Warning: Shannah Geeks Out

I had a celebrity crush moment this week.

I’m not gonna lie – I was like a little chatty teenage girl. I did manage not to cry, but I didn’t manage to avoid babbling and grinning like a fool.

The Boy and I attended an industry charity event, benefiting the Dallas Mavericks Foundation. As you’d expect, the Dallas Mavericks ensured players, dancers, cheerleaders and front office staff were there to support the event.

We glanced over the program and wrote off the players attending (sorry DeShawn Stevenson – you’re a good player, but will probably be traded on to another team at some convenient point). But I took note of a very special celebrity judge: Dallas Mavericks Director of Basketball Development, Rolando Blackman.

Big deal, right?

Right – very big deal. Rolando is one of two Dallas Mavericks players to have had his jersey retired. He was part of the last great Dallas Mavericks team in the 1990s. He was also one of the greatest Kansas State basketball players.

Ok…I told you. I have a huge celebrity crush.

So I told The Boy: If I don’t do anything tonight other than have my photo taken with Rolando Blackman, I don’t care.

The Boy said: Fine, we’ll make that happen.

For over an hour, I was busy mingling and taking photos of fellow professionals next to their design entries, keeping one eye out for Ro. You can imagine my surprise when I started to gather my office together for a photo next to our design entry when I ran into Ro!

Rolando! OhmygoshI’msoexcitedtomeetyou. {breath} WillyoutakeaphotowithmeI’mahugefanI’vebeenahugefansinceIwasakidIgrewupontheKStatecampusandlook! I’mwearingapurpledresstonight! {breath}

Rolando: Why, so you are! Of course I’ll take a photo with you!

Ohwhatanhonor.I’msoexcited.We’reseasonticketholdersandgotothegamesallthetime.IlovetheMavsandyoudosuchagoodjobandwe’rereadyforeveryonetobehealthyagain. {breath}

Rolando: Well aren’t you sweet.

The Boy said afterwards that I probably made Rolando’s night – he’d been walking around unmolested before he ran into me! I, obviously, was his biggest fan.

The Boy also said that Rolando probably thought: What a nice woman – though a little crazy!

Whatever.

And do you know what? I even got Rolando to pose with our design team! How’s that?!?