I blew it with Josh Groban. April 28, 2009

Josh Groban was in the building today and I didn’t get to shake his hand.

And I’m pissed.

Not that you can shake hands now in this Swine Flu era.  Not that shaking his hand and meeting him is really a life-altering thing.

But yet, I’m pissed.

People who didn’t even know who he is got to meet him. Take their picture with him. Talk to him. Laugh with him. Stare at him and then ask the guy next to him, “Who’s this kid?”

So pissed.

It doesn’t matter that people are dying of some flu named after Porky, that people are out of a job and can’t put food on their table, or that some guy just changed senate parties. No, none of that matters, because I didn’t get to meet Josh Groban.

Boo-fricking-hoo. Waaaahhh, waaahhh, waaahhh.

And the worst part was I knew that he was coming. But I didn’t think I was invited to meet him. I had hijacked a celeb interview before, and have gotten dirty looks since…

But I’m still pissed.

People are surprised when I say I am a fan. Most times I am met with glazed eyes and a “who?” look of boredom. I am not quite a Grobanite. (does knowing he has a dog named Sweeney and that he dated Mad Men’s January Jones make me a Grobanite?) But I’m not a fair-weather fan either. I like his music. I like his evolution. I like him as an artist.

And yes, I’m still pissed that I didn’t get to meet him.

I’m pissed, pissed, pissed.

And then, being me, I decided to analyze why I am pissed (anyone who knows me knows that a therapist exists inside my head when it really should exist outside it). I can’t figure out if I’m pissed because other people I know got to meet him, or pissed at myself for not going down there and making someone take a picture. Or am I pissed because I didn’t get a picture so I could plaster it on Facebook to all my neigh-sayers in high school and say, “See, I get to meet with important people and you don’t…nah-nah-nah”. Oh geez. I’ve reverted back to high school…Again. Someone please stop me.

What is it about celebrities that makes them so…well, worth the bad moods if you missed your chance to meet them? They are normal people, just like us. They just have cooler jobs and a better bank account. Every time I meet someone famous (which is not a lot, I might add), I’m always amazed at how down-to-earth they seem. How they don’t have that “larger-than-life” persona they exhibit on the screen. And how normal and accessible they feel. Maybe I just haven’t met those REALLY BIG celebrities that have entourages and people telling you whether you’re allowed to shake their hand or not. But seriously, meeting Josh Groban wouldn’t have changed my life. Unless we were to fall madly in love with each other from love at first sight (hey, it could happen), there is no way meeting him would have been anything other than a bragging right on Facebook.

But yet, I’m still pissed.

And, let’s be honest, Josh Groban is not the President. If I missed shaking the President’s hand, I’d be crying instead of being pissed. But there is something about meeting a celebrity, something about meeting someone whose career you either wish you had or who you just enjoy listening to, it’s that initial meeting and handshake that sets up such optimism for your own failed attempts. Like meeting Josh Groban would have put me in a good mood all day for no apparent reason. Although, isn’t it apparent? The only reason I wanted to meet Josh Groban was to tell him I liked his music and get a picture to post on Facebook with the caption, “Me and Josh Groban, hanging out”. Geez. I need help.

Ugh. I’m just so pissed I blew it with Josh Groban.

Malcolm Gladwell has this great book out there called, “Outliers”, that tells us people are successful because they practice a hella lot. I’d love to read this book, but my local library is out of it…yet again…(why does the library only carry 1 book per branch of popular books?! It’s so annoying…) And since I vowed not to buy any more books this year, I have to resort to people’s blogs telling me what the book says. Ultimately, it tells us that the successful people in life have practiced twelve million times more than you have to be successful. And that most people fail because they don’t want to practice. So I’m thinking that by the next time Josh comes around to the station, not only will the library have a copy of “Outliers” in stock, but I will have practiced my stalking skills twelve billion times over, and maybe, just maybe, I will be able to snap a picture.

And not be so pissed.

(No, this isn’t Josh Groban. But it is Tim Gunn. Nah-nah-nah.)

This is my Aunt’s take on what the picture would’ve looked like!

Choose your thoughts. March 31, 2009

A college roommate of mine just sent this to me and I had to post. So whether you hate your job but can’t leave, hate your boyfriend but don’t want to leave, or just life in general, enjoy.

From Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”:

“There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I’m going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”

A boring day’s quandary. March 16, 2009

I have just spent the last half hour reading blogs from Google Reader with every intention of writing a witty yet blog of substance…and I’ve come up with zero. zilch. nothing interesting happened today. I bought a lamp. Very exciting. I went on an exceptionally long walk with Ollie today in the sun because it was 60 degrees. Which was awesome. Broke out the old USC sweatshirt. Actually brought my phone along this time and took pictures. And yes, I know it’s a picture of his butt, but he wouldn’t turn around, turns out Paduckah boy is a prima donna. So that was my interesting day. Taking Ollie for a walk, trying to take a picture of him in the sun with my phone, only to end up with a picture of his butt. He’s so my dog.

