Thursday, November 08, 2007

November 8, 2007

Minute With Manic

Blogger Name: Jules
Blogger URL/link: House of Jules
Blogging since: I turned years of harmless threats into a promise in April 2007. I'm proud to say that at times my friends and family are not only thrilled, but also horrified.



Manic: So, your Blog is titled House of Jules. Have you ever been to the House of Blues?

Jules: That sound you just heard is everyone who knows me personally spitting out their beverage after reading that question.

Manic: Ooh, good, so that means you’ll be telling EVERYONE to come read Manic!

Jules: Yes, and of course I've been to the House of Blues; here in Chicago, and many of the other HOBs across the country. I'm a little bit obsessed. The one here is like my second home.

Manic: Ooh, I’d like a second home like that. Who’ve you seen perform there?

Jules: I've seen lots of concerts there: Etta James, Pink Martini

Manic: HOLD IT! Stop right there! There’s a band called Pink Martini! I am sooo checking that out!

Jules: … And George Clinton, Sophie B. Hawkins, Russell Crowe's band (before that whole telephone-throwing incident, back when he was the hot gladiator and not a crazed asshat).



Manic: Ooh yes, he was a hot gladiator, was he not? What was his tagline in that movie? You wanna piece of me??!?! No, that’s not it… Bring it on?!…no… You can’t handle the truth!

What does he say to all those bad guys?

Jules: Ahem… So, anyway, some of the employees (ok, just the bartenders) even know me by name--but in a GOOD WAY--not because I'm a bad tipper or something.

Manic: Anytime a bartender knew ME by first name it was also in a “good way” if you know what I mean! Winka Winka!

Jules: The House of Blues is my favorite place to hang out in Chicago and if you haven't been, they should get there ASAP. It's the best place to meet fun and friendly people, and isn't a meat market.

Manic: Until you hang out with a bartender in a “good way!” Hee hee.

Jules: I've had MANY of my own best weekends there, a couple of which I don't even remember (just kidding). It is seriously my happy place.

Manic: What happens if they find out you've stolen their logo; will they come kill you?

Jules: Probably not; their company slogan is, "Help Ever, Hurt Never!"

Manic: My slogan is … well, I don’t have one actually. I’m feeling quite like a failure right about now. I need to get one.

Jules: If they found out I’m House of Jules, I'm sure they wouldn't get violent, they'd probably just test me to make sure I know all the words to Soul Man, which is a test that I would pass with flying colors.

Manic: How totally ironic that Ajers asked me to buy Soul Man from itunes to put on his iPod. Legendary tune, I tell ya. What are the odds that you tell me about this random song, and I’ve just purchased it from itunes!

Jules: By the way, I met Dan Aykroyd there once. He was in town for a charity event, performing at the club with Jim Belushi and their band. He refused to give me Jim Belushi's number. I have a little crush on Jim Belushi.

Manic: About Last Night—one of the best movies in the ‘80s! Now, back to Belushi—what’s the attraction there?

Jules: Even though I usually go for the hot, English-as-a-second-language type; my taste runs a broad spectrum (sense of humor=BIG points), as readers of my blog are painfully joyfully aware.

Manic: You might like Mr. Manic then. He has many, many times been likened to Will Farrell; In fact, at a wedding in NY once, some chicks thought he really was Will and they started chanting FRANK THE TANK! And at my reunion someone said he reminded her of Dane Cook. The humor brings out the sexiness in men, don’t you think! Who’s that dude you’ve photoshopped on the photo?

Jules: It's Jeremy Piven, another of the many famous men I claim as my own. I've loved him since the Gas 'n Sip scene in the movie Say Anything

Manic: For the record, I just watched that clip and got MAJOR GOOSEBUMPS!!! “I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen!” Lloyd Dobbler—Love him! One of my all-time fave movies EVER! And that’s where I first heard this awesome song, and we actually played it for our second dance at our wedding.



Every time Mr. Manic or I hear it on the radio, we call one another. We are such soul mates. Anyway, speaking of relatives, I had the opportunity to meet your sister the other day! She’s quite famous!

Jules: Yes, Melisa Wells! Can I assume that when she gets picked for her "Minute With Manic" that you'll ask her about having me as a famous sister?

Manic: Jules, you know being picked for Minute is completely utterly and fairly random so one never knows.

Jules: Anyway, she's the author of the fantastic book Remembering Ruby: For Families Living Beyond the Loss of a Pet. She was born to write that book, and it's already helping a lot of kids and their parents deal with the animal-sized holes in their heart left by a beloved pet. Everyone should buy a copy and tell 10 of their friends to do the same. Also, it would make great stocking stuffers, and they're currently on Amazon's (buy)-4-for-(the price of)-3 special! Can't beat that!

