot of energy. I just wanted to curl up on the table and go sleepy! Oh goodness, it was insane. I kept having mood swings! I’d go from OVERLY excited, to panicky, to exhausted, and back again. It was real interesting. LOL! Didn’t know how I was gonna get through the concert without sleeping. In fact, at that point, I just wanted to go home. Hahaha!

Really though, the pre-concert stuff WAS the main event for us, and the concert was just an added bonus. And at that point, it didn’t much seem like that great of a bonus. LOL!

But, my excitement levels rose for a minute when our waitress came by to take our order. I’d already eaten a little bit in the car, and I wasn’t going to get anything more inside, except like, ice cream. So the waitress comes over, and takes our order, and she gets to me, and I tell her to just come back when it’s time to order dessert. And she’s like: “Are you sure?” She was truly baffled by my not eating, so then my dad says: “She can’t eat a lot right now, she just met Jason Castro over at the arena where the American Idols are playing.” Well, then the waitress said: “Oh my gosh, I thought he was so gorgeous on the show! I loved him! If I had a man like that, that would be it!” And then I told her I’d gotten a hug, and she said she hated me. LOL! It was really funny. I was sorely tempted to show her the autograph on my shirt, since it was sitting in my lap, but I decided not to, for fear she’d disembowel me.

After we ate, my friend and I went to the restroom to freshen up, and I put my shirt on. And then I was gleefully pointing at my chest (where the autograph was), with this really stupid grin on my face. I swear, if anyone else had come into the bathroom at that moment, they would have called the men in white coats.

So we got done there, and got to the arena. I got all my gear on. My blue star glow necklace, my glow pen necklace, my errrm, nifty glow thingy that I can’t explain, but which is AWESOME, and then there were my two Jason buttons, and my one David button. I had to put two of the buttons on my stomach, so they wouldn’t cover the autograph. And then there were my signs! And then we had the skyliner (really cool thing), and all sorts of other concert gear. Not to mention my towel! LOL!

We got in, and I bought a couple of key chains, we got ourselves put together and oriented, and went off to find our seats. Section 119, row F.

Well, I nearly peed my pants when I saw our seats! I knew that we had good seats, because, as I said a LONG time ago, at the very beginning, we’d been to a Josh concert at that arena, and had had the exact same seats, just on the other side. However, no matter how many times I go to a concert, when I see my seats, I’m always tickled pink. And these were DANG good seats! The catwalk/walkway out into our section ENDED in our row. Not the row below, not the row above, but OUR ROW!!!!!!!!!!! And my seat was 2 seats away from it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And our “F” seats actually wound up being “D” seats. LOVE how that section is set up. If you’re closest to the stage in those sections, there are 2 less rows in front of you. So what’s marked as the 6th row, is actually the 4th row. So there we were, 4 rows up, RIGHT NEXT TO THE CATWALK!!!!!! So that meant that anyone who came over, well, I could reach out and grab their hand! And my friend was thrilled, ‘cause she knew that Cookie would be coming over, and standing up on the railing on the catwalk during the Hero song!

It was all very exciting.

[etihwwons]

The two seats next to me filled up, but the people who sat there were nice. There was a very nice boy (he was probably 17 or 18) who was an extremely ginormous Brooke fan, and who had met her about 4,000 times, and he had on a shirt with pictures of them together, and all of that. He was with a nice lady who sat next to me. She was unable to stand up straight, and she couldn’t stand at all during the concert. But, there’ll be more about that later.

She asked me what my signs said, so I showed her the Jason one first. (DH # 590 is Craaazy 4 Jasonnn.) And she giggled, and then she said: “Wow, you have a high number! I’m like number 2560!” (Not EXACT number…) I was really surprised that I wound up sitting next to a Dreadhead! LOL! She seemed like the type though who would have joined ALL the fan groups of each contestant. She liked everyone.

And then I showed her my David Archuleta sign. (Archie + WYSYLM = 1  Grobanite.) And as she was looking at it, I asked her if she knew who Josh Groban was, and she said yes, and I was like: “DUDE! I’m sitting next to one rockin’ lady!” LOL! And so I just explained that one of David’s songs is a Josh song. Her…whatever he was to her, I’m not sure, asked what a Grobanite was, which was pretty funny.

My friend and I asked her if she’d be offended if we reached over her if someone came out onto the catwalk, and she was like: “Probably, but everyone else will do it, so go ahead.” It was pretty funny!

I have to say that this time, I did get a kick out of the pop tarts dude a little more this time. Still mildly annoying, but I didn’t want to tear his head off like last time. LOL! Nobod was really cheering very loudly when he was out, and he was trying to get everyone going, and it was kinda like pullin’ teeth outta chickens.

But that was okay, because when the lights went down, and the music started, everyone started screaming, and we got up on our feet, light sticks and all waving!

Okay, so, obviously, the concert was awesome. Even though both my favorites are AFTER the intermission, the first part was still extremely enjoyable, because I do like everyone. Chikeze had lots of energy, and he was really good. He came onto our side of the walkway, and I could see the individual beads of sweat on his forehead. It was totally crazy. I didn’t reach out for him, I was just kinda too surprised by JUST how close he was! LOL!

So he was really good, and enjoyable. And since there were a few people in our section standing, my friend and I decided to do the same. Now, it’s a pop concert, and we were in the 4th row. It don’t matter WHICH 4th row, it was just the 4th row. Everyone on the floor was standing, everyone in the section across from us was standing, some people in our section were standing. So we stood! It’s what you do! We weren’t planning on standing for the entire concert, but it was the beginning, and there was still excitement flowing around from its just having started.

Well, I have to say that the worst thing about the concert were the group of people behind us. They came in with a lousy attitude, complaining bitterly about the seats. I don’t think they’d ever been to a pop concert before, and they were completely clueless. They didn’t know that the curtain that was drawn at the side of the stage before the concert started was going to come down.

Now, as I mentioned before, the lady who was next to me, who was UNABLE to stand due to a physical limitation did not complain ONCE when the people in front of her stood up. Not a WORD! And she had an excuse, and it would have been reasonable for her to have asked the people in front of her to sit down. No one would have thought anything of it. But she didn’t. However, the people behind us, had a different point of view, and after we’d only been standing for a minute, they asked us to sit down. We did, begrudgingly. But we did. However, when Michael came out, we stood up again. Michael was a favorite, and his opening song had EVERYONE on their feet, including the people who were in front of us. Now, they were more directly in front of the people next to me. But when I sat, I could not see Michael through their arms and bodies.

Well, the lady asked me to sit down again, and this time I told her that the people in front of us were standing up. And she started arguing with me about how they weren’t directly in front of us. Well I wasn’t directly in front of her either! She really annoyed me.

This time, I didn’t sit down, ‘cause I wouldn’t have been able to see. And seeing Michael was EXTREMELY important!!! At least for the first song anyway! (I did sit down after the first song.) And holy moly!…..he was in fine form in Wilkes-Barre! I thoroughly enjoyed his set. Of course, his songs rock, he rocks, and he’s just really good. He had some smooth moves too. He took off his LOVELY leather jacket at one point in a very nice way, and he fell on his knees! Of course, I bent over just before he did it to grab my water, and I missed the move! I just heard screams, looked up and saw Michael on the floor, and my friend said what happened, and I nearly whacked myself in the forehead! How could I have missed that!

Yes…..I like Michael, and he was REALLY REALLY GOOD! I was, however, disappointed that he only went onto the walkway on the other side, and not on our side. But heck, I might not have survived that at that point. LOL!

I really think everyone in the first half did quite well. Though the girls seemed like they were either a little bit under the weather, or they had been backstage weeping for hours about how close to the end of the tour they were. Ramiele was a bit off, as were Carly and Brooke. Carly and Brooke still did really well, but they were off, and sounded a little hoarse. Carly looked like she was exhausted. And while Brooke was hoarse, she was still really good. I just love her. Definitely my favorite girl. Jason’s female counterpart.

Well, by the time Brooke was out, I had to use the bathroom. In Rochester, I’d left during the group number just before intermission, so I wouldn’t risk missing Jason. But our row was GINORMOUSLY long, and there was really no way to get out. So I waited.

Loved the group number, and when Michael came out for it, we stood up again for a few seconds to show him our ardent llllllooooooove. Dang! He was a hottt mama!

