I've been going to the Big E (Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA) for 25-30 years now, practically every year. It's usually a few weeks before my birthday, so I started a tradition many years ago of buying myself a new and different pair of crystal earrings from the same kiosk every time I go. This time was no exception. I bought a lovely pair of dark pink heart-shaped ones. Last year I purchased the same heart shape, only in a deep purple. This year, I also managed to get a replacement for an earring I lost, although there were actually two singles I was hoping to match, but they only had one not the other.
Besides my annual earring purchase, the other highlights were the weather (about 85 and bright sunshine, possibly the best weather of any year I've gone) and hearing a Barry Manilow song being piped through some speakers hidden in some trees. It was "Ready to Take a Chance Again", not one of my favorites, but I was delighted to hear him nevertheless. It was so odd and unique, hearing Barry at the Big E, I decided to capture it on video, just in case no one believed me.
I often combine my annual pilgrimage to the Big E with a visit to my sister's town fair, Celebrate Shutesbury. The dates usually coincide. Sometimes I am thwarted by traffic for the Belchertown Fair, which is often on the same weekend as Celebrate Shutesbury, but this year I was not bothered by any traffic, because the fair in Belchertown would be the following weekend. As delightful as the weather was for the Big E, it was equally perfect for Celebrate Shutesbury. It was nice spending time with my sisters and brother-in-law, and watching my sister and brother-in-law perform.
Two other highlights of the Big E were seeing my friend Nan, who I met over the summer and works year-round at the gift shop on the fairgrounds, and following a little boy in a wagon whose parents had bought him a battery-operated bubble-blowing machine, which he was happily playing with in the wagon. I actually did a 180 to follow that little boy, and it occurred to me had I not been alone, I may have been embarrassed to ask anyone I was there with if we could please follow that family because I was enjoying the bubbles. I went to the bubble-gun kiosk twice, wanting to buy one for myself, but the vendor had no bags and it would have been awkward to carry around for the rest of the day, along with my water, keys, sunglasses, reading glasses and everything else I had on me. I don't like to carry a bag if I can help it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Manishows #4 and #5
On June 16th, 2015, the night before his 72nd birthday, I went to see Barry in Boston. My seat was ok, nothing like the second row on March 28th but within the first 15 or so, on the floor again. I captured a few pieces on video and posted them to YouTube. Thank God for video since my memory is just not that great.
On March 15th, 2016 I went to see him for the fifth time. It was in Manchester, NH. I took half a day off from work so I would not be late for the show. I ended up killing so much time in the parking garage, I also killed the battery in my car! I freaked out a little, worried that I might miss the show. But triple A sent someone very fast to jump start my battery. The tow truck driver instructed me to leave it running for at least a half an hour to let the battery charge. After twenty minutes or so I couldn't stand it any longer. I was afraid I might miss Barry coming out so I turned off the car and ran to the arena.
My heart was pounding as I presented my ticket and passed through security. He had already started! I missed the opening but I was in about the ninth row and let me tell you, Barry looked FANTASTIC! Of all the times I'd seen him, this last one he looked the best. I think they made his eyebrows darker or something, but he looked amazing. At one point he opened his eyes really wide and I got a good look at them on the Jumbotron. The blue of his eyes made me swoon. I couldn't control myself and I said to the stranger next to me, doesn't he look AMAZING? Or maybe I said fantastic or fabulous but she turned to me slowly, nodding and grinning in agreement. What an incredible show.
Barry says he's finished with touring but that he is not retiring. He will still perform and record albums, he's just finished with packing and room service. Dear God I hope I get to see him again, but if it turns out #5 was my last, it's fitting that it was at the same venue as my first.
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On March 15th, 2016 I went to see him for the fifth time. It was in Manchester, NH. I took half a day off from work so I would not be late for the show. I ended up killing so much time in the parking garage, I also killed the battery in my car! I freaked out a little, worried that I might miss the show. But triple A sent someone very fast to jump start my battery. The tow truck driver instructed me to leave it running for at least a half an hour to let the battery charge. After twenty minutes or so I couldn't stand it any longer. I was afraid I might miss Barry coming out so I turned off the car and ran to the arena.
