A couple of posts ago I wrote about our Wernersville Neighbors, Jon and Kate Gosselin. They and their sizable brood live a couple of miles from us on a beautiful property they bought, coincidentally, from the obstetrician who delivered our first son. Last week my friend Amy visited from Ohio and I took her out to see J&Ks house. She's a huge J&K fan, has seen every episode, and knows everyone who's ever been on the show. (This is compared to me, who has seen maybe a total of three episodes and just doesn't get what the fuss is all about.) Before embarking on our journey to the home we stopped in at a couple of local establishments to query within about any recent Gosselin Gossip I may have missed on my daily errand-runnings. Here are some of the hot tidbits we picked up.
J&K have not yet been spotted at one local business, although the producers did stop in and say they might be coming by and if so, cameras would be following closely behind. (I guess because the business is public property because it's partially funded through the govenment, so the cameras can enter any time they wish.) One employee there, who shall remain nameless, stated that if the cameras come in the front door she's going out the back. It was generally hoped that if the producers do plan on following the Gosselins into said establishment, the least they can do is provide a preliminary phone call the day previous to the visit so the employees have an opportunity to dress nicely for the occasion.
Another person (who I'll call Pat. Okay, that's her real name) said that she went to a yard sale held by J&K when they lived in Wyomissing, prior to the move to Elizabethtown (previous to their most recent move to Wernersville.) The yard saler said that Kate, who was (wo)manning the yardsale tables, had her undies all in a bundle because Jon refused to sweep the sidewalk, which Jon was understandably reluctant to do as there was a yard sale in progress. (This was before they were famous, so Pat just thought Kate was somewhat bossy.) At one point Pat complimented Kate on a state-of-the-art snuggly for sale, to which Kate whined that someone had given it to her, but had only given her one, whereas she had six babies, and what was she to do with only one lousy snuggly? [Pat's comment to me was that while Kate complained about the brazen inconsideracy of the stingy snuggly-giver, Pat wondered what Kate would ever be able to do with six snugglies anyway: Wear two on her chest, two on her back, and one on each ankle?]*
In one establishment we ran into someone who used to be close to Kate and babysat the six when they were babies. She said she doesn't know why Kate stopped calling her for help but she said she grew to love the babies (now four yrs old) and still misses them. She says things (well, okay, Kate) changed after television cameras entered the Gosselin's lives.**
Amy and I were all aglow with our luck at running into actual human beings who had had real interactions with our famous yet elusive subjects. We continued on our journey two miles out of town and both drew our breath when we rounded the corner and saw the property. It is truly beautiful, idyllic really.
***
We stopped the car to enjoy the view and take a couple of pictures when I noticed another car had pulled up behind us and was doing the same rude rubbernecking we were so deliciously guilty of. There was a white van which looked like it belonged to something like a security company parked at the end of the driveway and a man got out and was looking through the tall metal gate. At that point there was a flurry of activity coming down the yard and Amy and I both broke into shrieks of inane hysterical laughter as we saw Jon zooming toward us on a pimped out golf cart. I put the car into drive and we pretended to not give a rat's ass about seeing Jon in person as we drove by hopefully appearing nonchalant but secretly clutching each other's hands while shrieking under our breath, "Didyouseethat? OhmygawdwasthatJon? OhmygawdthatwasJon! Jezezwashepissed! HaHahahahahaha!"
For those of you who have propagated or spread the rumors that Jon is gonadless, let me set you straight. The man has some fire in him as evidenced by his face which gets very red when he is furious. I don't know if he was pissed at the white truck in his driveway, at us, or at the car behind us, but in any case it sure wasn't pretty.
That was so much fun that after Amy and I drove by, we turned around and drove slowly in front of the house again, back toward my home. By that time Jon was talking with the white-van guy at the end of the driveway inside the gate. Then, after Amy and I went back into town and had Thai for lunch, we drove back out to the house for more! (Don't worry, we changed vehicles so as to not appear to be stalkers. I mean, driving by slowly taking pictures gawking and giggling uncontrollably the same day in the same vehicle twice? Well now, that would be just plain rude.)
