Called on account of rain

in Random Crap

 Blog called on account of rain.  Mostly because it’s Texas and when it rains here the whole State shuts down.  But I’m not entirely MIA because I’m doing a giveaway today.  See the eyeball necklace on my left sidebar?  That’s my friend, Dr. Brassy and she makes awesomeness with her own little hands and she’s giving away a few gift certificates here today so you can have your own little piece of fantasticness.

Want one?  Just leave a comment and a few of you will be randomly chosen.

Also, I realize that I’ve given you nothing pertinent to comment on so here’s a random topic:  They say you should never meet your heroes because they’ll never compete with what you imagine, but that’s not true because I met Neil Gaiman once and we ended up wearing sock monkey hats and telling stories of beauty pageants.  I guess the moral here is that you should always meet Neil Gaiman, and carry your own monkey hat just in case he forgets his.  (Which is unlikely because the man is magic and I think he carries a suitcase of bad-assery with him everywhere.)

So here’s your question…which of your heroes would you still like to meet?  Or, which have you already met?

Spill, people.

UPDATED:  My God, I love you people.  You seriously pick all of the best people and I think we should be friends forever.  However, only two people can win so using (Random Number Generator) here are the winners:

“You know, I’m going to go with Wonder Woman. I had her UnderRoos and I felt like a badass when I wore them.” ~ Jenbug

“I ran into Joe Piscopo and his ex-wife at a grocery store years ago. Never having seen a celebrity before I followed (OK … stalked) them from the frozen food aisle to the bakery then check-out. A few weeks later I was in a bowling alley and Joe (I figured we were on a first-name basis since we shopped together) was playing pool. I made a beeline for him and shouted “Hey JOE … It’s ME … CHRISTY … Remember? From the grocery store?” To this day I can’t understand why he downed his beer and went out the back door.”
~ Christy 

Also, for being such amazing sports I’m going to pick a few of you to send signed copies of my book, so check your email.

We now return to regular programming.

1,499 thoughts on “Called on account of rain”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. I’m with you on Neil Gaiman. He seems like the kind of hero that never disappoints.

  4. I met Larry Byrd, total disappointment. He’s 80% asshole, 20% snobby jerk. I would still love to meet Jon Bon Jovi. That man wouldn’t let me down.

  9. I’d like to meet Rosalind Franklin. She was an amazing scientist, driven and extremely smart. I don’t think that will happen though, she died a while ago.

  10. FDR, but that’s gonna be tricky cause he’s dead as a doornail. Somehow I know he wouldn’t have disappointed though, unless you were Eleanor (ziiiing!)

  11. I’d love to meet Apolo Anton Ohno and it has everything to do with learning more about speed skating and nothing at all with touching his rock hard thighs.

  13. I met Ed Roland of Collective Soul, a band of which I absolutely ADORE and he told me that he would not sign my breasts because skin freaks him out. Even though he wouldn’t sign my cleavage, he is still totally a favorite idol of mine! (P.S. My boobs are still young and magnificent, so I don’t think it was fear of bad boobage)

  15. Jenny, I saw your interview with Katie last week and I do believe it’s my turn with the RED DRESS!!!! Send it to San Antonio! I need some awesomeness in my life and red is just the color to do it!

  16. YOU Jenny. you are one of my heroes that i desperately want to meet. now that probably sounds like sucking up, and i’m okay with that doing a little double duty, but it’s the absolute truth. i fell in love with your hilarity early on, then came to respect and idolize you for your frankness about pretty much EVERYTHING, but especially things are particularly personal and difficult. you make me feel like my flaws aren’t as big of a deal, and that it’s okay to tell everyone to go fly a kite while i get myself together. love love love you!

  17. I met Neil Gaiman once, he told me I had a Very Good Name and I was delighted.

    I would love to meet Alton Brown, even though he seems sort of crotchety, because he’d a food nerd and I am a food nerd.

  18. OMG! I have a sock monkey hat!! I’m ready to get in on the bad-assery with Neil and Jenny!!!

  20. The entire cast of TNG. Which I got to meet at Comic Con in Calgary this year. They were jamming us through the line as fast as possible, but I stubbornly chose to speak to every single cast member. Highlights? Wil Wheaton and Brent Spiner.

    Also, Amanda Tapping. Met her a few times, she is awesome. She has MY autograph in her house. This tickles me to no end and I giggle to myself frequently because of it.

    My heroes don’t know me from a hole in the wall, but I still love them.

  22. Grant Imahara seems like a guy I’d totally just love to sit down and have coffee with. And maybe plot the takeover of the world with evil robots.

  25. I really think the only people I would be really excited to meet in person are you and Daniel Quinn. I have already met The Yarn Harlot. So I guess one third of my life is complete.

  26. I desperately want to meet Bruce Campbell. I love love love him. He is the king of B movie fame and revels in it.

  28. I would love to meet Tom Waits, but I’m sure it would be disappointing because he is so incredibly bad-ass-cool that I’d just come off as a super dork and have nothing to say.
    Still. Meet him, see him play music live. That would be a dream come true.
    Thanks for a chance to win!

  29. I want to meet Bruce Campbell! I ha ve high hopes every year that he will show up at Texas Frightmare Weekend. Maybe this next one will be the one.

  32. I would love to meet Stephen King. He is my favorite author, tied with The Bloggess, of course, and his writing as always inspired me. Oh, inspired me to write, not try to bring back animals from the dead, or chop up my wife, or anything else creepy like that. Thought never crossed my mind. Plus, he’s a New Englander (like me) and a Red Sox Fan (like me). Aaaaannywho. Yeah, Stephen King.

  33. Stephen King, probably. “On Writing” was amazing. He seems like he would be fun to shoot the sh*t with.

  34. British musician Jamie Cullum. That man blows my mind musically, and I would love to pick his brain.

    Also, in regards to the “never meet your heroes” train of thought, I’ve found that sometimes you shouldn’t follow your heroes on twitter. There are some celebrities that I enjoy and appreciate, but MY GOD I can’t follow their twitter accounts. Some of them are just so… unintelligent and child-like that it breaks my heart.

  35. I would like to meet you, of course, and bask in your awesomeness. But because that sounds like sucking up (even though I can suck up w-a-a-a-y better than that), I would like to meet Anne Wheaton and trade vandaleyes.

    (I’ve met her and I can attest that she is just as amazing and sweet as you’d suspect. ~ Jenny)

  36. Hmmm … I’ve never really considered who my hero is, which is kind of sad.

    But I guess I’d say my maternal grandmother was my hero. She was tough, kind, raised five kids, buried one, lost others before they were born, had a fantastic sense of humor, could rock some hot pink lipstick, and made a mean lasagna and fried chicken dinner. (They totally go together.)

    It’ll be 10 years since she died the end of this month and I still miss her every day.

  37. I used to be a big ballerina fan. I met Karen Kain (Canadians will understand), and she was a cold brick of ice. No warmth from her. She glared at me when I asked her for an autograph as I stood in line with others getting her autograph.

  38. Met Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman (briefly!) at a signing after one of Amanda’s shows in London.
    Heroes met 🙂

  39. I met Neil Gaiman years ago and he was pretty damn cool. I want to meet David Bowie. Don’t have to think about that one for a second.

  40. I’d like an awesome eyeball necklace!

    I want to meet Neil Gaiman, although the fact that I couldn’t speak in the face of meeting an editor who worked on Sandman makes me think that I’d just embarass myself if I did

  41. I think meeting Stephen King would be fascinating. You would probably be pretty fun to hang out with, too :). There’s lots of people. Do we have to stick to living/real people? Because if we can meet dead or fictional people, too, that just opens up a lovely can of worms :).

  42. I would love to meet Neil Gaiman–he seems like…well, magic–well put, Jenny! I’d also love to meet…well, you. Could I just meet you and Neil Gaiman and then eavesdrop as you two wear Doctor Who hats and swap stories of awesomeness? Please and thank you.

  43. Sam Waterston. I refuse to believe you
    can write such mischief and not be fun as hell.

  44. Holy crap, Pixie and I just simulposted Stephen King. That belongs … in a Stephen King novel!

  45. I’d really like to meet Neil Gaiman too… he’s coming to my alma mater soon, but I won’t be in town. Heart=broken. I would also love to meet Wil Wheaton… another wonderful person you have met! You lucky duck!

  46. I would love nothing more than to meet Randy Pausch. He was such an inspiration but sadly, I think his book is the closest I will get to actually being able to meet him. I think he would live up to every expectation I have for him, and then exceed it by 100X. I wouldn’t mind meeting you also!! Your just so totally and completely awesome I think I would pee my pants a little :}

  47. I would love to meet Chuck Yeager. He broke the sound barrier in 1947. Bad ass – test pilot, fighter pilot, POW, damn near honey badger-type bad ass. Probably had rock hard thighs at one point in his life.

  49. I would have to meet Ghandi and learn his chill-out techniques, or well… I’m fresh out of people. Is it odd that I don’t really have a “hero”? I more look up to local heroes that do the right thing, every day, and go out of their way when no one’s looking!

  51. Stephen King. My dream is to impress him so much when he meets me, that he names a character in his next book after me. Preferably a character he kills off in some horrific horrible way 😀

  52. I’ve already met Jacqueline Carey, so I’d have to go with Neil Gaiman. Ha! Original, I know. I almost walked up to him and introduced myself at Worldcon, but I had an attack of The Shy, and was reduced to hyperventilating in a corner. By the time I recovered, he had been whisked away by his handler. Boo. You handled meeting him much better than I did!

  53. I deeply want to meet Sir Terry Pratchett before he ends his life. His work has helped me find words for the way I see the world and has served as a platform to make my dreams come true. I hope we can connect before it’s too late.

  54. The Bloggess of course! But if she turned me down I’d be hard pressed to pick someone else… Maybe, the Me I was before I realized I had to act like a grown up and be all responsible and stuff so I could be a good example for my daughter because her dad certainly wasn’t going to. I’m sticking with The Bloggess.

  56. I would ask The Doctor to introduce me to Dr. Suess. He taught me to be myself because those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind, don’t matter.

  57. Google investigation is essential. Be sure your potential heroes are completely full of awesome before you invest yourself.

  59. I think Tim Gunn would be awesome! Also, Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert I think would provide an awesome conversation :o)

  60. I would love to meet Kim Kardashian!!!

    ….yeah, just kidding.

    I have been reading Nora Roberts books since I can remember. I would love to meet her and tell her how amazing her books are. They have always been the way I escape the awful things that happen in life.

