"You Don't Understand... I Love You" (aka: The Will Smith Story)

When one of my coworkers/friends recently Facebook friended me, her first comment was "I didn't know you'd met Will Smith!" to which I replied with "Umm... how did you find that out?"

Now, I don't really know why I questioned how she figured it out (as if I were trying to keep it some kind of secret... HA). I mean, come on. I can still recant that story (every. intricate. detail) of meeting Will on the set of Hitch (remember? When he flashes back to his college days when he was super awkward with girls... HA- as if THAT could ever be the case.) as if it happened yesterday. Rather than going into the (kind of long) story about how I met Will Smith, I simply just forwarded along the email that I'd sent to a small group of my friends about ten minutes after that moment in the sun occurred. I mean... if that email doesn't speak for itself, I just don't know what does.

After forwarding along the email, I actually took a few moments to reread it myself... relive the moment if you will. And... not gonna lie- my heart still picked up the pace (and/or my knee started jiggling... and/or I started experiencing slight shortness of breath... well, you get the idea) as I was rereading it.

This is all very pathetic, yes, I know. But whatever.

Needless to say, I can safely say that July 2, 2004 was the happiest day of my life to-date.

As such, I figured... what better way to spread the excitement than by... simply copy/pasting the email (complete with all the typos, since I clearly couldn't type straight, given how flustered I still was) for all the world to read (okay, one little part was cut out since it's not exactly the most appropriate for broader audiences, but that's it!).

All I have to say is... enjoy.

And GOD, if Will Smith is out there reading this... dare. I. dream.

The Email... from July 2, 2004

happy summer everyone!!

i was just writing this email because i definitely have some necessary emotion to be released at this point in time and i dont have many daytime minutes so the one time i actually WNAT to be on the phone, i cant.  however, i just need to share:

first off, i love columbia and ny. because of this program and the wonderful people i have met? eh not so much although its an alright program but ive mostly just been antisocial and scurrying across town to meet up with the osu contingent of nyu. however, this week has been amazing. why? Last tuesday or monday or so, who was sitting outside of one of our buildings reading a book but RIDER STRONG! high five. i love him. and for you true disney channel fans and simply pouty guy lips heartthrobs out there, its shawn from boy meets world, one of the best shows ever. two of my friends and i went up to him and i (just like a typical fan) asked him to take a picture. he was so nice about it. i like him a whole lot more now :) but I would just like to share that the picture is wonderful: he has his arm around me and my other friend but his head is totally tilted in my direction. i LOVE it. lol

