Brushes With Fame

Kate at One More Thing… told us some of her favorite celebrity stories, and asked readers to comment. This post started as a comment, but I had verbal diarrhea and it got too long. A blog post is born!

I’ve had many run-ins with the famous and the wish-they-were-more so. All of them are memorable, except the ones I’ve forgotten.

The band at my 8th grade St. Valentine’s Day Dance was a terrific band named Atlantic City Expressway. I was on the Dance Committee, so was involved in set-up and break-down. Now we were quite rockin’ in the Jersey burbs, and would dance the night away at our dances. At that dance, though, there was little dancing because the band was soooo good. In addition to the normal drums, bass and electric guitar they had a horn section! And did I mention that the lead singer was hot? Hot! Afterwards my pubescent friends and I took some of the paper cupids we’d used to decorate the gym and got his autograph. I also got a very Monica Bradyesque kiss on the cheek. A few years later that lead singer, Jon Bon Jovi, became a Really Big Deal with a different band. A note to Wikipedia: I see you removed my contribution about Jon being in Atlantic City Expressway and playing at least one local school dance but you kept the edit about him having a very large penis. Couldn’t they both be true?

I hit the jackpot when I was doing promotions for a large fair, including but not limited to:

• I had to keep hiding newly-opened beer bottles from a very drunk Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits fame)
• Took a fun-filled golf-cart ride with a smokin’ hot John Stamos and a huge bodyguard named Tiny and later turned down an offer to hang out at his hotel (no hanky or panky being offered, just a really nice guy)
• Watched security remove a belligerent John Waite from the premises
• Was told off by Randy Travis’ wife/manager for no good reason, though he was perfectly wonderful
• Michael Damien. Enough said.

When I was eleven I spent our country’s Bicentennial 4th of July weekend in a hotel room in Toledo, Ohio. My siblings and I spent one of the Most Special Days in History in our hotel room while my father and stepmother went out on the town. In those days it wasn’t an arrestable offense to leave your children alone (and our ages ranged from 10-14), but at the time I thought they should have been arrested for robbing their children of the experience of celebrating the Bicentennial. Therapy has only slightly lessened the pain.

Still, there were two celebrity bright spots that weekend. We played pinball in the game room of the hotel with Mark Spitz and members of the US Olympic Swim Team. We also discovered that Peter Cole of Mod Squad fame was staying there. I had a mad, mod crush on him, so my sister and I snuck up to his floor and listened at his door. And we heard…nothing. We did not come away empty-handed: we reached under his door and pulled out a few carpet fibers and ran back to our room with our treasure. What can I tell you? I was eleven.

My father and stepmother were personal friends of the late, great Joe Williams. In addition to being one of the greatest Jazz singers ever, some of you may remember him as Bill Cosby’s father-in-law on The Cosby Show. One of my favorite celebrity moments was at my sister’s wedding, when he joined the band to sing my sister and new brother-in-law a special song. A terrific, warm man. May he rest in peace.

My most embarrassing brush with fame occurred in a local bar/dance club in the early 1990’s. Ed Begley, Jr. was there, and we wound up chatting with him for a few minutes. I knew who he was, sort of. I’d not watched St. Elsewhere, but I knew he was in it. I told him I loved him in the movie Something Wild . He looked at me like the moron I am and said, “Uh, that wasn’t me, that was Jeff Daniels.”

Whoops.

What about you?

10 Free or Almost-Free Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

I’m weird. But many of you already knew that.

I don’t want Husband or Son to spend loads of money on me for Mother’s Day. I don’t want a $5 greeting card or a $15 bunch of flowers or a diamond tiara.

Here are some ideas that are not only frugal, but from the heart. Any Mom would be thrilled to get these:

1. A homemade card. Husband is a graphic designer and I’m always much more pleased when he makes cards for me instead of purchasing one from a store. Besides the frugality factor (I shudder at the thought of a $5 greeting card!) it means he took the time and effort to think of what he’d like to say and say it in a way onLY he can. Of course anything that Son makes for me makes my heart smile, even if it has toilets or trains on it!

2. A single flower. You don’t need to pay the inflates prices at the local convenience store or side-of-the-road stand. Choose one from your yard or neighborhood (but please get permission when needed!) Moms like flowers, but it doesn’t matter if it’s a rose or a pretty weed or a dandelion. When Son or Husband sees it, thinks of me, picks it and brings it to me I am the happiest girl alive.

3. A picnic. Husbands and children can easily make some sandwiches and take other treats already available in the kitchen and take their favorite Mom to the park or the beach or the mountaintop clearing to spend time laughing and playing and relaxing together. Ahhhhh.

