Fred Armisen...

Saturday night was the season finale of SNL. Sad.

Honestly, it's always been something of a staple in my life, on par with hitting calcium DRV's as a sprouting chap. I'd rent "best of cassettes" for weekend sleepovers as a kid, falling asleep to Eddie Murphy as James Brown, Belushi as the samurai delicatessan or Bill Murray and Chevy Chase as, well... Bill Murray and Chevy Chase.

I'd come home from trick or treating and watch Farley stomp on flaming bags of shit as Matt Foley, or sleaze Dan Aykroyd pushing "Johnny Human Torch."

I'd watch Will Ferrell feeding Chris Parnell turkey like a mama bird. Was that even part of a Thanksgiving special? Actually, I don't think so. But Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein? Absolutely.

I'd watch Sandler do his Hanukkah song next to a fire and our family Christmas tree.

Best ever opening monologue... Steve Martin musical.



Best ever cast member... nobody made me laugh like Jimmy Fallon -- I'll be watching The Barry Gibb Talk Show once a week until the day I die.



Among other things, you could say I'm invested.

...

Tonight, I had Fred Armisen at table 3. He's one of those guys I instantly saw on the show and fell for -- something like nothing I'd ever seen. To me, that's the definition of genius... though I have been throwing the term around quite liberally lately. Anyway, he is. He came in with a lady friend, both hypnotically kind, and asked for a table inside... the only table inside.

When they were finished, as I was dropping the check, I fired the semi-customary small talk. He took off about his new car and splitting time between New York and Los Angeles and being afraid of parking the car on the street in K-Town and uncertain bi-coastal spans of life and grabbing a quiet room at a nice hotel and just driving around town for a little while. He said it all with a peaceful grace that I admired.

Then, he suddenly stopped, apologized for giving me this "avalanche" of unnecessarry information. I said it was fine but didn't linger, thanked them kindly and went on my way.

In my mind, I pulled up a chair and told him to continue, to go on and on and on. In my mind, I told him he makes me laugh sometimes until I cry. I told him everything I just told you, in my mind. And he shook my hand, thanked me kindly, told me that was exactly what he needed to hear.