Lemon Meringue
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Got a phone call this morning and it sounds like some fellow Interferencers/PLEBANs met Mr. Bono this morning. Woo Hoo! I'll let them give you the details. 
Bono in Nebraska
- Thread starter Lemon Meringue
- Start date
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Hallelujah Here She Comes
Rock n' Roll Doggie
COME ON GUYS!!! THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING MEEE!!! ESPECIALLY SINCE THE MESSAGE YOU LEFT ON MY PHONE GOT CUT OFF!! WHY AM I YELLING!!
U2SJ
Refugee
Details, please!?!?! Can't wait to hear, and see pics hopefully!
I bet you can't even write you are so !!
I bet you can't even write you are so
!!
Stories for Boys
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
it's a long story. i'm typing it with all the details right now, but it'll take me a bit. i'll post later today what happened. i still have 2 pictures on my camera then i'm getting the pics developed, but i know that erin (eep78) got hers developed yesterday whilst we were driving home. can i just say and my life is complete
and my life is complete
hippy
ONE<br>love, blood, life
I can't wait to hear the story!!!!!!!!
Stories for Boys said:it's a long story. i'm typing it with all the details right now, but it'll take me a bit. i'll post later today what happened. i still have 2 pictures on my camera then i'm getting the pics developed, but i know that erin (eep78) got hers developed yesterday whilst we were driving home. can i just say
GAH!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE HURRY UP AND SPILL!!!!!
lady lemonade
Acrobat
C'mon ft, I'm living vicariously through you remember can't wait to see the pics!
can't wait to see the pics!
dizzy
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Stories for Boys said:but i know that erin (eep78) got hers developed yesterday whilst we were driving home. can i just say
Erin?! I know her! Well, I trade U2 stuff with her.
Lucky dawg! Can't wait for the details! 
oktobergirl
Refugee
Helooooooooooooooo
we're waiting!!!!!!!!!
we're waiting!!!!!!!!!
Kristie
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I'm glad it was worth going
elizabeth
New Yorker
i was tempted to try and go to the visit to OH, but they are only going to Cincinatti. Too far to drive.
If they really want to do some good, they should visit Baltimore:
Mayor declares an AIDS 'state of emergency'
Tue Dec 3, 8:43 AM ET
By Jonathan Bor
Mayor Martin O'Malley declared a "state of emergency" yesterday in Baltimore's battle against AIDS (news - web sites), calling for a coordinated assault by public and private interests on an illness that disproportionately afflicts the black community.
His declaration - which promised little new money and few initiatives - came after intense lobbying by an organization of black ministers and an AIDS commission spearheaded by City Council President Sheila Dixon, who lost her brother and sister-in-law to the disease.
Since June, both groups had called on the mayor to dedicate more resources to prevention, treatment and education - saying the city's efforts have been woefully inadequate. Yesterday, Dixon said she had been frustrated by the delay but was grateful he acted.
Joined by city Health Commissioner Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, O'Malley made the announcement at a hastily called news conference that apparently was meant to capture the momentum of World AIDS Day, which was observed Sunday.
If they really want to do some good, they should visit Baltimore:
Mayor declares an AIDS 'state of emergency'
Tue Dec 3, 8:43 AM ET
By Jonathan Bor
Mayor Martin O'Malley declared a "state of emergency" yesterday in Baltimore's battle against AIDS (news - web sites), calling for a coordinated assault by public and private interests on an illness that disproportionately afflicts the black community.
His declaration - which promised little new money and few initiatives - came after intense lobbying by an organization of black ministers and an AIDS commission spearheaded by City Council President Sheila Dixon, who lost her brother and sister-in-law to the disease.
Since June, both groups had called on the mayor to dedicate more resources to prevention, treatment and education - saying the city's efforts have been woefully inadequate. Yesterday, Dixon said she had been frustrated by the delay but was grateful he acted.
Joined by city Health Commissioner Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, O'Malley made the announcement at a hastily called news conference that apparently was meant to capture the momentum of World AIDS Day, which was observed Sunday.
U2SJ
Refugee
Stories for Boys said:
Isn't it later today yet?!?
Stories for Boys
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
i finished typing up what happened, for the most part. i may remember more later and add. it's really really long....as in 5 1/2 pages in a word document, single spaced.
do you guys want me to post the whole thing, or just the part involving meeting the b man? i'll wait for a few votes, then i'll post.
[/emotional dream sequence]
do you guys want me to post the whole thing, or just the part involving meeting the b man? i'll wait for a few votes, then i'll post.
[/emotional dream sequence]
Just do it all, baby - quit dragging it out!!!
Kristie
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
just the part with Bono cos... I should be doing homework and am a lazy ass and probably won't read 5 1/2 pages of story
and the part about how you really really wished you were in Mishawaka with Kristie
and the part about how you really really wished you were in Mishawaka with Kristie
souLnation2002
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
post all, bold bonoparts!!!!
Kristie said:just the part with Bono cos... I should be doing homework and am a lazy ass and probably won't read 5 1/2 pages of story
and the part about how you really really wished you were in Mishawaka with Kristie
Or post it all and bold the Bono parts.....
