Apparently, the universe decided I needed to cash in a bunch of my good fortune chips on Friday, May 23rd. Not only did I learn that night that I am going to be an Aunt for the first time, but I also learned that I actually won a contest. A local radio station sends out a newsletter of sorts once a week that usually includes a contest or two. I have entered probably 90% of these contests (usually for concert tickets) over the past 4 years and have never won a thing. I was starting to think I never would but never gave it much thought. But I kept on trying. And whaddaya know but I actually won 2 tickets to see BJ Novak's stand-up comedy show AND attend a meet-and-greet with him afterward. As a HUGE fan of The Office, and as someone easily starstruck, this was incredibly exciting for me. I had one week to come up with something semi-intelligent (or at least not humiliating) to say to him. I finally opted to just play it by ear and hopefully remind myself that he is just a regular guy - no need to be starstruck, right? I like the guy, but he's not one of my heroes or anything. Surely I'd be less tongue-tied and awkward than I am every time I meet David Sedaris (which embarrasses me every time I think of it. We WILL be best friends someday. If I can get past the paralysis I develop each time we meet.).
Anyway, Friday night May 30th finally rolls around. There were 2 opening acts before he came on. The first guy did a hilarious “performance art” piece to the theme of Saved By The Bell and then proceeded to get heckled by the horrible people in the audience. One of the worst was sitting directly behind us. I felt so bad for the comedian. His comedy is the kind that's more bizarre and weird and I think people just didn’t get it. I liked him okay but I felt awful for him, though I’m sure he’s used to it. What is it about people in the audiences at comedy shows? It’s like it’s okay to make an ass out of themselves cuz they think they’re hilarious. But they aren’t. Anyway, that was pretty disappointing. The next guy came out and I’ve actually seen him on Comedy Central or Conan or something, cuz he’s familiar. Dan Mintz is his name, look him up. He gets heckled far less than the first guy and is really funny.
Finally, BJ came out. He’s hysterical! I really didn’t know what to expect, but he put on a really great set! And he even had a bit about how pandas are the cutest animals in the world [Background: the sight of baby pandas makes me cry. Happy cry. Every. Single. Time.] and I couldn’t help but think how funny my friends would all find that, knowing I was in the crowd, probably crying just thinking about it (I didn’t, by the way). And another bit about pregnancy tests sold at the dollar store which was funny cuz my newly-pregnant sister-in-law apparently used this method to discover she was pregnant. BJ had some hecklers, too, but they weren’t making fun of him – they were just trying to star in their own show, I guess. But he handled it so perfectly by making fun of the bad ones and embarrassing the people. And there was one guy who said, early on, “You’re awesome!” so he dubbed him “You’re Awesome Guy” for the rest of the show and called on him to back him up throughout the show. Anyway, he was great and I was really impressed. Oh, and hot. He was really hot.
The show ends and we make our way to the right side of the stage as instructed. I see a girl, Amy, that I’ve met at a few parties our friends Andrew and Michelle have had and it turns out her husband, Brad, is the guy who is to lead us to the meet-and-greet spot, so she got to join him. So it was cool to have a “friend” there, too. There were probably about 10 of us and they led us downstairs to a sort of backstage area. We all just sort of lined up in this hallway and then BJ walked in and was like “Hi! So, uh, who is everybody?” Brad explains what radio stations we’re from and they decide BJ will just stand in a spot and we can go up and have our pictures taken with him and chat on our way out.
(Sidebar: I decided not to take my camera with me in case they checked our bags. Zaki’s new Blackberry has a nice camera in it, so I opted to use that if we were allowed. Last weekend at the Pacific Science Center it took him forever to remember how to use the camera feature. I feared this might happen again. He said he knew how to do it. I didn’t want to nag, so I let it go. But I was worried.)
Skip back to the point where we hear the plan of the meet-and-greet. Z takes out his phone and, lo and behold, has no idea how to use the camera. So the first girl, Amy, gets her pic taken and then we’re up next. Brad says, “You guys want a picture?” and I say (trying not to sound as irritated as I am, particularly since Z was about to give up on the idea before I told him to keep trying) “Well, he can’t figure out the camera on his phone.” To which BJ then replies “That’s the exact same phone I have. Want me to try?” So Z hands him the phone and he promptly figures it out (I figured it out later, too. Insanely easy. Whatever.). So I then move over to stand in position and BJ sort of puts his arm up in the air as if to get in position to put his arm around my shoulder for the pic. I misread this and take it to be him offering a hug, so I take him up on it. Ladies (and gay fellas), can ya blame me? He gives me sort of a half-hug and I try not to be as embarrassed as I kind of am. Z gets in position on the other side of him and Brad goes to take the pic. But he’s not sure how to work the zoom. Of course, Z isn’t either, so BJ helps him out there, too. Then we get our pic taken, tell him we’re big fans, and then move on.
That’s it.
I went to say goodbye to Amy and as I’m doing this Z strikes up a conversation with the 2nd comedian, Dan, that opened for BJ. I then join them and we give him some recommendations of places to see while he’s in town for the next day. He’s really nice. Then everyone has had their pic taken and BJ is walking away and they call Dan over and everyone in BJ’s group looks back at us and we all say goodbye.
