I work in the War Memorial Opera house, which is right across the street from City Hall, where I go to pick up the mail. In fact yesterday I caught a pleasant smile and head nod from Supervisor Mirkarimi. So occasionally big shots are seen about here. On Monday I nearly crossed paths with one of the biggest big shots/egos in California.

This story takes place last Monday. The Opera House was hosting the Goldman awards, an annual environmental award. Attendance at the event is by invitation only. I was aware of this, but made little notice of the legion of police cars that started to gather around the building starting at noon, and thickened as the day progressed. At the Opera House we have both TVs and Speakers spread around the offices that broadcast what is happening on the stage. At about 4:30, I heard a familiar voice emanating from the monitor. A voice so familiar and iconic it is almost a parody of itself. Was someone doing and impression? Were they projecting Predator or Kindergarten Cop on the scrim? Nope. It was the Gubernator himself, paying a little lip service to the environmental cause at the award ceremony. Arnold Schwarzenegger was no more than sixty feet away from me and I was possessed with an uncontrollable urge to go gawk at him.

I mean, I'm forced by the papers and the media to accept as fact that the star of Junior and Twins is the highest executive authority in the state, but I just wanted to see it with my own eyes.

I work on the 4th floor, and a door right next to the copy machine I use leads right out to the catwalk, sixty feet above the stage floor. People use this catwalk sometimes as a shortcut. This building is quite labyrinthine, owing to much earthquake retrofitting and the fact that it is actually two buildings right next to each other. I myself take an occasional break on this catwalk to watch rehearsals or ballet performances. The Nutcracker is pretty sweet from 60 feet up.

So I let myself out into the catwalk, and stepped through the darkness. I could see a big screen set up with (sigh) Governor Schwarzenegger's big beefy face grinning away on it, and that all too familiar Austrian voice booming across the speaker system. (we don't use the speakers for the Operas by the way, the singers can get the sound all the way out to the back row just fine by themselves) As I was making my way down the catwalk to get an angle on the podium in front of the curtain, a large bulky shape rose up from the dark ahead of me. I had only a glimpse of this figure, but the authoritative posture and the light glinting off his sidearm informed me that this was a police officer. Our conversation went a little something like the:

"Hello?"

"We're keeping this floor clear."

"I just wanted to look at the Governor:

"I know."

"Is he as tall as he looks on TV?:

"Please clear this area now... Sir"

So that's the weirdest thing that has happened to me. I was kicked out of my place of work for wanting to take a look at my elected official.