Away We Go

Alternate title: Celebrity Sighting #3...and 4,5,6,7 and 8

R and I went to this thing


The film itself was great. Afterward the writers, director, and some of the actors came in and had a discussion panel, which was also lots of fun.

R and I also went to the after party. It was a VIP event, but I feel like an idiot saying that. LA has this whole VIP thing down to a science. I was a bit nervous about it. I kept wondering: Am I too dressed up/underdressed? Do I look like I fit here? When should we get there? How long do we stay? Do I eat the food? (nope, not vegetarian) Do I chat up the people I don't know who are probably important people even though I don't recognize them? (nope, tried that with one girl and her incessant name-dropping left me cold) That part of the process was very tiring.

I was on a mission to get my copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius signed, and hopefully snap a picture with John Krasinski. R was on a mission for tacos and whiskey.

After R had accomplished the taco part of the mission, I strategically seated us on a u-shaped couch about 10 feet away from Dave Eggers. Once the people he was speaking with left, I saw my chance and took it. He is such a nice guy, and even chatted with me for a minute about teaching. Surprisingly, I was not nervous while talking to him. Once we were done talking I sat down and tried to look normal, hip even, and not paw through my book to read what he had just written, like a 7th grader with a newly signed yearbook.

R went to achieve the whiskey portion of his quest. Maker's Mark in hand, there was only one more person to look for.

Watching John Krasinski move in a room was like watching a queen bee move through the hive. All were aware of his position, and when he moved even 2 feet, the whole room would shift, buzz and resettle almost unconsciously. Everyone was trying not to look at him. We were all looking at him. He told stories, leaned casually, threw his head back and laughed, perfectly at ease, magnetic and charming. We stood near him, waiting for the inner circle to slowly disperse and leave room for us. Just as I was in the clear, he shifted again to sign something, and the room swirled in lockstep, leaving me three people away again. To borrow from my favorite author (the one who just signed my copy of his book):

"Hands reach toward him, grasping for his flesh, and he reaches into the anemone of fingers...close will not do here, chance is not good enough..."

And he turned and looked at me expectantly. Hands were shaken, smiles exchanged. I leaned in to compliment him, ask for a picture. He obliged, and was nice as hell about it too.

"I feel the jolt through me because we have completed the moment."


He asked if the picture turned out, smiled and said "nice to meet you", and then turned to the next crowd of people, his last before leaving for the night. The swarm broke up. R grabbed 15 mini tacos, and we headed for the car.

Also there: Sam Mendes, Catherine O'Hara, Vendela Vida, Maya Rudolph, and I'm sure a metric ton of execs, writers, and important people who I'm too lame to recognize. Lame or not, I had a great evening.