Stories for Boys
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
ok...here goes...*doesn't believe own story*
Lies and I left at 6am on Friday morning. We drove practically straight through except a few stops for gas and one stop at the world?s largest truck stop to ask if they knew anything about car brakes. They said we?d be safe for the rest of our trip. We got to Erin?s work (Thinker Toys, a giant castle building) by 4:30 because the power break booster went out. We didn?t want to stop much because we weren?t sure just how many times it would stop. We chilled till Erin got done with work. We dropped by the bank and then went to her house. We were greeted by her parents, etc. We saw her room then. The walls and every flat surface were covered in memorabilia of U2, the Beatles, Monty Python, and various musical artists. She must have had at least 100 bootleg U2 videos. She had hundreds of CDs. We talked and laughed and got to know each other since we had only met via the internet. We drove around her hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. She showed us the beautiful theater she worked at. We ate dinner in a McDonald?s in South Dakota because Lies had never been there. We went back to Erin?s house and chilled more. We looked through all her pictures from her 9 shows, 8 of which were Elevation. We watched a part of the Slane Elevation concert on CBS, with only a 5 minute break when the signal dropped. After that we watched several random bootlegs and fell asleep to the making of the Sweetest Thing video and Beautiful Day video. We set the alarm at 9, expecting to leave at 10. I was wide awake by 8:30, and spent that half hour staring at Erin?s posters of Bono (mostly an All I Want is You poster) and dreaming of the days to come.
The trip to Lindsay?s, in Lincoln, Nebraska, was only about 2 hours. We were expecting 3. We got stopped by a funeral procession on Adams Street. We missed her street and had to turn around. When we finally got there, we ordered pizza, pet Cricket the cat, and talked. We listened to some 80s music and ate. After a while of talking we went to Target. Lindsay bought some Huskers boxers to give to Bono. This came from the Erin?s experience, where Bono was on stage and rolled over, revealing a good 4 inches of tightie whities. The security guard flipped down his jacket, but he moved again revealing more white fabric. We all laughed really hard. The cashier asked about them and we said they were a gift. He said that whoever wore them was sure to look good. We agreed. We went to the mall and Erin got a dancing hamster, which was a tradition since the Kung Fu hamster that they gave to The Edge at a concert. Bono already had one, so she thought it?d be fun. I bought him a Christmas card that said ?First day at Reindeer flying school? on it. It was really cute. Later we went to a record store called ?Recycled Sounds.? The owner is also a fan, and he had lots of vinyl and posters of U2. We were all tempted to buy but didn?t. He was playing the Slane special from TV and we saw the bit we had missed. He showed us a bit from a Philly bootleg, and played a bit from the Salom? outtakes. We left and drove by the Lied Center. No one was there, so we went back to Lindsay?s house and packed our stuff. We put lots of layers on. I had a tank top, 2 long-sleeved t-shirts, a t-shirt, my Calvin hoodie, and my zip up black swimming hoodie.
We drove back to the Lied Center and set up shop. For a while, we yelled at every car that passed, ?We are ticket holders (referring to the sign on the door) and we?re FIRST IN LINE!!? It was 7pm. We expected people to come soon, but no one did. Lindsay?s family was kind enough to bring us hot chocolate. We discussed what our favorite songs on each album were. We also said which b-sides we liked, what shows we?ve seen, and talked about U2 in general. We went for little walks and such. Several people walked by because a volleyball game dismissed. We were nice and talked to them a bit. Lies found a football so we played with it for a good while. We cuddled up and tried to sleep. We found ourselves discussing Bono. We jokingly complained that he was probably all warm in his hotel room while we slept on the cement in the freezing cold. I dozed off a bit, but it really couldn?t have been more than 3 hours. I was awoken several times and shivered most the night. I woke up to Erin tapping my back because 3 more people were joining us in line. It was 2 brothers and one of their girlfriends. They all attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. They were very nice and we were very excited to have company. We talked about various things and they looked through Erin?s pictures. They came around 6:45am. By 7, a 24 year old guy named Shadrach and his wife. They were also very nice. He showed us some 200 pictures on his camera. We sent Lies and Lindsay to get us bagels and hot chocolate from the shop across the street. We sat around and laughed and joked with the 9 of us for a while. We decided that we should write our notes in the Christmas card, so the 4 of us each told Bono exactly how much he meant to us and thanked him for changing our lives. It was the stuff you can?t say in person to a man you so respect and love.
