Once and for all...

I'm going to go against my own advice of ignoring the haters and address an "apology" that circulated today from the creator of @NKsTruthTable.

I may come to regret my decision to give this person any more attention than they've already gotten, but let's be honest, I'm not one to keep my mouth shut for long. (Apparently this is one of their complaints about me. Ironic, huh?)

The blog that was posted today can be found here, but just in case they decide to remove the blog, I've taken a screen cap of what was said. (click on the picture to see it full-size)

I want to break apart what she's saying so there's no questions or generalities in my response then I will address the "apology" as a whole.

1. "Many people have labeled me as a negative person."
You are. Your tweets (whether as NKsTruthtable or yourself) almost always have a negative tone. If this weren't the case, you wouldn't have been banned from ning and other chat sites like you have. I sense this probably only continues the cycle of negativity, but there you have it.

2. "Pointing out the obvious..."
If it's that obvious, then you don't need to "point it out." It's obvious. That's what obvious means.

3. "Am I going to put my read ID on this page for everyone to blast? Absolutely not."
Let the cowardice continue. I'll play your game. I won't out you. Your "sisters" will do that for you quickly enough. But if you had any inkling of courage, you'd admit your faults as yourself and not behind some "anonymous" blog.

4. "I have lost a few good friends because of my views. They have pointed out that they are “disappointed” in me."
And this is what this "apology" stems from. You're not sorry for the things you've done or said, the people you've hurt and spread lies about. You're sorry because you've lost friends and you feel lonely. That's not where true regret comes from. That's just a side effect.

5. "This is not something I intended, however it has happened."
What exactly did you intend? Because all I see is someone who wants to gossip and backstab (hence the "anonymous" name) and if you think that won't hurt someone's feelings, you're more ignorant than I gave you credit for.

6. "I have been called a cowered, a bitch, jealous among other things. It is true I do have alittle of each one of those inside me."
At least you own up to it. Although, this isn't news to us you've blasted either through Twitter or over at what I've termed "Asshole Alley" and the other gossip sites you belong to.

7. "One thing I am NOT is a hater. I despise that word and I think it is overused."
Just because you don't like the word doesn't mean you're not one. It can be overused, but I think in this particular case, it's on-point. Cowards, bitches and jealous people are also haters. Kindness certainly doesn't step from profiles like yours. It's hate. You have perpetuated hate and in doing that, you've defined yourself as a hater. We didn't give you that label. You gave it to yourself.

8. "My views are just as important as anyone else's."
You're right, they are. We're all entitled to our opinions - right, wrong or otherwise. However, when I express my opinion, I do it under the same name I've used for years. I do it as myself with my own face and my own words. I don't hide behind some bullshit account so nobody knows its me. I give my opinion freely and without reserve. That may be a character flaw - according to you and those on Asshole Alley, it is - but at least nobody has to wonder where I stand or if I'm talking shit behind their back. Those who are 'friends' with you don't have that luxury.


Am I glad that @NKsTruthTable is being shut down? Absolutely. But unfortunately, it's too late to fix the damage you've done. And I tend to think that your absence won't last long. You'll be back again. Probably sooner than I suspect and most definitely filled with more venom than you have now. I find that sad. I bet you could be a nice person if you tried. I don't know you face to face - don't care to at this point - but that's the thing. The gossip you spread, the hate you perpetuated, the trash you talked was about people you don't even know. We're profiles on a computer screen. A nameless face in the crowd at a concert. If you spent more time getting to KNOW the people you judge so carelessly, you might learn something.

On a personal level and having been one of the people who was discussed so freely over on Asshole Alley, I feel its only fair to let you know that I forgive you. Once I post this blog, as far as I'm concerned, it's over. I will also be apologizing to someone I've spent far too much time being irritated by. (See? Even I can learn something in all this.)

I don't expect everyone to like me. With a mouth and opinionated nature like mine, I know there will be people like you who talk shit about me. And that's fine. It used to bother me, I won't lie. But with age comes wisdom and with wisdom comes acceptance of my flaws. I'm flawed. shrugging I'm human. I'm entitled to be flawed.

