Star Struck...

It's no secret that Jared and I love the Hollywood scene, so I loved Jane's post and challenge about what star sightings she'd had.

One of the funnest parts of living in L.A. was that a good part of our ward members worked in the entertainment industry...so we felt like we were in "the know". My interest in things Hollywood continued as we moved to Houston and Jill and I would get our mail and sit at the bus stop waiting for the kids. She subscribed to People Magazine and so we kept up on all the latest! And then,of course, there is my friend Kris Smith who knows everything about anything Hollywood and is the first in line to see any Queen Latifa movie. (fyi...Kris is a blond, blue-eyed stay at home mother of 4) So...here are some of my spottings.

Corey Haim--I know you're impressed. When I was in High School I got a phone call one afternoon from my tennis coach...they were filming "License to Drive" in SLC and were doing a scene on the courts at Liberty Park. They called my coach to get a couple of girls to come and play tennis in the back ground. My doubles partner and I rushed down...however, by the time they got to that part the sun had changed and they were shooting from another direction and did not need us. Bummer. We did get Corey Haim's autograph.

One year when we were at the Disney Company Christmas party (which equates to them shutting down the park early and letting employee's families--Disney, ABC and ESPN--in for the night. Oh, and we left with a neat ornament each year!!) I wanted Jared to go on Splash Mountain. I sat with Rachel on the bench at the end waiting for him to come off. After a while a nice gentleman came and sat down next to me. I knew I recognized him, but could not figure out where from. I was sure we went to church with him or something. Then I realized it was Kevin Neelan from Saturday Night Live!

I almost spoke on the phone with Kurt Russell once. I know this is stretching it, but appease me. The summer after we moved to Houston my sister-in-law Kristine and I drove back to L.A. to visit my friends. We stayed with my good friend Dionne who's husband Dennis happens to be Kurt Russell's make-up artist (and Matt Damon and other neat people). So I was in Dionne's kitchen and the phone rang. She was in the garage or something, so I went through that moment of do I answer their phone or not? I finally decided to pick it up just as she walked through the door, so I handed it straight to her. She says, "Hello? Oh, hey Kurt how are ya?" Why could she not have been 5 seconds slower? Curses!

I saw Phil Jackson (Bulls Coach) when my friend Gary was leaving for Helsinki on his mission. They were on the same flight to Chicago...Gary then onto Finland... (btw, Phil was a jerk)

Jared and I saw Magic Johnson in the Red Lion Lobby in SLC once. Jared went up and asked for his autograph and he said, "If I sign yours I have to sign everybody elses..." There was no one else in the lobby.

Jim McMahon was in our congregation in Chicago--well, his wife and kids were. I first met him at a Primary Activity he came to and helped out. He was very nice, and had the cutest kids. He would come to church on occasion (holidays) and, yes, he did wear his sunglasses. I have learned since that he has to wear them because of some eye condition he has. Although it conveniently works with his attitude!

I watched Martina Navratalova warm up for her match at Wimbledon. I was eating strawberries and cream on the lawn!!

There was a girl in our ward in CA who was on Melrose Place or Baywatch...I don't remember her name, but I saw her on occasion.

The BYU centre in London is right across the street from Kensington Palace. I used to run through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park every day...I'm sure this would shock some of you to hear--but I did enjoy running there. One day on my way back to the centre, I was running past the Palace and a big red helicopter started to land. I stopped by the fence to watch. I was the only one there. Then Prince Charles and Princess Diana stepped off the helicopter. She waved to me and they ran off into the Palace. Their helicopter was always coming in late at night with a big search light...it really was quite annoying and we used to joke about complaining to our noisy neighbors!!

While in London, one of the plays we went to see was "Our Town" and had Alan Alda and Robert Sean Leonard in it. We went into the alley afterwards to get autographs. I saw Alan Alda when they opened the door, but he didn't come out. RSL did and I got an autograph and picture.

My last brush with fame was with Gary Sinise. When Jared had already left for Houston and I was still in L.A. with the kids a guy in our ward who is a casting director called me saying they needed a nursing mother for an extra in the movie "Imposter". I was assured I would be covered and sitting in a waiting room or something. So Jonah and I headed down one day to be fitted for our wardrobe. It was a futuristic film, so we both had a lot of gray and black and I had these platform boots that made me about 4 inches taller!

The next day we went down for the shooting of the scene. When I got there, I was escorted to our waiting room. Soon after someone came in to tell me that they had made a change in the scene and no longer needed me...they just wanted Jonah. The change was though that they were going to focus in on the breast feeding mother---which was to be a model and my sweet little baby boy.

I told them that I was not comfortable with that. They assured me they would just be "simulating" the breast feeding and that there would be no latching on. I said no. They continued to bully me and told me that the film was already a month behind schedule and that I would be putting them even further behind schedule if I did not let them use Jonah for the scene. I was told that "Gary" was very upset that I was putting them back.

I called Jared and got some emotional support...and then told them no again. The guy told me to think about for a few more minutes and he'd be back. I told him I didn't need a few more minutes...that the money that we were earning for all of this was going to be going into a savings account for my baby boys mission when he turns 19 and he's not going on that mission with money earned from simulating breast feedings!

The guy left...in a huff...and then I left. With our paychecks!! They had to pay us anyway for our time. (Which btw I offered to leave without but legally they had to pay us.) On my way out, Gary Sinese passed me as he was walking back into the building. He is short.