My inner 15 yr old hasn't been this happy in about 18 years

My inner 13-15 year old self got to come out and play today in a way I never thought she would get to again. Between shopping, boys, choir practice, cheering my guts out at a soccer game, a New Kids on the Block concert, and a wretched zit on my cheek, I'm Teenage Me all over again.
First, the soccer game. So sad. The first lost for my beloved Real Salt Lake (RSL) all season. They will have to kick some serious trash next week in NY in order to win the division championships and go to the national finals game. Little and I had a great time, but it was very sad to lose!
The second the game was over, I joined up with Misty Hudson (who is an old Shenandoah Ward friend from way back when back home), and drove as fast as humanly possible to the other side of the valley for the New Kids concert!!
Here we are 2 seconds after running into the stadium. We're both wearing RSL colors and clothes! We got to the concert late, but we didn't care. We knew we would be late, but all that mattered is that we got there, right?? The crazy part was first getting the absolute best parking spot ever at an arena. And then when we got to the door, the ticket girl said, "Oh, you are eligible for an upgrade!" And moved us up into killer seats!! We were in row 17, right by the stage! I love it!

Me and Misty

The concert was mostly the old school stuff, and we only heard 2 of the new songs. Both the new songs were fantastic. But really, I was just there for the old stuff! They did a couple of solo songs with just one guy on stage at a time. But here we have all of them singing "I'll Be Loving You Forever." With Jordan on the jumbotron.

One of the best highlights of the concert was probably when Donnie held up a t-shirt someone had thrown to him that said, "I Love Mormon Girls." He made some jokes about he does love Mormon Girls and Utah, blah blah blah. But I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only girl in that arena who was watching a fantasy come to life when he said that.

Also, it must be said that of the dozens of concerts I have been to in my life, this one was by and far the most gracious to its fans that I have ever seen. This show was all about making the fans happy. All the way down to Jon wiggling his butt for the camera, Donnie holding up the shirt, etc. There was no question that this band was thanking its fans 20 years later for giving them the lives that they have had. It really made the concert that much more fun. It was all very gratuitous.

When I found out yesterday that I'd be going to the concert the very next night I ran to Rhapsody and downloaded all of my favorite old songs, and tried to listen to the new stuff too. (I liked a lot of it too!) My favorite old songs were "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time," "Hangin' Tough," "The Right Stuff," "Cover Girl," and "Step by Step." Oh and the very little known, except to the die hard fans, "Popsicle" and "Funky Funky Christmas." I sang each of these songs to my cat last night. He wasn't as impressed as I was that not only did I remember every word to every song, but I still remembered exactly where to change the lyrics to fit my name in! The picture above is the "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh hanging tough" arm swing. And the picture below is what I look like in a self portrait trying to do the same thing.

My hair did not hold up so well after 2 hours at a soccer game screaming in the wind, and then dancing like crazy at the concert!
All in all, one of the funniest and most enjoyable nights I've had in YEARS!!! I have nearly NO voice left, and my hearing is pretty good and shot. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do at our big choir practice tomorrow night!
It's 4 am, and I'm wired. But I will be trying to go to bed shortly. Teenage Me is fighting going to bed for all she is worth. She wants to stay up, watch a movie, and call some more friends. But since I have called my sister multiple times tonight already, singing/screaching songs at the top of my lungs to her, I think I'll just call it a night instead!