The thing you need to remember though...as a fellow human being, its not your job to point out my flaws. It's your job to accept me despite them. You don't have to like me, but you do need to accept our differences. There's a big difference between the two.

I hope that whatever you hoped to accomplish with your "apology" is what you got by posting it. I also hope you've learned from the mistakes you made. Life's too short to fill it with meanness.

I also hope that if you hear nothing else...you hear this: YOU are in charge of choosing what you fill your life with. If you've surrounded yourself with hate, drama and lies, that's what you will breed. If you're filled with negativity, cowardice and jealousy, ask yourself why, but more importantly ask yourself if you want to stay that way. If you do, then I congratulate you on a turbulent life filled with rejection. If not, then I wish you luck in making the changes necessary to be happy, or at the very least content.


I personally have no issues with you at this point. But I will say this, if you fuck with me or my sisters again, you're gonna need to run fast, run long and run hard.

Jon is an @OUBad girl!

During Saturday's show, we befriended those around us and the girl in the row in front of us told us that she just got front row for Sunday's show at the box office. I looked at RiceChex and she said "I'm on it!" And she took off for Will Call. She came back with 7th row seats in section 3 on the floor. They replaced the tickets we had in section 105 row D. At that point, a plan was born.

After lunch on Sunday, I quickly put my plan into action and made the sign that would hopefully give Jon Knight a giggle on stage:

(A little history: I flip Jon a LOT of shit. And he takes it, usually whizzing a zinger right back at me. It's just the relationship we have: it thrives on harassment. I tell him I'm not a Jon girl. He thinks differently. It works for us.)

Since ProjectDance had 5*, I sent her in with a mission: to tell Jon to watch out for me. She told him I was in the 7th row and had a special sign for him. He laughed and shook his head and said "Aww, shit! She's crazy!" (He's right, really. But I'm not BatShitCrazy. I'm just normal crazy. If you have to ask the difference, you'll never understand the answer.)

I figured I'd let him get through the first couple songs before I tormented him with my sign. I know his nerves are always a little fried at the beginning of a show. So I waited until "The Right Stuff" before I unfolded it and held it up. Since I was on the aisle, I was able to hold it out to the side long enough for him to see it. He kinda squinted at it and looked away, then looked back at me and shook his head with a smirk. I laughed. He laughed.

Mission accomplished.

He caught my eye several times throughout the show and I'd always wink and smile at him. He'd grin back. I was a happy girl. Fast forward to "Tonight."

This is the point in the show where the guys come off stage and head into the crowd. Donnie goes up between sections on the right side, Joe takes up the far left side and across the back. Jordan and Danny stick with the main aisle between orchestra and floor and Jon goes...well, wherever Jon goes (he switched on all three nights). Sunday, though, Jon went up between sections on the right, which are straight up the aisle from where we were. I stayed put and watched the guys from my seat. Jon turned around and his eyes scanned the crowd like they were all doing, then he saw me and I smiled, winked & pointed at him. He lifted his hand and did a two-fingered military-type salute to me with a smile. Again...figured that was it. I was a very happy girl. Got lotsa love from him.

The song began to wind down and the guys started down the steps and I watched Jon, of course because he was closest. Him and Jordan both. Then I notice that he's looking right at me. And I look over at RiceChex who greets me with an "Oh. Shit." I reciprocate. I look up again and Jon's pushing past Jordan, Earl and Kentucky to get to my aisle. He blows off swarming BH's and gives me a HUGE hug and a kiss on the cheek. I return the favor, of course. (I may have also broken his mic. Something fell off that he bent to pick up, anyway. It might have been my jaw hitting the floor for all I know. LOL). And off he went.

I've been trying to find good pictures and/or video of my moment, but so far this is all that's surfaced:

Video: Juuuuuust before my hug:

Pictures:

Yes, that's me with the "Home Alone" facial expression.

