Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

In 1987, I took a job at Lerner Newspapers, where Louie Atsaves was working part-time while he went to Northeastern University. We both worked in the Circulation Department and we became good friends.
A few years ago, we left Lerner Newspapers (which had become Pioneer Press) and started our own publication distribution company, Arch News Agency. Our main clients are Global Traveler magazine and Today's Chicago Woman magazine. Sometimes it is a lot of hard work, especially in weather like this winter in Chicago, but it is always fun working with Louie.

Today is a special Friendly Encounters, as it is Louie's birthday. In honor of Louie's birthday, I am posting a picture of him and Patrick Warburton taken at the Global Traveler 5th anniversary event in Los Angeles (CA) earlier this year. Louie (father of 3) and Patrick (father of 4) discussed tales of child-raising.

Louie Atsaves and Patrick Warburton in Los Angeles, CA-January 2009.

GT in LA:Patrick Warburton

One week ago, I was in sunny Los Angeles with the rest of the Global Traveler staff. Thursday night we had the annual GT Tested Awards cocktail party.
Patrick Warburton, star of Seinfeld and Rules of Engagement, was the guest of honor and spoke to the crowd on behalf of Pencils for Kids, an organization dedicated to lifting children from poverty through education.
Warburton arrived early and immediately started to mingle with the growing crowd. Of course, I grabbed our photog and got my picture with Warburton right away. As a big fan of Warburton's, I was not going to risk missing this opportunity. As I approached him and began to shake his hand, he asked me if anyone ever had told me that I look like Jay Leno. I asked him in return if anyone ever told him he looked like David Puddy. He got a kick out of that.
It wasn't the first time I have heard the Leno reference. I hear it quite a lot. In fact, at this party, I heard it about 5 times. Warburton would be the most famous of the bunch. Previously, Terri Runnels of WWE fame had been the most famous to ask me about Leno.

Warburton was very approachable, about as laidback as could be. We talked about Family Guy, his kids, other voiceover work and Los Angeles among other things. He seemed to be one of the most down-to-earth celebs I have ever met.

Patrick Warburton and me in Los Angeles, CA-January 2009.