Sorry…he was just really stunning that night, and it really really struck me.

It was cute, because after Brooke finished her set, and while the group number was getting ready to start, she came around to our side, between all the stage steps and all that, and the railing on the side. She bent down, and put her shoes on (she’d been barefoot). Of course, the kid who was 2 seats down from me waved VERY VERY vigorously at her, and she waved back. It was cute.

Well, intermission started soon, and I started to get REALLY REALLY excited!!!!!!!!!! JASON WAS COMING UP! *SQUEE*

[etihwwons]

I made a valiant attempt during intermission to head to the bathroom. I figured, if I heard Mr. Poptart Dude start up, I’d just abandon the line and head in. Well, I’d hardly even MOVED in the line (it was a HUGE line), and the guy started up. My dad had come out with me, and was waiting for me, so I signaled him, and we went back in. I felt thoroughly victorious when I got back to my seat.

We brought a black light with us, so we could charge up our signs (they had glow in the dark paint on them), so we started doing that. As Mr. Poptart Dude was doing his thing, I noticed that the people in the section to our left (they had a perfect view BEHIND stage) started screaming! On both sides of the stage. I couldn’t see back there, but I knew that they were screaming because they could see Jasonnn!!!! He was backstage! Getting ready to come on!

Although this part with the Poptart dude/Guitar Hero dude was REALLY amusing (with the little kid’s teacher, who he so lovingly called: “Ms. Barf”), I was SO THRILLED WHEN HE WAS DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE LIGHTS WENT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason came out on OUR side of the stage. I think I was one of the only ones who noticed him coming around in the dark, and I got so excited, I started bouncing up and down, and screaming and going crazy! Just because I saw him come out on stage! And then I gave myself a good shake. Here I was going berserk over his coming out on stage on our side, when I had gotten a HUG from the man earlier! LOL!

As soon as everyone realized he’d come out, there was a lotta screaming. He got a very warm welcome. I have to say that the 4 guys (Jason, David, David and Michael) all got the most applause and cheers. They were the best of the night too.

Jason started OTR, and OBVIOUSLY my friend and I were standing. I was going to stand for OTR, and then sit down. That was the plan. I was standing, my friend was standing, and my mom was standing. I looked around us just to make sure we weren’t the ONLY people standing in the section, and we weren’t. I had my sign up, and was cheering and all happy and gooey.

Hearing his voice live for the first time in Rochester struck me, and I was impressed by how he sounded. In Wilkes-Barre, I was even MORE impressed. He just keeps getting better and better. The more he sings, the better he sounds. There’s such a beautiful tone to his voice that he’s developing more and more as he uses his voice more. It’s almost this kind of smooth, kind of sultry tone. I just love his voice. It’s so unique. And he’s SO relaxing! I was in zen heaven as he was singing. LOL!

At least, that is, until the people behind us went crazy again. It was only about a minute into Over The Rainbow when one out of the group tapped my mom. She said, very angrily: “I don’t mean to be rude, but would you please sit down!” And my mom put her hand on the lady’s arm, and said: “You could stand up. It’s a pop concert.” And then the woman was like: “But then the people behind me won’t be able to see! It’s rude!” And my mom said: “Then they’ll stand up.” And the lady started raising her voice to my mom! I couldn’t believe it.

Even though my mom won the round (without raising her voice, or being rude), she still sat down, and I decided to sit down too, as did my friend. But I resolved that at the end of each of his songs I would stand up, which I did.

Unfortunately, I was fairly distracted through the BEST PART OF THE WHOLE DARN CONCERT because angry rays were coming out of the back of my head at the people behind us. LOL!

As he was introducing Crazy, I was standing (since OTR had just ended), and I had my sign held up, of course, and he went on introducing, and before he said the name of the song, people started screaming in anticipation (obviously fans), and he was like: “And you all know the song, so here it is.” It was just this cute little moment between him and his fans.

I love how chill and cool his rendition of Crazy is. It suits him so perfectly, and he did a great job on it. And on Daydream too. I couldn’t understand most of what he said while he was up there, but that wasn’t too big of a problem, since he doesn’t really say too much anyway. Hehehe. But when he was getting ready to introduce Daydream, he said something about how it had been his first song on the show. And he said something about how there’d been a learning curve or something…..Learning curve, having known all the songs he does on tour already, I don’t know….something along those lines. I’ll have to watch some videos to find out what he said for sure! LOL!

So, yeah…he was great, and when Daydream was over, it was very depressing, because it meant he had to go. So sad!

It was nice to just relax and chill out during Syesha’s part. I’m not so much into her, and other than the times when she hit notes that make bats cringe, it was nice to just sit and recover from the excitement of Jason. LOL! Especially since Archie was coming up next. There’s no way I could handle Jason and Archie going back to back. OVERLOAD! So Syesha gave the explosiveness some time to cool off.

[etihwwons]

After her last song, everybody got really excited, because they knew Archie was next. And as she’s introducing him, that LOVELY door in the floor of the stage opens up, where the piano sits underneath, and comes up. After the left, there was a pause with lots of screaming, and you could see the top of the piano, and the top of his head. And then there was the smoke, and then he started to come up, and started on Angel.

Now, the two girls who were in the front row of our section stood up when he came onto the stage. That was fine. However, one of them had a big sign, and she held it up WAY over her head. Blocking my view, and the nice two people who were sitting next to me….’s view too.

The lady next to me was HILARIOUS!!!!! This was the one point where she got a little miffed. She yelled out: “Get that sign down, or I’m gonna beatcho head!” It was so stinking hilarious! She was trying to get the girl to put the sign down for half of Angel. I couldn’t see Archie, I could only hear him (I didn’t stand up because by that time, it wasn’t worth getting yelled at by the crazy people behind me…however, I found out later from my mom that THEY STOOD UP FOR ARCHIE!!!!!!!!!), and along with his amazingly gorgeous and stunning and earth-shattering voice, the lady next to me kept trying to yell out so that the girl could hear her. So I had Archie singing in one ear, and the nice lady yelling in the other. LOL! FINALLY, the girl got the message, and put her sign down, and I could see David playing the piano, AND hear him sing.

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh his voice does things to me! Voices like that are the kind that make my legs crumble beneath me. And with the smoke that was POURING out onto the stage, and off the stage into the audience, it made for an almost ethereal experience.

Now I remembered that David comes over onto the walkway during Stand By Me, and the mere thought of it made me feel weak. If Jason had come over, I would’ve died a thousand deaths. The fact that he didn’t is the ONLY thing about the concert that could have been better.

Anyway, Angel was amazing, and then he went into Apologize. HEAVENS! I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely love it! And the way he does it is amazing. I wish he would record it. It’s just awesome, and the way he moves when he’s singing it…You know, for a 17-yr-old, the boy sure has an awful lot of mojo and charm! It’s alarming. Makes me feel really warm and fuzzy, and then I get freaked out that I’m feeling that way OVER A 17-YR-OLD BOY! Who’s really really short!

So, anyway…His voice is awesome, and he’s a lovely performer, and he started Stand By Me.

Ooooohhhhhhoooooohhhhhhoooooo! *Heh-um* IS HE 18 YET SO I CAN HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM??? I honestly don’t know…

Anyway, love his performance of this song. I think we stood during Stand By Me (I managed to see the lady who had tapped me earlier standing, so I decided to stand, and he might actually have told the audience to stand, not sure), and when he started to mozy on over to the walkway on our side I got really really excited.

He came up so slowly, it was like he was teasing us. That little booger! And dude, if I loved how he moved during Apologize, then how he moved during Stand By Me had me losing my head. He has these adorable little dance moves that are very, well, cute. They make ya feel like you’re gonna ooze outta your seat! The closer he got the more I felt like I’d been hit over the head with an EXTREMELY gooey hammer. I’m almost glad Jason didn’t come onto our side of the walkway. If Archie was making my brain explode, I don’t even want to think about what Jason’s coming over woulda done. Even though I’d already met him, there’s a difference between what happens before and after a concert, and what happens DURING a concert, while the man is singing.

So, anyway, he gets to the edge of the catwalk, where I am only 2 seats away from him, and I’m like, “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” And then I start mentally slapping myself for getting so excited over a BOY (again).

