Star Gazing in Your Hood?

Okay. So, I live in Baltimore and can't compete with folks in L.A. and NYC.

But....today I watched David Simon, creator of the "Wire" and "Homicide Life on the Street" struggle with his keys to enter his pimped out condo.

Some tool was blocking my usual route to the Hardware store - moving in or something, so I took a different route which enabled me to spy Mr. Simon about five blocks from my home.

Just the other day (Wednesday actually), some friends and I were walking to Camden Yards and I pointed out what I thought was the home of David Simon and Laura Lippman (I've read at least one book of hers).

My buddy (a huge fan of the wire) wrote me that he found the home and I was right with my guess as we walked to the game.

Then, today with the unusual route I thought I'd verify my guess and his research.

Then, I looked up and saw him struggling with his keys around noon.

Was he impaired at midday? In Balto you never know.

So, any recent sightings in your hoods?

Not in my 'hood, but I saw the Governator and Maria Shriver over spring break.

I'm not very good at this though. I was looking at him, thinking, "Gosh, why does he look familiar?" and then realized that someone was watching me watch him. Aha! DH was with the kids and saw Maria Shriver from the back and though she was me (appears we have the same yoga pants). My youngest amused her.

Also saw someone at Disneyland with her kids but I can't remember right now who she is.

[Sheherezade]

Don't knock Baltimore for stargazing. I met Richard Belzer (sp?) there; he was filming Homicide and lived next door to a friend in one of the nice Harbor front buildings. I also met Jon Waters, Antonio Banderes and Melanie Griffiths when she was living in town filming with Waters. Stella Banderes joined my homeschool/preschool group for the duration of their stay so we got to chat with them on a number of occasions. Honestly, Baltimore was WAY more start filled than Philly for me. NYC was best for the casual encounter. Boston had James Taylor in the playground with his twins and artsy film directors in our parents group. Cleveland has given me nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Bubkus. My groupie muscles are atrophied. *snicker snicker*

I may have to move.

How is Maria looking these days?

Don't care about Governator must confess.

Wouldn't have recognized Simon if not looking for him and had seen this video: http://www.visitmybaltimore.com/tags/284

Awesome video.

Angie. Tell me you can't watch this video and not want to return to Baltimore!

[Auspicious]

Instead of seeing someone from TV in my neighborhood I saw someone from my neighborhood on TV.

Flipping through channels, on Oprah they're wheeling someone onstage in one of those giant pressurized oxygen chambers you can sleep in. Oprah starts talking with the woman and I'm like "Holy sh*t that's Shawna from the gym! That woman loves my kid!" She's the director of the "Kids' Club"/babysitting at our gym and knows Cora well.

It was just a short little conversation with Oprah, so I recorded the later showing of the episode to see if they maybe explained anything about how she ended up in a hyperbaric chamber on the Oprah show (?!?!) but no such luck. She must know a producer. Or Dr. Oz has her in his rolodex: "Hyperbaric chamber demos: Call Shawna."

[MrsK]

Nothing in Cleveland even though the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductions were here this year.

Lots of opportunities in Miami though. I met Ryan Seacrest at the Sagamore Hotel -- he's *so* short! There were rumors that Lucy Liu was with his group that night too but I didn't see her. I've met Romero Britto (pop artist) and Gloria Estefan (she owns the whole city). Dave Berry belonged to my temple; His wife, Michele Kauffman, is a sports writer for the Miami Herald and their children go to school at the temple. When I was a kid, mom was friends with Janet Reno during her days as attorney general in Miami. I've known Donna Shalala for years -- she was dean of my college before she joined Clinton's cabinet and president of the university where I went to law school after his administration ended. And Alonzo Morning's people stole a backet ball from me once.

Another member of our temple/friend of mine owns this awesome independent bookstore there that attracts big names so I've met Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex), Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, Zadie Smith (White Teeth, the Autograph Man) etc.

Miami is so cool.

I'm sure there are more and I just don't remember.

Also, weird celebrity connections via Mom because apparently Chicago (where she grew up) is cool too. She went to high school with Donald Pliner -- the shoe designer. He has a twin sister named Donna. Also, she went to college with Roger Ebert -- she said he was an AV geek and used to hang out alone a lot -- and she went to college with Dick Butkus. They were friends via a boyfriend of hers/buddy of his. They took a ballet class together. Apparently the whole football team had to take the class. To this day, she recognizes his voice when she hears him on the radio or tv.

That reminds me that I saw Roger Ebert at the college I went to (he was there giving a speech, I think).

Lucy Liu and Jeffrey Eugenides - count me officially jealous. Shallow enough to be more jealous about the former rather than the later though.

[oceanchild]

When I lived in LA, I used to stalk the West Wing. Saw a couple film shoots (and was in one), and sat in the red carpet bleachers for the Emmys once.

In DC all the star sightings are politicians, or actors playing politicians.

And I have no idea who hangs out in Denver.

No one. You'll have to head to Aspen. You might see someone who is performing at Red Rocks but I don't think your chances are any better there than other places.

Same for Portland. Gus Van Zant lives here but that is the only one that comes to mind. There are some LA movie/tv telecommuters here but not stars (writers, set designers, that sort of thing). I think there is a new TV show being filmed here but, as usual, no idea who is in it.

[DCJenn]

I was almost run over by Leiberman's driver. I've seen a bajillion politicians- drank wine with Tammy Baldwin (D- WI). She wrote a note excusing my cousin from my wedding- on House letterhead. (cousin was working on her re-election campaign)

David Caruso here in SA. Pretty sure I saw Tommy Lee Jones at the grocery store once. I met Tammy Duckworth in an elevator at Walter Reed. (She is the double amputee Iraq Vet who is now appointed to the VA.)

Jenn

[ides]

I've seen a few in nyc. The most current and oh so exciting was Al Roker. He was leaving Food Emporium. Yeehaw.

I have seen, years ago, in nyc- Chris Burke (Corky from Life Goes On), Thurston Moore, Sandra Berhart, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, and Tom Petty.

Supposedly Madonna has just moved into my neighborhood with a chicken coop to boot. I haven't seen her though.

[SuzySunshine]

We get lots of politicians because of the clinic. The foreign ones tend to stick out the most, the domestic ones you don't tend to hear about until they're gone.

The most famous one I can think of was Donatella Versace who was here probably about a year ago with a family member and dropped TONS of money at our mall while she was here. I didn't recognize her at first.

The ones that crack me up are the ones that have all of the secret service with them, like the King of Jordan, they couldn't have looked more out of place.

I don't think any famous people actually live here

[Auspicious]

In NYC I saw Jerry Seinfeld, Martha Plimpton, Nathan Lane, Laura Innes from ER, Minnie Driver, David Carradine (RIP), George Stephanopolus, Donald Sutherland . . . I think that's it.

Almost all of those were either on the street on the Upper West Side or were theatre audiences. I think the camera does add ten pounds, because I was surprised how thin most of these are in real life. Also it really makes you notice how many celebrities are kind of b-list celebrities.

How is Maria looking these days?

She looks good -- better in person than on tv. Dh thought her skin looked great.