Manic: Which holiday do you loathe the most and why? And you cannot say Thanksgiving cuz that’s just right around the corner!

Jules: I would have said Thanksgiving if you wouldn't have said that one is off limits.

Manic: I am a psychic. Which is EXACTLY why I said you can’t choose that one! I know things. Like I know next up you’re going to talk about the horrendous Thanksgivings you’ve already experienced.

Jules: I mean, the food is fantastic but we've had some horrendous Thanksgivings with our extended family that no amount of sweet potato casserole can erase.

Manic: Not even sweet potato casserole with pecans and brown sugar?

Jules: One day we'll be able to look back and laugh but there were a couple of years there where I was ready to put the entire month of November on moratorium.

Manic: One year, no lie, my sister grabbed a turkey leg and hit my mom with it, or maybe it was the other way around, I can’t remember, I was probably drunk. So, favorite holiday then, since we all agree Thanksgiving leaves us with some emotional wounds?

Jules: I guess I'll go with Valentine's Day because I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love having a specific day when you can give a red construction paper heart glued sloppily to a doily to someone and not be looked at strangely, but I hate that it's so commercialized. I send out Valentine music mixes that I painstakingly put together every year for my loved ones instead of buying $6 cards, because I enjoy sticking it to the man.

Manic: “Sticking it to the man” … What man? Is that a sexual innuendo? You mean Cupid? In college, my roommate and I were so depressed because no one loved us that we made black construction hearts and pasted them all over our dorm room. Then we went to a party, kidnapped this dude who was wearing a black fedora, took him back to our dorm and forced him to buy us a pizza. It was the best Valentine’s to date! On the subject of holidays, did you know they are playing holiday music on the radio already! They usually don’t do this till after Thanksgiving!

Jules: I worked at Hallmark all through high school, and they start playing holiday music (and install the ornament displays) EVERY JULY.

Manic: OMG!!!! Jules!!! I worked at Hallmark in high school too. Yorktown Center! But I am slightly, just a teeny bit older than you (but also slightly, just a teeny bit younger than your sister!). I remember having to listen to Elvis’ Blue Christmas like thirteen thousand times during one eight-hour shift! And we were forced to wear Elf caps!

Jules: Well, then you know, you’ve never met people less enthusiastic about the holidays by the time they roll around than employees at your local Hallmark store. You know, last year I put that photo of Jeremy Piven and me in some nice black photo cards and signed it, "Hope your holidays are filled with love, from Jules and Jeremy.”

Manic: OH! I KNOW THIS STORY!!! Your sister told me!

Jules: You would not believe how many people thought I somehow got engaged without them even knowing I was in a relationship. I got a lot of angry calls from people who wanted to know why I shut them out of the loop of my love life. It was hilarious for the first few calls. After that it was just really, really sad to keep reiterating that I wasn't engaged, especially to--of all people--Jeremy Piven. Maybe this year I should have gotten all of those people HBO subscriptions so they would get the joke. I'm a glutton for punishment though, because this year I have another one in the works. I realize this is very much the boy who cried wolf and that when I do get engaged it's likely that nobody else will even care. Except for my mother, who will be somewhere in the distance, pumping her fist in the air with happiness.

Manic: Unless she can’t stand the dude. Speaking of dudes, Santa or the Grinch… Who’s cooler?

Jules: Sorry, I have to go with the Jon Lovitz SNL character Hanukkah Harry. "Oy, presents!"

Manic: You can’t say A WONDERFUL LIFE (which, for the record, I have never seen!), but what’s your favorite holiday movie?

I always watch Home for the Holidays just before Thanksgiving to gear me up for our own family gatherings. Ours will never be as dysfunctionally entertaining as that movie so it relieves the anxiety. If you've never seen it, I recommend it for the cringe factor alone. The past couple of years I have also watched The Family Stone for that same reason.

Manic: Ooh, I did like that one. Some hotties in there! I just saw Dan in Real Life, and it was vaguely similar to The Family Stone.

Jules: And for the feel-good flick, it's always the TBS marathon of A Christmas Story. My friend Shoni and I keep our TVs on the entire time (while doing other things around our respective homes)…

Manic: Like licking flag poles, eating soap, shooting your eyes out, getting out that special holiday leg lamp, saying the EFF word? LOVE that movie!

Jules: You didn't ask this question but as long as we're on this subject, I always like to play all of my Harry Connick, Jr. CDs during the holidays. His "When Harry Met Sally" soundtrack is perfection, just like his pretty, pretty face. I mean voice.

