I heart Marc Maron

This blog post is a long time coming and is the main reason I haven't written in a while, because I felt like I needed to give this post justice before I could talk about anything else. But then I realized that a blog post could never quite express all the thoughts and feelings I have about a complete stranger (wow, that sounds effing crazy). So I just built it up so much and couldn't do it. Now I just have to get it down and move on. Jeeze, that sounds nerdy. So this is mostly stream of consciousness.

There were two bad things about my trip to Los Angeles in October.

1) There are pretty much no photos of the wonderful weekend (particularly of Marc Maron in the hat I made him)
and
2) I drank my weight in sweet tea vodka, red wine and whiskey, resulting some uncomfortable cuddling and a hangover of epic proportions.

Other than that, the weekend was EFFING AWESOME. I went down to LA to visit my friends Adam, Linda and Nathan and to go see a live taping of the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron, my current total obsession. Now, I know Adam through Dan working with him a while back, and mostly Adam and I are friends through social networking sites such as Twitter. True, I had spent time with Adam and Linda while they lived in West Seattle, but not that much and I didn't know them very well. I'd met Nathan before, but I don't think I'd ever even had a full conversation with him. But somehow I became best-twitter-friends with all of them, so even though when I thought about it too much it seemed pretty weird, I went down and crashed on their couch. I shouldn't have thought about it too much, because they were great to stay with and we all got along as though we'd been friends for years.

Now, if you've read this blog before you are aware of my little obsessions. Never in my life have I gotten on a plane to go see one, though. I felt a little crazy the whole time leading up to it, and since I have crazy anxiety, I got all wound up. The night before my flight I went to a wedding event with a friend of mine who is also getting married and ended up having a lot of wine. I came home tipsy, had to finish packing and getting ready and then only ended up being able to sleep for about 3 hours because of my crazy nerves. My anxiety was running wild, and I also had a mean wine hangover. I woke up at like 2:30 AM and never went back to sleep. I just decided to go to the airport early because maybe that was why I was having panic time, that I was nervous about getting to the airport on time on the bus. That helped a little. By the time I actually got to L.A. I was just feeling tired. I honestly think that being so exhausted helped me not be so damn panicked, otherwise I'd have lost my mind that day leading up to getting to the live WTF taping at UCB.

I had a really great day with Adam and Nathan, too. Like I said, I really had nothing to be nervous about with them because they were awesome and we got along great. Oh, and they are completely hilarious. I also got to meet Nathan's sister Katherine who is awesome, and then Linda came home from work and we all went to UCB to see Marc Maron!

Did I mention that I had decided that I needed to bring Marc something? It's pretty common that his fans bring him stuff at shows, often times food items. I sort of find the concept weird since he constantly talks about his food issues on his podcast, so instead I decided to knit him a hat. Everyone needs hand knit hats, right? But I was super busy in the weeks leading up to my trip, so I ended up rushing to finish it about 20 minutes before we left for the theater. I never even got a picture of it, which makes me sad.

Traffic on the way to the theater was awful and I was screaming inside my head, but trying to just laugh it off and be normal around these people I didn't know very well. It's probably lucky that Dan didn't come with me, for some reason since I feel so comfortable around him I can unleash all my wrath on him when I'm freaking out. Poor Dan. But he wasn't there so I kept it in. Luckily we got there in plenty of time even with the soul crushing traffic and we got a fine parking spot.

My only celebrity sightings in LA were while we were standing in line - America Ferrera and Amanda Seyfried. I hate being one of those people impressed by celebrity, but I can't help it, it was pretty cool. But it did manage to make me even more nervous and freaked out. And then Marc Maron walked by and many things happened all at once. My friend Nathan has done artwork for Marc Maron for the podcast (he is very talented) and so he actually knows Maron. We decided before we got there that this was my in for giving Marc the hat, and that Nathan should say hello to get his attention and that was where I would come in. And that was pretty much how it happened. Again, no pictures, which is sort of depressing. I would have been cool to have a picture of Marc in the hat, it fit him perfectly! It was all too fast to get a photo and I didn't want to be a bother. I mean, I really admire the man, but partly because of that I didn't want to hold him up or annoy him too much. So I basically said I flew down from Seattle to see him and I knit him a hat. Even though there are no photos, I can still remember the big smile that spread across his face as he put the hat on. That is part of what is so great about him as a performer/entertainer, he really appreciates his fans and all they do for him and treats them like friends.