His hair looks very interesting when you’re that close. He’s really awfully cute. *Heh-um* Anyway, I TRIED to have a hand moment with him, and held my arm out, but it wasn’t out far enough, and he couldn’t reach. So I didn’t get to touch his hand. But that was okay. It was funny, afterwards, I turned to my friend and told her he had short arms so he couldn’t reach me. LOL!

So then, he finished the song, and I stood up WITH my sign, ‘cause it was now time for it. And he took a good long time introducing When You Say You Love Me, and I had the sign up the whole time. He was so adorable as he was introducing it. I love what he says to introduce the song (this thing is already 20 pages, so I won’t elaborate). Once he started, I sat down. He did a beautiful job on my song. It was fantastic. I still honestly can’t believe that he decided to put a Josh song in his set. That is just the most awesome thing ever!

Of course, I stood back up when he was done, sign held up and everything. It was great fun. While he saw the sign in Rochester, he didn’t here. But that was okay. I felt like a proud Grobanite/Arch Angel while holding it up. LOL!

[etihwwons]

So then out came David number 2. I switched seats with my friend so she would get to be closer to him when he came out onto the catwalk. And then the most fantabulous thing happened. Of course, I hadn’t gotten a chance to use the bathroom during intermission. And once Archie was gone, it hit me all of the sudden that if I didn’t use the bathroom THAT SECOND, my kidneys were going to explode. There was no way I could wait through Cookie’s 5 songs. So I had to disrupt an ENTIRE ROW OF PEOPLE so that I could run out to use the bathroom. It was great. I only missed most of his first song though, and got back pretty quick. I was bent double as I came back into our row, and moving really fast so that I wouldn’t put the peeps out for longer than was absolutely necessary. Only problem was that my friend had bent down to get something, and she didn’t see me coming. Well, I rammed her head with mine so hard it left me feeling concussed through the whole second song. And my friend wound up getting a bad headache from it. So that was fun. It’s a miracle I can remember as much from the concert as I can. LOL!

I don’t have all that much to say about Cookie, I mean….he’s COOKIE! He’s the epitome of cool (even though he wears funny pants). He’s a cool guy, and he’s got a really pretty face, and he has a cool voice. It doesn’t make my legs crumble out from under me like Archie’s voice, and it doesn’t do to me what Jason’s voice does, but I like it. It’s cool.

He introduced the Hero song, and my friend got really excited, because she knew it was during that song that he comes over and stands up on the rail.

Now, somehow, when he does this song, it’s really exciting, and it really gets everyone going. I don’t know why but it is. The song, I actually find almost annoying, because it’s like, the same 10 words over and over again, and then just loud guitar slamming. But somehow, it’s incredibly exciting when he’s performing it! It’s just cooooooool. LOL!

It was REALLY cool when he came over to our walkway. REALLY REALLY REALLY cool! He came over, and got himself up onto the railing, and his legs were like, 2 feet away from me. And he looked really beautiful as he looked up into the audience at all the people. His neck and chest were splotchy. I had a great view up his nose. It was cool. My friend thought so too! LOL!

So that was really neat. The rest of his set was great, and then he came back out to do his encore song, and then there was the group number finale. Jason came out onto the stage on our side, like he’d done for his own set, and before he’d come out onto the main part of the stage, our side sections gave him a very excited warm welcome, and he looked up at all of us and waved, and gave us all a huge grin. It was great.

Now, of course, when Jason goes up the walkway on the side, it’s on the opposite side from where we were. Only part about the concert that stunk. But I figured, hey, I’d gotten a hug from him, so, you know….I hadn’t however gotten a hug from Archie ‘cause he’d been in such a rush. And THANKFULLY Archie didn’t go on the same side as Jason. HE CAME BACK OVER TO OUR SIDE!!!!!! My friend moved out the way so I could get as close as I possibly could, and I reached my arm out (WAY OUT). The lady next to me reached her hand out too, so I made sure that what I was doing wouldn’t interfere with her chances. He started shaking hands on the other side of the walkway, and made his way around. He took the hand of the lady next to me, and then he was about to leave the walkway, he saw my hand, hesitated, and then he reached out and TOOK MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[etihwwons]

Well, the second his hand touched mine, I brought my thumb down on his fingers and gave him a squeeze (so…I’ve hugged Josh Groban’s wrist, and now I’ve hugged Archie’s hand…)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it! His tiny little fingers were IN MY HAND! Of course, my uhh, grip was a little bit firm…..In fact, I nearly swung the poor boy right into my row. I didn’t mean to have a vice grip on his fingers, it was just a result of how far I was reaching out, kind of a balance thing. If I had been holding on any less tightly, I probably would have fallen right into the nice lady’s head. It was okay though. He did finally get manage to get away.

But dude……it was perfect! It really couldn’t have been more perfect. I got EVERYTHING I wanted from Jason, I got my cousin’s Archie head shot signed, and I got to grab his hand! *Squeal* It was really great. Everything before the concert was a dream, and the concert itself was wonderful! And it ended on a HUGE high note! I TOUCHED ARCHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Sigh* It was all great.

And getting a hug from Jason was exactly what I needed that day. The day had started off miserably, and it had ended wonderfully. And I slept all the way home.

It was neat, we left the arena, and exited using the door that the Idols had come out of earlier in the day. There was a big crowd standing there, and it was a weird glimpse into what the Idols see when they come out to greet the fans.

After we’d traveled around Wilkes-Barre for FOREVER to find a place to use the bathroom, we passed by the arena again, and someone was outside signing autographs. We couldn’t see who it was, but it looked like a guy, and if only 2 people came out afterwards, one of them being Jason, I’m guessing it was probably him who was out. If that’s the case, that’s pretty darn cool!

So, we didn’t get home until 2:30 in the morning, and we were all so exhausted the day after that we were near weeping. LOL! But it was all worth it!



THE END! (FINALLY!)

[etihwwons]

Okay, all my pics are up at DDB. Here's a link. They're on pages 9 and 10. One of the very last posts on page 9 has all the pre-concert pics in it, and then the first post on page 10 has all the concert pics in it.




www.daydreamingboy.com/forum/index.php?topic=9844.120

[gabyluvsjc]

i was there in wilkes barre ,p.a but i posted all my pics om mspace so check them out

[cba]

Wilkes-Barre PA tour thread from DDB
part one:
===========================


################Title: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: AmberTX on September 08, 2008, 02:19:23 PM

You know the drill.   


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: CaitlinValerie on September 08, 2008, 07:31:52 PM

I am excited to hear how it went!! Hope ya'll had fun! WIsh I could have been there!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: retiredteacher on September 08, 2008, 08:13:53 PM


I am waiting to hear all the great adventures of your day and see some more pictures. I know that it was awesome!!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: princesslaurie on September 08, 2008, 08:50:03 PM

I hope it was everything you prayed for guys...I was thinking about you's today! i live about 2 1/2 hours from there and wanted to drive there but couldnt work it out with my schedule. I hope you guys got to experience some  awesome jasonesss!!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: mariana on September 08, 2008, 09:15:21 PM

Can't wait for your stories and pics!

I wonder what is he wearing today to meet the fans


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: ilene0124 on September 09, 2008, 04:15:59 AM

Hi Everyone!!

Last night was incredible.  Jason was incredible.  He came out and spent a lot of time with everyone.  He went down the line once signing and then came back for pictures (and hugs)!  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got some good pictures and we even got a nice group shot.  I will be back later to post cause sadly I gotta go to work. 

We were trying to figure out if he's worn the shirt he had on before and Jason said he had, but we don't remember seeing it before so when you see pictures, tell us if you remember seeing it!!!!!!!

He was soooo adorable!!!!!!!!  All I can say right now is ahhhhhhhhhh!  I'm so glad I got to see him again and I'm so glad everyone that never got to meet him, did. 

Linda, our seats were awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st floor, 5 rows off the stage!!!!!!!  I'll never know how you managed that, but WOWOWOWOWOW! 

Christie and Tish, yay!!!!!!!!  So nice meeting you!!!!!

