Actually, I can usually get over missing the boat fairly easily - especially when the boat we're talking about is a celebrity sighting. Oh, sure, they're fun, and maybe even a bit exciting, but rarely do they change your life - or even your plans for the evening.
And sure, some people swear they're changed after they rub elbows or shake hands with their favorite entertainment or sports personality, but that usually doesn't last long. (Even the kid who swears he'll never wash his hand again has to take a shower sometime, right?)
But this time it bugged me a little, because I knew that the celebrity was going to show up. Of course, there was no guarantee, but I just had a really good feeling about it. So I planned to attend the event. I even bought tickets well in advance. But again - this time, for want of a babysitter - I missed the boat.
And the celebrity in question was Bruce Springsteen.
Now, to hear some local radio jocks tell it, everyone in New Jersey who wants to (and even people who don't) has had a close encounter with the Boss. Even though he's a superstar, Springsteen's a pretty accessible guy. Why, just this summer he's been turning up everywhere - even though he's not on tour. Earlier this month, he surprised those in attendance at a Bruce Hornsby concert in Red Bank by joining Bruce-number-two for an encore of "Cadillac Ranch", which, of course, was written by Bruce-number-one. Fans were delighted - although a bit confused, understandably.
The next day, Bruce showed up at a Yankees game, taking a seat next to three time Tour-de-France winner Lance Armstrong. (Whether this was a "celebrity encounter" for Lance or for Bruce has yet to be determined,although those seated around the pair were doubly blessed.) By the way,the Yankees - most of whom are celebrities in their own right, and not distracted by their high-caliber fans - went on to win that game 9-7.
A lot of Bruce fans had a surprise encounter this spring, the night of the release of the "Live In New York City" album. Jack's Record Store - which also happens to be in Red Bank - held a late night party for those diehards who wanted to grab the CD right at the moment of its midnight release. According to reports, the store manager served some refreshments and threw a raffle while the faithful waited for the midnight hour. Then, when the time arrived, the manager told the crowd to take it easy on the new cashier at the back register (or something to
