| Matthew meets Dan |
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| In May 2002, I decided to ask Abrams if Matthew could meet him. It was either his graciousness or his pity, but the guy okayed the visit. Apparently, Abrams must be quite fearless. I could not imagine allowing a three year old to visit me if I knew he attacked the tv every time I was on. A year and a half of Dan devotion culminated into an hour and a half drive of one very excited toddler continually asking, "Mommy, we at Dan work?!?" It took Matthew about 30 seconds to have Dan's co-worker, Sandy, wrapped around his finger. As a result, the poor thing had to heft the boy up a long flight of stairs to meet his fave news guy. Sandy unleashed the child and asked him to find Dan. I had a moment of panic as I was truly fearing that he would do his usual Dan Fan-antics and leap all over the man. However, he was surprisingly shy. He shook Dan's hand and shortly thereafter climbed up on his lap, uninvited, as if he had known Abrams his whole life. Okay, well, he's been obsessed for 3/4 of his life, so I guess that counts for something.... Dan, to his credit, was very good in dealing with a 35 lb. bundle of Dan Fan. Matthew asked for a picture to be taken. He's no fool. He only has one pic and a news magazine. |
| Dan interviews Matthew:Dan said to the tiny Dan Fan: "Okay, Matthew, I am going to ask you your first question. Do I look the same in person as I do on tv?" Matthew smartly replied, "Yeah." Then the crack reporter got to the hard core questions. "Do you have MSNBC on all the time?" "Yeah," Matthew said. (Clearly, the man had no idea just how much of a Dan Fan the tiny tot was. He had never personally witnessed the whippersnapper storm the tv during an Abrams report). Dan asked, "Well, then, you must be up to date on the Moussaui trial." "Yeah, " was the Dan Fan's response. Later, Dan came back to the tv idea and asked his new little friend, "So do you watch anything else on tv?" "No," Matthew correctly stated. To which I almost interjected something about how Abrams could feel free to encourage the cherub to watch PBS, too. But how much longer will this last, anyway, I thought? |
| At one point, Matthew started to waive his hands and chomp his teeth up and down. He said something to which Dan looked at me for an interpretation. "I a dinosaur and I eat you up," I relayed. I had never seen Matthew play this game before. Luckily, Dan played right along and Matthew talked for days after about how he and Dan "played dinosaur". I have to admit, it was pretty darn cute with the two of them doing the dinosaur thing. I had bleached FP Dan so Abrams would not be too horrified by having to handle it. FP Dan, FP Fishin' Dan... and now Fisher Price has a new toy, a train, that includes Train Worker Dan. I already sprung for Airport Dan. Holiday shopping is done so I will have to avoid the toy aisle until Matthew's birthday. |
| Matthew completely enjoyed his visit with Dan. However, as soon as we exited, Matthew turned around and tried to re-enter the building. I asked what he was doing and he replied matter-of-factly, "I go back in Dan work. He know me now." |
| Matthew and Dan play dinosaur. |
| FAQ's about Matthew's visit... |
| Me, Matthew, and Dan. The gale force winds that day did wonders for my hair. |
| Does Abrams look the same in person and on tv? Yes. What was the most surprising thing about the visit? Either that Matthew did not climb all over Dan or that Abrams's voice is extremely deep in person. What was MSNBC like? Very, very cool. Matthew was most taken by the cameras, cords, wires, and lights of the studio. So was I. Is Matthew a bigger Dan Fan than he was before meeting his fave news guy? Yes, but in a relaxed kind of way. Not as much screaming now. But he still asks to see him daily. |
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