secondly, and for the REAL reason for this email. rider strong high five right/ that made the highlight of my week earlier. but then today, Friday july 2nd, we noticed all these random cameras and whatnot and we were walking to this office that we had to do some work in. we didnt really  think twice right? then we're working for like an hour or so and this girl from our program rushes in and shes like (shes so cute shes from spain) "you know uh will? smith? you like him?" and of course literally no joke my mouth drops open and i start having a bit of trouble breathing. nothing serious but it was funny cause i had heard that he was going ot be on trl today and i was so wanting to go to the mtv studio but i couldnt cause of my office work. however then she shares this and i was freaking out like oh my goodness hes just visiting for an hour and im stuck here??? she was like "hes right outside!!! here you want to see pictures? i even took a little video" so there i am (along with a few others who are much calmer just to paint a mental picture) watching her little video clip but not really  paying attentino because im trying to figure out how to get out of office work but theyre pretty strict about actually, oh i dont know, STAYING on the job? So literally for like 45 mins i was just standing there because i got done with my stuff (cause lets face it, when i heard will smith, i was frantically sorting through my files and shoving them into place... this one girl i was working with was just looking at me in amazement and cracking up) but i was so scared i would miss him! so then they wouldnt even let us leave the office cause we were waiting for everyone to get done. i was getting VERY annoyed... will was so close yet so far. so anyway, then it got really chaotic and whatnot so i just left. i wa slike screw this i am not missing will for this unorganization. (my logic i know :)) however, they had just finished doing a scene so will was on a little break and he was talking to a bunch of people so i scurried on down the columbia steps and was literally five feet away from him. (it turns out i wouldnt have missed him anyways cause he would be there for an hour or two more) i was snapping my camera away in simple awe. he was talking to a theater group from phillyl so we werent allowed to get any closer. still it was good enough right? then the directing people kept on yelling at people to clear out cause they were going to start another scene for his new movie (first and last kiss or somethign) it takes place in the 80s. me being the clueless one that i am start chatting with this asian lady that was sitting in the grass just watching everything happen. then the directing lady starts cuing everyone off to the sides whos not in the movie and figuring the asian lady is off set i settled down next to her. then the directing lady starts going across the walk and is like "youre in this scene youre in this scene etc" because there were so many extras... then she comes to me and I really had no clue that i could have been in the scene until she stopped  and was like "youre not in this scene" and i just was like "what? oh this is for the movie? im so sorry!" and she was really nice and was like "oh its not a problem you could be in it but its set in the 80s and your clothes dont  look 80s enoguh" really nice about it seriously! but what the heck?? i was  almost an extra in will smiths movie! so you think thats all, right? oh no no no... because i definitely wait aroudn and watch the scene being shot. it was pretty cool... then everyone (all the fans and whatnot) started leaving casue they got bored but not me the faithful will supporter that i am. i was just watching and watching and then it started to rain a little bit... just sprinkling. so of course they called the scene off and i was at such a far distance but i could see will just talking to people and then i saw pepoepl scurrying towards him to get a picture/autograph so i start walking towards him. but there are a few people and a couple of girsl wanted their picture with him so i was like "i can take it for you if you would like" and of coruse they let me so i took it. and then i wanted to get in a picture but I wasnt with anyone so who would take it? so of coruse i was just less than a foot away from will and he is adorable. and then all these other girsl start swarming in to take a picture so i was kind of like hwat the heck? all this for nothing? 

so then the directing lady starts shooing us off and was like "sorry we have to keep the crowd moving" and my face literally dropped and since i was in the front he saw that and he knew who i was since i had offered to take the other girls' pictures. so he knew i was a relatively nice person i guess? lol i liek to think taht at least. but listen to this: so he sees my face drop and all these other people had started backing away per the director's orders but i was just stockstill for a second and he just looked at me and i was seriously nearly in tears, my voice was shaking and I just said "you dont understand... i love you" lol lol lol.

seriously TOTAL teenybopper. but whatever. and he was like "aw thanks" (with his beautiful eyes and smile that has his eyes crinkle and his lips droop down....  aughhH!:) ) and he came up to me and was like (to me) "just one more, baby, just one more" with his typical fresh prince charm. i love him. love him. so what did he do? not a normal pose and have someone else take it cause there was no one else to take it. he definitely took my camera, put his arm aroudn me and held the camera out and took the picture.

I was in literal heaven.

seriously. hands were shaking voice shaking everything. not only did i see will smith... not only did i take pictures of him. but our FACES WERE TOUCHING. he had his ARM around me! who does that happen to?? the girl with the computer wallpaper collage of will smith, the girl whos watched every fresh prince multiple times. I [EXPLETIVE] LOVE him. the nicest guy ever.

LOVE. oh im swooning im swooning. LOVE.

and that my friends, are the adventures of the celebs thus far. i could die and i would be perfectly happy. i LOVE will. and I love you guys. thanks for listening to this tale.

love
christie :)

Please note: Cheeks. Are. Touching.

That is all.

Cosby Show Therapy

Well, if my first week of 2012 is a reflection of the rest of the year, all I have to say is... bring back 2011. Immediately.

Let's just say this first week was much more chaotic than one should ever expect for a first week back from a nice, long holiday vacation. Do you ever have one of those weeks where you feel like your days are flying by but the week seems neverending? That was my life last week. So, needless to say, the weekend couldn't come fast enough.

Sadly, I think my poor eating and sleeping habits from the week were quickly catching up to me. I was pretty much useless this weekend... all I wanted to do was catch up on sleep. And just lounge on my cozy couch.

Which is where I discovered the therapy to end all therapies. Enter: The Cosby Show.

