The Ladies of "Late Night" Hit the Big City

So my time at "Late Night" is over. I said goodbye to most everyone and managed to not cry. It was tough to leave knowing I wouldn't be coming back, but knowing what was in store for the night made it much easier. After a hiatus day of watching the UK Office, stuffing Wrap Party invitations and taking photos with Beth and Morgan, I was headed out on the town.

Jade, Aprile, Kristin, Laura and I had planned on going out to give me a proper farewell to NYC. It was really supposed to be for any intern that wanted to go, but none of the guys were up for it. So it turned into a girl's night out. I'm always up for a night with the ladies, especially in Manhattan. It was so "Sex and the City" I almost couldn't handle it.

Our first attempt was to go to a place called Utah Johnny's where Laura could ride the mechanical bull. She's always wanted to. When we got there they were carding so we had to admit that poor Jade was just 20. As the bouncer at the top of the stairs yelled down only one of us was under 21, the bouncer at the bottom asked which one was it, and he looked at Aprile and me. When we pointed to Jade (the oldest looking of the bunch), he literally burst out laughing. Aprile and I exchanged smirks and moved along. Unfortunately, Utah Johnny's coudl only offer us an hour wait on a table, so we decided to dine elsewhere.

We went to a tacky, touristy, themed restaurant called Mars 2112. To get to the dining area you had to ride a simulation to Mars. It was intense. As we sat in this children's restaurant we talked about NBC, the other interns, past nights out, school, men, everything. It was just great.

From there we went to my personal fave, The Mean Fiddler. We all ordered drinks and I set a trend for the evening by ordering my Irish delicacy, Magners. We did more laughing, took ridiculous pictures and sang music from the 80s and 90s.

It was a great final night out with some of the people I've grown outrageously close to in such a short amount of time. Tonight I have to say another goodbye to Haas and a real goodbye to NYC. Tomorrow morning I head back to the bubble.

It May Rain, But There's Always Sunshine at Late Night!

Today was rainy with icey slosh all over the sidewalks. Not exactly the way you want to start your day. Thanks to everyone's moist coats and shoes, the subways smelled completely rancid. I had a headache after a ten minute ride!

I spent the morning doing a few errands and when I took some papers down to Max's dressing room I heard construction going on across the hall. I decided to peek my head in and ran into the Stage Manager, Steve Hollander. I asked if I could peek my head into the studio that would soon be Jimmy Fallon's set. "Of course," he told me and lead me to the main entrance. As we walked through the hall he reminisced about the last time rennovations were being done there. It was at the very start of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." He's been there since the beginning and he was saying how weird it is thinking of all the changes going on and how it's reminding him of when it all started. Steve's just great. He showed me which room was once David Letterman's dressing room and told me that Jimmy Fallon's studio was where Johnny Carson used to produce the "Tonight Show."

The whole thing reminded me of a similar incident last night where a monologue writer, Chris Albers, randomly offered to take Kristin B and me through the MSNBC studio and the Dateline set because we said we had never been there. That and Steve's tiny tour just reaffirm what I knew my frist day. "Late Night" is the best place to work. There are few egos among the staff, and everyone is always willing to talk with an eager and curious intern. It just shows these people are genuine and sweet.

Since Conan and many of the crew are headed down to Tampa for the Superbowl, today was my last show day. I was bound and determined to go to my final rehearsal and I'm so glad I did. As we sat in the freezing studio and Conan walked in he made his way to the band. He began strumming a guitar and before we knew it a jam session began with Conan, James Wormworth and Mike Merritt playing "Seven Nation Army." I love when he plays.

Rehearsal was hilarious. Conan was in a great mood and with La Bamba and Pinder gone, Mike had to sing the "Year 2000" song, and he absolutely butchered it. It was so funny. We watched a montage of clips of Conan in years past, some I recognized, most were way before I was able to stay up until 12:30. They were great, but what was greater was watching the way the staff reacted and reminisced about when they were filmed.

During the rehearsal the door to the studio opened and a little blonde head peeked in. Conan immediately dropped his papers and gave a big smile to the girl. She was immediately excited to see her daddy and we got to see a new side to Conan. His kids were absolutely adorable.

To end what was probably the best rehearsal I've been to, Steve had us all stay a bit longer because Matthew Broderick wanted to rehearse the "Year 2000" sketch. There he was - Ferris Bueller. He was absolutely endearing.

To end the day the NBC Page called up to the offices and said that two interns needed to be sent down to fill seats. I admitted to having already been to a live show, but Chris and some other interns insisted that since it was my last day I should go down. So I did! It was a very entertaining show and I always enjoy sitting in the audience knowing I know the secrets they don't. I watch my favorite people like Steve and Conan, the guys in the band, Rachel and Lisa. Watching Steve dance during breaks and listening to Conan sing the "End of the Show Song" made it all so real. These guys were going to leave for Tampa tomorrow, and I'm never going to see them again. It hit me and my eyes watered a little.

