Golden Globes: Elbow-to-elbow fun at HBO's party

HBO's Golden Globes after-party was, as always, an elbow-to-elbow good time full of familiar faces, industry friends and famous faces.

There's a democratizing aspect to the soiree in that it is so lavish and so lovely that even the rich and famous are impressed, just like us plain folk. That makes for a oddly casual gee-aren't-we-all-lucky-to-be-here atmosphere that seems to put notables in just the right mood to take compliments from a litany of well-wishers, all of whom are "really big fans."

A highlight for me this year was stumbling in to just the right moment to give a hearty handshake to Pixar/Disney Animation chief John Lasseter and tell him, as a mother rather than a journalist, what his life's work has meant to my family. ("Wall-E" is out of this world, no question, but the all-time Pixar fave so far in our house is "Ratatouille.")

Another running gag of Sunday night was running into cast members from "The Office" at every turn. Between the time I spent people-watching in the lobby of the Bev Hilton and the two chat- and food-filled hours I spent poolside at the HBO party, I counted at least seven from the Dunder Mifflin payroll: Craig Robinson, Kate Flannery, B.J. Novak, Rainn Wilson, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez. Hope they had as much fun as I did. (Kinsey and Flannery pictured left.)