Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life and Sex...Not Necessarily in That Order

( 64 )

Overview

In this wickedly funny and irreverent memoir, Chelsea Lately writer and comedian Sarah Colonna opens up about love, life, and pursuing her dreams . . . and then screwing it all up.
 
Sarah believes we all struggle to grow up. Sometimes we want to have fun, not take things too seriously, and have that fourth margarita. Other times we would like to get married, stay in, ...

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Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life & Sex . . . Not Necessarily in That Order

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More About This Book

Overview

In this wickedly funny and irreverent memoir, Chelsea Lately writer and comedian Sarah Colonna opens up about love, life, and pursuing her dreams . . . and then screwing it all up.
 
Sarah believes we all struggle to grow up. Sometimes we want to have fun, not take things too seriously, and have that fourth margarita. Other times we would like to get married, stay in, order Chinese food, and have a responsible, secure life.
 
From her formative years in small-town Arkansas to a later career of dates, drinks, and questionable day jobs, Colonna attempts to reconcile her responsible side with her fun-loving side. Sometimes this pans out, and sometimes she finds herself in Mexico handing out her phone number to anyone who calls her pretty. She moves to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but for years is forced to hone her bartending skills; she wants a serious boyfriend, but won’t give up nights at the bar with her friends. She tries to behave like an adult, but can’t seem to stop acting like a frat boy. In the end, she discovers that there doesn’t have to be just one or the other. And if there’s one thing Colonna has learned from her many missteps, it’s that hindsight is always 100 proof.

Includes a Foreword by Chelsea Handler

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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

Forget Sibyl controversies: Chelsea Lately regular Sarah Colonna believes that her life present incontrovertible evidence that we are inhabited by multiple personalities. To demonstrate her point, she walks us through a riotous tour of her family life, late night escapades, sex history, and checkered job past. Apparently unencumbered by midlife guilt or embarrassment, this standout stand-up plunges us head first into a series of dating disasters, drinking misadventures, and other major league personal blunders. An uproarious vicarious romp for fans of Chelsea Handler and her cohorts. A trade paperback and NOOK Book original.

— Jules Herbert

Publishers Weekly
In this rapid-fire tell-all memoir, Colonna spins personal misfortune into comedic gold. Recalling a bad trip on mushrooms at Burning Man, the author reminisces about camping trips with her family in Arkansas (where she grew up), noting quaintly that her mother "fed biscuits and gravy rather than hallucinogens." While some readers may tire of the drinking, drugs, and myriad men, Colonna's fans will appreciate her endearing self-deprecation and sarcastic humor. Between the one night stands, politically incorrect humor, and countless episodes of heartbreak, Colonna finds time to reflect on more serious concerns, like aging, blazing a career path, overcoming nerves (Colonna is a stand-up comic), and pushing the boundaries of one's comfort zone. The eye-opening narrative relates candid details of the author's life in mature language, but the conversational style and humorous slant will keep readers laughing from start to finish. (Feb.)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345528377
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 2/7/2012
  • Pages: 256
  • Sales rank: 72,209
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 0.70 (d)

Meet the Author

Sarah Colonna is a writer and roundtable regular on the hit late-night talk show Chelsea Lately, and a producer and star of After Lately. She has been performing stand-up in Los Angeles and across the country for several years and has appeared on various television shows. She used to drink bourbon but now prefers vodka.

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Read an Excerpt

Where Do I Start?

I’m sitting alone in my apartment with a big glass of vodka next to me. I’ve filled it three times so far, and it’s only 4 p.m. Whatever, it’s Sunday.

I’m trying to figure out how to start this book. I’ve ended it, but I haven’t started it. That’s how I do a lot of things. I get to the end of a meal much faster than I should, like I’ve been given the last hamburger on earth and someone is about to rob me. I walk like I’m being chased. I tend to fuck first and ask questions later.

I’m thirty-­six years old, but I don’t feel like it. Some days I feel like I’m twenty-­one, some days I feel like I’m pushing sixty. I work really hard, and because of that I believe I should be able to play really hard. It’s not easy to find a guy who can handle that. It’s also not easy to find a guy who doesn’t mind that at one point in my life, I slept with somebody named “Paul’s friend.”

To the naked eye, I’m completely responsible. I pay my bills not only on time, but early. I return emails and phone calls in a prompt manner. I won’t go near an egg that is one second past its expiration date. I’ve always known what I want to do with my life professionally. But if you ask me what I want in my personal life, forget it.

I always wanted to get married, until it looked like someone might want to marry me. I was sure I didn’t want kids, then for a couple of months I wanted kids, then a couple of months later I thought kids were horrible. I loved someone so much that I broke up with him because I didn’t want to get hurt. Then when he proved he loved me back, I broke up with him again. I’m a fucking mess, but so are you. Most of us are. I don’t just mean women. Men are a mess, too. We’re all in this together.

We all have two very different personalities living inside us and sometimes those people are at war with each other. It’s confusing to see what two completely different paths can offer you. My mom showed me that if you lived close to your family, you always had a birthday party. You also always had a big Thanksgiving dinner, a big Christmas, an Easter egg hunt. Maybe those events became annoying, but you always knew you could rely on them. And you always had each other.

