The Ides of March-On-Over-Here-and-Take-Off-Your-Shirt

When I was shopping for my wedding gown last summer, George Clooney was the last person I expected to see in the women's bathroom at the bridal salon. But there he was, staring at me as I took a seat on the toilet. The salon owner had his picture in a frame with a caption under it that said, "I'd marry you." Needless to say, I loved it.

As Carrie Bradshaw once declared on Sex and the City, "Clooney is like a Chanel suit. He'll never go out of style."

His name alone could pretty much become a new adjective. "Your designer glasses are so Clooney." "My Cabernet has sort of a Clooney mouthfeel." Clooney. Clooney. Say it out loud. It echoes in your underwear, doesn't it?

Where am I going with all this George jabber, you're wondering? Well, last week Mr. W sent me an IM asking if I wanted to go to a screening of The Ides of March Saturday night. I quickly replied that I'd love to. Then I reread his message more carefully... It was a screening wherein George Clooney and two other producers would host a Q&A session afterward.

I fell off my stand-up desk chair.

I might have put on a little more eye makeup last night before we left for the screening. Not that I thought George was going to zero in on my face out of the 300-person audience. It just felt like the right thing to do...

I'm happy to report that he was everything I hoped him to be. Laid-back and charming and hilarious. As Producer Grant Heslov was explaining a situation they had to handle delicately during the making of the movie, George gave his signature grin and added "like a proctologist." The audience completely erupted; the women's giggles clearly drowning out the men's. When the first audience question came in, George joked, "For those of you who couldn't hear her question, she said that I look a lot younger in person." Delighted laughter all the way around. And of course we all ate up his innuendos about working with actors' available time slots, and how slot size was important. Pervy humor. Right up my alley.

The gravely voice, the snappy wit, the foxy silver hair. The biceps under the tight t-shirt. It was all just as I had imagined. The man should pretty much just change his last name to Swooney.

Mr. Wonderful was a terrific sport through the whole thing. He said Clooney is known as being such a good guy in the industry, it's hard not to like him.

He didn't even get mad when I called him George after I kissed him goodnight.