Sigh, the '80s. The peak of the television era, if you ask me. Twenty years later, The Cosby Show still remains one of my favorite shows of all time. My loyalty runs so deep, in fact, that you better believe I still DVR any and all episodes that come on any random ol' channel. And sure, while I typically watch each DVR'ed episode and then delete it, there is one episode that I simply can't bring myself to delete.



Do you remember this episode?!?!? Where Denise and Theo are in a car accident with Stevie Wonder? You know, it's funny... over the years, I had always pinpointed my one or two favorite Cosby Show episodes but this one never actually made my list. THAT is quickly changing, because, literally, I could watch this episode over... and over... and over again.

Which is exactly what has been happening over the past few weeks (starting with when I first started DVR'ing it). Sure, originally, I was just watching it for the sheer entertainment value (I literally laugh aloud everytime I watch the below-posted scene). But I flipped over to it this weekend as I was trying to mentally recuperate from the week and I must say, it really did wonders in cheering me up and distracting me enough to forget about the woes of the week for just a fleeting period of time, at least. Literally laugh out loud comedy... every. single. time.

I guess I could have posted the entire episode here, but quite frankly, all you really need to watch is minute 6:30ish of the above clip in order to get the full gist of how/why this episode never fails to crack me UP each and every single time... Denise's reaction was literally how I felt when I met Will Smith... in case you can't tell by my starstruck eyes and mile to mile wide smile...

Any excuse to bring that picture back into play, really...

Philadelphia - Home of Liberty Bell, Birthplace of... Will Smith

Of all the big cities in the US, I think Philly is among the last that I had yet to visit. Not anymore! This weekend, I had the absolute HONOR (and DELIGHT!) of attending my first Healthy Living Summit in, where else?


Philadelphia. The land of Liberty Bell. The land of... well, Will Smith.

I wasn't really holding out all that much hope for Philly. I was expecting it to be congested, dirty and kind of ghetto, to be perfectly honest. I'm happy, oh so happy, to admit that I was wrong. Believe it or not, Philly actually turned out to be quite CUTE! Such a good mix of history and big city living- it kind of reminded me of Boston actually (and I LOVE Boston!).

While the Healthy Living Summit (HLS) consumed all of Saturday, I had most of Sunday free to explore the grand city. And explore I did. I started off the morning with some newfound HLS pals at the Reading Terminal Market... TOTALLY reminded me of San Francisco's Embarcadero Center except... holy moly, was this place CHEAP! $0.50 for canteloupe? $0.99 for cherry tomato packs? You know me and my deals...



It was going to be hard to beat THAT kind of start to the day. My HLS pals were catching flights/trains/rides soon after our market excursion so farewells were said and then... Christie took Philly.

I'd already crossed the Rocky steps off my list earlier that morning, when the HLS crew did a 5k that included the Rocky steps...




So next up? The only other "sight" I really wanted to see... the Liberty Bell!

Talk about a buzzkill though- check out this LINE!

There was no way I was waiting around for it. Instead, I circled around to the back of the building in which it is housed and... is that it?


Sure, you may have to squint. But oh well. In any event, I couldn't tell if it was THE Liberty Bell or some other bell that just happened to be in the building. But whatever. A bell's a bell's a bell.

Sigh. Those forefathers are turning in their grave right about now.

Well. I was already in the Old Town Historic area, so I just started wandering around. There's nothing I love more than just wandering around a city, no map and no agenda in mind. Sigh. Today did NOT disappoint. There was just so much HISTORY to drink in! Such a nerd, that I am. And proud of it.

The First Bank of the U.S. (Ahh- where would America be without capitalism today?)


(It's America- gotta emphasize the place where all the money is kept!)

The SECOND Bank of the U.S. (Can't have too many of these in the good ol' USA, I guess...)


The US Postal Service...


Just some plain old touristy gems...


And fasldkjflkdsj!! Cobblestone roads!!!!!


I saved the best for last. These cobblestone roads MADE my DAY!


All in all, such a great day of sightseeing, Philly-style! I was thoroughly impressed with this city. I would totally make a trip back here... if anything, to explore West Philadelphia. I've heard it's got a slightly different feel. Haha- I'm up for the challenge ;) Anything for... well, my one and only:


Great. Now I'm all flustered. Sigh. Must be true...