And now he's fixing the damage I did to his mic. (Sorry!)

Now...all I have to say is this:  Jon, you sought me out like a heat seeking missile during "Tonight." You are *SO* an @OUBad girl!!! Love you, Fartass!

**Credit goes to @BobbiBaxter for getting the pictures. TY so much!

Sell crazy somewhere else; we're all stocked up here.

It's a vast array of personalities that build the fan base for celebrities.

There are the admiring fans. They may have seen a few movies or gone to a few concerts. They might own a t-shirt or two or maybe they know a couple songs. They may know some movie quotes. They might even be able to tell you the celebrity's birthday or which coast he lives on. They spend very little money on their admiration.

Next are the big fans. They're the ones who have most, if not all albums. They've bought (or at least rented) every movie. They can name spouses, children & immediate family members of their celebrities. They've probably gone to a handful of shows. If possible, they've probably done a couple VIP shows, too. They're the ones who travel across state lines to see their celebrity in person. They've waited in lines for autographs and photo opportunities.

Then, there are your die-hard fans. They've traveled to numerous shows, done several VIP's, bought tickets the very moment they go on sale (either online or by camping outside the venue). They've got all the t-shirts, posters and memorabilia they ever owned of their celebrities. They've slept on the streets of big cities to see their celebs on tv shows, entered contests and drawings to win one-on-one attention from their celebs. They've sat in movie theater lobbies for hours, if not days to be the first to view the midnight showing of their celeb's most recent film. They know all the answers to trivia questions and can probably tell you down to the day where they were X number of years ago "on this day" when asked something in regards to special days. The die-hard fans are probably in music videos or boarding a special celebrity cruise (or two). These are the fans who may be easily recognizable by other die-hard fans in social networking circles and in-person.

And we can't forget the hardcore fans. You know the ones - they may have saved used napkins from Waffle House or stolen underwear from their dryers at the laundromat. They may have covered themselves in tattoos or have walls plastered with photographs, posters and memorabilia. Hard-core fans know all the lyrics to every song, the character name of every role their celebrity has ever portrayed, the names of every family member up to and including cousins, aunts and uncles. They've gone to every show in every country. They've put their lives on hold to chase their celebrities to various locations for an opportunity to meet their celebrities (time and time again). They seem to have all the networks in place to know where rehearsals are, what hotels their celebrities stay at and what airline they're arriving on when they fly to various locations. These fans are well-known by other fans (most, of course are either very well-liked or strongly-disliked).

All fans fall somewhere along the grid from the meekest to the most hardcore. There are varying degrees of fans all over the board, actually.

Then there are those fans who are so extreme they make everybody else look like nobodies. These are the fans who have convinced themselves (and others) that they're dating a celebrity...married to a celebrity...stealing a celebrity from their spouse...having the celebrity's baby. They're the ones who go to great lengths to create artificial lives, lying to their friends and families, if given the chance even lying to the celebrities. Typically, they do nothing all day but spam their celebrities through social networks. Sometimes they'll even threaten harm to the celebrities or themselves. These people are not stable.

These "Crazies" as they're not-so-affectionately termed by the "normal" fan population make everybody else look bad. They're the nutjobs you read about in the news, where their neighbors say "She seemed really normal. She babysat my kids when I worked late. I just can't believe she even owned a gun, much less a high-powered semi-automatic weapon like that." Trust me, you do NOT want to be a Crazy.

So, ladies, if you're out there spoutin' off about being fitted for a wedding dress, buying a house together with your adulterous celebrity boyfriend or planning the birth of your child for when your celebrity lover is not on tour, you need to seriously re-evalute your life. Seek help because you've crossed from Crazy to Certifiable.

And seriously? We normal fans are just about DONE with your crazy.

(For those curious, I fall somewhere between die-hard and hardcore fans.)

When I'm wrong...

I say I'm wrong, as is the case here.

I took a lot of flack and ended up losing a friend over the blog I wrote recently regarding Joe's appearance and recent behavior at concerts.