My friend Amy's hands taking pictures. By this time the white truck had been allowed inside the property. The guy on the right with the black knit hat on is Jon.
When we drove to the house in the second vehicle, Jon and all of the kids were outside playing in the driveway. The children were all wearing different colored coats and some of them were riding little trikes and bikes around and around. I have to say they were adorable, kind of like multicolored spinning muchkins only not creepy, and although I have no idea who was who, Amy could be heard next to me gasping, "Oh, that's Mady! Oh look, there's Joel! That's Alexis!" ****
I'm sure I'll have more news for you the next time I take another J&K fanatic out to see their house. Meanwhile I'll try working on those pictures tomorrow. Maybe Blogger will be feeling a little more amenable to our insatiable tabloidish desires by then.
*I realize the potential for J&K rumors is ginormous and so I assure you that "Pat" is a real person and she and I have been friends for years.
**I heard this first person from the former babysitter, who is someone I have had many conversations with and whom I have no reason to believe would make this up.
***Click on each image to see it blown up. If you're really OCD for J&K you can print them out, blow them up, and make a living room mural out of them.
****Blogger is being a pain in the ass and refuses to let me post all of the pictures I risked my reputation as a classy, considerate and sensitive person to take just for you.
Leah J. Utas said...
An entertaining post. I know nothing of these people, but I got a kick out of your quest.
April 19, 2009 11:45:00 AM EDT
MCarey65 said...
OMG! What a hoot! You changed vehicles, way to think ahead, must be in the "stalker 101" course. Sounds like fun. Make a living room mural, good one. Not for me, I am not a fan of these people but I love your commentary on them. Thanks for the laugh!
April 19, 2009 1:58:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Thanks gals. I'm still not privy to what the fuss is all about, but I do get a giggle out of people's reactions when I show them the property. So far I've shown it to four or five fans and/or haters and they have all oohed and ahhed quite gratifyingly. Maybe I should start thinking like Kate and charge for tours...woohoo, retirement here I come! :^) MCarey, now that's I've passed Stalking 101 maybe it's time to move on to 102: Different hats, wigs, sunglasses...this could get expensive. Definitely time to start charging.
April 19, 2009 3:20:00 PM EDT
iluvobx said...
Thank you for the wonderful laugh that I had. The pictures are great! Please we must have more of your delicious sense of humor. How much would you charge? Would being chased by Jon on a pimped up golf cart be extra$$?
April 19, 2009 4:49:00 PM EDT
Robin said...
You crack me up!!! I love the car changing. Next, you and Amy should go to Afghanistan and search for terrorists.As you know, I despise this entitled, sanctimonious, creepy couple. News flash for Jon - the reason you're able to afford a zillion dollar estate you've done nothing to earn, is that people care enough to look at your stupid house. Duh.
April 19, 2009 6:04:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Oh dear, Robin, that makes me an accomplice to their lazyass lifestyle. Shit. Guilty as charged. Well, a gal's got to do something to keep busy in a small town. Whaddaya want?Iluvobx, I'll post more pictures soon. Glad I gave you a giggle. I find the whole thing hilarious myself. (p.s if that's "I love the Outer Banks" I'm with you on that.)
April 19, 2009 6:29:00 PM EDT
ThePaginator said...
I posted under the wrong post. Sorry.Thanks for sharing. You are funny and sound like a great person to "hang" with.
April 19, 2009 6:43:00 PM EDT
iluvobx said... You are correct. Ocracoke to be exact. I love that island. About the only place I have ever been where the sign on the door says:No dripping bathing suits and you can go barefoot in the restaurants.
April 19, 2009 7:36:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
iLuv, I looked up Ocracoke and it looks very cool. Paginator, your blog is hilarious. That image of Octamom makes me want to hurl. What is it with her lips? They must be plastic surged onto her face, which is rather odd considering she has no money and is on welfare. Is she already working deals like J&K (for lasik eye surgery, hair plugs, spa treatments, etc)? It concerns me that more sad women might see this sort of thing and decide to have litters. Let's hope not, right?