Around 10am, the girl who came after us was standing up. She looks towards the street and just says ?Oh my God.? We all jumped up in time to see a big red tour bus drive down the street. We all looked at each other and ran after it. We followed it about 2 blocks down to the side of the Embassy Suites hotel. Lindsay informed us that it?s the nicest hotel in town. We all stood on the corner by the bus for a while, but no one came out. The 2 guys that came directly after us went back to save our spots. Then a black Lincoln Towncar pulled up to the little circular drive. All of our hearts took a nosedive directly to our stomachs. A driver got out and hung around. We stood in the center of the circular drive on a little island. Several men in suits walked in and out of the hotel door. Finally one came and asked what was up. Lindsay and the other girl talked to him for a while. He was really nice. Then out walked John Sampson. We all were practically squealing! He talked on his little earpiece thing for a bit, and talked to some of the security standing around. He came in our direction and Erin yelled ?Hey! Are you John Sampson?? He looks at us and says ?Maybe I am?? We just talked to him for a moment and then he walked back inside the hotel. The Towncar pulled away and we were mad cause Bono hadn?t come out. So half the people walked around the building trying to find it. We got a call on Erin?s cell that they found it behind the hotel, so we all ran around. A whole caravan was set up. The first car was a white van with some African children in it. The second was a car with some security. The third was Bono?s Towncar. The fourth was a maroon Aztec with a security guy in it. They stood there for a while then turned out onto the street. They turned again so they were out of sight. Half the people stayed there wondering what was up, but we had a feeling that it was going around the block, so we ran back to the front of the hotel. We stayed far away on the street corner so as to not be in the way or obnoxious. Sure enough, the caravan pulled up onto the turnaround. Erin very quickly called Lindsay?s cell and said ?Get your butts over here NOW!? John Sampson and some other security came out and were talking. We saw John point in our direction and talk to the guy next to him. We were freaking out!! A minute or two later (who can count time at this point??) John Sampson looked over at us and beckoned. Lies practically ran, but I wasn?t sure if he was talking to us! I looked around then met Lies at the little island thing. The 7 of us were freaking out! Not a minute later, Bono walks out of the hotel and towards the car. Erin quick yelled ?Bono!? and he turned and walked right at us. FREAK OUT!!! Not knowing what to do or say, I held the Christmas card out in front of me and said ?Bono! We got you a Christmas card!? He took it from me and said in her PERFECT accent ?Thank you, Sweetheart.? (He may have said ?Love? but I don?t remember.) Then he came closer to me. I was thinking a hug or a picture or something, but no. HE KISSED MY CHEEK!! Right in the middle of my left cheek. I FELT STUBBLE!!! My knees were seriously weak. I kind of stood there stunned. He went down the line. He shook the hands of the others. When he got to Lies, all bundled in her sweatshirt and coat, he almost shrank back when he felt her hand. He said in a pitiful voice ?Oh, look at you!? We told him that we were first in line and I think Lies mentioned that we had driven 14 hours to see him. He said something about that being insane (maybe crazy?) and so on. We asked him if we could get a picture with him or anything and he said, ?I?m late for church?? A random girl ran up and asked for a picture and said she was leaving, so he took a picture with her. He said, ?So you?re leaving on a jet plane.? I was in complete shock. He told us that he?d be back there at five. He walked back to his car and got in the seat. After the initial shock and celebration, including a big kiss from Lindsay on the exact spot Bono kissed me, hugs, and giddy laughter, we realized that the car was still there and that Bono was probably laughing really hard at us. As he was pulling away, he opened the window and said ?See you later!? and waved.
The rest of the day went by rather quickly, and people trickled in a few at a time. A reporter interviewed some of the first group. The 4 of us walked over to a Wendy?s to change into nicer clothes, since it was getting warmer and we had been wearing them for far too long. The day was spent laughing, talking, and sitting in the warm sun. A couple people who worked in the center came out to sweep and clean the windows, and so on. A bit later, Erin, Lies, and I took a walk around the building to see if the buses behind it were still there, and to maybe check and see if they were, in fact, the DATA buses. On a later walk, we saw the black Lincoln Towncars, but decided not to stop. Once back in the line, a rather mean lady from behind us came back ecstatic because she met Bono and got a picture with him, etc. We weren?t too upset because we had a date with the B-man at 5 O?clock, and that was enough for us. We wrote our numbers on our hands and sent a Sharpie back so as to be able to leave for our little appointment. I was #1, Erin was #2, Lies was 3, and Lindsay was 4.
Around 4pm, we started to get antsy, so Erin, Lies and I left to go to the hotel, mentioning something about Applebee?s for supper. We sat on the benches on the street corner in front of the hotel. About 15 minutes later, a few more from our group came, and 15 minutes later, the rest came, a long with a couple random people. We sat out there for quite a while. We moved to a bench very near the door to get in from the wind. A regular autograph hunter walked by and gave us hints on what to do and what was up and when Bono was coming and going, etc. We just laughed as he told us about the people who ?got his autograph? this morning, thinking, ?We were there! No autographs?? Anyway, he later went into the hotel and caught Bono going upstairs. He showed us the vinyl he got signed, and thankfully left. We sat around, shivering, until around 5:40. Since the doors opened at 6, we thought it best to get going. On the way, we stopped and talked to a couple of the security. They didn?t really answer anything, so we booked it back to line.
A news team came with a video camera, and the 4 of us were interviewed for some news program or another. A bit after 6, they opened the doors. Erin and I went ahead, and flashed the guards (they did want to see in our coats/sweatshirts). We ran around the theater to the left, and got caught by an usher. Assuring him that we had self control, we speed walked to the front and center of the main seating area. There were 3 rows of VIP seating in front of us, and I was 9 seats down from Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the U.S. We could barely contain ourselves, and time flew. Soon the program started. Bobby Shriver, the nephew of JFK, came out and introduced himself. It was funny. He then introduced the Gateway Ambassadors, a singing group that came all the way from Uganda. They were excellent and I had tears in my eyes. Then Ashley Judd spoke. This was the kick off of her AIDS activism. The funniest moment was when she was stating a statistic on how many people die each day from AIDS. She stated the horrible statistic then said, ?That sucks! That?s a lot of people!? We laughed a bit at her choice of words. Then she introduced Bono. He spoke passionately and seriously, yet was also hilarious. In describing how he thought he didn?t deserve to be there he explained that he didn?t have any degrees. No letters behind his name, except a lot of BS. He also mentioned Live Aid, and in doing so talked about his mullet. We all giggled as he said, ?A man shouldn?t look like his hair has been ironed.? He sat down and a woman who had had the HIV virus for 12 years spoke to us. She was so strong! Her husband had died, her oldest son had run away never to be seen again, and her 5 year old son died. Yet she lived on for her children and herself. Lance Armstrong came up and spoke about the need for hope. A doctor in the field spoke about how there is hope for drugs. The whole time, I must admit, I had to concentrate hard on not watching Bono, but I did for quite a while. He compulsively drank his water, and fiddled with his clothing, but most importantly, he listened to the speakers also. Throughout the program there were many standing ovations and I clapped so long and hard that my hands hurt like mad. At the end there was a question and answer segment. Bono called Ashley Judd ?Donahue? as she ran around to get questions.