4. A coupon book. Put together your own book with coupons for services you will render in exchange. Doing laundry, making dinner, cleaning out the garage, backrubs, hugs and kisses - the possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

5. A photo slide show. Take some of the pictures of Mom’s kids from birth to today and make a slide show set to her favorite music.

6. A video/DVD watching night. Pop some popcorn and grab a box of tissues, then sit Mom down and play her wedding video/DVD and any other video from kids’ birthday parties and bar mitzvahs and confirmations and graduations. And stay with her while she watches them. Mom will love it!

7. Make breakfast. Breakfast in bed is nice for some, but is not something that particularly interests me ( I just don’t like crumbs in my bed). No need to go that far unless the Mom in your life would swoon to be served without setting foot on the floor. But I’d be tickled to wake up to the smell of pancakes or bacon or any other yummy breakfast and go downstairs to enjoy a meal with my family that I didn’t cook. Luxury does not have to be a diamond tiara!

8. Put on a show. Have each person write a song, a skit or a poem about Mom. You’re sure to get laughter and tears and great memories made for all. Don’t forget to videotape it!

9. Plant something. Go to the local nursery or discount store or ask a neighbor to donate a cutting from a favorite plant. A window herb garden is also inexpensive and easy to start. You can get seeds and pots for under $5. Moms are nurturers. We love to watch things grow.

10. Make a donation in her honor. Choose her favorite cause or charity and pledge to donate your time to volunteer, or make a financial donation in her honor. What better way to show her how much of a difference she’s made in your life than to make a difference in someone else’s?

These ten things will cost you little or nothing, but will make your Mom feel special. You don’t have to do these just on Mother’s Day, you can do them all year long…

Give your Mom a hug from me. Moms rock!

Deal of the Day May 9, 2008

This is one I’ll definitely be using!

Stride Rite is having their first ever Friends and Family event.  Use this coupon to get 20% off any regular priced item or 10% off any sale item.  Only good in-store, expires May 11, 2008.

Son needs a new pair of shoes!

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How I Saved $10 in Gas

Husband has a pinched nerve, or something, in his neck-shoulder-arm region. While he’s no longer in agony it is still painful, and at this point he’s sick and tired of being in pain. Really, who could blame him?

I made an appointment for him with his orthopedist for tomorrow morning. Tonight as we cleared the dinner dishes I asked him if he wanted me to go with him.

He considered for a moment and asked if he was going to have to complete paperwork, and before I even answered him he said he’d like me to come.

I thought about it, and I’d need to change my plans for tomorrow. Not a huge problem, and I could do it, so I agreed.

After a moment I said, “Honey, do you really want me to come be with you? If you do then of course I will. But if you just want me to come to fill out your paperwork for you, well, then I’d rather not waste the gas.”

As I’m speaking a huge cheshire cat grin spreads across his face.

“Yeah,” he said. “Okay. You don’t have to come.”

Then he asked, “How did you know?”

“You’re not new,” I replied.

Deal of the Day May 8, 2008

I haven’t shopped in this store in years, but I’m sure others do.

Express and Express Men offer this coupon for 15% off your purchase through May 20, 2008.

Dress well!

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Workout’s Deenie and Gregg - a Lack of Respect

Workout is not a show I usually watch. I did catch part of the show last night, though, and it royally pissed me off.

I have seen it a few times, but usually it’s only on in the background after I’ve moved onto another activity while not bothering to turn the television off.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s a reality show set in a gym owned by a woman named Jackie. The show depicts gym life and Jackie’s personal life. As part of the show they run a special, intense boot camp program called Skylab for very out-of-shape people to get into shape.

The portion that caught my eye involved Gregg, one of the trainers, and Deenie, one of the trainees. Deenie went into the assistant manager’s office to voice her concerns about her relationship with Gregg. He was late for their training session that day, and he’d been consistently late. She had a hard time scheduling sessions due to his intense schedule, and he also was not returning her calls in a timely manner.

Deenie is a morbidly obese girl who wants to be able to walk into the Gap and buy a pair of jeans. She wanted a relationship with her trainer that’s warm and supportive, motivating her and making her feel that she’s part of a team - just the way Jackie, the owner, described the program.

As they’re talking Gregg arrives and Deenie and the assistant manager confront him. Deenie’s trying to diplomatically tell him what she wants and Gregg is not open at all. Not even a little bit. He tries to make it all about her lack of commitment. She may or may not have a lack of commitment, but what Deenie is trying to address is his lack of respect. She’s paying him. Be on time.  And she wants a relationship with her trainer like the one Jackie described.

Gregg gets very defensive and starts bellowing about her speaking disrespectfully to him (she commented that the dismissive comment he made was “bullshit”), and at this point my blood pressure is boiling.

