Brush

Here’s a fun Thursday question for you: Have you had any so-called “brushes with greatness”? Or degrees-of-separation from greatness which you’d like to tell us about?

I just left a comment over on Michael Main’s site about my close familial relationship with David McCallum. Remember him, from the TV show “The Man From UNCLE”? Yeah, well, we’re cousins! It’s true! He has not quite acknowledged me at this point in time, but my father and he are from the same dinky town (Kilsyth, Scotland) and Dad explained the relationship in detail to me when I was a kid.

I had a lot of pen-pals back then, and I just KNEW that when David McCallum found out that he had an American cousin he’d never met, that he wouldn’t be able to LIVE WITH HIMSELF until he established a life-long connection with me.

Let me tell you this: I’m a LOT closer to Dave Barry!

As for me, I get my biggest thrills at book signings. I met Dr. Laura at Barnes and Noble here in Kansas City a couple of years ago, and I’m still excited. And Jan Karon, who wrote the Mitford books? I’ve met her on three different occasions, including in line in a ladies room. She is a doll.

I’ll throw Doug’s brushes in here, too. I have to say, they’re pretty impressive, and I’m a tad jealous. He used to help line up entertainment for corporate meetings, so he’s gotten to meet Dennis Miller and Bill Cosby. In addition, he sat in a restaurant booth in Santa Monica back-to-back with King Hussein of Jordan. The king’s wife, Queen Noor, was also enjoying lunch, along with his two adult sons, and (Doug loves this part) Maria Shriver!

When Doug and his work buddies got in their taxi after lunch, it so happened that Maria was running out of the restaurant to hop in her car, which was parked directly in front of the taxi. She ran between the two vehicles just as the taxi started to move forward, and Doug screamed out to the taxi driver in what can only be called an act of heroism, “MARIA!!!!!!”

The cabbie slammed on his brakes, Maria and Doug’s eyes met, and she flashed him that amazing Kennedy smile. What had just happened was not lost on her, and we are certain that she still recounts the tale to the Governator to this day: Doug Raymond saved her life.

You might as well know that ever since this happened, my guy has had a little crush on Maria. It’s OK, I understand. After all, how many regular guys get a chance to be a knight-in-yellow-armor to Arnold’s woman?

Still, I guess I’d feel like Doug and I were even in the brushes-with-greatness department if only David McCallum would acknowledge my place on his family tree. Maybe I forgot to include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope?

Yeah, I’ll bet that’s it.

Anyone you’d like to mention here? Let’s drop some names, people!

Posted by Katy on 03/15/06 at 07:33 AM

Fallible Comments...

I mentioned this on my blog the other day: I was born in Washington, DC, in the same hospital where Jackie Kennedy was when she lost her baby, Patrick. He was born there two days after me, and died there two days after that. Growing up, I heard that story as if it were part of the fabric of our own family lore.

I know it's weak. But it counts, dagnabbit. It counts.

Oh! And Frank Gifford once directed me to the taxi stand at JFK airport. I *know* you're jealous now...

:-)
Posted by Jennifer on 03/15/06 at 09:26 AM
Hey there Katy! I'm not the biggest fan of Max Lucado but he and I had a nice chat about our families. He and his manager got to talking about how young I was to be working towards having three kids. I was so horrified that they were thinking I was some teenage floozy that I rattled off my entire history of meeting Luke and my age at each of my reproductive ventures. I danced the polka with the drummer of BR-549. I don't know how to dance the polka and I really don't know how to follow someone else's lead so I ended up dancing around like I was some kind of monkey on fire. He smiled nicely after the dance was over and ran off to hide behind the big stack of speakers sitting in the corner of the room. Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats gave me a hug and told me I was a sweet girl the kind he could take home to his mother. That scared me enough to tell him that he looked just like my grandpa. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Morrissey but he kissed my hand at a concert.
Posted by galadriel on 03/15/06 at 12:26 PM
I met the Dali Lama at a hotel in Las Angeles. Technically, by “met,” I mean that I saw him from a very close distance. An associate of my fathers' actually shook his hand (upon this exchange, I shook the associate's hand – mind you, just before he washed them). I touched someone who touched someone!
Posted by Daniel on 03/15/06 at 04:39 PM
I love David McCallum on NCIS! What a great actor.
Posted by Carrie K. on 03/15/06 at 07:57 PM
well...i used to live in chicago and see famous people shooting movies in the streets a lot - bill murray, john candy, ally sheedy. (how's that for namedropping, katy ;)..i was at a party once where juliette lewis made an appearance, also in chicago. also, i've probably mentioned this before, but i went to high school and took drama classes with judy greer (elizabethtown, the village, the wedding planner, what women want, to name a few. she's a busy lady these days!) - i get a kick out of seeing us together onstage in my old yearbooks. michael card chatted with us and played with our kiddos a bit at a bookstore here in ks a few years ago...that's all i can think of right now - we're in colorado and the altitude is taking some getting used to!
Posted by lisa on 03/15/06 at 10:52 PM
oh, and katy, how fun to have gotten to chat with jan karon..i bet she's just great!
Posted by lisa on 03/15/06 at 10:53 PM
I have personal issues with Joel Osteen (my family knows his family) and the Olsen twins (what is with the "O"?). I've met quite a few people but I really don't care. =) Maybe it's because I'm just not very star-struck much. I lived in Hollywood area for a long time though...so that could be why.
Posted by Lynn on 03/15/06 at 11:39 PM
Whoa, Jennifer, the thing about Patrick Kennedy totally counts. My parents lost their oldest son, Patrick, at age four, and I remember them feeling sorry for the Kennedys about their Patrick.

