Mercede was a huge Barney fan while growing up. Needless to say, a mom can only take so much. So I banned her from Barney. Mercede was so upset that she went thru all my video's looking for something she liked. Then in the corner cabinet, under five inches of dust, she found Dancing to the Oldies. For the next few years Mercede worked out with Richard every single day. During the summer she worked out 3 hours a day, while I laid on the sofa eating chocolate and cheese curls shouting "Go Mercede! Go Mercede!" She was his biggest fan........well okay, probably his smallest (wink, wink).
To cut a long story short. I pulled Mercede from school so she could attend a Woman's Conference in our home town that Richard Simmon's was going to be at. Surrounded by hundreds of large women (me being one of them), little, tiny, skinny Mercede worked out with them/us. She was near the front of the stage and Richard called her up on stage. Mercede is so happy to meet him! Oh Look at her face. When she does that mouth open, eye's rolled up toward heaven look, you know that she is on super excitement mode.
He pulls her to the front of the stage, and then Mercede lost it. She slapped him away. While we didn't get THAT photo, we did get the priceless look on his face after it happened.
If you ever meet Mercede, she will tell you her version of the story. It goes something like this......
"I slapped Richard Simmon's and made him cry."
While she did slap Richard, and while he did cry. It isn't a whole truth, since he was crying on stage about 15 minutes before she slapped him. But hey, her version makes for a better story.
