Happy 4th of July!

I have had "I'll Be There" in my head all freaking day.

Can you blame me?

In case you haven't already seen it elsewhere on the internet, here's the boys doing a fantastic Michael Jackson tribute. Our clip is from the Friday night show in Chicago. We somehow managed to capture the entire thing, from start to finish, without being told to knock it off. We were really close too :)

Enjoy!



(recap to follow... soon... one of these days)

"Mommy, do carnivores eat people?"

What a busy past couple of weeks. We are sorry that we have been bad bloggers but a) we just haven't had much to say and b) we have been super busy with work stuff. Ok, you caught me! I"ve been at our lake house in Northern Minnesota most of the time and Kim has been busy with work stuff. She flew in from a conference in Hotlanta last night and was at my house to pick us up at 7:30am. And now we are somewhere in Wisconsin in search of cheese on our way to Chicago.
We have 5* for the show on Friday and we have a little mini-me along with us for the adventure. My 7 year old son Aiden will be joining us for the 5* and the show and I don't know if I've ever been prouder of him. He has been super excited about this show for months and has spent hours agonizing over his Face Time gear. It is super sweet.

We are going to go find some cheese.
Holla!
Alexis & Kim
(And Aiden too)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Feel Free To Pass This On To Those Who Don't "Get" It (Cruise Guest Blog!)

Hey homies.

We've been bad bloggers lately. Huge apologies for that, but there have been a million things going on in non-NK land lately. We haven't gone to any shows yet this tour (YET), and we've been occupied with things like the sun, some dirt, the sun, work, the sun, some more dirt... Did we mention that it's FINALLY summer in Minnesota? Actually technically it doesn't happen until this Sunday, but who's counting?


Anyway, what follows is a wonderful recap of the cruise written by one of our girls, Tiffany. She was part of the "Totally Worth It" trip to Omaha, as well as our little spring mini-tour. What she wrote is less of a play-by-play and more of a "THIS is why we do this" kind of a thing. Enjoy.

It’s been almost exactly a month since we set-sail on the NKOTB cruise. Is this blog entry a little late? Yes and no – If your name is Kim or Alexis, then probably “yes” (lol – hopefully the final product was worth the wait!) If you were looking for play-by-play news of the exact details of the trip, then you’ll be thoroughly disappointed by my contribution to projectnkotb. I’m more of a “big picture” gal. A month has not only given me adequate time to recover and clear my head, but also has given me time to reflect on the cruise experience, and to understand exactly what I’m taking away from it.

Going into the cruise, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I had reservations, and I’m sure the guys did, too. In the People.com video announcing the cruise, Joey couldn’t even say with a straight face that it was a good idea, joking about his manager’s reassurance that it is “not a step back…” I can’t blame them. We are notoriously obsessive, intrusive, and persistent fans. What were they getting themselves into? If things went “south” there would be no way to get off of a boat!

The choice to book the cruise was risky from a fan perspective as well. The cost of this trip compared to the standard cost for a 3-night cruise was obscene. Would it be worth it? We questioned whether this would be a repeat of the infamous “Magic Summer” cruise. Would the guys make many appearances? Would they be accessible, or would they hide-out? With 2000 women on a boat, would the trip be an endless series of catfights? Would it be a whole weekend of pushing, shoving, scheming, and waiting around in endless lines… all to get closer to these guys? In the end, I took the risk and booked the trip. My attitude going into it was that even if we see very little of the guys, I’m going to have a great time and will enjoy the sun with my friends, and with other ladies who share a common love.

I’m here to say, that neither the boys nor the fans disappointed. The cruise was everything I wanted it to be and more. (Special thanks to Rose Tours, who not only put up with a high-maintenance fan base, but also executed the weekend very well IMO.) I can’t imagine a more appropriate pinnacle of my NKOTB fandom than this experience. Thanks to reasonably well behaved fans, the guys were everywhere. They attended not only what they were required to (concerts, gameshows, q&a, photos, etc.) but many of them also attended parties, wandered around the boat, and even went out *seeking* fans, surprising some lucky fans in their staterooms, and making “rounds” through crowds. It’s a pleasantly startling occurrence to be sunbathing and find Joe next to you, or to step into an elevator and have to hold it for Jon… Kudos to the guys for “braving” us fans. Hopefully we didn’t disappoint, either.