The Frank story MIGHT have made me jealous if you didn't first tug at the heart strings with the Patrick story!

Carrie K--I don't even know what NCIS is!! Where have I been? My cousin's on TV again and I'm missing out. I will tune in. What night?

Lisa--Very fun! Your theater background made for some wonderful encounters. Makes me want to visit Chicago soon! (Jan Karon is SO genuine, you just want to hug her.)

Lynn--I read yesterday that Osteen signed a NICE contract for his next book. Something like a 13 million advance! You may be right about the Hollywood thing. I've lived in Kansas City my whole life, so I still enjoy these things. Around here, the little towns are known more for having "the world's biggest ball of twine" than for spotting anyone famous on the street. Although Paul Newman and his wife did make that movie here ten years ago or so. We got to see him on the movie set then, which was fun!
Posted by Katy on 03/16/06 at 07:24 PM
Galadriel--The weirdest thing happened to me in the shower this morning. I was thinking about this post, to which I had commented back to everyone yesterday, and I thought about your hilarious comment and realized I hadn't answered you!!!! I am so sorry. I just LOVE the funny conversations and situations you get involved in. Your hijinks are infectious, kind of like Lucy Ricardo's. That's a compliment! :)
Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:00 PM
Katy, you are my favorite audience!
Posted by galadriel on 03/20/06 at 03:25 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Brush Here’s a fun Thursday question for you: Have you had any so-called “brushes with greatness”? Or degrees-of-separation from greatness which you’d like to tell us about? I just left a comment over on Michael Main’s site about my close familial relationship with David McCallum. Remember him, from the TV show “The Man From UNCLE”? Yeah, well, we’re cousins! It’s true! He has not quite acknowledged me at this point in time, but my father and he are from the same dinky town (Kilsyth, Scotland) and Dad explained the relationship in detail to me when I was a kid. I had a lot of pen-pals back then, and I just KNEW that when David McCallum found out that he had an American cousin he’d never met, that he wouldn’t be able to LIVE WITH HIMSELF until he established a life-long connection with me. Let me tell you this: I’m a LOT closer to Dave Barry! As for me, I get my biggest thrills at book signings. I met Dr. Laura at Barnes and Noble here in Kansas City a couple of years ago, and I’m still excited. And Jan Karon, who wrote the Mitford books? I’ve met her on three different occasions, including in line in a ladies room. She is a doll. I’ll throw Doug’s brushes in here, too. I have to say, they’re pretty impressive, and I’m a tad jealous. He used to help line up entertainment for corporate meetings, so he’s gotten to meet Dennis Miller and Bill Cosby. In addition, he sat in a restaurant booth in Santa Monica back-to-back with King Hussein of Jordan. The king’s wife, Queen Noor, was also enjoying lunch, along with his two adult sons, and (Doug loves this part) Maria Shriver! When Doug and his work buddies got in their taxi after lunch, it so happened that Maria was running out of the restaurant to hop in her car, which was parked directly in front of the taxi. She ran between the two vehicles just as the taxi started to move forward, and Doug screamed out to the taxi driver in what can only be called an act of heroism, “MARIA!!!!!!” The cabbie slammed on his brakes, Maria and Doug’s eyes met, and she flashed him that amazing Kennedy smile. What had just happened was not lost on her, and we are certain that she still recounts the tale to the Governator to this day: Doug Raymond saved her life. You might as well know that ever since this happened, my guy has had a little crush on Maria. It’s OK, I understand. After all, how many regular guys get a chance to be a knight-in-yellow-armor to Arnold’s woman? Still, I guess I’d feel like Doug and I were even in the brushes-with-greatness department if only David McCallum would acknowledge my place on his family tree. Maybe I forgot to include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope? Yeah, I’ll bet that’s it. Anyone you’d like to mention here? Let’s drop some names, people! Posted by Katy on 03/15/06 at 07:33 AM Fallible Comments... I mentioned this on my blog the other day: I was born in Washington, DC, in the same hospital where Jackie Kennedy was when she lost her baby, Patrick. He was born there two days after me, and died there two days after that. Growing up, I heard that story as if it were part of the fabric of our own family lore. I know it's weak. But it counts, dagnabbit. It