✩Heather Ashley Chase✩

HEATHER ASHLEY -JAY LENO on March 27, 2003

Happy b-day to me– Happy b-day to me

The most amazing thing happened just now.

went to pick up a few things. I was heading back to my car, and right in front of my car… sitting at a table alone… in a denim blue button down shirt– was the one and only.

Never guess who It was. JAY LENO!!

I saw Jay leno, tonight and I shook his hand, and said hello. Told him about my movie, I just landed and he said that when I am Famous… I should come on the show.

Let me tell you my story.

a year ago– a little over… I wasn’t 2 hours off the plane ride…. and put all my luggage at Burbank extended stay, in my room.. that was 1600.00 a month mind you…. and I walked down the stairs, and around to NBC to stand in line to see The tonight show, at 3pm– live taping– and I stood in line with many people, and waited to see this live show.

why– after only landing at 12pm– getting a car rental, and going to extended stay– did I decide to venture off to NBC?

Because I had a goal. My goal was to become so familiar with NBC that I would feel VERY comfortable there, when I was hired to do Days of our lives.

I was determined.

and nothing stopped me from being determined. I was single… no complications in my life, and Goal orientated. I was there …and I planned on staying only 3 weeks.

wow– did that change. So much happened in 3 weeks… that I can’t even begin to re-peat it all here.

you will have to go back to Day one of this Journal.

so– anyhow….. I am telling this story for a reason.

I do have a point this time.

I was determined. I had NO FEAR. (yeahhhh rightttttt)

I stood in line, and when I got in there…. I smelled the air. by the way—it smells different than the days of our lives set…. but just as inspiring and exciting—

I sat down, and waited.

I felt energy. I felt like I could rule the world.

a warm up guy came out… named Bob furlow.

he wanted the crowd to play a little game.

I got picked…(again..I am determined)

I got chosen out of the crowd…. even though I was way up high. I guess i stood out.

Then.. I was asked to stay put..and at this time I felt like I was floating on air. The camera was on me… (little red light on)..and I was told…that when Kevin Eubanks came out to warm up for the Band… to suddenly go over, and dance on him…and they meant ON him.

camera rolling… and hands shaking.. I ran over as soon as he started warming up…. and BOY did he LOVE it, and his Face got RED!

The woman in the band… started talking and making fun of him… and kevin acted like he was going to faint.

I was then asked to go to a special place to sit.. and handed a T-shirt that was black-with purple letters saying the tonight show on it.

I was thrilled at this……

I was on the biggest thrill, and I watched the show…. and I watched some band do a song.I had never heard before.

Then 2 weeks later the song was on the radio and popular.

amazing.

Then an animal guy came on…what are the chances!

so– as the snake started to not listen.. I helped guide a snake back into a basket.. me loving animals and all.

at the end of the show… I was asked to come back the Next night.

I did!…and got to sit in MAVIS–(jays wife) seat…b/c she wasn’t there. well my seat was next to BILL CLINTON!.. and some other woman.

Then the camera panned around, as Jay pointed towards the audience, and said…hey we have a special guest in our audience tonight…. and the camera whipped around, and with the little red light on… I saw it coming my way. well BILL put his arm around me.. and the woman, and kissed us both one at a time, on camera with his arms around us!

so— there was my 2 seconds of fame.

(Ps. just between you and i….. I don’t think it was the real bill clinton…even though he was wearing the presidential Jacket with the emblem on it….. I think it’s the guy who plays Bill clinton A LOT, on the Tonight show… for Jay…. because he didn’t have a herd of people around him.)

Bob pulled me aside later.

I was asked at the end of the whole show… to come back and go out on a date with him. BOB furlow.

I said no– and this pissed him off.

I got mean messages on my machine from that point on… and I even let Bear listen to them…. when we first met. Bob called me for 4 weeks in a row…. daily. sometimes twice a day.

THAT is my JAY Leno story.

now– I see him tonight… and WOW— what are the chances??

and dammit…. bugs wasn’t there. Bugs was at home, along with my camera, after I dumped my bag out last night after shooting Guardian.