corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Well, it's been ages since I've been here, and I don't have a good reason for staying away so long ... but I have a FABULOUS reason to come back.
Bono was at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle (where I work) on Thursday morning, meeting with The Big Cheese (we're not sure what about). Here's my tale ...
Just before 10:00 this morning, I'm gathering things for a team meeting. My phone rings. It's Brent.
"Did you know Bono's in the building? He's meeting with Howard." (Howard, of course, is the big head mucky muck of Starbucks.)
I immediately start sputtering. "What? Now? What? But I have a meeting!"
"We're hanging out up here on the 8th floor. His meeting's supposed to be done at ten."
Knowing I have this meeting, I slam the phone down and look around in a panic. "Tell A. and K. that I'll be a few minutes late," I say to J, and dash up the stairs.
There are a few people sitting around the common area, which is between the executive offices and the reception area. Apparently when he got there, he was sitting in reception, and Howard came and got him. I don't know about you, but I thought the idea of Bono sitting in reception with a visitor's badge waiting to be picked up was pretty funny.
So we're sitting, and we're waiting. I'm antsy about this meeting, which is a fairly important meeting. No Bono. Brent has to dash off to a meeting of his own. I run back down the two flights to my department, and everyone else is still hanging around. A. and K., the bosses, are still on a phone call that ran long. I tell the gals where I'm going and dash back up, hoping he'll come out during these precious few minutes I have.
Still no Bono. During all of this, the word is spreading around the building, and more people are casually strolling into the commons, looking like they have some other reason to be there. But then they see everyone else sitting around, and we all look sheepish and laugh.
I dash back down the stairs (each time I go up and down, I swing near the executive area to see if there's anything going on - it's the long way around, and by this time I'll all hot and flushed from the stairs and the excitement). Still no meeting. Another gal is concerned that we won't have enough time, as she has to give a presentation at 11. I make the executive decision that we should try and postpone our original meeting, so barge into A's office and tell them this. A and K, I'm sure, are wondering why the hell I sound like such a spaz about this. They agree, and I dash back upstairs.
Two minutes later, K (one of my managers) and another gal dash into the area as well. I've never seen K so excited about anything, which is pretty funny. So yay, my manager is there, I don't have to feel guilty about sitting there waiting for a celebrity.
Twenty minutes pass. It's now 10:45. No Bono. The others who had been waiting have all left. Bummed, the three of us go back downstairs.
I can't concentrate, naturally. How could I be so close to him and not try as hard as I could to see him? I just wanted to see him, even if it was just the top of his wee head. So at 10:55, I tell the gals that I'm going back up for one more pass through the common area.
I get up there, and there's a clump of about 7 people, waiting. I hang out for a few minutes, and just when I'm ready to give up, someone who knows someone who knows someone calls Howard's secretary: they're leaving his office!
Now here's a clump of guys and gals, between the ages of 30-40, acting like giddy teenagers. My heart is pounding, my face is all flushed, the lady next to me says, "My hands are shaking! Oh my God!" one guy has brought a U2 calendar from his cubicle wall. He says he's the biggest U2 fan in the building; I tell him I don't accept that, but stop short of challenging him to a U2-off.
Then someone says, "Here they come!" We look down the hall, and here comes Howard and a few other people, including one short figure that's recognizable even at that distance. As they get closer, they see that this clump of people is waiting specifically for Bono. Howard comes forward with a big smile, spreads his arms and announces, "Here I am!" We all laugh, but we're all looking at Bono. (Since seeing Howard around the building is an Event in and of itself, this is greatly amusing.)
We're just a small crowd, but there are people coming from behind now. People have cameras, a few have pieces of paper and pens for autographs. Calendar guy gives him the calendar to sign, and tells him a story about being at a show. Bono chats amiably about it for a minute (oh, that soft accent is to die for!), people take about a billion pictures in different configurations of people, and the crowd is getting bigger.