I was pretty much shaking from head to toe after that, but it was a huge relief too. So much build up for that small moment, but it was done and I could finally just relax already. Why am I such a spaz? Seriously? The show ended up hilarious,  he had on Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit and a very "out there" comedian. It was definitely a weird experience, but I laughed until I cried and then after I tweeted to Marc that I hoped he liked the hat and I got a response, which as you know from previous blog posts always makes me super happy.

I know, I'm like a 14 year old girl.

It's the little things, you know?

The rest of my trip was great. I got to spend quality time with friends I hadn't seen in a long time, ate food, drank too much, laughed too hard and generally had an awesome time. I wasn't there for long, but I did find out just how much of a home body I am. I was only gone 2 nights and I missed my cats and Dan a ton. Also? I hate flying. Ugh. But it was worth it, not just to see Marc Maron, but to connect with my friends down there.

Here is the part that is going to sound like a big old love letter to Marc Maron, but you know, I just want to convert you all to listen to the podcast and also go see him at Laughs in Kirkland with me in February, or if you are in another state he is touring around, so you should catch him near you.

I of course think that Marc is a hilarious comedian, but the reason why I enjoy him and  his podcasts so much is more than him just being funny. He is a very intelligent and well spoken person who conveys very relate-able emotions through his podcast. I came in late to the podcast, discovering it at Bumbershoot in August because Donald Glover was at the taping and we happened to have some time to kill. But I've gone back and listened to most of them and his podcast is like a revelation. It is amazing to listen to him turning his life around, growing and changing as a person. Starting out as a downtrodden man in the midst of a divorce and a stalled career and using the podcast medium to change things. He is open and honest and raw, and this honesty inspires his guests to open up to him. He has an amazing amount of empathy and that makes the interviews so much more personal feeling than anything I've listened to before. It touches me and others and makes us feel less alone, just having someone to listen to that struggles, but still gets it.

I also really find the subject of comedy and the behind the scenes of it all to be extremely interesting, so that is a big part of it as well. I've been a comedy fan since I was a kid, it was one of the few things that my dad and I really related on in addition to music. I remember watching Cosby specials, Seinfeld's stand-up, The Gary Shandling Show and The Tracy Ullman Show at a pretty young age. It was something we shared that I loved and have continued to love throughout my life.

Marc Maron is known for having a bit of a temper, which I can relate to as I have similar anger issues. But just as the guest at the live taping I went to Brendon Burns said during the podcast "I am losing my warmth" it seems a little bit like Marc is losing his edge. Or maybe his edge was exaggerated. He seems happier, and I don't think he needs to be angry to be funny. His evolution is inspiring.

He is also incredibly accessible to  his fans, responding on twitter to people regularly as if we're just a bunch of his friends. It helps this hopelessly obsessive girl a bit, gives me more of a connection. Something that is super rare. I remember a podcast where he talks about meeting Lou Reed and wanting to have his moment with him and how you can never really have the full connection that you desire from someone you look up to in that way, and he was right. I'm probably not ever going to actually be one of Marc's friends, but I do feel included in a community of his fans, and I feel like he tries as hard as  he can to make his fans feel like friends, and that is enough for me.

I'll probably continue to have crazy anxiety about crap like this, like how I agonized over which of 4 shows to buy tickets to when he comes to do stand up in February, but I used my better judgment and did not actually buy tickets to more than one show because I don't want to seem like a LUNATIC. I promise, other than a crazy case of anxiety, I'm pretty sane. I SWEAR.

If you've made it this far into the ramblings from my brain, you should totally listen to the most recent WTF Podcast that came out on Thanksgiving. Marc says some lovely things about gratitude and touches on a lot of what I've talked about here.

