Over the past few weeks, complete strangers -- and some coworkers -- have felt compelled to tell me taht I sound/remind them of Ellen DeGeneres. It's not a surprise really. I first heard it from Joe Krause, the founder of Excite.com, back in 1998 - or around that time.

First, a coworker called me Ellen DeGeneres - claiming he temporarily spaced on my last name. This was at the end of a happy hour so I didn't challenge this. Then, after discussing the origins of a Bruce Springsteen ticket with a toothless man in the Wachovia Center parking lot in Philadelphia, I realize there's a guy watching the whole thing. And he's staring at me as I keep walking. So of course I stared back. Then he looks at me and says, "Ellen?" And since that's my name, I of course said, "Yes?" Well to make a really short story shorter, he told me I should become an Ellen DeGeneres impersonator since I sound "exactly" like her.

And over the weekend, I'm making a purchase at Lord & Taylor and the saleswoman is looking under the counter for something for me. I continue to speak as she's searching - when suddenly she stands straight up and shakes her head. I paused, and she says, "If my eyes were closed, I'd have sworn it was Ellen DeGeneres talking."
And she wants to write to Ellen to tell her this.

So now I'm starting to think, maybe I should write Ellen about this. Because I swear I don't hear it. So why not let her audience be the judge? And seriously - given the whole dog episode, it looks like she could use some time off. Though I applaud her greatly for listening to her cats.