chaos EXPOSED

I thought my celeb-stalking days were far behind me when I left New York City. But, I guess once a celeb stalker, always a celeb stalker.  Let me preface this story with the lovely Meetup website, www.meetup.com, and explain what a wonderful website it is to "meet-up" with like minded individuals. I registered as a member when I lived in New York and met up with some soccer players to play pick-up games on the weekend. I recently reactivated my account and joined a few groups here in the Bay Area, since I have to "re-find" some friends in the area.

I joined a group called "20-something ladies" located in the Bay Area, and the organizer had just posted a discussion about going to see a performance in San Francisco. I was immediately interested when I saw that Hugh Jackman, yes Wolverine, would be singing and dancing. Who wouldn't want to see Wolverine sing and dance? She offered to drive us to SF for the day (last Sunday) and I offered to pay for parking (used a handy dandy iPhone app to find the cheapest parking in the city - only $10!).

The performance was amazing. Hugh Jackman is so charismatic, and because it was a show about him and designed by him, he talked about whatever he wanted. He showed us pictures from his childhood, which were hilarious, and even brought an audience member (who tried to rip his shirt off while he walked through the audience) onto the stage and sat with her on the stage floor. She was so nervous and kept trying to run away! I wish I could've snapped some pictures in the theater, but as usual, it was strictly prohibited.

No worries! With patience, Cassie can always snap a pic of a celeb! From my experience in NY, I decided to wait with my new friend outside the theater (as did many others) to catch a glimpse of Hugh Jackman. To our surprise, he was much more genial than I would have imagined. He stopped and signed autographs for everyone, but my main goal was to snap a photo with him. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to take photos with everyone. So, I just took photos of him.

So, Meetup.com = + and Hugh Jackman in real life = +!

Another exciting moment last week was when my good friend from high school, a photographer/staff for US Presswire, asked me to help him at the Sharks vs. Canuck playoff game. Of course I replied with glee and declared ABSOLUTELY on the top of my virtual lungs! After work on Friday, I headed towards the Shark Tank (HP Pavilion) and entered through the media entrance. Special, I know. During the game my job was to run SD cards from the photographer to the editing room after an exciting moment in the game (goal, fight, etc). Not only did I get to watch the game without paying a playoff ticket price, but I also got to attend the press conference, where I saw Todd McClellan, Joe Thornton, Patty Marleau, and Antti Niemi. On top of that, I was granted access (like a backstage pass) to the restricted areas and was able to take an elevator with some Sharks players. But since I was representing a company, I was not able to start conversation, just stare... :)