My entourage

Like a lot of little kids, I dreamed of being an actress when I grew up. I even had some leads in high school plays. But when I got to BYU, I was so intimidated by their drama department that I dropped the idea of acting almost immediately.

Anyway, one of the perks of being a famous actor these days is, apparently, having an entourage. Over the summer Eddie got hooked on the HBO series "Entourage," in which Vince Chase, a Hollywood actor, and his  support staff and friends, party it up big. I've never gotten too much into the show (too testosterone-charged for me), but Eddie told me that it's  based on the real-life entourage of Mark Wahlberg, who apparently pays several long-time friends to do things like go to parties with him and hang out in his trailer when he's on a movie set.

I mean, would CaCee Cobb and Ken Paves be household names without Jessica Simpson? Ok, I realize that they may not be household names to anyone who doesn't have a subscription to Star magazine, but they, her bff and hairstylist, accompany Jess practically everywhere she goes. They're not famous in their own right, merely because they're friends of a pop diva.

So what is the purpose of an entourage? I'd guess that Mark Wahlberg keeps his around because they keep him from getting bored. From the snippets I've seen of the HBO show, Vince Chase looks a lot cooler walking in the middle of a pack of slick-looking guys than he would all by himself. CaCee and Ken seem to reflect their glory back onto Jessica. So I think it all boils down to entertaining the actor and helping him or her get as much attention as possible.

Being a SAHM isn't glamorous most days, but it does have the added perk of a built-in entourage. Before kids, I could slip in and out of places inconspicuously, but with three kids and a huge belly in tow, we're sure to draw people's attention. Take yesterday, for example. After school I took the three kids to the pediatrician for flu shots. I dropped the bomb on them as we were pulling into the doctor's parking lot, and the older two were screaming at the top of their lungs before we even reached the building. Bryce ran away from me three times, Annie screamed so loudly that she terrified the other kids in the waiting room, and the two of them worked Isaac into the kind of a frenzy that only an almost-two-year-old can produce. It was not a pretty picture.

After that, we went to the Walgreen's down the street to get my flu shot. For the next two hours we stood in the makeup aisle, number 61 behind at least 50 people with walkers, as the kids tried their best to escape from me and entertain themselves (playing "simon says" and "I-spy"). Bryce kept repeating, "I'm staaaaarving! I'm staaaarving!" Once again, when I left the building, I'm positive that everyone else who remained was thankful for the silence.

From what I've seen on HBO, another added benefit of having an entourage is that you never have to sleep alone. If you're not in a relationship with someone in the entourage, they'll help you find someone to score with. I think that similarity also applies in my life. Eddie was working last night, and Bryce asked to sleep in my bed with me. At 2am, Annie had a bad dream and joined me on my other side, waking Bryce up. For the next hour, I lay in agony as the two of them wiggled and whispered to each other. Finally, I could handle it no longer and sent them off to their respective beds. Of course, it was another hour before they both fell asleep again. By then I was wide, wide awake, and the night was pretty much shot.

I've always found it interesting when actors and actresses both court fame and then talk about how hard it is to be in the spotlight all the time. But I can see their point, I guess. I certainly know that my entourage is fantastic most of the time, but at other times I feel like I'd trade them all for a good night's sleep.

--originally published 10/6/06