At the very end, the African singers came up and sang once again. This time they got all the speakers to come and sing for them, including bono. They all held hands and raised them up. Bono?s fly was totally down. Anyway, he turns around after the song, puts his zipper up, and gets out a guitar. It was really little, almost like a child?s, and it was signed. He introduced us to the rest of the band (a boom box), mentioned something about his day job, and went to the front of the stage by a microphone. My heart was absolutely racing! He began to play along with the recorded song, which he called ?American Prayer.? People began to clap, but he told us not to because it was new, and he wasn?t sure he could play with clapping. The song was very powerful, and at the end the choir joined him. All I remember is the chorus, which went ?If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?? I had tears running down my cheeks, and I had to hold onto the barrier in front of me because my legs were shaking so much. To think that I was 10 feet from a man I so respect as he sang from his heart a brand new song, it was just too overwhelming. After the whole thing was over, we went up front to shake the hands of some of the singers, as well as Agnes, the woman from Uganda with HIV.
Bono had left for a press conference, so we ran out to the car to drop our stuff and get our cameras. We went back behind the Lied Center, where the buses were. Sure enough, out comes Bobby Shriver. We chatted to him on the corner with a group of people. We found out a bit where they were going next, and so on. Erin mentioned what had happened in the afternoon, and how Bono had ?stood us up.? He felt bad, so he tried to come up with a way to help us. He explained that Bono was already in the press conference in the hotel, but he told us that they were leaving at 9am, so we could come back then. He headed to the conference also, and we headed to the front of the hotel. Bono is Irish. We knew he?d be going out on the town. We shivered uncontrollably, and waited outside. We saw the bigger security guard from earlier, so stopped in the lobby to talk to him. As we were standing there, Lance Armstrong came walking by us, not 2 feet in front of me. Lies said, ?Hey,? and he replied to her. After he walked past, I said, ?Thanks for coming. We really appreciate it!? and he kind of looked back then left. We were calm, quiet, and unobtrusive, but a big security guy told us we had to go. The head of security motioned to Lies, but we were rushed outside before she could talk to him.
There were 9 of us there, sitting on that bench outside the door. Every time the bigger security guard looked at us through the window, Erin and I would wave at him and he?d blush and laugh. It was really funny. There were 2 Towncars out front. Erin stated, and we all agreed, that we weren?t leaving until they did. We sat out there for quite a while. We saw John Sampson in the lobby, and we started to get all hopeful. Soon the head of security, who had tried to talk to Lies earlier, came out and said simply, ?You are in a VERY good position right now.? Once again, my stomach started to feel all full of butterflies. We all grouped together, and about a minute later, out came Bono in his green army hat and black suit. I thought I was going to die. Erin said something to the affect of, ?Where were you at 5?? Bono looked a bit confused, so I said, ?We met you earlier and you said you?d be back at 5, but you weren?t here.? Bono looked concerned and puzzled. He said something like ?Where was I at 5?? Erin said, ?Maybe you were writing your speech?? This went on for a bit longer, then Bono looked me straight in the eye and said, full of concern, ?Why didn?t I come back?? He then stepped forward and hugged Erin, gave her a kiss on her cheek, and said ?Picture time!? I took their picture, and she stepped back. Somehow a huge group of people seemed to descend onto the spot, as if from the walls and ceiling. He signed Lindsay?s poster, and Lindsay?s roommate?s ticket and took a picture with each of them. Somehow I got wedged out of the crowd. I turned to Erin and frantically asked, ?WHAT DO I DO?? Bono signed a picture and a poster of the record storeowner and several people around him. He then said that he had to go to his dinner reservations. Everyone was holding out things to be signed, and he was quickly signing them without even looking up. Finally I just shoved my hand as far as I could into the crowd. He took my booklet out of my hand and signed it. As he handed it back to me, he touched my hand and looked me straight in the eye and sort of grinned at me. I melted. He bustled through the crowd, got into his Towncar, and left.
We went to thank the bigger security guard, and he pointed out that Ashley Judd was not 10 feet behind us. Before we could get to her she said, ?I have dinner reservations, y?all.? and left. Then who was to come out but Bobby Shriver. We could tell that he had had a bit to drink. He said something like, ?You girls didn?t listen to me, but I knew you guys looked smart!? We shook his hand and had a picture taken with him. An editor from the Chicago Tribune was with him, and they sort of argued half serious about politics. It was an experience to hear a drunken Kennedy joke about Republicans and Democrats. We talked to a woman who we had met earlier in the line. Turns out she is a democratic politician from Nebraska. We walked back to the car on some sort of a high from the experience. A woman on the way reminded us to take action about AIDS, and we assured her that we would. When we got back to the car, the female politician showed us a picture that she had taken with him back during the Elevation tour, and showed how he autographed it, giving her Fly shades and himself a few marks on his face. She said that she talked to him for several minutes in the press conference. She joked about being surprised that she could hold it together, but I think everyone felt that way.
