STATUS: It was a little bit nippy here in Denver. Actually, I think it’s just normal weather but after the sultry days in PR… The first day back in the office is always a wash. I have grand ideas of how much I’ll tackle and the reality is that I’ll end up checking off one thing from my list of 25 items.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? DRIVE MY CAR by The Beatles
On Monday, my good agent friend Deidre Knight tagged me from her blog to reveal 5 interesting things about myself.
I swear, it took me all week just to come up with five that would be worth sharing. To quote a line from ALMOST FAMOUS, “I’m uncool.”
But here goes.
1. When I was in the 7th grade, I was caller 600 on a phone-in radio station contest and I won two free tickets to go see Olivia Newton John in concert (yep, the Let’s Get Physical tour). I thought I was so hip and cool.
And you can see how Junior High could go down hill from there.
2. I have two tattoos and I have had them going on close to 20 years.
3. I broke my right arm when I was 24. A girlfriend of mine worked in the music industry and we were backstage a lot that month while I had my full-arm plaster cast. I still have it and it was signed by Michael Hutchins and the boys from INXS, Crowded House, Lenny Kravitz (What a gentleman! We even had tea with him, and I’m not kidding. Tea.) and Material Issue.
Also that summer, I had a whole conversation with Harrison Ford while sitting on the steps of the administration building of Paramount studios and I didn’t initiate it. He did.
4. I’m the youngest of three children in my family. Not once has anyone guessed that. They always think I’m the oldest. It must be my bossy ways.
5. On average, once a month, a stranger will come up to me on the street or in a store or at the airport convinced that they know me. They will ask if I grew up in XYZ or went to this high school or was at this job. Some folks have even called me by some other name and given me a hug, convinced that they knew me.
My hubby used to laugh and tell me I was exaggerating until he got to experience it first hand. It literally happened last night when we flew from Miami to Denver. The guy sitting next to me said, “I just have to ask. Is your name Kim and did you grow up in Mississippi?”
I couldn’t make this up folks. Makes me think I might have had a brilliant career in crime since it would be hard to pick me out specifically in a line up. I look like every other women in the United States!
Perhaps the answer is, you’re the image of “Everywoman!”
And not to single you out, Kristen, (because the majority of bloggers I read do this), but what’s with the word “hubby?” Chances are that having a husband refer to his partner as “wifey” would likely cause a marital dispute. ;o)
Fascinating stuff! I have to say I’m most impressed that you got to meet Crowded House (my favorite band in the universe).
Thanks for all the interesting bits of Kristin trivia. And welcome back.
Tawna
I feel your pain on #5. It seems that nearly everyone I’ve ever met went to high school with someone who (they claim) looks EXACTLY like me.
Actually I would have pegged you as the youngest. You’re much too diplomatic to be the oldest.
I’m the oldest of four, so I should know.
Hmm. This is an interesting game, and I’m tempted to try it on my own blog.
But I can imagine someone reading whatever I post and commenting, “That’s not interesting at all! You’re lame!” So maybe I won’t do it.
I’m the brunette version of someone everyone seemed to know in high school. It happens to me all the time too. If only people pegged me for Sandra Bullock or Penelope Cruz, instead of Amy Smith or Sue Jones from high school. Sigh.
You picked some good tidbits to share! A conversation with Harrison Ford…I’ve had a crush on him since Star Wars.
Come on, fess up, we all know you have an evil twin who really gets around.
I think I have a far more interesting twin, because people are always telling me the cool and amazing stuff the person they thought I was has done. I want her life.
I look like every other women in the United States!
There was a woman in line to vote on Tuesday who looked like you. Seriously. I kept looking at her as the line moved forward.
HARRISON FORD?
HARRISON FORD!
I wish I was you.
I don’t look like every woman in the world, but at a restaurant I used to work at, all the customers used to think this one other waitress and I were sisters. We look absolutely nothing alike, except that we both have brown hair, are tall, and wear glasses. Weird.
I once delivered six pizzas to Harrison Ford’s house in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The cost was almost $100, and he tipped me one dollar. A conversation with a celebrity may be nice, but that night, after having to wait to be let into the gated community, and spending the time of what could have been three other deliveries (6-10$ in tips), that measly one dollar kinda, well, pissed me off. Of course, other people in the same neighborhood used to send small children to the door, with correct change, to avoid any thought of tip. So one dollar is better than…no, no it’s not. Maybe their mortgage on their mansion was due that day and they were feeling strapped. I don’t know. At least, later that summer, I got to watch Kevin Spacey forcibly removed from the Stagecoach Bar, and see his “don’t you know who I am?!” outrage get laughed at by a bouncer who cared more for his regular clientele than some spouty celebrity. The next round tasted very nice.
