Paris-London Trip Part 1 (Way out of order!)

It's been a week since we returned from our trip to Paris and London. I took almost five hundred pictures as there was so much to see and take in. I haven't written here in awhile and I'll have to get back into the swing of things.

Below are a couple of pics we took on our last night in London, which we spent at The Old Vic Theater. They were in previews for "A Moon For The Misbegotten", starring Kevin Spacey, Colm Meaney, and some chickie I've never heard of. There were great performances by all (five characters total), funny and sad at the same time. And there was only one set, which featured a delapidated shack and red clay for the earth. I kept framing up shots to break things up a little, but the fantastic script held my attention for the entire show.

I've always been a sucker for celebrity encounters, but not to paparazzi or stalker levels. It's just always fun to meet people in real life that we've all seen on the big screen. So we waited at the stage door to say thanks for the show and do some ego boosting.

Colm Meaney, a relatively famous character actor turned in a performance I never knew he was capable of. I wish this type of stuff would translate in his films. I told him we flew all the way from Florida to see him, which he knew was complete nonsense, but he stopped for a picture anyway, and I thanked him for 'Con Air', at which point he laughed and almost shook his head. I suddenly realized how exhausted these guys must be after belting it out physically and mentally for two plus hours. I almost felt sorry for them.

We waited probably around thirty minutes before Kevin Spacey made his obligatory appearance to the twenty or so fans waiting by the stage door. He actually didn't walk out, but instead opened the top half of the door and created a drive-up autograph booth. It instantly conjured up the image of him in 'American Beauty' when he takes a job at the burger joint.

So when it was time to place my order, I walked up and asked for two large fries and a Coke, and this was the look he gave me. He did chuckle slightly when my "joke" sank in, but he seemed too tired to be playing along. Which for a second, didn't seem all that fair, considering he did everything short of bake a cake for James Lipton on that show.

I also can't help but notice that my chin from this angle has nearly vanished. I'm really starting to not recognize myself these days. The other day at work I thought some pervert was staring at me in the restroom, but it turned out to be my reflection, and even then I asked "what the Hell are you staring at?" It really freaked me out and the whole day was shot.



Well my 10 seconds of meet-and-greet with Mr. Spacey had nearly ended, so he obliged to a quick photo request with me. And I've never had such a detached moment with another human being in my whole life. As you can see, I unhealthily craned my neck back toward the window, just to make it even remotely look like we were on the same planet (Oh, there's the chin(s)!) I completely understand his position and I just wish I could have met him in a setting where I didn't look like such a groupie. One thing though, I always take pride in the fact that autographs are pretty much a waste of time for everyone. That must have come from signing maybe five hundred thousand of them myself when I was Goofy at Disney World. I'll buy something already signed, but I would much rather shake a celebrities hand then shove a Sharpie and some krinkled up poster in it. Kevin, thanks for the entertainment.