The saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", was blown out of the water this week! My daughter returned in the early hours of Monday morning, from a weekend away in Las Vegas. A weekend away in Las Vegas still sounds as funny as a weekend away in New York. Maybe one day I will get used to it, but I hope not! However, I digress. From the time my daughter first heard of 'The Backstreet Boys', she was a fan. Her bedroom wall was covered with pictures of the then 'boy band', and her dream was to see them. Her dream has come true, several times, and thanks to a friend of a friend, she has managed to get 'up close and personal', at the concerts. This time though she actually got to meet them. Her father was making a trip stateside, and Edward thought it might be nice for them to spend their anniversary there, and as strange as it may seem, his anniversary present to his wife, was to meet the five men with whom she has been 'in love with' for most of her life! My obsession with her trip was on a completely different level. Along with some goodies for his daughter my 'ex' was bringing a couple of tins of Tate and Lyle's golden syrup, which I had requested. "Have you got my syrup?" I asked her on Saturday. "I don't think you understand the importance of this day", she replied. "I am going to meet The Backstreet Boys!" On Sunday, I asked again. "Do you have my syrup?" and the response was "I don't think you understand what happened last night. I met The Backstreet Boys". The fate of my syrup remained in the balance, and the words 'street', 'boys', and 'back', in any sequence were like fingernails down a blackboard to me, as were 'syrup', 'tin' and 'golden' to her!
Monday was a holiday. It was Presidents' Day. I made my way over to Samantha and we then made our way to the cinema. It has become somewhat of a tradition to see a film on Presidents' Day, and this year we opted for the second Lego movie. "Did I tell you?" she started. I knew what was coming. "You have my syrup?" I said with a wry grin. "I met The Backstreet Boys on Saturday", she said. "No!" I said with embellished enthusiasm. "Did you? What about my syrup?" I concluded "Yes!" she replied. "I did. Would you like to hear about it?" This was going to become a 'thing', and I had been told several times on Sunday and knew that the excitement of waiting twenty six years was not going to wear off in a day, a week or perhaps a year. "What are we going to do after the film?" I asked trying to change the subject and focus of our day. "We are going to Sam's of course. Do you know why?" I did not, but I gathered it had something to do with the quintet and the meeting that took place. "And after that?" I said in an effort to steer the conversation into pastures new. I failed. "I have to pick up my picture!"
The theatre was not particularly full, but we were the only two not accompanied by children (or as Dana said, not accompanied by adults) and as we took our seats at the back, my daughter asked, "Do you think they would want to know that I met The Backstreet Boys?" I offered to go to the base of the screen and introduce her to the audience, but the lights went down and the commercials started to show. "Oh Darn!" said I, in my best American accent.
The film was not only made for children. There were so many references to other films, both old and new, and having grown up with Lego, having a son that was 'Lego mad, and a grandson that will play for hours with the small bricks, I could relate to the whole underlying theme. Sibling rivalry is a thing and despite wanting everyone to 'come and build', there has to be a 'director'. Although my kids played quite happily together with most things, Richard's Lego was sacred and Samantha remembers that it was the one thing that she was not allowed to touch without express permission. Perhaps a psychologist would put this as her reason for the obsession with 'the' boy band! I doubt it but then I am not a psychologist!
"That is not what I ordered!" she said, as she opened the smaller envelope. I could feel a tantrum coming on, but then she hasn't really had one of those since the days of posters in her bedroom. Thankfully, the picture was not the one of her with her 'boys'. It was a picture of 'my' boys. Steph had sent me a lovely photo of Richard with Ollie and Jamie and I had wanted to put it in a frame. The picture that had been printed was of one of Richard's eyes, and half of Jamie's head. She returned it to the counter. "Was the other picture okay?" asked the man behind the desk/. "Yes", responded my daughter. "Did you not want to show him?" I asked, sarcastically. As we were standing waiting to see if he could fix the problem with my picture, I noticed a stand with various gift ideas. I went to have a look, and as I replaced one of the pieces, another feel down the back of the shelf. I tried to retrieve it, but it had got stuck on the mounting, and I had to slide it out, and in doing so managed to dislodge one of the other pieces. A small crowd had formed around the photo centre, and the 'tennis match' scenario had started to take place. The crowd looked at me, then back at the oblivious staff member, who was still trying to get my picture to print correctly, then back at me, as I got into more trouble with the shelves and contents thereon, or off as the case may be, and back again to see if the staff member was going to notice. Fortunately, I managed to get everything back nearly in place before the staff member returned to to the front desk to admit defeat. At least one of us managed to win! The crowd dispersed. "Did you know she met The Backstreet Boys?" I said, as he came forward. I did not get the usual "Shut up" from my daughter, who instead said, "He didn't hear you!" Or perhaps he did!
The day progressed, and we made several stops along the way, including one to purchase a large frame, big enough for a large poster of my daughter standing in the middle of five men who will soon (if not having done so already) be celebrating their fortieth birthdays! I wonder if when they posed for the picture that was on my daughter's wall when she was a child, they ever had dreams of having their own stage in Vegas! Much as I make fun, I do commend their success, and the fact that they are still the 'original' group.
