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genxlib

(5,937 posts)

66. I do Search and Rescue with Fema

Thu May 1, 2025, 10:26 PM

May 1

It is not uncommon to have celebrities drop in on the major deployments.

At 9-11, I was on a lunch break when a group came by. I was sitting at a table when Olivia newton John sat down next to me and started to chat. The whole table full of fire fighter types was playing it cool. I lasted about a minute before I broke down and started fan boying about how I loved her in Grease. ( as a boy of a certain age I had a huge crush). That broke the ice and the whole table joined in.

A couple of days later I was coming out of a debrief after a long 12 hour shift. The base was really crowded and I didn’t understand why. But I wormed my way through before coming face to face with Al Franken. I spent several minutes talking with about how much I loved his books. After I let him go, I turned around to realize that there was a whole group of celebrities including Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Chevy Chase, Sam Watterston and others. I had found Franken on the perimeter sort of sad and alone who was clearly intimidated and felt out of his league. This was pre-Senator so he really was not super well known.

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jmbar2 milestogo

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Tell us about your brush (or brushes) with greatness. [View all] milestogo May 1 OP

My brushes with greatness PikaBlue May 1 #1

I once passed within arm's length of Jackie O EYESORE 9001 May 1 #2

In 1972 UpInArms May 1 #3

Now THATS pretty cool...nt mitch96 May 1 #17

Late one night in Berkeley years ago I drove into IHOP's parking lot and baseball great Reggie Jackson... brush May 1 #4

Once bumped (literally) into EverHopeful May 1 #5

I once played poker with Roger Ebert at his house in Michigan. greatauntoftriplets May 1 #6

He used to teach a class in Chicago on how to watch a movie. milestogo May 1 #9

He was a very generous man. greatauntoftriplets May 1 #10

Shook hands with Wilt Chamberlain multigraincracker May 1 #7

Every Iowa Caucus Season I met the Best of the Democratic Party and campaign staff. IA8IT May 1 #8

I have lots and lots of caucus stories, including a fond memory of Elizabeth Edwards rurallib May 1 #45

Great! I'll be watching IA8IT May 1 #68

I saw Charles de Gaulle when I was 12 at Expo 67 in Montreal. catbyte May 1 #11

Loved Frank Zappa.. very outspoken even with his peaches en regalia. He left too soon..nt mitch96 May 1 #18

I met Edgar Bergan near our home on the prairie. Ptah May 1 #12

Loving that old steam engine. Those things were a fixture in Western Kentucky tobacco farming yellowdogintexas May 1 #16

Is it acceptable to respond twice? EverHopeful May 1 #13

I've been fortunate to work with great talents PJMcK May 1 #14

"I don't write for felt." 😒 blm May 1 #28

Seconding that last paragraph. Famous people are just human beings, despite fame and talent, and the only one I ever highplainsdem May 1 #32

"Greatness" levels are subjective, since I think these persons are/were great, but they are well known at least. yellowdogintexas May 1 #15

My Aunt was in the off broadway scene way back when. She had Rip Torn (men in black)over for dinner one night. mitch96 May 1 #19

Sorry about your unfortunate run in with Gene Shalit. Nittersing May 1 #21

He was probably have a bad day and was in a rush. When we collided I was kinda shocked it was GENE SHALIT mitch96 May 1 #23

Yes, he had a big bushy mustache that was real course... Omnipresent May 1 #36

That mustache was undeniably his trademark!!...nt mitch96 May 1 #40

Met Johnny Depp and Jake Gyllenhaal (not at the same time) Mad_Dem_X May 1 #20

I love both of them. milestogo May 1 #22

I probably would have fainted!😂😂😂 bamagal62 May 2 #75

Nice Tie Bike dude May 1 #24

Probably a good thing you didn't wear your cigar tie! mentalsolstice May 1 #43

met mayor tom bradley of la and lorrene green once also met the original mcgarret of hawaii five o fame AllaN01Bear May 1 #25