My heart was pounding as I presented my ticket and passed through security. He had already started! I missed the opening but I was in about the ninth row and let me tell you, Barry looked FANTASTIC! Of all the times I'd seen him, this last one he looked the best. I think they made his eyebrows darker or something, but he looked amazing. At one point he opened his eyes really wide and I got a good look at them on the Jumbotron. The blue of his eyes made me swoon. I couldn't control myself and I said to the stranger next to me, doesn't he look AMAZING? Or maybe I said fantastic or fabulous but she turned to me slowly, nodding and grinning in agreement. What an incredible show.
Barry says he's finished with touring but that he is not retiring. He will still perform and record albums, he's just finished with packing and room service. Dear God I hope I get to see him again, but if it turns out #5 was my last, it's fitting that it was at the same venue as my first.
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Tom Campbell June 25th 2016
The first MBT Forum Members get-together I ever attended was in Charlotte (Matthews actually) North Carolina in March of 2011. It was amazing to meet so many forum members in person, and to see Pamela and Tom, Keith and Donna again. I had met Tom in New York for the first time the April before, which was also the same weekend I met Bette and her kids.
There was a lot of talk in the comments on the pictures about making it an annual event.
When I came home from that get-together, I realized I knew at least 4 other Forum Members who were local to Massachusetts, and I thought maybe the 5 of us would be enough to form a local group.
My local group met every month to discuss MBT and related ideas, and in April 2012, we hosted the second Forum Members get-together in Boston (Quincy actually) Massachusetts. We had about 40 people.
After seeing Tom once per year for three years, four more years went by before I would see him in person again.
In 2013, I was getting frustrated with trying to coordinate our monthly meetings. I had made arrangements to pass the responsibility for setting up our monthly meetings to another member. I was getting tired of it.
But then I was contacted through the discussion forum by someone in a nearby state who wanted to join my meetups. This new member brought new life into my commitment to the group, and I resumed the lead.
Early in 2015, I confessed to my group that I had a fantasy. There was a hotel I knew of near Logan Airport, my company had done a big weekend conference there previously. This hotel had gorgeous views, delicious food, a constant shuttle to the airport and incredible customer service. My fantasy was to be able to afford to fly people in from all over, put them up at this hotel, and have the get-together and all our meals right in the hotel. It seemed so convenient and ideal. My request was for the rest of the group to help me win the lottery to make this fantasy come true.
The newest member had never met Tom, and he was interested in putting something together. Even though we did not manifest a lottery win, we started talking seriously about bringing Tom to Boston again. In July 2015, I started asking some of the previous attendees if they would come back. By October, our plans were in full swing.
Adam picked Tom and Pamela up at the airport on Friday, June 24th. He was also their driver the first time they came. He brought them to Les and Maureen's, who were also their hosts previously. In 2012, I was invited to a quiet dinner with Tom and Pamela, Adam, Les and Maureen but I declined, because I wanted to hang out with the fans. The hotel in Quincy was at least half an hour from where our guests were staying.
When we brought Tom back this year, Maureen invited me to dinner Friday night again but I said I would hang with the fans. Adam and I talked briefly on the phone before he went to pick our guests up, and he mentioned that I should stop by. I was also on my way to the airport to pick up a forum member, but I said if the timing was right, I would come. But that I would only stay a short time.
After bringing Whitcomb to the hotel, I went into the bar to find some fans. I sat down and started chatting with Lake when a text came from Adam that Maureen said I should come over. I apologized to Lake and got in my car and within ten minutes I was at their front door. I realized the difference in 2016, from 2012, was the proximity of our guests to the hotel. I had enough time to eat salad and a popover, but first to get a hug from Adam, Pamela and Tom. Tom gives the greatest hugs! When he embraced me, it washed away the exhaustion of three trips to the airport and sitting in traffic for hours. That hug made the whole thing worthwhile.