Huh. I’m “uncool” too. Who knew?
I went to the ONL “Physical Tour” too. (Um, with my dad!!!)
I’m the youngest of three. But if someone guessed I was the oldest, I’d throw myself under a bus. (Considering my one brother is 16 years older than me!!)
And I broke my arm when I was 20. (Um, “drinking accident” in college.) REAL SMOOTH.
Wow. What parallel lives we’ve led.
I, too, look like someone everybody knows. Except in my case it’s “aren’t you my short-round girlfriend from h*ll?” or “aren’t you my short-round least favorite cousin?”
To everybody I answer yes, but I’m in the CIA and now I have no choice but to shoot you.
T2
No one asked, so I will.
Where are the tattoos?
And what are they?
I look like every other women in the United States! >>
LOL, Kristen — maybe that’s why you would NOT have a stellar crime career … everyone WOULD pick you out of the line-up 🙂
Harrison Ford, huh? Way cool 🙂
That’s a lot cooler than most of the stuff I could come up with – altho, back in the 1990s, when Christie Whitman had just been elected as NJ’s governor, she came into the pharmacy where I worked. I was stocking shelves and she was standing in my way (choosing, of all things, a toothbrush – how long does THAT take?)
Anyway, I asked her very politely to please excuse me and she ignored me. I asked again – still polite mind you (and I mean polite polite, not NJ polite, which would be “get the ^%&@! outta my way!).
Still nothing.
Tried one last time and I’ll admit, it was a little more NJ polite than Miss Manners polite.
Nothing.
So I pushed her out of my way.
Apparently, her state police secret service guys thought she deserved it because they never said anything to me and (I think) I actually heard one of them laugh.
On the other hand, I had a beer with Dan Marino in the parking lot of Joe Robbie stadium that same year, so I guess it all evened out in the end.
Am I dating myself to admit that I love Crowded House and INXS?? Wow!
Yeah, I have one of those faces, too. Admittedly, I’ve traveled a lot, but still. If I get the “I swear I know you; have you ever lived in California?” one more time…!
Um, carried through a whole convesation with Harrison Ford, initiated by foretomentioned…”uncool” is where???
Larramie: I was generally referred to as “wifey” by my friends during a very looong period of my life (well, a whole school year). I turned red and furious a lot, but it was because it was teasing, and all to see me get red and furious. We all were using “hubby” in an affectionate ambiguous way, though, toward the future figure, also.
Thanks for this blog, I’m learning a lot.
Harrison Ford? HARRISON FORD???? Okay, I’m officially green-eyed with jealousy. I’ve been in love with him since I was 8 and saw STAR WARS three times–in a row–at the movie theater.
Oh my gosh. More on the Harrison Ford encounter, please. 😀
Say some idiot (who shall remain namless to protect the guilty) sent you an e-query and later regreted the hasty and unprofessional document. Could this idiot send a revised and much improved query along with sample chapters in hard copy, even though you haven’t seen the e-query yet?
Thanks for asking, erin. He wasn’t rude, but he definitely was not nice. Like I said, his pizzas cost almost $100 and he paid a $1 tip. That’s one percent. Pizza delivery professionals make the same wage as waitpersons, and also rely on tips. Actually, one percent is rude, not just unfriendly. So, even though he said thank you, I was not very appreciative. He did ask how my night was going, but that was before he undertipped me.
Hey everyone (especially those who think they would pick Kristin out of a line-up) her name is KristIN, not Kristen. I do not know if this bothers our mild-mannered, non-complaining midwestern agent, but I have a wife named KristIN and it bothers her when people misspell her name. It would bother me too, except I have a name no one misspells. But I have heard people with other names get quite angry when people misidentify them, but, for some reason, the KristIN’s of this world seem to take it, and never say a thing about it. I say this only because people who proclaim to be agent Kristin’s friends misspell her name, and people who claim to be my wife’s friends, also misspell her name. A name is a name, and I think it is rude to disregard an individual’s name. If I am wrong about this, and you do not mind people just, well, getting your name wrong, you can correct me, Agent Kristin. I think it shows someone respect to write their name properly.
