By Request: Steve Perry in Puerto Rico - 1995

[mistiejourney]

"Now all I had to do was get my husband to say "yes"."

hmmm...you had to ask????

Yeah, when one is about to spend $3000 on a solo trip, it's good to get the blessing of the spouse. I was GOING, it was just a formality - okay, part two, but first I figured I'd upload some pages from my memory book. The captions are mine - just to be funny.

I hope these aren't too big - I shrunk them a bit...I have a ton more. Be sure not to "quote" them as they are so large!

Number one:

[mistiejourney]

Okay, number two. I'll tell the story after I upload the pics.

[mistiejourney]

Number three:

[mistiejourney]

And number four:

(Yikes - I've aged so much between this photo and the JSS photos! LOL! Well, it's been 13 years....)

[mistiejourney]

Geeze, nice to know y'all were hanging on my every word! Actually, I just did four night shifts in a row so didn't have much time until now.

Okay - so there are four of us in the cab on the way to the Hard Rock Cafe. We were the last ones in cabs and the last ones to get to the restaurant, this was good as our table was near the doors of the room we were eating in.

All four of us decided that we were adult, professional women and we would handle ourselves with composure and elegance. This meant no drinking before meeting Steve. Lord knows we couldn't eat!

And then I look up and he's just outside the door. I am glancing casually in that direction, and then holy shit, they (Steve and some other guys - Tim? - I have no rememberance of anyone else standing there) walk over to our table first! He introduces himself to my roommate Vanessa and says, "Hi, I'm Steve!"

(No shit, Sherlock! But I digress...)

Then he is introduced to me, says the same thing and shakes my hand! I am the epitome of cool (seriously!) and being a nurse, the very first thing I asked him was "How are you feeling?". Well, let me tell you. Steve looooves to talk. And boy, he started! Said he had been so sick he couldn't believe it, in the hospital, etc. I think he would have talked to us all night, but the guys with him were supposed to keep him on track, so they introduced him to my other tablemate and, bless Donna's heart, she asked him about the Northridge earthquake!!! And he was off again! Whooo hoooo! Talked about how it woke him up out of a sound sleep and a dresser fell and he had a "big ol' scar" on his leg (no, he didn't show us. Damn! I am sure he spent probably five minutes with us, but it felt like much longer. You ask a question, Steve talks. A lot! I love it!

Then he had to go meet the other tables. But before he leaves, he walks around to the back of me and then there is a hand on my shoulder....oh, I kid you not!
I glanced over my right shoulder to see who it was and pretty much stopped breathing - it was Steve. He said something to the effect of, it was great meeting you all and stood there WITH HIS FREAKING HAND ON MY SHOULDER!

Now in the above photo, you will see the dress I was wearing. Do you think that I was wearing a tank top or a strapless dress? Oh no...miss I-love-my-shoulder-pads had to wear the damn dress that had them in it! No skin contact - I probably would have had a cardiac arrest if there were. This wasn't like shaking hands, that's different. HIS HAND WAS ON MY SHOULDER!!!!!

Thirteen years later I still get goosebumps!

Then he went on to meet everyone else. We were not allowed to ask for individual photos, so of course, being the good little girl I am, I did not ask for one. Two of my tourmates DID and they GOT them! See what happens when you follow the rules?

Steve was easy going, talkative and looked like he was enjoying himself.

But...that wasn't the end of the adventure. There were four or five people at the table right behind ours. Steve walked over and introduced himself and shook everyone's hand.

Get this - THEY WEREN'T WITH THE GROUP!

Please notice Imaging sitting in a Hard Rock cafe, just having dinner and minding your own business and having Steve Perry walk up and start talking. Everyone got a laugh about that and I think he signed some stuff for them.

I'd have choked on my burger.

After he left our table, we giggled like schoolgirls, I swear. I thought I had died and gone to heaven and was going to wake up any minute.

