This is going to be a hard recap, more for me to save memories and do some soul searching perhaps then to let my DCO friends know what happened because well, they already do. I know I said it would be medium length, but It is very difficult for a blabber mouth like me to be pithy. I'm no bobs.mom! So you don't have to read the whole damn thing.

Intro: The original plan was for husband and me to be in New York for one week, from July 29 to August 4. We visit NY a few times a year since son works and lives there. Usually we walk around, shop, visit a museum or two, see a broadway show, eat , eat, eat more, then walk again, listen to son explain what he does to us - Its simple mom, derivatives, trades, clients, blah blah, derivatives, percentage, probability, more derivatives - we nod, we think we get it, but 10 minutes later, we don't really know what he does again.

Anyways, this time, he was going to move to West Village and asked us to come help. The kid says come, we go usually.

Then I find out that Dave is doing meet and greet at JCP the day after I return home and Nokia concert the next day. What fan in her right minds leaves New York the day before the luscious one arrives, I say. Just pay the bucks and extend trip till Friday. No GMA for you girl, because Owens is on Sunday. And so it starts.

Before I go on, a note that my decision to stay for David was a blessing, because the son couldn't move into new apartment as planned, his furniture went to some storage facility in New Jersey while we moved to a hotel, until the managing board of the co-op interviewed him. Dave is good luck for me. By staying for him, I ended up being able to help son move after all, while his father returned home earlier.

JCPenney: The hotel I was staying at was only two blocks away. Older son, the rock snob and enabler tells me to go early, "be there at noon mom, I waited five hours once for a meet and greet with the Smashing Pumpkins". But, husband's cousins, who happen to be in NY at the same time, invite me to have brunch with them at noon somewhere in Union Square. I understand the good intentions of trying to entertain me since husband has already returned home, but I have other plans people! What to do? Tell them the truth, a voice answers. So I do. I'm meeting a rock star, I say and persuade them to have brunch earlier, at 10 am at a diner I have noticed next to Duane Reed at 32nd and Broadway. Even closer, I think. So it's all good and I make it to JCP close to 1 pm. I still get an orange bracelet which means I'm in the first 100. Yay! I jump up and down internally.

Waiting in line is tough. I have conversations with myself:
Sane Swanny (SS): What the hell are you doing standing in line at Penneys woman? Have you lost your mind. For a 26 year old rocker? Really? You could be on 5th avenue, or Soho or MOMA.

CrazySwanny (CS): Will you let me do what I want for just once in your life?

SS: What are you going to say to him?

CS: I'll think of something. I'm just going to look at him up close.

SS: and then what? Stare and scare the kid? Confess your sins? He's just a kid for God's sake.

CS: I want to thank him, that's all.

SS: Like he cares? He should have young, beautiful girls and guys waiting to meet him. You're taking their place!

CS: Ok. I just want to break up with him. I want to do it personally, face to face, cause it's rude and cowardly to do it any other way.

SS Fine, just do that. But this is it. I don't want to be dragged anywhere else.

CS: Fine!

This went on for a while.... 4 hours in line, what do you want me to do to entertain myself?
I chatted with the four girls I had met at Chesaning. Fun.
I met a great lady from Jersey and have already forgotten her name!

I comforted crying teenagers in line, told them Dave was friendly, not skeery, they would be fine, they would find words to say. Hmph!

Best of all, I met Brazilian wordnerds Adreanna and Paloma. Loved them! Hey girls, if you're here I want a copy of our picture together.

Suddenly screams. I thought fer sure someone was being attacked, but no, it was just pretty boy arriving with his entourage. Some more waiting for Skechers to do their promo photos and stuff, then the line started moving. Down the escalator of the mall to the roped off area in front of JCP, in groups of 10-12. Very nicely organized by JCP btw. All of a sudden, I was being called to go ahead , out of line cause the people in front of me were in a group and wanted to go together. This meant going ahead of my Brazilian friends and losing chance of photo of my butt as I talked to Dave, for that was the only way we were allowed to take photos.