  61. I TOTALLY WANT TO MEET NEIL GAIMAN!!! I’ve wanted to meet him for a very very long time.
    I did once meet Amanda Palmer after a show in New York and it was one of the most magical things that ever happened to me. I got to hug her and tell her how much her music means to me and she was very kind and wonderful. I’m pretty sure I flew away from the venue after.

  62. Henry Rollins: he’s smart, he’s funny, he’s ripped, and he’s not afraid to say anything as long as he believes it to be true.

  63. I would love to meet both Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer. They are both so damnably talented and inspiring. Dreamt I met them the other night actually and was so disappointed when I woke up.

  64. Papa Smurf (Think of the pointers he could give me on how to run my own cult! He had everyone of those little blue acolytes living in Mushrooms. MUSHROOMS!) and Skarsgard (Because he is my nice-ass-and-height hero).

  65. Would love to have dinner with Hilary Clinton. I think she would be fascinating to talk to.

  66. Emma Thompson. She does all the things I really want to do act and write plus she has an Oscar. Plus she just seems like a kick ass lady. I think we’d get on like gangbusters that or she’d think I was a silly person but I doubt the second.

    Also so true about Texas shutting down for rain. I skipped class on Friday and stayed on all weekend. So did my whole family.

  67. Garth Brooks. Before I met him, he seemed passionate, vividly charismatic and genuinely grateful for his success. Had to be an act, right? Then I met him. And he was passionate, vividly charismatic and genuinely grateful for his success. I’m sure there are days when he’s as insufferable as the rest of us can be, but having expectations met by someone who created high ones was lovely. Then, of course, there would be meeting you (*blatant flattery* *also true*).

  68. hmmmmmmmmm….Jim Henson, and I would only allow him to talk to me as Kermit. The Muppets were my FAVORITE growing up and I still tear up when I hear “Rainbow Connection”….oh, and also Jenny Lawson 😛

  69. Honestly, this is just too tough a question. I want to meet everyone! There are so many actors and writers and creative types I see or hear about and think, dang, I bet they would be a kick-ass friend to have! Neil Gaiman certainly being included in that group, lol. I want to meet all the bloggers I’ve befriended and hug them (not in a creepy way) for helping and inspiring me. I want to meet The Simple Dude, just so I could be one of the few who knows his true identity. I swear I wouldn’t tell anyone!

    I’d love to meet JRR Tolkien, but yeah, that wont happen. I did meet the son of a man who was Tolkien’s friend and fellow Inkling. This man I met was a boy when the Inklings were meeting and sat in on some of those sessions, knew Tolkien to a degree, and that was, despite the degrees of separation, SO VERY cool.

    That was not, I believe, the kind of answer you wanted, but it’s what I got for you right now 😛

  70. At this exact moment in time, my hero is this author named Nicholas Basbanes. He writes books about books. Anyone who stands up for books is brilliant to me – I’m an archivist/librarian and let me tell you, that is a hard career path these days. Plus, he’s met a million other fascinating people during the course of his research, so I’m sure he has great stories to tell!

  71. My hero is Amanda Tapping and I have met her several times – she frankly gets more fraking amazing each time. I still have to have tea with an awesome writer known as The Bloggess, I am pretty sure she’s as ass-kickingly amazing as I think she is.

  72. Aside from you? (and Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer) I’d love to meet uh… Okay then, apparently just you three. We should do dinner sometime.

  73. Unfortunately my person I would like to meet has passed on. Anne McCaffery was my all time favorite writer and just recently she has passed on leaving a legacy of incredible science fiction in her wake. My other woul love to meet, was Beezie Madden, who turned out to be a bit of a snob and not at all what I had envisioned her to be. Third & fourthly, are you, Jenny the bloggess who has made
    My depression and anxiety much more bearable by simply reminding
    Me that depression lies, and Lauren Filing Jointly, because she too has made me laugh on the days I’ve felt there was no light left in the world… So thank you. And I hope you decide to make a stop on your next book tour in your neighbor state of Louisiana.

  74. I had a crush on Jarvis Cocker for years. Bloody loved him, but always said he was one person I’d rather not meet, just in case he fell from the pedestal I’d put him on.
    Then I met him, and he was bloody awesome. It was freezing cold (we were backstage at a festival) and he tried to convince me that we could ‘think ourselves warm’, whilst wrapping himself in a crocheted granny shawl. Lovely, lanky, naughty man. I’m thinking of keeping him as a pet.

  76. My heroes are the people who make me laugh the most. I’d love to meet, in no particular order, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Demitri Martin and (I swear I’m not sucking up here) THE BLOGGESS (I was seriously bummed I couldn’t make your book tour segment when you were here in Sam Antonio)!

  77. Scott Adams–I admire his intelligence and willingness to p*** people off. I also love the fact that he managed to produce such a following on a comic strip without being being able to draw.

  78. I would totally meet Cruella De Vil if she wasn’t so…unreal. :/

    Hmm. Besides her and my parents (who I’ve met numerous time, and always exceed expectations) I don’t really have any heroes…OH STEVE IRWIN but he’s dead. 🙁

  79. Wow… this one takes some thinking. I wouldn’t mind meeting Leo Tolstoy, if only to smack him upside the head for what he did to me with “War & Peace” while I was in grad school (wordy bastard!).

    I’m sure there’s someone else I’d like to meet more, on peaceful terms… but I can’t think of them right now… clearly this “War & Peace” scar runs deep.

  80. I would love to meet John Douglas, the FBI serial killer profiler. His work and his books are just so inspiring and completely fascinate me. And if he were still alive, I’d love to have a chat with James Stewart. I’m pretty sure we would disagree on everything, but at least I’d get to look into his wonderful eyes.

  81. Met my childhood idols Simon Le Bon, John Taylor & Roger Taylor of Duran Duran (for the 3rd time) just last month! I would love to meet Zachary Levi – he’s too yummy.

  82. I’ve gotten David Tennant’s autograph twice (by reaching over a bunch of other people seeking the same at stage doors), and even got some of his spittle on my hand (that’s what happens when you sit in the front row of the theatre when DT’s emoting Shakespearean dialogue in that Scottish brogue of his), but I don’t know if that counts as “meeting” him. I would officially like to some day, though.

    But I think the person I’d really like to meet these days is Stephen Fry. I’d probably act and sound like a total idiot in front of him, but it would be such a thrill. He’s the dapper, intelligent, funny, gay uncle that everyone should have.

  83. When I was a kid, I love Mike Webster beyond reason. I went to an autograph session to meet him and took a cassette recorder so i could record him talking to me. Years later, I met him as an adult & told him the story and he remembered it. I nearly died of happiness. Then the next year, I met him again, and when I walked up to him, he said Hi Gina! because he remembered me from the year before. He was pretty awesome and I am sad he;s gone.

  84. Oh, very nice jewelry!

    I’d love to meet Phil Plait (of Bad Astronomy fame), because I’ve had a nerd-crush on him for over 10 years now.

    And I’d love to meet Lois McMaster Bujold, because she’s an amazing author (and she’s the only one of my three fave authors who’s still alive).

  85. Wil & Anne Wheaton (they count as one). I guess they’re not your typical eternal earth-changers or anything, but they seem so kind and fun that to play a board game with them would be fricken awesome. Plus they rescue dogs and help other dogs get rescued, so yey.

  86. Um, make that Bill Watterson. Wow, me, way to get your hero’s name wrong. That’s why I shouldn’t meet him. That is exactly the kind of horrifying mistake I would make.

  87. As a writer, meeting Stephen King would complete me. As a Geek, if The Doctor arrived in my front yard – I wouldn’t complain.

  88. I met you! Your blog has always brought me up on my downest days. I know that’s a lot of responsibility, but you’re obviously handling it beautifully. I’m hoping to meet the little bun in the oven I just found out about. Shhh no one knows!

  89. I was totally thinking Jim Henson and someone else already said it. I think he would be awesome to hang out with. Because honestly, how many people think in Muppet? Since he’s not an option I’d go with you! I think you’re hilarious and inspirational. Come to Ohio sometime. We have all sorts of fun weather here but that’s about it.

  91. I’ve met and lost my hero, my grandmother. She was kind, strong and always made me consider my actions. She was a big hearted, big haired Texan that wanted to be the boss of your food intake and couldn’t understand that I knew when I needed a bathroom break. 30 yr old grand kids don’t need reminders, but I didn’t mind. She was always thinking about me, even if it was whether I needed to just “try” once more before we went shopping. I miss her terribly.

  93. Wow let’s see. P!nk, Kirstie Alley, Niecy Nash and you Jenny. To meet women who accept who they are would be awesome.

  94. Not sure I’d call him my hero. But I met Gerardo Rivera once. He was super sleazy! I was in high school and he was hitting on my teacher. I also met Ben Johnson once. I didn’t have any paper so he signed a $20 bill for me.

  97. I have met Kip Winger three times. The first time I met him, I confessed to him that I used to have his name plastered all over my Chevy Cavalier’s dashboard in tiny little labelmaker stickies. He stared blankly at me. I determined he was an ass. The second time I met him, he tossed me out of the backstage area. I suppose he might be a smart man. BUT! Still I judged him assy. The last time, he had dinner with me! He is awesome.

  98. That is an awesome necklace of awesomeness. I would look awesome wearing one.

    I’ve never gotten to spend time with anyone I would consider a “hero”. I’ve met famous people, but only for brief encounters. Nothing long enough to get any sense of what the real person is like.

  99. I would like to meet my husband’s dad. For some reason his mom has kept dad’s identity a secret all these 41 years. Hubs is pretty a’ight and I’d like to thank dad for his contribution.

  103. Tamora Pierce. She wrote ALL my favorite childhood books. Well, I mean mostly of them.

    Ooh, or Clive Barker. That madman has written some of the most messed up, crazily imaginative, funny dark and creepy light stuff EVER. And his drawings! I die!!

  104. I met Pee-wee Herman after decades of wanting to. He was lovelier than I even imagined (both physically and personality-wise).

  105. John Cusack – he seems intelligent and a great conversationalist. I think he would be troubled if I constantly referred to him as Lloyd Dobbler…

  106. I would love to meet Douglas Adams, because any mind that could create The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is someone I would worship. Unfortunately, he is no longer on this planet, but I hope he’s at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and that he’ll wait for me.

  107. I want to meet Neil Gaiman QUITE badly. I’m going to hear him speak again soon (9/28!) and until then, I will fantasize about running into him in a hallway or something and actually get to tell him how much his books fill my heart with glee. I know the chances of that are beyond slim but I can dream.