We all exchanged addresses so that we could exchange photos later (remember this was before the fast internet we have today), which is how I got all of these. The one of Steve looking at me was just taken without me knowing it, so you can imagine my shock when I saw it.

My Journey roommate Vanessa thinks he's looking at HER. Ha! I beg to differ, I saw that look!

Next: the concert/soundcheck pics

[Michigan Girl]

YOU are a tease!!!

[mistiejourney]

I'll write about the concert/sound check later, here is the group photo with my section of the group. These were actually taken by the SPIN guys - this is amazing. The other photos look brand new because they have been in acid free pages of a memory book. This one is faded, as it was free standing (I have a copy in the book).

[perrylover52]

Love the pictures and the story to go with it. Love reading stuff like this. Never got to do any of this. Thanks for telling us about it.

[Marabelle]

i've been waiting to hear from somebody about the sound check! i'll be glad to see your pics!

[tammy]

Oh, man what great memories you have there, Kim...I love the part about you looking to see who is touching your shoulder. Your stuff is funny. Yeah, the Northridge quake was terrifying...I avoid parking underground or in parking structures (if I can help it) after I saw my school & the mall's collapsed...and, I get slightly panicky to this day if I am under a freeway underpass waiting at a light.
What a sweetheart SP is to have mingled & chatted with everyone...even the ones just there. I love "talky" guys!

[bluejeangirl76]

Get this - THEY WEREN'T WITH THE GROUP!

Please notice Imaging sitting in a Hard Rock cafe, just having dinner and minding your own business and having Steve Perry walk up and start talking.

If that happened, I would hope he knows the heimlich, because I'd need it.

Actually I picture a moment like that more like the rule about not drinking things while reading MR...
He'd be wearing a dirty martini all over him. Good thing he wears black.

[Rip Rokken]

If that happened, I would hope he knows the heimlich, because I'd need it.

Hey, not to change the subject, but I owe you an apology. I think I ruffled your feathers by insinuating Chicagoans said "fook", and I discovered during my trip that was completely incorrect. It's actually "fack", as in, "fack yow". My mistake, and I'm still not sure what it means -- it wasn't in my pocket translator.

[bluejeangirl76]

If that happened, I would hope he knows the heimlich, because I'd need it.

Hey, not to change the subject, but I owe you an apology. I think I ruffled your feathers by insinuating Chicagoans said "fook", and I discovered during my trip that was completely incorrect. It's actually "fack", as in, "fack yow". My mistake, and I'm still not sure what it means -- it wasn't in my pocket translator.

You didn't ruffle anything, relax yourself.

But open your ears next time you're up here. We don't say "fook" OR "fack" and we certainly don't say "yow".
Believe me, "fuck you" is the one thing we DO say correctly up here.

[Babyblue]

That was great and you can tell he was looking at you. Can't wait to read more. You are a lucky girl for sure.

[CatEyes]

wow, frigging, wow

I would have passed out!!!

Cat

[Don]

If that happened, I would hope he knows the heimlich, because I'd need it.

Hey, not to change the subject, but I owe you an apology. I think I ruffled your feathers by insinuating Chicagoans said "fook", and I discovered during my trip that was completely incorrect. It's actually "fack", as in, "fack yow". My mistake, and I'm still not sure what it means -- it wasn't in my pocket translator.

When I read this I thought you were gonna lead into a Fook Yu and Fook Mi joke.

[Deb]

And number four:

(Yikes - I've aged so much between this photo and the JSS photos! LOL! Well, it's been 13 years....)

Kim, you haven't aged a bit.....seriously! You'd never know there is 13 years difference in that pic and your AV!

[annie89509]

Aahh, great pics and story, MistiJ. Hanging on every word. Can't wait for the next chapter.

[perryfaithful]

WHAT A TREAT this has been!!

Please keep it coming.....

(and you have not aged one minute, wow, how do you do it?)