He’s dismissive, he keeps cutting her off, even says that Jackie doesn’t know what she’s talking about. And Deenie gets upset because she’s not being understood. At one point she comments that she wants more from him than the three hours per week in the gym and he replies that she can call him any time. She says, “You. Don’t. Call. Me. Back.” He doesn’t address this at all. He says, “Just, first of all, it needs to be understood that, I mean that, as far as this situation goes I am the expert.”

WHAT?

Then the assistant manager tells Gregg, in a misguided attempt to calm things down, that all Deenie wants is some love and attention, and Deenie and I both look at the assistant manager like she’s NUTS. He’s not her Daddy (though part of me wondered if she wasn’t reliving a past conversation in THAT relationship). He’s her trainer!  It’s not about love and affection, it’s about R-E-S-P-E-C-T (bow down to Aretha).

That’s NOT it, people. She’s not feeling like her trainer is responsible, and she’s not feeling like they’re a team.

True, she wasn’t effectively communicating her point. Also true, he was not open to listening AT ALL. He’s the expert and she has to trust him. She can’t work out due to injury (which he was derisive about), she tries to reply that there must be other suggestions he can make/things she can do to move things along but she can’t even get it out of her mouth before he gives a dismissive and final “No.”

No? There’s nothing? Nothing?

“There’s got to be a certain respect that comes with us talking or us training together,” Gregg says in an interview later. Exactly, Gregg. Why don’t you start doing that?!!!!!

UGH.

Later Gregg talks to Jackie, the owner, and totally skews it so that Deenie looks like a lunatic. Jackie totally backs Gregg, but tells him to work it out because he’ll feel good if he does, and if it doesn’t work out at least he’ll know he tried.

In the end Gregg calls Deenie and says, “Let’s let bygones be bygones,” and she agrees. And then he admits he doesn’t like her.

I would so not work out with him again. He would be so fired. I think Deenie is setting herself up to fail by staying with a trainer who has no respect for her. It shouldn’t be about him, but at the same time part of the motivation to keep working is knowing you have someone who will walk with you, sweat with you and kick your butt if need be.

Jackie should give this girl a refund. I don’t even need to see another show to know that this girl, who probably should never have been accepted to such an intense program to begin with (for medical reasons), will likely not succeed.

I know that there are good trainers out there who are not only educated in exercise physiology but also in how to keep individuals motivate. Having been a member of several gyms, though, I’ve run across attitudes like Gregg’s before. Why is it that so many trainers have contempt for the people that pay them? Of course many of the students lack consistent commitment. Of course they’re going to get discouraged and want to quit.

If they knew how to keep themselves motivated and knew what exercises to do and how to do them correctly they wouldn’t need to hire a trainer.

If all you want to do is train hardbodies to be harder than only have them as clients. Leave the really challenged people alone. But if you want to really make a difference in someone’s life let go of your contempt and your judgments and ride the wave of emotions to help create a healthier life with a fat chick.

Deal of the Day May 7, 2008

Hmmm. I hope this trend will grow…

Nine Inch Nails is offering a free download of their new album, The Slip, in its entirety. After submitting your email address, you’ll receive a link that will take you to the download. It’s available in multiple DRM-free formats, including MP3, FLAC, 24/96 WAVE, and more. Also included is a PDF with the album artwork. Offer ending unknown.

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Old Navy and the Tragedy of the Turn-Cuff Socks

Dear Old Navy:

My three-year-old son has wide feet. As a result many of the socks on the market don’t fit him correctly. When he was about three months old I discovered the joy that is the Old Navy Turn-Cuff socks and have been buying them ever since. There have always been a variety of colors so that I could match every outfit. I’ve been thrilled.

I tried Target’s store brand, and even Gymboree’s and they just don’t hold a candle. Target’s don’t wear as well, and Gymboree’s are too stiff and tight - and they run small.

The other day I went into my local Old Navy to stock up and was saddened to see that you are no longer selling the socks individually in the stores. You still offer a multi-pack in white, but only four colors in your boy’s multi-pack - navy, gray, beige and white. Not only that, the store I went to only had sizes up to 12 months and the manager could not tell even me if or when they’d get more in (another issue that irks me to no end).

Navy, gray, beige and white? That’s it ? These are kids. Babies. Toddlers. Preschoolers. Why can’t they have green, or red, or light blue socks? Why must they be in boring shades of neutral?

You do offer more colors for girls. The girl’s pack has two shades of pink, purple and white and the rainbow pack includes purple, pink, yellow and red. But once again boys’ fashion gets shafted.

Old Navy is supposed to be the hip, now, up-to-the-minute frugal fashion store. Navy, gray, beige and white?

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.