    I also really want to meet Jay Kay (lead singer of Jamiroquai. I would also settle for just getting to see them perform live but they never come anywhere near DC), David Tennant, and Betty White.

    I got to meet Alton Brown at a book signing a couple of years ago. He was incredibly nice and very gracious (at one point I asked him why they hadn’t given him a chair to which he replied “well, you all have to stand so I’ll stand too.”)

  108. I’m with sheri here- YOU!!! I think we can all agree you are awesome beyond words. I was mowing my yard last week and there were a few mushrooms in it and I thought, you know, if there was a boob-shaped mushroom in my yard would I even notice it? I probably would but would I blog about it…..? No. The fact that you can find the most random things and make those things so entertaining fascinates me.
    I got to meet Michael Buble once. He was so nice, sat on his bus steps for as long as it took to sign something for everyone waiting in line in the rain.
    I want to marry Dean Cain but that fact that I’d tell him that promptly after meeting him would kinda ruin my chances. 🙂

  109. Ewan McGregor. He’s just beautiful. And not just on the outside. He seems like he’s quite beautiful on the inside too. He does all this amazing work with UNICEF, seems lovely to his fans and looks badass on a motorbike. Did I mention he sings like an angel? Plus, he’s replied to two of my tweets on Twitter. One of them involved me not drooling in his coffee. I think I should have been a little insulted but I guess no one wants a stranger drooling in their coffee. Actually, I personally wouldn’t want a friend drooling in my coffee so, you know. There’s that. SO my answer is Ewan McGregor. And not to kiss ass, but you’re right there as someone I’d love to meet as well. I mean, you’re full of awesome with what you’ve done with the Traveling Red Dress, and random, spontaneous charity events held on your blog. Plus, you’re incredibly brave and very inspirational. So there. Take that.

  110. Any (or all) of the ladies that make me laugh the most on the internet:
    Jen Yates – Epbot/Cakewrecks
    Hannah Hart – My Drunk Kitchen
    Allie Brosh – Hyperbole and a Half
    You (and HST of course)

  111. I want to meet Leslie Kinzel so she can bitch slap me into loving myself and Terry Prachett so I can show him my pile of books held together with rubber bands (I have read them THAT much) and tell him how comforting he can be.

    Also, in dead people land, I wish I could hang with Grandma Cornell. She was eight separate kinds of bad ass, and I inherited all of her crazy. I want to show her I am using it well and introduce her to Xanax. She woulda LOVED it.

    ~M~

  112. I have recently had the mega-hots for Tom Hiddleston (Loki from the movies). So much so that I’m re-reading The Great Gatsby (because he’s also F. Scott Fitzgerald from the movies).

    I started following him on Twitter and… it’s kind of tedious. I’m so upset about it that I’m considering replying to his “song of the day” tweets with my own “sandwich of the day” tweets. Just to be obnoxious.

  113. I’d love to meet John Prine someday. His music makes me laugh and cry and think. I’d also very much like to meet you, because you have such a tremendous example of dealing with mental illness with humor and grace. You’ve changed the way I perceive myself, much for the better.

  114. Added to that though, husband is an entertainment journalist. Sadly, I learned long ago that some of my musical heroes are douchebags. Some are awesome. It’s balanced thing here.

  115. Most of the people I’d want to meet are pretty long dead, and I’ve already met Edward Ka-Spel of the Legendary Pink Dots. I guess I’d have to go with Juan Carlos II, of Spain, for having been given a dictatorship and turning it into a popular democracy against his supporters will.

  117. Sir David Attenborough. As a biology student, he has narrated most of the naturalist television programmes I have ever watched. Such an inspiration, he’s 80+ years old and still going strong.

    Also, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, all those funny and inspiring women. And Stephen Fry.

  118. I’ve recently come to the realization that I’d be one of those people who would completely freeze upon meeting anyone even remotely falling into “hero” status for me. And then I’d have to move to a deserted island where there was no chance of ever running into another human being again, on the off chance that they knew about my epic fail. That being said…
    David Tennant is the only actor to make me cry through both a TV show AND a Shakespeare play, so it’d be cool to meet him and tell him how awesome he is. And if death were no object, Freddie Mercury and C.S. Lewis. What can I say, I’m a versatile chick.

  119. Anthony Zuiker – read his digi-novel Level 26 which started my on-line social interaction where I made a bunch of friends I’ve never personally met. Which in a round about way lead me to your site, kinda like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.
    Anyone who walks into the casino where his mama works with his first big check to tell her her working days are over as he carries her out the door is good people.

  120. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’d like to meet Jenny. I introduced a friend of mine to the site today with the Katie Couric video and was surprised at how passionate I felt when I talked about how reading the site everyday can make such a difference in a hard day.

    Also, Justin of http://www.animalstalkinginallcaps.tumblr.com which is pure delicious goodness. Another light during what has sometimes been a very difficult year.

  121. I would love to meet chuck palahniuk. I saw him do a reading once but didn’t get the chance to actually meet him.

  122. Jesus. My mother used to tell me “Knock it off or you’re going to meet Jesus!!” I never did. But still want to.

    Closest I cam was meeting Paul Newman. I was 8 yrs old and he offered to buy me a beer. 🙂
    Worst encounter, Philip Seymour Hoffman. BIG jerk. But still love his work.

    Only one left on my list, besides, well- Christ, is JENNY!!!

  123. I would still love to meet Robyn Hitchcock. He signed an autograph for me once, but I don’t really consider that “meeting.” And he seemed annoyed that all I had to sign were the back of my hand-written directions to the venue from my pocket.

    I think the biggest problem with meeting any of my idols would be having anything interesting/witty enough to say.

  126. I would love to totally bask in the glory that is Alton Brown. I am sure he is a bit of an ass, but I kind of love that about him.

  127. I met you, which was totally awesome, but I just fangirled and thanked you over and over for coming to the book festival, which was totally not awesome of me, but you took a picture with my sweet (some call them creepy) dolls, which was totally awesome of you.

    I, too, would love to meet/wake up next to David Tennant, though I don’t think I could put words together if ever I were in his presence.

  128. I did get to meet you in Seattle, which was AWESOME. I’d like to meet Geek God Wil Wheaton, and Paul McCartney.

  129. I’ve met the band Phoenix…a couple of times. They are so nice, sweet and fucking hot!! So I guess the only other person on my wish list is….George W. (hate comments can commence….now… Ha!)

  130. Jenny,

    Today is one of those days where I didn’t open my shade until three in the afternoon. I couldn’t get out of bed, except until my bladder almost burst. I snagged my computer and knew to read your blog because I knew you understood, and that whatever it was you were talking about today would help make me laugh, or it would help make me feel better because of the community you’ve built.
    You are one of the people I hope many choose as their hero.

  134. I would love to meet Tim McGraw. He’s such a great singer and a good husband. It’s nice to know that even famous people can make their marriage work!! I love what he and Faith Hill have and if u believe the stories they are even raising really good, grounded, children!!

  135. Sir Terry Pratchett. I’m not really sure why. I mean, I love his books and an author I’ve read other than him, has Mr Pratchett to thank.
    I also hate the fact that he is, in a way, becoming less the man that wrote the first book I ever read cover to cover as the days pass.
    Not that I would have anything to say other than I adore his books. Then I’d say something that I would regret until the day I die, whatever that would turn out to be.

  136. Hrm. I’d like to meet Neil Gaiman, for sure, and Terry Pratchett, preferably at the same time so I can ask them about Good Omens. Also Melissa McEwan of Shakesville, because she’s amazingly inspiring. I hate I had to miss your book tour when you came to Dallas, but life conspired against me. Yes, you, Jenny are on my list of heroes.

  137. I want to meet Hunter S Thomcat – mostly because he got to ride a unicorn and I want to ask him what it was like.

  139. Living: Paul McCartney, Robyn Hitchcock, any of the actors who played the Doctor, Peter Buck, They Might Be Giants, Trey Anastasio, Colson Whitehead, Questlove…

    Deceased: John Lennon, George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Douglas Adams, David Foster Wallace…

  140. Barbara Loe Fisher from the NVIC. I have a vaccine injured son who nearly died at 13 months and she speaks up for parents like us. I’m almost afraid to post this because i’m not trying to start any nasty debates. I would name someone else, but she’s honestly the first person who comes to mind as someone i’d love to meet. You can delete this if you’d like.

  141. I want to meet Paula Deen. I could show her my new eyeball necklace while eating something made with just a little too much butter.

  142. i already met you, so i guess now everything else is downhill. i want to meet the most interesting man in the world. maybe he can teach me something?

  143. I make sockmonkeys, so I’m thinkin’ Neil and I really do need to hang out. Also Kate Winslet, to see if my girl crush works in person, too.

    Also, @Sarah, sorry, but Jon Bon Jovi WOULD let you down. I heard a painfully lame story about him from a friend who worked with him when he was a celeb ambassador for Habitat for Humanity.

  144. I’ve met one of mine, Terry Pratchett, three times now. Last time, about three weeks ago, I gave him some Salmiak (salty liquorice), in fact. Strange things happens at Discworld conventions…:-)

  148. Ugh I have like so many heroes I would love to meet. Terry Pratchett, um, Laurie Penny because she is fantastic and I literally want to be her, and Caitlin Moran because she kind of introduced me to feminism and as such I owe her a ton

  149. Already met – Christopher Moore, several times. Just as nice and funny in person as online and in his books. Bowling for Soup – really nice guys.

    Want to meet – This one has stumped me. I don’t guess I have a wish list of heroes I want to meet. I guess since I’ve met my favorite author and favorite band I’m good.

  150. I would like to meet Batman but then again my dad is like my own personal Batman so maybe I have already met him? My mother is my hero too but I can’t quite pick a super hero to match her… mostly because to my knowledge there aren’t any roller derby super heros.

  152. I met Christopher Moore but i was too busy having an anxiety attack to be able to talk to him 😛

  153. Sadly many of my heroes are no more. I think that running into them as zombies would definitely leave me in the category of their being unable to live up to my imagination in that they no longer live. I just don’t want the burden of being known as the person who killed the undead reanimation of Douglas Adams.

  156. I got to meet Parachute (a band, for those of you that may be wondering why a skydiving tool was cool.) and Kate Voegele for my 21st birthday.

    I’d have loved to come to a book signing to meet Jenny. That would have been pretty awesome.

