I had to submit a quick note to tell you that while volunteering for the River's Edge Film Festival over the weekend, my friend Brad was stunned to come face-to-face with Dorothy Lyman. Some of you clever readers may know her as Naomi from the 80s sitcom, Mama's Family. Ms. Lyman directed an entry in this year's festival called Northern Kingdom. The film is based on a play by Andes, Delhi resident Nancy Sayles Garrett and follows three interconnected families in an agricultural town and their interaction with an injured Iraq-conflict veteran who upon his return befriends a troubled boy who is building a bomb. The play was developed into a screenplay after Lyman saw a staged reading in New York City.

After Brad related the sighting, I kept wondering things like...

"Did she stay at the new Residence Inn or at The Big E (and if so, did she meet Essie)?"

"Did she eat at Di Fratelli's or Doe's or did she just hang out at O'Charley's like Robert Downey, Jr. did during his stay?"

"Did she visit any of the Lowertown galleries or did she just go to JC Penney like Demi Moore?"

I wondered if she went in the Groundfloor (my favorite downtown store) and what she thought about that white dusted angel/statue-guy posed on Broadway on Saturday night. What did she think about the people line dancing in the street to the musical stylings of sweaty country karaoke man? I wondered if she had any clue just how many episodes of Mama's Family everyone around here has seen.

I wish I could have asked her what it was like to work with Vicki Lawrence and Fran Drescher and if the staff at the MAC was friendly to her or knew who she was or gave her a free REFF coffee mug.

Why didn't I volunteer again this year??!!

Namaste