Have you met or seen any celebrities?

[Kalmia]

I met Susan Wise Bauer at a conference!

I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn at a Burger King at an interstate service center. He had just had a concert at the University of Maine. I had no idea who he was, but my boyfriend at the time was speechless and pointing. I should have gone up and asked for his autograph for my boyfriend, but I was 19 and didn't think quickly enough to do it.

I met Titus Welliver (Bosch lead actor) at my high school reunion (which is for all classes that ever graduated-small school). I had no idea who he was, but I knew his last name because of the Maine artist Neil Welliver. When I asked if he knew him. Titus was like, "Yeah, that's my dad."

I saw Will Smith in an elevator once in NYC. I knew who he was, but my companion was flipping out so I remained cool to balance out her crazy.

 

 

[Starr]

I met Susan Wise Bauer as well. My dd then a teen was so excited to meet the author of her home schooling books! I found that living in NYC all one had to do was go to church to meet a few. I'm so bad at recognizing people on the street that my friends would have to tell me who we walked by. Once I saw lights across the street and asked my friend who it was. She said,"look again , it's Madonna!" haha I also went to a wedding with the cast of Happy Days and met the all the celebrities. And Cary Grant on the sidewalk in Alaska.

I love the randomness of some of these posts. I just happened to live in places where famous people live or travel. 

[gstharr]

My 12th grader is no celebrity, but if you google his not unusual name, and a certain key word, a picture of him taken in the 10th grade pops up. along with pictures of more accomplished people with the same name. At first I thought it was related to our internet address or something, but when I tell people about this, and they do the name search from their device., his picture pops up.. it is kinda funny.

[Spy Car]

Growing up in Los Angeles as a second generation filmmaker, meeting "celebrities" is like breathing air. Not good air, but its air. LOL

One star who I did not really "meet", but nearly bowled over, has to be one of the sweetest human beings on the planet, and this moment showed her true goodness.

Early 80s, I was new in the business working on a TV special as an Assistant Editor. We were working finishing our show in a super-expensive post-production facility in Hollywood. My "job" was to make sure that everything went smoothly and quickly. You know the expression, "time is money?" Well in this case it was really true. I had meticulously prepared everything for this session, where the cost per hour was 3 times my weekly salary. I wanted smooth sailing.

Through no fault of my own, the vault (down in the basement of this post-house) somehow neglected to send up one of the reels we needed for our session. When I found this out, I ran as fast as I count down 4 flights of stairs, to the vault, grabbed the reel, jumped into the elevator to go up, and when the doors opened I bust forth with a full head of steam.

Now old Bill (even then) is a big-strong tall guy. Old football tackle. If I were to run into someone, they'd be creamed.

So doors open, my head is down, and I'm into a sprint to the edit bay. But just as I exit I sense a presence of another human. A little girl? How I did not knock her flat was a miracle, but I pulled up just in time. Matter of inches. 

I'm looking down at tiny little feet. And thinking, "You idiot, you almost knocked down a little girl." That would have been bad. Very bad. Then I start scanning her body as begin looking up. At the midpoint I realize, "this is no 'little girl.'"

Finally I'm staring eyeball to eyeball into the face of Dolly Parton. She has the biggest smile on her face, which I read clearly as saying, "Well I just blew your mind." And she did.

I think most normal human being would have been angry, miffed, annoyed, or maybe in threatened by a crazy young man who nearly knocked them over.

But not Dolly. Huge smile. Twinkling eyes. I don't think we even exchanged a word. Did not need to. I blushed deep-crimson. And a cool and unphased as a person possibly could be, she got to the elevator that I'd just charged out of.

The whole encounter only took a minute. But I never forgot how sweet Dolly Parton was in that moment. That she's been a great philanthropist, helping so many others, has been no surprise to me over the decades.

One in a million. I'm so (so) glad that I did not cream her. How I avoided that, I don't know. Felt almost like divine intervention. If anyone has angels protecting them, I suspect it is Miss Parton.

Loved her ever since.

Bill

 

[Kidlit]

Because of where I live and its importance in the music world, it's not terribly unusual to see Grammy award winning artists at Publix. 

[katilac]

When I wrote for the newspaper, I met a good number of sports celebrities, which was utterly wasted on me. Well, except for making my brother jealous, I suppose. 

I've seen plenty of celebrities, but mostly bc we've been to some cons.

My kids had a short conversation with Matthew Gray Gubler in a New Orleans dive bar, which was a fun encounter. 