Cooking Mania

And by mania, I mean the manic half of manic depression. Can't quite figure out what is "wrong" with me, but all I want to do is make stuff. But like, I don't really want to cook meals, I want to make mass quantities as if I were preparing for the apocalypse. I have 20 jars of pickles, 8 jars of salsa and tomorrow I'll have about 6 jars of orange marmalade. I'm not even done with the marmalade, but now I'm already completely obsessed with making pumpkin pie. But not just regular pumpkin pie, I want to make pumpkin pie from real fresh pumpkin. Oh, and I am already collecting recipes for the marmalade. My big plan right now is to make a twist on brie en croute with apricot jam, using the marmalade instead of the jam and Saint Andre cheese in place of the brie. I think it is going to be pretty spectacular. Also I found a really tasty crock pot recipe for orange marmalade curry chicken that I think I will make soon. I love curry!

It really does feel like a mild form of mania, like my brain can't stop running with all the ideas of things I can make. One minute I'm looking up tortellini recipes, next minute I'm bookmarking 5 recipes for my bread machine.

And of course, making all of this stuff in my cramped and messy kitchen without half the tools usually recommended for things like canning is a little crazy. I like to think of it as extreme cooking, like extreme sports. There is an element of danger. Like how I don't have jar tongs for removing processed jars from the pot of boiling water - so I scoop the jar up with a spoon and grab it with a pot holder, hoping that it doesn't slip out of my hand and trying to keep the boiling water from soaking through the pot holder and burning me. Or not using gloves to chop 3 pounds of spicy peppers and then scratching the inside of my nostril. Hm, maybe it isn't extreme cooking and is just dumb cooking.  I don't want to buy all the tools though, because I want to ask for them for my birthday, which is now less than a month away.

So until then, kitchen shenanigans will ensue. Extreme manic cooking for the apocalypse. 

Monday Musings

I just realized that I haven't posted in over a week, and that is totally against the rules, so here I go... without an actual topic.

I made more pickles today. I AM A PICKLE MACHINE. I have 21 jars of dill pickles now, I think that might be enough to last at least a month or two, right?

It is baby city all up in here. Dan's sister just had a baby a few weeks ago, and my friends Roxanne and Jessie are about to have a baby too. I went to their baby shower on Saturday, which was a wonderful little party with lots of old friends there. I gotta say, the whole thing is making me a little crazy, though. I mean, one thing at a time and all, I need to focus on the wedding planning and stuff, but BABIES. My ovaries are screaming, can you hear them?

I sort of fizzled out on the wedding planning, too. I guess I just have a lot planned already and now there isn't much to do other than wait until it is closer, but I was so hyped and now I'm just like, meh. I'm excited about the actual wedding, just not all the weird details I am eventually going to have to think about. Like, where is Dan going to find wedding pants that are long enough? Why does he have to be so tall? Hehe. And who is going to facilitate the food situation on the day of? And do we rent a car to get around? IS POTLUCK A NIGHTMARE?

Um, let me take a deep breath and talk about something else.

My new favorite thing in the whole world is Marc Maron's WTF podcast. He is hilarious and also so open and kind of raw, it is so wonderful to listen to. And it is so inspiring, listening to all these comedians talk about their careers. It does make me wish I were funnier or something. But of course, there also is so much about the craziness that goes along with being a comedian. A lot of neuroses. Although I am quite neurotic, so I kind of wish I had that crazy ability to make people laugh that would make the mental illness a little bit more worth it. Anyway, I can't stop listening. The Judd Apatow two-parter is a must listen.

I'm hoping that I can post something a little more entertaining later on this week, I'm just a little brain-dead right now. We've got big meetings at work this week, so perhaps over the weekend I'll get back to some regularly scheduled blogging. Until then, I LOVE PICKLES. Er, I mean, goodnight.

Henceforth he will be known as DGlov

Donald Glover, you guys. Comedian/Actor/Rapper/Writer (Hot/Fashionable/Nerd?)

Donald Glover. Childish Gambino. Derrick Comedy. Community.

No really, this guy. I just.

