The Price Of Fame: 40 cents

So tonight, I had plans to meet 2 of my old co-workers (from my days at the Washington Speakers Bureau), Shanna and Christine, downtown for dinner. (Shanna's husband, Collin, was also invited...but he never actually GOT the invitation...which is a whole different story completely!) We had plans to meet at 6pm at a new-er restaurant in Chinatown called Matchbox. It was GREAT to see them both, the food was absolutely delicious and reasonable, and we had fun laughing and catching up. On our way out, I took a few pics of the building and the area and the girls. Not a lot else going......

Christine and Shanna are all smiles as we leave Matchbox.

Outside the building, Shanna sees fire....

...and then plays with fire.

The girls....just walking down the street...me...just taking candids.....

Well, not a lot else going on UNTIL I decide to take a picture of Christine on the corner of 7th Street and H Street - with the Chinatown gate in the background. As I'm taking the picture, I notice a very homeless-looking-man coming towards us, and at first, all I hear is that he is yelling. I'm not quite paying attention to WHAT he is yelling...but as Christine put it, "he sounded like Fat Albert....without the whole HEY! HEY! HEY!" So as we quickly snap the picture, we notice the guy is coming towards us pointing at me....saying he saw me on TV last night! And he didn't just leave it at that.....very loudly, he was pointing out that he saw me on that 'talent show' that was on TV last night. And he kept saying this...pointing....over and over again. I'm baffled....and a bit embarassed that we've become the target of this guy, and quite frankly, a little bit scared for the girls....and myself. HAHAHA.

ABOUT the time things got crazy. Our friend is JUST out of the left side of the picture....

I look at Christine....who is still registering what is going on at this point...and then I turn to Shanna, to see her response...and as I do, I realize that Shanna is not backing away, not turning to walk, BUT STARTING TO AGREE WITH THE DERANGED HOMELESS MAN! And she's starting to say, "YES! America's Got Talent! Cas Haley! You DO look like Cas Haley!" So at THIS POINT - I'm now even more confused...because I have Christine laughing hysterically on my right, and now Shanna AND Homeless Joe pointing out that I seemingly have SOME connection to Cas, who evidently was on America's Got Talent last night.

Not wanting the scene to get out of hand, I ASSURE Homeless Joe that I was NOT on TV last night, and that according to my friend (and his new co-conspirator), Shanna, I just LOOK like someone that was on the show. And as we started to walk around him, Homeless Joe kept saying, "MAN! I could've sworn it was you who was on that show last night."

As we pass him, the girls walk up ahead of me, laughing hysterically, and then HJ gets a little closer to me and says, "Hey look man. It's cool. But I really need 40 cents to get my double cheese." Having COMPLETELY slipped into a realm of some bizarro-world somewhere, I sadly report to him that I don't have any money, BUT, as a consolation, I hand him over the to-go box I had with 2 left-over pieces of pizza, and say, "...but you can have this pizza. Trust me, it was really good." HJ takes the box, tucks it under his arm, and then says, "the pizza is fine man. But I really need 40 cents to get that double cheese." I politely and quickly say I'm sorry I can't help him, and start to shuffle off up the street, towards Christine's car...and our path to freedom.

By this point, HJ has decided that if he just TALKS some more, I might stop, so as he starts to follow us UP the block, he starts yelling "Are you SURE you weren't that guy who was on TV last night? I could've SWORN you were him! I could've SWORN you were that guy on that talent show! LAST NIGHT! I swear you were on TV!" And, as we head towards the car, people passing us staring, I calmy assure them all that I was NOT on TV last night...and that the homeless man behind us, following us up the block (with a blanket slung over his shoudler) was just a little crazy. All the while, Christine and Shanna are beside me AND beside themselves with laughter.

The girls laughing, while being pursued...up the block...

HJ gives up his pursuit....soon after he started it, actually...and we make it to Christine's car. As we all hop in, pull out and drive down the block, we notice HJ sitting against the building on the corner, THOROUGHLY enjoying our 2 slices of pepperoni pizza. (Or 'Pepp', as Shanna called it.) I give him a big wave, and say, "Enjoy the pizza." And as we drive off, I hear the strains of HJ's voice, crying out, "ARE YOU SURE YOU WEREN'T ON TV LAST NIGHT!? I SWEAR IT WAS YOU!"

The pictures a little dark...but there he is...Homeless Joe. In all his glory...and with all our pizza.

It took us to the next corner for the laughter to die down, and Shanna suddenly asked the most probable question at this point: HOW did a homeless man have a TV to watch the finale of America's Got Talent? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Footnote: Following the experience, on the drive home, Shanna did a Google-search on her Blackberry and found a picture of Cas Haley. And although I would NEVER mistake him for my twin, I guess I can see how Homeless Joe, at 7th and H, thought it might have been me. I mean, it was getting dark, and he just did a quick glance at me. Shanna DID assure me that I am not anywhere near as large as Cas appears in this picture....but the camera does add a few pounds....so maybe HJ took that into consideration when he decided to make my evening so exciting by yelling out to me, and to everyone else, in Chinatown. Or maybe I was just the closest person around who looked like he might have 40 cents. I mean, whatever else happens, a guy NEEDS his double cheese. It's just that simple.....