Bobby and Chris...
July
23, 2000 - I still hadn't figured out what to wear to meet Bobby. This
is sooooo important to all of us! Plus, we were having a fairly cool
summer that year, so I finally settled on a black short sleeved blouse
and skort. I was ready to go by 1pm, and when I finally left at 2, my
daughter was glad to see me go, since I was driving her nuts! I then
had time to get gas, and be in the parking lot of the Marriott O'Hare
in PLENTY of time! What, me nervous!??!?! YOU BET I WAS! And EXCITED
too! I keep taking deep breathes all day! Even when it was my turn at
the Meet and Greet! But we'll come to that later! I put up the banner,
so that everyone could find me, and took pictures. Ginny had pointed
out Friday night that we had bought our van at Sherman Dodge, and I
assured her that it wasn't one of the deciding factors when we bought
it. I hadn't really put the two together till she had pointed it out!
HONEST!!!!! Sue from Milwaukee and her friend Judith came, and then
Cindy, Angie and Myrna from Naperville. I was walking to the hotel to
see what was keeping Rita and Becky, when they walked out. Becky had
stopped by their gift shop to get something. We had Sue and Judith go
with Angie, Cindy and Myrna, and the rest of us went in my van to pick
up Sharon and Diane. Naturally, the lot was full again, so I drove around
the block again, and dropped off Becky, Sharon and Diane while Rita
came with me to park the van at another lot. We had dropped off the
Silent Auctions stuff with everyone so that we wouldn't have to carry
everything so far. Thanks Becky, Sharon and Diane for carting that up
to the tables for me! We got the items set up, and everyone slowly trickled
up, came by to say hi, and meet each other. So many names finally had
faces! And, Donna Sanson flew up for the day just for the concert! What
dedicated fans Bobby has! As the time drew nearer to meet Bobby, I kept
taking more deep breathes, and had a lot of "Bobby on the Brain"
moments. Don't know what they are? We've all had them. That's when you
mess up, get tongue tied, forgetful, whatever, and can't blame it on
anything else, so instead I call it "Bobby on the Brain".
All of the Bobby Babes knew what I meant when I said that, cuz they
had it too! It's something to be proud to "suffer"!
We then closed the auction about 15 minutes later than planned, and got all that organized. Susan Rakis was really good about keeping me on track, Thanks Susan! Also, while we were waiting, we could hear Peter and Micky do their sound checks. Bobby didn't do any, but as we all know he doesn't need to, he ALWAYS sounds great! Then, it was time to go meet Bobby! We started to walk over to the gate area, with Susan to show us the way, when I see another face from my past! My old babysitter from when I was a kid! Linda Corrao! (It's now Lukwinski!) She knew Susan too! Susan and I were destined to meet, we later agreed! So, now we get to the gate, and the guard has someone get Donna for us. She came out, and said she only had four passes. She said she didn't have any names from Kathi! NOOOOOOO! Ginny and I whipped out the letters from Kathi, (thank you Kathi!) and she then told the others to go pick up their passes at the box office while Ginny and I waited and worried that we might not get in. Ginny and I could see the headlines already "Bobby Babes Start Riot !" I could feel my nightmare coming true! After a few minutes that seemed like FOREVER!, Donna came out with our passes. Thanks Donna! WHEW! There were some other Babes at the gate, just waiting to see who they could see, and they were supportive, Angie, Myrna, Cindy thanks! Ginny and I raced (well, we walked fast!) over to the other side, and then I couldn't find my ticket right away! Nightmare # 2 coming true! (There were three nightmares I had in total between getting the notification from Kathi that I had won and the concert weekend) FOUND IT! WHEW AGAIN! Ginny assured me I was getting in NO MATTER WHAT!
We meet everyone else again, and then we meet Denise McGowan, the Director of Entertainment at Navy Pier. She had us wait at another gate, opposite of the one we were originally at. Seemed like FOREVER! Saw a limo come by, and I joking waved "Hi Bobby". Later found out it was him in there! I must have really looked like a nut! Nerves do that! While we were waiting, we had some more pictures taken of all of us Meet and Greet winners together. Finally, Denise came back and got us. I now know what the longest walk is! The distance between that gate and the door to back stage! Now we were told by those that had already been to a M&G that we would be brought into a room and then Bobby would come in a little while later, so since I was busy with the silent auction stuff, I didn't do any last minute make up repair or brush my hair again, not that it would have made a difference beforehand, since it was windy out. I figured I had time before Bobby came in. We were told to wait in the hall, and then suddenly, one of Denise's' co-workers came up and said "All right, let's go, NOW!" I turned around and said "Come On Guys", turned the corner first right and then left and then "OH MY GOD!" there was Bobby not even five feet away! I'm so glad I said that rather than what usually comes out of my mouth! I stopped so fast, I'm sure we looked like the Keystone Cops walking in!