So that was that. And to top it all off, as we’re walking back to the car a homeless, drunk man tells Zaki “that’s a great piece of ass you’ve got on that woman.” So I was, of course, flattered. Z didn’t hear what he said and when I told him and he responded “Yup, sure is” I said, “Thanks for defending my honor, Honey.” And he said he’d kick the guy’s ass if I wanted him too, which obviously I didn’t.
Like I said, I was flattered.
That was my Friday night.
Anyway, Friday night May 30th finally rolls around. There were 2 opening acts before he came on. The first guy did a hilarious “performance art” piece to the theme of Saved By The Bell and then proceeded to get heckled by the horrible people in the audience. One of the worst was sitting directly behind us. I felt so bad for the comedian. His comedy is the kind that's more bizarre and weird and I think people just didn’t get it. I liked him okay but I felt awful for him, though I’m sure he’s used to it. What is it about people in the audiences at comedy shows? It’s like it’s okay to make an ass out of themselves cuz they think they’re hilarious. But they aren’t. Anyway, that was pretty disappointing. The next guy came out and I’ve actually seen him on Comedy Central or Conan or something, cuz he’s familiar. Dan Mintz is his name, look him up. He gets heckled far less than the first guy and is really funny.
Finally, BJ came out. He’s hysterical! I really didn’t know what to expect, but he put on a really great set! And he even had a bit about how pandas are the cutest animals in the world [Background: the sight of baby pandas makes me cry. Happy cry. Every. Single. Time.] and I couldn’t help but think how funny my friends would all find that, knowing I was in the crowd, probably crying just thinking about it (I didn’t, by the way). And another bit about pregnancy tests sold at the dollar store which was funny cuz my newly-pregnant sister-in-law apparently used this method to discover she was pregnant. BJ had some hecklers, too, but they weren’t making fun of him – they were just trying to star in their own show, I guess. But he handled it so perfectly by making fun of the bad ones and embarrassing the people. And there was one guy who said, early on, “You’re awesome!” so he dubbed him “You’re Awesome Guy” for the rest of the show and called on him to back him up throughout the show. Anyway, he was great and I was really impressed. Oh, and hot. He was really hot.
The show ends and we make our way to the right side of the stage as instructed. I see a girl, Amy, that I’ve met at a few parties our friends Andrew and Michelle have had and it turns out her husband, Brad, is the guy who is to lead us to the meet-and-greet spot, so she got to join him. So it was cool to have a “friend” there, too. There were probably about 10 of us and they led us downstairs to a sort of backstage area. We all just sort of lined up in this hallway and then BJ walked in and was like “Hi! So, uh, who is everybody?” Brad explains what radio stations we’re from and they decide BJ will just stand in a spot and we can go up and have our pictures taken with him and chat on our way out.
(Sidebar: I decided not to take my camera with me in case they checked our bags. Zaki’s new Blackberry has a nice camera in it, so I opted to use that if we were allowed. Last weekend at the Pacific Science Center it took him forever to remember how to use the camera feature. I feared this might happen again. He said he knew how to do it. I didn’t want to nag, so I let it go. But I was worried.)
Skip back to the point where we hear the plan of the meet-and-greet. Z takes out his phone and, lo and behold, has no idea how to use the camera. So the first girl, Amy, gets her pic taken and then we’re up next. Brad says, “You guys want a picture?” and I say (trying not to sound as irritated as I am, particularly since Z was about to give up on the idea before I told him to keep trying) “Well, he can’t figure out the camera on his phone.” To which BJ then replies “That’s the exact same phone I have. Want me to try?” So Z hands him the phone and he promptly figures it out (I figured it out later, too. Insanely easy. Whatever.). So I then move over to stand in position and BJ sort of puts his arm up in the air as if to get in position to put his arm around my shoulder for the pic. I misread this and take it to be him offering a hug, so I take him up on it. Ladies (and gay fellas), can ya blame me? He gives me sort of a half-hug and I try not to be as embarrassed as I kind of am. Z gets in position on the other side of him and Brad goes to take the pic. But he’s not sure how to work the zoom. Of course, Z isn’t either, so BJ helps him out there, too. Then we get our pic taken, tell him we’re big fans, and then move on.
That’s it.
I went to say goodbye to Amy and as I’m doing this Z strikes up a conversation with the 2nd comedian, Dan, that opened for BJ. I then join them and we give him some recommendations of places to see while he’s in town for the next day. He’s really nice. Then everyone has had their pic taken and BJ is walking away and they call Dan over and everyone in BJ’s group looks back at us and we all say goodbye.
So that was that. And to top it all off, as we’re walking back to the car a homeless, drunk man tells Zaki “that’s a great piece of ass you’ve got on that woman.” So I was, of course, flattered. Z didn’t hear what he said and when I told him and he responded “Yup, sure is” I said, “Thanks for defending my honor, Honey.” And he said he’d kick the guy’s ass if I wanted him too, which obviously I didn’t.
Like I said, I was flattered.
That was my Friday night.