I'm opinionated and I admit that, but not so proud that I can't take responsibility for being wrong. That's the case here. When I read the recent People article about Rhys and his hearing issues, I realized that the stress from this situation is probably mostly to blame for the changes in Joe.

I was told (quite vehemently, I might add) by my readers that the situation was caused by sleepless nights with having a newborn in the house. I'm the parent of two and while they are older, my children were both plagued with health problems early on and I don't remember having the dark circles and forgetfulness. Friends have also had children and I hadn't remembered them getting to that physical state, either. That is why I came to the deductions I came to with Joe.

I was also told that his hectic work schedule was to blame. Again, I was (and know of many) a working parent whose physical appearance didn't take that turn. And again, this is what brought me to my conclusions.

I am still deeply worried about the weight loss and forgetfulness Joe has shown over the last several months and that won't change, but I do understand a bit better. I apologize to Joe and to anyone I may have offended with my initial blog (which has been removed).

My deep love and admiration goes to Joe, Barrett and the McIntyre family.

Enough, already

I'm not sure where to begin with this without it coming across as a target for further insults, but enough's enough. I'm at my breaking point and while I pride myself on having a great sense of humor, it's just no longer funny.

You've got your favorite actor or musical artist. You've got that supermodel you absolutely drool over. You may obsess about NASCAR or football. You might have a video gaming habit, complete with a headset, monster-sized monitor and your own online network of gamers. You may throw yourself into politics and comment about the President's last speech or what Hannity had to say on yesteday's radio show. You may be an animal lover and adopt lots of pets. You may be incredibly religious and involved with church activities. Regardless of what interests you, those interests are yours. They're something you're passionate about. I may not share your interest, but I don't push my feelings about your interests onto you. That would be rude. What you choose to do with your free time is up to you.

So tell me, then, why do you think it's okay to make fun of me for my love for New Kids on the Block?

I take care of my family, I pay my bills, my house is clean and no one is being neglected. I take interest in other things like reading, watching movies and television. I socialize with my friends. I don't force you to listen to their music or watch their videos. I don't drag you to their concerts or convince you that you have to like them in order to be my friend, so what's the fucking issue here?

Are you so insecure in yourself that you have to shit all over my fun? Really? That's pathetic.

In the last two years, I've had everything about my life, my hobbies, my travel and even my familial relationships questioned by those around me. They ask my husband how he feels about this 'whole New Kids thing.' They've even gone so far as to start rumors about the demise of my marriage because of 'this obsession.' Let me clarify something right now: It's not your business. If there's a problem between my husband and I, after ten years of marriage, I think we've figured out how to communicate with one another. We don't need your meddling or your 'good intentions' interfering with how we're handling a situation, whether it be 'this obsession' or anything else. I can't imagine if my husband had a gambling problem that you'd have the gaul to stick your nose into our marriage and question how we were handling it, so why do you think it's ok to do it here?

If you don't like what I say on my blogs, Facebook or Twitter, you're welcome to unfollow me. In fact, I'm asking you to. Who you decide to follow should be based on what you want to see. If what I say gets on your nerves, then you don't need to follow me. You're not going to hurt my feelings by unfollowing me. I'm a big girl. I can handle it. The same is true on my end. I follow people who lift my spirits and make me feel good about myself. If you're insulting me or teasing me all the time, that doesn't do either of those things. You will be cut. Same goes for being around me in person. I'm not going to reign in who I am and what I enjoy simply because you have a problem with it. That's your problem, not mine. Again, you're free not to hang out with me. I'm not going to be offended.

"Geez, Mel. When did you lose your sense of humor?" Actually, I haven't lost my sense of humor. What I've lost is patience. I'm tired of being made of. I'm tired of being the butt of your stupid jokes. I'm tired of defending myself constantly for things that bring me a lot of joy to an otherwise hum-drum life.

