Way Back Wednesday...Hangin' Tough

This week is dedicated to my teenaged love affair with the New Kids on the Block (and my dad...you'll see). Or if you are a child of the 80's/90's you affectionately know them as NKOTB. I fell in love when Hangin' Tough came out and I never looked back.
Manda (my bff) and I made a pact to plaster our walls with pictures of the New Kids until our parents agreed to take us to see them in concert.
I had the beach towel, bed comforter, pillow cases with each guys face on it (how do you think I learned to kiss?) and just about every other crap item stamped with NKOTB. My walls were collages in tribute to NKOTB.
We waited for my dad to come home drunk one night and got him to agree to take us to the concert if we stood in line for the tickets. We were there at 6am and we ended up with 26th row center to their concert at Busch Stadium in 1991.

I will never forget it. Jordan stood over an air vent with his shirt open and I.thought.I.DIED.

Security had to come and ask my dad to kindly get off of his chair AND he smuggled a camera into the concert in one of the many pockets of his bugle boys. We just thought he was the coolest!

I remember the day of the concert like yesterday. Manda and I had a goofy photo taken that day and had it framed. It will forever capture the excitement of the day.

We also bought boxers and t-shirts which we designed ourselves with puffy paint to show our individual love to our seperate boys. I was a Donnie fan, she liked Jordan. Somewhere along the way we switched. I think it was when Donnie went badboy. Manda loved her a badboy.

Manda and I have been friends for 30 (almost 31) years...our entire lives basically and this was the first and last bit of music that we agreed upon. I went to rap and hip hop after NKOTB and Manda went alternative. We will always have our New Kids on the Block days though.

Last year when NKOTB toured in St. Louis I know a whole lot of grown ass women that dressed up in their old t-shirts and flair and went to see them. I still think they are hot, as you can see below but I think nothing would live up to that concert at Busch Stadium, just me, my bestfriend and my daddy.

Thankfully when my obsession passed as a pre-teen I never latched onto anything again the way I did NKOTB. Good thing because my parents probably would have had me committed.

Daddy says a true artist withstands the test of time. When you are still rockin' 20 years after your first big hit, you have made it. I guess NKOTB, Madonna and Michael Jackson all fit that bill. I know there are many more but those are the 3 daddy picked on. Clearly he was wrong. Oh, well. He still took me to see NKOTB with 55,000 other screaming teens.

About 5 years ago Eric Clapton came to St. Louis in concert. My dad LOVES Clapton but money was tight and he was not going to go. I called his wife and negotiated behind his back to gain his release for the evening to attend the Clapton concert with me. Our parents are used to doing for us so he was shocked that I had spent the time and money to buy us both a ticket and drive him down there for the show. On the way down I told him of mine and Manda's plot years ago to get ourselves to the NKOTB show. He had no idea he had been dupped. I told him Clapton was payback. Payback for the New Kids, payback for taking me to see the Big Bossman and Hulk Hogan in the steal cage at the arena and payback for being a fantastic dad!

He still says the New Kids are all a bunch of fags. I hated to admit to him that Johnny really is...

Way Back Wednesday-Patrick Swayze

Where do I begin? This has been a horrible summer of death. Today I am dedicating Way Back Wednesday to Mr. Patrick Swayze, my faux-boyfriend of the 1980's.


He gave new meaning to sexy and sultry.

One of my favorite Roadhouse scenes...

The Outsiders...damn, look at the talent here; Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Patrick Swayze.

Love a good shirtless shot!

And another...This is my favorite scene from Ghost. I still have the tissue from my first viewing of Ghost in theatres, circa 1990.

I really liked this sketch.

I love me a bad boy and this look has Billy Badass written all over it.

Frosted femullet from Point Break and still damn hot.

In color...

This is so baby faced, I had to include it.

We actually thought this hair was sexy at the time.

The equestrian

The young dancer...

Just young...

My favorite Dirty Dancing shot.

And of course, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. He was a truly beautiful woman. "You know pumpkins...sometimes it just takes a fairy." Patrick Swayze aka Vida Boheme.
Point Break
It is hard to believe he was 57 years old. That makes my girlhood crush of the late 80's and early 90's pretty sick. He is just 4 short years younger than my dad. Ok, now that I am over that, I feel like the world lost a very precious soul this week. RIP, Mr. Swayze. Johnny Castle will keep you alive for hundreds of years to come.

