Second brush

Celebrities, especially those I really admire, pretty much make me lose it. I become a babbling moron. Yes, I know they are just people.

So, when I was informed by my son (who was informed by a security guard) that one of my all-time baseball idols was in front of us, I'm still shocked I was able to remain conscious.

As a dedicated reader, you probably know I'm a huge fan of Tony Gwynn.

And there he was. Standing five feet in front of me, standing in line for the security screening at the San Diego airport (I was there for a work function, which I can't remember squat from because I MET TONY GWYNN!!!!).

I said something brilliant to him (sounded like "ARGHH ... GHHH... GAH ..." and he turned to see who the idiot was behind him. He is apparently used to this reaction and he reached to shake my hand.

As I shook his hand, my mouth was able to form the words, "Could I get a picture?" I figured standing in a security line made a perfectly appropriate place for a picture. What I didn't notice was that he was about two feet from going through the screener (my part of the line wound around for awhile).

He said he'd be happy to, but could I wait until after we got through the screening? I said sure (What else am I going to say?) but I figured he was blowing me off to escape the crazed psycho fan that was me.

But he waited off to the side until I got all my stuff (and my kids) through the screening and then he posed for a picture with me. My son, Alex, took the picture and it was a very good shot. I would love to share it with you here, but I was so shaken, I must have trashed it instead of saving it (I didn't know this until I got on the plane!). While we waited for Alex to set up the shot, I congratulated him on making the Hall of Fame and told him I had a signed picture/plaque of him I had won in a raffle a couple years ago. He nodded like he actually cared and then went off on his way.

Anyway, we walked to our gate and we realized he was waiting for the same plane. He was there to take his team (the San Diego State University baseball team) to Colorado to play Air Force. So, my boys went and had their pictures taken with him (with a real camera) and got an autograph.

When we landed in Denver, Andy and I got off and waited for Tracy and Alex who were toward the back of the plane. When Tony Gwynn got off, he waved at me and Andy offered to shoot another picture of me, but I told him I didn't need to bother him ... plus I was so happy, I really didn't need a picture to remember it.