The Facebook thingy I’m writing about wasn’t a top five thing. It was one of those posts where one of your Facebook friend’s tag you and you have to list five random things about yourself. I called this Top Five because whenever five of anything is referenced, I think about John Cusack in High Fidelity and the top five lists he had throughout the movie.
I usually don’t participate in these posts, mostly because I don’t want to put anyone on the spot. I don’t mind participating, but I don’t want to ask anyone else to participate. I feel the same about cookware, makeup, jewelry and food storage parties that are held in people’s homes. I will go if invited and I will buy something before I leave, but I will not be hosting my own party.
It was interesting, watching these posts pop up all day long. I learned two things today:
1. There are a lot of people out there who have lived fascinating lives
2. I am not one of them.
Seriously, y’all, you wouldn’t believe some of the interesting things I read. I won’t be specific on who said what because these are not my facts to share, but here is a sampling:
Someone who had driven a nuclear submarine and gotten a gift of jewelry from an actual king. (Does one ‘drive’ a submarine? Do they float it? Operate it? Ride it? What’s the right term here?)
Someone who writes incredibly who can also play the guitar AND owns dragons.
And one woman who met Martha Graham, drank with Elizabeth Taylor, was in a fashion magazine and had a fling with a famous clothing designer.
Two of the items on my list had to do with how many decades I’ve had a messy bedroom (All the decades) and how long I kept a goldfish alive (three years).
The other three things on my list weren’t quite so interesting.
I’m not complaining, I’ve finally reached a point where I am in love with my own life. I mean, other than the work part, but nothing is perfect. I’m just fascinated with what other people have seen and done.
I also fixed my fear of putting people on the spot by tagging Gandhi, Elvis Presley and Winston Churchill to list 5 random things about themselves. I don’t think they’ll mind.
Oh! Wait! I did get Tom Cruise’s autograph once. They were filming Rainman in front of the building I worked at back then. I also saw Huggy Bear in the Columbus airport. From the original Starsky and Hutch. Not Snoop Dog..it was that other guy.
So, how about it? Tell me something exotic from your past. But don’t try to give me any Antonio Fargas stories, because I got that one covered.
Oh, yeah..and one other thing..and this one just happened yesterday. I had an article published on the Huffington Post. So that was really cool.
WOOT on HuffPo!!!
And I am so with you on those in-home parties (and after the last one I tried to host I am seriously committed to never hosting another one! GAH!).
Interestingly, my husband has been on several nuclear powered submarines (he worked for one of the two companies that builds them…and went out on sea trials to test stuff) and my son-in-law, who is a naval submariner, has driven them. “Drive” is the correct term 🙂
So something “exotic” about me? I met Paul Newman more than once. I got to take a sail on Courageous (the America’s Cup winner in 1977 owned by Ted Turner). I once ran into Rod Stewart in Tower Records in NYC (1985). I met my husband on the Internet in 1994 (20 years ago!!). I’ve never been in a Walmart, never saw an episode of The Simpsons or Star Trek, and have never seen Gone With The Wind.
P.S. I think you ARE fascinating. Srsly.
Thank you, gorgeous!
Oh man..Paul Newman…dreamy…
I met MY husband on the internet in 1994 as well. Ha! That’s funny. I am oddly impressed with your avoidance of Walmart.
That is so cool that we both met our hubs that way back then! We are pioneers!
The Walmart thing didn’t used to be a thing, it’s just that there wasn’t one around where I lived…and then it became a thing where I decided that I just wouldn’t go into one.
omg i also met my hubby online! but not in 1994. did they even have internet back then? (lol, jk, don’t hit me) :p cool that 3 of us have that in common though. kinda makes me wonder just how many bloggers have fallen in love online 😉
Exotic?
Okay, to the rest of the world most of my 20s probably seemed exotic, though in reality it really wasn’t, except Mauritius, that place truly is magical.
I toured the US at 15, played the Royal Albert Hall when I was 16.
My agent once conned me into playing for a celebrity audience that included Johnny Mathis, Howard Keel, Tony Christie and Vic Damone, truly terrifying but also quite cool.
I played for Sting once.
I was trapped in a lift for a few minutes at the BBC, with Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet and didn’t turn into a blithering idiot.
🙂
I’ve toured and travelled a large part of the world, though there are still lots of places I’d like to see, if I get the opportunity.