    Id also love to meet the cast and crew for Leverage. Everyone seems so awesome and funny and just plain cool.

  157. If he was still alive, I would love to meet Theodor Geisel – Dr. Seuss
    “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

  158. I had always wanted to meet Patrick Swayze, now I can’t. Sad. Now I would like to meet Chris Burke, as I need he is my (and many that I know) inspiration that life can be great for our children with Down syndrome (despite what some doctors tell me). Oh and John McGinley!! For many the same reasons!

  159. First, you are too awesome for words. Thank you for sharing not only the funny parts of your life, but also the stuff that’s harder to talk about, like your depression. You truly are an inspiration. God Bless You!!

    Second, one of my idols is Joss Whedon. He is just so freaking brilliant. I would love nothing more than to sit and have coffee with him and discuss Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. Especially Firefly.

    Stay AWESOME!!!!!!!!

    XOXOX

  160. Neil Gaiman’s blog is right next to yours in my bookmarks toolbar, and when I meant to come here to yours a minute ago, I accidentally clicked on his. So I read one of his posts anyway (because it would be rude to land on someone’s site and not read anything, kind of like when you push the wrong “contact” button on your phone and you know it an instant later but you don’t want to be that one-ring hang-up-call person so you wait for the person to answer even if it’s just to tell them that you called them by accident) and then just as I was back up in my bookmarks clicking the URL for your page I thought, “Don’t Neil Gaiman and The Bloggess know each other? I thought I remembered reading someone’s post about — ” and Lo and Behold on your page you’re talking about Neil Gaiman. Magic!

  162. I think an eyeball necklace would be a huge help for my job interviews. Because I could then say that MOST employees can only keep their TWO eyes on making sure the business runs well but I have THREE (with the necklace), which makes me a superior candidate!

    I don’t have many heroes, but I did get to meet you and that counts 100% in my book. Plus, in the couple hours before I got to meet you, I got to meet many of the Tribe of Intellectual Misfits and felt, for the first time in, well, EVER, that I “fit in” with a group of people.

    I WOULD like to meet Christiaan Van Vuuren (of “Fully Sick” fame) some time and think that having the opportunity to meet Wil Wheaton would be fabulous. In fact, having dinner with you and Wil Wheaton would pretty much be the best dinner ever!

  164. I got to meet Wil Wheaton who was as charming and decent as you well know. No disappointment there. I would love to meet Amanda Palmer. Pretty sure she wouldn’t disappoint either. Come to think of it, if anyone is my hero, I’m certain they’re all gracious and lovely, which is why they ARE heroes.

  165. I just realized that one of my dearest friends is actually my hero — she’s in the Foreign Service, and if you think it’s a bunch of embassy parties and taxpayer-funded jaunts, well, that’s not what happened at the embassy in Libya. My friend wrote a powerful tribute to the ambassador who lost his life there, and to the thousands of Foreign Service workers who are just doing their jobs. So now she’s my hero (and yes, I did tell her that!)

  167. Hmmm…hard choice. If I had to pick one I’d say Nick Offerman, because Ron Swanson is my hero (and who doesn’t love BACON?). If Megan Mullaly and Amy Poehler happened to be about when this happened I wouldn’t complain…

  168. Was looking for the necklace in the side-bar and saw cat and dog wigs. What about my rabbit? He needs a wig as much as anybody.

    Re: heroes…people I know (such as my family) are pretty much my heroes. Plus teachers n people who answer 911 calls n EMTs n the folks who take care of nursing home residents.

  169. David Tennant.
    Catherine Tate.
    Stephen Fry.
    Wil Wheaton.
    Patrick Stewart.
    Neil deGrasse Tyson.
    Michio Kaku.
    ** My list could go on forever. I will stop here for the sake of brevity.

  171. George Washington Carver has always been my hero. i think if i asked him to my home he would be a humble guest and thankful for whatever i had available to serve him to eat or drink… i think he would appreciate that i buy organic peanut butter. i believe he would delight in enchanting my family with stories of his simple, yet extraordinary life. i think he would also be a charming listener and would ask about our lives as well. The time would end with gratitude that our path’s had crossed, and my children would be forever changed.

  172. Being that I was 10 in 1988, I was very much into a little band out of Boston called New Kids on the Block. Time passed, the boys broke up, I graduated high school, I became an adult. In 2008 NKOTB announced they were reuniting and some part of me that will always be 10 years old rejoiced. I have now met them all and I am happy to report that they (my favorite, Donnie Wahlberg, especially) are warm, pleasant, personable, and very sweet to their fans.
    As Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, I would love to meet him one day and somehow figure out how to hug his brain!

  174. Stephen King!! He wouldn’t dare disappoint would he??? I. Think. Not. Imagine a conversation with him over coffee and doughnuts. Interesting.

  176. Since Neil Gaiman is already taken I’m gonna go with Peter Vankmen of the Ghostbusters… not the actor Bill Murry… Peter Vankmen the Ghostbuster… and I want to go on a ghostbusting trip with him… and bust ghosts.

  177. PS – I did not put Neil Gaiman on my list, only because I was fortunate to meet him twice when I worked at a Barnes & Noble.
    And the only reason you aren’t on my list is because I already briefly met you at your book signing in Mpls.

  178. I would have loved to have gotten a smile and a hug from Mr. Rogers. Pretty sure it would have made everything all right — no matter what — for the rest of my life.

  179. i dont believe in heros. unless you count cartoon superheros and if that is the case, then i totally want to meet superman just to play with that little black curl in the middle of his forehead.

  180. neil gaiman and gabriel garcia marquez. hopefully not in the same place at the same time, though. that would just be weird.

  181. Um, I want to meet the Bloggess. And I promise I didn’t just say that because I’m in the comments of your blog. I assume we could wear red dresses together and go thrifting and give depression the middle finger.

    On second thought, there might be too many people who ALSO want to do this, and if we all came to visit at once it would be like crashing the internet, except instead of the internet it would be your house, and that’s probably not okay. But I still like the concept.

  182. Emma Thompson. Ira Glass. Anne Lamott. And, given a time machine — Jim Henson. : (

  183. I met Douglas Adams once. He was doing a booksigning, and he didn’t bring a pen. It was poorly advertised so there were few other fans there at first, and I got to chat with him briefly.

  184. OooOoh man. I’d SO love to meet Neil. Moffat. Gatiss. Matt Smith. Benedict. I’m not sure they qualify as heroes tho. Meeting Neil and Amanda at once would likely result in my brain becoming unicorn hooved zombie sludge… LOL

  186. Note to self: get sock monkey hat…

    as for meeting my hero anyone from my twitter feed would suffice!
    And I know dreams can come true cause I already met Jenny! So I am well on my way!!!!!

  187. I don’t have any heroes, per se, that I’d like to meet. I think I have an absurd understanding that we’re all just people and no matter how much I try to inflate someone – I always remember that they’re just human. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy how you always seem to make those that I admire come out at good sports.

  188. I second meeting David Tennant, I am mildly obsessed with him. Like every other woman of good taste and class.

  189. Aside from you, you mean 😉 (to clarify, that is totally a creepy old man wink. I may be a 19 year old girl, but I have it down). God, it would be so hard to choose. Probably Amanda Palmer.

    I totally missed an opportunity a couple weeks ago for a proper Famous Person Anecdote. I almost walked into Ian Mckellen and I SAID NOTHING. Because really, what the fuck do I have to say to Ian freaking Mckellen?

  190. I met Douglas Adams many years ago, and that may be my allotment of awesomeness for this life. But if David Tennant wanted to eat crackers in my bed, I wouldn’t kick him out. Provided he cleaned up the freaking cracker crumbs.

  191. I’ve met several celebrities but the best was Simon Pegg, at his book signing. When he saw my name he asked if I was Irish, and when I said yes we had a five minute conversation about how beautiful Ireland was and he was adamant that I go there, as soon as possible. It was so unexpected I could barely speak in complete sentences. He was absolutely charming. I have a laundry list of authors, actors, and musicians I’d love to meet but top of the list would probably be Conan O’Brien and Patton Oswalt, because they never fail to make me laugh.

  192. I just read that Neil Gaiman post and OHMYGOD. Brilliant. I love Mr Gaiman (except for Stardust, the movie was actually WAYYY better (c’mon, Robert Deniro as a gay pirate?!?) but I adored American Gods and Anansi Boys and Coraline but Neverwhere was the best one still) so I would have fangirled out too.
    But as to the current post….I would never want to meet Eddie Izzard because he probably wouldn’t be in drag. He’s best as an executive transvestite 🙂
    But I think it would be AMAZING to meet Bill Murray–I’ve heard the stories. And I believe them!

  193. I met David Tennant once. His father lives in the same town as my parents. He was very nice and did indeed smell of awesome, although I think in shops they call in Hugo Boss. Who I’d like to meet…Charlie Brooker cause he’s a miserable git.

  194. This is going to sound ass-kissy (it IS a word).. but you. Because of you I recently became very open about my anxiety and bi-polar disorder, knowing that someone has the same thought patterns and has the will to share them gave me the ability to do so. Plus you liked my “Viva la Crustacean!” shirt. Another awesome person was Robert Downey Jr. That man was fun, full of life, funny and easy to talk to. We talked about how Iggy Pop was all vein-y and ropey and gross.

  197. Most of my heroes are dead – C.S. Lewis, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Gene Kelly, L.M. Montgomery, Oscar Wilde, Barbara Stanwyck – but of those living I would LOVE to meet Joss Whedon and Alan Alda. Joss’ creative genius has been an huge influence in my life and I have always appreciated his portrayal of women. And, while I may be mixing my love of Alan Alda with my love of Hawkeye Pierce, from what I know of the guy – he’s awesome. And frankly, Mr. Alda could just talk all day and I’d be happy; I love his voice.

  198. I think I would like to have tea with Julie Andrews. Tell her about the time in college when I was snowed-in with really lame roommates in a Freak-in FREEZING apartment (the walls could have been made with cheap cardboard) and the only way I made it through the weekend was drinking hot tea while in bed under 3 covers wearing my coat, (three pairs of socks, two sweaters and hand warmers) and watching Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, and other Andrews Classics. Plus, I’d like to know how she does the Umbrella trick.

    I’d also like to meet Bill Nye the Science Guy and Dr. Seuss. (Lets have a talk about Tweetle Beetles…)

  199. Beautiful necklace BTW, I want to meet Samuel L Jackson… Something tells me he’d be down for some good food and some football watching… Also Christopher Eccleston/ Tom Hiddleston because I am a nerd and they both seem pretty cool.

