Hangin' with George Lopez at ABC's 50th Anniversary
Hollywood, CA -- March, 2003

Eric McCormack - First met him at the L.A. opening of Mamma Mia! where we chatted during intermission. Talked with him again at the 2001 SAG Awards, and again after a taping of Will & Grace in September, 2001.
Christopher McDonald - At work in Malibu, August, 2002. He rode his motorcycle over to my boss' house.
John C. McGinley - Television festival for Scrubs at the Directors Guild, March 8, 2002. The cast signed autographs for fans. He was very polite. We talked about using the restroom. Yeah.
Ted McGinley - At an industry party in L.A., July, 2002. Very cool, funny guy. We discussed Minnesota and Vermont, among other things.
Ed McMahon - The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, July, 2001. Bumped into him while walking around the food court area. Stopped to chat and we took a photo together. Happy guy.
Ming-Na - At the 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the bleachers and she came over to talk to us and sign autographs.
 "Mini Me" (Verne Troyer) (from Austin Powers 2) - At an autograph signing in connection with the Austin Powers release. Har Mar Mall in Minneapolis, several years ago. Tiny guy with a lot of spunk and personality. He was fun to talk to.
Mike Myers - When he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002, he signed some autographs for the fans after the ceremony had finished. He signed my Austin Powers DVD cover. Friendly guy.
Megan Mullally - At the 2001 SAG Awards when we were in the bleachers. She signed autographs and talked to us about when she was in "Grease." Such a doll! Met her again when she performed and signed her CDs at Virgin Megastore on Sept. 20, 2002.
Kevin Nealon - At a reception after the Stars On Ice show at Staples Center in L.A., January, 2001. He is so tall. It was fun to chat with him.
Todd Newton (E! TV) - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the red carpet bleachers and we chatted with him after all the stars had gone inside.
John Norris from MTV - In Milwaukee, WI, before a New Kids On the Block concert. Bumped into him at our hotel.
Pat O'Brien (Access Hollywood) - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the red carpet bleachers and we chatted with him after all the stars had gone inside.
Donny Osmond - Saw him several times in Minneapolis and Chicago, in the mid 90s, when he starred in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He was unbelievably amazing. My friends and I would hang out by the stage door many nights so we could talk to him. Hey, he was a childhood idol of mine! We attended a big cast party in Minneapolis and had fun with Donny. We made him wear a sticker that said, "Hello, my name is Forrest Gump." He found me to be amusing.
Bill Paxton - The premiere of Frailty, April, 2002. He came out to sign autographs after the movie had already started. It was just a small group of us. He came over to sign and mentioned that he was missing his movie. 
Chris Parnell (SNL) - When I visited my friend Heather in NYC in October of 2002, we hung outside of the NBC studios and saw most of the cast leaving the show at 1am. When Chris came out, he stopped and chatted with us for a while and we posed for pictures together. 
David Hyde Pierce - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the bleachers. He came over to say hello and chat with us, and signed autographs. We talked about St. Paul, MN, and how we used to perform at the Guthrie Theatre.
Teri Polo (Meet the Parents) - At the L.A. premiere of The Sum of All Fears on May 29, 2002. We were standing at the red carpet and she came over to talk to us. We talked about her baby who is due in August, and we took photos together. Lovely, funny, charming lady.
Tara Reid - At The Palms hotel in Las Vegas, Nov. 2002. She was with JC of *NSYNC and we had our photo taken with them. A lot nicer than I would have expected.
John C. Reilly - After a broadway show in NYC, April, 2000. He and Philip Seymour Hoffman were in the cast of True West. We caught them both after the show at the stage door to get autographs and say hi. John was very personable and excited to see our photo on the digital camera immediately after it was taken. We saw him again outside the NBC studios in NYC in December of 2002, after SNL. We cheered for him and he smiled and waved at us from the street.
Judy Reyes (Scrubs) -  At a television festival for Scrubs at the Directors Guild, March 8, 2002. The cast signed autographs for fans.
Jeff Richards - (SNL) - When I visited my friend Heather in NYC in October of 2002, we hung outside of the NBC studios and saw most of the cast leaving the show at 1am. Jeff came outside and I told him some random guy on the street wanted a hug, so Jeff gave him one. We had a good laugh about that.