I dated the guitarist from Paper Lace for a while (ha ha ha, so not a good idea).
My life now…not so exciting, (understatement)
That all sounds very cool! And Paper Lace..holy shit, I haven’t thought about that band in a while. Awesome!
And we don’t know what’s around the corner, sister..here’s to hoping we get to experience a few more cool things before long.
Ha ha ha, I try not to think about them at all. I have no idea why that popped into my head as an exotic experience. It was far from it 🙂
Not a huge fan of these lists on FB either, but tagging famous dead people is a genius move.
Dreading some fecker challenging me to the damn ice bucket thing. I won’t be doing that either
Yeah, I did get challenged…but no…I am not dumping water on my head. I’m not dumping anything on my head. I do appreciate how much money has been raised, though..that’s awesome
hmmm, something exotic… well, i lived in cyprus when i was 2, costa rica when i was 5, & hawaii when i was 9… haven’t travelled since 16 though :p also was an extra in a movie when i was 12… which is a lot scarier than it sounds (almost got trampled by people running ftom an imaginary asteroid, lol) but no celebrity stories that i can think of (maybe someday)… and yeah, i guess that’s about it. also, you are far from boring. i love your tweets & blogs, they make me smile 🙂 so keep em coming! & congrats on getting an article published! that’s pretty awesome!
FROM* (another interesting fact about me: i never proofread until after i comment, lol)
I didn’t even notice..I make so many goddamn typos.
Thank you! And I would love to visit all those places…
I guess that is one cool think about life..we never know when something really cool will happen.. 🙂
1) Congrats on the Huffington Post thing. I aspire to be that wanted but I probably say “fuck” too much.
2) Fuck.
3) And in light of recent events, this one means a lot to me, I once met Robin Williams and he remembered my name when I introduced myself and he remembered to use it in conversation and he was every bit as funny, friendly and wonderful as everyone says he was.
4) I once had lunch, in a small group with John Travolta
5) When I graduated 1st in both of my training schools in the Marine Corps, I was chosen to work at the Executive Helicopter Squadron . . . for those of you non-military types, that’s where Marine One lives . . . the shiny green helicopter that the President gets into on the White House lawn with the Marine saluting him (which having experience there, he probably has a hangover, and also, the gun he is carrying, he isn’t allowed to have bullets in it. It’s all for show.)
6) I once got so drunk and out of hand at a nude bar that not only was I kicked out of the bar, I was banned from Canada altogether.
Ok, so I added an extra one to make up for the “fuck”.
Also, Men at Work – “Who Can It Be Now” ….. good luck gettin’ that fucker out of your head today! (Paybacks a bitch)
HAHAHAHA..you got banned from Canada..dude, that is priceless..the other things are awesome as well. What a kick!
Huffington Post scrubbed my article pretty good, but I noticed they missed two of the ‘shits’ hahaha.
Yeah, the Men At Work thing is gonna stick. Thanks a lot.
You are far from boring. I think to write interesting stuff when you haven’t had a crazy exotic life takes a lot of talent. So there, I put a positive spin on a “boring” life. My only super cool thing (that I didn’t include on my random 5 list) was I danced next to Mick Jagger at a club. Not with him, but next to him. So it’s only a little cool.
I dunno..I think that is pretty fucking cool..and in a sense, you kind of danced with him.
And thank you! I appreciate that.
Oh I SO want to make you proud here ( and thank you for not tagging on facebook – I like your comments section – way more personal and private-ish)
1. I won a Pee Wee Herman dance-alike contest in a bar in college – I won a giant neon beer sign
2. For years I had “Ice Carving” listed on my resume
3. I have a tambourine that Prince gave me at one of his concerts that I was probably supposed to give back but didn’t so yeah – I stole Prince’s tambourine
4. I once wore clear plastic stripper heels and a velvet and rhinestone bikini on stage in front of strangers in a fitness competition. I came in last because after the first round of judging I said “fuck this noise”, left, and went to Fuddruckers with my husband and kids and consumed about 5000 calories
5. I once got into a shoving match with Marvelous Marvin Haglar (the boxer) and I won – it was at that same Prince concert. Nobody keeps baby in the corner – not even professional heavyweight boxers.
Congrats on the H.P. story – I love that particular post and glad to see it is getting a wider audience!
