x-post with Bitches, as several non-Bitches would enjoy this story:

12/18/04

Our route to India is thus: Dallas -> New York -> Paris -> Mumbai. We had a couple hours of layover in JFK, so we ate some pizza from Sbarro. After we ate, my brother went wandering around.

He returned and motioned urgently to me. I could tell he meant business, so I got up and followed him. The only thing I could think that would require such urgency in an airport was that he wanted to show me a really hot girl. And sure enough, there seemed to be an attractive female in white standing by Sbarro.

Huh. She looked like Mischa Barton.

Whoa. She sounded like Mischa Barton. Mischa Barton has a very distinctive voice.

"Excuse me," said my brother, "are you Mischa Barton?"

"Yeah," she said.

I said something like "How weird" or "How absolutely bizarre."

And then she walked away as if we weren't even there.

No chance for us to save how much we loved The O.C. while skirting around the fact that we didn't care so much about Marissa. This was my brother's first celebrity encounter (and my first completely unexpected one), and we totally got the brush-off. I mean, I get that she's a regular person too and we were total strangers getting in the way of her monthly meal, but I thought she'd be used to this sort of thing and be a little more gracious. It's a good thing neither one of us were, like, totally dying to meet her cause OMG we're ur #1 fanz!

Some supplemental information. My brother had seen her and her mother (and, I'm pretty sure, her sister, as the girl I saw with her bore a striking resemblance) at the gate for Venice. He had casually followed her when he saw she was heading for the food area, so he decided to get me. After our sole interaction, we saw the two of them in the Burger King line, and I later saw her with a BK bag in hand. So, rest assured, Mischa Barton is eating. Be proud. And finally, we noticed there had been a gate change for the Venice flight. It had used to be a hundred gates away. So clearly, we were meant to meet Mischa Barton.

For the record, she does look pretty good in person. And she's kind of tall, too, about as tall as I am.

When I was in NYC a few months ago, I thought I passed Chris Carmack (Luke) on the sidewalk one night. Maybe it really was him. My brother figures we're going to run into Ben McKenzie in Paris and Adam Brody in Mumbai.

But Mischa Barton's on our Bitch List now. We would have given good conversation, dammit! All we asked for was, perhaps, an acknowledgement of our existence. I think we're going to spend the entire trip making fun of her. I never got on the Mischa Barton hate train before; I had little problem with her or her acting. Now I have a personal vendetta!

Honestly, speaking as a non-famous chick, P-C, if a guy noticed me, followed me for a bit, called ANOTHER guy over to look at me, and then had the other guy tell me I was bizarre, I might be a little wary myself. However, a "Hello" might have been nice.

Our route to India is thus: Dallas -> New York -> Paris -> Mumbai.

I was on a NY - Paris - Mumbai flight on my way to Moscow in November. It was very Amazing Race feeling. I wonder if it was the same flight?

t big geek

I wonder if it was the same flight?

Was it Delta?

Yup. I'm ridiculously tickled at the idea of being on the same flight.

I don't know who Mischa Barton is, other than the name and the images over on the Fug site, but I will happily help hate her on your behalf.

I think I like hanging out webbing in a sandwich place rather than a coffee place. Now if only Dunkin' Donuts had WiFi, my world would be complete.

It's usually dry.

Too cool, Allyson. That's awesome. I love when that fills up.

Matt, what is it with these folks. Last year was the year they tried to work you to death. This year is the year they're trying to annoy you to death. You poor guy.

Ugh. If not for the fact that I'm being reassured that I do good work at every step, I'd be seriously concerned about my future here. It seems like the new policy is to require employees to justify and second-guess every decision they make and ask permission before doing anything, no matter how routine or insignificant. And in this particular case, I was sending a weekly accounting of hours billed to the person now questioning everything—there was no question raised at the time it was going on or in the several months following.

If I hear one word about the possibility of random drug testing, I will take it as a sign to update my resume and start casting feelers about.

While I've not been terribly impressed by Ms. Barton in any way, I have to say I'm with Robin in feeling that I'd have been a wee bit nonplussed in the same circumstances.

Definitely her loss, but not particularly bitchy, imo.

Woah, Allyson, those pictures are amazing.

As an aside, I am ALWAYS coming back on Saturday after a vacation. None of this straight to work crap. Lazing around yesterday was so incredibly wonderful.

That is awesome. It just calls for taking enough time off at once. It doesn't really work with, say, a long weekend....