• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop my prints!
  • Lifestyle
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Printables
    • Tech Talk
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Photography Services
A Cowboy's Wife
A Cowboy's Wife

A Cowboy's Wife

Cowboy Lifestyle Texas Photographer

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop my prints!
  • Lifestyle
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Printables
    • Tech Talk
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Photography Services
You are here Daily Dose / Shaquille ONeal and A Cowboy’s Wife on a Plane, Together

Shaquille ONeal and A Cowboy’s Wife on a Plane, Together

By A Cowboy's Wife | May 26, 2009

I checked in through the self-service machine for my flight on American Airlines and noticed the option to upgrade to 1st class. I didn’t even think about it to be honest, I just said heck yeah! Scheduled flight time was 4:40pm. Because of storms, actual flight time was 7:30pm but about 30 minutes before that, here comes a very, very tall fella who I recognized right away. You could hear whispers all around saying, “It’s Shaq!” What was even more funny is that those whispers were from GUYS! Clearly they were sports fans but it was hilarious to see the guys go gaga.

Shaq boarded the plane while we sat another 30 minutes before boarding. Now I knew he would be in first class of course but it never dawned on me that *I* could be the one sitting next to him. NEVER. But then I walked onto the plane and who do I see next to my 5E seat???? Yep, Shaquille ONeal. How.freakin’.cool.

I just smiled, then he smiled. I said, “Soooooo, I know you have over a million followers but you should totally follow me on twitter ’cause I’m kind of a big deal.” Yep, those are MommySnacks words but I couldn’t resist! He said, “What’s your twitter name?” I told him and that’s when he twittered,

shaqreal

Now he was telling me he was twittering this so of course, I touched him. Then he twittered this,

shaqreal2

Yes, it was sorta setup but who cares! I won a prize and Shaq twittered me! lol  Not only did I gain a ton of followers after that, I got a lot of tweets asking what the prize was.  Well, there really wasn’t a prize to be quite honest with you. I told him, “People are asking me what the prize is so I’m just gonna tell them it’s me getting a seat by you on the plane.”  He said okay and we started talking about family.  I showed him my bag with my boys and man on it and he asked who that was riding that horse.  I told him who it was and what he was doing.  He was amazed…so amazed in fact he didn’t believe me and asked the people around us if they’ve heard of wild horses and such. It was hilarious. Then he tweeted this…

shaqreal3

It was really funny because it was time to turn off our cell phones and he kept hiding his.  He kept tweeting and did not want to put it away.  So the flight has started and we are comfortable.  I got my feet up, crossed in my seat and he took his cap and shades off.  We started talking more about guns, ranches, him being a U.S. Marshall, his 6 kids who range from 13 down to 2, his wife of 5 years who says, “37/12”. His real age and how he acts.  lol  It was great conversation and we laughed a bunch.  He even had this little gadget that when we both placed our thumbprints on it at the same time, it told him exactly who I was and my complete address!!! Can you believe that!

After a long conversation, Shaq slept for a bout 15-20 minutes or so.  Then is was supper time!  He ordered the Chicken Parmesan and I got the Tortellini.  He asked if my Tortellini was good and I said very good….so I asked if he wanted to try it.  So he did, then he took more  and put it on his plate! He also burned his mouth after he just saw me blowing mine off to cool it.  He ordered Diet Coke.  I said, “Diet??”  He said, “Yeah, I gotta maintain this body.”

He asked me to take a picture of him and tweet it. He said to tell everyone that he was snoring so loud.  Yes, that’s the 12yr old coming out! lol

One thing I noticed is how other people who were trying to talk to him sounded so fake.  It made cringe really to see how stupid someone can sound when talking to a celeb.  I honestly think Shaq saw how genuine I was, which is why about 30 minutes before the flight was to end, he looked at me and said, “I want you to have these.”.  I said, “Oh gosh no, I can’t take your sunglasses.  Those are Prada and cost a lot of money, but thank you very much.  It’s been a treat just getting to chat with you.”  He just smiled and said, “No really, I want you to have them..please.”  So I said okay.

shaqpradasunglasses

By the way, he said don’t smile…”It’s cooler not to smile.” LOL

shaq's prada sunglasses

For the rest of the duration of the flight, he played with my iphone. He has a Blackberry and said the iphones are too big.  He really liked the Lightning Tap game I had on it and wanted to “battle”.  So we battled. I got .38 seconds, he got .36 seconds and started singing “we are the champions”.  Then I got .23 seconds and then guess what he got???  .02 seconds. Are you kidding me???  I told him he’s a cheater!!!  I said you can’t cheat! He started singing, “I am the champion, you are the loser” using Queen’s song of course.  It was really funny actually.  He finally gave me my iphone back and said that he might just have to get one for the apps.  By this time, we were landing and he told me to tweet that fake snoring picture of him, so I did.

shaqsnoring

It was the most awesome thing that could have happened after a crappy 3hr delay of sitting at the airport.  He was the nicest person ever!  Too bad the only camera I had was my iphone:(  Oh well, it was still all awesome!

We shook hands and swapped some info and said goodbye.

Shaquille Oneal and A Cowboy's Wife

Previous PostCinnabon’s for the Bread Machine
Next PostChocolate Cinnamon Bread

About the Author

A Cowboy's Wife

WAHM of 3 boys; 13, 23, and 26yrs. I'm 40, married for 26+yrs to a real cowboy:) I love dancing, crochet, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, photography, gaming, and much more. [READ ALL ARTICLES]

Subscribe to A Cowboy's Wife!

Don't miss a thing y'all!! Be sure to subscribe and you'll get notifications when I write a new post, share a giveaway, or add a new print or product to my shop!  

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

Comments

  1. Will Blog For Shoes says

    May 26, 2009 at 9:51 am

    I love to hear about celebs that are really nice! (I was just telling my husband about you meeting & tweeting w/ Shaq. Of course I made it sound like we were super duper best friends–since I follow you on twitter– and, in a six degrees kind of way, I was now bff w/ Shaq.) :)

    Will Blog For Shoess last blog post..Today Could Be The Best Day of My Life. Or It Could Be Pretty Crappy.

    Reply
  2. Donna@WayMoreHomemade says

    May 26, 2009 at 9:58 am

    Well, let us know when you and your new BFF will be hangin’ out again.

    That is such a neat story. And way to go using Twitter to break the ice.

    ~Donna

    Donna@WayMoreHomemades last blog post..Mama Braggin’ Monday – Memorial Day

    Reply
  3. Andrea @ Mommy Snacks.net says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:01 am

    You are cool! And, you are a BIG deal (feel free to use that whenever you want too :). I’m sure he saw you were a real person – a cowboy cookin’ momma who does a lot of homework!!! You should have invited him over for dinner!!

    Andrea @ Mommy Snacks.nets last blog post..Meijer Snack: Sale Week of May 24

    Reply
    • A Cowboy's Wife says

      May 26, 2009 at 10:04 am

      I did Andrea!!! He LOVES Mexican food so that was a plus on my side. I said, “You know where I live now, you’re welcomed anytime you want to get away and I’ll cook all day long for ya!” :)

      Reply
  4. Holly says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:02 am

    This post had me cracking up! It really sounds like you had a lot of fun.

    I also get annoyed with people who act fake around celebrates. They are just people after all.

    Hollys last blog post..Where I Get My Inspiration

    Reply
  5. Kati says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:23 am

    How cool is that!

    Katis last blog post..Memorial Day Weekend

    Reply
  6. ciara says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:26 am

    very cool, lori! and omgoodness those shades! you look awesome in em :)

    Reply
  7. Busy Mom says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:26 am

    Shaqs on a Plane. Coming soon to a theater near you.

    (Looks like ya’ll had fun!)

    Busy Moms last blog post..One more time

    Reply
  8. Sarah at themommylogues says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:37 am

    That’s hilarious. It’s so fun to hear about celebs that are nice.

    Sarah at themommyloguess last blog post..Dearest Cabin-ers: Part II

    Reply
  9. Tara @ Deal Seeking Mom says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:53 am

    Dang, girl, you have all the luck! He sounds very sweet and genuine. You did tell him to follow all the cool chix, right? :P

    Tara @ Deal Seeking Moms last blog post..Harris Teeter: Triple Coupons This Week

    Reply
  10. Tanya Moyer says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:54 am

    Very cool!

    Reply
  11. cammy jo says

    May 26, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Oh my word! How cool is that! I had always heard he was a nice guy but to give you his Prada sunglasses! Seriously! That is one cool man. Thanks for the play by play. Felt like I was there!

    Reply
  12. Christine says

    May 26, 2009 at 11:31 am

    When I saw your tweet, Lori, I seriously squealed! What a fun flight!!

    Reply
  13. Michelle says

    May 26, 2009 at 11:43 am

    What a great way to spend the plane ride home! Looks like lots of fun!

    Michelles last blog post..Free Happy Spring Background

    Reply
  14. Christine says

    May 26, 2009 at 11:44 am

    That’s just TOO COOL Lori!

    Christines last blog post..Your New AMERICAN IDOL

    Reply
  15. Adrienne says

    May 26, 2009 at 11:52 am

    You are such a big deal! Don’t be gettin’ too big for your britches now tho!

    Adriennes last blog post..Decisions Decisions

    Reply
  16. Kelly says

    May 26, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    That is sooo awesome!!! And those glasses!!!!!!! WOOT!

    Reply
  17. Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting says

    May 26, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    Woohoo! How awesome is that? He sounds like such a teddy bear. So happy to hear how sweet he was to you! :) Who wouldn’t like you? :)

    Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parentings last blog post..To Do Tuesday Week 16

    Reply
  18. Loretta says

    May 26, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    This is just the coolest thing ever! I had to show hubby your pics with Shaq, he is uber jealous of you right now! (and so am I!) He always seems so personable and fun to be around when you see him on anything. Glad you had a good flight!

    Reply
  19. Leah says

    May 26, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    Whata a cool story!! He sounds like a super nice guy!

    Leahs last blog post..Chicken Burittos! Muy Delicioso!

    Reply
  20. gaye says

    May 26, 2009 at 9:29 pm

    What a cool story! I live in Phoenix, but followed his LA career long before. I’m glad he’s cool in person. People who “fawn” with fake crap are SO transparent!

    Reply
  21. Loretta says

    May 26, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    Gave this post a stumble on SU ~ thumbs up it if you’re passing by folks!

    Lorettas last blog post..Changes ~ A Puberty Kit and Guide for Girls

    Reply
  22. Lisa Marie Mary says

    May 27, 2009 at 6:30 am

    That’s so awesome – how fun! I knew Shaq was pretty cool, he was groovy on Twitter and all. But then I read about his being at that restaurant with that other blogger. (A guy – did u read about it?) And after that I knew he was ‘just a person’ – so great when celebs are still ‘just people’, you know?

    But now this – wow, he’s even cooler! Very awesome. Nice that he was so real with you.

    Man, I get so nervous sometimes around any type of celebrity that I almost don’t even want to meet them. LOL So I’m sure when I actually do, I wind up sounding like an idiot, too! Ha!

    The glasses? Wow, that was cool.

    The gadget? I have to know more about that thing! Please tell us more!! (The thumbprint one…)

    Reply
  23. Amy says

    May 27, 2009 at 7:32 am

    Too cool! I would have been all over him!!

    Amys last blog post..Free Arby’s Items on Wednesdays

    Reply
  24. Brenda says

    May 27, 2009 at 7:46 am

    You go girl!…How Cool is that???
    its nice to hear when celebs are so nice…
    glad you had a wonderful trip..
    hugs
    brenda

    Brendas last blog post..WHAT’S UP WITH ME?

    Reply
  25. Brenda says

    May 27, 2009 at 7:49 am

    You go girl!…How Cool is that???
    its nice to hear when celebs are so nice…
    glad you had a wonderful trip..
    hugs
    brenda

    Reply
  26. Angie says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:06 am

    That’s freaking awesome! You ROCK!

    Reply
  27. Toni-Lynn @ Grocery Price Blog says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:15 am

    Great for you Lori for being “REAL” with him! Very cool experience for you :)

    See you in a few days!

    Toni-Lynn

    Reply
  28. Diane says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:16 am

    Hahaha i showed my bf your twitter picture sitting next to shaq and he was like do you know her? i was like yeah! Well…sorta. I follow her on twitter. He mumbled somethig about the damn computer and walked away. He only uses the computer to look up sports news and fantasy football – thats it. no email, no twitter, no facebook nada!

    Glad to hear Shaq is so nice!

    Reply
  29. Debbie says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:23 am

    I could just die. That is such a cool story – like one of the best I’ve read. SOOOO cool! Pictures & prada glasses. SEEEE! Nice gals DO finish first!!! woohoo!!!

    Debbies last blog post..Transformations…

    Reply
  30. Amy says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:51 am

    That is the coolest thing EVER! I am green with jealousy- I never get to sit with anyone cool. You are making me think I should upgrade that seat next time :)

    Reply
  31. Kim ~ Craftymamaof4 says

    May 27, 2009 at 9:23 am

    Thats so awesome! How much fun for you :) Love that it was such a real experience between friends, not a cleb and a stalker!

    Kim ~ Craftymamaof4s last blog post..Welcome To My New Home!

    Reply
  32. Jill says

    May 27, 2009 at 10:23 am

    So cool! I think it’s great that someone as famous as him is still so down to earth.

    Jills last blog post..Unspoken reasons I am a horrible mother…

    Reply
  33. Sommer says

    May 27, 2009 at 10:40 am

    How fun! Good for you. The no smile is bad ass!

    Sommers last blog post..More on the Toxic Tub Report

    Reply
  34. jennster says

    May 27, 2009 at 11:07 am

    LOL- i love it… i haven’t ever really heard anything bad about him- except from haters. i heart shaq daddy!!!! i would have sat on his lap and pretended to fall asleep. lol

    Reply
  35. Reiza says

    May 27, 2009 at 11:31 am

    That is the best story. Certainly the coolest flight ever. The more I hear about Shaq, the more I like him. So cool!

    Reizas last blog post..“We can survive functional illiteracy or shattered windows of vulnerability, but not the demise of The Decent Cup of Tea”

    Reply
  36. Tara @ Feels like Home says

    May 27, 2009 at 11:33 am

    What a fun story. I bet your kids were over the moon to hear about your encounter with Shaq. :)

    Reply
  37. Marie {Make and Takes} says

    May 27, 2009 at 11:42 am

    No way! I love it. I think I love Shaq even more than I already did, and that he wasn’t afraid to tweet in public and get to know someone!

    Marie {Make and Takes}s last blog post..Chocolate Chip S’mores Surprise

    Reply
  38. Audrey - Mom Generations says

    May 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    OK. This is the coolest post, ever! And I didn’t know you got to KEEP the PRADA glasses. UM, hello!? If you ever need someone to polish them… I will! :) Love this! xoxo Audrey

    Reply
  39. Iva @ Horizontal Yo-Yo says

    May 27, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    That is so neat! I’ve never met a famous person (to my knowledge). The Man Beast has! When he worked at Universal, he met tons of famous people – Johnny Depp, Christian Slater, and Will Smith!

    Iva @ Horizontal Yo-Yos last blog post..Wordless Wednesday…naw, not really

    Reply
  40. Pamela Kramer says

    May 27, 2009 at 2:18 pm

    That is so cool! What a fun experience. He sounds like a lot of fun.

    Reply
  41. Katja says

    May 27, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    SO FREAKIN’ COOOL!

    Katjas last blog post..Honoring Soldiers with Wieners & Panties (for reals)

    Reply
  42. Jamie says

    May 27, 2009 at 6:20 pm

    OK how AWESOME is that!!! I love love this story. Shaq seems like such a genuine nice guy. Love it. :)

    p.s. are you still wearing the glasses?!?

    Jamies last blog post..Swim, Bike, Run, Grump

    Reply
  43. ClassyMommy says

    May 27, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    This totally rocks. And how cool he was such a genuine guy like yourself. Those were some hot sunglasses too and this was totally the coolest blog post ever. I loved it and adore you! xoxoxo col

    ClassyMommys last blog post..Windex All-In-One Window Cleaning Kit Giveaway

    Reply
  44. ConnieFoggles says

    May 27, 2009 at 10:26 pm

    Even he can see how “real” you are. This so totally rocks!

    ConnieFoggless last blog post..Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes Giveaway

    Reply
  45. Pamela S. says

    May 28, 2009 at 7:19 am

    I had so much fun reading your post. It shows that neither one of you are fake. You treated him like a human being, not a celebrity. Oh, fantastic sunglasses!

    Reply
  46. Annie says

    May 28, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    So cool! Thanks for the play-by-play.

    Annies last blog post..VENTING…Warning. Reading the following post may be hazardous to your health.

    Reply
  47. Amy, the Resourceful Mommy says

    May 28, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Lori, I’m so glad I got my act together and came to get the 411 on the Shaq avatar. What a GREAT story! My aunt still tells her story about flying with Hulk Hogan back in his WWF days in the ’80’s. And I love that you were able to bond over Twitter. What a great life!

    Reply
  48. Briana says

    May 28, 2009 at 8:58 pm

    very cool about the whole thing. Love how he was so friendly and how into twitter he is! Sounds like a fun trip…probably one of the highlights of the whole trip, right? It would be for me.

    Cracking up over the guys going gaga for Shaq! He is one that you can’t miss no matter how clueless you are about sports…lol!

