One more story for J.J.

Some time ago I used this photo of DeForest and myself in one of my journal entries and said "that was yet another story", so for J.J. who seems to enjoy my stories of De here's the story about this picture.

I have to precede the picture and tell you of the first time I ever met Carolyn and DeForest together. I was on a "Star Trek Cruise", and DeForest was one of the many guests (along with the likes of Jimmy Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takai, and Nichole Nicoles) I was on the cruise with my youngest son Tom and a friend I knew from conventions was DeForests "body guard".

Somehow he got an invitation for my son and I to his stateroom to meet De and Carolyn and so we went. Since it was the first time "this close" to my favorite star I was nervous to say the least. (little did I know we would become good friends over the years back then).

We arrived at their room and were introduced and sat down to idle chatter, when my friend "the body guard" up and dropped the bomb.

"De, did you know that Pat can do a great imitation of Lily Tomlin as Ernestine, the telephone operator?"

(instant dry mouth hit me!)

"Oh really?" said De, "I think we'd like to see that."

(ohhh lord...why me?!)
If looks could kill, his body guard would have been stricken down where he sat!

With my heart in my throat I managed to "snort" out a Lily Tomlin impersonation to which Carolyn and DeForest howled at. (As I look back I realize this was the catalyst that set in motion the fact that I would do nearly anything after that to make them laugh)

Ok.. that said.. we fast forward a number of months, in which I began writing to the Kelley's regularly and our friendship was beginning...
Then DeForest signed to do a convention in California. (at that time I lived in Florida).
His fan club president Sue Keenan convinced me (which didn't take much) to come out for the convention. She would gather me up at the airport and I would spend the night at her apartment and then we would all go to the Ambassador Hotel In LA for the weekend and the convention.

All went well and we woke at 4 am to get in line to get the front row seats.. half the fun of a convention back then was meeting the people that were all there for the same reason you were there. Sue and I and other friends all had front row seats and I had my camera ready with the 300 zoom to get good pictures of De on stage.

Out he came to a thunderous applause! The room was filled to capacity.. 1,500 people!! But I was glued to the camera and snapping away from the minute he walked on stage. As I focused for yet another snapshot I saw thru my lens that he was looking right at me with a grin on his face and I, for whatever reason, lowered the camera.

"Well I'll be..." I heard him say.. "If it isn't Lily Tomlin in the audience!"

(heh, ok very funny De)

"Would you mind coming up and doing a little of your telephone operator?"

(I now know where the term "cotton mouth" came from!) "ummm, me?"

"How about some applause to get her up here?" I heard him say as my eyes opened as wide as my mouth, which had dropped down considerably!
In all honestly I DO NOT REMEMBER walking on to the stage.. If that's stage fright then that's what I had. How could he do this to me? That little sh*t !

Still grinning he hands me the microphone, I glanced momentarily in the audience and saw a blur of flashes going off!

I gulped.. and snorted.. "one ringy dingy.. two ringy dingys.. is the party to whom I am speaking? Dr McCoy? (snort) I was wondering if I could get my appointment for my examination?"

De guffawed! I couldn't look at the audience the flashes were still going off! I handed him the microphone and kissed him and walked off the stage.. he NEVER told the audience that I wasn't Lily Tomlin!

When he was done and left the stage my friends were gathered around me laughing their butts off.. I was still shaking. There was a tap on my shoulder and when I turned around a small line had formed and they were asking for my autograph!!!

I told them that I wasn't Lily Tomlin and De was only joking...
"yeah right" I heard one person say, "DeForest wouldn't lie to us"~!.... heh.. little did they know!

Suffice to say, Mr Kelley had one hellava sense of humor, and he liked nothing better then playing a joke on you and getting away with it! He never did admit to anyone that I wasn't who he said I was and to back up what I say, at a much later date he did it again when he passed me off as Lily Tomlin at a Restaurant in Florida!!

Even with all of this I sure loved Carolyn and DeForest.. and the years that followed I never enjoyed myself so much as when I was doing or saying or writing something that made them laugh. I had one DE-lightful audience with them!