So with two more hiatus days, I will no longer be seeing Conan around the office. The next two days will be quiet and probably a bit boring. I'm ready for the down time in order to take advantage of the time with my fellow interns.

Two Shows in One Day

Yesterday was a regular old day. I went on a few errands, attended rehearsal, nodded to Conan in the hall and saw John C. Reilly in his dressing room. It was fun to be a stand-in during rehearsal and laugh at Omar and Morgan being goofballs.

Today was a longer day with two shows being taped in one day. I feel like today was my day of running errands. It's interesting how quickly I've become comfortable in this city. My first few days I was terrified to leave the building for fear of getting lost and needed Chris to draw me a map to Staples. Today, though I went on four outside runs. On the way back from the final one I found myself strutting up 6th Ave., hands in pockets and hair blowing in the wind. I felt like a true life Carrie Bradshaw. It does wonders for one's self esteem to get these little victories in this big city.

We had a fun, football themed rehearsal with a bit of drumming from Conan.

At "Late Night" we have what we call the "free bin." It's typically full of CDs from musical guests, books from authors or trinkets from peoples' offices as they do their spring cleaning. Today was a real treat, though. Someone came across a DVD of "The Office" intended for screening. The episode is set to air this Sunday after the Superbowl, but I can safely say, it's a great show. Most of the interns agreed it was satisfactory, and a whole hour long! Oh the little perks of the job...

During the break between shows one of my close intern friends, Evan, went down to the studio floor with me to get a picture with my favorite band member, La Bamba. He was sooooo sweet, even going to get his hat for my picture, with a bum foot and everything. He talked to me about NC and he was awkwardly loveable. The stage manager, Steve Hollander, kept jumping in behind the pics, thereby "ruining" them. I joked about how awful it was, but I actually love the goofiness. It's "Late Night" in a nutshell. I love it there.

After the picture I lingered a bit in the hall, talking to other interns and watching the chaos of right before the show. Then he came down the hall. There he was - Jon Stewart! I caught my breath, and Evan's knee as he came into sight. This time I was a little star struck. I have such a crush on this man, and admire him so much! It was a BIG moment of realization. :)

This Place is Going Bananas!

A very slow and rather boring day today. I spent the morning working on collecting serial numbers for this database project thing. No fun. It kind of put me in a funky mood for the day.

The rehearsal was fun. Conan played "Let it Be" on the piano and then the beginning of "Dear PRudence" on guitar. The Beatles and Conan... what more could a girl ask for? A chimp? A mini daschund? Well we had both at today's rehearsal! It provided for a lot of girls going "awwww" and some giggles as the chimp formed a special bond with one writer.

The best part of my day, hands down, was when another intern and I went to the 6th floor just before the show to gather more serial numbers. I spotted my buddy Evan at the NBC Page desk and decided to go pay him a visit, in the mean time turning slightly and catching a glimpse of Ron Howard in his dressing room! Yes, there he was, Opie, Richie Cunningham, one of the greatest directors of my lifetime, Ron Howard!

Evan had to step away, leaving me sitting at the desk on full view of Ron Howard. He smiled at me once and I had another moment of realization. I couldn't believe it. What's even more unbelievable is how great a person he is. He had one person in his entourage, who was also very sweet and appreciative. He kept his door open, which always signals a good person to me. He was friendly to all those in the hallway, accepting his congratulations for his recent Oscar nomination. He humbly walked around as if he was not the great legend that he is. What was even more wonderful to see was when Eric McCormack arrived (who is also even cuter in person, *swoon*) Ron Howard went to his dressing room and said hi and introduced himself. It was amazing.

When I heard his voice I couldn't believe it. The voice of the Arrested Development narrator. The voice of little Opie. The voice of Richie Cunningham (who I always preferred to the Fonz).

Again it's moments like those that make me so grateful for where I am.

Remotes, Resumes and Writers

Today was a fun day. I spent the morning running errands and chilling with other interns. The last new Late Night intern started today. It's crazy to think we're the last group. I go a little crazier every time I think of how I'm going to be in North Carolina for the very last show. It will be so weird to watch Conan at Elon.

Chris, my coordinator, came up to me around noon and asked if I wanted to go on a remote shoot. When I looked shocked he said, "you were interested in doing remotes, right?" "YES!" I exclaimed and grabbed my jacket. It was outdoors in 22 degrees, but I was hanging with writers and camera guys. It was so fun and really interesting to see the guys try out different takes and watch the joke making process. They were sweet and seemed impressed that I was eager to help, including holding cords and cue cards.