Manic: No Jules, I didn’t ask that, but my motto is (now!) Help Ever, Hurt Never so I won’t give you a hard time for throwing in your two cents on that one! Whew Jules, you’ve tired me out! But one last question for you… Resolutions—What do you resolve to do every year?

Jules: I just resolve to keep doing things that are involuntary. You can't go wrong with something like, "I resolve to close my eyes everytime I sneeze" or "I resolve to keep breathing." If you break that last one, you have more important things to worry about than a broken resolution.

Manic: True! And hey, thanks for playing Minute With Manic, Jules. You did so much of the legwork for this interview, I think you might have a knack for this kind of thing yourself!

Jules: I look forward to seeing lots more of Manic's fabulous and funny readers and their comments over on my Blog now, too! It'll be like a pub crawl, but without all the beer. Wait, what am I talking about? I meant that it'll be like a pub crawl, but without all the crawling.

Manic: Aww, come on, can’t we still have the beer?

35 comments:

Melisa Wells said...

FIRST!

Okay, now I have to write a real comment.

Melisa Wells said...

How awesome is that, that I just happenned to visit Manic in time to be first to comment on my sister's interview?? I should go play the lottery.

I loved how Julie described what all of us who know her would be doing when we read the first question about if she had ever been to the HOB. That's exactly what happenned!

Oh my gosh though, you didn't even GET to the part about how the Chicago House of Blues HOTEL has been purchased by another company and renamed the Hotel Sax. I think we are still in denial about that.

Thanks for the book plug. Yes, everyone PLEASE check it out. I need all the help I can get. If you don't buy one, PLEASE just e-mail all of your friends who have or had pets. Julie and I are marketing this "alone" and any assistance we can get would be appreciated more than you can imagine!

Thanksgiving: Julie, me, and my hubby may not be the only ones in the world, in fact, who refer to different Thanksgivings as "Black Thursday" and "Black Friday". Anyone else do that?

And for the record, Mo, Me, Sparky and Skippy will DEFINITELY care when you get engaged someday, even if you photoshop yourself into a Harry Connick Jr. picture this year, a Jim Belushi picture next year, an Antonio Banderas picture the year after that, and so on and so on...And I hope you're a Bridezilla, because how much fun would that be???

**By the way everyone, just as I am one of the few who still call "Jules" Julie, she is the ONLY one who still calls me Missy. :)

Great interview, girls! :)

Melisa Wells said...

Okay, one more thing and then I'm done for now.

Julie: GLADIATOR!! What are YOU doing here???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zle6_AoITMk

Melisa Wells said...

Hi, Me again.

Yes, I'm annoying myself as much as I'm annoying all of you, but I forgot to mention ONE MORE THING.

Julie doesn't like to give herself credit because she wants me to have it all, but she designed the entire interior AND the stunning cover of my book. (She doesn't only photoshop herself into photos of celebrities! LOL) I am constantly in awe of her talent, and very proud of her!

House of Jules said...

OH MY GOD, MY SISTER LEFT THE FIRST 4 CONSECUTIVE COMMENTS TO THIS POST.

Manic: YES, of course you can all still have the beer, that's why I corrected myself about the pub crawl at the end... there will be beer but there will NOT be crawling (well, unless my favorite bartender from The House of Blues is crawling towards me... in a good way!)

Loved reading all about myself. ha ha... Thanks Manic!

Hope to see you other Manic readers over at my place sometime! Mi Casa es su casa!

Jules
House of Jules

AutoSysGene said...

LOL!! It's so funny to hear about places and things that are local to me.

Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. Seems like all of my family members pick between Thanksgiving and New Years to die...what's up with that?

I haven't watched A Wonderful Life either. When I tell people that they look at me like I'm totaly strange. Favorite movie, White Christmas. Love Harry Connick Jr. to look at and to listen to. Can you believe the LITe is playing Christmas tunes? A little early, much?

Another stellar interview. Who is next?

Tanya said...

I guess I manage to be #3. If you count Melisa's four as one. I she deserves the award for the longest most blog comments ever.

blog author said...

Say Anything = One of my favorite movies EVER! That and A Sure Thing.

but i have to say, i HATE 'A Christmas Story'... i realize that may be enough to get me banned from commenting...but. it's true.

as for thanksgiving, i love it, but i swore after a horrible airport thanksgiving experience that i'd never travel over turkey day again. one of the best decisions ever.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Melissa with two Ss... You know you'll just have to tune in tomorrow to see who's next.

Melek--I don't *love* Christmas Story--good and funny, but you're not banned!

Melisa Wells said...