19 hours ago, Scarlett said:

 

I can’t think of a single celebrity I would want to meet.  

You could just talk about the same things you would talk about with someone who was sat next to you at a diner or on the bus. 

[Indigo Blue]

@Spy CarLoved your story about Dolly Parton. She seems to be such a great person. 
 

I’ve kinda always had a tiny crush on Keith Urban. Have you ever met him? Or has anyone else here ever met him? 

[Spy Car]

33 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

@Spy CarLoved your story about Dolly Parton. She seems to be such a great person. 
 

I’ve kinda always had a tiny crush on Keith Urban. Have you ever met him? Or has anyone else here ever met him? 

I have a feeling Dolly Parton operates on a different level of existence that most of humanity. Any normal person would have a least been, "Hey Buddy, watch where you're going!" I would not have been happy had I been in her shoes (and not just because my size 13 feet would not have fit into her tiny little pumps). LOL

She is a tiny little thing. Physically, anyway. But she must be a spiritual giant. I'm telling you. Dolly is the "real deal."

I have never met Keith Urban. Sorry.

More than a few times I would see Tina Turner around my neighborhood back in the 80s. I'm pretty sure she lived near where I do. For some reason, it seemed like I'd often spot her at the nearby CVS. What a talent. She will be missed.

I also once saw Stevie Wonder at the gas station, standing by the pump while his black SUV fueled up. No one else was around, and I was wondering what the heck was up with that? But then his driver appeared out of nowhere. Thank goodness. LOL

Bill

 

 

[Dmmetler]

Due to conferences  L got to do classes with Richard Rusczyk, Art Benjamin, and Jim Weiss, among other folks. Between those and herpetology conferences, we have a lot of autographs in books which...prpbablt normally don't get requests to autograph (like AoPS Intro Geometry or "Reptiles and Amphibians of Arkansas"). 

I got to do a master class in music Ed with Bob McGrath. 🙂 

 

I picked my undergrad school in part because Jack Williamson was still on faculty, albeit very emeritus, and team taught a science fiction writing class each year. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Dmmetler

[Spy Car]

I met Andy Warhol when I was a kid. I think it was 1965 or perhaps 1966, so I'd have been 7 or 8 years old. There was a restaurant in the Miracle Mile/Fairfax district across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) called The Egg and the Eye, which was sort of a bohemian cultural hotspot at the time.

Above the restaurant was a second story gallery space.

Up there Warhol and his crew were doing an installation of his "Brillo Boxes."

These looked like the sort boxes that would have been delivered to supermarkets, which would have held a case of Brillo pads.

Little kids like playing with boxes, and I was no different. I remember having some fun amusing myself by pushing Mr Warhol's "art" around on the hardwood floors. LOL

Andy didn't seem to mind. But eventually I lost my toys due to the need for the assistants to finish up stacking them in place for the  upcoming exhibition.

I don't even want to know what one of these original Brillo boxes--that I was treating like an ordinary cardboard box (as this was not far from the truth)--would fetch at auction today.

Although Warhol was known inside the insular "art world" at that time, he was not yet generally famous.

I'm just glad to know my childish play did not destroy the man's career. LOL

Bill

 

 

[Spy Car]

39 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

Due to conferences  L got to do classes with Richard Rusczyk, Art Benjamin, and Jim Weiss, among other folks. Between those and herpetology conferences, we have a lot of autographs in books which...prpbablt normally don't get requests to autograph (like AoPS Intro Geometry or "Reptiles and Amphibians of Arkansas"). 

I got to do a master class in music Ed with Bob McGrath. 🙂 

 

I picked my undergrad school in part because Jack Williamson was still on faculty, albeit very emeritus, and team taught a science fiction writing class each year. 

We watched many Richard Rusczyk videos back in the day. Now that's a super star.

My boy and I worked through the AoPS PreAlgebra book as a "crash course" over one summer. Rusczyk's companion videos were a boon.

Getting it finished--and in such an intensive fashion--felt like a real accomplishment.

Bill

[Scarlett]

4 hours ago, katilac said:

When I wrote for the newspaper, I met a good number of sports celebrities, which was utterly wasted on me. Well, except for making my brother jealous, I suppose. 

I've seen plenty of celebrities, but mostly bc we've been to some cons.

My kids had a short conversation with Matthew Gray Gubler in a New Orleans dive bar, which was a fun encounter. 