Navy, gray, beige and white.

Sigh.

Deal of the Day May 6, 2008

Man, I really wish I was a nurse.  This week, at least…

If you are a nurse, or if you know any nurses, be sure to tell them about Cinnabon’s Free Bun Offer for Nurses. Nurses just need show their healthcare ID and they get to enjoy a yummy, gooey Cinnabon Classic roll for free t participating Cinnabon locations.  It’s in honor of National Nurses Week, May 5-11.  Offer expires May 11, 2008. You need to show your card in order to get this freebie. Pass it along!

Check back tomorrow for another great deal!

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Monday Linklet - I’m Feeling the Love!

The Festival of Frugality was hosted over at Sound Money Matters this week. I’m honored that they chose my post Bigger Packages Are Not Always A Better Value as an Editor’s pick. Thanks!

Other clickworthy articles:

• Buxr wrote Understanding “refurbished” — practical shopping tips. I’ve always been wary of buying refurbished items, but these tips make me think I may can get a good, safe buy.
• Funny About Money’s article My Most Cost-Effective Renovation Projects shares her great reasons for the choices she made.

Lazyman and Money hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance this week and read all 114 entries. I can forgive him not putting my actual blog name or the actual title of the post, as he did include Why I Don’t Let My Mortgage Company Pay My Insurance and Taxes.

I admit I didn’t read all of the included articles, but these two caught my eye:

• I loved, loved, loved How to benefit even more from your Flexible Savings Account. Melissa at Finessing My Financials thought of something I didn’t. I’m not sure I can do it since my FSA is automatic debit, but I’m going to find out!
• Chica at One Snarky Chica with Issues lives up to her blog title and writes an almost painful to read article called Watching Others Be Financially Retarded. We all know people we’d like to shake, don’t we?

The Carnival of Money Stories included my post Husband Had a Date With Another Woman, And I’m Worried.

The stories this week were great!

• I nodded along with Becky at Family and Finances when I read her article How NOT to Handle an Inheritance. She wants to shake people, too.

• Happy Rock wrote Breakdown - Is Triple A(AAA) Worth The Money?, and for me the answer is a resounding yes! First, my Dad still pays for this and I’m not even embarrassed. Family plans are cheaper, and he likes knowing we’re safe. Who am I to argue? Second, I’d buy it anyway because of the other discounts I get (did you know about the 10% off at Payless Shoes?). Most importantly, if I break down on the side of the road I like the peace of mind of not having to figure out whom to call.

The Carnival of Family Life was hosted at Diary of 1 this week, and included my post Love Uncluttered.

• I was chastened reading Debbie at Destroy Debt’s article Paying Attention to the “Fill Line” Will Save You Money. I do not pay attention to the fill line. I don’t even use the cap - I just depress the pump until I think I’ve poured enough. How embarrassing.
• I got a laugh out of Tipper’s article Lightning Strikes & Granny at Blind Pig and the Acorn.

There were lots and lots of non-carnival mentions this week, which are super-flattering:

• Thanks to Emily at Remodeling This Life for including my post Free Yourself in her Weekend Roundup - The Happiness Edition.
• More special thanks to PaidTwice for including Am I Getting Smaller or is the Furniture Getting Bigger? in her Carnival Fun From Around the Web.
• Even more to Mrs. Micah for including How I Use My Bank Accounts to Manage My Bills and Save, Save, Save in her 6 Word Autobiography Roundup.
• Many thanks to Funny About Money who mentioned Why I Don’t Let My Mortgage Company Pay My Insurance and Taxes in her Moments of Fame roundup.
• My Daily Round, a blog I’d not visited before, mentioned I am a Stay at Home Mom. Here’s How I Finagled My Finances to Make it Happen in her post Living A Decent Lifestyle.
• Frugal Babe, another new-to-me blog, also mentioned that same article in her post Carnivals and Festivals.
• Alison at This Wasn’t In The Plan included Wish I Had Some Pretend Money in her Link Love post. Thanks, Alison!
• Another great Personal Finance blog, Can I Get Rich on a Salary, mentioned My Husband Had a Date With Another Woman in their Blogorama—Weekly Carnival Round-Up.
• A post I wrote that didn’t get nearly much attention as I thought it would, Is Your Decision Not to Vaccinate Your Child More Important Than the Population’s Health at Large?, was mentioned at Wife, Mommy, Writer, Etc. in her post Dodging the Shots. I’m glad you liked it!
• I was inspired to write Why Life Insurance for Kids Isn’t Always a Bad Idea as a counterpoint to a post Mom wrote at Wide Open Wallet. She was kind enough to link back to it. Thanks, Mom!

Whew! That’s a lot of link love! Thanks so much!