i am a hysterical and a neurotic fan

The most unbelievable thing happened to me last night. I finally got to meet a guy I was in love with 18 years ago. And I find out I am in love with him still. He’s 46 now, but he’s still as hot now as he was 18 years ago.

His name is Randy Santiago. Yes, the Randy Santiago of the sunglasses and the noontime variety shows

What was supposed to be a quiet dinner with my Bunny friends in Teriyaki Boy became a flighty, slightly hysterical meal complete with flashbulbs popping and breathless babbling and downright adolescent behavior so totally unbecoming of a woman of my age and stature. (Age and stature be damned! It’s Randy Santiago, the object of my countless tweenage fantasies!)

All I wanted was a photo with him. So after a lot of pushing and encouragement (read: buyo and gatong) from my friends, I took a deep breath and summoned all my resources of blind (and a bit stupid) courage, stood up walked over to Randy Santiago, and proceeded to act like a ditz.

See transcript of our conversation below.

Lissa the Ditz (in a slightly high-pitched and breathless voice): Hi I’m really sorry to bother you, I don’t really do this and I know I’m disturbing your dinner but I just had to come over (I was medyo babbling at this point)… I loved you when I was 12 (Aaaaack Jeezuz what the hell am I thinking?) and …… (I trailed off into brainless muttering)…

Randy Santiago (bless his heart, he was so kind and gracious and must be used to blathering idiots fawning over him all the time): No, no it’s no trouble at all. Please have a seat (pats the seat beside him and actually invited me to sit with him!!!) So how old are you now?

LtD : I’m 30 now, am medyo old na.

RS: E ako, am 46 na. (How can he be 46? That gorgeous hunk of humanity) Where do you work?

LtD : (I had to pause for a while because for the life of me, I could not remember where I worked)

And the conversation went on for a few more minutes, but I could not remember a whole lot because my brain was screaming “I’m sitting in a booth with Randy Santiago and we are having a regular conversation like regular people!!!!” When I felt I was about to implode, I stood up and said as graciously as I could “It was very nice meeting you, I don’t want to keep you from whatever else you’re supposed to do. You’re a good sport and it was really nice meeting you" (I keep repeating myself. Gawd) And I slink away.

Half an hour later, when things have returned to normal and I started acting like a normal human being again, Randy Santiago dropped by our table. To say hi to my friends. To say goodbye. And to give me one last opportunity for me to make a fool of myself. I gave him my business card. Gawd, I’m an idiot!

I had the biggest crush on him 18 years ago, and even after 18 years of growing up and living life, I am still every bit the neurotic and hysterical fan I was when I was 12. Only Randy Santiago can do that to me. Bless him for being the most gracious and kind and understanding star in the world.