[CatEyes]

And number four:

(Yikes - I've aged so much between this photo and the JSS photos! LOL! Well, it's been 13 years....)

Kim, you haven't aged a bit.....seriously! You'd never know there is 13 years difference in that pic and your AV!

Well, there is an updated haircut

Cat

[mistiejourney]

WHAT A TREAT this has been!!

Please keep it coming.....

(and you have not aged one minute, wow, how do you do it?)

Jeff must be a miraculous miracle wrinkle cure!

Doing a bunch of stuff today - will have pics of the soundcheck up next, will try to do tonight if possible.

[mistiejourney]

And number four:

(Yikes - I've aged so much between this photo and the JSS photos! LOL! Well, it's been 13 years....)

Kim, you haven't aged a bit.....seriously! You'd never know there is 13 years difference in that pic and your AV!

Well, there is an updated haircut

Cat

Not by much! Methinks I need a change!

[Granny]

Kim, thanks for all your hard work and time to give us all this wonderful info..
Enjoyed every second of it..
And you haven't aged a day...I saw you in person and you look great..

[Deb]

Kim, thanks for all your hard work and time to give us all this wonderful info..
Enjoyed every second of it..
And you haven't aged a day...I saw you in person and you look great..

Carol you looked fabulous too. It was great seeing you and Norm in Cali, both just 2 kids at heart. Norm's a hoot! Can't believe the Howard Johnson survived us all, LOL I think we pretty much had most of the second floor covered.

[Granny]

Kim, thanks for all your hard work and time to give us all this wonderful info..
Enjoyed every second of it..
And you haven't aged a day...I saw you in person and you look great..

Carol you looked fabulous too. It was great seeing you and Norm in Cali, both just 2 kids at heart. Norm's a hoot! Can't believe the Howard Johnson survived us all, LOL I think we pretty much had most of the second floor covered.

It was great to see you again, Deb, We only got one phone call from management "To Shut up" cuz we were too loud..but thats US...

[mistiejourney]

Kim, thanks for all your hard work and time to give us all this wonderful info..
Enjoyed every second of it..
And you haven't aged a day...I saw you in person and you look great..

Carol you looked fabulous too. It was great seeing you and Norm in Cali, both just 2 kids at heart. Norm's a hoot! Can't believe the Howard Johnson survived us all, LOL I think we pretty much had most of the second floor covered.

I had a suite on the first floor! I done got upgraded! You all were having a great time, I could hear it! LOL! (No, I did not call management! )

[artist4perry]

Kim,
The way I remember you telling it years ago it was like a kind of a gentle caress on that sholder not so much a hand resting on the shoulder. No wonder you still get goosebumps! I need to find your letters darn it! It never gets old in the telling my friend! And the pics and the caps are great! Like I said, I get to live vicariously! Your still as pretty as you were in the day. I am glad you have great memories to share with us. Thank you for your time, I know you are busy!

Rose's Wedding is Friday! YIKES! I will send you pics later!

[cyndy!]

thanks for sharing your story & pix, MJ. wish i could have been there!

[mistiejourney]

Kim,
The way I remember you telling it years ago it was like a kind of a gentle caress on that sholder not so much a hand resting on the shoulder. No wonder you still get goosebumps! I need to find your letters darn it! It never gets old in the telling my friend! And the pics and the caps are great! Like I said, I get to live vicariously! Your still as pretty as you were in the day. I am glad you have great memories to share with us. Thank you for your time, I know you are busy!

Rose's Wedding is Friday! YIKES! I will send you pics later!

Ginger, if you could find those letters it would be great because those were as it happened. I'm going from an (aging) memory! Trust me, if that had been a caress I would have been arrested for attacking the poor guy! It was all I could do to maintain composure as it was. It was there long enough for me to look around and see who it was (and cursing the shoulder pads!).

[mistiejourney]

thanks for sharing your story & pix, MJ. wish i could have been there!

Love your avatar!!!!!!!!!!