After much delay and with the help of a very nice friend, the long awaited blog is finally ready to debut.   I intended to launch the blog a few weeks ago, right after I went to SNL as I thought a recap of SNL was a fitting way to tip my hat to the featured city of this blog.  So, I present you with my delayed recap of my night at SNL.

I was lucky enough to score a ticket to an SNL dress rehearsal with my friend “H.” Jon Hamm, a/k/a Don Draper of Mad Men was the host (if you haven’t seen the show, it’s the best show on AMC that you’re not watching).  The musical guest was Coldplay (the only cooler pairing would’ve been if U2 was the musical guest).  I was torn over whether to go because I had a college reunion that I would be missing.  However, a ticket to a pre-election SNL this season was golden! With the possibility of Tina Fey playing my girl Palin hanging in the air and in light of my undying love for Don Draper, the philandering 1960′s ad executive, there was clearly only one sensible choice, so I booked my date with Don Draper and headed to 30 Rock.

God was smiling on us that night because we were 2 of 10 people randomly selected to sit on the floor.  My immediate reaction was “OMG Don Draper is going to be 10 feet away from us!”  It became even cooler to sit on the floor after I realized that everyone else on the floor was either in the “industry” or somehow connected to someone who was.  For example, there was a journalist in the front row who I couldn’t place at first.  Then it dawned on me that it was none other than NBC’s own Chris Hansen from Dateline…you know him as the guy who busts all the online child predators.  What was even cooler was that Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s Scarborough Country (you know the guy who recently dropped the f-bomb on live tv) tried to sit on the floor with his family, but he was denied!  Joe et co. were forced up into the nosebleeds.

So, on the way inside, H made a little illegal taping in the hallway and we passed a very grumpy Daryl Hammond (no idea what was up with that).  Oh and it should be noted that H kept saying “suck it monkeys” to no one in particular and everyone in general because our seats were so awesome.  So, the hightlights of the night:

1) Don Draper himself.  I realize this isn’t his real name, but it’s more fun to say.   And P.S. Don Draper is not just “tv hot,” he’s hotter and boy can that man wear a suit!

2) When Don Draper announced Coldplay the first time he was so close to us we could touch him (yes I know I sound like a love sick teenager, forgive me).  My personal fav highlight was when he looked at me and smiled..it was a genuine smile because you know he’s famous, but he’s not Brad Pitt famous so it hasn’t all gone to his head yet.  For example, he actually tried to stay to watch Coldplay, but his SNL handler wouldn’t let him.  Speaking of the handler, I want her job!  She got to lead him around by the hand and take him to wardrobe.  Getting Don Draper into wardrobe? Yo quiero that trabajo!

3)Although my girl Palin didn’t appear via the Fey incarnation, it was an SNL political powerhouse as Biden, Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, Ayers and the Reverend Wright showed up.  We missed the real Palin appearing on SNL by a mere week.

4)There was a guest appearance by John Slattery, the guy who plays Don Draper’s boss at Sterling Cooper.  You may know him as Carrie’s politician boyfriend on SATC.  They called him “Silver Fox” on the show, which quickly became our favorite code word for the night.  Incidentally, Silver Fox appears to be a hardcore Coldplay groupie.

5) Speaking of Coldplay.  I’ve seen them in concert before, but this was even better!  It was like we were at our own private Coldplay concert (like we had been invited to Lorne Michael’s kids bar mitzvah…oh and Lorne, as I like to call him, is a midget…what is it with these show biz types being pequeno?).

All in all an awesome night!