Driving Miss Dee, (and Adrienne) Continued......, Captured Cuties

Okay, got called into work too early, got to leave extra early, BONUS!! Now back to our story. If you missed the first two paragraphs, (and if you missed it, shame on you, subscribe to the feed already, lol,) scroll below or click here to get you up to speed.


I have explained a bit about the hotel owner and manager and our relationship. So Wednesday afternoon, the hotel manager calls and asks me if I would like to go pick up Adrienne and Dee at the airport Thursday, yesterday, one days notice, uggghhh. Ummmm Hell Yea, fun!! Now knowing these two at the hotel as I do, I start to get more nervous as it gets closer to picking them up. These are bonafide celebrities and I want to make sure all is going well. I call up yesterday afternoon to make sure no plans have changed. Yup, new plan, they are bringing a hollywood manager with them and I will now be picking up 3 people, yippee. I again tell the manager my nervousness about picking them up in the buick and ask is she SURE that they will be okay with this arrangement. In true Italian matriarch fashion, she says they should be happy if I pick them up in a pick-up truck......uh oh! She tells me not to worry and it will all be fine. She calls me again on my way to the airport, "I will call you on your drive home, if they have a problem with being picked up in your car, just tactfully say yes, so I know what to expect when they get here." GOOD GRIEF!!



I get to Pittsburgh airport about 20 minutes early and park the car and head to baggage to wait. Their plane lands and about 15 minutes later I see them walking the concourse towards me. Adrienne has the same face, is still beautiful, especially for her age, but is much more thin and petite than I expected. Not unhealthy thin, but VERY thin, looking great. They were told it was going to be cold here in Ohio so she was in a fur lined and trimmed coat and cute fur trimmed ski boots. It was 58 degrees, LOL. Dee looks absolutely beautiful, straight out of a headshot photo and smartly dressed in slacks, a colorful tee, and a cashmere pancho. The manager Chris was regular guy, my age, suffering a cold and looking comfortable for a plane trip, lol. Remember in the original post, I told you they are here for a horror convention the hotel puts on and this is the third year. Adrienne, bless her heart, has the forsight to ship all of her things for signing, etc, ahead of time to the hotel. Dee brings two MASSIVE suitcases with her stuff. Thank God they all had small carryon's for clothes or we could have had a luggage problem, (okay buicks huge trunk space came in handy after all.) I go to the baggage carousel with Dee for her two huge bags and sheepishly mention that I hope they are not dissappointed and that she realizes this is pretty much a low budget convention and that we all will be riding back in my buick and one will have to ride in the front seat. I sensed a momentary glimpse of "oh my god, what have I gotten myself into," but the actor in her and graciousness in her, quickly overcame and she assured me that whatever would be fine. I brought Dee's two bags to the parking deck with me, (let's hear it for rollers boys and girls,) and told them I would bring the car around and pick them up in just a sec. Adrienne had a humorous "one eyebrow lift" as I pulled up, but was just as gracious as Dee. Chris the manager got a little silent, LOL.



Off we go.... It is now 8pm Ohio time, 5pm or dinner time for them and Dee is starving. Too add insult to their injury, they were flown in business class and got the same skanky box meal everyone else gets. Chris and Adrienne dont care and say sure, take us to a restaurant, just not Denny's, (oh my god!) Here is where the magic of the Internet comes in..... Thanx to your comments and emails and my own lil googling time, I had some good ammunition. I could tell the Gay Guru thing was pretty much out the window with the advent of Chris, and there was some disappointment on their part with the accomodations, (Dee asked me if there was room service, and I had to tell her, not since I left the restaurant there,) so my goal now was "operation turn-around." I pretty much drove quiet and let them small talk a bit, but you know a good Guru cant keep his mouth shut. Adrienne took the front seat, she was my first mission. Michael from Manhatten Chowder Blog, told me about a play Adrienne was in this past March in New York, that some fellow bloggers had written about. I tore it over to those and got some great scoop!! "So Adrienne," I said, "Some friends told me you were fantastic in the play your husband wrote, this past March, did you enjoy doing it?" BINGO!! PAYDIRT!! A great conversation ensued. Next in my arsenal, from the Internet, "How are the twins, William and Walker doing, I bet you hate leaving them for a few days so close to the holidays." HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES!! I hear all about the identical twins she had in her mid 50's, and how great they are and that they are in a band believe it or not with a recital in a couple of weeks. We laughed at 9 year olds in a band and the joys of a drum kit the past 6 months in her house. ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO!!



A lull in the conversation in the back of the buick. Thanx to blogger friend Jimmy, "Dee, I thought you were excellent on the "Without A Trace" episode you were on the other week, how was that to work on, I love Anthony Lapaglia." ANOTHER DIRECT HIT!! Another great conversation. and from the Internet, "I am sorry to hear about you closing your acting studio in Burbank, I used to manage Bobby Mcgee's Restaurant there in Burbank. Do you like offering your acting classes over the Internet?" TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO, and if you ever want to learn something or two about acting, you really should check out her courses. Ice is now officially broken except maybe with Chris, everyone is now chatting and it's a great drive to the restaurant. I am in heaven.



With the "just not Denny's" line still in my head, I went for the gold and took them to one of my favorite restaurants, and probably one of the best restaurants close to home, The Springfield Grille. Not wanting to impose or press my luck, I ask if they would like my cell phone number and just call me when they are done eating. Dee and Adrienne together, immediately, insisted that I join them, (the night has just hit stratospheric proportions.) A fantastic meal, a fantastic conversation, and I even turned around Chris. Dee had me recommend a Cabernet, which she loved. Adrienne shared her Bruschetta with me. Chris and Adrienne use chopstix for their Thai Calamari like seasoned pro's. I was enable to engage in some great conversation, being from L.A. and following the entertainment business very closely as a hobby of mine. We talked about L.A. restaurants that I miss or should try when I go back to visit. We talked about all of our favorite shows on television right now. (Adrienne really misses Carnivale on HBO, filming it and then watching it put all together.) Two hours later, we are off to the hotel. Sheer Bliss!!


There is more to tell, and will be more because I am going tomorrow to see them at the horror convention and take my pictures and get my autographs that I want with them. We tentatively even have dinner plans again for tomorrow night, (pinch me I know.) This post is long enough, and I will share more soon. Thanx for being along for my ride, I appreciate all the supportive and informative comments and emails leading up to last night. Enjoy your weekend blogger friends and readers, so far, mine is divine!


Okay, for you that come here just for the hot guys, lol, here is a couple captured cuties for you from blogger friend Marko at Marks Planet, enjoy...........GG