OK, so I never watch tv in the daytime but for some reason I turned on Rosie
just as she's announcing that Joni will be her sole guest. Now my best
friend Debbie and I have loved Joni in High School but the affair wasn't
active, what with marriage and kids etc. But I was excited so I called her
and left a message on her machine. I watch the show and decide right then
and there I need to rush out and buy the BSN CD. I go to one record store,
sold out. Fight traffic to another, same deal. Now I'm real cranky and
don't want to have to fight what is now rush hour traffic in Hollywood but I
have to get this CD. And one for Debbie too. I go to Virgin, walk in,
purchase 2 CD's and turn to walk out the door and Joni Mitchell is standing
right in front of me. I say "joni mitchell, Joni Mitchell, JONI MITCHELL" .
She's wearing a straw hat, looks down, and realizes that even under the brim
we're gonna spot her. She looks up and smiled brightly and says "Hi". I
begin; "I just saw you on Rosie and you are so fabulous and I had to go to 3
record stores to find this CD and look in my bag I have 2 CD's of BSN and
that's all and you have been so important to me and always in my heart and I
grew up and survived because of you..." Joni is saying "Oh thank you. Oh,
that's so nice." Then she goes "Do you want me to autograph them for you?"
And I sputter "Great, but my pen won't stick to the plastic on the CD (jerk!)
so would you sign the receipt? Twice? Once to Jenny and one to Debbie, it's
her birthday soon?" She says sure and while she's signing 'hello Jenny' and
'Hello Debbie, Joni Mitchell', a crowd of 20-somethings is gathering far away
by the door, staring. I keep blathering, "This is such a thrill, YOU'RE my
thrill." She giggles and says "Oh, you've heard the CD then?" But I say,
"No, just what you sang on Rosie and I don't care what they say, you just
keep smoking those cigaretts because you never sounded better..." Joni says
"Well, they haven't seemed to hurt me." Then I say thank you and I'm sorry
and back away. She says "No, thank you" and is so sweet and watches me back
out the door. The kids at the door say "You talked to her" I say "I've
loved her for 30 years and you can talk to her too."
I float outside and phone Debbie. She is home. "GUESS WHAT!!" I tell her the
whole thing and then I say "I'm going back in." I keep Debbie on the line to
hunt for the goddess once again. It takes a while as she is now surrounded by
about 5 people in various stages of bowing, we're-not-worthy, gushing and
polite adoration, Joni is laughing and indulging each one. I walk up to her
again and say "I'm so sorry. It's me again. Would you just say Happy Birthday
to Debbie on the phone?" (I'm SUCH a jerk now) Joni takes my cell phone and
says it and hands it back to me. I thank her again and get out of there
before I invite her to dinner.
She was just there, at the record store, shopping. She was with some young
guy who looked real annoyed the whole time...
Cool, huh?
