I laugh in the general direction of chronological blogging

Now, what would be the fun in recording events soon after they occurred? Let's all be a little more postmodern, shall we?

This blog is about my two celebrity sightings in and around LA. I was rather put out that I spotted some famous folk because I was just going to lie about all the fab people I met. I even had a very nice photo of a limo in front of Hollywood farmer's market which I was going to claim that it was Madonna buying rutabagas. (yes, I know she's living in London, but my way is funnier).

The first sighting of the elusive celebs fell right into my lap. A scene from Dexter was being shot in the place where the kids take their breaks during the three-week marathon class (funny how these "breaks" kept getting longer as time went by). We were given some advance notice that filming was going on so I was pretty excited, having been a fan of the show before I got rid of Showtime. I was a bit alarmed that at least one of my students (a 13 year old) loved the show as well ("don't your parents monitor anything you watch?"). I finally caught a glance of the star, Michael C. Hall as he walked on the set. Unfortunately, we were rather busy keeping the kids from being mischievous -- see kid above "the words 'keep out' is not meant to be a challenge!" One thing I enjoy about this show is that Mr. Hall is genuinely creepy which is no mean feat considering I watched him for many years as the uptight gay brother on Six Feet Under. He convinced me that he can act. There was also James Remar (playing Dexter's father and so the scene being filmed was a flashback) who has done a slew of TV and movies, most notably an extended stint on Sex and the City, but I'll always remember him as Lord Rayden from Mortal Kombat.

Probably the most amusing event connected with the filming that unfortunately, I didn't get to witness was what happened after class. The kids have an activity period which includes a variety of stuff -- sports, swimming, crafts, etc. One of the most popular games is a version of Dodgeball called Trench. They play this on the field next to where the crew was set up. Because the microphones would pick up any high-pitched noises (though lower register ones would be ok), the kids were asked to play silently. And they did -- silent dodgeball. I heard that the grips were all duly impressed. I wish I could have witnessed that.

My second celeb sighting occurred all the way from JFK to LAX when I flew back from Connecticut on that crazy weekend trip I did mid-class. It was Sunday afternoon and I was taking a puddle-jumper over to JFK when I found out that everything was grounded. I would miss my connecting flight. So I mosied over to the guy behind the counter and sweet-talked him to see if he could get me on another flight (going cross-country is a pain, people). I told him that "I would even take First class if I must!" Sure enough, he sticks me in business class on a later flight.

I was pretty happy with that, considering I was so exhausted. A little pampering was just what the doctor ordered. Things were going smoothly at JFK until I was alerted to the fact that they were boarding early. I was on the phone to my ride in LA and had to be one of those people you want to punch because they don't get off the cell phone as they are handing over the boarding pass. However, I was worried I would miss my flight. I walked down the end of the ramp and what do I see but a weird contraption and not the plane. (I was reminded of A. Hunt's comment when we went to the Daily Show and was hustled into a room with no exit -- "they are going to gas us!") Now, this was my first experience with a people mover of this bulk and we were driven to our plane which was out on the tarmac. We loaded from the back once the people in the plane realized we were there (after much pounding on the door). Now ensconced in Business class, I relaxed with my free drinkie and though I thought I was going to miss my flight, we sat there as several people movers unloaded their passengers.

Then who do I see in the aisle across from me? (I was in the window) Adam West. The Batman. I was surprised at how quickly I'd identified him. "no, surely not!" then I heard him speak to the flight attendant -- got to be him. Since I was a newcomer to first class, I played it cool and didn't bother him -- after quickly texting people who would appreciate it. As Mr. Gene put it "Holy Proximity!" I got to "know" Mr. West for many hours as we were stuck again on the Tarmac for an hour (or more). You know it's bad when the pilot comes on with "I wish I had better news but you won't believe the sight in front of me." Due to bad weather, a runway or two was closed and all traffic was diverted elsewhere. We were in the wrong place which meant a hundred planes were in front of us as we glacially taxied to where we needed to be. Still, if you are stuck on the tarmac in JFK, what's better than having free movies, lots of leg and arm room (no more fighting for the armrest!) and free booze. We also got a meal with REAL silverware. Now that I've made it to silver medallion level on Delta, I'm not looking back, people. Mr. West was very nice to everybody so I can't tell any stories of him being a jerk to the "help."

So, those are my two celebrity sightings. When the episode of Dexter comes out, I'll let you know and you can see the fountain where I had to restrain a student from jumping in after a frisbee (they accused me of falling back on my "military" training).