I have just had the most exceptionally wonderful, beautiful...almost surreal experience a fan can have. I met Johnny!! Wow, I can't believe I'm typing these words. I'm absolutely floating right now so forgive me if this is a bit loopy. My friend Jesse (who collects autographs as a hobby) took me down to Letterman's studios to try and see him. I really didn't know what to expect...all or nothing. I'll skip over the 8 hours of standing out in the freezing cold because what comes next supersedes any discomfort I might have felt. When Johnny first went into the building there was a rush of people and I only saw his head for about a split second and then he was gone. That was surreal enough. Next came about 2 hours of waiting I brought a bouquet of roses with a little note with me and all though there were a lot of people there clamoring & waiting for autographs people were nice enough to let me get to the front of the police barricades. God bless Jesse who helped me negotiate the crowds and get to the front. Next came about 2 hours of waiting with my head spinning and my hands freezing and then boom! the doors opened and there he was. First may I say (and this might have actually slipped out of my mouth) he looked exceptionally beautiful. I really must say he looked BETTER in person then on film(and this from someone who has found him exceedingly handsome on film). He really was spectacular...breathtaking. He was clean shaven, had on a long black coat and a striped knit cap.

Okay...deep breath...here's what happened next and what I've been screaming with my friends about for the last few hours. He began signing autographs on my side of the barricades. I saw my friend Jesse getting an autograph. He began working his way over to me and the guy standing next to me said "This girl had been here for 10 hours (slight exaggeration on his part :-)) and has some roses for you". Another deep breath...Johnny looked at me and smiled and said "That's so sweet...thank you" and took the roses from me. I said "Johnny I'm a great fan of yours, I really appreciate you're work" and he said "Thank you darlin'" and smiled. !!!!!!!!! I shook his hand and this is the part I'm embarrassed about and that I had hoped I wouldn't do but I heard myself say "I love you" and he smiled, looked back at me and said "me too." What a sweetheart!!! I couldn't believe I said that. He put the roses (gently!!) into the back seat of his car which was parked right there at the end of the barricades. The guy next to me, who really WAS a sweetheart, asked if I could get a picture with him and Johnny kindly said "sure" and leaned in toward me and put his arm around me (!!!) and asked "which camera?" where I pointed to my friend Jesse who then snapped it!!!!!!!

After signing many more autographs around me, someone told him that they should be going and he said that he had to get the other side. He then went to the other side of the barricades.

This was the end of my personal contact with him but I just watched the rest with my head swirling about. He was so amazingly sweet to everyone around us. He took special care to sign for a guy in a wheel chair who was off in the corner. He took a picture with him and made sure to get the guy's name when signing the autograph. He smiled for photos and posed with anyone who asked even though the people with him seemed to be trying to get him to leave. By the way, people who were with him included Jonathan Shaw (his tattoo artist friend) and a strikingly beautiful, somewhat pouty women who MAY have been Vanessa Paradis. I couldn't tell...I really only glanced at her twice...couldn't tear my eyes off of Johnny. He must have signed about 60 autographs. At the very end my friend Jesse tried for another autograph and reached over a crowd of people to which Johnny said "nice reach, man" and signed again.

Now I was in a state of shock and trying to be fully aware of what was happening. Security started to push people away, saying it was getting out of control but Johnny still posed with yet more fans.

Johnny got in his car and waved to everyone as he was leaving. Then my last glimpses of him were of him rolling down his window and talking to a homeless man who was following Johnny's car on a bike.

Everyone was going on about how sweet and wonderful he was and I had a full freak out session on the way to the car, in the car, at my friend's apartment and I think it's still going on now :-).

It was just an absolutely wonderful experience. Johnny is truly a giving and kind human being. At least from what I've seen today, there is big and beautiful heart beating in that chest. I had no idea what to expect from this outing today and what occurred exceeded any and all expectations. Johnny, if you're out there, you have done a fan's heart good.

A special “thank you” goes out to Jesse for with out his help I would have never been able to have had this experience. Jesse stood out in the cold, shivering with me hours and worked the camera for me as my hands were too frozen to move. This is all testament to yet another big and beautiful heart. Thank you Jesse!!

Sam