After the remote all of the interns went down for music rehearsal. It was like a free concert. Today's guest was "Fall Out Boy." This was the first time there was a musical guest who I at least recognized so I went down, too. I'm not a huge fan of the band, but I also thought it was cool to see them rehearse camera angles and I was fascinated at the smooth movements.

Rachel Witlieb, the segment producer, had my resume and offered to look it over earlier this week. I saw her in the hall and not only did she remember my name but she told me to stop by her office! So I did today and she gave me some great tips. I had been writing my resume from the reporter perspective, with emphasis on writing and editing abilities. She showed me how to slant it more to a producer job, displaying my organizational skills. I really appreciated her help.

The rest of the day was hanging with interns talking school and television until dinner. Then Chris came up to me with another piece of great news. One of Late Night's head writers, Brian Stack, had time to sit and talk with me. I was psyched to have the opportunity to sit down with him. I have been admiring his writing for at least ten years and I had the opportunity to pick his brain. I asked him about how he became a writer and what he loved about it - all the normal questions. I asked him about his past with the other writers and for any advice for a young, almost graduate. He was the sweetest guy with genuine and great advice. He's offered to look at some of my work, which flattered and amazed me. Fingers crossed he finds time to look at it!

A Day of Excitement

The day began with interns crowding in the conference room, MSNBC on the big screen and discussion of what Michelle may be wearing and what could Barack and George possibly be talking about. The Inauguration of President Barack Obama was genuinely profound and I was genuinely happy. I look forward to the challenge this presidency will give me. For as long as my political awareness has been alive I have been at odds with my leader. It was easy to maintain questioning my government. Questioning authority is something I fully believe in and try to live daily. With a leader I voted for, however, questioning what they do will be more difficult. I'm finally excited about my president again. I remember loving Clinton, but for no other reason than I was 12 and my parents loved him. This time I support Obama on my own. It will be a challenge to remind myself daily not to blindly follow what he says, and to continue questioning.

A rather uneventful rehearsal and lunch made the day go by rather slowly. Then my buddy Ryan was handed a rather unfortunate errand. As I walked into the conference room he was redfaced and laughing as he came toward me and whined, "I have to go get porn." I laughed at him when I saw the note that instructed the poor boy to go into the city and find "Girls Gone Wild: Rocks America." He complained that he didn't want to go by himself and asked me to go with him. I agreed... because I'm such a good friend. It was absolutely freezing. Eight adult video stores and numerous unerasable images later, that particular DVD was nowhere to be found. I did come across, however, an amusing copy of "Girls Gone Wild: Divass of Daytona." Oh the pride and joy of home...

After being stared at by every store owner and finding fetish videos that may prevent me from ever considering sex, Ryan and I decided the only way to cheer ourselves up was by passing through the studio floor on our way back to the office. This way we got to catch a glimpse of William H. Macy. We got lucky and there he was. Sitting in his dressing room in a tan suit. He looked just like how I remembered him in "Pleasantville" - my favorite William H. Macy movie.

Another day gone by and I realize more and more my time in the city is dwindling away. It's sad, but at the same time, as my friend Kristin put it, I need to remember I'm lucky to be doing this in the first place.

Time Flies

Today's day went by much faster than normal, and I fear that's how all my remaining days will be.

After a run to Starbucks and a trip to payroll with Aprile, I settled in to work on a project with Chris documenting serial numbers of different products around the office. It helped the day go by quickly as I spent time with other interns.

The morning did have its special highlight, though. A few of us interns who had never been to the SNL studio decided to venture over while they weren't rehearsing. The studio was dark and covered in props and chairs. Under the mess, though, was the set. The legendary set. I couldn't control myself. I had to climb through the stuff and pull myself on to the little stage. I went to the top of the stairs and skipped down to centerstage, as if I were hosting that week. I announced the start of the show to the interns, claiming John Mayer was the musical guest. As I laughed at my own silliness I took a second to realize where I was. I was standing in a spot I had dreamed of. I stood where the greats stood. Tina Fey. Dana Carvey. Mike Meyers. Gilda Radner. Steve Martin. Countless others. It was too much to think about. So maybe I'll consider it more next Monday when I take my camera.

The rehearsal was fun. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Conan played his guitar - which is always my favorite part of the day. The rest of the day flew by with conversations with interns, watching some phones and continuing the serial number thing. Then when we went to pick up lunch I passed by Teri Hatcher in the hall. That was cool as she was much prettier than I thought she would be. I expected a lethery face and an ultra skinny woman. I was wrong. She had beautifully shiny hair and awesome shoes.

I can't help but be excited about tomorrow. Not only will this country finally have our PRESIDENT Barack Obama, but I also get to go back to Late Night. :)