Ilene

Oh, and we got to meet McLovin from Castrocopia!!!  She came over cause she heard Flat Jason was at the concert!!!!!!!  So great!!!!!!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 04:47:58 AM

wow sounds like yall had fun


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jolynogaha5 on September 09, 2008, 07:27:06 AM

My daughters and I had a blast!  It was wonderful meeting Jason, although it sounds like the rest of the dreads connected after the concert as well.  Somehow we missed that memo!    I must say, the concert, itself was a bit of a bummer b/c our floor seats literally STANK!!  We were buried in about the middle of the floor seats on the left side...people in front of us stood for long periods of time and we could barely see the projectors either...boohoo.  That said, Jason was wonderful, he was the only singer who left me wanting more...his set was lovely, Crazy, was FABULOUS!!

And what was with the big  second intro for Michael Johns?  Seems Jason and Syesha sort of get the shaft b/c they have the least amount of stage time, however, Syesha milked hers for all it was worth....

My girls got a picture and autographs with Jason and that is all that matters.  It was a blast meeting Tish, Christie, Linda, and Ilene(did I miss anyone?? don't mean to if I did!)...you all are a hoot, and certainly wildly dedicated! Tish, all the little dreadheads we brought home are fabulous!! And kudos to Christie's hubby for filming, I can't wait to see all the footage....our camera decided not to work in the venue, so we got very poor pictures...boohoo...

I think the thing that really meant a lot to us was the time Jaosn took with each of the fans...he actually made eye contact and interacted...wonderful!  More later, but I have to get back to home schooling...we missed all of yesterday and everyone is STILL sleeping!!!  It was soooo worth it though!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jolynogaha5 on September 09, 2008, 07:30:37 AM

Just re-read my post.  I hope it doesn't come across as whining...just keeping it real.  We really did have fun! And I AM not nearly as crazily obsessed as I thought!  Are Christy and Ilene really going to Oklahoma???  I am dying to know how that all pans out...If I could sneak a ride on the tour bus, I would!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jolynogaha5 on September 09, 2008, 07:34:17 AM

BTW, the shirt he was wearing in the Rhode Island experience pictures that Marley's mom posted, is the one he was wearing yesterday b/4 the concert.  He also had on the denim, cut-of manpris with the red pocket sticking out...rahter snug, they are...


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 07:35:29 AM




I'm dead today!  I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 am and had to get up at 6 am to get my kids off to school!  I want to crawl back into bed, but I have to head in to work soon (arrrrrgh!)  Anyhow, it was awesome meeting InDREADiblyGorgeous, Ilene0124, Lakendra and Jolynogaha5 and her daughters yesterday!  It made the 4 hours we waited outside the arena before the show all the more fun!!  Jason was amazing with his dreadheads as always.  He posed for multiple pix, gave lots of hugs and autographs, and never seemed annoyed with all the little questions people asked him.  InDREADiblygorgeous (Tish) made these adorable Jason magnets.  I gave one to Cook and he's like "Oh great, just what I need ... a little Jason".  LOL.  The Cookie fans beside us told Jason that he has the best fans, and he's like "I have the best fans everywhere!"  Someone in our group (Tish?) gave Jason a stack of books and he was really excited about them!  I told him not to stay up all night reading them and he's like "Oh, I will ... 'cause that's what happens!" with the cutest little expression and "I don't know why!" kinda shrug.  I caught it on video and will try to upload it in the next few days.

Hubby was amazing as he stood on a chair the whole time with a video camera in one hand and a still camera in the other hand filming Jason interacting with his fans.   He even wore a pink shirt for KLC:



And here's Olivia's birthday present from Jason:



More pix and videos to follow.  I look horrible in these photos!  My diet start TODAY!    ;D


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 07:45:28 AM

Okay, here's just a couple more:



Jason signing my son's guitar.  Mission accomplished!



Jason and Tish with his books!



Jason with Jolynogaha5's daughters!

[cba]

Wilkes-Barre PA tour thread from DDB - continued:



################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: MusicCity4Jason on September 09, 2008, 07:54:01 AM

Love the pics and stories so far..question..what time did the buses show up?  I am going to Evansville on Thursday and driving in from Nashville and am hoping to make there in time..
In Dallas they came in around 2 pm..is that the usual?


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 08:05:57 AM

jolynogaha, I think I must of sat in the same place at my venue! My poor 6 year old had to stand in her chair and peep between the big fat adult heads in front of her! Kind of a bummer to pay sooo much $$$ to not see well! Cant wait to see Jason in a smaller venue!!!

Great pics so far! Cant wait for all your stories and pics and videos!! And I'm glad y'all got to meet Jason!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: fanforever on September 09, 2008, 08:15:47 AM

musiccity4jason it seems that the idols all come out between 1:30-3:00. The buses roll in around 1:30-2 and then they come out a couple at a time. Have fun. And can't wait to hear more stories and see more pics.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: luvJason1 on September 09, 2008, 09:13:59 AM

jolynogaha,  Thanks for sharing your pictures and Jason experience with us.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jolynogaha5 on September 09, 2008, 09:22:08 AM

You are welcome, but the awesome picts are from Christie, I have a few, but still need to figure out how to post them! 


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: hhidreadhead on September 09, 2008, 10:04:22 AM

The bracelet Jason is wearing in the one picture that dare2dream posted of him signing her son's guitar with the light wood colored beads and tigers eye beads on the wrist that doesn't have a hundred ones on it  already   is the one I got for him!!!!!! Amanda aka Jason4EverMyIdol gave it to him in a striped gift bag in Providence since I didn't get to give it to him when I saw him in Charlotte! SQUEEEEEE,i'm so glad he likes it!!! It has chinese characters on it that stand for protection and balance.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: etihwwons on September 09, 2008, 10:13:45 AM

Ohmigosh! I had so much fun yesterday, it's not even funny! LOL! It was AWESOME! I won't go into any details in this post, because probably a little later today, I'll be starting on my official concert report (what I call "explosions", because concerts make me so excited that I HAVE TO EXPLODE THEM OUT IN THE FORM OF A LOOOOOOOONG REVIEW! LOL!), and I'll put that up as I write it. It was so much fun. And DUDE!!!! We got some astoundingly awesome pictures too! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! My experience in Wilkes-Barre was so much better than Rochester! Can't believe how perfect it was! We didn't get home until after 2:30 in the morning, and we didn't get into bed for another hour after that. So we're exhausted today, but it was so worth it!

Getting to meet some Dreadheads was really fun. And to whoever it was that gave us the magnet, thanks so much. It's so stinking cute, and a really great souvenir!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 09, 2008, 11:28:21 AM

I gave you the magnet...and was happy you liked it!  I was there with my son...remember now?  Is it your mom who had the pictures of him?  It was a lady that liked bluebirds-I know from her card she gave me.

Anyhow, I too had a wonderful time.  I am having trouble putting the whole experience into words.  It's not that I am spellbound or anything (well, maybe a tiny bit LOL) but it is just that I am so at peace now that I've met Jason and seen him live.  He is so REAL.  He is so CALM.  He is so KIND.  He is so CUTE.  He is so NICE.  He is pure JOY and LOVE.  He spent so much time with everyone and made 2 passes as Ilene said before.  Two white haired ladies (no offense anyone) were trying to get a picture and they could not get the camera to work for anything.  He waited patiently until they finally did all the while with a giant smile on his face.  Then (this was the highlight for me) a lady was speaking Spanish to him like there was no tomorrow.  From the look on his face he had no idea what she was saying.  I started to crack up and he looked at me and cracked up too but kept right on listening until she was done.  It was hilarious.  Then, someone else had a yellow Sharpie that they wanted him to sign with.  He kept calling it that "mustard Sharpie."  So cute.
When Ilene and I both gave him gifts of books he lit up.  He was rooting through her gift bag trying to see the titles.  Then when I handed him my pile they were tied with a ribbon and he was trying to get them undone to see those titles.  That boy loves his books!
It was a great day and I'm so glad I went.  My son who is 6 was soooo good and got right up to the fence and asked Jason to sign our towels.  I had to take him to Wal-Mart before we ate to get him some Pokemon cards for being so good.  Sorry he drove everyone nuts at dinner with them!
I truly enjoyed meeting everyone.  I realized that Dreadheads are family now and this is for real, for life.  We all love that boy.  We want hime to make it big....however big Jason wants to make it.  And we will be there every step of the way!
Like we said yesterday...See you all at the "intimate" venues!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 12:03:57 PM

So, I ended up driving the 5 hours and going to meet jason again. I gave him my presents, got a picture, autograph and hug. HOPEFULLY he rememeber something we talked about for datenight tonight

I ended up getting floor seats! row k flr 1.


i had an amazing time.
left RIGHT AFTER the concert and didnt get home until 330-4am
IM BEAT!

