The last week of combo hunting in 2022 was largely rough. In part because of my bad luck, in part because I have so many people already that success is harder. In my last week of 2022 combo hunting, I would be out every day. Let us begin.
Day 1
First up is an early morning flight for actor and Big Time Rush lead singer Kendall Schmidt. He was cool, he did the op, but wasn't too thrilled to sign (and has a horrid auto). Then went on to mooch some breakfast.
Next up an event where my main goal is Shania Twain. Sadly she would not stop throughout the day and night. But I got autographs from Gloria and Emilio Estefan (didn't need more ops with them). I got Any Grammer (update) and Joss Stone (fresh). I missed actress Ariana DeBose (spoiler alert, I would make that up).
Day 2
This evening would be horrid as I went back for Shania. To my dismay I missed her entering by 5 minutes where she stopped. However, others who were waiting on a different side missed her because they were waiting on the wrong side. So I guess I could have been there and still missed her. I did manage to get Ariana DeBose, although that score would be negated as I would see her for the rest of the week. And I got an update with Gloria's daughter Emily.
Day 3
This day would start badly. I heard about Shania stopping leaving the hotel, so I beat her to a different stop to intercept her. And she didn't stop at that location. Wow I have the most horrid luck! Things like this truly make me want to quit combo hunting for good!
At night, I would get some scores. We start at the spot and as we get 2 or 3 photo ops one guy who is secret service comes up to us and tells us to "cut this". Knowing we were on the sidewalk and he has no right to tell us this, we completely ignore him and continue what we are doing. And as more people come we ask them for combos as he is just standing there (about halfway through the night he wasn't even there anymore and we were still getting people).
A lot of people I got were political names I don't really care for. Photo op wise I got a major reporter for the 9/11 attacks, Mika Brzezinski. I got Elvis director Baz Luhrmann, an expected score. On entry I got an update with actress Jennifer Garner, on exit I got an update with actress Julia Louis Dreyfus. On entry I also got an op with Apple CEO Tim Cook, and scored his autograph on exit. Saw actress Ariana DeBose again.
Autograph wise on entry I scored two autographs with John Legend's wife Chrissy Teigen (I have ops with both him and her from before so I focused on autographs that I needed). The one magazine with both of them had John's autograph from before.
Also got Stephen Colbert to sign for me on entry and exit (again, didn't bother with ops as I have him). Karine Jean-Pierre signed blanks for me on exit in addition to the photo op. And the world's richest man Bernard Arnault signed but refused ops as he left.
Day 4
This day would be quick for me. I would wait for actress Taylor Schilling to return to a spot. But I later found out that she was back inside by the time I arrived. So I hoped she would go out for dinner and she did. Nice as can be. I didn't do anything else that day but people waiting at one spot got Eddie Vedder autographs (which I would have liked to get) and at another spot they got George Clooney autographs (which again would have been cool). No one knew they would be at these spots in advance but people just waited. But at least these are names I have. Bono who was also at the George Clooney spot but he didn't stop.
The next two days would be long, hard ones, and sadly miserable ones. In part because I have so many names already so that limited my prospects. But also in part because of bad luck and bad decisions.
Day 5
Op wise it starts with Michael Tilson Thomas, Edward Villella (update), and Mickey Guyton (update). I get autos from Edward and Garth Brooks (couldn't get his wife Trisha Yearwood's auto). Shery Crow was wearing shades when she came to me so I only got an auto. But leaving she did no shades shot in the other side. Could have used a no shades upgrade.
Get a combo with Amy Grant (update photo) and autograph from Vince Gill. We never see Bono or Larry from U2, but leaving I manage to score a combo from The Edge (upgrading by previous blurry shot) and getting an autograph from Adam Clayton (my op has shades but here he had a beard plus he wasn't being too friendly).
George Clooney is stopping but since I have him I focused on an op with Amal Clooney. Plus my op is with a much younger Clooney not an older bearded Clooney. Got a photo with Tania Leon. I tried hard to get autos from Glady Knight but was not successful (I have an op from before). Richard Kind was super nice taking care of everyone. Got autos. Also got Amanda Shires and BeBe Winans among others. Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby were not being friendly, barely stopping. CeCe Winans didn't stop.
The night ended with Patti Labelle who was being nice. I got her on two, didn't need an op.
There was one other late night spot, which in the past wasn't good. I was so tiered I decided to go home. But people got Julia Roberts (she took at least one op) and Eddie Vedder signed at least a couple. This would be my biggest blunder of the year (possibly even the last 10 years). Again, things like that make me want to quit combo hunting.
Day 6 (and Day 7)
Ops wise it starts off with singer Kirk Franklin, Ariana DeBose again (this time got autos too), Dianne Reeves, Jamala, updates with Marren Morris and Carmen De Lavallade, Jason Moran, actress Anna Deavere Smith, and Andrew Hozier (update).
I get autos from actress Chita Rivera and actor Don Cheadle. Thankfully have great ops from before so did not have to bother with that. Also got an auto from Herbie Hancock (have many ops). Matt Damon is being nice and I didn't bother with a shades shot so I focused on autos. Got LL Cool J autos (and eventually an update) and another auto from Patti Labelle.
Sadly Sean Penn and Julia Roberts were not stopping. At the red carpet function Julia did it for one child and his mother. Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat) and his wife actress Isla Fisher didn't stop either. U2 snuck in.
It's quite telling to see 86 year old dancer Edward Villella shaking and barely able to walk accommodate combos while much younger able bodied celebs avoid fans or say no.
The next day I tried to go for an Eddie Vedder flight, but he was a complete dick. The most painful thing was finding out he signed at the hotel just before coming here and Isla did ops. I knew of the spot but no one knew she was staying there. Again, things like this make me want to quit combo hunting. I also tried Bono at a hotel later on, but they snuck him out. The worst ending I ever had to any year, combo wise. PUNCH after PUNCH after PUNCH.
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