This Garthmeeting has taken the longest to write because it meant so much to me, while at the same time it was the briefest thusfar and I wanted to put it to words the best way I could.(I won't bore you with the near disasters that happened this weekend...so don't ask :-)
The weekend in NY for SNL started with a Garth party of sorts at my house on Friday at 8:00PM where Jim, Cathy, Stacy(their daughter), Teresa, Sandy and I gathered to watch Garth videos, eat junk food and make signs to take to NY. Jim and Cathy also brought T-shirts for us to wear that had Chris' face on them with the words "I'm In The Life of Chris Gaines"...very cool! (thanks guys!) Two other Garthnutts, Kim and Donna were to meet us in the city. We left my house at 12:10a t pick up Cyndi at the train station in Philly, who was arriving for our first meeting from Boston, MA. After picking up Cyndi, we head for our destination to wait in line for standby tickets at NBC. We get in line at 5:00A and there are approx. 23 people already there. Our original plan was to try to get tickets for the dress rehearsal, but shortly after 9:00A when the tickets were being distributed, someone thought it would be better to get tickets to the actual taping :-( (should've gone with the original plans)
We had to return to the studio by 10:00P so the reserve ticket count could be taken. After making everyone in line wait unitl 11:15P, security announced that NO ONE would be getting in as all seats were taken.(damn...that was not fair at all...they left us hanging on all that time!!) We were, needless to say, very disappointed but now we have to concentrate on meeting Garth after the show. So we head to the garage and no one's there waiting with the same mission but shortly thereafter people start to arrive. The black navigator pulls into the garage followed by a black van. Now we're pysched...we know who the navigator has arrived to pick up!! :-) Donna has arrived to join us and someone said(I believe it was Donna), let Cheryl be the first one he sees...he'll stop! We were standing at the opening to the garage on the curb and freezing out butts off- LOL! Teresa had previously suggested maybe we'd have a better vantage point across the street from the opening and I felt that with the lack of traffic in and out of the garage that time of night, our positions would be the best.
A short time later, we hear a vehicle coming up the ramp, then headlights begin to bounce off the wall, then the front of the navigator is in sight. Someone said, it's not him and I said yes it is...hold the signs up! The navigator stops and Garth gets out of the back wearing a "Predator's" ballcap backwards. He makes it clear that he could not stay or autograph, as he had to get his Dad to the airport. I was the first one he saw and then he hugged me soooo hard and softly said, "you're sooo cold" and I said "I'm freezing and we've been up 44 hours without sleep just to see you". He said..."what"?(like are you crazy!) I was holding on for dear life and didn't want to let go! :-) He has no idea how close he came to being....well I'm sure you have an idea at what I'm feeling right now! ;)
Garth looked sooo good...he's lost weight since DC and even looked younger, if that's possible!! Then I gave him roses, which he handed to the girl in the band's boyfriend and next the gift bag that contained more charms for the girls and Sandy and a pullover grey and black zip neck shirt for him. (I later learned that he wore that shirt after his next appearance on Rosie and although we couldn't get out of the studio then to see him, I have a photo of him wearing it.[thanks Kerry!] In fact, Trish from TN who happened upon the shooting of the "Right Now" video and has a photo of her and Garth dressed in character as Chris Gaines...you know the poster photo that was shown at Crook & Chase, first alerted me to a photo of him wearing the shirt.) He said, "what's this" and I said it's something for you, Sandy and the girls and he said, "how sweet, thank you" and hugged me again. While he was hugging me he said "thanks for taking such good care of me"! (Ironically that's what's on this webpage and what I wrote in a note I gave him in DC) Man, it was worth every minute without sleep!!!!! He was swarmed within a matter of seconds and I believe Sandy was the next to be greeted, who asked Garth for some of what I'd just had-LOL! While Stacy was having her moment, she asked Garth if he would give some roses to his Dad and Garth told her she could give them to him herself, as he was in the truck...man...what luck!("the" 2 Mr. Brooks' at the same time!)
I witnessed Donna's moment and told him Cyndi came all the way from MA to see him, at which point they also got hugs and kisses) I then realized that my camera is nowhere to be seen...Oh MY GOD, panic sets in and I was the only one able to get out of the crowd to look for it; the rest of my group was now behind Garth at the right rear quarter panel of the navigator and was consumed by the crowd. Just then a lady said, "is this yours as she held up my camera". Thank God, there it was!!! Now, I scurry to the driver's side of the navigator to see Mr. Brooks. There were 3 others there getting autographs and I asked him if I could take his photo. He said "sure" and posed while sitting(he looked good, not as fraile as I had seen in photos of late). Then he asked me my name and shook my hand and said "it's nice to meet you". I told him it was sooo nice to meet him and may God bless him....what a sweet man!!!(I wish the others in my group could have a moment with him too.)
I returned to the crowd where someone had handed Garth an 8 x 10 of a concert "butt" shot of him, which he held up gazing at and teasing the hell out of us. Garth made his way back to the navigator with the help of the guy he was handing the gifts to, gave a couple more hugs and drove off. The tears instantly began to flow. We're crying and hugging each other; those who had just had their first moments and I, who was thanking God for allowing me to be there for their moments, having met some really sweet nutts in the process.
The only downside of the whole thing was the professional autograph seekers who kept trying to persuade Garth to sign stuff, but he wouldn't(good for you Garth!) and the rude people who kept pushing their way to him. One guy even tried to get Garth to sign a photograph of...get this....Clint Black!!! Garth said, "I'm sorry pal but that's Clint Black!
But ultimately, this meeting will forever be soooo special to me. (Hi Cyndi and Donna...it was so great meeting you guys at last, hope we can be together again soon!! (((Huggs)))
Mr. Raymond Brooks(Garth's Dad)
The start of "the hug" ~ Photo taken by Jim Lasky
Love this!(Cathy getting her hug from Garth)
The NY Gang(from left to right Cyndi,
Me, Sandy, Stacey, Teresa & Cathy)
Garth wearing the shirt I gave him
during this SNL moment. Thanks Kerry!
Cathy and Jim(getting kisses from his old girlfriend)
Cathy's an understanding wife. LOL
Here we are making signs in my Dining Room
