Dream Come True

Yesterday a long-time fantasy mysteriously materialized.

Long story short:  I had dinner with Bill Murray.

Here's the full story.  My friend Aga was at a cafe near Columbia where who should sit down in front of her, but Bill Murray!  She started talking to him and they talked for a while, and then she invited him to come to dinner with some friends in Greenpoint at a Polish restaurant.  He seemed interested but said he probably wouldn't come because he had a meeting.

Five friends and I went to the restaurant a few hours later, joking about what we were going to do when Bill Murray showed up, 90% joking and 10% hopeful.  

About 45 minutes into the meal, Aga froze and looked at the door: "Oh my God you guys he's here!"

We were all freaking out inside but trying to maintain composure.  Bill Murray and his son ordered exactly what Aga recommended (the Polish Platter) since Aga is Polish.  We were a total group of 8 in a small restaurant so we had to split into two tables.  

Bill Murray was really cool and down to earth and funny. When the Murrays finished eating, Bill Murray secretly paid the bill and we invited them to go to Irene's Bar, the Social Club under Calyer Palace.  They stepped out and Bill said, "We'll see you guys at the next place" since he had a car waiting.

We gathered our coats and went outside, but Bill Murray and his son were still there.  He said he had to take his son back home so he wouldn't be able to come to Irene's.  After that, we chatted with Bill for a while standing outside.  I asked him if he remembered my Mom who was kinda friends with him in High School.  He kinda remembered her, but he remembered my uncle more - he even remembered that he played guitar.  We talked about Wilmette (where we both grew up) and I asked him if he was from the East Side or the West Side.  He started pushing me and giving me shit and getting in my face, as if I had brought up an explosive subject, but he was just joking around.  I told him I lived at 5th and Gregory, and he said he and his friends used to go dump his beer cans around there.

He was really nice and funny the whole time.  He went away with his son and we walked to Irene's.  We were all hoping he would come back after dropping off his son, but we all knew that wasn't going to happen.  

I'm still in shock from the whole experience.  I hope I get to see him again some day.