When the New Kids announced they were planning to do screenings of their new dvd Coming Home in three of the top places in the US based on votes I never imagined the city I lived in would win. Right before the voting was over I put in my vote thinking how amazing it would be if Seattle, WA won.

Fast forward to last Friday. I check my texts to see that Donnie has posted he couldn't wait to go to Seattle, WA, Wheeling, WV, & Long Island, NY. I was stunned! Seattle of all places actually won. That in itself is a miracle. Thanks to my friend Sarah emailing me I was able to submit my email for a chance to see the screening. You couldn't buy tickets. I really wanted to be there but wasn't sure I would get an email invitation.

The first batches of emails start going and I'm thinking oh man I didn't get one. It seems like everyone I followed on twitter from WA got the email. So I closed my email and left to get ice cream and what do you know? When I got back there was the email. I was so shocked. I kept reading the email over and over again not believing it was true.

So now here it is Tuesday. I went into my job an hour early so I could leave early. The plan: take the bus to my friends apartment, drop off my stuff and head out to Bellevue where they were showing the movie. The plan worked out great. I was in line 30 mins earlier than I planned. I met some people in line and we talked, laughed and reminisced about past shows and other NKOTB info. Standing in line for 3 plus hours was pleasant because of these ladies (and one husband).

Finally they started checking people in. The line moved slow at first but picked up. Once inside the building we were then standing in another line where they ushered us into the actual theater is small groups. Once in you can here The Block album blasting. Some people are dancing, some singing, some laughing & some talking. Everyone was in a very pleasant mood. Full Service comes on and out they came. I was in so much shock that couldn't function! I've seen them in concert before but there is something about them being so up close and personal. Donnie said hello and asked if we were ready. He held up someone's Thank You sign (in Auburn last summer everyone had thank you signs and the guys were really emotional - we thought we would help them remember), he mentioned someone brought mistletoe, then Jordan screamed "It's magic". Then they were ushered to their seats which were THREE ROWS behind me. I wish we were closer but even that was close enough. The girl next to me threw popcorn at Donnie. He threw some back all three of us laughed. Right before the movie started Donnie told us if we wanted to get up during the movie we shouldn't worry that was ok.

The theater goes dark and it starts and you could feel the anticipation. I, for one, couldn't stop turning around and looking knowing that all 5 of them were behind me. You wanted to see their reactions and know what they were doing. Many around me commented how hard it was going to be to concentrate knowing they were back there. Joey made fun of himself a lot, spit it out already Joey. They shouted stuff out. During Dirty Dancing we all got up and danced with them. Jordan, Joey, & Donnie were doing some of the choreography. Donnie threw out a ton of popcorn which I found later down my shirt. Anytime any performance songs came on the crowd was singing and dancing. It was awesome!

Once the movie was over it was time for Q&A. On their way down I tried to get Donnie's attention. I did touch his jacket but that was as close as I got. The Q&A was a little strange as most of the girls were not asking about the dvd. Two people asked about why WA wasn't in the dvd and their answer was do you want to go back and have WA in the movie and them not be there...sometimes people can be so dumb. My favorite parts of the Q&A were when Jordan & Joey gave a live version of the vocal warm up, Danny's face was priceless. Another fav was when one girl (Fairy Girl) asked what a swatch was. Joey channeled Tim Gunn and gave an awesome answer. Whole theater was laughing hysterically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ybGgOHGCk

The video is dark but listen to Joey's answer.

Joey wanted to play some additional footage which was the 5 Brothers & A Million sisters performance. He claimed he paid the guys to put it on the dvd - yeah right Joe!

The guys left...except one...Mr. Wahlberg. He couldn't get out of the room. He's so great to take all those pictures and hugs with so many. People were getting kind of pushy so I just stood there and took it all in. I couldn't believe I just sat and watched a movie with the New Kids on the Block!

I still can't believe it! The whole night was surreal...and still is.

I can't wait to get my copy and ACTUALLY watch the movie this time. When I wasn't looking back at the guys, the parts I saw, were amazing. This DVD was made with the fans in mind and is filled with nothing but love!

Job hunt

As you know if I've been unemployed since June 2009. Since then I have been actively searching for a new job in Seattle. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are jobs in Seattle, even positions I would be very good at. However, the system so is very hands off. More don't contact us will contact you. One company even says on their FAQ not to contact them.