April 19, 2009 8:22:00 PM EDT
mamaholly said...
thanks for this amusing look at life in Wernersville! It's great to know that there are people who are out there who would do EXACTLY the same thing that I would do, without really ever admitting that I would!
April 20, 2009 5:05:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Thanks for stopping by, MamaHolly. I am ALL about the guilty pleasures...Reality shows on Bravo TV, once in a great while a trashy Lifetime movie, and the occasional J&K stalkings. A gal's got to have fun, right?
April 20, 2009 5:13:00 PM EDT
ThePaginator said...
Thanks but that's not my blog, just one I'm linked to!
April 20, 2009 9:42:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Ohhhhh, I'm glad you told me, I didn't realize it worked that way. Whenever I saw a link like that, I just assumed it was always the person's blog.
April 21, 2009 8:13:00 AM EDT
Sharla said...
Thanks so much for the pictures and the stories. I love that one about the snugglie and how Kate expected six.
April 22, 2009 7:23:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Thanks for visiting, Sharla. I've had a lot of fun bloging about J&K and will probably do so again, since I hear so much about them and readers seem to like it too.
April 23, 2009 10:14:00 AM EDT
lindahoyt said...
THAT was just so hilarious! Thank you so much for writing it...sadly, I would totally do the same thing, if I were a neighbor! I loved your descriptions! You are so funny!
April 25, 2009 6:08:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Thanks for visiting, Linda. I'll let y'all know when I've got more hot scoop. :^)
April 25, 2009 7:40:00 PM EDT
makita579 said...
Haha! Love your little adventure! Really, if it's possible, could you let me know what road this compound is on? I'm in Wyomissing area, and would love to take a Sunday drive. LOL! Thanks!
April 25, 2009 11:46:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
HI makita, thanks for dropping by. I don't want to put the address here so please email me.
April 26, 2009 12:02:00 AM EDT
Stephanie said...
Thanks for sharing your adventure! I totally would spy on them, but I don't know if I would be able to admit it. Lol. I love hearing Jon and Kate gossip.
April 26, 2009 5:06:00 PM EDT
ThirtyWhat said...
HOW FUN! I have to go to Pennsylvania in September to be Maid of Honor in a wedding ... and I'm thinking I might need to drive past the Gosselin Compound. Although, I'll only have one vehicle ... so I'll have to make sure to get a good picture the first time around! LOL
April 27, 2009 4:26:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
That's funny, 30what. I'm sure you'd have fun and it's a beautiful property. You wouldn't believe all the emails I've gotten, including one from US magazine, about my blog post. And guess what?!? I didn't even tell HALF the stuff I know about them because I'm trying to maintain SOME sense of dignity and decorum! What a hoot!
April 27, 2009 4:51:00 PM EDT
CarolS461 said...
Great post! THANKS! Good thinking to drive by in a different car, too.Being a counselor yourself, maybe you could offer them some complimentary sessions? What do you think about their whole dysfunctional set up? A lot of people say Mady is a brat. I feel sorry for her because her behavior is NOT her fault. She is being raised by two clueless people. YES, she has issues that need to be professionally addressed, rather than being beaten with a red plastic spoon! Have you seen the video with Jon carrying the red spoon? Or the one where Kate asks Hannah if she "needs to get the red spoon?"Keep up informed about what's going on there, OK? LOVE the pictures of the property, too!
April 29, 2009 12:42:00 PM EDT
thegirlfromtheghetto said...
I love that you guys did this, and i'm so sad I wasn't tagging along. Isn't their house just gorgeous? Wow, I mean, wow, no wonder they aren't shooting it fromt he front.
May 3, 2009 12:03:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...
A mental health councelor gawking at a family in peril -- how disturbing and pathetic?! What a horrible role model you are for your clients.
July 10, 2009 9:19:00 PM EDT
Werny Gal said...
Thanks for stopping by, Anon. If you've read my posts, you'd know that I am aware this family is in peril, and I am concerned, esp for the children. As for the role model thing...who are you?
July 11, 2009 6:10:00 PM EDT
No comments:
Post a Comment