Kristin Richardson - At the L.A. premiere of Rock Star in September, 2001. Very perky. Chatted with us for a few minutes.
John Ritter  - At the L.A. premiere of Country Bears. He walked by and shook my hand. He was happy to have fans.
Melissa Rivers (E! TV) - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the red carpet bleachers, and we chatted with her for a while after all the stars had gone inside. She talked to my friend Jaime in Minneapolis on my cell phone.
Jay Roach (film director) - When Mike Myers received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002, he showed up and signed some autographs for the fans after the ceremony had finished. He signed my Austin Powers DVD cover.
Doris Roberts - I sat with the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond at their table at one point during at the 2002 SAG Awards. Doris sat next to me. 
Julia Roberts - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the red carpet bleachers. We caught Julia's attention and I told her that Janine had come all the way from Minnesota. She smiled and waved at us, and eventually came over to our section to shake some hands.
Antonio Sabato, Jr. - At the L.A. premiere of The Sum of All Fears on May 29, 2002. We called him over to us near the red carpet, and he came over and shook our hands and said hello. I snapped a picture of him with Megan (a girl I met that night).
Horatio Sans (SNL) - When I visited my friend Heather in NYC in October of 2002, we hung outside of the NBC studios and saw most of the cast leaving the show at 1am. We posed for pictures in the middle of the street with Horatio. He's so bubbly, and his head is twice the size of mine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - I was an extra in the movie Jingle All the Way, and I was fortunate enough to be in two scenes with Arnold (shot over two days). We cracked a few jokes between takes. Nice guy and NOT tall.
Jane Seymour - I went to her home in February, 2003, while running an errand for one of my celebrity bosses. She asked me for my opinion on some of her artwork. (I can't lie, it was beautiful!)
Martin Sheen - The 2002 SAG Awards. My friend Janine and I were seat fillers, and we were inside, standing against the wall waiting for the next commercial break. Martin walked by and smiled at us and asked us how we were doing tonight. Nice.
Sinbad - On the set of the movie Jingle All the Way. My friend Jen and I were extras. He told us to come and sit with him in the toy store between takes. Such a great guy and lots of fun!
Riley Smith - At a Hollywood Knights celebrity basketball game. Talked to him and "interviewed" him during halftime.
Alex Solowitz (2ge+her) - At the same Hollywood Knights basketball game. Talked to him during halftime. Too strange for me.
Kevin Sorbo - At a party that one of my bosses threw in January, 2003. He is so dang tall, and so is his wife.
John Spencer - The 2001 SAG Awards. We were in the bleachers and we caught his attention early on. He came over to say hello and sign autographs for a bunch of people. He was delighted by the West Wing fans.
Ben Stein - Talked to him on several occasions. I first met him at a conference in Atlanta in 1999, when my company was exhibiting. He was a speaker. We hung out for a while and kept in touch via email. He got us into some tapings of his TV shows. 
Mindy Sterling - When Mike Myers received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002, she showed up and signed some autographs for the fans after the ceremony had finished. She signed my Austin Powers DVD cover.
Ryan Stiles - On the set of Whose Line Is It Anyway? where I was working as an audience coordinator. He would occasionally chat with the staff. Nice guy.
Jon Stewart - At a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in April, 2000. Jon came out to field questions from the audience. We bantered back and forth, and after the show we got to sit on the guest couch and take a picture.
Billy Bob Thornton - At the L.A. premiere of Bandits, 2001. He and Angelina Jolie crossed traffic to greet the fans in front of the theatre. They came down the line and signed autographs for lots of people and chatted with everyone.
Michelle Trachtenberg - At a taping of Friends. I was in charge of the VIP list one night and she was on it. She came with two of her friends. I talked with them and made sure I got them to the stage. Very lovely girl.
John Travolta - As he was leaving NBC after appearing on The Tonight Show, February, 2003. I braved the crowd of autograph dealers surrounding his limo, and I was able to get John to sign my Swordfish DVD cover. What a class act. This was incredibly exciting for me, having grown up as a fan of John.
Jon Voight - I met him at three different movie premieres in one week: The Jungle Book 2, Daredevil, and The Life of David Gale. We took a picture together at the David Gale premiere, where I declared him to be my official celebrity stalker. He is a very fan-friendly guy, shaking hands with the fans.