As you can imagine it has been a weekly struggle. I apply for tons and tons of jobs yet never hear anything. The only reason I know I didn't get the job is because I check my account to see the dreaded words "not selected for this position". It starts to get frustrating to know you didn't even make it to the interview process. I'm still positive about the whole situation but I really miss the days when you could take a copy of your resume in and actually talk to a REAL person.

I have had some success, minor, but success. In August I applied for a job via Craigslist. I sent in my resume and the next day I was contacted for an interview. The interview went well and I would have been really good at this position. I was very close to getting the position but they went with a candidate that had one more skill needed for the job. The lady I interviewed with was nice enough to tell me that I interviewed very well and would have success in the future.

Flash forward to last week. I'm going about my business (of doing nothing) when I check my email. I'm looking at a message from a lady about an interview. I'm thinking this must be one of those spam job emails. I scrolled down to her signature and low and behold it was for the University of Washington. I thought well I apply for jobs there all the time I wonder which position this is. I go and check my account and what do you know. I did apply for this job right before Christmas. I thought WOO! I immediately emailed her back and scheduled an interview for yesterday.

The interview went really well. We seemed to have a good group chemistry and I seemed to be answering their questions how they wanted to hear. At the end of the interview they asked for my references. I left the interview feeling very positive about the whole thing. I went home and sent in my references and low and behold one of my references had been called. I'm taking all of this as a good sign. I figured they wouldn't want references if they didn't think I would be a good fit right?

So now I sit and wait, wait, wait! This is the hard part. I've done all I can and it is now out of my hands. I will remain positive. If I get the job that is really great news. It will be really nice to have a place to go everyday and keep my brain from falling out of head. Even if I do not get the job it is always good to have more interviews under my belt. I can only learn and get better.

As soon as I hear anything one way or the other I'll post an update. For now keep your fingers crossed!

UPDATE: I GOT THE JOB! I start on Tuesday! I'll be working 10-3. So excited!!!!

Unemployment

As you all know I was voluntarily laid off from my job in May. About two weeks after my last day I went ahead and signed up for unemployment thinking it would be good to get started on the process. I went online and filled out the form. When it asked I choose voluntary layoff. I figured that was the truth (this will come back to bite me in the end).

Each week you are required to make at the least 3 job contacts of some sort. You then fill out a claim either online or via the phone. So every week I have been filling out my claim like a good little girl. Well one week I decided to call because it had been 5 weeks and still no check. When I call I'm told at 7 weeks I should call and tell them a decision hasn't been made. She also informs me that voluntary layoffs are the last ones they get to. Oh great! Just great! At the 7 week mark you are able to declare a hardship and they give your claim to a supervisor of some sort. This all moved pretty fast as the supervisor called me the same day to ask me some questions. A few days later I receive a letter from them. What do you know, my claim has been denied because they are saying I was the one who initiated the layoff. Um, no wrong, they came to me. I just excepted. So now I'm in the middle of appealing the decision. 

So what does that mean you ask? I had to write up why I'm appealing the decision and send them paperwork to support. Well I guess you don't need to send paperwork but I did. I sent them the letter my job emailed to the employees when they came up with this deal, a letter written by my last supervisor stating I wouldn't have quit my job if it wasn't for them offering me the offer, and a copy of the offer signed by me. So now I'm just waiting for what they call a "hearing". It's basically just a phone call which is probably going to take 2-4 weeks. So in the mean time I'm jobless & moneyless!

What makes me mad about the whole thing is it could have all be avoided if my previous HR department had been more forthcoming with the information. I've never been unemployed before. If I had been told or should we say guided on how the whole situation worked all would be well. When I got this letter I called my previous HR manager and asked her why she didn't tell me about this and her words were first, "she couldn't tell me how to fill out my unemployment". She didn't have to tell me how but she could have told me my options since she knew I had never done this before. Secondly she said, "I didn't know this was the way unemployment worked". Wait hold the freaking phone! You work in HR and you don't know how unemployment works. Aren't you supposed to be my resource...it's in your job title!

So needless to say I'm waiting! I've been waiting so what's a few more weeks.

All is not lost. I have a job prospect and I will keep my head high while I wait.

 

VEGAS Full Service

About a month ago I made plans to fly to Vegas to see the New Kids on the Block one last time on their Full Service Tour. It was the best idea ever! I even convinced my friend Michelle to come along for the trip.

We flew into Vegas on Saturday (July 11th) the day of the show. Michelle and I got in around 1pm and headed to our hotel, The Orleans, for a little pool time before the show. Hanging out at the pool was a ton of fun but too damn hot. We're talking 107 degrees hot! It was still nice to hang out in a little sun, read and relax. 