(will post pics in a bit)


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: etihwwons on September 09, 2008, 12:07:03 PM

I thought it might have been you who'd given it to us, but I wasn't 100% sure. My brain was so fuzzy (and is so fuzzy) that everything except for Jason kind of blurs. LOL!

Yep! She's the one who took the pic. It came out pretty darn good! I'd offer to e-mail it to you now, however, yesterday, something happened and our Hughes reached its bandwidth limit, or whatever. And when that happens, it slows down to pretty much dial up speed. VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY slow dial up speed. And doing any kind of uploading/downloading/e-mailing pictures becomes pretty much impossible. I could barely get this page to load up!

I thought it was funny when you told him not to stay up all night reading the books, when you gave it to him, and he was like: "Oh, I will be! That's just what happens."  ;D That was really cute. He definitely looked excited over the books, and you made some great choices for him. I just took the easy way out, and gave him a B&N gift card, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to get. LOL!

Okay, I've gotta get my thoughts in order to start this thang.

BTW, your son was really good while we were waiting. Thought it was funny how he was trying to cover himself with the towels while laying on the ground.  ;D


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: ilene0124 on September 09, 2008, 12:35:15 PM

Ok, I'm still at work, but I had to share this funny little thing I remembered this morning.  It was one of those, "Oh no, I didn't!!!" things.

Do you guys remember when all the letters were falling off of our banner and Jason put the Letter "L" on his pants...  Well, I told him it would cover up the hole in his pants and the pocket that sticks out and all I know is I put my hand on the pocket!!  AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH......Yikes!! 

I remembered cause I was wondering what was in the pocket, felt likes keys or something!!  OMG!!!  Too weird....  All I know is I woke up this morning with a start and a OMG!!!  I didn't do that, did I?

Also, when Jason came back around, he just walked up, I put my arms out and he just walked into a hug!!  It was the coolest thing!!!  And this time I really made a mental note of how the dreads felt!  I just love the dreads!! YEA!   In my picture with him I put my arms around his shoulder (yayay!) and then I remember while we were in the group shot, I put my hand on his shoulder too!!  OMG, I think I just had to make the most of the experience cause we don't know when we'll be seeing him again since the tour is over soon.

I apologize for all my fangirl craziness!!!!!!!!!!  But OMG!!!!!!!!!  It was so worth it!!  That boy just makes me smile like nobody's business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(If this is all too goofy, somebody PM me please!  Bring me back down to earth!)  (It's ok, I know you all won't)  Just shake your heads, it's cool!!!!!!!

Ilene


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 01:57:13 PM

OMG GUYS THANKS SOOO MUCH!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 02:46:52 PM

Quote from: ilene0124 on September 09, 2008, 12:35:15 PM
Ok, I'm still at work, but I had to share this funny little thing I remembered this morning.  It was one of those, "Oh no, I didn't!!!" things.

Do you guys remember when all the letters were falling off of our banner and Jason put the Letter "L" on his pants...  Well, I told him it would cover up the hole in his pants and the pocket that sticks out and all I know is I put my hand on the pocket!!  AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH......Yikes!! 

I remembered cause I was wondering what was in the pocket, felt likes keys or something!!  OMG!!!  Too weird....  All I know is I woke up this morning with a start and a OMG!!!  I didn't do that, did I?

Also, when Jason came back around, he just walked up, I put my arms out and he just walked into a hug!!  It was the coolest thing!!!  And this time I really made a mental note of how the dreads felt!  I just love the dreads!! YEA!   In my picture with him I put my arms around his shoulder (yayay!) and then I remember while we were in the group shot, I put my hand on his shoulder too!!  OMG, I think I just had to make the most of the experience cause we don't know when we'll be seeing him again since the tour is over soon.

I apologize for all my fangirl craziness!!!!!!!!!!  But OMG!!!!!!!!!  It was so worth it!!  That boy just makes me smile like nobody's business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(If this is all too goofy, somebody PM me please!  Bring me back down to earth!)  (It's ok, I know you all won't)  Just shake your heads, it's cool!!!!!!!

Ilene

LOL, I should clarify this ... Lakendra (Linda) made a gorgeous banner that said "Pantzylvania Dreadheads here!"  The letters for the word Pantzylvania were cut out of denim and glued on the banner.  But it was really windy and the letters were blowing off!  Jason is practically right in of me and suddenly, I hear someone (I think Lakendra?) from behind me say "Jason, you're "pantz" (as in Pantzylvania letters) are flying off".  I was ROFL.  LIttle did I know Ilene was grabbing him by the pockets!     Did I have any moments like that that I'm temporarily blocking out?  LOL   ;D


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 02:47:34 PM

Here's some of my pictures.
Check out the rest on my myspace
myspace.com/xosharissa

me and jason <3











################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: CaitlinValerie on September 09, 2008, 02:56:47 PM

wow you are all so lucky to have met him!!! and that is so nice of ya'll to do that for Olivia!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 02:58:46 PM

i no isnt it... they are all just amazing jason fans... sweet and down to earth


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 09, 2008, 03:09:44 PM

I have another picture of the birthday banner for you Olivia and he is making a funny face but how do I get it to you?  (I'm computer dumb!)


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 03:11:42 PM

send it to my email: [e-mail]


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: elel on September 09, 2008, 03:11:55 PM

Quote from: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 07:35:29 AM



I'm dead today!  I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 am and had to get up at 6 am to get my kids off to school!  I want to crawl back into bed, but I have to head in to work soon (arrrrrgh!)  Anyhow, it was awesome meeting InDREADiblyGorgeous, Ilene0124, Lakendra and Jolynogaha5 and her daughters yesterday!  It made the 4 hours we waited outside the arena before the show all the more fun!!  Jason was amazing with his dreadheads as always.  He posed for multiple pix, gave lots of hugs and autographs, and never seemed annoyed with all the little questions people asked him.  InDREADiblygorgeous (Tish) made these adorable Jason magnets.  I gave one to Cook and he's like "Oh great, just what I need ... a little Jason". LOL.  The Cookie fans beside us told Jason that he has the best fans, and he's like "I have the best fans everywhere!"  Someone in our group (Tish?) gave Jason a stack of books and he was really excited about them!  I told him not to stay up all night reading them and he's like "Oh, I will ... 'cause that's what happens!" with the cutest little expression and "I don't know why!" kinda shrug.  I caught it on video and will try to upload it in the next few days.

Hubby was amazing as he stood on a chair the whole time with a video camera in one hand and a still camera in the other hand filming Jason interacting with his fans.   He even wore a pink shirt for KLC:

haha LOL at Cook!
CHristie, so happy for you, finally met jason!! 
cant wait for your videos...

[cba]

Wilkes-Barre PA tour thread from DDB - continued:


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 03:19:00 PM

Quote from: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 07:35:29 AM



I'm dead today!  I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 am and had to get up at 6 am to get my kids off to school!  I want to crawl back into bed, but I have to head in to work soon (arrrrrgh!)  Anyhow, it was awesome meeting InDREADiblyGorgeous, Ilene0124, Lakendra and Jolynogaha5 and her daughters yesterday!  It made the 4 hours we waited outside the arena before the show all the more fun!!  Jason was amazing with his dreadheads as always.  He posed for multiple pix, gave lots of hugs and autographs, and never seemed annoyed with all the little questions people asked him.  InDREADiblygorgeous (Tish) made these adorable Jason magnets.  I gave one to Cook and he's like "Oh great, just what I need ... a little Jason".  LOL.  The Cookie fans beside us told Jason that he has the best fans, and he's like "I have the best fans everywhere!"  Someone in our group (Tish?) gave Jason a stack of books and he was really excited about them!  I told him not to stay up all night reading them and he's like "Oh, I will ... 'cause that's what happens!" with the cutest little expression and "I don't know why!" kinda shrug.  I caught it on video and will try to upload it in the next few days.