  200. Nobody has mentioned Adam Sandler!! He’s my favorite!!!!!!!!!! And NPH…and Anderson Cooper.

  202. YOU! But we already met at your book signing in Chicago, so does that mean I have to pick someone else? If so… Is anyone still on the Hillary Clinton banwagon? Because I still think she would make a fabulous POTUS.

  203. I think, for the most part, police officers and military personnel are heroes. While I’ve had the opportunity to meet people in these positions before, I’ve never had the nerve to tell them I think they’re doing a wonderful thing and that I’m thankful for their service – for some reason they make me terribly nervous – which I know makes no sense (as I’m a law abiding, non-threatening sort). So, before I list off any far-fetched heroes I may or may not meet one day, I’d like to be able to woman-up and actually thank an everyday hero.

  204. I would like to meet all the people who are willing to go public and say “hey, I have depression and it’s not because I’m weak.” The first two people who come to mind are of course The Bloggess and Wil Wheaton — mainly because they are the ones I know have said “fuck off depression. I’m gonna live a full life.”

  205. I’ve met most of my heroes (except for you!) but I’d really like to talk with Chris Hardwick, Felicia Day, and Wil Wheaton for a more-than-a-quick-photo-op length of time.

  208. I love to meet John Cusack – he made one of my fav books (High Fidelity) into a kick arse movie and I suspect (and hope) he’s similar IRL. I’d also like to meet Jimmy Fallon, because he’s a funny dude and fantastic at impressions of musicians…

  209. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. There is part of Bossypants about Amy chewing out Jimmy Fallon for being sexist, and I just adore it. Strong, funny, smart, beautiful women. Which means I would likely pee myself and run away if I ever saw them irl.

  211. I’ve always been too scared to put myself in situations where I get to meet people I admire because I get scared and anxious over how awkward I’ll be and what I should say (if anything at all). But, I met YOU last month, and it was awesome! You were so genuine that I realized I had nothing to worry about, so thank you! 🙂 The only other person I want to meet, and have wanted to meet for years now, is Alyson Hannigan.

  212. Since everyone is saying Neil Gaiman, I feel like I shouldn’t say Neil Gaiman. But, you know, Neil Gaiman.

    Also, AFP, because I just wrote about how I sickened/chickened out of going to her show on Friday, and Kurt Vonnegut, because yes – badass, plus now I want to know what kind of hats he carries in his suitcase.

  213. I would love to meet my favorite bloggers. You’re at the top of the list of course, then maybe Heather Armstrong, Alice Bradley, Maggie Mason, etc…

  215. I would love to meet Pamela Des Barres, the famous group and writer of I’m With The Band. I feel like she would have so many interesting stories to tell of Rock gods from the past. Plus, we could talk about rockstars’ wankers!

  216. Vincent D’Onofrio, Neil Gaiman, Felicia Day, you, Craig Ferguson… I have a social anxiety disorder and hardly ever go out, so I’m pretty happy when I meet anyone that’s nice & seem cool, but these people would be very awesome to meet.

    Thanks for the neat giveaway.

  219. Hmm… Still to meet? Geez. I would have said Jaime Escalante, the famous teacher who inspired “Stand and Deliever” only I’ve just now discovered he’s dead. That would make lunch awkward. I suppose I’d love to meet Buzz Aldrin some day (soon). I’ve often joked that he was the “Smart One” in that let Neil go first to be sure everything was safe. 🙂 Wow. That has so many more meanings now…..

    As to heroes I’ve met?

    I did meet Sir Patrick Stewart. I was able to be the last question of his last panel at Dragon Con a few years ago. The exchange went like this:
    Me: I’m probably going to get mugged on my way out. I’m going ‘waste’ your last question of the convention on something that’s not about Star Trek.
    SPS: You know, I’ve had a very long and wonderful career that has included many things besides Star Trek and I enjoy talking about all of that as well. I’ll tell you what. Anyone here gives you a hard time, you send them to me and I will personally sort them out.
    Me: ~faint~
    (no, actually I asked him about his production of King of Texas, a retelling of King Lear he did that went straight to TBS and was bloody brilliant)

    After the panel I got his autograph and invited him for some wine and/or beers to talk about the show more, but he had to politely decline as he had a train to catch. I’m very positive that if he had not had a train to catch he would have taken me up on it. ~nodnod~

  220. I’ve always wanted to meet Kermit the Frog so that I could ask him to do that thing he does where he throws his arms over his head and runs away screaming.

  221. Met Jimmy Carter. What a mensch.

    Heroes? Mmmm…most are either dead or fictional.

    Although Scott Carpenter would be nice.

  222. I live near a military base, and am a military spouse, and have fire fighters in my family, so I can cross all of them off the typical hero list. Not to suck up, but the hero I would like to meet most is you. I am not going to go into a bunch of reasons on a comment, but I would be happy to email them to you if you let me know how to get you one. It would be fun for you to read, and would also maybe inflate your self esteem bubble a bit for a moment.. and let us face it, who can’t use a little inflating? of their bubbles.. I know that no physical part of me could use inflating.. well…almost no part of me… okay. Thanks!

  223. I think I’d like to meet Stephen King. Or if I was allowed to meet imaginary people I’d like to meet a lot of characters from books. Not the people that play them in movies but the actual book characters. Honestly, there are too many of them to list.
    I’d like to meet my kidney that I gave to my uncle, I think that organ is a lot stronger than the rest of me, but it’s in my uncle now so that’s pretty impossible. Plus, it can’t talk.

  224. My pick would be the artists Julie Speed and Paul Lafolley. Actually, I had the chance to meet Julie Speed at the opening of one of her exhibits here in Austin about 7 years ago, but I chickened out. I might chicken out if I got the opportunity to meet Paul Lafolley, but it would be awesome to meet him with his lion claw foot (he actually uses it in place of his foot that he lost in an accident, I shit you not.) Both are wonderful, delightfully strange artists. My kinda people, even if I’m too chicken-shit to meet them.

  225. Neil Gaiman is on the bucket list, along with Alton Brown, Keith Olbermann and Bill Clinton. But I would be afraid I wouldn’t know what to say besides fan-girl gush. Gushing is unbecoming at most ages (tweens and teens can get away with it), but even more so when one is in late middle age.

  227. Well I missed my chance to meet you when you were here on your book tour, but I bet you were busy and didn’t have time for sock hats. After you, I would say Chrissie Wellington. She is the female Ironman world champion and such an inspiration!

  230. Tina Fey is my favorite famous person. Her book helped distract me from my early pregnancy when I was scared shitless something was going to happen (nothing did, healthy baby boy, thank God!). I’m afraid to meet her because, much like me, I don’t think she’d be super friendly.

  231. I would love to meet David Tennant and Neil Gaiman. I would like to meet Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I have met YOU and Anne Rice and Felicia Day. Ooh I also met John Barrowman!

  232. I know, it is too easy to say that I would like to meet you Jenny but it is accurate. We all hoped you might make it to Kansas City or some where in the midwest on the tour. SIGH.

    I would also love to meet David Tennant, Jon Stewart and Bruce Campbell because – well who would not?

    I can tell you that Alton Brown is wonderful in person. Funny, kind, entertaining and smart! Besides – the man cooks!

  233. I want to meet the whole of Arcade Fire; there are so many of them, I would blend in on stage.

  234. I’m afraid to meet my heroes. The one that, although I haven’t met him per say, I have had a conversation with him and he turned out to be a bit of an idiot. Very disillusioning. However, if the opportunity came to meet Andy Bell or Vince Clarke from Erasure, Janet Evonovitch, or (this will sound like a butter up) you, The Bloggess, I don’t think I could pass up the chance. I’m sure there are others that I would love to meet given half the opportunity, but those are the ones that came to mind. 🙂

  235. I would love to hang out with Steve Moffat and Neil Gaiman. And Phil Plait. And you of course.

  236. I met Stephen Colbert for about 2 glorious seconds in 2007, and when I was waiting tables in NYC after college I served a slew of celebrities (though that isn’t exactly “meeting” people, it’s more like, “Hi, here is this terrible cappuccino I just made”). I’d really love to meet Bill Murray, in addition to my very long list of people on my fantasy brunch team.

  237. Aw…. I scroll all the way to the bottom only to find that Becky stole my comment (or thought of it first). I’m not “star struck”, so generally the people I’d like to meet end up being the people I get to know on a daily basis through their blogs. I’d love to hang out with you, for sure!

  239. I want to meet Robin Hobb, my all time favourite writer. As it is, I WILL meet her. Her calender contains the note of a coffee date with me in March, 2013. No girl should be that lucky.

  240. I met Neil Gaiman and it was awesome! He was so polite, signed about ten books for me, and let me read his palms. He did not disappoint. I also heard him read once from the Graveyard Book, and it was lovely. He is a sweetheart.

  241. If we can say dead people, I’ll say Andy Warhol or Freddie Mercury because of their creative genius and ability to affect us all long after their deaths.

  242. Want to meet: you. Cause with your train of thought an mine combined we could take over the world or confuse the hell out of people.

    Met: Singer/songwriter Anna Nalick. You know that song ‘Breathe’ her. So real and down to earth and open…

  243. You, Bear Grylls, and some fictional people like Stephanie Plum, Jax from Sons of Anarchy, Junie B Jones, and a hot vampire of course.

  246. I’m with auroragyps on Vincent D’Onofrio. He’s always been ‘Vinnie Boom Bah’ to me and have enjoyed his protrail of a very complex and haunted person on Law and Order, Criminal Intent.

  248. Neil Gaiman, partially because everyone else seems to think he’s the man to meet and who am I to say otherwise? Plus also he reeks of awesome. And you (book tour to England? yes yes?)

  249. I don’t know if “hero” is the same thing but I’d just like to meet anyone famous. But my ultimate dream would be to hang out with Kevin Smith because he seems like one of those people that it would be great to know. Also Ryan Reynolds just so I can stare at him; preferably shirt less.

  250. Where I work I end up meeting a lot of “famous” people and so many of them turn out to be dicks that this is difficult to answer. How about Wil Wheaton, you make him sound cool. Or Stephen Moffet I would love to know what is going on in that mans mind. And you of course!

  251. Texas shuts down for ice/snow too. But hey, I’m not complaining a bit, because when it snows my agency shuts down!

  252. I would love to meet you. I also want to meet Lance Armstrong. And, I wish I could have met Freddie Mercury. It would be so great to sing a song with him!

