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!

I have to share cause I am lovin’ on this promo that I created for a new channel coming to Chicago’s PBS station called WTTW Prime. It’s prime time, all the time. Don’t want to watch kids shows in the morning? Tune in to find cooking shows instead. Want more public affairs? Tune in Friday for a 2-hour public affair block. Watch Chicago Tonight at 10pm. See great documentaries you missed on the regular WTTW channel. It’s just chalk full of more stuff. Like my favorite, Masterpiece. Love it.

The first couple weeks are themed weeks, so tune in! For more information, see http://rabbitear.wordpress.com/

If you have an antenna and got a converter box, it’s on digital channel 11.2. Here’s the channel line-up:

Digital Channel 11.2
Comcast 243
RCN 611
AT&T 1011

I don’t usually toot my own horn (I know, I’m learning), so enjoy!

1. Chicago has never played such a fantastic role in a TV series since…well…hm…
2. Patrick Swayze is at his acting best.
3. The pilot delves into some pretty deep stuff, and sets up the storyline rather well, but we may be looking at another “The Wire” here.

In this 2001 “lost episode” of Check, Please!, then state senator Barack Obama reviewed Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The full episode will air on January 16th at 8:00PM on WTTW.

My first chance at national recognition…I will make the upcoming promo for the episode of the year! Stay tuned…and don’t fast forward through my promos!