Yesterday Alex called early in the afternoon to ask if Garren and I wanted front row tickets to the Harry Connick Jr. show that night at the Arlington. One of the guests was sick and wasn't going to be able to use his tickets. We decided to take them as it would be a free night out and neither of us had ever sat so close for a concert.
The seats were amazing. Front row right smack dab in the middle. I kept staring at everything with fascination as I have never been able to see that well at any event. It was surreal, but I forgot that they can see you back when you're that close. You're not watching a TV, your looking at people who see you just as well as you see them.
So when Harry Connick Jr came out to do his encore he preceded it with a little conversation with yours truly. I get nervous just thinking about it. And of course at first it took me a moment to realize he was talking to me, even though he was looking right at me, because remember I didn't realize that he could see me. He asked my age and he was off by 10 years. He guessed younger. Yea me...I guess. Having someone think your 17 when you're almost 30 is a compliment but at the same time you wonder how people perceive you on a daily basis. But whatever I'll take the compliment, especially from him.
He went on to say that he had glanced over at me during one of the songs and that I looked bored, like I was wondering who the hell these people were and when the hell I could leave. (I wasn't I swear, but apparently that's what I looked like I was thinking.) But then whoever was playing the solo got to the climax of their song and I smiled a big old huge grin and he said that it made his night. That even if no one else enjoyed themselves he knew that I had in that moment. It was highly embarrassing and flattering and again embarrassing.
While I enjoyed the music and all of the solos, I think I was probably smiling at the fact that everyone on stage was so full of energy, there was dancing and joking around and they were obviously all having a lot of fun. It was hard not to smile at them all.
Garren continues to insist that when Harry Connick Jr took his final bow that he made eyes at me. He didn't, but Garren keeps saying it to embarrass me even more.
After the show, people kept staring at me. Harry had identified me by my bright pink shawl and everyone who saw it kept looking at me like is that her.....One woman even said, "You made his night, or he made your night...17!"
So yesterday was kinda fun. While I'd love to sit up that close at another show, I'm going to have to remain stony faced if I ever do just in case....
And tonight should be fun too. Garren and I are going to see Courtney and Brandon and eat at the Cracked Crab in Pismo Beach, where you can order a bucket of fresh seafood and they dumb it on your table. I am highly excited.....I am such a food whore.
ha ha ha!! that's awesome! i mean, horrifying in the embarrassment, sure, but so cool. he wants your sexy 17 year old ass! rock it!
The thing to do when this happens is to show up at his dressing room door wearing nothing but the pink shawl. (But this technique should be used sparingly. If the waiter at Cracked Crab admires you, do not show up at the kitchen door wearing nothing but seafood.)
I really think that what Kristen's found here is the rare exception to the rule. I mean, the number of cases I can think of where this advice should not be applied is frankly staggering.
Consider:
Hotel patron makes eyes at you while checking in, you show up at his room wearing nothing but the reception desk memo pad. Absolutely not.
Construction guy on his lunch break whistles at you when you walk down the sidewalk, you show up at the jobsite wearing nothing but 2x4s. Probably not.
Drunk dude hits on you in bar, you show up in his cab wearing nothing but pints. Again, I'm voting no.
On the other hand, drunk dude hits on you in bar, you show up waiting for him outside wearing nothing but a mean right hook, could sometimes be a good idea.