Mark Wahlberg - First saw him over Thanksgiving weekend in November, 2000, on the Sunset Strip. My friends and I drove past him and took a picture of him eating at a sidewalk cafe. Again at the L.A. premiere of Rock Star, September, 2001. Very gracious guy. He signed autographs for almost every fan on his way inside. He came back outside a half an hour later, while the movie was running, and signed more autographs.
Andrew Walker ("Maybe It's Me") - At a couple different Hollywood Knights celebrity basketball games. We took a bunch of silly pictures together. I told him if they lose a game, I would spank him. I still owe him some...
George Wendt - Met him one day at work. Nice guy; looks a lot different in person.
Cindy Williams - At the taping of the Laverne & Shirley reunion special. She and Penny Marshall signed autographs for us after the show. She mentioned to her friend Kelly that my name was Kelly, too. Sweet lady.
Owen Wilson - At the Hollywood premiere of Shanghai Knights at the El Capitan Theatre, February, 2003. He got out of the limo and came over to where the fans were standing. He shook my hand and I snapped a close-up of him. 
Billy Zane - Outside the Shubert Theatre in NYC, after her performed in Chicago. We hung out by the stage door and ended up chatting and taking pictures. We went back the next night and he remembered us and told us he had been thinking about us. Great, great guy.

Hangin' backstage with the Backstreet Boys
Minneapolis, MN -- October, 1999

Mr. Big - First met them at a record store signing. Loved them so much we went to see them in Iowa. Got some interesting home video of Eric the singer, talking about electrolysis.
Natural - Met them at Claire's in the mall, completely by accident. Yes, a jewelry store. They sang and then hung out with the very small group of fans.
NSYNC - First in Minneapolis, summer of 2000. Some friends and I had made a scrapbook and I caught JC at the hotel and gave it to him. Also gave Joey a Superman hat from a friend of mine. Spied them a few times at their hotel in L.A. since then. Shared a Kodak moment with Lance. I scared Chris and he hid behind a tree in the hotel lobby. My friend Steph and I bumped into JC in Vegas in Nov. 2002 (he was there with Tara Reid). 
Vince Neil of Motley Crue - First met him when he was fronting the Vince Neil Band. The members all showed up at a record store signing party for their CD. Vince told me, "I feel like a hundred bucks." Uhh, okay. 
New Kids on the Block - Don't even get me started. I saw these guys over 30 times in concert and almost as many times in person. I knew the wardrobe guy, so I always found out where they were staying. Ran into them several times at hotels. Jon passed us once in St. Paul, on a road that came out from the stadium, and he rolled down his window to say hello to us.
Donny Osmond - Saw him several times in Minneapolis and Chicago, in the mid 90s, when he starred in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He was unbelievably amazing. My friends and I would hang out by the stage door many nights so we could talk to him. Hey, he was a childhood idol of mine! We attended a big cast party in Minneapolis and had fun with Donny. We made him wear a sticker that said, "Hello, my name is Forrest Gump." He found me to be amusing.
Marie Osmond - American Teacher Awards, November 10, 2001. I was her talent escort for the show. Being that she was a childhood idol of mine, this was the ultimate experience. She was very pleasant.
Poison - We used to follow these guys around the midwest. I hung out with Bret on his tour bus. Pretty cool stuff. They were crazy hard party boys. Not my style. Still, Bret was a nice guy.
Skid Row - My friends and I drove all night to see them in Omaha, NE. Bumped into Sebastian Bach (singer) at the hotel and he had the manager give us backstage passes for the show the next night where we met everyone else. Wicked cool dudes. Met most of them again at their hotel in MN.
Slaughter - My friends and I followed these guys all around the Midwest for a couple of years. Got to know them pretty well, and Blas the drummer drove my car. Mark the singer wrote me a note and it said "I love you." Woo! Lots of good times.
Gwen Stefani - At a Beverly Hills hotel. She was having lunch. We were there for *NSYNC. I walked up to say hello as she was waiting for her car, and she was extra nice. 