OMG..I LOVE this list..YOU are a bad ass! Marvin Hagler better watch his ass. You should be a body guard…
And thank you. 🙂
It is so awesome you are on The Huffington Post! I KNOW A FAMOUS WRITER (through blogging and twitter)!!!!!!
Hahaha..not hardly…but thank you. 🙂
Don’t forget us little people now that you’re HuffPo famous! (Well done, by the way!)
This is as exotic as I get:
I once had a summer job sanding airplanes to prep them for repainting. I had to wear goggles, a breathing mask and paper coveralls. I looked like an alien, and at the end of the day I could never quite get all the paint dust out of my hair, but I got to stand on the wings of a bunch of airplanes feeling like the king of the world, so it was still kinda awesome.
I’m a total geek and composer fangirl. I met Jack Wall at Video Games Live when I was dressed in cosplay as Midna from Zelda: Twilight Princess and he was nice enough to take a picture with me and I had this moment where I was like, “OMG I’m meeting one of my music heroes and I look like a FREAK.”
I saw Carol Burnett across a room once and she smiled at me and it totally made my day. I told my friends and they were like “Who’s Carol Burnett?” and then I had to go and cry because I felt old.
Oh, and I won a bottle of champagne on a cruise ship for standing in as a ventriloquist’s dummy.
I LOVE this list…and thank you on the HuffPo thing..but honestly, the article is pretty buried..I get a lot more traffic here..still, it was exciting for me!
I would love a job where I could do something physical instead of sitting at a desk..
Agreed. Once Nutty Hubby is done with school and finds work, I’m tempted to go back to school myself and learn a trade so I can have a job where I actually feel like I’m doing something constructive again.
1. I was once held at gunpoint in a deserted campground by a mad man.
2. I was once held at gunpoint at a deserted campground in the middle of the night by police, who had mistaken my husband for a wanted felon (that was scarier than the mad man; the young cops were obviously terrified that they had this violent felon cornered and I was afraid they’d shoot out of nervousness)
3. I shared an elevator with Captain Bob of Abney Park and DID make an idiot of myself.
4. I worked for Dan Fouts for a day many, many years ago, painting his kitchen. I can say that I have heard him belch loudly.
5. I’m so boring I don’t have a fifth exotic thing.
Holy shit! You don’t get to say you are boring after those first 4. That’s some crazy shit…
I have never had a brush with fame.
I have never been (but I aspire to be) in the Huff Post – Congrats!
My only claim to fame is that I once had a hijacker as a personal friend. I say once had, because after he went to prison the friendship fizzled.
Exotic enough?
THat’s pretty fucking exotic. And yes, I would think prison would be difficult on a friendship.
I’ve moved between 66 & 75 times (it’s hard to keep track), I’ve been a teacher, an actor, a semi-pro football player, an apprentice blacksmith, I was in the army and I once tripped Murphy Brown with a puppy.
HAHAHAH…that’s hilarious. Poor puppy.
I loved that show, btw..totally loved Murphy Brown. I was sad when Eldon died.. 🙁
I am beyond envious of you right now, and also VERY happy for you. Also, there is nothing exotic in my past. Or present. Or, as far as I know, future. I’m a waste of space. (That’s just the existential angst about not being published on HuffPo talking.)
I’m calling bullshit…you are awesome. I love to read what you write and I refuse to believe you are anything but spectacular.
I *love* how chill you were about the Huffington Post piece. Congratulations!
Honestly, it’s kind of buried and it’s not getting a lot of traffic. I’m more excited when people talk to me here..plus I’m comfortable HERE..this is my space..
That is NOT to say that I am not excited or appreciative of it..It’s really awesome!
And a great article it was.
I ran into Ric Ocasek, not once in my life but twice. Both times my first thought was, “man that guy is ugly”, rapidly followed by “that’s Ric Ocasek!” One of the times I ended up on a six-seater plane with him and Paulina flying from one Caribbean island to another. Very jet set of me.
Hahahha..yeah, he is not attractive..but damn, I’ve always loved The Cars
Congrats on HuffPo! I read it. You are not rediculis. I don’t really have any brushes with greatness (unless you count meeting the people who had a kid who drowned in Tommy Lee’s pool back in the late 90s). There are some weird things I’ve done that might count as vaguely interesting:
* In college I read the entire Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English.