  253. I want to meet Craig Ferguson. I watch his show every night and I just think we’d have so much fun together.

  254. I don’t know if I’d want to meet one of my heroes. I mean, Amy Poehler seems so so so amazing… Also Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling and Jenny Lawson (that’s you, not some other Jenny Lawson- the name is kind of common, you could be confused.) But. Well, when I was in high school I was in LOVE with the lead singer of Silverchair, Daniel Johns. They did a meet and greet in Chicago for their album release and my friends and I went. But when I got up to take my turn at getting autographs, I couldn’t even speak. I said not one single word to any member of my favorite band. Maybe I’d be less socially stunted since I’m no longer 16, but I kind of doubt it. I’m like Troy on Community, “I just want an autographed picture of LeVar Burton! You can’t disappoint a photograph!”

  255. I met Wil Wheaton at Dragon*Con 2011. He borrowed my pen during two separate panels, including one time to sign Colin Ferguson’s chest. When I went through his autograph line later, he remembered me, and was gracious enough to take a picture with me. The kindness and respect that he had for each and every fan was astounding, and far exceeded my expectations of how someone would be after having to talk about a show they did as a kid twenty-five years ago.

    Still on my list are Neil Gaiman, Matt Smith, and Elijah Wood. These would be vastly different interactions, but I hope they would all be as awesome as meeting Mr. Wheaton.

  256. I had the opportunity to meet one of my heroes, pre-astronaut Joe Kittinger, when he spoke at an assembly at my daughter’s elementary school last week. I would dearly have loved to meet Neil Armstrong before he died, but never had the chance.

  257. Met: Sarah Vowel, she was super nice although very shy, and Penn & Teller who were both quite amazing.

    Want to meet: Mayim Bialik (whose blog I love though I am not Jewish nor a mother), Jason Mraz (because he seems like the ultimate awesome coffee/tea date), and Doris Kearns Goodwin (an amazing author who loves history and baseball as much as I do).

  259. Man, that’s a tough one.

    My father is one of my heros. I haven’t seen him in 6 years now. I’ll go with that one.

  260. I’ve already met my hero.

    My dad.

    My dad is a Stage 3 lung cancer survivor. He is an 11 year lung cancer survivor.

    I used to think that my problems were the worst in the world. Nowadays, I don’t sweat the big stuff anymore considering what he had to go through and what we went through as a family.

    He is here today. Husband. Father. Grandfather.

    Here’s my dad:

    Thanks for having the contest, Jenny.

    Duke

  263. I never freaking win any of these giveaways. 😐 As for who I’d like to meet … Pitt, Clooney, Gosling. Any of them. Course I’d be an incoherent slobbery mess all over them. Probably not good idea.

  264. I’ve met you, but I’d love to have a meal with you, April from Regretsy, and Jen from Cake Wrecks. Our awesome menfolk could cook/serve/pour.

  265. I’d love to meet Joel McHale. He seems like a fun guy to have a few beers and be snarky with.

  267. Heroes for me depend on what going on in my life at the time. they are ones I can look to and gain strength from. Lately it has been you Jenny. Especially you Depression Lies Video.

    I would love to meet you someday.

  269. Neil Gaiman lives in the next town over from me. I hope to run into him one of these days.

  270. You. I want to meet you!

    Also I would love to meet Emma Watson and Mila Kunis.

    I’d say Channing Tatum but I know he’d disappoint me by being an ass, I’m sure.

  271. I’ve met Tom Baker and Colin Baker (of Doctor Who fame) and Eric Idle from Monty Python. I wanna meet Emilie Autumn next! And maybe Terence Zdunich….

  272. I’d totally want to meet Ian McKellan!! He’s portrayed the best of the best characters and has a grumpy grandfather aura about him, so he seems to be the kind of person that could be super nice one day and sarcastically nasty the next 😉
    I’d also love to meet Christopher Lee. He’s just pure awesomeness!!

  273. I want to meet Jon Stewart. I worship him (of course, you are my first choice but I am assuming that you and I are going to meet Jon Stewart together!

  274. Jenny – I have to admit, you are one of my heroes and I may squee a bit if I ever get to meet you!

    Stephen King – because, well, the man’s a God. Yeah, I said it.

    I tell you, I’ve met a LOT of people that I really look up to and – thank the gods – they’ve all lived up to my hopes. (Thankfully, I’m inclined towards expecting real people with real warts – makes for much less disappointment.) But yeah, you and Stephen King – those are my bucket list right now.

    BTW Jenny – you should totally come to Dragon*Con next year!

  275. who do I want to meet? Tom Hiddlestone, dressed as Loki. Because I love Loki probably a bit too much. And David Tennant, dressed as the Doctor.

    However, that eyeball necklace is ace and I want one

    x

  276. Gaiman was just in our fair city on the Unchained Tour – he is an awesome speaker!

  277. So many people I would like to meet. In theory. In reality I worry that I’d just stand there stammering incoherantly, because that’s what I do when nervous.

  278. You, Neil Gainman, Amanda Palmer, and Wil Wheaton all at the same time for an evening of debauchery and asshattery. We shall call it “Bob”.

  279. I would give anything to meet Rachel Maddow. And if I met her I can pretty much guarantee that it would never be disappointing.

  280. I would like to meet Beyonce. The metal chicken-not the person-ew. And you of course! That would be neat.

  281. I must admit that when I met Wil Wheaton (sorry, so clumsy, let me pick up this name I just dropped) he was an utter delight. I mean that. De. Light. We talked about acting and writing: he quoted Neil Gaiman while I agreed with him by citing Philip Pullman. He signed my friend’s copy of Stand By Me, but since I’d just moved to the city (Portland at the time), I had nothing but an Isaac Asimov book with me. I debated asking him to sign that, but then got caught up in TALKING with WIL FUCKING WHEATON (WFW for short). To this day I am amazed that words came out of my mouth and not a bunch of consonants or a single unending squee.

    Whoever said that bit about not meeting your heroes had some jerks for heroes.

  283. Most of the heroes I want to meet are authors and I been slowly doing it. Other than that I would love to meet David Tennant.

    You’re also not making me miss Texas. I lived in Austin for a few years and have a love/hate relationship with rain. Loved when it did rain because it meant things got watered, hated it because everyone stopped driving like it was the end of the world.

  284. Dead or alive? Dead… my grandmother. I never got to meet her, but I’m apparently so much like her. It would be nice to have been able to see that for myself. Alive… David Tennant. Should I need a reason? Okay fine. He’s the best doctor, and dead sexy. More actors should be as awesome as he is.

  285. I’ve never actually met Neil Gaiman but I went to an event for the 10 year anniversary of American Gods and I was in the front row, so I’m pretty sure that since he must have saw me and thus, by now, I must have ended up in one of his dreams. And that makes me happy.

  286. I would probably lose my mind if I met Neil Gaiman, because he’s been my hero for ages! I also love Wil Wheaton, and Felicia Day.

    I met Robin WIlliams when I was a kid, and he was very quiet, and nice. Not what I had expected at all. Woody Harrelson and I had a flight together out of Amsterdam, and we joked about how we’d both forgotten to brush our teeth that morning because we’d been out way too late the night before. He was AWESOME!

  287. I met the guy who played Herb Tarlick on WKRP in Cincinnati when I was a teenager. I can’t imagine it gets better than that. Of course, I wouldn’t be opposed to meeting Warren Buffett.

  289. Benedict Cumberbatch. That’s a name that just screams for ALL the respect. Also on the list – Matt Smith, David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper, Karen Gillan, John Barrowman, Eve Myles, all the cast of ‘Firefly’, ‘Buffy’, ‘Angel’, and most of the people from ‘Scrubs’. Then there’s a ton of artists/writers that are dead (boo, death!), Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wigg, Patton Oswalt, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds, and John Cusak (and his sister, Joan), Amy Sedaris, David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Augusten Burrows, Oh, and last, but not least, is the Bloggess. I have a kid and obligations, and the book tour stops didn’t mesh with real-life for me, so I missed my chance to see her when she was her closest to me at about 6 hours away. Maybe next time. I hope there’s a next time…

    Neil Gaiman and April Winchell were on that list, but I’ve met them both, and they more than lived up to expectations… Oh, and I got to meet Boba Fett. The real one. And the new one from Ep. II. Not at the same time. Because that would be weird.

  290. 1. I love that necklace.

    2. I really want to meet Mindy Kaling because her book read like my daily inner monologue (only more Indian…and successful…)

  291. My hero has always been my Grandfather. He was a good man and taught me so much about life. I miss him everyday. Love you, Grandpa!

  292. Lady Gaga. Who wouldn’t want to know if that FANTABULOUS creature is all that she appears to be?

  293. I would love, love, love to meet Eddie Izzard. I actually had my picture taken with him once, but it was after a play in London. Even though he was nice enough to stay until the last fan had gotten an autograph and a picture, I’m pretty sure he was really just trying to shake off the gaggle of fans so that he could meet his family for dinner.

  294. I would want to meet Henry Cele, the actor that played Shaka Zulu in the TV-miniseries. Because there was a period where every African-American stripper with a huge dong would use that as their stage name. That’s got to be pretty cool if everyone with a big schlong uses your name. I bet there’s some German guy named Schlong – that would be cool too.

  295. I would meet Willie Nelson if I could meet anyone. He represents the old outlaw country persona and values that I love.

    Willie for president!

  296. I’d like to meet Neil DeGrasse Tyson because of physics and awesomeness. Or Bill Nye.

  299. The second I get home, I’m starting my sock monkey hat!

    I want to meet that one hot celebrity guy who’s really into slightly chubby, non-celebrity types. Oh yeah.

    🙂

  300. I would love to meet JK Rowling – because of Harry Potter I have the most amazing friends all around the world

  301. Sir Elton John!! He is friends with my friend’s brother, so it’s a possibility, right?

  303. I feel like I’ve told this story all over the internet, but I once got to meet Weird Al. For his concert (and courtesy of my awesome BFF who got to dance as a cheerleader in Smells Like Nirvana that night), I had an excellent 6th row Aisle Seat and during “I Wanna B Ur Lovr”, he comes down into the audience. Well, I was the lucky girl that got Weird Al in her lap during the song! I was so giddy and excited, and forgot that I got to meet him after the show too.

    So by the time we’re waiting in line for autographs after, I become a walking tornado of anxiety. I can’t figure out the PERFECT THING to say to someone I’ve been listening to and worshiping since I was a little kid. I probably came up with something like “Hey, Al, so great to meet you, I’m a big fan…”, but when I got to the front of the line, what came out of my mouth was: ‘THANKS FOR THE LAP DANCE’.

