Karalee Takes A Walk… On The Wild Side When She Meets Marky Mark Wahlberg! Puff Daddy! And NASCAR Star Jimmie Johnson! Autographs! Photos! And… H2O Water?

I always love hearing about Marky Mark Wahlberg success stories. Mark is one of the nicest celebrities around and I hope he never changes. The awesome Karalee was out for NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson and just happened to run into Mr. Marky Mark. That sounds like a perfect day, anytime you run into Marky Mark that’s a good day!

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I love my Dad more than a yellow 80 percent-off sticker at DSW. With my family all the way back home in Michigan, I try to call/email/send smoke signals as often as I can. When I found out that NASCAR superstar and Daytona 500 champ Jimmie Johnson was going to be at The Grove, I knew I had to be there and try to snag my pops an autograph. He loves NASCAR and I knew he would get a big kick out of it.

Things got REAL interesting when I learned Mark Wahlberg and Sean Combs/Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Diddy would also be there around the same time. I love me some Mark Wahlberg and really wanted my photo with him. I’m not so much into the autographs as I am about getting celebs to (hopefully) pause for a nano-second so I can snap a picture with them. Game on!

When I arrive, I hear someone call my name. It’s Billy Beer. He’s got a decent spot at the “Extra” shoot for Mark and Sean. I decide to hang with him, as he’s the master and I’m still the student. The crowd is pretty big already and growing by the minute. I suggest we move to a different spot, perhaps where they will enter and exit the “Extra” pit area. Billy Beer doesn’t budge; this is the best spot, he assures. Again, I defer to the master.

Mark and Sean arrive and immediately hop on stage with Mario Lopez.

They’re promoting a new joint venture in,… wait for it…bottled water.

An obvious choice, said no one. The crowd receives samples. I’m not sure what they said about the water, but Diddy, in particular, seemed pretty hype about the H2O.

After chatting about 20 minutes, Mark and Sean leave the stage and head toward different parts of the crowd.

Billy Beer has a 1998 concert ticket stub from the Puff Daddy and the Family tour that he’s hoping to get Sean to sign. Diddy doesn’t sign much, stopping for only two or three people — and Billy Beer is one of them! Awesome!

Mark is working the crowd as much as he can, but the interior ring/pit he’s in is crowded with publicists, producers, etc. I’m starting to worry he’s not going to make his way to our side. But then, the seas somehow part and he makes his way toward Billy and I. He signs for Billy and others around us. Just as he’s starting to walk away, I ask him if I can get a quick photo with him. To my shock/delight, he stops (his people are trying to rush him). But now I’m panicked. Because of the angle, I have to try and take a selfie — and I’m horrible at them. Never taken a successful one. Ever. I always cut off someone’s head. I extend my arm, lean in and send up a prayer. And it turns out: God loves me! I was so excited to get this photo —let’s just say I may have my 2013 holiday card photo.

But wait! I’m an awful daughter! In my Wahlberg whirlwind, I completely forgot about Jimmie Johnson. Again: God loves me. Turns out, Mr. Racecar Champion is running late. Billy finds out that Jimmie’s going to be at the “Extra” stage too. So we wait. He’s got a poster to sign, and I’ve got a blank that I’m hoping to have signed for my Dad.

Here comes Jimmie, late and a little frazzled. He is promoting Sprinkles cupcakes with Maria Menunos.

Once he hops off stage, he comes straight over to me and Billy. He starts signing — Billy gets him first — and signs quite a bit, however not my blank. When Billy kindly urges him to sign for me as its for my Dad, he says, politely, that he is only going to sign photos. Burn. OK, c’est la vie.

Billy’s a happy camper; he got all Sean, Mark and Jimmie and he’s got time to spare. I’m still
high off my Marky Mark moment, but bummed I can’t get Jimmie for my Dad. Jimmie’s assistant suggests heading over to Sprinkles, as Jimmie will be signing and taking pics over there. I decide since I can’t get an autograph, maybe I can get a photo with Jimmie, which my Dad would enjoy just as much.

I get in line and Garrett is in front of me. I’ve met him a few times and he’s always been very nice. On this day, he steps up the nice-factor, big time. When I tell him about Jimmie not signing the blank, he offers me one of his extra Jimmie pictures. How nice is that?!?! We get mid-way through the cupcake line and hear “He’s left!” Like Keyser Söze, he’s gone…but where? Garrett takes off and I follow. We loop around, searching, scanning, but no signs of Jimmie. We get word he may be headed to the movie theater. We walk in and see a check-in table, staffed by women in auto racing club polos. Turns out, Jimmie’s doing a Q&A.

Apparently, it’s far from sold-out, so they give Garrett and I wristbands for entry. We mull about at the entrance, and finally see Jimmie coming toward us. He signs some more (I get him for my Dad! Yay!).

Garrett and I decide to wait till the end of Jimmie’s Q&A; he’s hoping to get some more things signed and I’ve now decided I would like to try for a photo. Thankfully, the Q&A only lasts about 20 minutes. During his exit, it’s a mad rush. Shouts of “Don’t walk in front of us!” and “He’ll sign as he walks” are bandied about. Jimmie seems a little frazzled, though it’s understandable as it appears he’s been running behind all day.

Somehow, in all the craziness, I do get him to pause for a brief moment. Got the picture and the signed photo for my Dad —annndddd a photo of myself with Mark Wahlberg! Not bad for a few hours’ effort.

Catch ya on the flip side!