I was SO there.
I took along my mom and one other cast member, and the three of us spent most of the evening out on the back patio of the house, ogling the immense, sprawling back yard and chit-chatting with various other party guests. And having our wine refilled regularly, of course.
After about an hour or so, we were asked to come inside to hear a few words from Barry Chase, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region. Barry is a little firecracker of a man and if it were physically possible, I would have been holding him hostage in my front pocket ever since he spoke to the crowd on our final night of The Vagina Monologues. As he wrapped up his remarks that night, he told the audience, "I'm too old for this stuff, but you all be sure to use a condom!"
It was at that moment that I first wanted to spread him on a biscuit and eat him for breakfast because he is the cutest effing old man I have ever met in all my days. Oh, Barry Chase. You're never too old, you pistol.
Anywho.
As Barry was speaking, someone walked in the front door, which was located just a few feet behind where he stood on the landing. I peered around the tree (yes, THE TREE) in the middle of the foyer, and poked Andrea, who was standing next to me.
"Is that who I think it is!?" I whispered gleefully, my little liberal heart a-beating and my HUGE DORK instincts kicking in.
"It's STEVE COHEN!" she hissed back. And we both shuddered with political glee. There may have been giggling. I blame the wine.
We poke my mom and point out who's just walked in, and she says to us, probably loudly (again, the wine), "Yeah, I knew him back when he had hair." We giggle again. Next thing we know, he's been asked to say a few words. Naturally, he is totally unawares that this was going to happen and thus has absolutely nothing prepared to say, but hey, since they dragged me up here, maybe you'd like to hear this gripping personal story, that is both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, that explains my deep passions and convictions for the Planned Parenthood cause. Just if I have to say something. Hope that'll work.
What the what. Politicians.
So the three of us are chatting after he's done with his remarks, and he starts walking toward us. It seems like he's going to walk right by us, but perhaps when three sets of eyes are staring right at you it DOES actually burn into the back of your head. Or possibly Andrea and I were preening like teenage girls hoping that he'd notice us and then OH MY GOD HE NOTICED US. We immediately extend our hands to shake his and introduce ourselves, and he asks if Andrea and I are sisters, and we say no, and I say this is my mom, we're the related ones, or something incoherent resembling that, and then my mom reaches out her hand to shake his, and says, yes indeed:
"I knew you back when you had hair!"
He paused for just a second, maybe trying to remember her, or maybe trying to remember when he had hair, one can't be certain, and then said, "Yeah, I thought about doing something about that, but nah. I think this is a good look for me."
Oh, Steve. I'd vote for you.
(And so would my uterus.)
cheers,
elizabeth
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