I quickly dumped my bags on a counter right there, while ogling Bobby, and got my video camera out. (didn't think I was going to take my eyes off of him any more that I absolutely had to, did you?) I got the camera started and Ginny was first, followed by Becky and then Darlene. Then came Cindy and Debbie Lewis (I don't know which was which) and then a fan by the name of Deb, I think, she won from the radio station sponsoring the concert. While it was her turn with Bobby, I handed the camera to Becky. Deb finished, and Ward said "Okay that's it." I couldn't believe it! NO it can't be happening! I can't meet Bobby! Time's up? This all went thru my mind REAL fast as I said "What about me?" I mean, I was already standing next to Bobby! Bobby turned around, and WE MET! I first gave him the book Ellen Blake had made up that we had all signed with our birthday wishes. Bobby- "Oh, thank you sweetheart!" (OOOOH!) and then I gave him the envelope that had the money we had raised at the silent auction and I told him that I had organized the Birthday Bash. Bobby-"Oh, God Bless You!" hug and kiss (OOOOOOOOOH!) and then I asked him to sign my Bobby book and a 45 rpm that I had of Bobby's titled "Man Overboard" on one side and "You Make Me Happy" on the other that I had gotten on e-bay. I was so excited and nervous, I had a hard time putting the 45 back into the sleeve. And he even signed a picture that I had tucked into the book, but wasn't expecting him to sign. Bobby-"Thanks so much!" and another hug and kiss. I was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay up there on cloud nine! I then put my camera back in it's bag, book and stuff in the other bag, and picked them up and my purse and floated out of the room. I see a blur in the hallway, and then we're outside.
As we're walking up front, Peter Noone got out of his limo, and said a quick hi and I have no idea how I got to my seat after that. Cindy had taken my stuff to the seat that I didn't want to lug into the M&G, and she asked me how it was, but at the time, there were no words to describe it. I told her that and I'm sure she believed me, probably from the look on my face. I also found my babysitter, Linda, and told her that I made Elston Ave. proud, meaning that I didn't think I acted like a nut. At least I don't remember Bobby jumping away from me, and it didn't look like it in the video later on. The concert started, and Bobby was swamped in the aisle. I actually thought he was going to come down one aisle, but he came down the other, and then the concert, which was absolutely fabulous, as usual. I was able to get some of the concert on the video, also switching to my still camera, until security told me no video taping. That's okay, I got enough on tape.
Then while Micky was up, I started coming out of my coma
and had to go to the bathroom, get something to drink (my mouth was
so dry from before meeting Bobby till after his part in the concert)
and have a cigarette, so I went out front where the concession stands
were and took care of all the necessary things. I then saw Susan Rakis
sitting with Dick Biondi (a Chicago DJ) and she introduced me to him
and his wife. Dick Biondi has always been great, he's a Rock and Roll
Hall of Famer and also in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and just a
genuinely great nice guy. I asked his wife if she would mind me having
my picture taken with him, and she didn't (she's real sweet too!) and
Susan did the honors. I did go back to my seat after Micky was
done. I didn't want to bother anyone with my in and out of the seat
and row while he was performing. Sorry Micky! Necessity struck!
Peter was funny and great on the stage.
A
couple of years and 5 concerts later, Ginny and I decided we couldn't
stand our Bobby withdrawals any longer! It had been 2 months since we
had seen Bobby, so we decided to go out to the Rialto Car Show. As far
as we were concerned, it was THE BEST Bobby weekend for us! There's
so much that happened that weekend, and we had such a great time the
whole time, but the best was seeing and interacting with Bobby at the
car show! He pulled up in his car, and got out, and stood there for
a minute while we were in a semi circle around him. After a few words,
Ginny told him that although we had been to 6 concerts, I still didn't
have a decent picture of him and me! And Bobby, the sweetheart that
he is, just said " Well, we'll have to just fix that, won't we!"
I just melted, and FINALLY got a great picture of me and him together!
Thanks Ginny! YOU are my #1 Bobby Babe Buddy! And it was just so great
to walk around with him, talk, take pictures, get autographs!
I had Bobby autograph my album, "Just For You", and a picture compilation that Ginny had made for me of my "kiss" with Bobby in Manitowoc. When he saw that he said "That could have been nasty!" and I of course said, "Oh no! It wasn't at all!" He laughed! How could he possibly think that a kiss from him would be nasty?!?!?!
And then, towards the end of Bobby's time at the car show, we were able to take a group picture with Bobby. He was squatting down, and when I walked up, the girls were already around him, and I didn't want the back row, so I squatted next to him, and had the chance to touch him again while having my hand on his knee! OH GOD! Everyone else already had a hand on him somewhere or other, so his knees were the only "safe" places left! I wasn't about to give up that chance, and neither was Ginny! Lord, the man has sexy knees too! (Is there ANY part of him that isn't!?!?!?!)
I'm looking forward to more Bobby meetings, and the convention in July! Saving up my vacation time for that!