Ok, perhaps I should start again and write some sentences. Have you heard of Donald Glover yet? (I'm guessing if you have read my blog, your answer is yes - he's even on my LIST.) For one, he is the most popular Donald search on Google now, above Trump and way above Duck. Yet for some reason a lot of people I know don't know who he is. You should know who he is so you can partake in the greatness.

I'm probably not his biggest fan. There are a ton of people who didn't discover him on the new NBC sitcom Community and knew him first from Derrick Comedy. But Community was where I found him. I watched the show faithfully for the entire first season because Joel McHale is awesome (and hot), and also from where I live. He even went to the same drama school as Tall Dan, although years earlier.

I digress. Donald Glover! I fell in love with him the moment I saw this:


Ok, so I totally love Abed (Danny Pudi) too, but um, Donald makes me all swoony. So I looked up videos he was in and discovered Derrick and also a bunch of stand-up videos. My favorite was one where he talked about his Twitter account and how because someone (his dad I think?) had the screen name DonaldGlover already, so he did DonGlover. Which really looks a lot like DongLover. Tee-hee! Sadly, he changed it to MrDonaldGlover.

Speaking of Twitter, right around Christmas last year I almost DIED when I actually had this exchange with DONALD HIMSELF, OMG.

Can you EVEN?

It was just a small love at first, but it grew into full blown freak out fandom quite quickly (probably because I am a huge nerd). He's just so cute and funny, plus he is into FASHION. You guys, not a lot of straight dudes are that into fashion. Or at least the ones who are into fashion are also usually pretty irritating or pretentious. He may be pretentious, I'm not really sure. He at least doesn't seem like it, and so I can just hope he isn't, right?

I am totes in love with this picture from a photo shoot he did with Band of Outsiders for Spring 2010, SO CUTE OMG.

For more from this shoot, see HERE.

 (as an aside, while looking for this picture I came upon some photos of Jason Schwartzman for Band of Outsiders and DIED)

I work in "the fashion industry", heh, so I appreciate me some fashionable men. I'm not saying Dan doesn't have some style, but you know, he likes t-shirts and jeans. And being 30 feet tall, pants are enough of a challenge let alone finding t-shirts that are long enough while not being a huge tent. Digressing again. Let me get back to my point...
 

Donald is good looking, talented, stylish, funny. The whole package. He got a job working as a writer for 30 Rock directly out of college, guys, and won an Emmy I think? And then he QUIT this good job to pursue stand up! He's pretty much a prodigy. I love how he plays Troy on Community, so good at being endearing even though he is supposed to be a dumb jock. They could have taken that character in such a cliche direction with another boring actor, but they didn't and it works amazingly well.

Oh, and did I mention he is now rapping under the name Childish Gambino? Now, being a nerdy white girl from Seattle, I don't know much about hip hop. Yes, I like Kanye West, but I like to call that rap music for white people (along with Girl Talk, which is for hipsters), you know, starter hip hop. But there was no way I wasn't going to at least give him a listen, and I really liked it. It isn't supposed to be comedy, but it is funny and witty. You should check it out, particularly his mix tape "I Am Just A Rapper" (the 1st, I like 2 as well, but the 1st one is AWESOME!)
 

So now that I'm fully worked up into a total tizzy, he is coming to town!!!!1one!1 Yes, he is doing stand-up in Seattle at Bumbershoot, a long running popular music festival we have, this coming weekend and I am SO EXCITED. We're only going 1 day, and he just happens to be performing all 3. I'm going early even though he doesn't start until way later because there are these comedy passes you can get for certain shows to guarantee access, and you better believe I will move heaven and earth to make sure I am there. Or else I will perish! Oh, the drama! But another reason to be excited about this is that he will be in Seattle for THREE WHOLE DAYS. Which means I can pull some stalkerish shit, right? Who's with me? Let's stalk Donald Glover!

I only wish I were that ballsy/adventurous. I mean, I'd totally love to meet him and all, and I'd like to think I'd have something interesting to say, but I imagine it would most likely end up like this:

The List

Dan and I recently made our lists. If you don't know what this means, let me refer you to this video (linked due to embedding being disabled).

