A Tale of Two Kims

Because I was born in the 70s, I’ve never been the only Kim in any given room.  There have been many Kims over the years {Jennifers, I know you can relate}.

But I do have a favorite Kim.  Sadly, she lives clear across the country.  However, she has a job that sends her to New York a few times a year.

I never know when she’s going to be here or how to make plans with her.  It’s always sort of like this:

Favorite Kim:  Hey, I just found out I’m coming to New York next Tuesday.  I’ll be there for 18 hours but they haven’t told me what time I have to work, and I won’t find out until I get there.  Hope we can get together!

Me {in pretend casual mode}:  Great — we’ll figure it out.  Can’t wait!

{My true Type A-ness sets in.}

Me:  Sooo, you have no idea what hours you have to work?  A window?

Favorite Kim:  Not yet.  I’ll let you know as soon as I get there!

Me:  OK.  I will find us a restaurant for brunch.  Will it be brunch?  Or you think maybe late lunch?  Or dinner?  What time is your flight?  Maybe we can have a hot pretzel in the cab on your way to the airport.

{It’s not always easy to be my friend.  I know this.}

So, is Favorite Kim a spy with this secret schedule?

No.  She’s an entertainment reporter.  She flies around the world at times to screen movies and then interview the stars.

Pretty kick ass, right?

And I knew her way back when we were both in grad school.  I studied Screenwriting — which, as you can tell, has really panned out for me in huge ways — and she made a far wiser choice in Broadcast Journalism.

So she came to New York a few weeks ago under such circumstances and we were able to secure our two-hour brunch window.  During our fleeting meals together, we essentially conduct a Lightning Round version of “Tell Me Everything I Do Not Know Since The Last Time I Saw You That I Haven’t Learned Through Social Media Updates.  Go!”

Because she slept in a luxury hotel in SoHo the night before, and had to interview celebrities after our brunch, she was dressed to kill.  I, on the other hand, had two kids, one husband and a pug in my bed for four hours the night before, and then got on an early Sunday morning NJ Transit train — dressed not unlike a Lands End catalog spread from 2008.  I was also leaning at about a 30 degree angle from my recent ongoing back issues.

Sunday mornings are not my best look.

Halfway through our brunch, I realized that I never asked her which film she was here to cover.

Favorite Kim: Skyfall.

Me:  Oh, nice.  So who do you get to interview?

Favorite Kim:  Daniel Craig.

Me:  Excellent!

Favorite Kim:  And the new Bond Girls.

Me:  Oh.  I don’t know who they are.

Favorite Kim:  And Javier Bardem.

*Gulp*

Me:  Shut the hell up.

Favorite Kim:  It’s true.  But not Dame Judi Dench.

Me:  OK, but still.  Javierrrrrr {I love a good roll of the Spanish R}  — I love him.  Probably to an inappropriate degree.  What are you going to ask him?

Favorite Kim:  Is there anything you want me to ask him?

Me:  How about what Penelope Cruz has that I don’t?

Favorite Kim:  Do you want to come with me and hang out in the lounge before the interview?

Me:  No, I’ll pass out and ruin your professional credibility.

Favorite Kim:  OK.

So after our turbo catch-up session, we went our separate ways — she to her job and me back to family stuff in New Jersey.  On this day, “family stuff” meant the highly anticipated pumpkin patch with corn maze madness.  But regardless, I was so happy to have seen Favorite Kim.  Our visits are never long enough.

And then, later on Twitter, I see this.

Which warranted this.

When Favorite Kim inexplicably returned the compliment {although the Twitterverse has lost the evidence}, I had this to say to her.

I mean, really.  Who would you rather be?  Who has the better gig?

Favorite Kim?

Or me?

It’s ok.  I’m not offended.  I get it.

My Javier vs The Corn Maze wounds resurfaced over the weekend when Favorite Kim posted the final cut of the interview on Facebook.

I’m still trying to regroup.

But hey, that was a hell of a corn maze.  With pony rides.  And cider.

Javier can wait until next time, I guess.

* * * * *

{If you want to see more of Favorite Kim’s fabulous life — from celeb interviews to wrangling her adorable kids — follow her on Twitter @kimholcomb.}