You could just talk about the same things you would talk about with someone who was sat next to you at a diner or on the bus. 

Well sure, but I would not enter a contest to win a lunch with the stranger I sat next to on the bus.  

[Dmmetler]

On a "before they became famous" front...

 

I used to go to a lot of JMU sports events because my dad got cheap/free tickets as faculty on the "visitors" side, and it was fairly common for kids to go down and play on the basketball court during halftime and after games. Most of the athletes ignored us, but there was one really nice Midshipman from the Naval academy who would come out, play with us, give advice on making shots, etc. I grew, over his four years, to become a pretty big fan, (yeah, I was probably supposed to support JMU, but whatever...) and got his autograph to me before he graduated. 

Said midshipman was David "The Admiral" Robinson. 

 

It definitely gained me some brownie points to know him abd have an autograph which included advice to "remember, height doesn't matter" among my students who followed basketball and who towered over me before they turned 12....

 

 

[-----]

Dh and I went to a UNC-CH home game when Michael Jordan was a student playing there.  And I think there were 2 other guys who played with him that were kinda well-known but I don't exactly remember their names.  James Worthy maybe?  Perkins??

Anyway, dh had to talk me into going because I'm not really into watching sports.  The stands were about half empty so I guess he wasn't famous yet (early 80's).  But the only thing I got out of the whole game was that watching those guys play basketball was like watching a ballet.  So perfectly coordinated and they seemed to fly through the air.  It was a sight to behold.  So beautifully athletic yet so graceful at the same time.  They made it look so easy.  lol

I also worked at UNC with a woman who knew the Jordans.  She told me that "all those (Jordan) kids are super athletic.  Their mother encouraged them to excel."  

Edited May 25, 2023 by kathyl

[TexasProud]

On 5/23/2023 at 11:21 AM, Zoo Keeper said:

David McCullough (historian/author) and I were both at an event at an art gallery and we had a lovely 15 minute conversation about what books he read for fun.  He liked mysteries.  So do I. 🙂

I work with his grandson in a summer exchange program. Also, one of his granddaughters went on our mission trip.

A famous actor's brother goes on our mission trip regularly and he brings a relative with him on almost every trip.  On one trip he brought the famous actor's daughter.  I interacted a lot by email with the mom, who was pretty protective. We didn't "out" who she was, but her cousin who was also on the trip did.  Not that it mattered. No one cared. She was very sweet.  Her uncle is a very humble surgeon and all of his family members are nice.  I bet the actor is nice too, though I have never met him.  

[kbutton]

On 5/23/2023 at 6:30 PM, freesia said:

Michael Card gave a concert at my college and my roommate was part of organizing it. I went early with her and he walked up to me, shook my hand and said, Hi, I’m Mike.”  It was quite a moment for 21 year old me. Rich Mullins would have been cool, too!

A former church of ours persuaded Michael Card to tack an extra stop on to his tour and do a private concert. He stood around a long time talking to people, including having a really nice conversation with my DH about how DH could start picking up the banjo on his own. 

When I was a teen, the group Acapella did a concert semi-local to me. Very rural location known for apple orchards. They all hung out afterwards eating donuts and apple cider, signing autographs, and talking to people like they were neighbors. 

On 5/24/2023 at 4:54 PM, Kalmia said:

I met Titus Welliver (Bosch lead actor) at my high school reunion (which is for all classes that ever graduated-small school). I had no idea who he was, but I knew his last name because of the Maine artist Neil Welliver. When I asked if he knew him. Titus was like, "Yeah, that's my dad."

I love this, lol! I grew up in a small town that still has a reunion for all the classes that ever graduated. :-) 

DH worked in a pediatric practice that had some local celebrities' kids as patients (pro athletes and their families). 

My son briefly shared the stage with Andy Erikson and two comedians whose names I can't remember at a conference. They were providing a family-friendly comedy act and asked for audience participation (Andy and one of the other comedians have the same rare disease as my son). 

Edited May 25, 2023 by kbutton

[Spy Car]

4 hours ago, kathyl said:

Dh and I went to a UNC-CH home game when Michael Jordan was a student playing there.  And I think there were 2 other guys who played with him that were kinda well-known but I don't exactly remember their names.  James Worthy maybe?  Perkins??

