star struck

I didn't think I'd be the sort to get all giggly and excited about lots of stars in one place, but oh hey, guess what? I am. Today was the 2009 AFI Awards, and as I am working at SDAC (it's like AFI's version of the cage, but way less fun) the other guy who works there and I had to go shoot it. I was all excited because maybe George Clooney was going to be there; turns out he wasn't, but WHATEVER, it was still packed with famous people. Before the banquet started my friend Tyler and I stood by the interview set-up, "helping" by saying "Thank you!" to the famous people as they left their interviews. In between, we giggled and discreetly pointed and generally geeked out about the whole thing.

The best part was when Jon Hamm from Mad Men was leaving the interview area- he looked at me and said "I like your shoes!" !!!!!!! I was wearing my good old Shirley Temple Doc Marten saddle shoes with the pink star laces. I had no idea what to say but managed to say "Thank you!" and to not add "I like EVERYTHING about YOU!"

So, because I live in a sucky city that has few merits, and because one of those merits (that of sometimes seeing celebrities) was on display today, I am now going to brag with a big long list of people I saw and was excited about. I'm sure I'm missing a few too, but this is who I could remember:

FAMOUS PEOPLE I SAW AT THE AFI AWARDS
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Henry Selick (!! - director of Coraline AND A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Michael Stahlberg (A Serious Man)
Alan Arkin (A Serious Man)
Richard Kind (A Serious Man)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Ben Foster (The Messenger)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Heather Graham (The Hangover-- but more importantly, Twin Peaks!)
Julianne Moore (A Single Man)
Tom Ford (director of A Single Man)
Amy Landecker (from A Serious Man)
Jeremy Renner (from The Hurt Locker)
Katherine Bigelow (director of The Hurt Locker)
Christina Hendricks (from Mad Men)
CCH Pounder (from The No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency and Avatar)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (from Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (from Modern Family)
Ken Marino (from Party Down, which I have never seen)
Ryan Hansen (from Party Down)
Adam Scott (from Party Down)
Deborah Ann Woll (from True Blood)
Sam Trammell (from True Blood)

My camera was right near the A Serious Man table and if only the Coen brothers or Roger Deakins had been there, I think I would have died right then.

Then I came home and my mom had randomely sent me four filet mignons from Omaha Steaks, which was pretty awesome, and I had dinner with Arielle, Li-Wei, Joey, Blake, and Kelly. So all in all, it was a good day! I need more of these in my life.