I realize I have to do this fast, lest I get lost in the throng. So I keep positioning myself next to calendar guy, and as soon as he's done, I catch Bono's eye and stick out my hand. He takes it, and I gush ... er, state with incredible poise and dignity: "Hi, I'm such a big fan, thank you for all the great music." And with that, he makes an "aww" sound and pulls me in for a hug. As he hugs me, he gives me a kiss on the cheek. Someone says, "I'll take your picture," and we pose.
Now, I have no idea if the man said a damn thing to me or what. No clue. But I got to see him, talk to him, freaking HUG HIM. With photographic evidence! Oh my. I'm still having moments of "Holy shit, I met Bono today!" It's greatly amusing.
I get the name of the gal with the digital camera so I can email her for the picture, hang around for a few minutes exchanging looks of "Eeee! Holy shit, can you believe this?!" with other people, and then escape. Not that I didn't want to stick around and look at him for as long as I could, but I was just dying to tell someone!
It took everything I had not to run squealing and flailing my arms down to my department. But I was able to hold off until I actually got to my area. They took one look at me and knew, and I just exploded. Face and ears hot and red, arms flapping, squealing, jumping around like an idiot.
K gets out of her meeting later and freaks out. I get the picture from the camera lady. I am now the celebrity-by-association of the department.
I still don't know what he was meeting Howard about. Another coworker apparently asked him, and he said "revolution is in the air." What a Bono thing to say.
I had heard in the past that he smelled bad. I am happy to report that he did not smell bad at all.
His latest, longer hairdo was not doing anything for me when I'd seen the pictures, but I'm also happy to report that it looks better in person.
His glasses weren't that green in person, but I was bummed he had them on - I wanted to see those gorgeous blue eyes.
He's very short. I'm 5'2", and while I didn't think to look at his shoes, I bet he was wearing his hugely thick-soled shoes.
He was very gracious and patient with everyone that approached him.
Hm, I think that's it.
I MET BONO!!!!!!! I'm still very giggly about this. And amazed.
Bono was at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle (where I work) on Thursday morning, meeting with The Big Cheese (we're not sure what about). Here's my tale ...
Just before 10:00 this morning, I'm gathering things for a team meeting. My phone rings. It's Brent.
"Did you know Bono's in the building? He's meeting with Howard." (Howard, of course, is the big head mucky muck of Starbucks.)
I immediately start sputtering. "What? Now? What? But I have a meeting!"
"We're hanging out up here on the 8th floor. His meeting's supposed to be done at ten."
Knowing I have this meeting, I slam the phone down and look around in a panic. "Tell A. and K. that I'll be a few minutes late," I say to J, and dash up the stairs.
There are a few people sitting around the common area, which is between the executive offices and the reception area. Apparently when he got there, he was sitting in reception, and Howard came and got him. I don't know about you, but I thought the idea of Bono sitting in reception with a visitor's badge waiting to be picked up was pretty funny.
So we're sitting, and we're waiting. I'm antsy about this meeting, which is a fairly important meeting. No Bono. Brent has to dash off to a meeting of his own. I run back down the two flights to my department, and everyone else is still hanging around. A. and K., the bosses, are still on a phone call that ran long. I tell the gals where I'm going and dash back up, hoping he'll come out during these precious few minutes I have.
Still no Bono. During all of this, the word is spreading around the building, and more people are casually strolling into the commons, looking like they have some other reason to be there. But then they see everyone else sitting around, and we all look sheepish and laugh.
I dash back down the stairs (each time I go up and down, I swing near the executive area to see if there's anything going on - it's the long way around, and by this time I'll all hot and flushed from the stairs and the excitement). Still no meeting. Another gal is concerned that we won't have enough time, as she has to give a presentation at 11. I make the executive decision that we should try and postpone our original meeting, so barge into A's office and tell them this. A and K, I'm sure, are wondering why the hell I sound like such a spaz about this. They agree, and I dash back upstairs.
