Happy 100 to The Office

This week was a fun and busy week. I covered "The Office" 100th episode celebration of in the Calabasas canyons. Super fun and I managed to hang out with my favorites from the show, as well as interview Steve Carell for the first time. A lot of media outlets were on hand to cover, but I don't think any of them received warm hugs from the cast like I did ;)
We spent most of the day in the middle of the celebration, which was literally located in the middle of nowhere. The next morning, I went up there with my web producer to cover some fun interviews with Angela Kinsey for her "Ask Angela" feature for the website. I managed to also bond a little with Jenna Fischer, someone I had not met before this week. She was super polite and we just kicked it her trailer, as Angela filmed her feature. The entire experience made me realize how lucky I am to have such a cool gig, as well as made me feel lucky that I am at the point where celebrity doesn't phase me. I am more comfortable with my interviews based on the attitudes of the people I hang with and not with the amount of how famous they are. Though, sometimes both are related.
Attached is the interview I conducted with Steve and a sample of the fun videos to come and a photo of my web producer and video producer next to the "The Office" 100th episode celebration cake. A cake that I regretfully didn't sneak a slice of :(
I leave to meet my friends from Portland in Vegas tomorrow. I no doubt, will have plenty of stories to share when I return!

Creative Outlet

I live in a city where it seems like nobody is doing what they came out here to really do. I came out here with no real agenda, therefore, I can't complain. I did land a pretty sweet job that only got better as I climbed the ladder. But, now that I have been at my job for three years, I would love find some other creative outlet to keep me busy/occupied/moving forward.
On Friday night, I attended the opening night of "Beneath Her Feet." A lovely play written by my friend, Laura Birek. The play got me thinking how great it must have felt for Laura to have her day to day job, also find the time to tap into her creative side and sit down and not only write a play, but be involved with searching for a venue and actors. I have promised myself to start finding that kind of free time in my own day to day schedule. I know it exists, I am just not looking hard enough. Would love to sit and and just write and then read what words came out. I have faith this will come together. Don't know if it will be a script or a comedy routine or something else completely random. I guess all I can do now is just stay tuned and to see what happens next!

New Post? Really?

I know it's been a very long time since I have blogged about anything. The truth of the matter is, I have been staying busy. Most of my hours, lately, have been taken up with putting words on a computer screen that the thought of having to actually come home and do the same thing is kind of dreadful. That's not to say I don't have a lot going on, I do. My weekends have been constantly built out with social engagements, surfing, friends visiting and so on. I guess I can say my weekends have been feeling like, well, weekends. And it has been very nice.
So, I guess I can give a brief highlight of some of the past things I could have blogged about, but decided not to, out of just not wanting to.
- One of my closest friends from Portland came to visit me for the first time. That was very fun. I always love when friends visit. It gives me an excuse to take a day off from work, go to expensive, but celebrity-haven restaurants, hit the club/bar scene, and give a tour of my work. Which I rarely take the time to be proud of, until somebody visits me.

- I signed up for my first Malibu triathlon. I am very nervous and scared, but since figure there's only one way to see if you can accomplish it and that's by doing it.

- I recently got into the show "Damages" on F/X. If you have not seen it, you must! I rarely get into shows on TV, anymore, because they either suck or get cancelled. This is one I stand one hundred percent behind.

So, there you go. Just a few subjects I could have easily blogged about, but didn't. I promise I will be better. I have a few more fun things coming my way. Starting tomorrow, when I have to cover a photo shoot featuring Days of our Lives hunk, Jay Kenneth Johnson, in a bubble bath. Yeah, sometimes it's tough having my job :)

Jury Duty

Great news, my friends! I got out of jury duty. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that it's part of our judicial court system and that heaven forbid, I ever get falsely accused of a crime, I expect a jury of my peers to not complain, but instead bust my butt out. It is just such a hassle. I was able to use my name-dropping skills to talk about how my law knowledge comes from Law & Order shows since I work on them. I was still called in seat 11. But, after a few more questions, the defense dismissed me. It was still interesting to see how the court system works. Since this was my first journey to jury duty. I got out in just the nick of time. Chris Brown is due to be arraigned this week on his assault charges. As if traffic wasn't enough downtown. Now, fingers crossed, they will forget all about me for a few years.