We got in the car, sleeping bags and things piled up to the ceiling, and drove to a McDonalds for the first meal we had eaten for over a day. We got to Lindsay?s in time to watch part of Larry King Live with Bono. After that, Lies and I fell asleep to the TV in the living room. Erin and Lindsay slept in Lindsay?s room, but not before listening to a good chunk of the Kansas City concert, which they were both at. In the morning we packed up and said our goodbyes. We drove to Sioux City, packed our stuff, and left for Michigan. The entire 12 hour car trip, Lies and I listened to U2, and I sang along to every song. We arrived home at Calvin College around 11:15pm. I had barely slept in 2 nights, hadn?t showered in 3 days, was outside in the freezing cold for more than 25 hours with in a span of less than 30, I had been driving for 12 hours straight, couldn?t talk, couldn?t think, and thought I was going to pass out.
***
i totally need a few days for this to sink in...and this was TOTALLY THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! i hope he read the christmas card...once again, sorry about all the details, but i wanted to write it down so as to remember everything. if you want other perspectives, talk to the others!
*dies*
Lies and I left at 6am on Friday morning. We drove practically straight through except a few stops for gas and one stop at the world?s largest truck stop to ask if they knew anything about car brakes. They said we?d be safe for the rest of our trip. We got to Erin?s work (Thinker Toys, a giant castle building) by 4:30 because the power break booster went out. We didn?t want to stop much because we weren?t sure just how many times it would stop. We chilled till Erin got done with work. We dropped by the bank and then went to her house. We were greeted by her parents, etc. We saw her room then. The walls and every flat surface were covered in memorabilia of U2, the Beatles, Monty Python, and various musical artists. She must have had at least 100 bootleg U2 videos. She had hundreds of CDs. We talked and laughed and got to know each other since we had only met via the internet. We drove around her hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. She showed us the beautiful theater she worked at. We ate dinner in a McDonald?s in South Dakota because Lies had never been there. We went back to Erin?s house and chilled more. We looked through all her pictures from her 9 shows, 8 of which were Elevation. We watched a part of the Slane Elevation concert on CBS, with only a 5 minute break when the signal dropped. After that we watched several random bootlegs and fell asleep to the making of the Sweetest Thing video and Beautiful Day video. We set the alarm at 9, expecting to leave at 10. I was wide awake by 8:30, and spent that half hour staring at Erin?s posters of Bono (mostly an All I Want is You poster) and dreaming of the days to come.
The trip to Lindsay?s, in Lincoln, Nebraska, was only about 2 hours. We were expecting 3. We got stopped by a funeral procession on Adams Street. We missed her street and had to turn around. When we finally got there, we ordered pizza, pet Cricket the cat, and talked. We listened to some 80s music and ate. After a while of talking we went to Target. Lindsay bought some Huskers boxers to give to Bono. This came from the Erin?s experience, where Bono was on stage and rolled over, revealing a good 4 inches of tightie whities. The security guard flipped down his jacket, but he moved again revealing more white fabric. We all laughed really hard. The cashier asked about them and we said they were a gift. He said that whoever wore them was sure to look good. We agreed. We went to the mall and Erin got a dancing hamster, which was a tradition since the Kung Fu hamster that they gave to The Edge at a concert. Bono already had one, so she thought it?d be fun. I bought him a Christmas card that said ?First day at Reindeer flying school? on it. It was really cute. Later we went to a record store called ?Recycled Sounds.? The owner is also a fan, and he had lots of vinyl and posters of U2. We were all tempted to buy but didn?t. He was playing the Slane special from TV and we saw the bit we had missed. He showed us a bit from a Philly bootleg, and played a bit from the Salom? outtakes. We left and drove by the Lied Center. No one was there, so we went back to Lindsay?s house and packed our stuff. We put lots of layers on. I had a tank top, 2 long-sleeved t-shirts, a t-shirt, my Calvin hoodie, and my zip up black swimming hoodie.
We drove back to the Lied Center and set up shop. For a while, we yelled at every car that passed, ?We are ticket holders (referring to the sign on the door) and we?re FIRST IN LINE!!? It was 7pm. We expected people to come soon, but no one did. Lindsay?s family was kind enough to bring us hot chocolate. We discussed what our favorite songs on each album were. We also said which b-sides we liked, what shows we?ve seen, and talked about U2 in general. We went for little walks and such. Several people walked by because a volleyball game dismissed. We were nice and talked to them a bit. Lies found a football so we played with it for a good while. We cuddled up and tried to sleep. We found ourselves discussing Bono. We jokingly complained that he was probably all warm in his hotel room while we slept on the cement in the freezing cold. I dozed off a bit, but it really couldn?t have been more than 3 hours. I was awoken several times and shivered most the night. I woke up to Erin tapping my back because 3 more people were joining us in line. It was 2 brothers and one of their girlfriends. They all attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. They were very nice and we were very excited to have company. We talked about various things and they looked through Erin?s pictures. They came around 6:45am. By 7, a 24 year old guy named Shadrach and his wife. They were also very nice. He showed us some 200 pictures on his camera. We sent Lies and Lindsay to get us bagels and hot chocolate from the shop across the street. We sat around and laughed and joked with the 9 of us for a while. We decided that we should write our notes in the Christmas card, so the 4 of us each told Bono exactly how much he meant to us and thanked him for changing our lives. It was the stuff you can?t say in person to a man you so respect and love.