Anyway, dh had to talk me into going because I'm not really into watching sports.  The stands were about half empty so I guess he wasn't famous yet (early 80's).  But the only thing I got out of the whole game was that watching those guys play basketball was like watching a ballet.  So perfectly coordinated and they seemed to fly through the air.  It was a sight to behold.  So beautifully athletic yet so graceful at the same time.  They made it look so easy.  lol

I also worked at UNC with a woman who knew the Jordans.  She told me that "all those (Jordan) kids are super athletic.  Their mother encouraged them to excel."  

My dad loved going to see UCLA basketball games when my brother and I were growing up. Almost every year during that period, Coach John Wooden and his Bruins were National Champions.

Back during the 1965-66 season (but no longer is that the case) Frosh players were not allowed to play on the Varsity team under NCAA rules.

So a highly recruited young freshman named Lou Alcindor was restricted to play on UCLA's Frosh team. It was a tradition at UCLA to start the season with with a Varsity vs Frosh game. During this period of UCLA's utter dominance of college basketball, this game was rarely competitive. Frosh would get blown out by the mostly second and third string Varsity players. But still a fun "tradition."

That is until 1965. With Lou Alcindor leading the Frosh team, they soundly beat UCLA's starting Varsity team. That was a shockingly improbable outcome. 62-44. We were there.

Lou Alcindor, as many basketball fans are aware, came to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Over the next years we got to see Lou Alcindor play many games at Pauley Pavillion. What a great talent.

Many years decades later, my father was honored by the LA City Council at City Hall for his important work in preserving the Watts Towers, one of our city's greatest art/architectural works. and for helping build an art education center on that campus, for the underserved children in the community.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there that day. He came over and gave my father a big hug and he told my dad how proud he was of the great work that he'd done. My father always had the utmost respect for Kareem, and to have him offer up such kind words (and pretty near the end of my father's long and fruitful life) meant a great deal to my father and to me.

That's a "celebrity" who I admire. Not just for his outstanding basketball skills, but for the quality of his mind and his character. A great human being in my estimation.

Bill

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Spy Car

[Indigo Blue]

@Spy CarI could “listen” all day to you telling stories. I hope you have more. When the OP started this thread, I thought Bill must have some great stories, and I hope he decides to tell some. Thanks!!

[Spy Car]

48 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

@Spy CarI could “listen” all day to you telling stories. I hope you have more. When the OP started this thread, I thought Bill must have some great stories, and I hope he decides to tell some. Thanks!!

How about another basketball story?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the greatest basketball players ever, and played Center for the LA Lakers (and before that for the Milwaukee Bucks).

But another great Lakers Center, and in my mind arguably the greatest basketball player of all time--with no disrespect to extraordinarily talented MJ or LeBron James--was Wilt Chamberlain. 

Wilt, when he was still with the Philadelphia 76ers once scored 100 point in a game (by himself). Never was a player so relatively dominate in the game. And the NBA changed many of their rules in an effort to somewhat neutralize Wilt.

I was a tall kid in elementary school and enjoyed played basketball on the playground. I played "Center" myself, and I tried (but who is kidding who here?) to model my play on that of Wilt Chamberlain. Obviously there was a "talent gap" there. LOL

The first time I ran into him I think I was about 12. We were in Saks 5th Ave in Beverly Hills. The department store had a very old fashioned escalator that went from the main floor up to the second floor. 

As we headed over to the escalator (and it really was of a very old-fashioned type) Wilt stepped out of nowhere and got on this funny escalator right in front of me. I remember looking up and all I could see was his butt. LOL. His butt was where an ordinary man's head would me. I kept thinking, here is one of my all-time sports heros, and all I'm taking in is his rear-end. That struck me as funny at the time.

Years later, I was romantically involved with a very fine equestrian who did dressage, eventing, and hunter/jumpers. I was pretty fair natural rider myself, and I got pulled into the world of horses and rode a great deal, even training and conditioning many of LA's top show horses and polo ponies.

I had such fun doing that and I found I make great soul-connections with the horses that I rode. Kind of "horse-whisper-ish." People who love horses know what that sort of love is all about. 

Anyway, guess who decided that he was going to play polo? Wilt Chamberlain.

So old Wilt was 7' 1" and had to weigh well-over 300 lbs (had to be way more than that). He was a huge man. Strong, very tall, and muscular.

Polo ponies, in contrast, tend to be pretty small. I always thought that *I* was a little over-sized riding polo ponies, which was a plus when I rode other people's horses for conditioning work, but seeing Wilt on a polo pony was a bit ridiculous. He could (very easily) put his feet on the floor. As if he was riding an undersized motorcycle. Poor ponies.

