"You'll never guess who..."

The magic of reality TV is that it has the power to turn anyone into a celebrity. I received THE funniest voicemail just before Christmas, I'm so mad it got deleted because the actual sound bite would have been the best, but this will have to do...

My best attempt at recreation, the message on my voicemail sounded like this but in a very serious stage whisper:

"Jackie, you will never believe who came into Potterybarn today."

It takes me the briefest minute, then I realize it's my good friend Michelle. I chuckle, feeling like I'm getting the inside to some delicious story. And it is...

"Tessa from The Bachelor!" (She's still whispering, I start to laugh out loud!) "I even gift-wrapped a present for her sister. Like, her actual sister from the Hometown date. Anyway, I just wanted to call you and tell you, (In a singsong voice,) I saw Tessa from the Bachelor! I'm so cool. I'll talk to you later, bye." I had to listen to it a couple of times, and I even made Aaron listen to it - we both thought Michelle was hilarious! (Picture below, Tessa and Andy in Hawaii.)

You have to know that it was Michelle that introduced me to the Bachelor that particular season and that that we spent every Tuesday morning of that season of The Officer and a Gentleman watching it on my computer while the kids played because our husbands didn't really care for the show. (Truth be told, Aaron detests it.)

We'd dish and gossip about the ridiculous things the bachellorettes did, and really came to feel like we knew the contestants. I was rooting for Tessa, she looked like she's from Hawaii and The Bachelor had ties to the islands. Michelle was rooting for Bevin the "Clinic Research Coorinator" who was outdoorsy and athletic. We'd contemplate inviting our other friends to watch with us, but then conclude, "They're probably classier than us." : ) It was so fun!

I was naive because it was my first time watching, I watched anxiously hoping for a sweet romantic story. And actually, there were two romantic storylines, and even though he picked my favorite, Tessa, I couldn't feel happy that the guy had a romantic relationship with Bevin too, and that she got crushed. It's like polygamous dating. It's bad enough in a movie, but this is supposedly "real!" So since then, I've tried not to watch the show (I still snuck in a few episodes), but I have to say I really enjoyed that season. Thanks, Michelle for making me laugh!