    Al, thankfully, was gracious and laughed and took a picture with me anyway.

    I’d probably pee on myself if I got to meet Neil Gaiman, so maybe I should stop while I’m ahead.

  306. Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. Not the guy that plays Sheldon, but the actual character. BAZINGA!

  307. I would have loved to have met Audrey Hepburn. Her idea of how to live life by giving to those in need and what beauty means (resonates from within) are powerful messages for anyone, but definitely women. And of course her style was classic and timeless.

    Sadly, I don’t think Audrey Hepburn would look good in a sock monkey hat, though.

  308. I’d love to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson…I don’t think he’d disappoint! And that necklace is all kinds of badass…

  309. I don’t have any heroes that I’d like to meet. Although I’d like to meet a few authors. Terry Pratchett for one. I would have loved to met Agatha Christie. That would have been awesome.

  311. Of course I want to me you! I met the comedian Gabriel Iglesias and, while not really a hero of mine, he is one helluva nice guy!

  312. I’d love to meet Mr. Gaiman, and by the same token, Amanda Palmer is high on my list!

  313. As an aspiring author, my heroes are female authors. I have a list of wonderful ladies that I’d love to meet one day. Cassandra Clare, Julie Kagawa, Maggie Steifvater, Lauren Kate, Kelley Armstrong, EL James, Kami Garcia, Stephenie Meyer…and who could forget JK Rowling…just to name a few. I had also hoped to meet the wonderful Bloggess when she was on tour, but darn if the activities of my rugrats didn’t get in the way.

  314. I would love to meet one of my favorite authors. You would be delightful to meet. I also love Neil Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer. I would also like to meet Alexander McCall Smith because he is Scottish, he write happy stories and he is Scottish, in a totally platonic way. Thank you if I am a chosen one. You are an incredible person.

  317. I would like to meet Neil Gaiman, too. I have always loved his books, but then I saw the bit on the “Making of Stardust” where he was talking about how he felt bad that actual people were having to do actual work for long hours to create a flying pirate ship just because he sat at a desk and thought wouldn’t it be fun for his characters to get picked up by a flying pirate ship. He was so charming in that clip. *sigh*

    I would also like to have lunch with Elton John (but that might be a side effect of being raised by gay men). : )

  318. I have met one of my heroes. It’s my mom. She was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer earlier this year and is currently going through chemo. This battle has been tough but she has tried to stay upbeat through out everything. Her last PET scan showed that the cancer was going away. She is one of the strongest women I know. I would love to meet you Jenny, you keep me laughing with every single post. Thank you!

  319. I have already met Nathan Fillion (no, while he was willing to pose for a pic with me, I could not get him to hold twine) and Wil Wheaton (at the bank, just doing some banking), but I have yet to meet YOU! I would TOTALLY love you (and probably freak you out, because of all your, you know, what-nots and other anxiety issues) but I would do my best to NOT freak you out because you’re my damn HERO!

    I don’t even need to win the giveaway. I love you anyway.

    <3

  320. Would love to meet you. You are your own brand of bad-assery and are too cool to even realize it. But, if we did meet, I would sit there silent and awkward because the shyness takes a while to fade. SO, it appears we are going to have to hang for a while until the shy, weird goes away and the fun, weird comes out. I am rambling. Anywho. Love you. Eye thing is bizarre in a way that it must be loved too. Hugs. Because in the South – we hug damn it!

  321. Anne McCaffrey. That isn’t going to happen because she died last year. She was my favorite author as a child and is one of the main reasons why I love to read so much today. I also love Robin Hobb because her books are amazing. My top pick for a living person would be Pink though. She is completely bad-ass, kind of intimidating, but seems like such a “real” person.

  322. Doonesbury artist GB Trudeau. I’ve enjoyed his work practically daily since I was in middle school.

  323. I’ve met Anne Lamott and Ayelet Waldman. I knew Dave Eggers vaguely in college (friends of friends type thing). I’d still like to meet Hilary Clinton and Madonna. I’m curious as to whether Madonna is interesting or a complete B*%*H in real life.

  324. Geeze, heroes? That’s a hard decision. I mean, let’s face it, people can be very judg-y when it comes to who you say is a hero. With that being said, though not necessarily true hero status, I would love to meet J.k. Rowling. She gives me hope that someday my ramblings will amount to magic.

  325. I don’t want to meet anyone. Everyone I’ve ever encountered (which isn’t many, thank God) has been an arse and totally let me down in some way. Thus, I prefer to live my life of delusion and imagine they’re all great and I wouldn’t cock up the conversation in any way.

  326. I met you in Minneapolis, that was fantastic because you’re as awesome as I thought you’d be! Ditto for Dave Barry. I’d like to meet Jim Parsons, Harry Connick, Jr. or George Brett. Kind of shallow, I realize.

  327. Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox 2nd baseman) he is awesome and hasn’t let his size keep him from doing what he loves AND he does it so well. 🙂 My list could go on forever but I will leave it at that.

  329. About seven years ago Neil Gaiman signed my copy of Good Omens. I always wanted to have Terry Pratchet sign it as well, but I fear I will never get the chance. I would love to have the opportunity to thank him in person for all the joy he’s brought me over the years.

  330. Not to sound all kiss-uppy, but I’d totally want to meet you because you’ve made it ok to be imperfect and quirky and fuck the world if they can’t take a joke. Also Ann Richards. Apparently I have a Texas thing.

  331. I want to meet Beyonce…and I don’t mean the singer one either. I want to meet the metal chicken Beyonce. Since she spends her life hanging around in the yard annoying someones husband. Thats hero material to me!!

  332. I would love to meet you and omg i love that necklace!!
    PS I “bumped into” Pierce Brosnan on a family vacation in California circa 1998. He smiled at me and I smiled at him. I was way too shy to even mutter a hello but we had a total moment!

  333. Hmmm… let’s see… I’ve already met YOU 🙂 Then there’s my biggest hero LisaLiscious… she married me, so that’s pretty cool. My Dad’s my hero, know him pretty well. My grrrrrrrlz DangerMuffin and Peanut The Destroyer are my heroes, I met them when they were born, so I’m good there. There’s my wife’s cousins Debbie and Lyn, oh wait, met them… Met a bike racing hero of mine, Seanna Hogan, she married my hero from college, Pat. Hm.

    Oooh oooh, Brad Warner. Punk, Dr. Funk, and Buddhist Monk. No wait. Met him a year ago.

    Tell ya what: I want to meet a hero who doesn’t know he’s a hero yet. That’ll do it.

  334. You Jenny. I would love to get drunk in a fabulously weird bar with you and sing made up songs then go home and watch doctor who. My perfect day. *sigh*

  335. You, Jenny! You’re definitely one of my heroes! I’d also like to meet JK Rowling and Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat. JK Rowling brings me Harry Potter, which is my world. <3 And Dwayne Wade is such an inspirational person. AMAZING father and follows his dreams. <3

  336. I’ve met Neil, briefly, a couple times. I think I’d like to meet Wil and Anne Wheaton, because they seem like my kinda nerds.

  337. I haven’t really thought about “heroes” per se – is that weird? I don’t know. And I don’t want to get all philosophical on anyone, especially myself, on account of the fact that I’d have very little material to keep an intelligent convo going. But someone I’d like to meet related to your blog is WIL WHEATON. Why, you ask? Well, because I first thought he was so cool for his great since of humor and playing along so nicely with your good-natured antics. Admittedly, I had no idea who he was. Just generally a Good Guy who had a Good Sense of Humor. And then I started following him on Twitter, still not sure who he was, and then I decided it was time to consult Wiki. AND THEN I FREAKING LEARNED HE WAS GORDIE ON STAND BY ME and I seriously wet the couch a little bit. I love that movie so much and have the soundtrack on cassette tape to prove it. And then Wil made me start thinking about s’mores and how much I love those too. So yeah, it’d be cool to meet Wil Wheaton.

  338. Terry Pratchett. One of my fav authors and he actually co-wrote a novel with Neil called Strange Omens. Very good!

  339. The hero of mine I’d like to meet is You. Because you are full of awesome and have saved my life more times than I can count. Really.

  342. I’d like to meet David Brin, who I have sort-of met on G+. He replied to one of my comments.

    Same thing happened with Amanda f-cking Palmer on Twitter, now that I think about it. I’d like to meet her in person as well.

  343. Paul McCartney. He has a reputation of telling people wanting pictures and autographs to F*ck Off and really having Paul McCartney tell me to F*ck Off is on my bucket list.

  344. OOh me want me want. I love free things and cool ones…even better.
    In California, we have “storm watch 2012” with mood music, “1/4″ rain possible, bring in the pets and plants and throw on a sweater, it will be downright chilly in the day time, 65 degrees folks”. No joke. But I got so used to it, that when I went to the Midwest I almost got taken by a tornado. It was sunny, a poofy cloud here or there, drove half an hour to the lake and suddenly the skies were pitch black, severe winds, pounding rain ,and tornado sirens. It was, as I tell my hubby” all…la la la BAM! DEATH!”.

  345. I always dreamed of meeting one of my “heros” until I actually did and then well not so much. He was 110% asshat pure unadulterated jerk. He broke my heart and to think of all the money I spent on him and his band as a teenager it kinda sickens me to think of really. I live with my new hero’s my kids they amaze me every single day and I honestly don’t know how they got to be so stinkin awesome but I am sure glad they have. AND omg that is a beautiful necklace. ^_^

  346. I have a list. Here goes:

    Jon Bon Jovi (because Bon Jovi is one of my favorite bands & has been forever)
    Donnie Wahlberg (because he adores his fans & because I’ve heard he gives amazing hugs)
    Ami James, Megan Massacre & Chris Garver (because they’re awesome artists & I love their work)
    Misha Collins (because he’s crazy in the best possible way)

    I could keep going, but this would get really long, so I’ll stop.

  347. I had someone in mind but as I read through the comments I was all…”Oh yeah! Them! That would be cool!” and “Oh my gosh, how could I forget them?” So I guess I will leave it at I would love to be there when everyone got a chance to meet their heroes and see how it all turns out.

  348. Is it entirely to geeky to say you? I am still working on writing my 8 yr old books and overcoming my multitude of mental issues so meeting you would make my day. Also I used to share your blog with my sister and we would laugh our asses off. Last month she passed away now coming here is bittersweet.

