#merelala

So my bff merelala texted me on Friday (9/25/2015) and said:

Deciding to say yes to this crazy, random request was the best decision I’ve ever made. 

We left Friday evening and arrived at the hotel around 1:30 am.  We slept for about 5 hours and then we drove into downtown Cincinnati and parked in a parking garage around the area they were supposed to be filming.  The plan was to watch them film and hope to just get a glimpse of him acting.  We had extremely low expectations of actually meeting him.  

Once we parked, we decided to go the Starbucks near the set and get something to drink.  While I was waiting on my drink order, I noticed this guy beside me, but paid him no attention after that first notice.  Once I got my drink, we were siting at a table and I was drinking my Iced chai when Mere told me that the director of the movie just tweeted he had been at Starbucks.  It turns out the guy beside me in line was the director.  Anyways, we read an article that told us the exact spot they would be filming that day, which was right across from the parking garage we had parked.  Parking in the spot we did played a huge part in the way the day turned out. 

We walked around for awhile because they were not at that site yet.  Around lunch time we walked back and they were setting up all the equipment to get ready to start filming.  Mere noticed some people watching from the garage above so we decided to go up and find a place to watch.  We found a spot with a window right over the crew.  While watching out the window, this angel on earth walked up behind us and asked us what was going on.  We told her about the film and the main actors in it.  She didn’t even know who Chris Meloni was, but she was so amazed how we had traveled so far to watch them film, that she decided she would go down and talk to the crew to see if they would allow us to meet Chris.  By this time Mere and I are freaking.  This girl is literally our hero.  

Once down on the set below, we can see her talking to a couple of the crew who later on were behind the monitors watching as they were filming.  As she was talking to them, she pointed up toward where we were and they waved at us.  I told Mere that we needed to go down and so we went down and walked to where they were.  They were impressed we had driven so far to see Chris.  They told us to come back at 8pm that night and we’d be able to meet him.  A GUARANTEE MEET.  Needless to say, we were so ecstatic and we thanked them over and over.  We had planned on leaving that day, but since we were meeting him that late, we decided to get a hotel downtown.  Once we booked the hotel, we had about 4 hours until we could check in, so we decided to do some site seeing and then waited in the car.

After checking in and resting for awhile, we decided to go get dinner before going back to the set.  Walking around trying to decide what to eat, I pointed out there was a Chipotle; I had never been, so Mere decided that we should eat there.  

We were standing in line waiting to order.  Mere was facing the counter and I was standing sideways with my back to the wall.  I looked up just as Chris Meloni walked over and got behind me in line.  I immediately did an About Face and whispered to Mere, “Look behind you.” 

She turned and looked over her left shoulder, not seeing anything she turned back around.  So I said, “No, look behind me.  It’s Chris.  I’m Serious.” (I had been teasing her all day saying I had seen Chris here and there.)

She turned around and immediately forgot how to speak or what food was.  Full fangirl freakout mode.  She kept inching toward me until I was up against the wall.  

There are these two guys that are talking to Meloni.  They knew he looked familiar but they couldn’t place him.  So I turned around and said, “Chris Meloni, right?”

And he was like, “Yep.”

Then the lady behind the counter turned to Mere and asked, “What can I get for you?”

“Chicken.”  Mere states while giggling.

The lady was like, “In what?”

Still giggling.  “Burrito.”

Having no clue what was going on, the lady asked “hard decision, huh?”

Meredith is still giggling and at this point really has no clue what she is telling her to put on the burrito.   

Now it’s my time to order and I tell the waitress what I want.  At this point, she then realizes who is standing behind me.  She starts freaking out, not to the point Mere is, but almost.  I had to keep repeating what I wanted.  It was completely hilarious.

Another guy comes up behind us and asks if Mere will take his pic with Meloni. She says yes but Chris grabs the guys phone to take the selfie.  Meredith asks him, “Can we get a picture, too?” And then the workers behind the camera told them they would give them free food if he would take a pic with them.  You could tell at this point Chris was really rushed to leave but he took the time to take selfies with everyone.  He even paid for the food.  What a COMPLETE sweetheart.

So we decide to still go to the set and watch them film.  Mere got some video of Chris’ character doing a scene.  There are some metal benches accross from where they are filming so we sit down.  Then one of the guys that we talked to earlier came across the street and told us as soon as they got a break he would set up a meeting.  Of course, we are not going to pass up another chance to meet him.  So we waited on the bench and Meredith called her father and I was on twitter.  

About ten minutes or so later, I hear someone whistle.  I look up and Chris Meloni and the guy from earlier are walking across the street toward us.  So I nudge Mere to get her off the phone.  “Chris is walking toward us.  We need to stand up.”  

We get up and start walking toward him.  When Chris gets close enough he points to Meredith and says, “Hey, wait a minute. I know you.”  Looks at me.  “I know you, too.”  (Internal monologue: HE’S KNOWS ME.  CHRIS MELONI SAID HE KNOWS ME.)

The guy with him goes, “You know them?”

“They’re the girls that were stalking me in Chipotle.” He jokes.  

Meredith goes, “We’re not stalking you.  You came in after us.”

He asked our names and commented on how we came so far.  He jokingly said we were insane coming that far just to see him.  So he asked if we wanted to get another picture.  Walking over to me, he put his arm around me and said, “We can do a threesome.” (DEAD) While his arm is around me, Meredith is getting her phone ready to hand to the other guy to take the picture.  

Mind you that Mere’s phone case looks like this:

Chris loved the case so much that after we got our picture with him he took a picture of Meredith holding the phone case up and later tweeted it.  

So after we got the pic, he gave us both a hug (HE SMELLS SO GOOD AND GIVES THE BEST HUGS) and Meredith told him that he follows us on twitter. He asked out twitter names and Meredith said she was LALA @marchriska and helooked at me and started to ask mine, but then he was like, “you’re Jaz, right?”  (HE REMEMBERS ME FROM TWITTER.  IS THIS A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING?)

I was like, “Yeah...Olivia Stabler (oliviastabier).

At this point, a small crowd had noticed us and came over to meet Chris.  So I went over to the guy who made the whole meeting possible and told him thank you.  I asked him his name, which was Stuart Wilson, and if he was a producer. Turns out he is Bruce Willis’ stunt double.  (WHO KNEW)

We talked for a bit then went back to our hotel and promptly died.  

And this was my crazy, insane, amazing weekend.  The weekend when I met Chris Meloni twice.

10:If someone other than Cragen had to be captain, who would you want it to be?

Olivia Benson or Declan Murphy...I really miss Donal Logue

Answered 4  here

YES! Thank youuuu. 

2. What is your favorite season and why?

Hmm, that's a toss up between season 1 and season 8, tbh. I rewatch season 1 every chance I get because baby EO was/is everything. I also loved Munch/Monique. Also, the cases were truly spell binding and attention grabbing. Season 8 is a fave because, minus Dani Beck, once again the EO was everything. Also it has some of my favourite episodes, like Burned. And there was a lot of Casey & Melinda. 

6. What is your favorite episode?