The Beast.

I wasn't too excited about A&E's new show, "The Beast" starring Patrick Swayze..until I learned that his protegee will be played by one Travis Fimmel, a hot piece of arse from down 'unda.

Of course I have a random story about Travis. So, I graduated from college in 2000 and Jeff took me to Europe as a (very generous) graduation present. We went hang gliding in Switzerland, took in the romantic sights of Paris and stopped off for a spot of tea in jolly old London. It was there on a random Tuesday night that we wandered into an empty bar and sat ourselves outside for a few pints on a warm summer night. The waiter/bartender who came out to take our order was seriously one of the most gorgeous guys either of us had ever seen. He had a cute Aussie accent and Jeff - who can literally talk to anyone for hours - had gone to Melbourne just a few months before, so we started talking and he wound up sitting outside with us for at least 2 hours drinking beer and talking about life. He also gave a beer to the homeless man in the alley. Such a sweetie!! After learning his name was Travis and that he had the most amazing aquamarine eyes I'd ever seen, he invited us to a club down the street and said to just go there and tell the bouncer we were with Travis. He was going to close up the bar and meet us there. Of course we went and the bouncer said, "You're with Travis? Where is he?" We said he would be there soon but the bouncer wouldn't let us in so we went somewhere else and sadly never saw Travis again.

Until..about 2 years later, I was reading US Weekly and saw a short article on this hot new Calvin Klein model who had walked into an LA modeling agency straight from Australia, with $100 in his pocket and no shoes on his feet. Obviously they signed him on the spot. Who wouldn't? I did some research and put it together that our hot bartender in London was the same Travis Fimmel..and he had already been a model but got sick of it and wanted to do a "normal job" - thus his pouring us pints in London. I saw him on billboards everywhere for CK undie ads, and then as "Tarzan" on the dubba dubba WB.

Another random coinkidink is that my friend Mike lives in LA and one of his friends knows Travis, so I had Mike relay the story about London and apparently he remembered us and wants to have dinner in LA next time we are in town. Um, twist my arm. In the meantime, I'll be checking him out on "The Beast" on Thursdays at 10/9 central on A&E and I suggest you do the same.