I've been a New Kids on the Block fan since I was fourteen years old. They brought me through some very, very difficult times in my life. I was teased mercilessly in school for liking them and I'm teased mercilessly now. And I'd like to think that I've been a good sport for twenty-two years, but I've reached my breaking point.

Shut up. Move on.

I won't be discussing this again.

***Oh, and just for the record if I hear the term "New Fags on the Block," "Old Men on the Block" or any derivative of those just once more, I will not hesitate to bitch slap you.

Two Choices

When NKOTB announced their reunion back in early 2008, I was exhilarated. Tickled absolutely pink! It was something I'd dreamed about for 14 years, but never thought I'd see happen. Instantly, I was transported back to a tearful concert experience in 1994 when the curtain rose to just four mics on stage...to the empty months afterward with no new music, no news whatsoever, actually...to those months that turned into years. Those were the days before the internet. We had to pore over magazines hoping for coverage about our guys...coverage that never came. As overdramatic as it may seem, those years following the Face the Music era were the darkest of my life. My love for NK and their music went deep, so when no new music was released and radio stations didn't play any of their old stuff, it was like cutting off contact with old friends. It was brutal!

And now, here they were on the Today show announcing a reunion tour. It was like a Nora Ephron movie had been plopped down in the middle of my life - our boys were back!! Two girlfriends and I immediately bought tickets for the Kansas City show (ironically the same city in which I'd said goodbye to them in 1994) and planned our trip. At the time, we hadn't even considered buying a ticket to more than one show on the tour. It hadn't even crossed our minds. We had our one show and we were thrilled with it.

We entered the arena that chilly November night and sat at the very top of the first balcony level and were so excited. The opening came up on the big screen and we cried with thousands of other Blockheads in that arena. We were there!! Breathing the same air, seeing the same faces, hearing the same voices. We. Were. There.

When an extension tour was announced for spring, we jumped on board again. We'd learned a little bit, though and remembered how much we wished we'd followed the guys to Omaha after our Kansas City show. So when tickets went on sale in January for the spring shows, we bought tickets for two concerts just days apart from one another. One was here in Des Moines, the other was 3 hours away in Moline, IL. The small road trip wasn't a big deal to us, not when it came to our boys. Besides, we didn't know how long this reunion would last and we wanted to take advantage of as much of it as we possibly could. And we did. April brought our first face-to-face (and VERY unexpected) meeting with Donnie Wahlberg (and an across-the-parking-lot conversation with Joe McIntyre). That interaction with Joe & Donnie was a dream come true. Although it would've been nice to have gotten to meet them all, the fact that we got ANY face time with some of them was incredible to us. Especially since we didn't have to pay for VIP tickets to make it happen.

May rolled around and I put my life on hold for five days and flew to NYC in a last minute decision to see them on the Today show. I met up with girls that I consider sisters now. I formed a bond with a fantastic group of women and through them got to experience more Face Time. Again: free. Again: unexpected. I was ecstatic!

I'd made a conscious decision to bypass the Cruise, although I would've loved to have gone. I realized it just wasn't in the budget for my family and accepted it. I knew several people going, however and I was excited that they got to go. Besides, lets face it, my snark + open seas = bitches overboard. That's just NOT the way I'd like NKOTB to remember me. LOL Instead of lamenting on the cruise that would leave without me, I refocused on summer tour. We'd decided back in November that we were totally on board for a week of "Chasing the Band" if they did another big tour.

And chase we did. It started out just being a trip to Denver for RiceChex and me, but as time went on (and killer tickets became available), we added two dates in another state to our summer road trip. We did 5* for our Denver show and had 3rd row for Dallas. We also did the after-party at Ghost Bar. And while we didn't have great seats for the Houston show, we were there...at the last show of the tour. It was incredible and I will forever be thankful that I was there.