I'm too good for the camera. I stick my tail up at you.

And I know I should really start to learn this wordpress.org website setup thing…since I have a domain name and such, but I haven’t had the attention span lately. Blame the weather. I blame the weather. When you need something to blame, blame the weather (sounds like a song…)

And I have had many discussions lately about social media and how, at this very moment, not a lot of people around me know what’s going on or care. Hell, I have no idea what’s going on and I am supposed to be the geekiest chick in my realm. I have no idea why anyone would want to follow me on Twitter, because I am not that interesting. Sometimes I am, when the brilliance hits me, but usually, rather boring. I get if you’re a celebrity, and exploiting that celebrity, or you want to get more business, and you’re self-promoting…but for all us living day-by-day, doing the life, liberty and trying to keep a dollar thing, do you really want to know that at this exact moment I am scooping up dog poop from the sidewalk? Me thinks not.

But I get the need for social media, and the business I am working in right now does not (which is surprising, since I work for The Media). People want to feel connected 24/7. I get that. The world I live in from 9-5, however, does not. So how do you convince the naysayers to hop on the bandwagon? To start tweeting before it’s too late? To get a freaking facebook profile already??   One answer: you don’t. You learn everything you can about the “new medium” before anyone else, then sell yourself on the proverbial  black market (aka ask for a raise) because you are so smart and knowledgeable and they cannot bear to lose an asset like you…..I can dream….but even I feel behind, and I just feel like if I don’t learn this stuff now, when it hits big, and becomes mainstream, and replaces email and the like, I better have my shit together. Otherwise I am going to be working for an 18 year old who pops gum in my face…which ironically is probably what I look like to my counterparts now. Oh, geez. The circle of social media is a bitch.

So I guess my non-exciting day has brought on this quandary: In the social media of life, does being connected 24/7 make us more connected or discombobulated? What I mean is, in a world where we are starting to define ourselves in 140 characters or less, does that make us more succinct or does it make us void of substance? Is creativity born in 140 characters, or is it lost in it?

Ollie’s giving me the evil “what the hell are you doing with that silver thing on your lap? I’m bored. Entertain me.” Touche.

Why did you make me come back here?! I wanna go back to the country!

So wise beyond my years… February 10, 2009

I had a birthday recently, and at the ripe old age of 28, I have discovered some pearls of wisdom that I would either like to tell my grandchildren (not likely) or my former self (more likely)…so here are my top 10.

1. You will meet people in this life that will piss you off to no end, no matter how you try to conform them or yourself to them. These people are idiots and not worth it. The only thing you can do is conform your attitude. So the next time you see these people, smile and nod while simultaneously muttering (to yourself…in your head) all the reasons you are better than this person and how much you will not remember their name when you leave.

2. People come into your life when you need them, and leave just the same. Take comfort in that fact, fight for what friendships you think deserve fighting for, and forget the rest. It will all work itself out in the end.

3. You may make a zillion friends in your lifetime, but your family, no matter how dysfunctional or how many times you would like to disown them, is yours and yours alone, no questions asked. If you are lucky enough to be near them, have talked to them or have them for that matter, be grateful.

4. Some people suck. Deal with it. Find a way to get rid of the negative, because you only have one life. Beware of negativity and the suction that goes with it. If you find yourself being sucked in by the negativity monsters, take a walk outside, pet a dog or go to www.cuteoverload.com…you try being in a negative mood on that website.

5. All you need is love. And that doesn’t mean you need a significant other. It means that you need something to love, someone to love you, and someone you can rely on. If you have figured out that that person is you, congratulations. You have figured out the meaning of life.

6. Never underestimate the power of music, whether you play it or listen, nothing can transport you faster than listening to your favorite song.

7. “Men are like toasters…women, more like accordions” Don’t write people off because they are (or seem) complicated. The more complicated the person, the more interesting they are. (learned today, courtesy of The Mentalist episode “Crimson Casanova”)

8. Take a deep breath. Now be grateful you can still breathe.

9. Wear clean underwear and throw out the ratty ones, even if you justify their existence by calling them “laundry day undies”. You never know when someone will see them.

10. Lasciato vada. (look it up, it’s Italian…although since I have looked it up, I don’t know if it means, “Let go” (which is what I want it to mean) or “Go to the left”…good thing I didn’t get that tatoo…)  Either way, two words have never meant so much in certain situations.

I am sure I’ll have more to add to this list…and I realize all this is easier said than done (well, #9 is pretty easy…but I still haven’t done it!). But I figure since I’ve “learned” all these things in my 28 years, I am sure there is a boatload more I have to learn. So feel free to dish it out….