We headed back up to the room so I could get ready for the show (Michelle didn't go to the show she stayed at the hotel relaxing - she is pregnant after all). I hopped in a cab and headed over to the Palms. While I waited for the doors to open I gambled a little and won $25 bucks that I quickly put back into my wallet. I went to the Pearl and dropped off my children's books for the book drive (check out http://letsgetthis.org/ - Joey McIntyre's foundation to collect books for children). I hit up the merchandise booth and picked up a keychain. Then I met up with some girls from twitter who also flew in to see the guys. I grabbed a glass of champagne and headed to my seat. I was on the third level but the venue was small so the seats were still good. I think almost everyone in the venue was from some place else. The girl to my left was from B.C. Canada and the two girls to my right were from California. They were all really nice girls and it was great to be sitting next to awesome people!

The Jabbawockeez came on first. I was so glad that I made it early to see them. They are AMAZING! BEST. DANCE. CREW. EVER! If you haven't seen them you really should. They put on a great show and they really dance their asses off! In between their set and NKOTB I went out and met them and got their autographs. They are so sweet and humble. I'm glad I met them. Here's a little video of their performance:

This time there was no Jesse McCartney, not really sure why but I was fine with that. We didn't have to wait until the MAIN EVENT!

The lights dimmed and the energy in there was UNBELIEVABLE! Everyone was so excited. They started the show with the song Full Service. Everything is pretty much the same as the Auburn, WA show which didn't even matter because they put on a great show! You would think going to a show back-to-back would be boring but crowds are so different from city to city. One difference was they played the Michael Jackson Tribute they have been doing for some cities on the tour. Here's a link to the tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHEf63LIzo. The band was playing Man in the Mirror and the whole crowd started singing along.

Top 5 Performances/Moments:

1. ONE SONG - This is a bonus song on the extended version of their album The Block. During this song confetti goes off and beach balls come out and it is such an awesome party atmosphere.
2. Single - For days I was wondering how they were going to make this work in the venue. . They still came out into the crowd. I couldn't see all the boys but it was still awesome. Donnie was pretty close to me. Not close enough to touch but closer than I ever thought I would ever get to him. Danny was in with a group of people drinking a beer. They all seemed to be having a blast being out with the fans.
3. Step by Step - This time around Joey forgot the words which was hilarious. Donnie asked Danny to sing and he was all I don't know the words and Jon Knight actually sang when no one else was singing. Trust me that is a VERY BIG DEAL. The crowd went crazy and the boys were so happy about it. It was great!
4. Hangin' Tough - Even though this was the last time I would hear it live it was still awesome! It's always a good note to end on!
5. Stare at You - I love this song and I love hearing it live. I called my friend Sarah so she could hear it. It was nice to share a little bit of the show with a fellow Blockhead!

So the show ends and it is bittersweet. I'm super excited that I was able to fly to Vegas to see them again but also super sad because the tour is winding down and who knows what the future holds. I don't let this get me down too long because I am still in Vegas and whose to say I won't run into some of them somewhere in the Palms? I texted Michelle and asked her to meet me at the Palms. We hang out and gamble for awhile. I see Ethan and Chris hanging out talking to New Kids fans. Michelle and I grab some food at the food court and then we run into some of my twitter girls and they were saying Donnie, Joey and possibly Danny were up in the Playboy Club hanging out. I probably should have paid to go up there...but I'm cheap. My feet were hurting and I was tired so we took a cab back to our hotel. We hung out there and gambled a little and then headed up to bed. I'm laying in bed reading people's tweets and I find out that Donnie Wahlberg was STILL at the Palms. He had left the Playboy Club and was playing high stakes poker. I dressed so quickly you would have thought I was Clark Kent. I woke Michelle up to let her know I was headed back to the Palms. I ran downstairs and caught a cab. I thought if there was any chance I might get some kind of FACETIME with Donnie I had to go, I HAD TO!

So off to the Palms I went. I get there and find the girls and they are waiting outside where Donnie is playing poker. He finally leaves the poker area. He talks to a person in a wheelchair and as he's looking up we make eye contact, I put out my hand and he gives me a high 5. His bodyguard walked him down the hallway and around the corner. We didn't follow him all the way down the hallway. They turned around and as he was walking back we made eye contact again. He smiled at me put out his arm and pulled me into a hug. He gave me a hug and a kiss and then his body guard was rushing him along. It was a GREAT moment and worth coming back to the Palms at 3:30am! I've been wanting to have some kind of interaction with him for SO LONG! It was AMAZING! I wish that his body guard (Earl - he's so scary) would have allowed pictures, I didn't even try.