Personally, I found the cruise to be a rather unique opportunity to observe and interact with NKOTB on a level that is not so... "rehearsed." Yes, of COURSE they put on a hot show, and I love love love to watch them perform. But I also treasure less scripted glimpses into each guy’s personality, and we don’t get much of an opportunity in a concert atmosphere to enjoy the individuals that make NKOTB so special. After all, we love them not only for who they are as The Block, but also very much for who they are as Jon, Jordan, Danny, Donnie, and Joe individually, and who they are as a group of guys who are friends. Perhaps their willingness to share their true selves is part of the secret of their longevity. One of my favorite parts of concerts is when they take a break and mess around with the (Click)^3 pose-off. Now imagine a whole weekend of that. That’s pretty much the essence of the cruise experience.

Looking back, mostly I feel like the trip was a 4-day celebration of a twenty year, unique relationship between The Block and fans. The best part is that I think the whole experience was mutually enjoyable. The cruise atmosphere felt less voyeuristic and more participatory. I didn’t feel like we were just watching them, I felt more like we were experiencing and enjoying the cruise WITH them. The situation was new both to them and to us, and it felt like we were exploring new ways to enjoy the fan/performer relationship together. *sigh* Even after a month, I have trouble putting the feeling into words. It was an amazing time, and I’ll always treasure it.

Lisa, Katie, Peggy, I don’t even know what to say, except that the past year has been amazing. I love you girls. XOXO.

Parting with a few specific memories:

· The look of awe on Jordan K’s face as he first panned the crowd at the sail-away party… also listening to him talk about his kids

· Observing the difference between Jon’s obvious discomfort in the “staged” events, and his impressive ease and sincerity when you catch him one-on-one… also him mic’d and leading the crowd in signing “happy birthday” to his brother (touching moment, actually…)

· Joey at Family Feud – holy cow. Is he ALWAYS like that? Between the James Brown cape routine and heckling from somewhere in the audience, Joe was freaking hilarious. The consummate entertainer.

· Danny in “dad mode” watching him share the experience with Chance… also f’ing-up “I’ll Be There” - funny shit.

· The daredevil look on Donnie’s face just before crowd surfing. That man can work a crowd like nobody’s business… EVERY NIGHT. When does he sleep?

· The intense thrill of diving in the middle of 25 or so sharks in a feeding frenzy (That is a literal description of me "doing my own thing," SCUBA diving on Saturday in Nassau. It is not some kind of metaphor for a crowd of women trying to get at Donnie...)

· People watching – ladies, there IS such a thing as negative attention… The he-she’s, sweaty-ass kid manipulator, red dress girl, ass chaps chick… really – this is NOT how you want to be remembered! Maybe consider more appropriate behavior and dress next time…

· Party scenes - guys swinging from ceiling structures, dancing on a hot tub, late night/early morning pizza outdoors in a warm, Caribbean breeze… Every day thinking, “pinch me!”

· Being up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, giggling in a stateroom with the girls… :)

This is going down in history as one of my great major life experiences.

I recall the first time I met NKOTB face-to-face last year at MOA. Upon shaking my first NK (Jordan’s) hand, my mind suddenly blanked, and I could only think of one lame thing to gush. The sentiment holds true for this cruise: “That was awesome!”

Let's Get This Foundation

[tap tap tap... is this thing on?]

Apologies for the lack of original blog content lately. We are on the eve of summer here in Minnesota, and time seems to slip away from us. If you are from one of the northern states you'll understand how precious spring and summer are to us.

Anyway, please be sure to check out the Let's Get This Foundation.

In Joe's words:

We're on a Mission

For me, like a lot of others, I want to “give back”,
but I either don’t know how or I don’t think it will make a difference.
Part of Let’s Get This Foundation is learning how to get involved by learning from each other. As we are giving back with different endeavors or “steps”, we can learn from each other and create a forum for all kinds of “good works”- Wherever the passion lies.