Around 10am, the girl who came after us was standing up. She looks towards the street and just says ?Oh my God.? We all jumped up in time to see a big red tour bus drive down the street. We all looked at each other and ran after it. We followed it about 2 blocks down to the side of the Embassy Suites hotel. Lindsay informed us that it?s the nicest hotel in town. We all stood on the corner by the bus for a while, but no one came out. The 2 guys that came directly after us went back to save our spots. Then a black Lincoln Towncar pulled up to the little circular drive. All of our hearts took a nosedive directly to our stomachs. A driver got out and hung around. We stood in the center of the circular drive on a little island. Several men in suits walked in and out of the hotel door. Finally one came and asked what was up. Lindsay and the other girl talked to him for a while. He was really nice. Then out walked John Sampson. We all were practically squealing! He talked on his little earpiece thing for a bit, and talked to some of the security standing around. He came in our direction and Erin yelled ?Hey! Are you John Sampson?? He looks at us and says ?Maybe I am?? We just talked to him for a moment and then he walked back inside the hotel. The Towncar pulled away and we were mad cause Bono hadn?t come out. So half the people walked around the building trying to find it. We got a call on Erin?s cell that they found it behind the hotel, so we all ran around. A whole caravan was set up. The first car was a white van with some African children in it. The second was a car with some security. The third was Bono?s Towncar. The fourth was a maroon Aztec with a security guy in it. They stood there for a while then turned out onto the street. They turned again so they were out of sight. Half the people stayed there wondering what was up, but we had a feeling that it was going around the block, so we ran back to the front of the hotel. We stayed far away on the street corner so as to not be in the way or obnoxious. Sure enough, the caravan pulled up onto the turnaround. Erin very quickly called Lindsay?s cell and said ?Get your butts over here NOW!? John Sampson and some other security came out and were talking. We saw John point in our direction and talk to the guy next to him. We were freaking out!! A minute or two later (who can count time at this point??) John Sampson looked over at us and beckoned. Lies practically ran, but I wasn?t sure if he was talking to us! I looked around then met Lies at the little island thing. The 7 of us were freaking out! Not a minute later, Bono walks out of the hotel and towards the car. Erin quick yelled ?Bono!? and he turned and walked right at us. FREAK OUT!!! Not knowing what to do or say, I held the Christmas card out in front of me and said ?Bono! We got you a Christmas card!? He took it from me and said in her PERFECT accent ?Thank you, Sweetheart.? (He may have said ?Love? but I don?t remember.) Then he came closer to me. I was thinking a hug or a picture or something, but no. HE KISSED MY CHEEK!! Right in the middle of my left cheek. I FELT STUBBLE!!! My knees were seriously weak. I kind of stood there stunned. He went down the line. He shook the hands of the others. When he got to Lies, all bundled in her sweatshirt and coat, he almost shrank back when he felt her hand. He said in a pitiful voice ?Oh, look at you!? We told him that we were first in line and I think Lies mentioned that we had driven 14 hours to see him. He said something about that being insane (maybe crazy?) and so on. We asked him if we could get a picture with him or anything and he said, ?I?m late for church?? A random girl ran up and asked for a picture and said she was leaving, so he took a picture with her. He said, ?So you?re leaving on a jet plane.? I was in complete shock. He told us that he?d be back there at five. He walked back to his car and got in the seat. After the initial shock and celebration, including a big kiss from Lindsay on the exact spot Bono kissed me, hugs, and giddy laughter, we realized that the car was still there and that Bono was probably laughing really hard at us. As he was pulling away, he opened the window and said ?See you later!? and waved.
The rest of the day went by rather quickly, and people trickled in a few at a time. A reporter interviewed some of the first group. The 4 of us walked over to a Wendy?s to change into nicer clothes, since it was getting warmer and we had been wearing them for far too long. The day was spent laughing, talking, and sitting in the warm sun. A couple people who worked in the center came out to sweep and clean the windows, and so on. A bit later, Erin, Lies, and I took a walk around the building to see if the buses behind it were still there, and to maybe check and see if they were, in fact, the DATA buses. On a later walk, we saw the black Lincoln Towncars, but decided not to stop. Once back in the line, a rather mean lady from behind us came back ecstatic because she met Bono and got a picture with him, etc. We weren?t too upset because we had a date with the B-man at 5 O?clock, and that was enough for us. We wrote our numbers on our hands and sent a Sharpie back so as to be able to leave for our little appointment. I was #1, Erin was #2, Lies was 3, and Lindsay was 4.
Around 4pm, we started to get antsy, so Erin, Lies and I left to go to the hotel, mentioning something about Applebee?s for supper. We sat on the benches on the street corner in front of the hotel. About 15 minutes later, a few more from our group came, and 15 minutes later, the rest came, a long with a couple random people. We sat out there for quite a while. We moved to a bench very near the door to get in from the wind. A regular autograph hunter walked by and gave us hints on what to do and what was up and when Bono was coming and going, etc. We just laughed as he told us about the people who ?got his autograph? this morning, thinking, ?We were there! No autographs?? Anyway, he later went into the hotel and caught Bono going upstairs. He showed us the vinyl he got signed, and thankfully left. We sat around, shivering, until around 5:40. Since the doors opened at 6, we thought it best to get going. On the way, we stopped and talked to a couple of the security. They didn?t really answer anything, so we booked it back to line.
