Dinosaurs Dressed Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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All Dressed Up and Somewhere To Go

I’ve spent a lot of time at the  American Museum of Natural History, especially when my kids were little. We marveled at the dinosaur bones, studied the amazing wall in the Hall of Biodiversity, and gazed into space at the Hayden Planetarium.

Subway Art under the museum.

Subway “fossil.”

Subway “fossil.”

At the museum a few years ago, I watched Tibetan monks build sand mandalas and meditated with  Abbot Khen Rinpoche Geshe Kachen Lobzang Tsetan Khen Rinpoche (Khen Rinpoche for short).

But, I’d never been to the museum in the evening, dressed up and as a guest at a fundraising gala.

A T-Rex, towering and fearsome.

The 94 foot long, fiberglass replica of a blue whale.

Always impressive, the big blue whale seems to swim in mid-air.  At the gala, it floated above the tables and modern-day finery.

I had such a nice time at the Stephen Gaynor Gala, meeting Hubby’s colleagues, meeting Suzy B of Suzy B Jewelry, bidding on raffles, dining on a delicious dinner, and rocking to a set by Lauryn Hill.

And guess who I introduced myself to…

the MC of the night…

drum roll, please…

Anderson Cooper!

Anderson Cooper and me!

Anderson was gracious and friendly.  I shook his hand.  He asked if I wanted a picture and I said yes, but first I had some things to tell him.

I told him he was my favorite journalist, that I watch him almost every night, thought he did a great job covering the earthquake in Haiti, saw him when he was in the Ukraine, like the way he presents both sides of an issue but his panelists aren’t acrimonious, and wondered about the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius trial.  Anderson asked me (ME!) what I thought of the trial.  I seriously could have talked to him all night!  Then we had a photo taken.  My mom says, “No wonder he looks so happy in the photo.”

I am still thrilled thinking of it.

Hon, have you ever met someone you admired from a distance?  I’d love to hear about it.