"I have a great deal of faith in faith; if you believe something strongly enough, it becomes true for you. I would like to believe that my father is right here with me in this room and that he`s my guardian angel, that there`s life after death -- because if there isn`t, why are we here? I don`t believe that just flesh and bones can contain from the point of view of physics this very real recorded energy inside of us. Whether it`s true or not, we need to believe it." Patrick Swayze

Way Back...Luva's Edition

This is my and Dan's first official picture taken Mardi Gras weekend of last year.

Our first Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2008, all dressed up and ready to go have dinner.

This might be too small to see but this is from when Dan and I took PB to see the Dinosaur exhibit at the science center last year. PB was only 5 1/2...what a difference a year and a half makes!

Way Back Wednesday- Final Sister Edition

Alright, this whole sister edition of Way Back Wednesday started because this week is the big Missouri Bar Exam for my sister! She did 1 portion of the test yesterday and has a whole day today and a half day tomorrow. She is focused on the task at hand so I have not spoken to her since Sunday. She will return to the Lou tomorrow afternoon to await her test results which are expected sometime in OCTOBER! I am so proud of my sissy and I have no doubt that she will pass with flying colors. I can't wait to enjoy a cold beverage and catch up on the last 3 years that she has been buried in books. Onto our Way Back post now...Oh, the 80's and 90's! Such exciting times in fashion.

Sis and I around mid-to-late 1980's in our denim-on-denim ensembles. Oh, the red pumps!
This was taken at the Reno airport on one of my visits West to see her. I believe this was the trip to plan her wedding in Tahoe. Late 1990's.

Taken at our Aunt Louise and Uncle Ray's 50th Wedding Anniversary in late 80's to early 90's.

Sissy's 21st birthday. I wish you could see her entire outfit. It was all white leather, halter, short-shorts and jacket. She looked like a Cowboys cheerleader! What is that trash in my hand? 5 1/2 years age difference and I was not quite 16 yet!

Courtesy of Tina Huml Photography (our personal life photographer) this was taken at a 1 hour photo shop that Tina and I worked at. Late 90's.

Sissy's first visit home with her then-husband (not pictured) July of 1998? I am already givin' my shout out to the gay with the rainbow shirt. Why so pale in July though?

My 21st Birthday brunch at Harrah's Casino 1999

Also a Tina Huml Photography classic taken on Tina's kitchen counter. Oh, the matching outfits.

This was taken in my very first apartment. 1996, just before she moved to Reno.

Taken in a Casino in Reno...(I'm a lyrical gansta) 2000

I am honestly not sure where this picture was taken or when. Looks to be late 90's to me. Perhaps her visit home for mom's 50th.

Another Tina Huml classic taken out at my mom's house in Troy around 2000/2001.

I had to throw in a recent shot. This is Dan, sissy and I celebrating her graduation in Michigan in May 2009.

Yay, you-passed-the-bar-party pics are soon to come! There WILL be a party!

Way Back Wednesday--- 6 more days til D Day

I am sending nothing but good vibes and love out today to my sissy. 6 days from today she will be in Jefferson City taking the Missouri Bar Exam! She is stressed beyond belief so I haven't seen much of her since her return from the great North (Michigan). Last week was kind of about my little attitude in the pictures of us. This week is all about sisterly love.

Here we are in the driveway of our old house in the old wagon!
At the pumpkin patch. I am not sure which is worse, my sweater with lace collar or my sister's entire outfit.
With Santa at Mark Twain Mall, I think. Or maybe this was at my pre-school?
On the beach of Pensacola, Florida. I think this was taken right before my finger got cut off.
Squinting in the backyard. My sister takes the Worst Outfit award here for sure! WTF?
On our hot wheels infront of the neighbors fence that I took down many a time on my bike. What is with the flippin' bonnet to play in?
Halloween circa 1982? This was my sister's actual dance recital outfit which turned into my dress-up clothes after this. Clearly I am the cutest clown ever...complete with blue kicks!
At the St. Louis Zoo! Remember Super Gang? I totally forgot them until I saw my sister's shirt in this one. Loving my hat, not so much on the one piece outfit though.
In the backyard again. This looks like a repeat offender outfit on my sis but look closely...it is not. I am clearly plotting something in my mind in this one. Something evil...
Bathtub fun! Even my sister looks like a baby here. I was probably 1 year or around there so she was 6 or 6 1/2.
Good luck in Jeff City, Sissy! I am so proud of you for all that you have done and I know you will do fantastic on your test. Stay tuned for next week's final edition of Way Back- sisters...we are getting into the late 80's and early 90's now. You don't want to miss that!

Love, Peace and Hair Grease to All,
Little T