TALES FROM CARMAGEDDON - 'Ten Minutes with Tom'

Last time we left off, our courageous hero (me), was on a collision course with the event known as 'Carmaggedon'. Since then his blog has remained empty, leaving some folks to ponder his fate… until now.

Ghostcockroach presents...

TALES FROM CARMAGEDDON - 'Ten Minutes with Tom'

It was the year of the celebrity, 2011. As a lover of all things film and tv, my encounters this year has brought the inner hot dog eating, roller skating Brad child front and center. I've been straight geeking, yo. 

Brief sightings and encounters are awesome, but during the weekend of Carmageddon - I had one of the coolest experiences of my life. It's an experience known now as 'Ten with Tom'. It followed two other pretty kickass events - 'Ten with Rita' and '5 with Mary Kay Place'. Oh, and 'Awkward few seconds with Eugene Levy' was noteworthy as well. 

It all happened at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. It was a rare, but well deserved perk of the industry that I've chosen to work in - the music industry :( It's here I found myself in a corner conversing one on one with Tom Hanks. Ten minutes of uninterrupted conversation with perhaps the greatest actor of our generation, and somebody I have grown up watching on the small and big screen.

This full story is best told in person, as it involves animation, reenactments, and a brief role playing scenario. But, what I will do here is release rare photos from the night. 

After talking with Tommy, I couldn't resist getting my picture taken with Hollywood royalty. A somewhat simple task, right? Wrong…. wrong. It took several times to get a picture that I could actually show people. Here's how it all unfolded. 

Attempt # 1:

Point and click - easy. Well, that is if your smart phone is set to camera and not video camera. Watch as the hijinks ensue. 

Attempt # 2:

Okay - we've got it. Feeling good. I take a few pictures for some other people, then the Hanks and Levy crew say their goodbyes. As I sit down to look at the picture with me and Tommy - my stomach drops when I see this. 

Attempt # 3: 

WTF? You always snap two photos! I might cry - wait, I hear Rita still talking in the hallway. I'm pushing it now, but let's face it - I'll never get this opportunity again. I peek out in the hallway and Tom is texting. 'Hey, Tom? Can I get one with you and Rita?' Sure he says...

Attempt # 4: 

You always take two :) 

Then there is this... the blurry corner convo shot.