* I’ve skied a glacier
* I went to elementary school with the granddaughters of JW Marriott
* I was at Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s high school graduation (because she was in HS when I was in the lower school of the same school)
* One of my best friends in high school got stoned with Graham Chapman (OK, that’s not about me, per se, but I think it’s so cool I can’t help including it).
Oh hell yes I would include that. The skiing thing? That gave me the shivers!
And thank you. I also don’t think I’m rediculous…MAYBE a little ridiculous..but NOT rediculous.
Oh my God! You went to my high school! I went to High School with the Marriott girls and Julia Louis Dreyfus SPOKE at my graduation. This is a small freaking world.
This is so hilarious–and true! Ha! Excellent!
I cannot imagine anyone being interested or even identifying with my life or anything I have to say. So when people actually read my blog and comment I am in shock. People I have known forever and some I have only knows a short while will stop me and mention something i wrote, and they loved it. (still shocked). Everyone’s life seems more interesting than mine so I am always shocked! So, for the record, I read, comment and share your blog since it is one of the few I love. 🙂
Congrats on the Huffington!
I get exactly what you mean..I’m always amazed when people read my blog and comment..it feels good though, doesn’t it?
And thank you so much! xo
5 brushes with greatness?
– When I was a wee lad, the neighbor kid three houses down was a fireman, an astronaut, and could do perfect imitations of Mr. Moose from Captain Kangaroo.
– I owned a poster of Farrah Fawcett. You know which one. In a moment of weakness, I donated said poster to a fundraising auction. The poster only earned a couple dollars. Nonetheless, she was unforgettable part of my life. I miss you, Farrah.
– While in England, I had the privilege of standing on the original floor of William Shakespeare’s home. I conjured up and imitated the clip clop sounds of his wooden heels as they would have sounded as he glided across the stone floor. Of course, the tour guide asked me to leave.
– Once I carried the golf bag of hall of fame baseball player George Brett. At least, he said his name was George Brett. He was African American, so he may not have been the real George Brett, but it’s a good story anyway.
– Of course, there’s you.
HAHAHAH…THIS cracked me up.
I’m sorry you’re pining for Farrah. I’ll feather my hair this weekend. And try to lose 60 lbs.
Let’s leave Farrah in the past.
You’re confusing Farrah with the Fjords.
Hair feathers wouldn’t become you.
Unless, you’re wearing a feather helmet and playing tailback for the Washington Norwegian Blues (see what I did there?).
Let’s see, I helped install a stair-runner (carpet) at Linda Ronstadt’s house in San Francisco, though that shouldn’t count as she wasn’t there. I met the guitar player and the drummer (Larry LaLonde and Tim Alexander) for Primus while delivering appliances to their homes. At that same job I delivered a refrigerator to Angela Davis. That’s about it for my contact with people who you may actually have heard of.
When I was 16, however, I beat a quasi-famous professional road racer named Louie Burerro in the Polish Scrambles at the Far West Motorcycle Club’s annual Easter egg hunt on the Samoa peninsula of Humboldt Bay, for which I got a six inch tall trophy of a hand holding an egg.
Congratulations on the HuffPo thing. I don’t usually read them anymore, but I made an exception for your article.
Thank you for making the exception. 🙂
Congrats on HuffPo!
Thank you! I’m still pretty excited about it.
Hmm exotic I’m not sure anything in my life would qualify. Maybe the following comes close?
~Was married at the drive-thru Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on a motorcycle.
~Currently living in Japan
~My BF was an extra in Tin Cup and we went for a drink with a few of the actors from it one night, they were really nice. Mickey Jones and Rex Linn
~UFC Retired Champion Georges St. Pierre is my future baby daddy
Can’t really think of anything else.
Okay…the baby daddy thing pretty much puts you in the elite level of cool random things..
I have some pretty lame claims to fame such as:
*The movie Head of State was filmed in Baltimore so I got to meet Bernie Mack and see Chris Rock from afar. I totally embarrassed myself on both occasions.
*I used to go to the Broadway Fights Aids charity fundraisers where Broadway stars would sign autographs. So I have photos with Carol Kane and was sold flea market stuff by Bebe Neuwirth. Also Christopher McDonald said I have pretty eyes so now I can’t see him as the bad guy in Adam Sandler movies anymore.
