Len's Moment with Valerie, Valerie, Bertinelli

For me, it's Pierce Brosnan. For Len, of Len Speaks, it's Valerie Bertinelli. In 1975, Valerie was the youngster who played the sweet sister on One Day at a Time. She was the girl next door. She was better than the girl next door.  She was probably what every mother hoped every son would bring home when she was legal age. I already knew Len for about one year in 1975. And I have known about his pine for Ms. Bertinelli since then. Oh, he's no more delusional about her than I am about Pierce Brosnan. Let's face it, Pierce and Valerie have been and are now again connected to significant others. They aren't options for us. But, there is a pleasure in the unlikely dream. Okay, the impossible dream. So, because of Len, I have a huge poster of Pierce on my wall from his James Bond days, and because of me happening across an announcement at the Grove's Barnes and Noble that Valerie would be doing a book signing on March 1, Len got his ever so brief moment with Valerie. He doesn't have the picture to prove it. But that's ok, cause I was there, ruining the picture to prove it, so I can prove it.

He's probably written about it already on his blog. I haven't read his blog because I don't want to usurp his take of things. Valerie still is the girl next door. You know how I know? Her parents were in from Phoenix to watch her do the signing, and her boyfriend was chatting us up on the waiting line. He isn't handsome in the traditional way, but I could see what she saw in him. He was the boy next door for the girl next door, and even better, now that she will be making money at this new career, a financial planner to boot. What luck! I mean, these people really like her. And although the book store organizers had forbidden staged pictures with the now svelte (she really looked good, and except for the reading glasses you'd never know she was 47), Valerie was posing with each one whose book she signed. When I messed up my effort to commemorate the event for my friend the first two times, the book folks were saying, a kind of "Ok, guys, move along, you're holding up the line".  But Valerie, that delight, said, "No, why? I'll sign the next person's book and they can get the camera ready!" I really wanted this and not in a narcissistic way. All altruism, some of the time. But mistakes were made.

But still Len has the signature. I have to ask if he got the little heart that I got, drawn into the frontispiece. I really liked that. I wondered if she'd still be doing that by the time she got to the last person on the line. I wouldn't be, but I am not the girl next door. I am more the girl from the next planet, truth be told.

I think still that Valerie and I could be friends. Not that she'll be looking me up. That's ok. I understand. But what about Len? Valerie, you're not married yet, how about dinner with my friend? How about CPK? No pressure. Let me know. I'll set it up.

 

 

Tags: Valerie Bertinelli