I was honored to meet Condace Pressley from WSB-TV at a charity luncheon months ago, and last Monday she had me into the studio to pre-record a 20 minute chat about all things books and author-inspiring!
That’s the rumor. I hope it’s not true, because if there’s one thing we could always count on…it was Kermit and Piggy.
Though I’m partial to Fozzy Bear and Gonzo myself. They just seem to have more personality and cuteness, though I can’t pinpoint a reason why.
I’ve seen every Muppet movie made. I think the recent “Muppets” one with Jason Segal and Amy Adams was my favorite. Anyone else have a favorite Muppet or movie?
And here it is…the story of my encounter with Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. Otherwise known as Jim Parsons. Or God.
My wonderful friend Art somehow snagged 2nd row seats at Studio 54, where ACT OF GOD, a modern day play about the retelling of the 10 Commandments Family Feud Style, was playing. And what a night!
First off, I’ve never had such fantastic seats. I was 10 feet away from Jim Parsons. I could see every eyebrow arch, every eye roll, every smirk. Things those in the nosebleed section couldn’t see.
Then I found out I was in the hot seat!
For those not familiar with the play, it is mainly a monologue by Jim Parsons and he is accompanied by his 2 angels, Gabriel and Michael. God has come down from Heaven (in the form of Jim Parsons, who is unaware God is doing this) and he wants to comment on the 10 commandments and how frustrated he is with current culture. One example is him talking about how much he doesn’t get involved in sports. He’s not “for” your team when your team wins, nor is he “against” your team if you lose. The 90 minute play is filled with fun, laughter, and Jim Parsons is absolutely wonderful. In addition, despite the themes, it does well with not being sacrilegious.
Anyway, moving on…
He starts talking about how he was bored, so he created humans. A few minutes later, the angel Michael walks off the stage and right up to me. Puts a microphone in my face and tells “God” that I have a question, and what is my name?
I answer, and Jim Parsons says, “Hi Elaine.” I grinned ear to ear. Then the angel says, “Elaine wants to know why things were created. Why we’re here.”
To which, Jim Parsons gets that “Sheldon look of exasperation” in his eye and says, “Snap, snap, Elaine! I told you, I was bored so I created humans. You can’t be falling asleep or daydreaming, darling, you’re seated in the prime area! Chop chop, pay attention, okay Elaine?”
I laughed and nodded, then figured that was it. A few other people gave their names and the angel asked more questions, and the play continued. No more interaction, right?
Wrong.
At one point, Jim Parsons speaks about the wrath in the Old Testament and then tells the audience not to worry. He has no plans to end our lives or bring us to Heaven anytime soon. Then he pauses, arches an eyebrow, and says, “Well, perhaps one of you. At 3:36 a.m. tomorrow.”
Then a light shines on the top of my head!!! The whole audience is dark, and I have a Spanish Inquisition style light beaming on me.
To which Jim Parsons asks, “Is that Elaine again? Okay, hon. See ya soon, darlin’.”
It was hilarious, fun, and I really enjoyed being part of things. He’s a fabulous and talented actor, and I loved my night seeing this Broadway play.
For the “best of Sheldon” humor on The Big Bang Theory, click here to watch.
New York City. The Big Apple.
What a place. And I’ve only been here 2 days.
I left the house at 6 a.m. on Monday, went straight through the Starbucks drive-thru and got an iced coffee to keep me awake as I headed to the airport. So glad I allowed for time because the security lines were ridiculously long. Wrapped around the atrium several times long. It reminded me of seeing the Empire State Building the last time I was in New York. There’s a line. To get to another line. To jockey for position in yet another line.
Note to self: do not try to go see the Empire State Building at sunset, and do not be fooled by short lines. They are never short. How Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ever got up there at the perfect sunset moment to meet up for Valentine’s Day in Sleepless in Seattle is a Hollywood hoax.
Anyhoo, there’s much construction going on here in NYC so even the air conditioned taxi only moved at a snail’s pace to get us to Times Square. The President was also in town so that only added to streets being blocked off and more crowds.
After getting settled into our Times Square hotel and vegging, I met up with some local friends here and we visited a few familiar haunts. For those travel oriented, here you go:
- Monte’s in The Village. Fabulous Italian, a family run place for close to 100 years. How a family has worked together and maintained a business for almost a century is a testament to how well it is run. Most families wouldn’t even want to work together in a professional way.
- La Lanterna, also in the Village and closer to NYU. Wonderful and intimate cafe for coffee, gelato, anything you want. Those of you who read my 2nd book in the Elemental Clan Series, RAGING FIRE, this is the place my characters frequent. It’s an essential part of the NYC experience.
Tuesday was filled with more sightseeing, including a lovely place to have breakfast and coffee in the West Village called The Bus Stop Cafe. I love the West Village. It’s the only place I’ve been in New York that doesn’t feel as crowded and crazy as NYC can seem (especially in the Midtown/Times Square area). It’s also one of the few areas where you’ll see people walking their dogs. Everyone just seems more laid back here.
Did I mention people walk dogs here? I even saw a couple walking a Great Dane. A GREAT DANE. In New York City!!!
Then we went to see the High Line. For those who don’t know, the High Line used to be a train line but after years of being abandoned, the city turned it into a park, walking path, and great place to enjoy views of the Hudson River while surrounded by flora and fauna.
Here’s a few pics near the 14th Street entrance:
We did the Circle Line boat tour later in the day. Even though I’ve done the abbreviated tour (1 hour) before, this 2.5 hour one still had interesting info and fun tour guides. They pointed out popular spots in movies, where Sigourney Weaver lives, and we also saw the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Some photos:
And then came Tuesday night. Broadway. The best night I have ever experienced on Broadway.
My friends had somehow managed to snag 2nd row seats at Studio 54 Theater where ACT OF GOD, starring Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory, is playing. So we go inside the famous old club from the 70s and go to our 2nd row seats.
Blog coming soon, telling the fun of seeing Jim Parsons on Broadway…
Hi all,
Yesterday was quite interesting. I took a day trip to visit some film locations that were in MY COUSIN VINNY and FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. Those movies were both filmed in South Georgia, USA, for those who don’t know :)
We started the day at a coffee shop in the Monticello Town Square, where the courthouse stands on one end. The courthouse from MY COUSIN VINNY. And it’s true. They make it look bigger on TV.
Then we went past the Sac-O-Suds, the place where Ralph Macchio accidentally steals a can of tuna fish and that sets the whole MY COUSIN VINNY movie in motion.
Then we went to see the little town of Juliette, Georgia, where FRIED GREEN TOMATOES was filmed. And yes! I was so excited because we had lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Besides having absolutely incredible food (and of course, fried green tomatoes!) it was lovely to see the actual location that was used for Iggy’s and Ruth’s cafe in the movie.
We couldn’t go there and not have some of the tasty Fried Green Tomatoes!
After lunch and some browsing through the quaint town of Juliette, we passed the tiny place that served as Smokey Lonesome’s place in the movie. This is where he slept while Ruth brought him a blanket.
Overall, a fantastic day. If you ever get down that way, definitely make time to stop in at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It’s crowded on the weekends–especially in the summer–but the food was absolutely delish!