August 22, 2006 - 6:13 PM

Go Go Go

There are times that try the very souls of men. Moments, situations, where the fibers of one's being are tested; the sum total of one's existence is challenged; and life as it is known stops in a single instant. You can not know when these times will occur, but you must be prepared to face them, for you shall be weighed and measured, and who you are will be defined forevermore by how you acquit yourself.

Such a moment came last night, when I found myself preparing to go on stage at Room 5, armed only with my cello. Butterflies were flitting about in my stomach, birthed from the twin cocoons of anxiety and nervousness. Anxiety that comes from having only practiced for 30 minutes the previous hour with the girl I was backing up (and a tiny bit the night before solo); and nervousness that comes from having the girl that I'm seeing be in the audience. Add to the mix the cute bartender who wears those button-down, 3/4 length shirts so well serving up drinks, and of course the ukulele girl whom I am accompanying and upon whom I have had a crush, prepared to take the stage.

And then it all came to a cataclysmic head, the center of a perfect storm, when I saw at the bar, not 10 feet away from me, chatting with her friends in all her numbingly cute and pretty Rory-ness, Alexis Bledel. THE Alexis Bledel. A-to-the-Lexis Effin' Bledel. Gilmore-Girl-The-Younger herself.

I have explained my affection for the Gilmore GIrls before, somewhere in the annals of this journal. The delightful, some might say stilted or unnatural, patter; the constant pop-cultural references; the quirky characters; the wonderful music. And perhaps I have let slip my celebrity crush on Rory Gilmore, the daughter half of the titular duo, with her hip geekiness and sweet demeanor. Well, at least, before Logan.

So there she was, laughing with her friends, listening to the music, sipping her drink. And the butterflies suddenly went all kamikaze inside, careening everywhere with reckless abandon. Sweet jeebus, what to do? Was this fate? And if so, was it providential, "stars-aligning" fate? Or was it Nelson Muntz "ha-ha", pie-in-the-face Fate?

Oh the nerves, oh the wobbly knees and the nauseous intestines. Would I have the big brass ones it would take to overcome? To stand up and say "I am paulkim, and I will not be deterred!"

Me: Tapping her on the arm while holding cello "Um, excuse me, are you going to be sticking around for the next set?"
Alexis Frigging Bledel: "Oh! Uh, no, I think we're leaving after this."
Me: Sigh of relief "Oh good. I'm a big fan of the Gilmore Girls and I'm really nervous and you being here..."
AFB: "Oh, are you playing next?"
Me: "Yeah."
AFB: "Oh cool...sorry, yeah, I have to go to..."
Me: Interrupting "Oh no no no- go. Go go go." urging her with a grin
AFB: Laughing
Me: Another sigh of relief, a smile, and then taking a few steps back to my spot off to the side.

A couple songs later, the first set wrapped up and the room came to life as people massed about, settling tabs, buying CDs, talking with the performers. I paused to let the stage clear, and Alexis Frackin' Bledel turned around, waved to me, smiled, and mouthed "Good luck!" before heading out with her friends.

Apparently, I did a good job with the cello afterwards.

******
Nice note about my girl. She came over during the first round of tunes that Adrianne, Gabriel Mann, Joe Purdy, and AM were doing, as I was pacing off to the side with my cello, trying to calm down. She asked if I was still nervous. When I relayed to her the nerve-wracking Alexis situation (this was before I mustered up the courage to talk with Alexis), she rubbed my back and ever-so-sweetly asked "Would you like me to punch her in the face?" Not in a "you stay away from my man!" kinda way, but in a way that would break the ice and let me see that Alexis Bledel ain't no thang. Hooray! Luckily, it didn't have to come to that.

Now Listening To : XTC-Nonesuch
Random Thought : What more can I say? RORY GILMORE, motherfuckers.

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