Once years ago snowybirdie May 1 #26

I compiled a list some time back utopian May 1 #27

My Todd Rundgen story Clouds Passing May 1 #48

When I worked in downtown Chicago, I saw Jesse Jackson multiple times. greatauntoftriplets May 1 #53

I once kissed MorbidButterflyTat May 1 #29

I used to kiss Mad_Dem_X May 1 #42

I watched a Stormy Daniels movie. Midnight Writer May 1 #30

I ran into Richie Havens at a coffee shop in Vermont. peacefreak2.0 May 1 #31

I sold my Senator a bottle of liquor LogDog75 May 1 #33

I used to work at Washington National Airport, and so PoindexterOglethorpe May 1 #34

My brother met Helen Hayes when he worked on the Barge (Erie) Canal in upstate NY wishstar May 1 #46

Love that story! PoindexterOglethorpe May 1 #50

I took the train/subway (?) from the airport into NYC in the 1970s jmbar2 May 1 #35

They call those bamagal62 May 2 #72

Interesting. jmbar2 May 2 #73

Got a ride from Raymond Berry Bmoboy May 1 #37

I was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Carburation Day in 1994. Xavier Breath May 1 #38

I early 1966 I encountered the reigning American League MVP, Zoilo Versailles, in a barbershop. rsdsharp May 1 #39

I've got tons of people I've met. LudwigPastorius May 1 #41

Ramin Djwadi! Loved his score for "Person of Interest". John Williams! electric_blue68 May 1 #67

Wow! bamagal62 May 2 #76

All just in passing, though. LudwigPastorius May 2 #79

I shook Dick Van Dyke's hand when I was 12. Emile May 1 #44

Some first-hand... can we count second-hand if they're cool? Aimee in OKC May 1 #47

Nice bunch. Molly Ivins! electric_blue68 May 1 #65

Ooooo, I got a bunch... electric_blue68 May 1 #49

My Wife and I shook hands with Maxim Vengarov, famed violin player. Turbineguy May 1 #51

A Few ProfessorGAC May 1 #52

I met and took a picture with John Lewis while shaking his hand in the ATL airport Bristlecone May 1 #54

Yay, 4 John Lewis. Hahahahahaaa, Newwwt! electric_blue68 May 1 #69

Forgot this one. greatauntoftriplets May 1 #55

I took time off work to go to a book signing with Molly Ivans. She was and still is my great inspiration 🌺 Deuxcents May 1 #56

She was a treasure BigMin28 May 1 #61

2 famous and an infamous. CincyDem May 1 #57

I have 3: (1) While in Little League in Austin, TX, I had my photo taken with Willy Mays. surfered May 1 #58

I met Muhammad Ali. His daughter's job was about 3, 4 doors from my bookstore and he LoisB May 1 #59

I lived next door to his home in Chicago. milestogo May 1 #62

Wow. I probably would have attempted to crash it. LoisB May 1 #70

I have a few. bamagal62 May 1 #60

I had lunch with Melvin Calvin WestMichRad May 1 #63

Greatness? Not exactly But I did flip of Trump from 10ft away. NYC 1980. I met Abbey Hoffmann the same year. Runningdawg May 1 #64

I do Search and Rescue with Fema genxlib May 1 #66

Had a few Behind the Aegis May 2 #71

I forgot I had another. bamagal62 May 2 #74

I sat in the 4th row in a tiny theater watching a live performance by Helen Hayes and Jimmy Stewart in Harvey. Biophilic May 2 #77

I was taking the street car to downtown SF and Kamala Harris was standing outside of the station asking for votes kimbutgar May 2 #78

I once walked past Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh in a hotel lobby. subterranean May 2 #80

I lived in LA for several years in the 90s and ran into several celebrities. Basso8vb May 2 #81

Lloyd Bridges, Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges... milestogo May 2 #83

I met Joe Biden in New Hampshire CanonRay May 2 #82

While in the Beverly Hills, Sneederbunk May 2 #84

I had coffee with Barack Obama zanana1 May 2 #85

I'm pretty sure I was with Barack and Michelle on their first date. milestogo May 2 #86

I went to a James Wright Poetry Festival in Martins Ferry Oh Marthe48 May 2 #87