  349. I already met you, sort of. And that worked out pretty great for me. Though I’m massively in love with Felicia Day so if anyone could hook that up for me, that’d be great.

  351. Note to self: Take sock monkey hat to Neil Gaiman’s reading here in town on Friday. Or maybe a hat with a taxidermied squirrel on it, since if the ones in my attic don’t leave pronto, I’ll be forced to become creative.

  352. I would love to meet Maya Angelou. Her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings changed the way I thought about people and life in general when I read it for the first time in 11 th grade. The good news is she is coming to Virginia Tech (somewhat nearby) but the bad news is I probably can’t find a baby sitter for my 3 kids. Alas, our meeting may have to wait.

  354. I’d love to meet Ed McMahon. But i’d rather he brought a real check, instead of that big fake one. Oh…and they can skip the confetti and balloons. They probably contract that out like the government and I’d rather that chunk of money just come directly to me. :o) Besides, I’ve worked hard to alienate my neighbors, and have no plans to bring attention to our house and give them a reason to start trying to socialize with us.

  355. I would love to meet Neil Gaiman too. I kinda sorta accidentally started a shrine to the man and his work. If I win, I’ll send you a pic. I didn’t mean for it to be quite so fan girl when I started. Oh well I enjoy seeing it.

  356. I’m going to meet my hero, author Tim Powers, in January. I’d love to think I’ll be charming and that we’ll sit together talking brilliantly about each others’ writing. I’m pretty sure that in reality I’ll be babbling incoherently, and he’ll be giving people the eye to say, “Get me away from this crazy woman, anyone!”

  359. Oh, I also got to work with Betty Garrett and Lee Meriwether and Beau Bridges and who knows WHO ELSE that passed through the portals of Theatre West in Los Angeles. All very cool people. Betty was a hysterical nutjob who could limerick better than any; Lee is still just so damn elegant; Beau (when I worked with him) was genuinely genuine.

    Still wanna meet you, tho.

  360. I have always wanted to meet Ellen Degeneres. I don’t have cable, so sadly, I don’t get to watch her show, but I watch clips from her YouTube channel all the time. I find myself both laughing and crying as I watch the clips. She’s an amazing humanitarian who truly, genuinely cares about the happiness and well-being of others. She is constantly using her fame and fortune to help others rather than herself. Additionally, fighting for LGBTQ rights/equality is something that is near and dear to me, and I know it’s something important for Ellen, as well. In particular, I’d love to work with Ellen on some sort of charity or special cause. She is definitely someone I look up to and admire.

  361. That’s a hard one to pick honestly. I suppose I’d love to meet Nichelle Nichols, Bette Midler because she can sing and is also hilariously inappropriate and I love that, and if he was alive I’d love to talk with George Carlin.

  362. I know it sounds like something you’d expect to see someone say but I’ve always wanted to meet you. (since I missed you when you did the book signing in Miami) You inspire me to be myself and that it’s okay to be a misfit. Thanks to you I know I’m not alone in this world. I’m sure other people feel the same way

    Also Jen Yates from Epbot she’s an undercover hero to the nerd world with her crafty knowledge.
    David Tennant… who wouldn’t and various Doctor Who actors
    There’s a bunch of heroes I’d love to meet honestly.

  363. I love the jewelry and would definitely flash it around town if I won 😉

    I met Michael Buble and really loved him! He is down to earth, realistic, and just plain nice. It made me promise myself that if/when I hit it big, to always be humble and kind like him!

  364. OH, and while I’m thinking about it…

    I would really like to meet Wolff Blitzer. No, not the news guy, the dead wolf. I would like to offer him an all-expenses paid trip with me to Burning Man 2013. I would ensure a very good time to be had by Mr. Blitzer. I can guarantee public adoration, but I cannot promise that I can monitor his sobriety at all times. I would also make sure he made it back home, safe and sound (complete with souvenir playa dust… lots of it…. that will never, ever fully come out, but whatever! That’s Burning Man). He would love it. Seriously, Jenny, let’s talk 😉 😀

  365. I’m not sure I have a hero. I have lots of people I’d like to meet. Da’Vinci, Jamie and Adam from Mythbusters, all my favorite authors etc.

    🙂

  367. Hmm hard question…
    Want to meet:
    1) Ben Folds, because he makes explicit lyrics sound pretty.
    2) Elinor Dashwood, because she is probably my favorite heroine of all time

    Already met and want to re-meet:
    1) Jasper Fforde, cause when I met him I didn’t know who he was and how much I would love his books.
    2) Joshilyn Jackson, because the one dinner we had together was incredible and I want a repeat!

  368. If I had to find a hero who would not disappoint, then it would be WIL WHEATON! Because we could collate together and I like to collate plus I had a crush on him years ago. I’ll bring the paper!

    And if you joined us then I would get to meet two heroes, although your lack of pics of yourself collating leave me to believe you would not be partaking. But I would let you wear a monkey hat and watch.

  369. The Pet Shop Boys. They’re my favorite group, and they have the freakiest wardrobe ever. Who wouldn’t want to be in the presence of someone who makes striped dunce caps and cardboard sunglasses look good?

  370. Amy Poehler, pre-SNL 2000, during Upright Citizens Brigade’s brief run on Comedy Central. She was performing with the UCB gang at an Austin comedy club, and although we were destitute and living in a motel at the time, we scrounged to buy tickets, as that show was my ex’s and my VERY FAVORITE. We told ourselves we’d just enjoy the show and forgo drinks to save money. Amy just randomly appeared in front of us at the bar, and turned to see our mouths agape at our comedy idol. Without missing a beat, she chirped, “Hi guys! I’m Amy! What are you two drinkin?” and bought us a round. Pretty soon the other members of the troupe gathered around, and we asked about their recent trip to Amsterdam, and they sat down with us and told us all about it like we were all old friends. Now that Amy’s got her own network TV show, I watch it and tell people, That’s how she really is in real life, like Leslie Knope. She cares about every person she meets and it shows.

  372. I would LOVE to meet Chuck Palahniuk. Because he is awesome and twisted. And also because I would like to know if the story about his intestines being sucked into the drain of a pool is true.

  373. I really wanted to meet Hunter S Thompson. And also, I would like to meet Megan Fox so I can convince that bitch to change her name and stop making the pizza delivery guy laugh at me when I try to order a pizza. She’s not my hero, but I’m just sayin’. Also, she has toe thumbs. I don’t have toe thumbs. This Megan Fox’s thumbs > that Megan Fox’s thumbs.

  374. I got to meet Katha Pollitt, which was amazing. Oh, and this year I got Margaret Atwood to wish me a happy birthday on twitter and nearly died.

  376. Annie Lennox. My main life goal is to one day be half as cool as she is. I don’t think I have enough time to get that cool, but it’s still my goal. I feel certain that she’s as brilliant as I think she is.

  377. This is going to sound cliche but you are one of my heroes, Jenny!
    And I was so glad I got to meet you at your book signing in Los Angeles 🙂
    You were just as awesome in person as you are on your blog, because you were just being YOU

    I just got married Aug 25th and honestly, all I wanted was to stand in the back of the room and pretend like it wasn’t my wedding because I have severe crowd anxiety even though I was deliriously happy to be marrying my soul mate. It makes me feel awful that I have such a hard time enjoying moments like those but it makes me feel less shitty knowing that even if it’s not “normal,” it’s okay and to accept who I am. And that makes it easier to take a deep breath and get back out there.

    So thank you.

  378. Unfortunately, most of the people I would really like to meet are long deceased- John Hunter, who was the Father of Modern Surgery; Thomas Jefferson (who I kinda met as in I met the man who interprets him at Colonial Williamsburg and is probably about as close to Jefferson as I’ll get while roaming the earth); and other historical figures like that. I kinda feel like those are givens.

    I would love to meet Harrison Ford (on one of his ‘lucid’ days- because really have you seen some of his interviews?), Maura Tierny (who played Abby Lockhart on ER, because I think she’s an incredible actor and person), and Jude Law, because he’s yummy. 🙂

  379. I have a long long list, but I’m gonna go with Matthew Gray Gubler, because he is adorable.
    Also, you of course. But under a table, not in a bathroom. Because I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to be in the opposite sex bathroom. I guess unisex would be acceptable, but that would mean increased bathroom traffic, and thus the whole bathroom escape possibility would perhaps be made redundant.

  381. Dead person I’d like to meet: Walt Disney… I’d love to know if the movies that have come out in the last few years would meet his approval. I’d love to know what he thinks of all the parks too.

    Live person I’d like to meet: My mother’s estranged half-sister. My mother always knew she had a half sister who was just six months older than me but never got an opportunity to meet her. I found her on Facebook a few weeks ago and was shocked that she looks just like my mom! (Mom passed away 8 years ago). I sent my aunt a note asking to meet but said that if she didn’t want to meet, that I’d never contact her again. I’ve never heard anything. I have to let this go but I still wish I could meet her.

  382. Crap. I am terrible at following directions, no wonder it took me an hour to install a cabinet safety latch today.
    Never met my hero, author John Taylor Gatto. But not to sound brown-nosey but Bloggess is my hero too. I did meet Dan Haggerty, Grizzly Adams, in second grade which I thought was beyond awesome, but still one level below Soleil Moon Frye or any Full House character.

  383. I had my chance.. I met YOU, and I totally blew it.. by losing the capacity to speak words or know any kind of language. >.<

  384. Based on the story and many comments, Neil Gaiman moved to the top of the list, but he’s up there with Terry Pratchett and Michelle Obama.

  385. All this talk about meeting famous people makes me feel anxious because every time I meet someone famous, I always end up acting weird. I suppose if we were talking about meeting them in some kind of ideal casual situation, I’d second other people’s suggestions of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton – seriously, pretty much everyone that other people have listed because we’re all internet nerds of a feather.

    I’ve already met Bruce Campbell and I have an incredibly blurry camera phone photo to provide it. Don’t hate.

  386. I met a local weather lady at a county fair when I was a kid. I had a panic attack went she asked me to read the forecast live on the air. My sister (who was too young to read) screamed like dirty hobos where kidnaping her because she couldn’t be on tv.
    This is why I never want to meet any of my heros for real. I’m perfectly happy watching them on YouTube.
    Although if I wasn’t married or panicky I think I would have a shot with Stephen Merchant.

  389. I hate to say it, because it sounds like I’m sucking up, but after reading the chapter on the blog summit in your book, I’d like to meet you, Jenny. Or Jeffrey Sachs. Or Billy Collins.