A Hollywood Night

Last night was going to be a total low key night in. The weather was rainy and cold. My friend from Massachusetts' fiancee happened to be in town and wanted to invite me to hang with some of his Notre Dame college friends in Hollywood. Usually, I avoid Hollywood on weekends due to crazy traffic and valet prices. But, since it was Dan and I didn't know how long he would be on our West coast, I joined in. We went to a fun hip bar, Citizen Smith. It took forever in traffic, but once I arrived, I found his friends to be nice and really into that Hollywood scene. They wanted to go to a club after that. With velvet ropes, barely-dressed girls, and Entourage-wannabe guys, that really is not my scene. But, Dan talked me into going. Now, when we got to the club, there was a giant line for both the front and back entrance. But, Dan, being a former NFL pro, that was nothing. He knew a guy who knew a guy who owned the bar and we were in the club in a matter of minutes. Not only that, we had full table service with a giant bottle of Grey Goose waiting for us. From there, I felt I had arrived, for even one night. The club was packed, we were VIP, and everything was "taken care of". I distain Hollywood for being such a cliche of what everybody sees on TV, but then there are nights I love it, because I can actually be part of that cliche.

Golden Globes

This year, I had volunteered to work the Golden Globes. Can you believe NBC needed volunteers for that? I was assigned to red carpet. Talk about luck, out of 40 positions, I landed a red carpet gig. My responsibility was to deliver the memory cards from the Entertainment Tonight booth to the digital press room. I reported to red carpet duty at 2 and was given a brief tour of who I was working with and the path I would take. The ET booth just happened to be the first booth on the carpet, meaning I had to go clear from the other side of the carpet to the entrance of the hotel to drop off the memory cards. The process started out pretty slow because none of the big names had arrived. But, as soon as the show was within 30 minutes of starting, the madness began. I was going back and forth with used up memory cards featuring photos of such stars as Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lopez. Even though it was breaking the rules a bit, I even snuck my own pictures on the red carpet. It was such a once in a lifetime opportunity. From helping Leo's mom at the ET booth, where she thanked me with a hug, to spotting Brad and Angelina on the red carpet and snapping two very quick photos for my possible once in a lifetime moment.
I even made the background of some of the photos the photographers were snapping on the red carpet. It was quite a trip!
After the red carpet, I headed to the winner's room, where the presenters and Golden Globe winners go to take pictures with their awards. Back there, I was hanging with the likes of Martin Scorcese, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and the cast of 30 Rock. After the show, I headed to the NBC after-party, but before I could get my groove on, I had to bandage up my poor and blistered feet. I snuck off to the halls of the Hilton and as I was putting the bandages on, a woman tapped me from behind to ask how my blisters were because they looked painful. I look up and it was the one and only Sigourney Weaver. I love Sigourney and always will because she played one of my all-time favorite movie characters, Katharine Parker from "Working Girl". If I wasn't so starstruck, I might have even told her that.
Despite the blisters, the very tired Monday morning, and very long day of working, I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. Now all I can do is hope I actually make the red carpet as an invited guest someday!

Happy New Year's!

My first post of 2009... it feels so weird writing that number. I always looked at 2009 as so far into the future and now here it is upon us.
I had a pretty fun New Year's night, which isn't always the case in the past. I always think that night is most fun when celebrated with friends, which was how it went when I was living in Oregon. The more invites I was receiving for this year, the more I realized that each party consisted of couples only, or very intimate gatherings of people I didn't know. Parties were costing 100 dollars a head and I could already tell wouldn't be worth it. So, I checked on airline tickets and decided to head to Portland and spend New Years with good friends there. I arrived hours before midnight. We headed to the Kennedy School, where each room had been set up as a different themed bar along with live bands. New Years with rang in with champagne and a kiss from a cute boy. The next day, was recovery mode. I stayed at my friend Sam's house and we just chilled out most of the day.
I had made plans to travel throughout Portland to visit other friends, but the great blizzard of Portland came. Roads were closed and there was no way of getting around them. Super bummer! But, the snow had melted, I was able to shop around 23rd Street for shopping and later that night we headed to one of my favorite bars, The Doug Fir, with Shannon, John, Sam, Kelly, and Kami. There were three fun bands playing and fun was enjoyed by all!
The next day, we spent the day chilling out, before heading to drinks at The Nines then to Kell's. We enjoyed live music and good company. The entire weekend was a wonderful way to ring by 2009. I can only hope that it will continue be this fun.
Next stop... Golden Globes! I'll blog about that this week.