I received my syrup on Tuesday morning. As we drove to work, I was asked if I thought the people along the way knew what happened last weekend. I opened the car window and shouted out, at the top of my voice, "She met The Backstreet Boys on Saturday!" They did now! "Do you think they would want to know that I got two tins of golden syrup?" Probably not!
Within ten minutes of our arrival, every desk had a picture on it of my daughter surrounded by the famous five. No one was going to 'miss out'. Everyone needed to know that Nick, AJ, Kevin, Bryan and Howie had met my daughter! What a great night it must have been for them!
News of my two tins of golden syrup reaching my pantry did not get much coverage. The fact that I gave one away to Grant should have been on some network, as it was a great charitable act, but it received no comment anywhere! I did not even have a picture of myself with the tins, nor of me handing over the coveted can to the grateful recipient. My news was obviously not as worthy as the other headline!
Three emails were received on Wednesday afternoon. One to Samantha, one to me and one to Grant. We had all been selected to meet Filmore on Thursday afternoon. This was a 'meet and greet' contest that I had entered us all in for. I was not sure as to whether I would be able to attend as if it was very busy at work, Dana would be left to fend for himself, and it was not really fair. However, he thought that the opportunity of meeting someone who in years to come may be sharing a stage with the five men whom my daughter had met, or perhaps have his own Vegas tenure, was too good to miss. We took Blake, our newest staff member, with us and after enjoying a couple of slices of pizza were ushered into the studio. We enjoyed the performance and then lined up to have our picture taken. "Do you think you should mention that you met The Backstreet Boys?" I said to my daughter, tongue in cheek. "Oh yes!" she said, tongue in cheek. We received a signed photo, and after picking up a few plates of pizza to take back to the office (we had been told we must eat it all) we left the building. "How was he?" asked Dana. "He had his picture taken with the girl who met The Backstreet Boys", I said. "How do you think he was!" I did not mention the fact that he hugged the woman who received two tins of golden syrup!
Thursday evening was very enjoyable. After spending the afternoon listening to country music, I spent the evening in the company of my neighbours, at the home of a couple whom live opposite me. I provided my usual dessert contribution and we ate wonderful authentic Indian food and some American 'Southern Living' favourites. "Ask Tracie!" said one of my neighbours. "About The Backstreet Boys", I almost said, as my conversation all week had consisted of the boy band in one way or another. The topic had nothing to do with boys, streets or bands. We were discussing the attribute of breakfast cereal, in particular Weetabix, which has made its way to the shelves of Walmart and Target, and even HEB!
Samantha and Edward had plans for Saturday, and I was left to my own devices once again. Grant and Emily (his sister) came over and joined me for my shopping trip. It was fun taking the siblings shopping and I felt years younger! There is not much difference in age between my kids, so they are adults, but it still felt like taking my own out shopping. I had to go to Costco photo centre to pick up a couple of pictures. The young girl behind the counter gave me the poster. "Does she know what it is?" asked Grant. The girl looked somewhat confused. "I am surprised you have not got a copy on the wall behind you. It is of The Backstreet Boys meeting my daughter!" I said. She smiled. She then realised what I had said, and took a look at the faces that were visible in the tubed photo. "Oh!" she said, with an element of delight. No mention of the cans of .....!
"It is!" said a young child sitting in a trolley being pushed by her mother in Walmart. "Hmmm", responded the mum. "Elsa", said the girl, and I turned around just because I heard a noise. "It is!" repeated the girl. I realised what she was saying and asked her mum, "Is she talking about me?" The mother smiled and said, "She thinks you are Princess Elsa, from Frozen, because of your hair". My hair was braided, and is white. "Oh thank you! What a compliment! You are now my very best friend", I told the child, who seemed underwhelmed as soon as I opened my mouth and did not sing! I may now be famous, but I should leave the singing to the five boys who met my daughter last week! I didn't ask if she would like her picture taken with me, as that would have been inappropriate but in her mind, for a few moments, she had met someone as famous as those who have tenure in Vegas! Works for me!
We ventured out to a new restaurant in the evening. It was magnificent. Troy is a Turkish establishment tucked away in a corner of Austin that we would never have known existed. Sunday morning we chose not to default and went to our usual haunt. As we finished breakfast I approached a couple whom we see often. "We see you nearly every week", I said, "We never even wave, let alone say good morning. So I am going to remedy that and come and say 'Good morning' to you." The lady looked at me and said, "I was going to say the very same thing!" What? You weren't going to say, "Aren't you the mother of the daughter whom The Backstreet Boys met?" Obviously news does not travel that fast! She did say that she used to wear her hair in braids!
Once again, life is never dull here, and when it is, it really isn't! I have entered for several more contests, some of which are 'meet and greets', and I there is even one to meet the famous BSB's! I shall not know if I have been successful for a couple of weeks, but once is as good as a feast! Especially for me! Or as good as a piece of toast with butter and golden syrup! Actually, you can never have enough of the latter! So once again, I am finishing my post, and thinking of the week ahead and how my life in this ever growing city creates so many different avenues to explore, and how I can always find things to write in .............. another story!
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