Thanks Tanya,
I love awards. :)

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

The concept of making resolutions to complete involuntary bodily functions is quite profound! It also dovetails perfectly into my general philosophy that the key to happiness is lower expectations. I feel complete right now.

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

Melek - After reading through your "105 things to know about me" and nodding in agreement so often I am now shocked, SHOCKED I tell you find this out!

I believe the only reasonable thing for you to do is wash your mouth out with soap. Not any soap. Lifebouy. Never Ivory or Palmolive. Lifebouy, which apparently contained an ingredient able to nullify bad language. The only other soap ever mentioned for this task was Lava, but that was the nuclear weapon of mouth-washing soaps, so powerful it was used for words we still didn't even know.

However, the dude abides. I will still visit regularly but I will be much more wary and looking for the little pod the aliens used! ;)

Michelle Kemper Brownlow said...

Lots of HOT MEN in this interview- LOVE IT!
Thanks ladies!

Once again, never to be diappointed!!

:)

AutoSysGene said...

LOL Rob, when I was little my folks washed my mouth out with Lava...let me tell you not a fun experience. I believe I got it for the F Bomb...but then fart was considered a swear word in our family...sheesh!!

Drewpy Drew said...

Gas and sip. LOL "By choice!"

Avoid the Christmas rush and interview Drewpy Drew now.

onthegomom said...

OOHHH, I <3 Gladiator! The holiday card story with Jeremy Piven... I LMAO! Seriously funny stuff.

http://momoftheyear-not.blogspot.com/

JODI said...

Do I shame myself into admitting I have never been inside a HOB? Driven past a many but never stepped inside.

As for 80's movies... there is nothing better than Pretty in Pink. Andrew McCarthy still makes my heart melt. I just read that they changed the ending of Pretty in Pink and Andrew McCarthy-- who had already shaved his head for another movie role-- was wearing in wig in the final scene so it could be reshot. Crap, good crap, now I have to watch the movie--again-- just to take notice.

Hey my hubby looks like Chevy Chase. On our honeymoon I was standing in a casino bathroom in Puerto Rico when some gal actually asked me if my husband was Chevy Chase.

Thanksgiving is the best. Better since we stopped allowing Aunt Jan to bring her nasty so-not-Thanksgiving spaghetti. Imagine noodles, stewed tomatos and hunks of celery being passed off as an Italian delicacy. Which in no way compliments the bird and stuffing.

When you two reminiced about high school jobs in the Chicago area malls I could not refrain from my mind wandering back to picking my cousin up from work at Orange Julius at Orland Park mall when sister decided she needed to puke and did so in the mall trash can.

BTW holiday tunes are piping through the Macy's speakers...and Old Navy's. I heard it with my own ears tonight. The turkey it seems is getting the boot.

My favorite holiday movie is "The Bishop's Wife." Not that sad excuse of a remake, "The Preacher's Wife", but the original old b/w flick.

Today at work two third graders asked me while I was in the cafeteria to answer there question and not lie...they asked me to tell them if Santa was real. I replied "of course he." Because, he is. This type of work, when I accpeted this job, was not described in the job description.

Now Jules I am going to end my comment with my favorite part of this Minute with Manic: I love the idea of a Valentine music mix CD. Genius gift giving idea. Better was the story of kidnapping fedora man and forcing him into purchasing you pizza while gazing at black construction paper hearts. Love it!

House of Jules said...

Melisa (my sista):I'm glad you guys will be excited when I get engaged but that's not quite on deck yet. I mean, Antonio Banderas is still married to Melanie Griffith, right? OH, and I will not be a bridezilla! Please! Mom will be the bridezilla. Actually, it would make more sense that she'd be Mothera. (get it? Mothra?)

Melissa (w/ 2 S's, obviously): I'm probably one of the only people who doesn't think "It's a Wonderful Life" was The. Best. Thing. Since. Jack Daniels. It's ok, but it's certainly no "Scrooged". (just kidding) As for Harry Connick Jr., I agree with your agreement of my statement that he is HOTTT. Besides the singing and the piano and the accent and the eyes, he's got the acting too. Two words: Hope Floats. I really believed he built that house with his own 2 hands. ha ha

Melek: I love The Sure Thing, too! I'm going to have to get over to your blog and read your 105 list...

Hi Tanya!

Rob: I'm so glad that you can see how truly mindblowing I can be. I've had the market cornered on the "Involuntary body functions" as resolutions since the early 90's. I laughed out loud when I read your, "The dude abides"! Also one of the best movies ever. Don't f*** with the Jesus.