The Q&A from 9-5 went off without a hitch on Saturday, and our 60 guests enjoyed lunch and dinner but especially the camaraderie. Saturday night we were treated to an advance screening of The Path:Evolution featuring Tom. But after dinner and before the movie, Tom posed for photos with the fans. After getting my photo taken with Tom, I got another hug.
Sunday morning from 8:15 until 11:30, a few of us had a quiet breakfast with Tom, where he continued answering our questions but in a more informal round-table discussion, and I captured a few pieces on video. I had to take Whitcomb back to the airport at 11:30 so I did not get a hug goodbye, but I am incredibly thankful for the ones on Friday and Saturday night. This guy can really hug!
There was a lot of talk in the comments on the pictures about making it an annual event.
When I came home from that get-together, I realized I knew at least 4 other Forum Members who were local to Massachusetts, and I thought maybe the 5 of us would be enough to form a local group.
My local group met every month to discuss MBT and related ideas, and in April 2012, we hosted the second Forum Members get-together in Boston (Quincy actually) Massachusetts. We had about 40 people.
After seeing Tom once per year for three years, four more years went by before I would see him in person again.
In 2013, I was getting frustrated with trying to coordinate our monthly meetings. I had made arrangements to pass the responsibility for setting up our monthly meetings to another member. I was getting tired of it.
But then I was contacted through the discussion forum by someone in a nearby state who wanted to join my meetups. This new member brought new life into my commitment to the group, and I resumed the lead.
Early in 2015, I confessed to my group that I had a fantasy. There was a hotel I knew of near Logan Airport, my company had done a big weekend conference there previously. This hotel had gorgeous views, delicious food, a constant shuttle to the airport and incredible customer service. My fantasy was to be able to afford to fly people in from all over, put them up at this hotel, and have the get-together and all our meals right in the hotel. It seemed so convenient and ideal. My request was for the rest of the group to help me win the lottery to make this fantasy come true.
The newest member had never met Tom, and he was interested in putting something together. Even though we did not manifest a lottery win, we started talking seriously about bringing Tom to Boston again. In July 2015, I started asking some of the previous attendees if they would come back. By October, our plans were in full swing.
Adam picked Tom and Pamela up at the airport on Friday, June 24th. He was also their driver the first time they came. He brought them to Les and Maureen's, who were also their hosts previously. In 2012, I was invited to a quiet dinner with Tom and Pamela, Adam, Les and Maureen but I declined, because I wanted to hang out with the fans. The hotel in Quincy was at least half an hour from where our guests were staying.
When we brought Tom back this year, Maureen invited me to dinner Friday night again but I said I would hang with the fans. Adam and I talked briefly on the phone before he went to pick our guests up, and he mentioned that I should stop by. I was also on my way to the airport to pick up a forum member, but I said if the timing was right, I would come. But that I would only stay a short time.
After bringing Whitcomb to the hotel, I went into the bar to find some fans. I sat down and started chatting with Lake when a text came from Adam that Maureen said I should come over. I apologized to Lake and got in my car and within ten minutes I was at their front door. I realized the difference in 2016, from 2012, was the proximity of our guests to the hotel. I had enough time to eat salad and a popover, but first to get a hug from Adam, Pamela and Tom. Tom gives the greatest hugs! When he embraced me, it washed away the exhaustion of three trips to the airport and sitting in traffic for hours. That hug made the whole thing worthwhile.
The Q&A from 9-5 went off without a hitch on Saturday, and our 60 guests enjoyed lunch and dinner but especially the camaraderie. Saturday night we were treated to an advance screening of The Path:Evolution featuring Tom. But after dinner and before the movie, Tom posed for photos with the fans. After getting my photo taken with Tom, I got another hug.
Sunday morning from 8:15 until 11:30, a few of us had a quiet breakfast with Tom, where he continued answering our questions but in a more informal round-table discussion, and I captured a few pieces on video. I had to take Whitcomb back to the airport at 11:30 so I did not get a hug goodbye, but I am incredibly thankful for the ones on Friday and Saturday night. This guy can really hug!
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