Just by Chance

Sometimes, you have days like yesterday. So tired, so overwhelmed, just about ready to walk out in the middle of the day. I was not feelin good.

I had gotten tickets to go see the new Pixar movie Cars a few days ago from my friend Brad. The tickets were $40 each but the money went to The Hole in the Wall Kids foundation that Paul Newman founded. And the rumor was that Paul Newman himself was going to be there. I'm not sure if you realize this, but I was going to mary Paul Newman in middle school. I saw Cool Hand Luke and my heart stopped beating. The most beautiful, talented, amazing man in the world. Where could I find this man!? Then I realized he was no longer that hot young, SMOULDERING youth. But still, to this day, Paul Newman pretty much holds that flame. That hollywood crush, won't ever happen, keep on dreaming flame. Siiiigh.

Anyway, the screening was last night and as much as I love Paul, I was so not in the mood to go. I almost called Marcy to cancel, but decided an animated flick, and seeing Miss Girt, would make me feel better. So I went. It took me forever to get up to the Lincoln Square theatre and I was like "of COURSE getting up here could not be easy! Why would it be easy! IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS." So I'm 20 minutes late meeting her, sweating, tired. But whatever, we're going to see a movie, it'll be fine.

We get our tickets and head upstairs to the theatre. The seats are assigned and ours are Lower Level S101 and S102. We show them to the "VoluntEAR" (Disney... Mickey... you see?) who says "oh... these are you seats. hmmm sorry." We look and it's the very last row and it's a single seat (for someone with, say, a wheelchair) and then about 5 feet of space before the actual row of seats starts. Great. Marcy took the loner seat (that we eventually dubbed "the living room recliner") and I sat in the other that was actually attached to a row. Poor Marcy. Poor us! We had to literally shout in order to speak.

So instead of speaking, we start making faces at each other. And pretending we're in boats, racing each other. And race cars. Oh and sign language, of course. And, yeah... we're pretty much 4 years old.

All of the sudden this woman stands right in front of my seat to talk to the people sitting next to me. And I'm talking just STANDS there. For like 5 minutes she's making it so I can't move and pretty much has her boobs in my face. I keep looking at Marcy and making "who the hell does this lady think she is??" faces and Marcy isn't responding like she was before. She keeps smiling at me and then looking away as if we were in school and the principal was standing behind me as I cursed him out. I looked up, the lady was no one I recognized and she was surely not noticing my eye rolls. So I kept trying to get Marcy's attention. I was like "Hey! Marcy! Check out my FACE! I'm pretending to be exasperated cuz this lady is taking up all my room! Marcy! Marcy! Hey!" No response!!

So the lady moves.

And I look next to me.

PAUL NEWMAN AND JOANNE WOODWARD ARE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME.

I immediately freeze up and look straight ahead.

"omg omg omg. omg. holy crap. Paul Newman. He's 2 inches away from me. Oh my god. What do I do?? Oh man he's so amazing. Be cool, Glennis. Be cool."

I look over at Marcy and make "OH MY GOD DO YOU SEE WHO IS SITTING NEXT TO ME" eyes. She smiles and looks away and this time I UNDERSTAND. So I sit there. Trying to be cool. Trying to pretend like I didn't just realize an acting icon and his amazingly talented wife are sharing airspace with me.

A man comes over to talk to Paul and Joanne. He asks Paul how he liked the movie when he saw it before tonight and said, "oh it was great. It's a really nice movie. Have you seen the movie?"

I'm just sitting there going, "omg omg omg it's Paul Newman. omg... wait. did he just say that to me?"

I look over. "huh?"

"Have you seen the movie yet?"

(HE IS MERE INCHES FROM MY FACE!!!)

"What movie?" (GLENNIS NO! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT!?! WHAT MOVIE DO YOU think HE IS TALKING ABOUT!?!)

"This movie, Cars. Have you seen it yet?"

"Oh! This one! No! No, but I sure do love Pixar!"

"Oh you're in for a treat."

you GUYS!!!

I don't think I have to tell you that it was probably the single greatest moment of my life to date. Paul Newman. Oh Paul I adore you. Thank you so much for being kind and normal and talking to me... holy macaroly.

So sometimes you have days like yesterday. And then sometimes you sit next to Paul Newman in a movie theatre.