My semblence: It is my pleasure and duty to bring up hot men as much as possible. Happy you enjoyed them.

***DREWPY DREW WINS THE JACKPOT FOR QUOTING THE EXACT LINES THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH JEREMY PIVEN!**** I can't believe you knew exactly what I was talking about. I'm not kidding when I say that the very first time I saw that movie (back in the day...), when John asked the guys why they were at the Gas n Sip on a Saturday night and Jeremy said those words, I knew it would be true love forever. I was just laughing so hard at that stupid thought that I choked on the water I just tried to swallow. It was very attractive.

Hi On the Go Mom! Yes, the holiday card story WAS funny for a little while. Then it was sad.... But now it's back to being funny again!

Jodi: Your husband can pass for Fletch? That is amazing. I'd be using him to get into the Foundation Room (VIP/Members only... I've never been in but have tried very hard to do so....) at the House of Blues. Esp. with Chevy's history on Saturday Night Live! I can't believe you've never been there since you're local. Get thee to the HOB! That spaghetti sounds awful! OH, and the Valentine's day cd is a big hit every year!

Manic: Russell's line in Gladiator is, "Are you not entertained?!" Drool.

Anonymous said...

I think I found two new fun reads from you today... melisa and jules... :)

Melisa Wells said...

Maybe Drewpy Drew IS Jeremy Piven!!!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Holy F Bomb! You people do not need me here!!! LOL at all the commentary and back-and-forths! It's great.

However, I have one thing to say to Jodi:

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD THAT PIZZA WAS THAT VALENTINE'S DAY!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

OK, and now I have found MY MOTTO!!!!!---

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

kay said...

when i saw that pix i thought wow her boyfriend/husband looks just like jeremy piven! haha!! i love him too!

mel i can NOT believe you don't like a Christmas story. i OWN that movie. i watch it all year long. weird-o

kay said...

pick drew pick drew pick drew pick drew

drew
drew
drew
drew
drew!!!!

Melisa Wells said...

Manic:
<"Holy F Bomb! You people do not need me here!!!">

Isn't it what you dreamed of when you started this blog: that YOUR blog would become a mecca of conversation and fellowship (or something like that)?? LOL Be careful what you wish for!

:) Winka Winka! ROFL

House of Jules said...

Manic,
Russell Crowe's Gladiator phrase "Are you not entertained?" is the perfect motto for you! Glad I could help!

Jules
House of Jules

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

>>Also one of the best movies ever. Don't f*** with the Jesus.<<

YES! One of the best movies around AND yet so under rated! Most people have not even heard of it!

I have pictures at home, next time I get back to Dallas I will send them to you. I was in LA on a contract a few years ago. I was going down the freeway heading for my hotel and I saw the "In and Out Burger"! It really exists! I took the next exit, looped back and stood in the parking lot taking pictures. Now LA people are probably used to having tourists snapping pictures but I noticed I was getting some odd looks because even goofy tourists don't stop and take pictures of a burger joint!

But I did!

The guy behind the counter had never heard of the movie either. Oh, and the milk shakes really are good too!

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

>>ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?<<

That need to go right up on the blog heading! LOL!

Patti said...

O.M.G. you have never seen It's A Wonderful Life?!

~faints dead away~

blog author said...

k, i can't believe you didnt get on manic about never seeing 'it's a wonderful life.' i thought you already knew about my hatred of Christmas Story and would jump on manic instead.... :)

CLH said...

Wow, MM you've been busy!!! I have to say, I am a little envious of all the cool people you interviewed. Don't feel obligated to interview me, as I am fairly whacked out. BTW, I will be near your neck of the woods next week for a business school... email me! Talk to you later!

Cecily R said...

My grandpa actually did the tounge stuck to the flag pole bit when he was about six. They didn't call the fire department though. Hot water did the trick. :)

Great interview!

House of Jules said...

MANIC! Today's post on my blog is dedicated to you and your new motto. You. Will. Love. It. (that's an order) Everyone get over there and read it...
Jules
House of Jules

PS- Rob: Did you actually have an In & Out burger? They are the BEST!

Unknown said...

*faints alongside Patti*

after regaining consiousness

OMG! Manic! How in the world did you get to be 29 (hehe) years old and NOT see It's a Wonderful Life?!?

For the record, it IS my favorite holiday movie. Then again, I love, Love, LOVE James Stewart.

And Jules, I just about fell out of my chair laughing at the Mothera reference!

Great interview. I'm really enjoying these minutes with Manic!

kay said...

melek manic is having a hard enough time keeping up with all these interviews. i didn't want to bring her down by berating her for not seeing it's a wonderful life. i'll get to that later!