In the fall, the cruise was announced, as were the ticket sale dates. I'd said early on that if they did another cruise, I wanted to go. Unfortunately, financially recovering from summer tour had taken its toll and when tickets went on sale, I wasn't in a spot to buy my spot on the cruise. I was disappointed. VERY disappointed. I grumbled quite a bit about the time frame for the sales. I didn't understand why they allowed for such a short time between announcing the cruise and selling the tickets. I mean, after all, didn't we sell out the May 2009 cruise in January? Frustrating. Next came the announcements for Donnie's "I Got It" parties, the MacPac 3000 and dates for the Joe Show. More things I couldn't do. The finances just weren't there for me to do any of them. I was supremely disappointed, but I dealt. I tried focusing on the hints of new music and 2010 tour dates that had been hinted at.

And sure enough, a few weeks ago, NKOTB announced an appearance at Radio City Music Hall. That's in New York City. Scroll up....you see where I am? Des Moines. That's right. Another show I wouldn't be at. Disappointment reigned, but I knew that many of my girls would be able to go and I was excited for them. As it turned out, I was able to get tickets for RCMH after all and I will be there. It's not without sacrifice, however. I've had to cancel two other vacations I'd been looking forward to in order to go. But I have a greater chance of seeing all the people I want to see by doing it this way, so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

As this summer "non-tour" was announced a couple weeks ago, I wasn't anticipating my ability to attend any shows. Vegas? Indiana? Atlantic City? Canada? Yeah...uhhh. NOT in the cards. I thought I *might* be able to pull off Indiana, but upon talking with the hubby, he said "Well, you've got NYC so that'll be fun," which is code for "Hammond ain't happenin'." I broke the news to my friend Caca, who said "No Chicago?!" I said "Wait..what?? What do you mean 'Chicago?'" She pointed out that the Hammond show was pretty much in Chicago. (Clearly my geography wasn't up to par.) I brought this up to RiceChex who promptly started searching for hotels. Apparently "Hammond is happenin'" (sorry, Honey!). In fact, it's happening twice. Maybe even a third. We haven't decided yet.

So what's my point in all this rambling about what I've done the last two years in regards to seeing NKOTB? It's simple: I haven't done everything I've wanted to do in regards to NK, but I've done what I can. I've done what I'm comfortable doing. I'm fortunate to have a supportive husband who allows me many freedoms. I've seen a good number of shows and while I'd LOVE to see every group appearance, every club party, every cruise and each of their own individual tour dates, it's just not feasible for me. I have to create a balance between what I'd like to do and what's realistic. I do what I can do and I hope that my friends can do the things I can't. It's a choice I make.

I'm sure that some of you are saying "Well, that's easy for you to say, you've gotten to see them numerous times and you've even met them!" And in a sense, you're right, but let's face it. I'm greedy. We all are, to an extent. We all want more. Have I bitched about NK's? Sure. We all have. But at the end of the day, we have to remember that they didn't have to do this reunion.

They chose to do it.

We have choices, too:
A) Do the things we're able to do and be happy with what we get
B) Exit slowly down the ramp and walk away from NKOTB

You aren't required to be on this journey. If you don't like it, you don't have to stay. There's the door. Because honestly, your bitching is bumming me out. And if Donnie's tweets are any indication, you're bumming him out, too. I get that there are people who haven't gotten any shows whatsoever and those fans have every right to feel disappointed, but if you've had even ONE show during this reunion, you're a helluva lot farther ahead of some Blockheads. This is meant to serve as a gentle reminder to that fact.

Please stop.

Just what I needed!!

I've had some Twitter love from Jon and Donnie, but since July, that's the only contact I've had with the guys. I didn't go to any of Donnie's "I Got It" parties, nor did I see Joe at any of his solo shows. I swear, I'm starting to get the shakes. It's sad!

Don't get me wrong, the tweets I've gotten from Jon and Donnie have been great and I am LOVING the interaction I've had with the both of them. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Jon keeps me in absolute stitches and constantly renders me speechless from the shit that spews from his mouth (er..fingers?). And there's no denying how much Donnie loves us. The shout-outs and twugs he's given me have been fantastic. After twenty years of feeling virtually invisible to these guys, this "Tw-affection" is fantastic! But I do miss seeing them in person...even from the 19th row, which where I was the last time I saw them live.

