Where there's a will, there's a way....
Yesterday 9/28/99 at approx. 11:57A was one of THE best days in my life...
It all started when we heard Garth was going to be in NY to promote the Chris Gaines project and CD on the Rosie O'Donnell show and some friends and I decided to go up with hopes of getting stand-by tickets into the show. Teresa suggested that she make signs just in case he saw us so he would know we were fans. I had gotten Garth a bear carved out of pine log and wrapped it in a photo of Chris Gaines. We drove into Jersey City to get the bus into Manhattan but because of traffic jam, we didn't make it in time for stand by tickets. We also figured we had a shot at tickets to Conan O'Brien where he'd be appearing there later that day. We went to a deli to get something to eat, being mindful of the time and the time that Rosie stopped taping. A fan had posted something about a garage on 49th Street in the Garthbox digest, so we headed back to the studio. We split up, Teresa went one way and Charmaine and I another. A short time later we met up with Teresa who told us a construction worker mentioned something about a garage on 50th Street that said trucks only. So we made our way to that garage but stood across the street. We spotted a number of fans (Hi Harriet) at the opening of the garage. 50th Street is rather narrow and it's a one way street so any vehicles exiting that garage could only go in one direction. A delivery truck pulled up in front of us and motioned to see our signs. We showed them to the driver and he was like, yeah okay. Another truck pulled up and motioned behind him. Just then a city bus pulled up and blocked our view to the garage but suddenly Charmaine yells a limo is coming out. That limo came barrelling out and we held up the signs. It came to a screeching halt onto the sidewalk which was kind of a blue but the next thing we see is a cowboy hat and Garth is standing there 3ft. away wearing a Black Stetson, blue jeans, blue denim shirt jacket, black ropers and a black mock-turtle neck shirt and by now he is swamped, but everyone was well behaved and started talking to him and handing him stuff to sign.
We patiently, well not too patiently, wait our turn. You would not believe how gorgeous he is up close and when he looks into your eyes with those beautiful blues of his, it IS like he's looking into your very soul. Our cameras were clicking away, all the while we're shaking hoping that the pictures turn out o.k. Now comes my turn...I hand him the best photo from the Philly concert last year with his arms stretched up in the air and I say I love you Garth, you're the best there is (get me!!!! as shy as I use to be I could have never done that before) He thanks me and he says..."hey, did you take that photo and I said yes and he jokingly says no you didn't and I said yes I did and he asked when and I said last year in Philly and he says it's a really great photo". I thanked him and he asked what my name was (thank God, I remembered it!!!), I said Cheryl and he said with a C(?) and I said yes. He then signed my photo Cheryl, God Bless, Love Garth Brooks!
Hot damn, man oh man, I am flying!!!!! I then asked him if I could have a photo taken with him and he said sure...now mind you this man has the softest voice and seems to be taller than he actually is. So we pose for Charmaine & Teresa's cameras, after which I gently kissed him on the cheek, which is as soft as a baby's bottom. (man oh man, he smelled soooo good, I think it was Cool Water but not sure) and he thanked me again and I thanked him, of course.
Then, more people start handing him stuff to sign and he's twirling around to accomodate, and even though I backed up to let people in at one point his body is right up against me(woooooo baby!!!) Garth called the guy standing by the curb Kelly and I looked and said to Teresa, hey that's Garth's brother. S***, I forgot to give him the gift.... Teresa says give it to Kelly. I said no as he was 5 ft. from me, I can only think I wanted to give it to Garth personally. Again, Teresa said give it to Kelly, so I turned to him and asked him to take it and he graciously did along with other gifts and put them in the limo.
Now it's Charmaine's turn, he signs her CD jacket, I take her photo and she kisses him on the cheek. About 10 more people get stuff signed and then it's Teresa's turn. He starts signing her CD jackets (she's in a trance) and someone bumped his arm and he got a little of the marker on her finger. He takes her hand and says...I'm sorry...she says, that's o.k. I then say, Garth can she get a photo with you and he twirls her around to see whose gonna take the photo and he says oh, Cheryl's gonna take the picture. Oh my God...he remembered my name !!!!! I take the picture and she also kisses him on the cheek.
Now mind you, none of us thought to ask him any of the questions we wanted to ask...(perhaps next time we'll be calm enough to do so) but he would keep talking to people as he signed their stuff. The man has amazing concentration and dexterity. I then went to Kelly(hi Kelly, great seeing you again and thanks for the photo!) and asked how their Dad was doing since their Mom died and if he was going to stay on in the house by himself and he said he was okay and he would stay on for a while.
Meanwhile, we're still taking photos of him signing and posing with other people and at one point Kelly gives him the signal after about 45 mins. that they had to go, so they got in the limo and drove off but not without me getting a photo of the back of the limo driving down the street. Me, Charmaine and Teresa grabbed each and squeeled and I let out the loudest, "I can die a happy woman" that NY will never forget!
Okay winding down now, we return to the line for Conan after walking around some more and finding a music store to get his new CD/Cassette. (the show tapes from 5:30P x 6:30P) We're taken inside the building and lined up in order of our ticket number. There were 50 some total and we figure this is probably just formality 'cause in all reality we'll never make the cut..but as luck would have it 50 some people with reserve tickets never showed up, 'cause they don't announce beforehand who will be on the show...but the Garth network finds ways.
We get into the show, the taping was great and we leave afterwards exhausted and elated. We stop to get something to eat, then it's on to the Port Authority to get the bus back to Jersey City. We got very little sleep the night before, but adrenaline drove us home and we made it back by 10:15P. It was a day I'll never forget!!
Another road trip may be coming up shortly and we hope to meet some Garthnutts there!!!!!!!!!!
We're still on Cloud 7!!!!
Cheryl (still Shameless)
Well, there I was, the sweetest moment of my life and I ended up looking like a DORK in the photo used to be here but because I am vain, I took it down...AND, I can thank Garth for it!!:-) As you can imagine, I was extremely nervous and shaking badly and what does Garth say to calm me...relax, it's only Garth...ONLY GARTH!!!! Hey, Sweetie, you owe me another photo!
Photo Garth Autographed For Me