A news team came with a video camera, and the 4 of us were interviewed for some news program or another. A bit after 6, they opened the doors. Erin and I went ahead, and flashed the guards (they did want to see in our coats/sweatshirts). We ran around the theater to the left, and got caught by an usher. Assuring him that we had self control, we speed walked to the front and center of the main seating area. There were 3 rows of VIP seating in front of us, and I was 9 seats down from Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the U.S. We could barely contain ourselves, and time flew. Soon the program started. Bobby Shriver, the nephew of JFK, came out and introduced himself. It was funny. He then introduced the Gateway Ambassadors, a singing group that came all the way from Uganda. They were excellent and I had tears in my eyes. Then Ashley Judd spoke. This was the kick off of her AIDS activism. The funniest moment was when she was stating a statistic on how many people die each day from AIDS. She stated the horrible statistic then said, ?That sucks! That?s a lot of people!? We laughed a bit at her choice of words. Then she introduced Bono. He spoke passionately and seriously, yet was also hilarious. In describing how he thought he didn?t deserve to be there he explained that he didn?t have any degrees. No letters behind his name, except a lot of BS. He also mentioned Live Aid, and in doing so talked about his mullet. We all giggled as he said, ?A man shouldn?t look like his hair has been ironed.? He sat down and a woman who had had the HIV virus for 12 years spoke to us. She was so strong! Her husband had died, her oldest son had run away never to be seen again, and her 5 year old son died. Yet she lived on for her children and herself. Lance Armstrong came up and spoke about the need for hope. A doctor in the field spoke about how there is hope for drugs. The whole time, I must admit, I had to concentrate hard on not watching Bono, but I did for quite a while. He compulsively drank his water, and fiddled with his clothing, but most importantly, he listened to the speakers also. Throughout the program there were many standing ovations and I clapped so long and hard that my hands hurt like mad. At the end there was a question and answer segment. Bono called Ashley Judd ?Donahue? as she ran around to get questions.
At the very end, the African singers came up and sang once again. This time they got all the speakers to come and sing for them, including bono. They all held hands and raised them up. Bono?s fly was totally down. Anyway, he turns around after the song, puts his zipper up, and gets out a guitar. It was really little, almost like a child?s, and it was signed. He introduced us to the rest of the band (a boom box), mentioned something about his day job, and went to the front of the stage by a microphone. My heart was absolutely racing! He began to play along with the recorded song, which he called ?American Prayer.? People began to clap, but he told us not to because it was new, and he wasn?t sure he could play with clapping. The song was very powerful, and at the end the choir joined him. All I remember is the chorus, which went ?If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?? I had tears running down my cheeks, and I had to hold onto the barrier in front of me because my legs were shaking so much. To think that I was 10 feet from a man I so respect as he sang from his heart a brand new song, it was just too overwhelming. After the whole thing was over, we went up front to shake the hands of some of the singers, as well as Agnes, the woman from Uganda with HIV.
Bono had left for a press conference, so we ran out to the car to drop our stuff and get our cameras. We went back behind the Lied Center, where the buses were. Sure enough, out comes Bobby Shriver. We chatted to him on the corner with a group of people. We found out a bit where they were going next, and so on. Erin mentioned what had happened in the afternoon, and how Bono had ?stood us up.? He felt bad, so he tried to come up with a way to help us. He explained that Bono was already in the press conference in the hotel, but he told us that they were leaving at 9am, so we could come back then. He headed to the conference also, and we headed to the front of the hotel. Bono is Irish. We knew he?d be going out on the town. We shivered uncontrollably, and waited outside. We saw the bigger security guard from earlier, so stopped in the lobby to talk to him. As we were standing there, Lance Armstrong came walking by us, not 2 feet in front of me. Lies said, ?Hey,? and he replied to her. After he walked past, I said, ?Thanks for coming. We really appreciate it!? and he kind of looked back then left. We were calm, quiet, and unobtrusive, but a big security guy told us we had to go. The head of security motioned to Lies, but we were rushed outside before she could talk to him.
There were 9 of us there, sitting on that bench outside the door. Every time the bigger security guard looked at us through the window, Erin and I would wave at him and he?d blush and laugh. It was really funny. There were 2 Towncars out front. Erin stated, and we all agreed, that we weren?t leaving until they did. We sat out there for quite a while. We saw John Sampson in the lobby, and we started to get all hopeful. Soon the head of security, who had tried to talk to Lies earlier, came out and said simply, ?You are in a VERY good position right now.? Once again, my stomach started to feel all full of butterflies. We all grouped together, and about a minute later, out came Bono in his green army hat and black suit. I thought I was going to die. Erin said something to the affect of, ?Where were you at 5?? Bono looked a bit confused, so I said, ?We met you earlier and you said you?d be back at 5, but you weren?t here.? Bono looked concerned and puzzled. He said something like ?Where was I at 5?? Erin said, ?Maybe you were writing your speech?? This went on for a bit longer, then Bono looked me straight in the eye and said, full of concern, ?Why didn?t I come back?? He then stepped forward and hugged Erin, gave her a kiss on her cheek, and said ?Picture time!? I took their picture, and she stepped back. Somehow a huge group of people seemed to descend onto the spot, as if from the walls and ceiling. He signed Lindsay?s poster, and Lindsay?s roommate?s ticket and took a picture with each of them. Somehow I got wedged out of the crowd. I turned to Erin and frantically asked, ?WHAT DO I DO?? Bono signed a picture and a poster of the record storeowner and several people around him. He then said that he had to go to his dinner reservations. Everyone was holding out things to be signed, and he was quickly signing them without even looking up. Finally I just shoved my hand as far as I could into the crowd. He took my booklet out of my hand and signed it. As he handed it back to me, he touched my hand and looked me straight in the eye and sort of grinned at me. I melted. He bustled through the crowd, got into his Towncar, and left.