Hubby was amazing as he stood on a chair the whole time with a video camera in one hand and a still camera in the other hand filming Jason interacting with his fans.   He even wore a pink shirt for KLC:

your hubby was by me! I remember seeing a guy on a chair with cameras!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM

Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 04:26:01 PM

me 2... they sound interesting


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM

Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol




################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 04:42:22 PM

awww tooo cute


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: dare2dream on September 09, 2008, 04:46:25 PM

Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol



Where were you?  I didn't see you there!  I was wondering what happened to you.  Were you over talking to the dreadheads?  If so, I'm not sure how I missed you.     How did you get the pic of Jason with the little dreadhead?  I put one in his gift bag, but the security guy took the gift bag before he even looked in it!  I wonder if he looked in it before he went inside or if someone gave him another one?


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 09, 2008, 04:48:15 PM

Quote from: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 03:11:42 PM
send it to my email: [e-mail]

Will do!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:49:00 PM

No, i was there. infact, i think now that you handed me a little dread guy! because I got it signed by jason! haha and that one was one of the fans. they got it signed by him. (Im to the left of him in that picture)


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:49:40 PM

i was actually stuck in a mass of DC fans. infact the one tried to fight with me


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 09, 2008, 04:51:23 PM

I made the magnets and I noticed your shirt...I gave you the magnet but the person that was getting it signed in that picture was over by us but she didn't say she was a DH she just had a Jason shirt on.  As a matter of fact I don't think I ever got her name.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 04:55:19 PM

Quote from: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 09, 2008, 04:48:15 PM
Quote from: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 03:11:42 PM
send it to my email: [e-mail]

Will do!

OKEY DOKEY


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:56:31 PM

Hm I dont know. but i do love my little dread guy I ran into you whenever i decided to step away from the angry cookie fan and make my way to peace&love land.

I was totally out of it that day lol it was a long drive and i had about an hour of sleep before we drove out


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 05:13:52 PM

Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol


Those are ADORABLE!! I LOVE the Dreadhead creativity!!

All the other fan bases and the other idols have even mentioned how creative and kind we are! DREADHEADS ROCK!!!!

Sorry you were harassed by a BAD COOKIE!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 05:18:42 PM

Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 05:13:52 PM
Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol


Those are ADORABLE!! I LOVE the Dreadhead creativity!!

All the other fan bases and the other idols have even mentioned how creative and kind we are! DREADHEADS ROCK!!!!

Sorry you were harassed by a BAD COOKIE!

its okay she ended up actually getting ahold of DC.. and like wouldnt let go. i think he was scared! haha!
and then SOMEHOW her seats were next to ours (do you believe it!) and there were two of them FIGHTING over a pick thrown by DC.. along with hysterically crying

[cba]

Wilkes-Barre PA tour thread from DDB - continued:


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: ilene0124 on September 09, 2008, 05:23:13 PM

Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 02:47:34 PM
Here's some of my pictures.
Check out the rest on my myspace
myspace.com/xosharissa

me and jason <3










These pictures are great Sharissa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have to download mine still.  I have to disconnect my wireless, so it takes me a while and I hate to go offline when datenight may be here soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the Myspace Friend invite.  Your pictures are fantastic!!!!!  Where were you sitting?  It looks like you were near us.  We were in Section 1 Row E.   You look even closer than we were!!!!!!!!!!

At the last song, Jason waved and, of course, I waved back thinking oh yea, he must be waving to me!! But in the car, my daughter asked me if I thought he was waving to me and I said, of course!  (yea right), but she said no mom, I really think he waved to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ahhhh, wishful thinking, but I think I'll go with that...........!!!!!!!  (I know, everyone thinks he is waving to them!! but what the heck....we can dream, after all we are on DDB!)

Ilene


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 05:30:55 PM

OH i know exactly how you feel! haha

actually, i got my tickets while we waited for the idols at the venue.
Im so sun burnt today MY FACE HURTS!

I was on FLOOR1 ROW K. pretty sweet!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: Olivia Ortiz♥ on September 09, 2008, 05:38:49 PM

hey did you send it yet?


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: MusicCity4Jason on September 09, 2008, 07:32:07 PM

Quote from: fanforever on September 09, 2008, 08:15:47 AM
musiccity4jason it seems that the idols all come out between 1:30-3:00. The buses roll in around 1:30-2 and then they come out a couple at a time. Have fun. And can't wait to hear more stories and see more pics.

Thanks!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jasonfan5 on September 09, 2008, 08:10:25 PM

Vehementlovex, the pictures that you posted here are great but since your MySpace is set to private, we can't check out the rest of your pictures like you requested.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: glotrovato on September 09, 2008, 08:35:21 PM

Quote from: ilene0124 on September 09, 2008, 12:35:15 PM
Ok, I'm still at work, but I had to share this funny little thing I remembered this morning.  It was one of those, "Oh no, I didn't!!!" things.

Do you guys remember when all the letters were falling off of our banner and Jason put the Letter "L" on his pants...  Well, I told him it would cover up the hole in his pants and the pocket that sticks out and all I know is I put my hand on the pocket!!  AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH......Yikes!! 

I remembered cause I was wondering what was in the pocket, felt likes keys or something!!  OMG!!!  Too weird....  All I know is I woke up this morning with a start and a OMG!!!  I didn't do that, did I?

Also, when Jason came back around, he just walked up, I put my arms out and he just walked into a hug!!  It was the coolest thing!!!  And this time I really made a mental note of how the dreads felt!  I just love the dreads!! YEA!   In my picture with him I put my arms around his shoulder (yayay!) and then I remember while we were in the group shot, I put my hand on his shoulder too!!  OMG, I think I just had to make the most of the experience cause we don't know when we'll be seeing him again since the tour is over soon.

I apologize for all my fangirl craziness!!!!!!!!!!  But OMG!!!!!!!!!  It was so worth it!!  That boy just makes me smile like nobody's business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(If this is all too goofy, somebody PM me please!  Bring me back down to earth!)  (It's ok, I know you all won't)  Just shake your heads, it's cool!!!!!!!

Ilene

LOL Ilene that's so funny that you did that with his pockets    Don't worry we all know your a good person and was just caught up in the fangirl moment and having some innocent fun lol    Jason has that way of making us feel good again    Wish I was there.

I'm so glad you got to see Jason again before the end of tour and that your trip was worth it.

Hugs,
Gloria


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 09:12:14 PM

okay my privacy setting is changed. you should be able to view my pictures now.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 09:33:39 PM

Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 05:13:52 PM
Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol


Those are ADORABLE!! I LOVE the Dreadhead creativity!!

All the other fan bases and the other idols have even mentioned how creative and kind we are! DREADHEADS ROCK!!!!

Sorry you were harassed by a BAD COOKIE!

its okay she ended up actually getting ahold of DC.. and like wouldnt let go. i think he was scared! haha!
and then SOMEHOW her seats were next to ours (do you believe it!) and there were two of them FIGHTING over a pick thrown by DC.. along with hysterically crying
WOW! Karma kicked in pretty quick for her huh? LOL!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 09:40:41 PM

Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 09:33:39 PM
Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 05:13:52 PM
Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 04:41:17 PM
Quote from: thisisheaven on September 09, 2008, 04:23:41 PM
Does someone have a pic of the magnets?? I wanna see!


i thought this was a good one lol


Those are ADORABLE!! I LOVE the Dreadhead creativity!!

All the other fan bases and the other idols have even mentioned how creative and kind we are! DREADHEADS ROCK!!!!

Sorry you were harassed by a BAD COOKIE!

its okay she ended up actually getting ahold of DC.. and like wouldnt let go. i think he was scared! haha!
and then SOMEHOW her seats were next to ours (do you believe it!) and there were two of them FIGHTING over a pick thrown by DC.. along with hysterically crying
WOW! Karma kicked in pretty quick for them huh? LOL!


haha yeah. i mean, i felt bad..
but that what they get for messin with a jason fan!
really, i started to laugh. the girl was acting like a 4 year old. she pouted and stomped and screamed.
im like "HEY, THE SHOWS STILL ON SHUT UP!"


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: overstrung on September 09, 2008, 09:44:46 PM

Great stories!!!! But need more details, play by play. How did I end up with so many friends in PA??

Thanks Dare2dream for making that birthday poster for Olivia (who remembers the live feed?).... aweSOME! Olivia, Dreadheads are always lookin out for each other Happy Birthday!

Jolynogaha, daughters with smiles IS all that matters, but a little more time with Jason would have been nice

Sharissa, more beautiful photos of you and Jason and Jason in concert, Cookie fan story hysterical

Didn't Lakendra go? Come out, come out....


