Now you'd have all thought that our wives couldn't have been more incredibly creative with the birthday gift to the Cosmosphere. Oh, how wrong you would be, if you'd thunk that.
A few years after our Adult Astronaut Experience, our wives informed us they had a special dinner planned; dress nice and they'd tell us where we would be going. Dutifully obeying, as is our usual wont, we sat meekly in the backseat (like I said above, as usual) as the car took us where the car was gonna took us. After a 40 minute or so drive up into the Northshore, we pull into the parking lot of Lovell's, the restaurant owned by the son of Apollo astronaut and two-time moon-orbiter Jim Lovell! (He was on Apollo 8 that circled the moon as well as the ill-fated Apollo 13, just to jog your memory)
Once again speechless ('cause you know we only talk when necessary...) we walked into a former mansion that was now chock-full of space memorabilia. After exploring for a short while (ok, it was NOT a short while, because Darren and I have to read EVERY LITTLE THING WE SEE. Which is why we only go to museums with each other and not our families), we sat down to what promised to be an incredible gourmet dining experience.
Of course, a few libations were imbibed. Delectable food was enjoyed. But the surprises were not done. At some point through the night, an elderly gentleman with a young assistant came through the room we were in. IT WAS NONE OTHER THAN JIM LOVELL HIMSELF!!! AHHH!!! Donna and Laura had called the restaurant and explained that their geeky husbands were major space geeks, and asked if there was any chance Jim might be around so they could meet him. After getting in contact with said assistant, she informed that Mr. Lovell was in town on X day at a conference and MAY be able to stop by for a minute, and she would let Mr. Lovell know but no guarantees.
Somehow, this incredible superstar found the time to come let two space geeks slobber over him for five minutes.
Anyway, Darren and I see him at about the same instant, and both jump to our feet.
Now, in my life I've had Mike Singletary give me a personal thumbs-up, peed next to Johnny Morris, shook hands with Da Coach in his prime, bowled next to Jim McMahon and Kurt Becker from the '85 Bears. I danced with Karen Valentine at a disco and had Larry Storch call me "Little Buddy" for the night because he couldn't remember my name. Gary Sandy and I compared notes about performing Harold Hill in Music Man for 20 minutes as I related the time he sweat all over me in the 2nd row at Drury Lane Oakbrook. I've escorted and cared for several medium-sized names at the Prairie Arts Center, and I even once tied Frankie Valli's brother's shoes because he was too nervous to do so right before he went on stage. So I'm used to having celebrity encounters. But this was greater than all of them. This was our big moment. This was our "Michael Jordan"... our "Walter Payton". We couldn't blow it. We had to be cool...
JIM: "Hello there, I'm Jim Lovell"
ME: "We know who you are! Wow Mr. Lovell it is an honor to meet you!"
DARREN: "We saw your Fecal Containment Unit from Apollo 13 at the Cosmosphere!"
<insert face palm>
Yeah... we totally buckled under the pressure.
There is NO WAY we could spoil this moment, right?
And in just a minute, it was over. Mr. Lovell smoothly transitioned from us talking about his bodily functions to how incredible the Cosmosphere is... a bit more fawning small-talk nowhere NEAR as embarrassing, and off he ran. Absolutely the greatest celebrity encounter two card-carrying space geeks could ever wish for, set up because we have the greatest wives who continue to put up with us, even when talking about Astronaut Fecal Containment Units.
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.... "We saw your Fecal Containment unit... at the Cosmosphere"... Cool as the ice on the underside of Uranus... (Damn it! We can't stop talking about it!)
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