counts. Oh! And Frank Gifford once directed me to the taxi stand at JFK airport. I know you're jealous now... :-) Posted by Jennifer on 03/15/06 at 09:26 AM Hey there Katy! I'm not the biggest fan of Max Lucado but he and I had a nice chat about our families. He and his manager got to talking about how young I was to be working towards having three kids. I was so horrified that they were thinking I was some teenage floozy that I rattled off my entire history of meeting Luke and my age at each of my reproductive ventures. I danced the polka with the drummer of BR-549. I don't know how to dance the polka and I really don't know how to follow someone else's lead so I ended up dancing around like I was some kind of monkey on fire. He smiled nicely after the dance was over and ran off to hide behind the big stack of speakers sitting in the corner of the room. Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats gave me a hug and told me I was a sweet girl the kind he could take home to his mother. That scared me enough to tell him that he looked just like my grandpa. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Morrissey but he kissed my hand at a concert. Posted by galadriel on 03/15/06 at 12:26 PM I met the Dali Lama at a hotel in Las Angeles. Technically, by “met,” I mean that I saw him from a very close distance. An associate of my fathers' actually shook his hand (upon this exchange, I shook the associate's hand – mind you, just before he washed them). I touched someone who touched someone! Posted by Daniel on 03/15/06 at 04:39 PM I love David McCallum on NCIS! What a great actor. Posted by Carrie K. on 03/15/06 at 07:57 PM well...i used to live in chicago and see famous people shooting movies in the streets a lot - bill murray, john candy, ally sheedy. (how's that for namedropping, katy ;)..i was at a party once where juliette lewis made an appearance, also in chicago. also, i've probably mentioned this before, but i went to high school and took drama classes with judy greer (elizabethtown, the village, the wedding planner, what women want, to name a few. she's a busy lady these days!) - i get a kick out of seeing us together onstage in my old yearbooks. michael card chatted with us and played with our kiddos a bit at a bookstore here in ks a few years ago...that's all i can think of right now - we're in colorado and the altitude is taking some getting used to! Posted by lisa on 03/15/06 at 10:52 PM oh, and katy, how fun to have gotten to chat with jan karon..i bet she's just great! Posted by lisa on 03/15/06 at 10:53 PM I have personal issues with Joel Osteen (my family knows his family) and the Olsen twins (what is with the "O"?). I've met quite a few people but I really don't care. =) Maybe it's because I'm just not very star-struck much. I lived in Hollywood area for a long time though...so that could be why. Posted by Lynn on 03/15/06 at 11:39 PM Whoa, Jennifer, the thing about Patrick Kennedy totally counts. My parents lost their oldest son, Patrick, at age four, and I remember them feeling sorry for the Kennedys about their Patrick. The Frank story MIGHT have made me jealous if you didn't first tug at the heart strings with the Patrick story! Carrie K--I don't even know what NCIS is!! Where have I been? My cousin's on TV again and I'm missing out. I will tune in. What night? Lisa--Very fun! Your theater background made for some wonderful encounters. Makes me want to visit Chicago soon! (Jan Karon is SO genuine, you just want to hug her.) Lynn--I read yesterday that Osteen signed a NICE contract for his next book. Something like a 13 million advance! You may be right about the Hollywood thing. I've lived in Kansas City my whole life, so I still enjoy these things. Around here, the little towns are known more for having "the world's biggest ball of twine" than for spotting anyone famous on the street. Although Paul Newman and his wife did make that movie here ten years ago or so. We got to see him on the movie set then, which was fun! Posted by Katy on 03/16/06 at 07:24 PM Galadriel--The weirdest thing happened to me in the shower this morning. I was thinking about this post, to which I had commented back to everyone yesterday, and I thought about your hilarious comment and realized I hadn't answered you!!!! I am so sorry. I just LOVE the funny conversations and situations you get involved in. Your hijinks are infectious, kind of like Lucy Ricardo's. That's a compliment! :) Posted by Katy on 03/17/06 at 12:00 PM Katy, you are my favorite audience! Posted by galadriel on 03/20/06 at 03:25 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Leave Of Absence Previous entry: Mute << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri