A story of a buffet, a back scratch and a famous house guest

By John Katsilometes

Thursday, April 2, 2009 | 7:58 a.m.

Kaelin

So I’m in line at the buffet at “Tony 'n’ Tina’s Wedding” at Planet Hollywood, and I feel my back being scratched, ever so gently. I’m spooning into the lasagna and thinking, “This is a pretty good back scratch,” and it would not be so unusual to have my back scratched at this moment. A bunch of audience members are in line, and I notice that most of them have stopped filling their plates and are looking over toward me. Most of them are smiling, giggling, nudging the person standing next to them.

I continue forth, wondering why they might be so interested in what I’m doing, but I don’t care. I’ve got some good back-scratch happening. Then I look over my left shoulder, the one away from the buffet trays, and it is a man’s arm in a tuxedo jacket. The person connected is Kato Kaelin. It’s not so terrifically random, because Kaelin is the “celebrity guest” in the production and has been talking to members of the audience throughout the show in his role as, well, celebrity guest Kato Kaelin. I stop cold, and Kaelin hurries away, pointing back at me and saying, “He liked it, too!” Everyone laughs, and I do, too.

Now, whenever I’m asked what is the strangest thing that has happened to me in Las Vegas, I’ll know what to say. Thanks, Kato. I think.