Friday, January 29, 2010

NKOTB questions Livestream COULD have asked

We all saw the painful interview that @Livestream just did with New Kids on the Block. You know, the one that pissed Danny off and made Jon give that squinty-faced "Who Cares?" look. The interviewer (and I use that term QUITE loosely because, let's face it, my twelve year old would've been a better journalist) asked the same lame-ass questions that the guys have been asked for the last two years: "Why did you guys reunite?" "What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done?" I mean REALLY? What, because none of us have heard about how Donnie heard the song "Click, Click, Click" and decided it was time to come together again? Because nobody's listened to the recap about Joe's crazy Korean shower girls 14,000 times?

I came up with some questions (with my twelve-year-old, btw) that COULD have been asked. Feel free to add your own!

10. You've just come off a week long tour of the US to promote your new DVD "Coming Home," where you've sat with fans and watched it side-by-side in a theater. What was it like being there with your fans and seeing their reactions first-hand?

9. Your fan-base is typically made up of thirty-somethings who grew up listening to your music. Now their children are listening to you. Do you find it surreal that you've touched two generations of fans?

8. The "Coming Home" DVD has some gag reels and bloopers on it. What were some of your favorite silly moments over the last couple years that didn't make the DVD?

7. Danny, you've inspired thousands of fans to start taking better care of their health through diet, exercise and regular breast exams. Have you ever thought about doing a fitness video?

6. Joe, your son Griffin was quite visible at concerts and in videos and behind-the-scenes interviews over the last two years, yet we haven't seen even a photograph of your new son, Rhys. Why is that?

5. Some of you have started following your fans on Twitter. What's the most surprising thing you've learned about them through there?

4. Speaking of fans, surely you've noticed the camaraderie that has developed among Blockheads. Many have said "It's not about the guys anymore, it's about this family we've developed." What are your thoughts?

3. This time around, you've said that you're much more accessible to fans thanks to the internet and social networking sites like Twitter. Do you find it harder to have downtime with your families and close friends this way?

2. You've said in past interviews that there was a lot of music that didn't make it on "The Block." Do you plan on releasing any of that music or any new music anytime soon?

1. You've got a four-day Cruise in May, two Radio City Music Hall shows in June. What else is on the tour agenda for New Kids on the Block this year?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Some randomosity at 4am

1. While I enjoy the peacefulness of a rural morning, I love music. I'd rather listen to music than watch TV. Nothing beats cranking my favorite playlist and singing along as I go about  my day. I wish I were more talented in that area

2. I have read almost every single book that's ever entered my house. Most of them more than once. I LOVE to read, almost more than I love music. I honestly don't know if I could give up either one if I was forced to make a choice.

3. I don't like kids. I say that in general terms, as there are always exceptions (my own, of course), but for the most part, children are noisy, messy and demanding. Three things I really have no patience for.

4. I have begun writing a book that I've had in my head for a very long time. Having been encouraged by close friends and distant ones I've finally come to see what they've seen in me all along.

5. I hate steamed cauliflower and raw broccoli.

6. I would have made a KILLER lawyer if I could've stood all the bureaucratic BS that comes along with it. Ask my ex-husband. He'll tell you how brutal I can be in a courtroom.

7. I've rediscovered myself as an individual as I've worked my way through my thirties. I'm liking what I see, though I know there are still areas that need polishing.

8. It's not likely that you'll ever think "I wonder what Mel thinks about this?" I'm far too opinionated for my own good

9. I have one of the most compassionate hearts when it comes to animals. If I had it to give, I'd support more charities involving animals. I wish (sometimes) I were that compassionate toward people.

10. I rarely forget anything. The addition of me being vengeful and creative should make this a trifecta of fear in anyone who crosses me, hurts my friends or threatens my family.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lost sisters

Without going into too much family history, I'm going to try and explain this recent development without confusing anyone too much.

My mother was married three times in her life.

1) Howard - they had two kids together: Cheri & Tim
2) Nelson - my biological father. They had me. He left when I was just a few months old and died when I was 6 yrs old.
3) Roger - my stepdad, but the only man I'd ever called Dad. He had three grown kids from a previous marriage. He came along when I was about 18 mos old and was with my mother until I was 13. He died five years ago.

I grew up calling Cheri and Tim my sister and brother. It's always been that way. I've never referred to them as "halves" or anything. In fact, my brother is who raised me when my mom died when I was 15.

Because of the circumstances surrounding my parents divorce and the issues leading up to it, I had no contact whatsoever with my biological father, who had moved back to Georgia, where his family was from. The only relative on his side of the family we had anything to do with was his brother (my uncle) Calvin. Calvin and my mother had kept in touch throughout the rest of her life. My father was very rarely spoken of.