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 10, 2008, 05:12:16 AM

Here's my concert recap:
Chikieze- LOVED him.  I applaud him for starting each and every show with a bang!  He really got the crowd going.
Ramielle- She's small, she's cute, and she moved pretty good.  I like the "Love Will Lead You Back" song.  Just OK for the others.
MJ- This guy bugs me.  He keeps saying "This is the song that got me kicked off AI" when he sings Dream On.  We know that already.  His antics are starting to get annoying too.  Like he's mocking the whole thing.  Maybe its just me but I wasn't impressed.
KLC-She flips her hair around pretty much.  She was nice when we met them but the singing was ehhh.
Carly-The girl can blow as Randy would say.  Love the Evanessence song but she is definitely a huge belter.
Brooke-Brooke was the BEST!  I was thoroughly impressed and surprised since I had never watched any of her performances.  I LOVED her.
Jason-You know we all love him but I think I really ruined it for myself by watching all the performance videos of almost the whole tour.  I wasn't disappointed but it was just like I was watching the videos again.  Then there was some kind of miscue with the lighting so he wasn't even sitting on his stool when the lights came on.  That kind of blew the whole grand entrance with the uke strumming for me.  I did love Crazy though and think he could have a huge hit with it.  Heard someone mentioning how great it was on the way out which made me smile.
Syesha-I liked her shoes.  Wholly cleavage batman!
David A.-LOVED him!  What a cute guy.  What a voice.
David C.-I'll probably get roasted for this but I was not blown away.  The whole "rock star" thing with the throwing of the guitar pics was not my thing.  I guess I'm getting old.  And why does he think anyone would want a drank-out-of-water-bottle tossed to them.  He did that numerous times.  It was somewhat over the top for me.  The crowd was nuts for him though and he definitely can sing.
The group number was good with a pretty mild Mavid dance but you can tell they've all had their fill.  The goup number before intermission did re-introduce "Mr. Michael Johns" again which was completely unnecessary.
My seats turned out to be not as good as I had hoped but I really didn't want to be on the floor with a 6 year old.  I had the best view of some Cook fan who I thought was going to pass out she was so overwhelmed.  Funny!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: CarolinaGirl on September 10, 2008, 07:22:03 AM

Thanks so much everybody for sharing your great pics and recaps with us! 

I'd love to know what books you guys gave Jason.

[cba]

Wilkes-Barre PA tour thread from DDB - continued:


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: thisisheaven on September 10, 2008, 07:24:07 AM

Quote from: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 10, 2008, 05:12:16 AM
Here's my concert recap:
Chikieze- LOVED him.  I applaud him for starting each and every show with a bang!  He really got the crowd going.
Ramielle- She's small, she's cute, and she moved pretty good.  I like the "Love Will Lead You Back" song.  Just OK for the others.
MJ- This guy bugs me.  He keeps saying "This is the song that got me kicked off AI" when he sings Dream On.  We know that already.  His antics are starting to get annoying too.  Like he's mocking the whole thing.  Maybe its just me but I wasn't impressed.
KLC-She flips her hair around pretty much.  She was nice when we met them but the singing was ehhh.
Carly-The girl can blow as Randy would say.  Love the Evanessence song but she is definitely a huge belter.
Brooke-Brooke was the BEST!  I was thoroughly impressed and surprised since I had never watched any of her performances.  I LOVED her.
Jason-You know we all love him but I think I really ruined it for myself by watching all the performance videos of almost the whole tour.  I wasn't disappointed but it was just like I was watching the videos again.  Then there was some kind of miscue with the lighting so he wasn't even sitting on his stool when the lights came on.  That kind of blew the whole grand entrance with the uke strumming for me.  I did love Crazy though and think he could have a huge hit with it.  Heard someone mentioning how great it was on the way out which made me smile.
Syesha-I liked her shoes.  Wholly cleavage batman!
David A.-LOVED him!  What a cute guy.  What a voice.
David C.-I'll probably get roasted for this but I was not blown away.  The whole "rock star" thing with the throwing of the guitar pics was not my thing.  I guess I'm getting old.  And why does he think anyone would want a drank-out-of-water-bottle tossed to them.  He did that numerous times.  It was somewhat over the top for me.  The crowd was nuts for him though and he definitely can sing.
The group number was good with a pretty mild Mavid dance but you can tell they've all had their fill.  The goup number before intermission did re-introduce "Mr. Michael Johns" again which was completely unnecessary.
My seats turned out to be not as good as I had hoped but I really didn't want to be on the floor with a 6 year old.  I had the best view of some Cook fan who I thought was going to pass out she was so overwhelmed.  Funny!
I know what you mean about MJ and Cook, they have an arrogance about them. How soon they forget that just a few months ago, after trying for a long time and failed CDs, no one knew who the heck they were.

I guess we are just used to our wonderful humble Jason and no one else can compare!

One thing about AI, it gets people emotionaly invested in the contestants, gives them a huge fan base, gets their names known all around the world, and is a spring board to the next step. Those that had it in the first place will succeed. It will be interesting to see whos still selling music in a couple years.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: keahgirl8 on September 10, 2008, 07:48:56 AM

Quote from: vehementlovex on September 09, 2008, 02:47:34 PM






This one is amazing...


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: jc14u on September 10, 2008, 09:01:49 AM

Quote from: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 10, 2008, 05:12:16 AM
Here's my concert recap:
Chikieze- LOVED him.  I applaud him for starting each and every show with a bang!  He really got the crowd going.
Ramielle- She's small, she's cute, and she moved pretty good.  I like the "Love Will Lead You Back" song.  Just OK for the others.
MJ- This guy bugs me.  He keeps saying "This is the song that got me kicked off AI" when he sings Dream On.  We know that already.  His antics are starting to get annoying too.  Like he's mocking the whole thing.  Maybe its just me but I wasn't impressed.
KLC-She flips her hair around pretty much.  She was nice when we met them but the singing was ehhh.
Carly-The girl can blow as Randy would say.  Love the Evanessence song but she is definitely a huge belter.
Brooke-Brooke was the BEST!  I was thoroughly impressed and surprised since I had never watched any of her performances.  I LOVED her.
Jason-You know we all love him but I think I really ruined it for myself by watching all the performance videos of almost the whole tour.  I wasn't disappointed but it was just like I was watching the videos again.  Then there was some kind of miscue with the lighting so he wasn't even sitting on his stool when the lights came on.  That kind of blew the whole grand entrance with the uke strumming for me.  I did love Crazy though and think he could have a huge hit with it.  Heard someone mentioning how great it was on the way out which made me smile.
Syesha-I liked her shoes.  Wholly cleavage batman!
David A.-LOVED him!  What a cute guy.  What a voice.
David C.-I'll probably get roasted for this but I was not blown away.  The whole "rock star" thing with the throwing of the guitar pics was not my thing.  I guess I'm getting old.  And why does he think anyone would want a drank-out-of-water-bottle tossed to them.  He did that numerous times.  It was somewhat over the top for me.  The crowd was nuts for him though and he definitely can sing.
The group number was good with a pretty mild Mavid dance but you can tell they've all had their fill.  The goup number before intermission did re-introduce "Mr. Michael Johns" again which was completely unnecessary.
My seats turned out to be not as good as I had hoped but I really didn't want to be on the floor with a 6 year old.  I had the best view of some Cook fan who I thought was going to pass out she was so overwhelmed.  Funny!

Wow - this is exactly the way I wrote up my recap of the Providence show.  I thought Brooke was the best too!  I absolutely loved her!  I felt exactly the same way about everyone except for Cook.  I wasn't blown away but he is a rock and roll guy so I guess I expect that whole ritual from him.  I tell you though, I liked Michael Johns on the show, but now I can't stomach him.  He is so full of himself that it is embarrassing to watch him.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: etihwwons on September 10, 2008, 10:14:10 AM

BAH! Couldn't get on at all for the rest of yesterday. But I did manage to get a little of my experience written up. So here's the beginning. I'm gonna do quite a bit of writing today, so keep an eye out for the rest of it. And when I'm done with my experience, I'll put up the pics, and OH MY GOSH the pics are amazing! Yesterday I put one of them on my desktop and nearly had a heart attack! It is the most perfect picture! And it makes me feel really warm and fuzzy! GAH!