Last night, my husband and I had just gotten home from dinner and since he wasn't feeling good, he decided to turn in early. So I did what I do every night when he sleeps: I got online. Fresh out of the gate, I get a yahoo message from my friend Tracy "u know dannys chatting somewhere right?" WHAT?? GAH!

I'd heard about these little chats he did and I'd always missed out on them. Let's face it. I'm a Danny girl, but I don't follow the Danny girls. In fact, there's only one or two other Danny girls that I even talk to on a regular basis. So by the time I found out about these chats, it was usually hours after the fact.

I asked Tracy where the chat was and raced there as soon as I had the link. I logged in and there were over 220 people in chat. Are you freakin' KIDDING ME?! There would be NO way he'd see me. Unless...

Well, I did still have my hair and make-up done. I didn't look too bad. Fuck it! I clicked my web cam on and I was among about 10 others with their cams on, Danny included (Sweet lord, he looked amazing!). I muted everybody's mics but his and waited for a small lull in conversation before I dared to speak. I swallowed the small bit of nervousness I felt and started talking. I wasn't even sure if he could hear me with 10 other people talking, but only one way to tell for sure!

"Danny, I saw you in July in Denver and told you in my meet & greet that I was down 22lbs. I'm proud to announce I'm down a total of 37 lbs now thanks to you and your HIIT suggestions."

He got a huge smile on his face and he sat back in his chair, "That's great! That's really great! Congratulations! Keep it up!"

Wait. What? What the fuck did he just say? Did he actually hear me? OMG! *insert fangirl squeals here* (I was told later that my face was "priceless" and I absolutely "lit up" when he responded.)

I waited a couple more minutes and spoke again, "In Denver you said something about blogging about your fitness and nutrition stuff. Have you thought more about that?"

He nodded and said "Well, there's some stuff on my myspace account. I put a blog there."

I said "Yeah, I saw that and responded to it. I just wondered if there was going to be anymore anytime soon."

"That's it for now, but yeah. I'll probably put some more up soon," he replied.

Holy shit! He responded again!! I died. That's what happened. I had died and gone to heaven. I was sitting here having a conversation with Danny Wood like we were old friends.

Someone asked him about a solo tour, he answered her, too. (There's no plans for now.) Somebody else must've asked him about his tweets because he responded that he's got four kids and just can't take the time to tweet like some of the other guys, but that he does the best he can. He answered a couple other people and leaned back in his chair and reached into his fridge (big ole stainless steel monster, I might add!) and got a bottle of water.

I was feeling pretty ballsy by this point, so I spoke up again, "Danny? I have to ask you...at Thanksgiving, you mentioned that you're a vegetarian but I see a lot of leather in your wardrobe there, buddy!" (What can I say...I possess a faulty snark valve!)

He said "Excuse me, " he chuckled and continued, "I never said I was vegetarian. I said..." and his sound broke up.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you," I asked.

"I said I don't eat beef or pork," he responded.

"Ahh, all right, that explains it, then. My bad. I apologize. Thank you for clarifying, though!" I grinned. He still didn't explain the leather thing, but it didn't matter. I was too busy grinning at his reciprocated snark.

A couple more minutes went by, where you could tell he was looking at all the cams and then the chat box and he finally said "I love you guys."

I answered, "I love you, too!" He smiled.

A few more random questions and I asked him if he had any Super Bowl plans. He responded that he was thinking about taking the girls to a party, but he wasn't sure yet. It was at that point, much to my chagrin, I was booted from chat. I don't know if it was a glitch in the system or if I was indeed banned, but I was floating so high on Cloud 9, I didn't even care. I had a full-out conversation with Danny and even more importantly, I was remotivated on my fitness train.

It was JUST what I needed!!

So, to say what I didn't get to say Friday night before I got booted:

"I will see you in June and I'll be another 40lbs down! I can't wait to show you before/after pictures!"

Thank you, Danny for the kick in the ass. I love you for it!!