
Meet Anne Thomas.
So, I was in NYC this week and a taxi driver asked my why I was so freakishly pale and pasty looking. Â So I said to him, “drive me to nearest tanning salon. Â And step on it.”
I went to Portofino Tanning in SOHO.
I walk in and was greeted by the pretty young girl behind the counter. Â She asked me how many tanning sessions I would like to buy. Â To which I replied, “two thousand tans, please.”
I gave her my credit card, and my name and info popped up on the screen (thanks, George Bush). Â And she said, “oh my god, Albany! Â I just got back from Albany! I love that place. Â We had so much fun. Â I, like, want to move there.”
and I was like, Â ”That’s crazy! why were you in Albany?”
and she said, “I was in a show at Capital Rep.”
and I was like, “What show?
and she was like, ‘Man of the La Mancha“. Â (And I thought, “I wonder why it isn’t Man de la Mancha.”)
And then Anne was like, “I love Albany. Â Everyone was so friendly and we had such a good time. Â We were out on Pearl Street all the time. Â You guys have the best restaurants.”
And then I was like, I wonder if she went to any of my restaurants while she was in Albany, so I asked, “did you happen to go to place called Bombers? Â It’s on Lark Street?”
and she was like, “LOVE Bombers”. Â (and I thought “thank you god.”)
and then I asked, “did you go the Biergarten.” Â and she was like, “LOVE the biergarten.”
and I said, “did you go to The Olde English? Â it’s an English Pub? ” and she was like, “Nooooo, we wanted to but we didn’t make it there. Â (and I thought, “yeah, but you were there for like 3 months. I mean c’mon Anne.”
So I told her I owned those places, and I patiently waited for her to say, “that’s so crazy. Â You now have free tanning for the rest of your life!” Â but she didn’t. Â She continued to be a normal, good employee, sweetheart and continued to say complimentary things about our great city of Albany… and then charged me full price.
Nevertheless, I love it when people visit Albany and have a great time.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Albany!!!

Slacker
Jan 9, 2012 at 8:00 am
So… is her boob gonna just jump out and wave at us? Or what’s going on with that shirt?
Dave
Jan 9, 2012 at 9:48 am
We need more pretty girls like her in Albany!
the Original Colleen
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:35 am
This is when you need to have a bunch of Gift cards on you so you can hand her some and say, “next time your’re in Albany, your meal is on me”!
JennC
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:40 am
Three comments:
1) Like, totally-cool-what-are-the-chances-phew-she-liked-my-establishments-and-albany-too experience.
2) Like, do you really purchase 2K tans at a time, cracker?
3) Like, way to make the everyday mundane experience pop (kind of like my eyes after a wax). POP.
Hopeful
Jan 9, 2012 at 11:41 am
That’s so cool!!
pauly
Jan 9, 2012 at 12:31 pm
I would love for her to wax my back and uni-brow.
Greg
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:46 pm
I worked with her at Cap Rep! Anne is crazy talented and really fun! What a small world.
DB
Jan 9, 2012 at 2:48 pm
next question: when at the Biergarten did you see a 7 foot Ogre passed out at the end of the bar, with a British bartender drawing on his face with a sharpie? its a common occurrence.
Julia
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@ Dave..I think that’s funny b/c the times I do go out, I see alot of attractive women! I think the guys here are lucky b/c Smalbany has pretty girls! Maybe you’re just hanging out at hood rat central! ;)
Jen
Jan 9, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Funnily enough- I met Anne while she was here in Albany. She came in to get a massage and I happened to be her therapist.
She was very sweet and very beat up from her performing.
I LOVE a small world!
Susie
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Love those kinds of happenstances. Tell her to watch out though, because when I moved up here from NYC last May, everyone (doctor, hair stylist, etc.) gave me the good ol’ “why the heck would you come here from NYC?!!?” crazy eyes when I told them my story… ha. Whatever, the Capital Region has been good to me. :)
tallguyy
Jan 11, 2012 at 12:31 pm
She was great in the play! You missed out if you did not see it.
Cap Rep puts on good shows! I wish they would have “A Christmas Story” every year before Christmas every year! We loved it…..i think it was 2 years ago?