*Nickelodeon took over my school in 1994. Melissa Joan Hart was there but she seemed kind of annoyed by the whole thing. To be fair? So was I. It looked way cooler on TV. But our principal got slimed and we didn’t have classes and Tag Team came to sing “NICK THERE IT IS” so … bonus?
*Weird Al once touched my hand and threw water down my shirt.
*I’m not sure because I was eight but I think I got to meet Mary Chapin Carpenter once at a private concert I got to go to because I got straight A’s.
*My uncle is the guy who yells out “Science!” in She Blinded Me With Science
*That last one was a lie. Hah! But I know a girl who likes to tell people that lie at parties and they totally fall for it.
I SPELLED BERNIE MAC WRONG *SOB* MAY HE REST IN PEACE.
I didn’t even notice. I loved Bernie Mac. I ain’t scared of you motherfuckers..
That is the best party lie EVER. I’m totally stealing it. Tell your friend when you see here that I’m copying.
You DO have an exciting life AND you clearly know lots of others who do. Great table topic!
And I’ll check you out on Huff Post. Congrats!!!
Thank you!!!
I don’t think anything in my life is exotic, but I did stalk Bruce Willis outside of the bathroom at a club in Honolulu. My friend was his double in Tears of the Sun. I was first chair clarinet in middle school and high school. I marched at Walt Disney World and Sea World in Orlando with the band….in full wool uniform at 100 degrees and didn’t pass out! I just went on an aircraft carrier for 15 hours (there were 2500 other guests and 3000 personnel so maybe not unique) but it was cool. I ran smallpox and anthrax studies for the military and a H1N1 study for Hopkins. Snore….
I dunno…that all sounds pretty exotic to me.
Exotically nerdy. Lol!
I’ve had some interesting things happen to me thus far in life.
** heckled Travis Tritt off stage while he was singing “Here’s a quarter”. I was 17 and not legal to be in the club after 10 pm, much less drunk off my ass.
**Kissed Garth Brooks full on the mouth after he autographed my hand. He wasn’t yet married to hisv1st wife. Don’t know why he didn’t dump her for me.
** Called Troy Aikman a “douchebag” we he refused a photograph. He is still a douchebag.
**Jake the Snake Roberts let me hold his very big and very, very heavy pet snake. and no, not that one.awww
**Kevin Von Erich gave me a ride in his corvette when I 9 yrs old. We got a speeding ticket.
I was a red neck in my youth. Not anymore, nope, not me, don’t care what they say.
Oh wow! That is an awesome list! I mean, I don’t know country music very well..or wrestling, but I know who all of these people are. Except the last one. Im going to have to google Kevin Von Erich.
First I thought this said, “Tell me something erotic from your past,” and I was like, Huh??? Hmm, EXOTIC, that I can do, maybe. Lets see… I was homeless for several years. I have been to a few Rainbow Family Of Living Light festivals. I once got my foot ran over by an SUV while hitchhiking. And it didn’t hurt at all, weirdly, even though I was just wearing flimsy Converse sneakers. Is that exotic enough? 😉
Well, to me they are, I’ve never experienced any of those things. Although, I think I did get my foot run over as a kid and it didn’t hurt. BUt I might just be borrowing your memory
I’m a little late but back in ’88 or ’89 while on a lunch run to McDonald’s for the salon I worked for I happened to spot James Woods in line behind me with some big, bodyguard type. When he noticed that panicked, starstruck look on my 19-y-o face he rolled his eyes & appeared to mumble something to Bodyguard. They were filming The Hard Way at the time so I kinda get why he didn’t relish the recognition. I didn’t bother asking for an autograph since I was shy & felt like it would bother him. Stupid in retrospect. 😉
Wow. So many interesting stories. Aren’t people just extremely interesting!
1. My first husband was a professional car thief but told me he was never going to do it again. (His pants should have caught fire.)
2. I was once in a bank robbery in BC where I was a teller trainer. The 3 guys with huge guns and scarf masks had escaped from prison in Ontario and didn’t want to go back. (I now own a mug they owned that says “May the Most You Wish For be the Least You Get”.)
3. I hitchhiked for months in the Seattle area in the early 70’s with all kinds of weird people until one guy truly scared me.
4. I asked Arlo Guthrie to shake my hand, and he did.
Hey, getting an article published for the Huffington Post is very impressive, and it was well worth all 33.
Wow…that’s pretty amazing!