Video: It's Laminated

Ok, so when we made our lists we used our phones. Here is my list:

I, like Ross, have had a hard time deciding who makes the final cut. Originally Joel McHale was not actually on my list. For some reason I had a temporary memory problem and didn't realize how hot he was? I was reminded last weekend while up late watching old reruns of a local sketch comedy show called Almost Live! that Joel was on before he became all famous. His hair wasn't as good as it is now, but he was so cute even back then. And cute + funny = a winning combination for Jessica. Also, it was really weird seeing him in the same sketch with Tracey Conway, who lives in my neighborhood and I regularly see walking her dog. Like, why can't Joel just be walking his dog in my neighborhood, dammit?

The problem with adding Joel is that I had to decide who to cut, and I'm still not 100% sure I made the right decision. Dan thought I should take off Donald Glover because my other celebrity crushes have been on my internal list much longer, but NO ONE MESSES WITH MY DGLOV! So that wasn't an option. Another thought would be to take off Paul Bettany, because while I think he is possibly one of the hottest men in the universe, I tend not to obsess over him quite as much. But then I thought about his butt in A Knight's Tale and well, HIS BUTT. There really is no question about Hugh Laurie and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. JGL is just a given, see exhibit A and exhibit B. And um, Hugh Laurie? House? Yes please. Wooster? I'll take a double order, thanks. Mr. Palmer! Totally. I could go on, but I think just the photo speaks for itself. Who could turn down those eyes?

So I removed Jake Gyllenhaal. Yes, I know, he may actually be the most adorable person in the known universe, and now I'm starting to regret his removal for Joel. But Joel is so cute! And did I mention funny? Community is the best sitcom in years! But do I really need two representatives from the same show? Also, he is a freaking family man. That actually makes me feel slightly guilty for lusting after him. For some reason it doesn't bother me with Hugh, his family has been around for a while and his kids are grown and stuff. And while Paul Bettany has a wife and children, his wife Jennifer Connelly is on Dan's list! We could just swap for a night, no hard feelings! But Joel, his wife is all cute and they are all young and have young babies and they are just so SO cute.

That is my dilemma. Which isn't really a dilemma because well, you know. Dan couldn't even make his full list, he just put Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. Of all the hot famous ladies in the world he could only come up with two. So picky, that one. I mean, I guess that says something good about me? I don't know.

I suppose lamination is out, then. Luckily I can update my  list on my iPhone notepad, or else I'd really be in trouble. So fickle.

Oh, Joe

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I just LOVE YOU SO EFFING MUCH.



Originally found HERE on JGL's tumblr.

Mid Week

I just realized I didn't post one single thing last week, so I should probably update at least a little bit. Last week my cat Ron got sick and it was expensive, found out some bad news regarding my mom's health, worked my butt off getting ready for a big work meeting this week, forgot to take my antidepressants for too many days and ended the week with drinking too much, causing me to become very ill on Sunday. Good job, Jess.

This week I am in said big work meeting, which means my time when I get home is spent vegetating on the couch/bed trying as hard as I can not to use my brain for much. Also, this weekend I intend to spend time outside and perhaps try and change my skin color from palest pale to possibly tan. Or, more realistically, lobster. I'm going to try and get some knitting in, but I'm not sure blogging will be high on the list. But for you, dear 7 readers I actually have, I promise that next week I will work on something more substantial. Most likely a post all about my newest favorite obsession, writer/actor/comedian/rapper Donald Glover, who my friend Linda (hi Linda!) has christened DGlov. I love DGlov, the person AND the new nickname. Bet you can't wait to hear ALL about it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt aka hitRECordJoe

Those of you who know me might now that I sometimes fixate on certain celebrities. Crushes, if you will. I went through a really wild Alan Rickman phase a few years ago that may or may not have to do with my little Harry Potter addiction. Or perhaps that his portrayal of Colonel Brandon in the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility was pretty much amazingly sexy? I then had to run out and watch every movie I could get my hands on that he was in. Eventually the obsession faded, but when I watch Love, Actually I still get all twitterpated even though his character is a stupid jerk who should not even THINK about cheating on Emma Thompson with that secretary harlot.

Anyways, you get the general idea.

