Christian Borle

Man, I love this hobby! Today I received a GREAT response from the incredibly talented (and newly crowned Tony Award winner) Christian Borle, who plays Tom Levitt on one of my favorite shows right now, NBC's Smash. My mother and I LOVED the first season of Smash and we cannot wait for the second season to start back up in the fall. Christian has such wonderful chemistry with Debra Messing (she is his writing partner on the show) that each episode leaves me wanting more, more and more!

As you can see in the photo, Christian has become the fifth celebrity to compliment me on my amazing penmanship (if I do say so myself, haha), joining the likes of Chris Pine, Joel McHale, Zach Galifianakis and Rachel Griffiths. I reeeeally like his penmanship because it has character -- y'know, I went through a phase when I wrote in nothing but all caps -- but I'm never one to shy away from a compliment, so I'll gladly take it! Just another reason why I really LOVE this hobby!

'Judge Judy' Sheindlin

Today I received my photos back signed and dedicated from everyone's favorite television judge, the honorable Judge Judith Sheindlin. She has presided over her own courtroom on the mega-popular Judge Judy (check your local listings) for sixteen years now, and is under contract to continue filming episodes until 2015.

Judge Judy has always displayed enormous intelligence and elegance when her appellants (almost always) seem to be lacking brains and and any form of common sense of their own. I always enjoy her appearances on The View -- heck, the ladies of The View always make things ten times better -- and I knew it was time to pursue adding her signature to my collection. Now that I am in possession of these two signed photos, I have officially filled my second book of 96 signed 5x7" photos, bringing my grand total of signed 5x7"s to 192 since I first began in 2008! There's no stopping me now! :)

I thought y'all would like to see one of my most memorable moments on Judge Judy

...and I think it can be described with one word: earthquake. Take a look!

Angela Lansbury

Tale as old as time, true as it can be...

Today I received a nice reply from the one and only Angela Lansbury, who is an absolute legend of both screen and stage. Beauty and the Beast, Murder, She Wrote, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Blithe Spirit and A Little Night Music...I mean, where do I begin?? This woman is amazing!

Of course, I've loved her since first seeing Beauty and the Beast and I cannot believe I have acquired her signature on not just one, but TWO, photos! She is currently starring in the Broadway production of Gore Vidal's The Best Man at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York, which has been an excellent venue in terms of fanmail, as I've also received my photos back signed from Eric McCormack and Michael McKean in a timely manner. I've thought about sending to James Earl Jones, who is also appearing in the play, but I've already acquired a nice signed and personalized 5x7" of Darth Vader from him some time ago.

With Angela's signed photos added to the autograph book, that just leaves three sleeves to be filled until I complete my second book of 96 (!!) signed 5x7"s. WOW. Can't wait to see what this week brings...

Blair Underwood

Well, this mail week started off on the right foot. Today I received my photos back signed and dedicated from the incredibly talented Blair Underwood, who is currently starring in the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. I have been a fan of his since first seeing his performance as Dr. Robert Leeds, one of Miranda's more stable boyfriends, on Sex and the City back in the day, but more recently I enjoyed his performance as President Elias Martinez on NBC's short-lived series, The Event. Then, of course, there's LA Law and The New Adventures of Old Christine...while I did not watch LA Law, I did watch Christine, and I was saddened when I heard the show had not been picked up for a few more seasons a couple years back. You know it's good when Elaine Benes (aka Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is involved. Apparently some at CBS did not feel the same way, however...

Only five -- FIVE! -- photos stand between me and another autograph book being completed. I currently have requests pending with Angela Lansbury, 'Judge Judy' Sheindlin, Christian Borle and a few others, so I cannot wait to see who arrives next.

Robert Duncan McNeill

I sent out a batch of five requests last week, and I received my first response today...and boy, I certainly was NOT expecting it to be from Robert Duncan McNeill (I was expecting someone on Broadway to be first, as they're usually a bit faster than agency requests). With that being said, you can imagine how excited I was to find my two photos signed and waiting for me when I returned home from work this afternoon. Happy Thursday!

Robert is, perhaps, best known for his role as Lieutenant Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager, but since finishing Voyager, he has established himself as quite the awesome director in the television industry. He will be appearing at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas that I am attending, but I already have so much I want to accomplish while I am there and would hate to miss his scheduled autograph signing. I hope to be able to see his stage appearance, however! At last check, we're just under 55 days 'til the convention and I'm getting more and more excited every day. That deserves a 'woo'...WOO!