Two minutes later, K (one of my managers) and another gal dash into the area as well. I've never seen K so excited about anything, which is pretty funny. So yay, my manager is there, I don't have to feel guilty about sitting there waiting for a celebrity.
Twenty minutes pass. It's now 10:45. No Bono. The others who had been waiting have all left. Bummed, the three of us go back downstairs.
I can't concentrate, naturally. How could I be so close to him and not try as hard as I could to see him? I just wanted to see him, even if it was just the top of his wee head. So at 10:55, I tell the gals that I'm going back up for one more pass through the common area.
I get up there, and there's a clump of about 7 people, waiting. I hang out for a few minutes, and just when I'm ready to give up, someone who knows someone who knows someone calls Howard's secretary: they're leaving his office!
Now here's a clump of guys and gals, between the ages of 30-40, acting like giddy teenagers. My heart is pounding, my face is all flushed, the lady next to me says, "My hands are shaking! Oh my God!" one guy has brought a U2 calendar from his cubicle wall. He says he's the biggest U2 fan in the building; I tell him I don't accept that, but stop short of challenging him to a U2-off.
Then someone says, "Here they come!" We look down the hall, and here comes Howard and a few other people, including one short figure that's recognizable even at that distance. As they get closer, they see that this clump of people is waiting specifically for Bono. Howard comes forward with a big smile, spreads his arms and announces, "Here I am!" We all laugh, but we're all looking at Bono. (Since seeing Howard around the building is an Event in and of itself, this is greatly amusing.)
We're just a small crowd, but there are people coming from behind now. People have cameras, a few have pieces of paper and pens for autographs. Calendar guy gives him the calendar to sign, and tells him a story about being at a show. Bono chats amiably about it for a minute (oh, that soft accent is to die for!), people take about a billion pictures in different configurations of people, and the crowd is getting bigger.
I realize I have to do this fast, lest I get lost in the throng. So I keep positioning myself next to calendar guy, and as soon as he's done, I catch Bono's eye and stick out my hand. He takes it, and I gush ... er, state with incredible poise and dignity: "Hi, I'm such a big fan, thank you for all the great music." And with that, he makes an "aww" sound and pulls me in for a hug. As he hugs me, he gives me a kiss on the cheek. Someone says, "I'll take your picture," and we pose.
Now, I have no idea if the man said a damn thing to me or what. No clue. But I got to see him, talk to him, freaking HUG HIM. With photographic evidence! Oh my. I'm still having moments of "Holy shit, I met Bono today!" It's greatly amusing.
I get the name of the gal with the digital camera so I can email her for the picture, hang around for a few minutes exchanging looks of "Eeee! Holy shit, can you believe this?!" with other people, and then escape. Not that I didn't want to stick around and look at him for as long as I could, but I was just dying to tell someone!
It took everything I had not to run squealing and flailing my arms down to my department. But I was able to hold off until I actually got to my area. They took one look at me and knew, and I just exploded. Face and ears hot and red, arms flapping, squealing, jumping around like an idiot.
K gets out of her meeting later and freaks out. I get the picture from the camera lady. I am now the celebrity-by-association of the department.
I still don't know what he was meeting Howard about. Another coworker apparently asked him, and he said "revolution is in the air." What a Bono thing to say.
I had heard in the past that he smelled bad. I am happy to report that he did not smell bad at all.
His latest, longer hairdo was not doing anything for me when I'd seen the pictures, but I'm also happy to report that it looks better in person.
His glasses weren't that green in person, but I was bummed he had them on - I wanted to see those gorgeous blue eyes.
He's very short. I'm 5'2", and while I didn't think to look at his shoes, I bet he was wearing his hugely thick-soled shoes.
He was very gracious and patient with everyone that approached him.
Hm, I think that's it.
I MET BONO!!!!!!! I'm still very giggly about this. And amazed.
Last edited by a moderator:
(I fixed your post so the pic showed up)
Why was Bono meeting Howard? Maybe something to do with fair trade coffee from Africa? 