I remember he'd arrive at the barns in a very cool convertible Bentley coupé. It had been an automobile with front and rear seats, but being so tall Wilt had it converted into one row of seating, with the "front" seats moved to the back. And it was painted in a very slivery-lavender color, that was most unusual at the time.

So during that period, he and I were at the barns and in the polo arena together all the time. It wasn't as if we became best friends or anything, but he knew me (and I certainly knew him). We knocked around polo balls in light practice on more than a few occasions. Playing "polo" with Wilt Chamberlain was something I'd never envisioned doing as a kid. But life can be strange sometimes.

I would commonly offer up secular prayers for the ponies that he rode. 

Oh dear, oh dear.

Bill

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Spy Car

[Indigo Blue]

1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

How about another basketball story?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the greatest basketball players ever, and played Center for the LA Lakers (and before that for the Milwaukee Bucks).

But another great Lakers Center, and in my mind arguably the greatest basketball player of all time--with no disrespect to extraordinarily talented MJ or LeBron James--was Wilt Chamberlain. 

Wilt, when he was still with the Philadelphia 76ers once scored 100 point in a game (by himself). Never was a player so relatively dominate in the game. And the NBA changed many of their rules in an effort to somewhat neutralize Wilt.

I was a tall kid in elementary school and enjoyed played basketball on the playground. I played "Center" myself, and I tried (but who is kidding who here?) to model my play on that of Wilt Chamberlain. Obviously there was a "talent gap" there. LOL

The first time I ran into him I think I was about 12. We were in Saks 5th Ave in Beverly Hills. The department store had a very old fashioned escalator that went from the main floor up to the second floor. 

As we headed over to the escalator (and it really was of a very old-fashioned type) Wilt stepped out of nowhere and got on this funny escalator right in front of me. I remember looking up and all I could see was his butt. LOL. His butt was where an ordinary man's head would me. I kept thinking, here is one of my all-time sports heros, and all I'm taking in is his rear-end. That struck me as funny at the time.

Years later, I was romantically involved with a very fine equestrian who did dressage, eventing, and hunter/jumpers. I was pretty fair natural rider myself, and I got pulled into the world of horses and rode a great deal, even training and conditioning many of LA's top show horses and polo ponies.

I had such fun doing that and I found I make great soul-connections with the horses that I rode. Kind of "horse-whisper-ish." People who love horses know what that sort of love is all about. 

Anyway, guess who decided that he was going to play polo? Wilt Chamberlain.

So old Wilt was 7' 1" and had to weigh well-over 300 lbs (had to be way more than that). He was a huge man. Strong, very tall, and muscular.

Polo ponies, in contrast, tend to be pretty small. I always thought that *I* was a little over-sized riding polo ponies, which was a plus when I rode other people's horses for conditioning work, but seeing Wilt on a polo pony was a bit ridiculous. He could (very easily) put his feet on the floor. As if he was riding an undersized motorcycle. Poor ponies.

I remember he'd arrive at the barns in a very cool convertible Bentley coupé. It had been an automobile with front and rear seats, but being so tall Wilt had it converted into one row of seating, with the "front" seats moved to the back. And it was painted in a very slivery-lavender color, that was most unusual at the time.

So during that period, he and I were at the barns and in the polo arena together all the time. It wasn't as if we became best friends or anything, but he knew me (and I certainly knew him). We knocked around polo balls in light practice on more than a few occasions. Playing "polo" with Wilt Chamberlain was something I'd never envisioned doing as a kid. But life can be strange sometimes.

I would commonly offer up secular prayers for the ponies that he rode. 

Oh dear, oh dear.

Bill

 

 

 

Thanks, Bill! Oh, the poor ponies!!! But another great story. 
 

 

[Indigo Blue]

The only person I can think of that I’ve met is Jim Weiss. Dh has met Bill Elliott. 

[Eos]

On 5/23/2023 at 11:56 AM, MEmama said:

I don't even know who most of these people are! 🤣

I'm not good at recognizing people and would have no idea if I had an entire conversation with a "celebrity", even if I'd seen them in something before. I'm always a bit nervous I won't recognize people I DO know, never mind people I don't, lol. 