So I have in the past had this obsession with JGL. I can trace its roots back to 3rd Rock from the Sun, although I wasn't really a huge fan of the show and didn't watch further than some episodes in the first season. I'm just saying I thought he was cute even back then. Because he was. Funny, I just watched a video on his tumblr blog that was from a Rolling Stone interview (that I highly recommend watching) where he mentions in passing that he looked like a girl back then. No, Joe, you looked like a really adorable adolescent boy with pretty hairs. Now, when I think about it at this moment I think it is weird that I thought an early teenage boy was totally cute, but then I realize that he and I are the same age and it really isn't all that strange. My boyfriend at the time had a similar slightly feminine aesthetic and the girls in my high school ate it up. (He was pretty delicious, I must admit.)

That isn't really when my obsession started, though. I mean, I totally liked him in 10 Things I Hate About You, but I wasn't all super swoony (I was over Heath Ledger... dang, now I'm all bummed). No, it was when I saw Mysterious Skin that my obsession began to blossom. That movie is super depressing, and JGL plays a homosexual teenage prostitute. He is 100% fantastic in this film and after watching it I had to watch more. I totally recommend Brick and The Lookout as well. Brick really made me feel all swoony! You know, I never saw Shadowboxer because I don't think he had a huge role in it, but now that I see this photo I think it may be something I have to go back and watch.

OH MY GOODNESS!

So one day while I was bored at my old job I started googling him (boy do I wish that was something dirty) and I found a website he had recently started Hit Record and started reading about it. It isn't like a hit record that sells a million copies, it is like hitting the record button to make a record of something. It is all about art - music, film, photos, paintings, performance, etc. In the beginning there was a lot of his films, music and art creations, or "records" and I was just totally fascinated. He is handsome, talented, smart, interesting, creative. Dude, the guy has it GOING ON. Back then I was totally in a bad relationship and had just lost a crazy amount of weight, so I would just sit and fantasize all day about going to LA to visit friends or something and meeting him at a party and well, stuff. It was dorky and lame, but I loved having an obsession. Not a lot of young, hot Hollywood actors make me feel all fluttery inside because they just don't seem like real people and they aren't that interesting. Here was this man opening himself up for everyone to see. And it felt like a secret because it was pretty low key and wasn't flashy celebrity crap.

But I'm not super hard core like those "Twi-hards" and creepy "Twi-moms", so eventually my extreme affections faded into an appreciation for a talented actor/artist. I've watched his movies, like 500 Days of Summer where all I could think through the whole thing is that Zooey must be a loon for not falling for those dimples, and OH that dance scene, HOW CUTE IS HE? So yeah, I still really like him, but I'm not obsessed with him. Oh, Wait.

Seriously, though, have you seen Inception yet?

Cut to last Sunday, seeing Inception with Fiance and his brother. OH.MY.GOD. Designer suits. Slick hair. Floaty fight scenes. And I suppose I have noticed it before, but did you hear his low voice? Sexy. SEX-EEEE. It was a little like porn, not to mention the fact that there is plenty of other eye candy in that movie and it is also visually stunning and very interesting. So I'm back, guys. I am almost 30 and getting married, and he is almost 30 and all famous, but in my drifting mind he is like, one of my good friends or something, who has a crush on me and is secretly sad that I am getting married. Wait, what? This is my brain folks, for reals. Right after I got home I watched Uncertainty which was really weird, but there is a sex scene and lots of making out and damn, Gina. Just sayin'. I'm all hooked again. And it isn't just his looks, he just seems awesome. I can't quite put my finger on it. Or he's just adorable. I don't know, guys.

It is nice to see that Joe has made Hit Record into his very own production company featuring art from real people all over the place. He even helps them profit from it. I totally renewed my membership to the website today, and while I'm not sure I'm as creative as other people on there, I figure I can bring a knitter voice into the equation. Particularly because lately I've been feeling like doing some more artistic things with my knitting, rather than functional. I've seen some really amazing installation art done with knitting. I'm super interested in that.

Or perhaps I just rejoined to see more videos of JGL like this one from the terms of service agreement.