Passion is the key.

Step 1 for the Let’s Get This Foundation is the summer book drive, taking place on the New Kids on the Block Full Service Summer Tour!

We have been/ are picking volunteers (from thousands of e-mails) to help collect new books before each show on the tour. The fans are really pumped up to get involved. Its inspiring to hear how much they have already done for their communities and the world.

Whoever brings a NEW book to the show will get a free download of a new song by Joey McIntyre “5 Brothers and a Million Sisters”- an autobiographical “thank you” to the fans.

We are also working with a group called FirstBook.org- an amazing
organization/ website that lets you buy brand new books for $2.00- 2
bucks! Go to firstbook.org/letsgetthis to donate.
There is a minimum bid of 10 bucks but that buys five books!
Very simple and very effective.
This way someone who doesn’t want to bring a new book to the show can
donate and get involved that way. (Those who donate there will also get the free download).

The statistics for lack of age appropriate reading material in low-
income families is alarming. In one study, they found that in middle-income neighborhoods, there are 13 books to every child. In low-income neighborhoods, it’s 1 book to every 300 kids! We can help solve that problem!

There are links from iliteracy and low reading skills to almost every part of society.

We will make a huge difference by doing this.

This is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. I was able to read and write *years* before most of my peers. I'm talking like 3 or 4 years old... I was very fortunate to have a family that encouraged reading and learning in the early years. It didn't really occur to me that other people didn't have the same experiences that I had until many years later.

I currently volunteer with a program where we read with first graders once a week. It may not seem like a lot, but the time spent with those kids is invaluable for everyone. It is so rewarding to see the kids' progress in reading from the beginning of the school year to the end.

So if you are planning to go to a show (or five) this summer, make sure to bring books to the book drive. If not, you can donate via the website linked above.

Let's Get This!

xoxo,
Kim

Off Topic

THIS. IS. AMAZING. You must watch it. NOW.

The Internet is Weird

As we've written about before, we use a program that lets us know who has seen our blog, how many hits we've had, where the people are located, etc. One of the most interesting things about this program is that we are able to filter out search terms that people have used to find their way to our blog.

Most are obvious. "NKOTB" and "Five Brothers and a Million Sisters" and "NKOTB Tour" and "Space Cowboy" and "vampires in Iowa" show up pretty often. Seriously. We don't know what's up with the undead in Iowa, but there must be a lot of them. We get that one weekly, if not more.

We have been keeping a running list of some of the more off-the-wall search terms that have been used. We're pretty sure that these folks weren't actually looking for OUR blog; but they landed here nonetheless. Several of them even stayed for awhile and clicked around for a bit.

So, with a tiny bit of trepidation but a whole lot of hilarity, we present you:

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?"

Or,

"This is not what I was expecting to find when I asked Google about animated carrots"

Or,

"Actual search terms that people have typed into their web browser... to subsequently find themselves at projectNKOTB.com"

Enjoy :)


girls gone wild vietnam

jordan knight wedding

nkotb crotch

homemade tent

sex "snow pants"

someone leaving restroom without washing their hands

debbie gibson tacoma

vampires in des moines iowa

dharma initiative cufflinks

yaya puffy thai

san diego airport women's restrooms

animated carrots

camper made in polant

nkotb crabby nyc girls

iowa 88 truck stop

Tammy

i'm stressed out

kids on hallucinogens

hot chicks with douchebags nkotb (6 min, 36 seconds - Denver CO)

driving a car in summer frozen his toes

women's running briefs

the aluminum show

jc chasez at my house

desperate toilet

hunger face smiley

talking cow in des moines

sexual encounters with nkotb members

des moines, iowa, vampires

truck stop women

wipe your ass a spotted owl twisted tunes

women on the toilet on youtube

women hands energy

where do married women go to drink in omaha

Im so sorry you are in a whale's vagina!!! I love and miss you tons bro--xoxoxo



Hilarious. Just hilarious.