Sugar Ray - Virgin Megastore on Sunset. CD signing party, May, 2001. I waited almost four hours in line to meet them, and it was very much worth it. Mark McGrath gave me a back massage and I barely had to ask. A fun night.
Tesla - My friends and I followed these guys around quite a bit when they toured with Great White. Kathy and I were roadies for them, and one night we worked with Troy, the drummer, to get fans to sign petitions.
Trixter - These guys were crazy! I saw them many times across the Midwest and they were insanely fun. Mark the drummer would always grab me and hug me tight and scream. Weirdo.
Steve Vai - Met him briefly at a party hosted by one of my celebrity bosses in January, 2003. He had performed onstage and my husband and I complimented him on his guitar work.
Warrant - Met up with them once, I think. It was either in Rochester, MN, or Des Moines, IA. I was taking pictures of them in the parking lot of a club, and one of the guys flashed me some pornographic finger gestures as I snapped photos. Charming.

Oksana Baiul - Backstage after the 1994 Champions Onn Ice show in Anaheim, CA. She made a young fan cry. The little girl brought Oksana a Snickers bar, and Oksana laughed in her face. Ouch.
Gary Beacom - Backstage before and after the 1994 Champions On Ice show in Anaheim, CA. He saluted us while he was dressed in his soldier costume. Fruit. Said hello to us again after the show.
Bechke & Petrov - At a post-show reception following the 1995 Stars On Ice show in Minneapolis, MN. They were lovely. I don't remember much of what we talked about.
Brian Boitano - Backstage before the 1994 Champions On Ice show in Anaheim, CA. My friend and I talked to him and got pictures with him, and he was holding flowers. I joked that he shouldn't have, and he was amused by that. Way too much.
Brasseur & Eisler - Met them a few different times, at post-show receptions for their Champions On Ice tours. I think I scared Lloyd once when I told him to pretend he knew me so that I wouldn't get kicked out from backstage, and he played along with it.
Kurt Browning - The guy is a skating God. He rocks. I've chatted with him several times, and he loves that I tell him that he rocks like a beast. (Actually, it scares him, but who cares.) He is crazy and very generous. Love the dude.
Dick Button - At the 1998 World Championships in Minneapolis, MN. We chatted with him after the competition. 
Philippe Candeloro - First met him in 1994 at the Champions On Ice show, backstage, in Anaheim, CA. My friend dragged him over to me and introduced us. (I had such a huge crush on him back then.)  Bumped into him again a year or two later, at a reception in Minneapolis, MN, and we spoke a bit of French. He was excited that I could speak it. Last talked to him in St. Paul, MN, after the Grand Slam competition in October, 2000.
Steven Cousins - My favorite Brit. I first met him at the 1998 World Championships in Minneapolis, after his practice session. He came over to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Ran into him again outside that same afternoon. Met up with him again in October, 2000 in St. Paul, at the Grand Slam competition. I threw him a cow and he scooped it up off the ice. I then took over one of his fan sites and he invited me backstage to the Stars On Ice show in Los Angeles, in January, 2001. Cool dude.
Scott Davis - Met him a couple of times in Minnesota, at pre-show parties for different Champions On Ice shows. He was fun to chat with, although he is a bit shy.
Todd Eldredge - I've scared the poor guy. I asked him if he spoke pig latin. Then at a party, I told him he rocks like a beast. He said, "I walk like a what?" Poor dear.
Rudy Galindo - Rudy's got a heart of gold, even if he's not very bright. I met him one time at a pre-show reception. He signed a copy of his book and I saved him from getting crushed by a gaggle of overzealous fans.
Ykaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov - I met them in 1994 backstage after the Champions On Ice tour in Anaheim, CA. We got them to stop and then snapped a photo of them both together. We got to talk to them again in 1995 on the Stars On Ice tour, at a post-show party. This was when Sergei was still alive. RIP, Sergei.
Gia Guddat - Jen and I met her after a Champions OOn Ice show in Chicago. She didn't talk much, and I don't remember much, other than the fact that she signed my program.
Scott Hamilton - Little guy, full of energy, great guy. Just ask me. I'll never forget when my best friend Jen was diagnosed with cancer, and he signed a copy of his book and wrote a special message to her. 