The Superbowl was actually better than the Ads! For once! February 2, 2009

Ok. Superbowl commercials. Yuck. Actual Superbowl game…most excellent and entertaining. The Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet was hilarious for about 5 minutes, but hilarious nonetheless.  My favorite commercials were the following:

Because it’s a digital masterpiece:

more about “2009 Coca-Cola Superbowl Ad“, posted with vodpod

Because it’s frat boy humor, and isn’t that what
the Superbowl’s all about?

more about “Doritos SuperBowl Commercial 2009 Ad …“, posted with vodpod

Because there is nothing I love more than horses
and unrequited love stories:

more about “Budweiser® Clydesdales • No Mountain …“, posted with vodpod

Because, even though I know it is trying to appeal to society’s need for oneness,
it’s still makes me feel all warm and gooey inside.

more about “Pepsi SuperBowl Commercial 2009 Ad – …“, posted with vodpod

What would you do? February 2, 2009

What would you do if you saw a train wreck approaching and yelled for people to get out of the way, but they ignored you?  That you just could see the future and all the misery it holds, and the train wreck that will become your reality, and yet, no one does a thing???

Today, this is my predicament. (figuratively…not literally)

Blogogate Impeached. Bring out the shovel. January 29, 2009

In the category of “Are you fraking kidding me?!”…I just watched the ABC7 6pm news while he dug himself another society hole…he is so disillusioned it’s almost hilarious…quoting Dr. King and saying things like, “I’m just like everyone else…getting laid off from my job…and I expect no one to feel sorry for me…” yada, yada, yada. Are you kidding me? You didn’t get laid off from your job, you got IMPEACHED! Ugh. I don’t really like talking politics (which I learned from my bartending days…politics and religion are pretty much off limits in the bar area)…but his response to his impeachment was so hilarious and stupid that I just had to write something. I just don’t understand why he thinks he is in the right. He is so addament that he is wronged it almost makes you feel sorry for him…almost. and then, during the live interview, just when you think he is finished…he spots the only child in the crowd and, of course, has to plead his case of how he loves the children of Illinois, and if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t have healthcare and food on the table and, by the way, did you know he was the son of an immigrant? And the only thing he’s ever done is to work and fight for the Illinoisian people?? And that he will fight, fight fight to prove his innocence? yada, yada, yada…ugh.

Just do me a favor and recede into the hole you’ve dug for yourself…and disappear forever. And please…don’t write a book. We’ve already written you off.

Ugh. I hate politics.

The Facebook Status Quo January 23, 2009

Yesterday I was reading blogs and watching news reports on identity theft and thought, hmm…it’s been a while since I’ve googled myself to see what info is out there…so I googled, and in doing so, I found out that there was way too much information floating around cyberspace including addresses where I used to live in LA, phone numbers that I don’t remember giving out, and just way too much personal stuff. Granted, I am all for the transparency and love the Internet, but I just thought maybe, just maybe, I shouldn’t be sharing all the details of my life with the Internet. I’d leave the sharing to real life.

So I’m updating all my social networking sites, you know the ones, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, and I decided that I didn’t really want to be defined by my relationship status. I mean, cool, if you are the one who checks up on past loves to see if they are married or not, and fine if you are a singleton who likes to tell people she is perpetually single and loathing it. I am neither one of these people, so I thought, what harm will it do deleting this…this minuet detail of my life (the most uninteresting part of my life, I might add)…well let me tell you! I must be one popular lady because the flurry of emails I received today was dumbfounding. People stopped me in the hall today at work to ask who I was dating, where’d we meet, what’s he like…I guess I was more popular in facebook life than I thought!

And it got me thinking…with so much transparency on the web and people knowing everything about everyone…where you can become a celebrity because of one You Tube video, where you can follow people around on Twitter 24/7…in a world that is increasingly knowing more about you than you know about yourself, and where you are judged on your current status… what’s left to learn about someone?

So if you are REALLY that interested in my life (you flatter me…I’m not even that interested in this part of my life!), here’s the facts:

Yes, I deleted my relationship status on facebook, and Yes, I am still single. Yes, most times I love this status…and Yes, sometimes I hate it. Yes, I eventually want to spend my life with someone, and Yes, I’ll probably want kids. But NO, I am not defined by my facebook relationship status. And neither should you be.

There is no I in team… November 13, 2008

…which is probably why there is no team, because there are too many I’s in kitchen of my reality.

Ugh.

Sometimes I want to just live on a horse farm in Kentucky and forget about life.  But I’m pretty sure I would get bored.

I miss being part of a team, and in a world that owes you no recognition, it becomes increasingly annoying that I still want it.