My last show of the tour couldn't have ended any better! The whole night was so amazing I can't believe it even happened to me.

I {HEART} NKOTB FOREVER! I {HEART} DONNIE FOREVER!

I leave you with a little video of Donnie getting is Michael Jackson on.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcsiWgSnZqI

NKOTB Full Service Tour

I don't know if you know this but the New Kids on the Block got back together and went on tour. Oh yes they did. I may have mentioned going to see them in November of last year with my Favorite girls - Lisa, Katie, Kerry and Laura. We had a blast!

Now the boys are on a summer tour, the Full Service Tour. And yep, I had to go again. I HAD see them one more time before they went back to being not a group. This time I went with Lisa and MJV. 

We had a blast. The concert was at the White River Amphitheater. The Jabbawockeez and Jesse McCartney opened for them. We missed the Jabbawockeez performance sadly (we were even there for the start - BEER GARDEN). As we were walking to our seats we ran into members of the NKOTB band which was awesome! They are all really nice guys and were willing to chat with us crazy New Kids fans.

Ethan (the bassist) and Chris (the drummer)

Rob Lewis keyboardist and musical director (so sweet and so talented).

Chris the drummer. He's awesome!

We finally went to our seats and watched part of Jesse McCartney's performance. It was ok. He's pretty cute but I really just wanted him to get off the stage so my boys could come on and rock the joint...

AND ROCK IT THEY DID!

The show was different than last time around which is good. It had a different kind of atmosphere. There was less nostalgia in the air and more of everyone just happy and excited they were here again performing.  It was an amazing night!

TOP 5 Song Performances:

1. Full Service - They didn't sing this song on the first leg of the tour. It is done with New Edition. I mean really New Edition + New Kids, my 12 yr old self nearly blew a gasket.
2. Single - During this song they come out to the crowd and performed the song. It was awesome to be that close to them. They came out to the crowd on the first leg of the tour but we were not that close.
3. Stare At You - I love this song. And yes, I can stare at them forever!
4. 5 Brothers & A Million Sisters - Joey McIntyre wrote this song for New Kids fans. It was awesome to hear it live. 
5. Hangin' Tough - You can't go wrong with Hangin' Tough. The song is awesome! This was the close out song of the show. Though I was sad that it was ending it was nice that it went out with a bang.

Highlight of the night: At one point during the show the song ended and the guys were standing on stage when there were tons and tons of Thank You signs held up. The guys were speechless. They were overwhelmed with the sentiment. Donnie said we were making it hard for them to forget this show. AMAZING moment!

I had a GREAT, AWESOME, FANTASTIC time at the show. It was great to hang out with Lisa and Mike dancing and singing. It made me so excited for this coming weekend and my trip to Vegas for another performance of theirs. I can't wait!

Here's a few pictures from the show. Happy viewing!

Donnie brought up two girls for Cover Girl

Donnie wanting us to get LOUDER!

I love there Mad Men outfits.

It should be a crime to be this hot!

Jordan taking in the moment.

Joey performing Popsicle.

Jordan performing Give It To You.

Jon Knight during Single.

Danny breakdancing. He's pretty good.

It's Officially Over: HANGIN' TOUGH!

MJV & I having a BLAST!

Portland here I come

I'm just putting the last few things in my bag and then it is out the door to join Kerry on the train to Portland.  

I love going to Portland. It is the best of Seattle and Bellingham all rolled into one. If Portland were located where Olympia is I would SO live there. My friend Carrie lives near downtown and she is a short distance to shopping, bars with happy hours and yummy breakfast places.

This weekend the Navy is in town (Fleet Week!) so who knows what kind of trouble we will get into but knowing Carrie it will be worth the wait.

Here's hoping everyone has a great rest of the week and an awesome weekend!

Zandra Out!

Welcome to Tacoma

My last day of work was May 29th. I was beyond happy to be done. Nope, not sad at all. One door closes, another one opens.

Saturday was moving day. Despite the fact that it took AN HOUR to pick up a truck I had a reservation for moving day went by without a hitch. I have some super great friends who did most of the cleaning of our apartment. I headed out of town by 3pm.

I've spent the last few days unpacking my stuff and making my room feel more like mine. So far so good. I thought it would feel weird to not go to work everyday. Right now it still feels like vacation even if all my stuff is here.

So, I'm all moved in calling Tacoma home!