SS: Excuse the interruption, but what is the whole point of that, huh? Who wants a photo of their back blocking the view of David? See, this is me and you can't tell from the photo, but I'm talking to someone sitting at this table in front of me, and it's David Cook, but all you see here is my big butt, but he's there, trust me. See that little piece of hair on left side there, it's his. And that pinkie showing to my right, that's his too. What?! It's him, I tell you. Never mind, I know he's there.

The girl in front of me hands me her camera and asks for a picture. I try very hard and I think I do get Dave in there. Then it's my turn, but this person starts leaving without her camera. I know she's in a rush and won't have time to come back. So what do I do? I'll tell you what. Dave is looking at me thinking, do you want to come forward already? I'm running after camera owner. Lost 15 seconds of my allotted 30 seconds that way, and also lost my focus.

Finally I stand in front of him. Michelle is sitting on the table, I think lucky girl, you have the best job in the universe and try not to hate her. Andrew is standing behind him, picking up a skecher, examining it, making faces, putting it back. I want to say, "Dave tell your brother to settle down, he's distracting me", but I don't. Security guards are counting, tic toc tic toc. I'm in Dave trance. Baby's eyes look huge and blue and .... red! Oh no, he's tired, I would rather he was taking a nap. I want to say do you want to take a nap darlin' but I'm smart enough not to say it. I want to check out his nose and mouth, but I'm lost in the eyes, I'm under his spell. I recover. I thank him but forget to shake his hand. Oh no, is it too late to reach for his hand. SS: of course it is, just tell him you're breaking up already. I say thank you again and something about my adopting him when he sang on my teevee about Tommy working someplace. He laughs the laugh, should I faint? No, ask him to sign your CD and C4Y's CD. No, you don't have to explain why there's not that much room for him to sign C4Y's CD. Ok too late, you used another 10 seconds to do that. I give him a little note I've written just in case I don't get a turn to meet him and he promises to read it. Yeah right, I think. He stands up and opens his arms. My jaw might or might not hit the floor at this point. He opened his arms for me? No way. I'm not sure, so I say, "Is it Ok to?" He motions with his hand like come get your hug already and then his arms are around me and I squeeze like I squeeze my boys when I'm saying goodbye at the airport. He squeezes back!!! He's warm and soft but strong. Oh no, maybe he's sick, he might be warm cause he has a fever. I want to touch my lips to his forehead to check his temp like I do with my sons... . And now I know what archucookie means. It couldn't have been longer than 3 seconds but it was an eternity. Security looks at me and motions this way ma'am. I want to say, "Don't you dare ma'am me" but I move towards them instead. I realize I've left my CDs on the table, so I take a step back and ask if I can have my stuff. He laughs and hands them to me. I feel like a moron.

Outside, I'm not allowed to hang around but I do anyway. Are they going to send me to jail? I walk back and forth. Big macho security guy yells at me so I move somewhere else and try to take photos without butts. Then SS takes over and leads me to the main door upstairs. It's 6:30 and C4Y is holding my hand all the way form Michigan, texting me to just stay and be in the "atmosphere", hehe. I realize I'm crying because I don't want to leave him there at JCP. I want him to leave before me. Its like not wanting to be the first to hang up the phone... SS comes to my rescue, takes me back to hotel, lecturing me all the way there. Just to spite her, I get another latte from Starbucks against the rules of not having coffee after 3 pm.

Now I'm saved by the distraction of getting ready to go to dinner with son and girlfriend. Her mother is in town. Yikes! Son and I think it's too early to meet girlfriend's mother. After all, the Fockers met their son in law only right before the wedding. They're just dating for God's sake.... I know Im going to hate the mother, anyway ... So I put Dave on my "save for later when I'm alone" shelf in my heart and get in a cab.

Dave 1

Dave 2
That's the best I could do.
Nokia and Owens coming soon to a blog near you.