Dan Hollander - I had the pleasure of talking to Dan on several occasions. I first met him at a COI reception in Minneapolis. We then kept in touch via email and he hooked us up with passes at a show in Wisconsin. When we made it to Michigan for Skate America one year (1996 I think), he took us to breakfast. Cool little dude.
Kent Hrbek (former Minnesota Twin) - Mom and I met him at a figure skatingg show back in 1994. He was hanging out in the lobby with his family. Mom told him we were fans of his and he said hello to us and thanked us for saying hello.
Caryn Kadavy - Met her after the Grand Slam in Minneapolis in October, 2000. She was lots of fun and very sweet.
Michelle Kwan - I met her at a COI pre-show reception one year and really wasn't all that excited.
Ilia Kulik - After the Stars On Ice show in Los Angeles, January, 2001 at the post-show reception. He was trying to escape his rabid fan club members. We exchanged hellos and posed for a picture together.

Me with my favorite skating diva,
Kurt Browning
Los Angeles, CA -- January, 2001

Tara Lipinski - We met her once at a SOI pre-show reception and I really was not impressed.
Lyons & Wells - Met them during an intermission break at the 1998 World Championships. We joked around with them and then posed for silly pictures in the hallway.
Liz Manley - I met her in Minneapolis in 1997 outside her hotel before the skaters left for the next town. We bonded and hugged and posed for a photo together.
Meno & Sand - I've met them a few different times in different cities. Todd asked me once, "Have we met before." Yes Todd. We have. Cue the Twilight Zone music ... I also ran into Todd when I was in NYC in December, 2003. We wished each other a Merry Christmas.
Brian Orser - We had a chat at a post-show party in Omaha, NE a few years ago, after the Symphony On Ice show. Lots of fun to talk to him. Saw him again several months after that, at the Winter Carnival in MN where he skated on an ice rink the size of a postage stamp. 
Victor Petrenko - My mom loves this guy. Mom and I had front row seats at the COI show in 1994 and Victor skated over to us and hugged us as the crowd went wild. I met him in Anaheim that same summer with my friend Jen who lusted over him. Then around 1998 or 1999, Mom came with me to a pre-show reception in Minneapolis and I asked him to come meet my mom. She was on cloud nine the rest of the day. Sweet dorky guy.
Yvegny Plushenko - We met him after the exhibition of champions at the 1998 Worlds in Minneapolis. We ran into him on the street corner and shared a Kodak moment. He's got a HUGE nose.
Elvis Stojko - Had the pleasure of chatting with him a couple of times. First met him at the IDS Crystal Court in Minneapolis and he asked me where the ATM was. Saw him again at a COI pre-show reception where we chatted and joked around and posed for photos together. His head is twice the size of mine.
Roslynn Sumners - I first met Roz in D.C. at the skaters' hotel in Washington D.C. back in 1996 I think it was. Lovely lady. Most recently, I hung out with  her at a party for another skater in January, 2003. She's a great lady.
Barbara Underhill - My friend Jen and I ran into her in the arena during an intermission break at the 1998 Worlds in Minneapolis. 
Alexei Urmanov - We met him in 1994 backstage at the COI show in Anaheim, CA. He put down his basketball so he could talk to us and sign our programs. Why wouldn't he? We're hot. We saw him again in MN in October, 2000 after the Grand Slam competition, at the skaters' hotel.
Paul Wylie - My most memorable experience meeting Paul was back in 1995 when Jen and I went to the SOI post-show reception at the hotel. Jen was posing for a photo with Kurt Browning and cracked a joke about Kurt stealing her purse and she called Kurt a bitch. Paul was shocked! He stared at us the rest of the evening as though we were aliens.
Alexei Yagudin - We met him backstage after the Stars On Ice show in Los Angeles on January 17, 2003. He's a lovely young man with good English skills and a great sense of humor. Janine says he smelled great. Yes he did.
Kristi Yamaguchi - I met Kristi once at a post-show SOI reception back in 1995. She didn't talk much. When I ran into her again in 1998 in Omaha, NE, we oogled the chocolate desserts together.
Atlanta Braves Baseball Players - I went to Atlanta for a Braves game weekend with two friends from Nebraska one summer. We hung out by the back gates and talked to a bunch of the Braves players through the fence. Good times.