Some people get all hot and bothered about meeting celebrities. I probably would too if I knew who half of the current celebrities out there today were. I get all excited when I get to meet my own personal celebrities: politicians…and grammar icons. Oh yes. Who are we kidding, I just see them and I tweet and facebook the sighting quicker than a DC stoplight.
And tonight I got to do both. I’m in some kind of DC heaven. As we were on our way to a DC Borders we somehow were stuck in gridlock traffic. Imagine that. It was on Embassy Row or some other shi shi la la road, so I got to stare at lots of pretty buildings. There were lots of people out and about walking to dinner or to home or jogging. For some reason though this one man caught my eye, walking by himself, carrying a heavy brief case and looking kind of tired. Good thing Du was with me because I thought it was a tv news guy. I said, “I’ve seen that guy on tv before!” all jazzed that I was having a celebrity sighting. Du said, “yeah (as in duh), that’s Dick Gephardt.” Du’s cool because he can actually place the face with the name. Me? I just think they’ve all been on tv.
So I tweeted and fb-ed that I just saw Dick Gephardt. And I heard crickets chirping.
After dinner we got to Borders for my intentional personal celebrity sighting of the night. Grammar Girl!! She is the guru of grammar and uses social media, and interesting examples, to make it cool. I’m a closet grammar geek. I stay in the closet though because I don’t consider myself well-versed on the minutia of grammar. I am in no way prepared to correct other’s grammar when I myself cannot manage to use it properly. Me and commas (sic, haha) do not get along. I either overuse or underuse them and have been accused of both by professors. And I just started using semicolons, incorrectly most likely. The little grammar tidbits I get from Mignon help me feel like I’m actually getting a grip on the English language though.
I follow Grammar Girl. Almost in the truest sense of the word. I follow her on Twitter and Facebook. I listen to her podcast. Tonight she said to me, “you look familiar.” “Oh gawd!!!” I thought. Am I stalker? She has lots of fans and I somehow have stuck out in her mind…crap. “Uh, I follow you on Twitter,” I manage to get out. Only, I forgot that my Twitter picture is of the girls, not me. She must have seen that comment I left her on fb last night. Oh crap, I am a stalker! She was very nice though and spelled my name correctly when she signed my book. Maybe I’m not a stalker. Maybe I’m just a
I always seem to make a fool of myself though when I meet my own personal celebrities. After the fact. I get home, download the pictures, and shudder in sheer horror. Did I really look like that!? Tonight I remembered my propensity and warned Du, “please don’t let me look like I’m about to stab her with a knife.” He knew exactly what I was talking about. And he laughed. “No, really. I want a normal picture of me with a famous person.” When the time came to get my picture taken with GG I totally forgot to try to smile normally. But Du took a picture with two different phones. “I think, with two, maybe one of the pictures came out normal,” he said. It’s a good thing I love him. I think this time it actually worked out though.
This is me with Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty. She looks all nice and normal and I finally look somewhat normal.
But here’s what I mean about getting psychotic looking:
This is me with Joyce Rumsfeld. She looks all nice and normal. Me? It looks like I’m probably holding a knife behind my back and am maniacally laughing. To myself.
This is me with Sarah Palin. She looks all nice and normal. Me? It looks like I’m probably holding a knife behind my back and am maniacally laughing. To myself.
This is me with Mike Huckabee. He looks all nice and normal. Me? It looks like I’m probably holding a knife behind my back and am maniacally laughing. To myself.
It’s like I’m trying to see how many teeth I can show off at the same time. LOOK! I HAVE TEETH! ALL OF THEM!
There’s only one other personal celebrity picture in which I do not look like I’m a serial killer:
Uh. This is me. And that’s Sean Hannity. And I’m not even looking. That’s apparently a good thing.
Not So SAHM 
The pictures have gotten progressively…better. And in today’s, your beauty is untainted by this so-called “I have teeth” grin. I think with all of that adrenaline pumping, your ears must have quit working. I think after I took pictures with two cameras, I said something like: “you look great and those are both outstanding pictures, as usual”
I love you, honey 🙂
Vicki, thanks for the laughs this morning! And yes, you do look slightly psychotic in those other pictures. But only slightly.
Oh my gosh! I’m sitting here in my office trying not to laugh out loud:) That was hilarious! I’m not sure which of the pictures is my favorite though… Joyce Rumsfeld or Mike Huckabee, i can’t decide
Oh my gosh, they’re both freakish aren’t they! The pictures of me, not the cool people I’m getting my picture taken with. haha!
Your post made my morning 🙂
I love grammar too! I once watched an grammar expert panel discussion/call-in thing on TV at four in the morning, and I have to say I totally enjoyed it.
Also, this is a great site layout!
Hilarious! It was great to meet you; you seemed nice and normal to me.
You are killing me. Please don’t stop stalking!!!
Grammar! I love grammar and will correct you if you are a friend. Otherwise, I just laugh at you behind your back…..did I type that out loud?!
I’m sure you’ll get the hang of ‘looking normal’. Just don’t talk or move until you know the shutter button has been pushed!
If you want a re-do with Sarah Palin she will be signing books on Fort Bragg on November 23!
Jared is making a DC trip in January and wants to know of some good places to eat near the museums. I think he is planning to stay in that area too.
Vicki, I love you blog, first of all. You are very entertaining. Second of all, we all stalk somebody so don’t feel bad! At least you’ve been able to meet some of your idols! haha
Keep up the great writing!