OH MY GOSH! I can't believe the pic of Jason with the magnet!!! That is so awesome! LOL!












Alrighty, let’s get this party started!

To start off, let me just say that Sunday night/Monday morning, I got a grand total of precisely ONE hour of sleep. Yes. One stinking, blooming hour. It was a nightmare. Monday morning started with me shaking and staggering and feeling like I was about to collapse.

My dad said that if I needed to go back to bed (I was in FIERCE shape when I finally got up) and sleep for a little while, and then leave a bit later, that it would be okay. I shot that idea down real fast. (I just thought of I shot the tambourine man….love those shirts.) I was grumpy, panicky, near death and exhausted. But I was DIPPED if I was going to let it ruin my chances of getting a hug from Jason! Wild pigs (as Sooner would say) could not have held me back from at least TRYING for a hug. And my expectations were wobbly to begin with, because of past reports of how things had gone in Wilkes-Barre, and what liars the venue staff had turned out to be with the people who went ahead of time to ask questions.

But still! It didn’t matter! I WAS GOING TO THE CONCERT! I’d had a crappy 2 months, I was stressed out like you wouldn’t believe, and this was the one REALLY fun thing on my radar. I WASN’T GOING TO LET ANYTHING STOP ME FROM BEING AT THAT ARENA!

Okay….So I went a little crazy in the head. But I’m all better now.

So anyway, my friend arrived at our house at 10 to nine, and we wound up leaving at about 9:30. I managed to revive a little bit in the car with some music. Listened to Josh Groban for the whole trip down. It was really weird…..Josh Groban is my head cheese dude, I’ve seen him 7 times in concert, met him, love him. One of the concert we went to was at the arena in Wilkes-Barre about 3 and a half years ago. LOVED that arena, and it was one of the best concerts of his ever. Also, for this AI concert, we had the EXACT same seats that we did for the Josh concert, just on the opposite side of the stage. (Section 119, row F, right next to the catwalk BABAY!) Also, Archie (my second favorite) does a Josh song (When You Say You Love Me), and I had made a sign for our first AI concert in Rochester saying: “Archie + WYSYLM = 1  Grobanite”. And I brought it with me to the Wilkes-Barre concert too. It was all very weird, and had me feeling almost like I was going to a Josh concert. LOL!

Anyway, we got into Pennsylvania, and ran into construction. At noon (when I’d wanted to be at the arena) I asked how much farther we had to go, and found out we had 45 minutes to an hour left. Then we ran into more construction, and reduced speed limits. I started to get a little bit nervous, afraid that we were going to get there too late. Of course, we’d gotten held up just north of the border, when we stopped at a drug store. But I’d managed to get the perfect gift bag for my gift there (which had been spotted by my friend).

I’d gotten him a Tiger Eye pendant necklace with a long brown, almost suede material cord, which tied around your neck. Thought it was very cool, and very him. I’d also gotten him a B&N gift card. That was gonna be it for this time, and then the other night we were in Wegmans of all places, and as my mom and I were walking, she spotted something that was INSANELY cool. They had a shelf with a bunch of guitar shaped pillows. That would have been cool enough, but the pillows had an MP3 player hookup, and SPEAKERS in it, for Pete’s sake! So we HAD to get one. Thought it was the most perfect thing in the world to get him.

So we’d gotten a gift bag for it, and everything was all set to go. It was just that now, we weren’t going to get to the arena until 1:00, and with how up in the air everything had been for this venue, it was an hour later than what would have been comfortable. But that was okay. We DID finally get to Wilkes-Barre.


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: etihwwons on September 10, 2008, 10:55:25 AM

Okay, here's some more.
















As we pulled onto the road that the arena was on, I saw what looked like a huge crowd of people just beyond the parking area, which made me really excited because that meant that the arena might have put up a nice barrier, and that our chances of GETTING TO MEET JASON MIGHT HAVE INCREASED!

The closer we got the more obvious it became that there was a nicely sized crowd. Before we even got into the parking lot, I was like: “LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!” The hyperness levels were just way too high. We pulled into the parking, parked, and I leapt out. I grabbed all my stuff out of the trunk, and me, my mom, and my friend all went to the crowd. It was not at all difficult to spot the Dreadheads. There was a mini sea of baby blue t-shirts and balloons. I excitedly told my friend that the Dreadheads were right there, and she was like: “How do you know?” LOL!

Now, for me, going up to strangers and striking up a conversation is the very LAST thing I like doing. I’m pretty shy about that stuff. However, I was very motivated. I knew that my best chance of getting my Jason moment would come if I huddled in with the rest of the Dreadheads. I went up to them, and said: “I see Dreadheads!” And then I turned all splotchy.

It was nice meeting them, they were really nice. My friend actually said later that the Dreadheads were nicer than the Cookie fans. LOL! (Her favorite is Cookie, second favorite Jason.)

So we stuck with them, and there was only one person between me and the barrier, and we all just kind of hung out. Indreadibly gorgeous had those magnets and she gave them out, someone was handing out water to us all (it might’ve been her too). I also think it was her who had the little folder of Jason pictures that she’d printed out, and she showed them to us. Lovely pictures.

One of the other Dreadheads was eyeing my guitar, so I told her what it was, and she said she thought he’d love it, which made me really excited.

It was blazing hot out! At least the sun was like right on our heads, anyway. There was a lot of wind because of how the venue was situated, but it was still fierce, and we were very glad that we’d gotten some sunscreen at the drug store we’d stopped at on the way. It was really really hot. And I have VERY pasty white skin. And I was wearing black. Yay. LOL!

I’d brought my shirt that I’d made for the Rochester concert with me for him to sign. And I also had the printed out picture I’d taken with me to Rochester too. In Rochester after the concert, I did get the picture signed, however, there were 5 people between me and him and by the time it got up to him, it was backwards, and so he wound up signing the back of it. Which was really great, and I was happy to have gotten his autograph. But I decided to try to get the front of it signed this time, and my shirt.

We waited for, a good half hour after we got there not knowing if they were already inside or if they hadn’t gotten there yet. There were buses parked down below us in the parking lot, but we didn’t know if they were THE buses or not.

Finally, one of the buses passed us on the street (they were greeted with cheering and screaming, and some MJ fans with signs). And as they were passing us for the second time (had to do a U-ee just up the road a little and go back down to the parking lot) they beeped the horn at us which was wicked cool.

A few minutes later a second bus passed us, and they went WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY up the road before coming back down, which was kinda weird, but whatever. LOL! They got a good reception too. There was really no way to tell which bus came first, whether it was the boys or the girls. But judging from the honk, I’m thinking the first bus was they guys. Hehehe.

So both buses got into the parking, and I started to get really nervous. WAY more nervous than I was for Rochester. I mean, this time, things might actually work out so that I could get my dream encounter. LOL! They hadn’t come out yet, so we weren’t too late, and there were lots of people at the barrier, so they had lots of motivation, and I was standing with the Dreadheads. I had an overwhelming feeling of DREADHEAD SPIRIT! LOL!

I mean, don’t get me wrong, things in Rochester had gone well. I’d gotten to give him my gift for that concert, and I got an autograph, and a brief conversation. It was really great. But I SO wanted a hug. Words can’t describe how much I wanted a hug. And when I realized that things might actually work out so that I could get a hug, I exploded. LOL!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: dare2dream on September 10, 2008, 11:01:40 AM

etihwwons - Just tell me now!  Did you get your hug from Jason?  My hubby was video taping, and I'm pretty sure he got him hugging you.  I'll let you finish your story and then I'll post mine a bit later.  Don't keep us in suspense!!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: InDREADiblyGorgeous on September 10, 2008, 11:40:29 AM

For God's sake Snow I was standing next to you the whole time but the suspense is killing me for you to finish this story.......I LOVE IT!!  Keep going!


################Title: Re: 8 September---Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Post by: etihwwons on September 10, 2008, 12:37:22 PM

LOL! Suspense is what I'm best at.  ;D It's gonna be a little while before you find out.  Dare2Dream, check your PM's. Hehehe. Was your husband the one who was standing on the chair, and who was VERY happy when Kristy came out? I thought that was really funny.

You know, even though I met you guys, I didn't get your names, nor did I give mine to you. Here, everyone can call me Snow, but my real name is Elyse.