That’s funny that people come up to you and inquire if you’re so and so…I have the same “everygirl” face and am often asked the same thing. Love the Harrison Ford bit. Hahaha. Hope you’re back in the swing of things after your fantastic trip.
I’ve seen at least two people since I started reading this blog that I really thought were Kristin. I had to look and look to change my mind.
Domino, I’ve never heard of a pizza delivery guy making the same as “waitpersons,” or “servers,” as we were called when I waitressed. And I’ve had several friends who worked as pizza delivery people. Does this vary from state to state? Because that may be the reason Harrison Ford didn’t tip; he thought pizza guys made more. My local Domino’s started pizza delivery people at $6.25 an hour when I was in high school; meanwhile, the most I ever made as a server was $2.50 an hour.
word ver: mtdid
If your initials are “MT,” I’m curious. What did you do?
convinced that they know me.
Hmmmmm, I am one of those annoying people. Sorry about that.
I hope you left your little Ipod on charge while you were gone!
5 things.. I’ll try this on my friends and see how long it takes them…
Yours were interesting..
Mine? Worked for 2 presidents, drove a car for a multimillionaire, started my own successful business.. and oh… the other two … shall remain still secrets.
I have the type of face (or demeanor) that invites perfect strangers to tell me their life stories. I don’t know why this is. Also, whenever I am in a retail store, someone always assumes I work there and asks me where the gauchos are or if they can use their Discover card.
Loved the Harrison Ford bit…woo hoo!
Kim, my hubby (an affectionate term, for sure :-)) grew up in Livingston, NJ (where the Keans still live), and when Kean Sr. was governor, hubby just happened to bump into him during some parade. He talked to Kean Sr. briefly, and the guy was extremely nice and polite. Too bad you hadn’t met him instead!
Now, I have the kind of face that blends into a crowd (and I’m small, too), but this story told to me by a lawyer at a prior job made me hysterical (YMMV).
This lawyer, Lou, and my boss, John, decided to go to a NY Yankees game. They had decent seats (maybe box seats, for all I know). All of a sudden, Lou noticed this one guy kept staring at him.
Unnerved, Lou asked the guy what the problem was. The guy, who was in the seat in front of Lou, came out with a pair of sneakers. The guys eyes were wide, and he was quite excited. “Rick Pitino, you’re Rick Pitino!” the guy said.
Lou looked around, wondering who the heck he was talking to. At the time, Rick Pitino coached basketball at the University of Kentucky. Lou knew this, and also knew Mr. Pitino was Italian (as was Lou).
Lou told the guy he wasn’t Rick, but the guy kept pestering Lou, so what did Lou do? He grabbed the guy’s sneakers and magic marker, signed Rick Pitino’s name on it, and handed it back to the unsuspecting guy.
It gets better. There was such a commotion in the seats there (because Mr. Pitino was originally from NYC), so name recognition goes a long way. Security was called, and both Lou and my boss had to be escorted out of the stadium!
And, as far as I know, someone, somewhere in the world, still has a pair of sneakers “signed by Rick Pitino.”
~JerseyGirl
My name is Ed – no one spells my name correctly, including my own mother. It’s been happening for so long, it doesn’t bother me at all.
Kristin, I’m impressed. And more than a little surprised. Also, I live in Mississippi now (transplanted from Vail), and know Kim. You two don’t look anything alike. Is that you in the kayak?
I did this whole “tag” game on my blog about two weeks ago. One of the persons I tagged was Kristin Nelson.
Color me surprised when I saw this thread about her being tagged. Wow! I never would have thought she’d read my blog and find out. I was honored!
Until I saw that Deidre Knight got the credit. Well, I’m here to say, I TAGGED KRISTIN FIRST! 😉
Not that I’m bitter or anything. I even mentioned in my Tag entry that I didn’t think Kristin would have time to play.
(And regarding the pizza delivery…I, too, worked 5 years in the pizza business, and the delivery guys made significantly more per hour than we did, not to mention getting paid for mileage and tips.)
What a colorful life!
Alas, my claim to fame was sucking face with Billy Ray Cyrus–before he got the purty dental work. ;c)
Why in the world would anyone mention sucking face (what a purty phrase) with Billy Ray Cyrus? That is not claim to fame, that is a cry for help.