This is me.  I was once stuck in an airport lounge with dd during a snowstorm, reading The Odyssey out loud with very dramatic voices and emphasis - "EATER of MEN!" etc - and apparently Paul Rudd was listening to me from a few seats away but I wouldn't have known who it was. After he left another person told us very breathlessly that's who it was (and then dd explained who he is to me.)

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Eos

[maize]

@Spy Car I'm loving your stories. 

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, maize said:

@Spy Car I'm loving your stories. 

Ditto. 

[Indigo Blue]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

Ditto. 

(Sorry, I’m hijacking….The story about the time he thought the paperboy was a burglar is the funniest thing ever……I wish I could find that old post….)

Carry on…..

ETA: Oh, I found it! Just used keyword “paperboy” and it popped right up! If @Spy Car doesn’t mind, I’ll post it in a new thread….That okay, Bill?

Edited May 26, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Spy Car]

10 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

(Sorry, I’m hijacking….The story about the time he thought the paperboy was a burglar is the funniest thing ever……I wish I could find that old post….)

Carry on…..

ETA: Oh, I found it! Just used keyword “paperboy” and it popped right up! If @Spy Car doesn’t mind, I’ll post it in a new thread….That okay, Bill?

Somehow my "stories" mostly require retaining the ability to laugh at myself. LOL

So go ahead if you must  

Bill

 

[Indigo Blue]

34 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Somehow my "stories" mostly require retaining the ability to laugh at myself. LOL

So go ahead if you must  

Bill

 

Well, I pretty much explained how to easily find that post, so maybe it would be better to let people search it if they want??Unless someone can’t find it, then I’d be happy to do it. It’s so funny. 
 

My husband enjoys your stories, too. If you remember, he loved the stories of your father and the fighter planes. Last night, he read your stories while he was having supper. I had to show him a Google image of the Brillo box. He liked the part where you were pushing those around as a kid. 
 

Lol, he didn’t know my moniker name, and when he read the post about someone having a crush on Keith Urban, he looked up and said, “What’s your name on here? Is this you right here asking if Bill has ever met Keith Urban?” I said, “Yes, that’s me!” 🤣

[Spy Car]

39 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Well, I pretty much explained how to easily find that post, so maybe it would be better to let people search it if they want??Unless someone can’t find it, then I’d be happy to do it. It’s so funny. 
 

My husband enjoys your stories, too. If you remember, he loved the stories of your father and the fighter planes. Last night, he read your stories while he was having supper. I had to show him a Google image of the Brillo box. He liked the part where you were pushing those around as a kid. 
 

Lol, he didn’t know my moniker name, and when he read the post about someone having a crush on Keith Urban, he looked up and said, “What’s your name on here? Is this you right here asking if Bill has ever met Keith Urban?” I said, “Yes, that’s me!” 🤣

Did Warhol's "Brillo Boxes" not look like a fun playthings for an active kid?

No better--or worse--than a standard packing box from the grocery store, but I guess that was the point.

Andy Warhol seems totally unfazed that I was using his "art" to amuse myself. That made him okay in my book. LOL

Speaking of grocery store boxes. Back when I was an infant, in the days before human life mattered that much (LOL) and there was no safety equipment or child seats or anything like that, my parents--who were both driving antique cars at the time--would keep me in what they always called a "Jiffy Box."

Only much later did I figure out that the name "Jiffy Box" was from a conflation of "Skippy" and "Jif," which were two famous peanut butter brands of the era.

My parents adopted a cardboard box from the local Dale's market, and packed it with some baby blankets to tote me around as an infant. While I have no active memories of the Jiffy Box itself, the stories were so often re-told that they entered the family lore.

So cardboard boxes and I go way back. LOL. Like re-visiting the womb.

Andy's versions were just fine in my book.

Glad you husband has enjoyed the stories, and especially those of "the proud bird," my dad's F4U fighter plane in the Pacific in WWII.

Say, I'm not so great searching this forum. Are you able to find the story of when I saved the girl from a gang assault by going into an alley with my Trooper and a machete and pulling her out of there? I found that old machete recently.

That was a moment where didn't even think about how insanely dangerous it was to go against an entire gang. I just had to act. I can still run that event back in my mind, frame by frame, like it was a movie. 

Bill

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Spy Car

[Spy Car]

45 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Lol, he didn’t know my moniker name, and when he read the post about someone having a crush on Keith Urban, he looked up and said, “What’s your name on here? Is this you right here asking if Bill has ever met Keith Urban?” I said, “Yes, that’s me!” 🤣

Speaking of such crushes.