    Brianas last blog post..Mercedes Benz: 10 FREE Downloads

    Reply
  49. rachel-asouthernfairytale says

    May 29, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    YAY! I can finally comment on this!
    I was SQUEALING over your tweets and the picture!
    Yay for you!! Such an awesome experience. Being a real person appeals to everyone xoxo

    Reply
  50. Southern Fried Gal says

    May 30, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Wow – that’s pretty freaking cool! You look great in the shades, too! I sat behind Dennis Rodman on a flight from NY to St. Louise back in the day. He didn’t speak to anyone. Sounds about right, eh?

    Southern Fried Gals last blog post..Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME – Rock Me Like a Hurricane

    Reply
  51. Erin Hill says

    June 1, 2009 at 2:40 pm

    Wow! Gotta love a celeb who’s cool, ya know? What a sweetheart. I wasn’t really a Shaq fan, because he was on the Lakers and my husband despises the Lakers, but, now I’m a fan and I just told my hubby so…

    Erin Hills last blog post..Cheap Summer Fun Link Love

    Reply
  52. jewelry Rockstar says

    June 2, 2009 at 10:18 am

    Wait that thumbprint thing sounds scary. How could they find all that out about you from your thumbprint.

    jewelry Rockstars last blog post..Rockstar Vacay Ramblings

    Reply
  53. Kristi says

    June 2, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    Shaq sounds so nice and it was lots of fun hearing your story! Thanks for sharing! :)

    Reply
  54. Maria@Conversations with Moms says

    June 3, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    You gotta love a celebrity who is a great person at the same time. I’ve met a few celebrities when I worked at the airport a long time ago. They are not all cool. It sounds like it was a real awesome experience.

    Reply
  55. Maria@Conversations with Moms says

    June 3, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    Oops, screwed up the order of my blog address and Twitter ID. Trying again.

    Maria@Conversations with Momss last blog post..Conversations – Why Men need Women

    Reply
  56. Michellew_ says

    June 5, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Now I totally have to follow Shaq on Twitter and be all “hey you shoult totally follow me back becase ‘A Cowboy’s Wife’ said that you were really cool”.

    Yep, that’s my plan.

    Michellew_s last blog post..Can You Relate?

    Reply
  57. Julie says

    June 5, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    Awww, lucky girl! I’m an LA girl, so Shaq has always been a favorite of mine!

    Reply
  58. Rachel says

    November 19, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    Wow…that is sooo cool!

    Reply
  59. Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms says

    December 11, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Sounds like a fun trip! He’s one of our Cleveland Cav’s now- w/ Lebron.

    Reply
  60. Sarah Daigle Scott says

    February 3, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    Lori, I knew you had a super attitude by working together on a few things at Collective Bias, but giggled all the way through your post here. I needed a break from the documents I was writing and you reminded me to take a moment to smell the roses (or play iPhone games with celebrities!)

    Thanks for the fun read,
    Sarah
    .-= Sarah Daigle Scott´s last blog ..Snow Garden =-.

    Reply
  61. karissa says

    June 14, 2010 at 12:49 pm

    This article is wayyyyyyyyyy cute. I loved how real it was. So glad you met him! Made me smile.

    Reply
  62. Tanya @ Mommy Goggles says

    January 26, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    What a COOL story! Love it!

    Reply
  63. Emilie says

    January 26, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    Sweet! This was a awesome story and something to remember forever. I love “real” celebrities.

    Reply
  64. CarolinaMama says

    January 26, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    Lori! That is the best story! Love it! You are too cool! And we Louisiana folks love our Shaq!

    Reply
  65. jen says

    January 27, 2011 at 6:41 am

    OMGGGGGGGGG!! HOW COOL!! I LOVE ME SOME SHAQ!! I can’t wait to show my son your post LOL!!

    Reply
  66. Melissa says

    January 28, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    OK that was one freaking cool story! You lucky Lady LOL Did you invite him to the ranch? Please tell me you did LOL

    Reply
  67. Yolanda says

    February 21, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    I was talking to my boss today and he was complaining abouthis back hurting that he needed icy hot. That’s where Shaq comes in. Had to tell him this story and he wanted to read about it. thanks again Lori for sharing your stories, they do bring up conversation and a “smile”, sometimes a tear. Love ya!

    Reply

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

  • About
  • Advertise/PR
  • Disclosure
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop my prints!
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Photography Services

Let all that you do be done in love
© 2023 FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM A Cowboy's Wife