OK, Frances: So I’m walking down Broadway on NYC’s Upper West Side, looking for one of the many New York Sports Clubs. I’d just moved to the area and wasn’t familiar with this specific NYSC location. Couldn’t find it. So I decided to find someone who looked like they live in the neighborhood (this usually is someone carrying grocery bags). I spotted an older, white-haired man and a blondish woman (whose back was to me), along with a pudgy dark-haired kid who appeared to be about 12. From what I could hear and see, the adults seemed to be mildly reprimanding the kid for something school-related. I approached, looking at the man, and said, “Pardon me; do you live in the neighborhood?” As I waited for their response, I turned to look at the woman.

Who was, of course, Frances McDormand.

I like to think that my countenance remained unaltered. FMcD, on the other hand, looked a bit uncomfortable, like, “Oh, god, please dont’ recognize me.” She nodded. The man nodded.

“Could you please tell me where the NYSC at 76th and Broadway is? I don’t see it at all.”

The man sort of scratched his head and said, “Hmmmm….”

There was a pause, and then Frances (her skin is beautiful, and she has really pretty cornflower-blue eyes. She was surprisingly pretty; she always looks so haggard on screen.) said, in a tone befitting a small child, “Oh, OK. I know where it is. You go down here to 80th Street…” and proceeded to give me directions to the wrong NYSC location.

I just let her. Who was I to correct one of my Top 5 favorite actresses? It was all I could do to refrain from screaming, “Thank you for making such GREAT movies and being such a GREAT actress.” I just thanked her and walked away.

I’ll hook you up to my blog, Dan, but I need your proper email address. Hit me at brunettechicagogal@yahoo.com.

Brian must have just missed the cut off where they allowed runners to finish the course. Tammy was about at the same mark when they were told they had to walk if they wanted to continue. She ended up finishing, running the last mile. She was pretty pumped about finishing, but felt that, despite the heat, she could have run the entire way.

BTW. I still can’t access your blog. My connection to the Big Apple is now limited to my subscription to New York magazine.

Dan

After scrolling through some of the responses, I think it does! I will share the full story once you confirm that the encounter meets your criteria, Sir Dan.

And P.S. How did Tammy fare during the “Defeat in the Heat,” aka Chicago Marathon? What a disaster. My brother got sent back to Grant Park at Mile 17. He was not happy.

It wasn’t me, and I am leaving the now retired officers’ name out of it. However, I can tell you that he too was short and rather feisty, much like the beloved Belker.

Mick Belker has always been one of my favorite TV characters. I was really sad to see that show go. We could use some TV like that now.

Insignificant sidenote: My best friend was the bookkeeper for the Opera House during the late 80s to the early 90s. But, she was usually out of there by the time the crowd showed up.

You were probably wise not to approach Kelsey Grammer at the time. That was back when he was doing a lot of coke.

Do you remember why Bruce Weitz was in town? I do remember that my brother met him at Bauer’s Opera House.

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

I had a brief, but friendly, conversation about art one Saturday morning with Bruce Weitz at the Old State Capitol Art Fair in the late 80s.

When I lived in Chicago, I had a job interview with Christie Hefner to be her personal assistant back in about 1982. Despite the fact that we really hit it off and had chemistry, I did not get the job.

Yellowdog, it’s going to be pretty difficult for anyone to top yours, but you might like one of mine: From 1979 to 81 I was the right-hand girl to the right-hand man of former Gov. Ogilvie at a now defunct law firm in Chicago.

There have been others. But, that’s all I can think of right now.