In 1979 the film Tess (based on Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles) came out, starring Nastassja Kinski.

I went to see it with my (then) girlfriend, a dancer in UC Berkeley's Modern Dance department, who very strongly resembled Nastassja Kinski. Equally beautiful and of the same type.

I was smitten with both.

After I met my wife, I tried assiduously to avoid mentions of "crushes" or the beauty of former girlfriends (who needs that?) but I think that eventually Nastassja Kinski became my "Keith Urban."

Mrs Spy Car, who is another great beauty of the same "type" didn't seem to mind knowing of my one-time screencrush.

Then, one day, we were together in Santa Monica, in the famous park on the palisades overlooking the Pacific, near the pier, and right in front of the Camera Obscura building (for those who know the area).

And right there, standing right next to us was Nastassja Kinski. And I looked at Nastassja Kinski, and then I looked at my (future) wife, and I came to the conclusion that I found my (future) wife was the more beautiful of the two.

Perhaps this is the wrong sort of story to tell on a forum full of women. But that was real.

Don't hate me.

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I used to have a poster of Bruce Lee on my wall in high school.  My husband has been mistaken for Bruce Lee when he was younger.  I might have a type too. . .   (I now know what Bruce Lee would have looked like if he had lived and had aged. . . )

[Indigo Blue]

19 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Speaking of such crushes.

In 1979 the film Tess (based on Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles) came out, starring Nastassja Kinski.

I went to see it with my (then) girlfriend, a dancer in UC Berkeley's Modern Dance department, who very strongly resembled Nastassja Kinski. Equally beautiful and of the same type.

I was smitten with both.

After I met my wife, I tried assiduously to avoid mentions of "crushes" or the beauty of former girlfriends (who needs that?) but I think that eventually Nastassja Kinski became my "Keith Urban."

Mrs Spy Car, who is another great beauty of the same "type" didn't seem to mind knowing of my one-time screencrush.

Then, one day, we were together in Santa Monica, in the famous park on the palisades overlooking the Pacific, near the pier, and right in front of the Camera Obscura building (for those who know the area).

And right there, standing right next to us was Nastassja Kinski. And I looked at Nastassja Kinski, and then I looked at my (future) wife, and I came to the conclusion that I found my (future) wife was the more beautiful of the two.

Perhaps this is the wrong sort of story to tell on a forum full of women. But that was real.

Don't hate me.

Bill

 

 

 

 

Well, I don’t know who Nasstassjs Kinski is, so I had to look her up. All I can say is your wife must be beautiful. Sweet story. 

[lynn]

Went to high school.with Larry the Cable Guy

Met F. Lee Bailey at a place I worked at.

Got to see.Jamie Farr from MASH when I was on a universal studio tour in California.

I stopped at a flying J in Tennessee and there was the Casting Crowns tour bus. I forgot who came out and said Hi as they walked by.  I was to shy to say anything else.  I'm all for respecting boundaries so I went on my way.  

[Mom_to3]

6 hours ago, Spy Car said:

Speaking of such crushes.

In 1979 the film Tess (based on Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles) came out, starring Nastassja Kinski.

I went to see it with my (then) girlfriend, a dancer in UC Berkeley's Modern Dance department, who very strongly resembled Nastassja Kinski. Equally beautiful and of the same type.

I was smitten with both.

After I met my wife, I tried assiduously to avoid mentions of "crushes" or the beauty of former girlfriends (who needs that?) but I think that eventually Nastassja Kinski became my "Keith Urban."

Mrs Spy Car, who is another great beauty of the same "type" didn't seem to mind knowing of my one-time screencrush.

Then, one day, we were together in Santa Monica, in the famous park on the palisades overlooking the Pacific, near the pier, and right in front of the Camera Obscura building (for those who know the area).

And right there, standing right next to us was Nastassja Kinski. And I looked at Nastassja Kinski, and then I looked at my (future) wife, and I came to the conclusion that I found my (future) wife was the more beautiful of the two.

Perhaps this is the wrong sort of story to tell on a forum full of women. But that was real.

Don't hate me.

Bill

 

 

 

 

What a wonderful (love) story.

[Not_a_Number]

We used to live in the same building as one of the Safdie brothers, Benny. The one who’s playing the dad in “Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret.” (I stared at this poster forever, wondering why he looked so familiar!)

DH says they chatted in the elevator and he and his wife invited us over, but then the pandemic happened and we never did and then we moved 🙁