We went to thank the bigger security guard, and he pointed out that Ashley Judd was not 10 feet behind us. Before we could get to her she said, ?I have dinner reservations, y?all.? and left. Then who was to come out but Bobby Shriver. We could tell that he had had a bit to drink. He said something like, ?You girls didn?t listen to me, but I knew you guys looked smart!? We shook his hand and had a picture taken with him. An editor from the Chicago Tribune was with him, and they sort of argued half serious about politics. It was an experience to hear a drunken Kennedy joke about Republicans and Democrats. We talked to a woman who we had met earlier in the line. Turns out she is a democratic politician from Nebraska. We walked back to the car on some sort of a high from the experience. A woman on the way reminded us to take action about AIDS, and we assured her that we would. When we got back to the car, the female politician showed us a picture that she had taken with him back during the Elevation tour, and showed how he autographed it, giving her Fly shades and himself a few marks on his face. She said that she talked to him for several minutes in the press conference. She joked about being surprised that she could hold it together, but I think everyone felt that way.
We got in the car, sleeping bags and things piled up to the ceiling, and drove to a McDonalds for the first meal we had eaten for over a day. We got to Lindsay?s in time to watch part of Larry King Live with Bono. After that, Lies and I fell asleep to the TV in the living room. Erin and Lindsay slept in Lindsay?s room, but not before listening to a good chunk of the Kansas City concert, which they were both at. In the morning we packed up and said our goodbyes. We drove to Sioux City, packed our stuff, and left for Michigan. The entire 12 hour car trip, Lies and I listened to U2, and I sang along to every song. We arrived home at Calvin College around 11:15pm. I had barely slept in 2 nights, hadn?t showered in 3 days, was outside in the freezing cold for more than 25 hours with in a span of less than 30, I had been driving for 12 hours straight, couldn?t talk, couldn?t think, and thought I was going to pass out.
***
i totally need a few days for this to sink in...and this was TOTALLY THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! i hope he read the christmas card...once again, sorry about all the details, but i wanted to write it down so as to remember everything. if you want other perspectives, talk to the others!
*dies*
souLnation2002
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
omg omg omg omg omg!!!!!!!!!
BONO KISSED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!
BONO KISSED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!
Such a cool story! LOL at the Bono zipper and tightie whities thing 
Can't believe you got a Bono smooch.....
Can't believe you got a Bono smooch.....
U2SJ
Refugee
What a FANTASTIC story!!! I printed it out and just read it at dinner out with my mom, and we both melted! I am so happy for you girls! Lol though, storiesforboys I got a Bono kiss on the cheek a year and a half ago, and let me wish you good luck sleeping for the next, uhm, well for me its been a year and a half! (it tends to replay in your mind over and over again!)
Only Bono takes out the time to make his fans happy like this, even with his busy shedule. It just amazes me!! I am sure we will hear lots more of these wonderful stories during this heartland tour, its all so beautiful! Anyways, YAY for you guys!
Only Bono takes out the time to make his fans happy like this, even with his busy shedule. It just amazes me!! I am sure we will hear lots more of these wonderful stories during this heartland tour, its all so beautiful! Anyways, YAY for you guys!
adamswildhoney
ONE love, blood, life
that is sooooooooooooooooooooo unbelievable laura!! YAYAYAYAyAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!
eep
Acrobat
Eep here.
Never really posted on here before but
I thought since Laura came out with her version
of the story I'd at least give you all a link to my
version.
Pretty much the same story but I've also posted
some pictures on my page.
Here's the link...
http://oabea.tripod.com/lincoln/datalecture.html
Never really posted on here before but
I thought since Laura came out with her version
of the story I'd at least give you all a link to my
version.
Pretty much the same story but I've also posted
some pictures on my page.
Here's the link...
http://oabea.tripod.com/lincoln/datalecture.html
hippy
ONE<br>love, blood, life
I'm getting your vibes, dt!
That is so awesome! There are no other words to describe it!
That is so awesome! There are no other words to describe it!
very cool, it's funny it's exactly the same story as when I met him just different location and different people. It seems like everyone has to freeze their asses off before meeting him the first time. BTW I didn't quite follow...what happened to the undies? Did you ever give them? I can't believe the hamsters are still around, they actually sell them at urban outfitters in Dublin, as well a Jesus action figure, going in that store always cracks me up because of it.
MissVelvetDress_75
Blue Crack Addict
yay for my innocent ho! great story...i cant wait to see the pictures ...way to go
one day.one day i will meet him.*sigh* until then i will enjoy all of your stories of his kisses, hugs and encounters. bono as always a perfect gentleman.
one day.one day i will meet him.*sigh* until then i will enjoy all of your stories of his kisses, hugs and encounters. bono as always a perfect gentleman.
Melpop
Acrobat
that's a really cool story! I'm really happy for you! I'm sure that kiss will stay in your mind and your heart for a really long time.
Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
props to Erin and Laura for promptly recording their experiences! I'm getting there....anyway, I'm picking up my pics with my dad tomorrow night and will scan and post them immediately.
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:
psst....
check your pm's