Note to self: must grow up.

Grr.

High School Never Ends When People Keep Showing Up On TV November 8, 2008

This week has been full of high school weirdness. As in, every where I look, I am running into people I knew from High school, or seeing them on tv, or hearing them on the radio. It’s just weird!

So I watch a lot of tv. Like a lot. An unhealthy amount that I justify by saying I work in TV. But anyway. So I am watching TV and I see Sam Witwer. This guy I went to high school with. Major player in the first season of Battlestar Gallactica. Then he appears on my favorite shows like NCIS, CSI and Bones as the same creepy character-type. He’s awesome. He’s always been awesome…first time I saw him act was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in high school, and even at 17, he was amazing. And you root for people like him to succeed. And he is. So that’s awesome.

Then I see Katie Cleary invade my CSI: NY. Sure she has one line. Sure I’ve seen her in Playboy, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 1, and that Verizon Wireless commercial where LC tells Brody he’s a pig for staring at Katie Cleary’s ass. But I was watching CSI:NY, and was like, wait, I know this girl. She went to my high school, and here she is, on the TV, in one of my favorite shows. So go her.

And then, just now, I was watching Gossip Girl, and this girl runs into the screen and kisses a boy and says her two lines, and I’m going…oh, my, god, I know this girl! It’s Christina Hogg, now going by Christina Hogue, who I was in high school musicals with. And again. It becomes, I went to high school with you, and here you are invading my Monday guilty pleasure that is Gossip Girl. So go you.

And before now, I would try to compare myself to them, and try to see who has become the most successful of all the people I went to high school with. This might have something to do with the fact that it will be 10 (!) years since high school next year, and I am always curious to see who ends up where in life. Like if the drama kids actually ended up as accountants or something. I would contemplate if I took the wrong road in life, if I should’ve stayed in LA and worked my ass off in film, and sold my soul to the Hollywood devil, would I be rich and famous with no soul in a Malibu condo…I would sit and compare my life and say, yeah, they made it to the TV, but I have an Emmy, yadda, yadda, yadda (btw, I did win an Emmy. Yay me). I would then usually feel bad for myself. Then put them down and say, whatever, at least I own a condo and have a steady paycheck with benefits…

But not now. I mean, sure, I think as humans we all want to be successful, and appreciated, and recognized now and again. But when I see these people that I went to high school with on screen, I can’t help but feel proud for them. Happy for them, even. Cause I know that’s its been 10 years since high school. I know that they have probably worked 10 hours bartending just to make the rent so they could audition for that role that just might be their break. I know they probably have cried a couple times from that business and contemplated if this is what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Who knows, maybe they are a lot stronger than most of us, and have never cared about anything else in the world, have never wanted to be anything else but actors in this world. And you know what, I am geniunely happy for them. Because now I have bragging rights when they are on screen. I get to say, “Hey, that’s so-and-so, I went to high school with them! How about that?” It might have taken them 10 years to be visible on national television, but I am sure that it is 10 years of blood, sweat and tears. Because each of these people, and every actor (who is a real actor) that I have ever met, has had the passion, the desire, the blood, the sweat and the tears to do what they love. To embody what they know. And they have that feeling that this is the one thing they were put on this earth to do. And how could I be bitter over that passion?

So to Sam Witwer, Katie Cleary, and Christina Hogue, I wish you much more success. I can’t wait to see you pop up in my shows again.  And to Scott Burman, Andy Gersh and Kevin Miller…where are you?

And just today, I met a couple friends from high school for lunch in Evanston, and it was like we’d never left. In a good way. In the way that you walk into a restaurant where everyone knows your name, and you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, and you can just sit and have a conversation and it doesnt matter that you haven’t seen these people in two or six years…it’s that kind of familiarity that I crave these days, and I can’t help but smile. So comfortable am I that I agreed to a Dublin trip in the near future with these two. So we will see what happens.

High School for me was fantastic. I didn’t know anyone the first day of freshman year, and I left knowing just about everyone. I was friends with everyone, I was that girl who everyone knew, I was the freaking homecoming junior attendant for god’s sake. But I feel like in high school, I had too much to prove, I put on too much of a facade, and no one really stopped to get to know the real me. Hell, did anyone know the real them in high school? The point of this rambling is to say that high school for me, has never gone away. I feel like the world is just one big high school. There will always be cliques. There will always be the Prom Queen, the Most Likely to Succeed, and the Loner. But no matter what, whether you went to it, loved it, or just plain loathed it, high school is one of those formative things that never seems to leave your life. At least for me.

I love how seeing people from high school on TV catapultes me to a time I thought I had it all figured out.  Sometimes we learn so much from the past. Sometimes we learn that we have learned nothing at all. And sometimes, the past brings us one step closer to a future trip to Dublin.