Perfect Timing

Some things just work out perfectly and today we had what you could call genuine comedic timing. When stuff like this happens, it just makes me realize that this world is so small. Jason and I had a nice leisurely lunch at The National {we're not usually so ooh-la-la for a weekday lunch, we were using up our food allowance for the month} and while we dined there, Nana had Roman at Mickey D's. She called to say they were done and she wanted to know what to do with Roman - put him down for a nap at our house, take him back to her house, or bring him to meet us. Since we were wrapping up, I told her just to bring him up there. She did and since we then had a 2-year old with us, leaving was a long & involved process. There are new things to see, new stairs to climb, new people to give knuckles to, etc... So we finally get him out the door and he sees the bronze life-size statue of Bill Grigsby {for those outside of KC, he is a Chiefs announcer. For St. Louisans: he is Kansas City's version of Joe Buck} outside and wants to go see "the guy." So we're now 45 minutes past naptime and I'm just wanting to get him home, but he is touching the statue and trying to climb it, etc... Roman keeps calling it "the guy" and so Jason tries to get him to say "Bill" but it sounds more like "Boo-lay" {quite funny}. So all of a sudden this car drives around the circle drive and the window opens and Bill Grigsby is smiling and sarcastically shouts "Hey! be careful around that statue!" Roman looks at {the real} Bill and points and says "the guy." It was quite hysterical and this may be a story better told in person {or only appreciated by us being Roman's parents.} Bill volunteered to take a picture with Roman and when he chickened out, Jason & I gladly accepted. Jason and I see Bill up there often, but we were amazed at the perfect timing of his arrival while Roman was playing on his statue and then Roman calling Bill "the guy" {whether or not he really recognized that the statue was of Bill or if it was a coincidence, we'll never know.}

The timing of this reminds me of 2 other celebrity sightings that we've had. The first being when we were in NYC in 2002. Jason and I were in the NBC Building having a tour and our group was loading onto an elevator but we reached the elevator's capacity leaving about 6 of us in the group to have to catch the next one. So we stood there waiting just as Tracy Morgan {then from Saturday Night Live and now of 30 Rock} walked into the lobby. The dork that I am, called out "Hey Tracy! You & I have the same last name!" to which Jason mumbled "uh... not anymore". I remember getting to the top and meeting up with the rest of the group and bragging that we saw him. They replied saying that when their elevator doors opened up, they saw Conan O'Brian {but he was too busy to get pix.}

Speaking of elevators, speaking of celebrities... most of you have heard this one, but 3 years ago, we went to see the Royals v. Dodgers game with our friends Alan & Sara on Jason's birthday. We had excellent front row seats right behind first base. We decorated our area for the "birthday boy" and made Jason wear a birthday crown and a birthday button. Upon leaving the game, we had quite the hike back up the stairs to the main level exits. I guess this is where I should tell you that Alan was on crutches and had a broken foot. So getting back up all of those stairs was trickier than coming down them and Alan asked if we could use the elevator. So we bail out to the Plaza level and get to the elevators to find out that they are only for the handicapped or for VIP's accessing the suites. All others must "hoof it." The security guards see Alan's crutches and "boot" and decide he qualified as "handicapped" and we got to go along for the ride since we were in his "party." So we pack into the elevator and instead of going up, it descends and opens at the dugout suite level. The doors open and then immediately close because we were at capacity, however it was long enough for me to gaze out at the crowd waiting for the elevator and catch a glimpse of Alyssa Milano. I was screaming "that's Alyssa Milano", however everyone in my "party" was doubting me. Then some random on the elevator chimed in "you know... I read somewhere that she was dating Brad Penny, the Dodger's pitcher. I'll bet that was her". So Sara & I immediately get giddy and are determined to see her again. So when the elevator drops us off at the main level, we're in a special VIP entrance with tons of security around. We try hanging around as long as we can but once the crowd thins out, they security guards are on to us and tell us we have to leave. Sara tells them "but this is where we were told to come and meet Alyssa Milano". He says "Nice try. Keep on moving". So we reluctantly leave and once outside, we see Alyssa leaning against a wall {she must have caught another elevator or finally took some stairs.} Sara approaches her and a body guard stops Sara and she pleads that "it's our friend's birthday and he really wants a picture with her". The bodyguard and Alyssa both agree and Jason and I stand on either side of her eager to get our picture taken. Sara is fumbling around with the camera and I step away to show her how to work it and Jason is still standing there with his arm around Alyssa. Alyssa says to Jason "You're red! You need to wear sunscreen" to which Jason replies "I work outside" {a comment he'll live to regret because we mock it all of the time laughing that she must think he is a garbage man, or something} to which Alyssa replies flirtingly "Well then you have a sun-kissed glow." I come back, the picture is taken and we quietly leave and then when we're at a safe distance, we totally start freaking out, screaming and whipping out our cell phones to call people. We all like to take credit for that sighting: Alan says he was responsible because he was the one that necessitated the elevator; Jason says he was responsible because it was his birthday, thus the drama with security over getting the picture taken; Sara says she was responsible because she had the determination and nerve to ask for the picture and I say I'm responsible because I recognized her. It was truly being in the right place at the right time - perfect timing!