Five Things About Me: Celebrity Style!

My dear pal, Vee, over at "A Haven for Vee" tagged me to write a list of 5 things about me. Since I just wrote 10 things about me a few posts back, I initially was at a loss for anything interesting to write. But, as Vee pointed out, I owe her. You see, I won Vee's 100th Post Contest - which garnered me a year-long subscription to Country Living magazine! Which totally made my day, my week, heck, my month! It just might top my list of best things that happened this year! Thanks Vee. I needed that!

So, on that note, allow me to share 5 incredibly delicious tidbits about my adventurous rock and roll, city slickin' past, including my student *modeling* days (see photo!), which I included as proof that I wasn't always uncool.

All these 5 are CELEBRITY related! Really, who knew?

1. I sat within 10 ft of Rudy Guliani in New York City in 2000. It was only my second visit to New York City, where I was visiting a friend who worked for Evian (in Stamford, Conn). We decided to go for dinner in Soho. On a hot summer's eve, we went into a very busy, very regular-looking Italian restaurant. After waiting a few minutes, we were quickly escorted to a nice table on the back patio. We sat down at our little table and looked around. To our utter amazement, we suddenly noticed that seated next to us was Mayor Guliani, smoking a big cigar!! He was joined by an older lady and two young men and seemed to be having a very happy evening. For the first time in my life, I couldn't concentrate on my pasta (nor could anyone else in the restaurant, even the cool new yorkers). I was thrilled with this brush with fame. Coincidentally, that same trip, I went to the top of the World Trade Center, which I was blessed to visit a year before it fell.

2. The first time I was in NYC was in 1991 with a friend *Jack* (name changed to protect his identity), a wealthy young fellow who was in a very cool Montreal garage band (I was their photographer). Jack, who now writes for Italian men's Vogue, was very well-connected because his Dad was then CEO of a large Italian company. Jack knew several people in the music industry who got us in for free to several gigs. We saw The Black Crows and several other bands I've long since forgotten. We also saw The Ramones. The highlight was when we went backstage at the Ramones gig and I briefly met Joey Ramone. I didn't know what to say. I was a Canadian girl in a parka, after all. I was in shock. I think we smoked a cigarette and stood there looking cool and listened to him make jokes and then we left. I was very sad when Joey Ramone died many years later. That was my brush with real gritty fame. That same trip, we stayed at the Chelsea Hotel, where Sid Vicious had died many years ago, making it even more famous. I did not sleep in his infamous room, luckily.

3. Back when I lived in Toronto, I was seriously into independent film and I used to go to the Toronto Film Festival every year. I'd get tickets to several films, take days off work to watch movies, and go to all the film parties. Film parties are THE BEST. Tons of smart, interesting, very well-dressed people (and that doesn't include the actors who are usually just pretty faces). I attended the world premiere of a film called "A Map of the World", starring Sigourney Weaver. The really cool part was that Sigourney sat about 4 rows directly ahead of me, watching her film for the first time!!! It was incredible to sit there watching the movie with her sitting in front of me. It was surreal. That same festival I saw Marisa Tomei, Gena Rowlands, and Ed Harris in person, and chatted with Atom Egoyan, the awesome Canadian filmmaker.

4. When I was in Grade 9, Prince Edward (yes, from the royal family) came to my hometown of Fredericton and hosted an event in the park. I managed to wrestle my way to a front-row spot, from which I took several hundred photos of him on my Kodak Discman camera. After the event, he got up and came 'round to shake hands and came right over to me! I was awe-struck! He was so handsome. I was so impressionable. I was smitten. The next day, the newspaper arrived on our doorstep and my Mom came rushing into the room...in the paper was a photo of me and Prince Edward! I was ecstatic. It was proof that I was special. However, looking back I realize that the crimped hair and black horn-rimmed glasses weren't the best look for me. I can see now why he didn't whisk me back to Balmoral or Buckingham Palace or wherever he lives. Hey, it was 1985.

5. William Shatner (Captain Kirk) used to work out at my gym in Toronto (Bally's). He looked really pudgy, always wore a grey sweatsuit, and always had a body guard with him. Jean-Claude van Damme worked out there also. He even touched me once as he said "excuse me" and passed by to use a machine. I'm not kidding. Van Damme weighed about 140lbs, was shorter than me, and had about 1% body fat max. I have never seen a more lean person than him. Henry Rollins (of Black Flag fame) also worked out there when he was in Toronto doing his spoken word poetry. And the actress Parker Posey worked out there regularly for a while. She must have been filming something in Toronto. I just remember her being excruciatingly thin. I talked to her once after seeing her on tv. She was very sweet and seemed happy to be recognized. My friend Cam, who you might know as Cameron Mathison (Ryan from All My Children and recently Dancing with The Stars!) also worked out there. Cam and I did engineering together at McGill. And no, I can't give you his phone number.

Wow, that's way more than 5 things!! And doesn't it prove how cool I am, er, how cool I was? Who knew that little old me was once a very hip young thing. I have many more stories where that came from...but I will leave them in the dusty cobwebs of my mind, where they belong!

Thanks Vee, for inspiring this little walk down memory lane. And for reminding me how mediocre I have become. hehe. Just kidding. I would not trade my life here with David for all the tea in China. A new job, now that's another story....