Franklin Avenue

Our Lovely Stroll with the Guv'nah

Just ten days into 2004, and Maria and I may have already experienced the surreal moment of the year: Witnessing Arnold Schwarzenegger, wife Maria and kids window shopping on Rodeo Drive -- with security team in tow and Beverly Hills cops shadowing them close behind.

The Setting: Rodeo Drive near Little Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills
The Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004
The Time: 6:15 p.m.
The Scene: Maria and I had just stopped by Jamba Juice (which, by the way, is still selling their Pumpkin smoothie -- sounds disgusting, but it's like slurping a slice of pumpkin pie. Yum.) and were walking down a mostly deserted (and dark) Rodeo Drive when we spotted a family coming toward us.

Being the clueless guy I am, I didn't zero in on the parents. Nope, while taking a sip I noticed the family's daughter, who was wearing Ugg boots. What the hell are these things, and why in the past week have I heard everyone talking about them? That began to consume my mind -- until Maria started tugging on my shirt.

That's one of our silent codes for "Try to act cool, a celebrity is in our midst." According to Maria (that's my wife Maria, as in Franklin Avenue Maria), when she grabbed my shirt, Schwarzie's Maria, aka Ms. Shriver, noticed her and quickly gave her a funny look.

Just as I looked up and realized -- Holy crap, it's the Governator! -- some random woman with her two kids in tow (the only other people on the sidewalk) started to shout, "Governor! Governor!"

Yup. It was Ahnuld, Ms. Shriver and family.

But before I had the chance to congratulate him for stealin...er, winning the Governorship, the Schwarzenegger clan (again, with about 10 security personnel in tow) darted across the street.

But not in a crosswalk or at an intersection. That's right, scofflaw fans, we witnessed your Governor jaywalking! (A crime, by the way, that got Maria and I a ticket from the Burbank police a few years ago -- but that's a story for another time.)

We stopped and observed, and made one very snap observation (besides the shocking, shocking! jaywalking scene): Arnold is short! Celebs frequently look smaller in person, but, wow! Short.

Dressed rather casually, Arnold and fam began to window shop. Most of the stores on Rodeo were already closed, but as he looked into one boutique, the woman inside closing up shop rushed to unlock her door.

Too late. Arnold had moved on. We kept up with them from across the street, as they looked from store to store. We were also pretty sure that dark figures inside the several unmarked cars parked on the street (with their engines running, natch) were keeping an eye on us aswell. (Now, should we discuss the irony of Schwarzie shopping on the most expensive street in California the day after he proposed slashing budgets and cutting down state programs?)

Eventually, the family ducked inside somewhere, and we kept walking. And sucking on Jamba Juice.