Tag: Season 1

Posted on

Close encounters of the second kind

Wednesday, June 29, 2005. Los Angeles, California. Several hours after shooting the reunion show footage. A bar called “Barney’s Beanery.” The men’s restroom. “Hey, I really like your show.” (I guess the second time someone recognized me in public was creepier than the first…)

I could barely hear in the bar because it was karaoke night. There was someone working the “stage” to ensure that people were signed up and “sang” in order. Using the blaringly loud sound system, she told the crowd (after identifying me amongst them) that she thought I should win because I was a Boy Scout. Her brothers were once Cub Scouts and did the Pinewood Derby (according to her, half the kids’ parents built their cars in that Cub pack…). Oh yeah, and continuing to yell into the microphone, she added, “The tent challenge was bullshit.” Meaning she saw the episode in which I was kicked off. Meaning I was really confused… and my ears were on the verge of bleeding.

I also got to see everyone from the show again—it was a good night.

Posted on

The cow has come home

I made it back to Minnesota (in one piece, no less) and it looks like I have a lot of stuff to talk about in the immediate future—I think you guys added about 50 comments while I was gone. But like I said, “in the immediate future.” As in “Not right now.” I’ve had eight hours of sleep the last two nights and I’m gonna crash reeeeeal quick.

Before I go, though, I want to thank you all for the support even though the buck stopped here. And I also want to say that I was thinking of you during the reunion show, but I couldn’t bring myself to jam my finger halfway up my nose in front of a live studio audience. Hope you can forgive me.

Posted on

I believe I can fly!

My flight out to L.A. for the reunion show will be taking off in about five hours. I’ll be gone until Thursday afternoon, so the usual recap on Wednesday won’t be there. If I’m lucky, I can set a time-delayed post that’ll appear that afternoon (without any juicy details, unfortunately); if I’m not, just write your comments here and I’ll figure out something else when I get back. Cheer me on!

Posted on

Mail Call!

I picked up the mail this afternoon and found something I’d never expected. This time, it wasn’t the usual newspaper ad set in there by a friendly neighborhood stalker: it was a mass-mailing from my high school advertising Beauty and the Geek because I was a member of the three remaining couples. Hoo boy…

I’m not sure whether I prefer that the school sent it out now rather than when the show started. Perhaps now is better because it’s a lot less likely that female alumnae will ask me to join them when shopping for clothes on the weekends.

Posted on

Gimme a Smile!

I went to a Minnesota Twins game with my parents on Thursday (tickets courtesy of Matthew Feeney, who wanted to say thanks for being an extra at that all-night shoot for Fall Into Me). We were in the tenth row down the third base line—pretty good seats. However, getting inside the Metrodome meant we still had to deal with all the people hawking tickets outside.

We had parked six or seven blocks away to avoid getting jacked for $10 in a lot. Heading to the stadium, we ended up walking towards someone holding up four tickets to the game. Didn’t need ‘em, planned to pass by the guy, no big deal. All of a sudden, he turned to me and said, “Gimme a smile!”

I looked at him and thought, “Okay, he wants me to get excited about the Twins playing in half an hour, go team!” I flashed him a grin, at which point he yelled out, “I saw you on TV last night!” (It seems very odd that the first time someone told me he recognized me, he’d be hawking tickets to a baseball game…)

We talked briefly, then he handed me his card (he works for Premiere Tickets, which assumedly doesn’t screw you over nearly as hard as Ticketmaster for concerts, sporting events, etc.) I tucked it in my pocket, we shook hands and he said, “My wife will get a kick out of this.” Under the circumstances, I think I got a kick out of it as well.