Fastforward to 1995. I was recently married and had a newborn. My aunt (Nelson & Calvin's sister) Melba had written me a series of letters telling me about my extended family. She knew my mother hadn't ever really talked to me about it, so she told me all about aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. She also told me that I had two sisters on my dad's side, Mary & Linda and included some pictures of them from when they were little.

This was news to me. I had no clue I had other siblings out there. Aunt Melba told me their names, but unfortunately, nobody in my family had last names or any idea where they lived. I did some internet searches for them, but without last names, I didn't get far. I'd done a few more futile searches over the years, but after fifteen years, I'd given up. I felt it was probably just not meant to be to meet my sisters. For that matter, I didn't even know if they knew that I existed. I'd come along several years after our father had left their mom.

Over the years, I've lost touch with a lot of my Georgia family. Uncle Calvin passed away in 2007 and I hadn't really talked to anyone since then. I recently found his wife on Facebook along with some of my cousins and I sent them friend requests.

When my aunt accepted me as a friend, I went through her profile, looking at pictures and checking her friends list. That's when I stumbled up on Linda's name...and just a few people later, Mary's. I looked at their pictures and knew right away they were my sisters. Now what?! Did they know who I was? Would they want to hear from me?

I finally decided to break down and email them both. Mary responded within a few hours very favorably and we actually spoke on the phone for the first time Sunday afternoon. I'm still waiting for Linda's response, but from what I understand, she's very busy and doesn't get the chance to get on Facebook as frequently as I do. Mary and I are planning on meeting for the first time in March.

I'm still overwhelmed by this whole thing, but I'm so excited at the prospect of getting to know my sisters.

Monday, January 11, 2010

All roads lead to Oz

Whenever I'm on my Blackberry and don't have time to read someone's blog, I'll mark their post as a favorite and go back later to read it. I constantly do that with @altgeldshrugged (Jen Lancaster). For those of you unaware, she's my favorite author and quite possibly the funniest person I've never met. She's written several books memoir-style, which is probably the genre I can most closely identify with.

Anyway...the favorited one of her links the other day and went back to read it tonight: Move Over, Tucker Max. It's typical Lancaster humor in the beginning, but very UN-Lancaster-like, she gives actual writing advice.

The irony in her timing of this blog is unreal.

As I stated in my last blog, a completely neutral third-party came to me and asked me if I'd ever thought about writing. (Obviously I have or I wouldn't have thirteen blogs that I maintain on an almost-daily basis.). I have hashed it over with Kimmi and AM numerous times and they've always told me the same thing Sherri did, but like I told them "You have to support me - you're my friends." They both pitched equally obnoxious fits about that, but whatevs. I did have a long conversation with the hubby tonight about this whole book thing, though - how his family would react to my book, mostly. I've always been a VERY direct person. I say what's on my mind and I don't beat too much around the bush. I don't play games. They're not so much like that. They tend to be more diplomatic and politically correct, so I'm sure if I write a chapter about my views on how my relatives raise their kids, for instance, it's probably gonna piss somebody off. *I* don't care in regards to myself, but I do care how it would affect my husband. So therein is the challenge.

Anyway...long story short, I'm moving forward with this book thing and especially after reading Lancaster's blog, I'm gaining knowledge that just the other day I'd told Kimmi I didn't know how to get. Funny how things work out, sometimes.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Resolutions

I'm not usually a resolution kind of person. I mean, who the hell wants to make promises to themselves that just end up being broken anyway? But..the more I've thought about it, the stronger I felt about doing a list anyway. We'll see how we did this time next year.

1. Sleep at least once a day. I know that sounds like a no-brainer for most people. With my schedule the last year, this hasn't always been the case.

2. Buy one dress each month and wear them as often as possible.

3. Subscribe to a magazine.

4. Accomplish the weight loss goal I set for myself last summer. (So far, I'm on track, just slowed down a bit.)

5. Continue eliminating toxic people from my life. If they don't build me up, they have no business being here.

6. Send birthday cards and/or emails to all my friends and family (So if you think I don't have your birthday saved, please send me an email with your birthdate!).

7. Travel more with my family.

8. Take more bubble baths.

9. Go camping a few times.

10. Read 50 new books.

11. Redecorate my bedroom.

12. Spend a long weekend traveling with each of my kids separately.

13. Spend a long weekend with my husband...and only my husband.

14. Spend more time taking pictures of things I enjoy rather than things I'm being paid to shoot.

15. Finish writing my book

16. Finish writing my other book.

17. Visit three new states I've never been to before.

18. Revisit three states I've already been to.

19. See a pro sports team play...still haven't decided who or where yet.

20. Blog daily.