My dad showed me that if you went off on your own, you could have the career that you always wanted. Your family might change with each marriage and you might have to move around, feel alone for a while, and make new friends, but you’d always be climbing the ladder. Plus you could go on really nice vacations and stay in hotels with nice comfy robes that could be yours for the reasonable price of eighty-­nine dollars.

I’m somewhere in the middle. I want both. Or I want it all. Or I only want part of both. I don’t know. I just know that you don’t always end up happy with what you thought would make you happy. You’ve probably been there a time or two yourself. You can’t always want what you get.

How Many Polacks Does It Take to Ruin a Marriage?

At the time of my parents’ divorce, I was five years old and we were all living in Dallas. Lori came into our lives soon after. My mom’s family was in Arkansas; she went there to look for a place for us to live so that she’d have a support system now that she was going to be a single mom. While she was gone, Lori stayed at our house in Dallas. She didn’t seem to have many housekeeping skills, so I knew she wasn’t a maid. Dad also suggested we didn’t mention the amount of time Lori spent at our house to Mom, so I knew she wasn’t a friendly gal pal. It all seemed to tie together to the time that Mom locked the dead bolt on the front door and then broke a broomstick in half and shoved it into the track of our back sliding-glass door. It was pretty late, so I asked her if she was scared that someone was going to break in. She just smiled and told me to go to bed. I woke up later when my dad tried to climb through a window and didn’t fit. The next day, when I asked Dad why he got home after midnight he told me that he had worked late with Lori. This woman was around at really inconvenient times.

My older sister, Jennifer, and I were flower girls in Dad and Lori’s wedding. Neither of us was too pumped up about the event, but we showed up and did our jobs. I didn’t like weddings to begin with. I found them long and boring and it cut into the time I would normally spend playing “Charlie’s Angels” with my sister. She was brunette, so she played Jaclyn Smith’s character. I was awesome, so I played Cheryl Ladd’s. The third Angel we just pretended was on vacation, because nobody we lived near wanted to be Kate Jackson. We had water guns and a telephone that didn’t work so that we could report to “Charlie.” Since we didn’t have a brother, we considered ourselves very lucky that on the show nobody ever saw Charlie.

This wedding in particular really had me in a foul mood. I didn’t like my new stepmom. She was annoying and made me eat some sort of salmon dish with the skin around it while she said things like “one day your mom and I will be the best of friends.” I’d stare at her, try to count in my head all of the times my mom had called her a slut, spit my dinner into a napkin, and vow to hate her forever. She was also Polish, which made for lots of fun Polack jokes for Jennifer and me. Dad didn’t find them amusing.

I tried to display my distaste for their union. I refused to eat cake at the reception, which at six was my way of saying “fuck you.” The whole thing took place in my old backyard, where I used to live with my family in Dallas. Now it was my dad’s house with a new woman who sucked and had a jacked-­up nose. Lori made Jennifer and me wear brown floral skirts that went past our knees and off-­white shirts that buttoned so high up the neck I thought I was going to choke to death. I went to my old room right after they exchanged vows, and on the way I mentioned to a dozen people that Lori’s nostrils were a lot bigger than my mom’s.

“If you’d like to see a photo comparison, I have one ready,” I told one of my dad’s co-­workers. Nobody bit on the offer. Just as well, I needed to get to sleep. I was going back to Arkansas the next day and I needed all of my energy for wowing the flight attendants with my wit. “What has four legs and won’t live longer than two years?” I’d ask them. One woman would guess a hamster; the other would be so stumped she wouldn’t even have a guess. I’d smile proudly and deliver the punch line perfectly: “My dad’s new marriage!”

I was hilarious. I made my first mental note to myself to become a comedian when I grew up.

By the way, their marriage lasted about two years. The day Dad asked me, “How do you get a one-­armed Polack out of a tree?” I knew it was over.

When they separated, Lori sent letters to my sister and me asking if we could stay in touch and still be friends. I guess she didn’t realize we weren’t friends when she and Dad were married. I thought I had made it obvious that I never liked her. I made a mental note to make that more clear to people in the future.

While it only took my dad a handful of months to remarry, my mom was not interested in dating. She was a single mom living in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was too busy working and raising us to care about finding a man. She probably also hated men for a while, but I wasn’t old enough to figure that out yet.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 64 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(24)

4 Star

(18)

3 Star

(10)

2 Star

(5)

1 Star

(7)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 64 Customer Reviews

  • Posted February 19, 2012

    Amazing and Heartfelt

    I was expecting this to be a book about one night stands, similar to Chelsea Handler's (which by the way is very funny and would have been fine). But Sarah's book surprised me with bold and interesting stories. Yes, some of the other stuff is in there, but really it's a book with heart and a book about struggling to reconcile who you are, and be okay with that person. It's really funny and really interesting. Any reviews that say it's about sex means that person didn't read the book, they're jumping to conclusions. Trust me and get this book. You'll find a lot you relate to. And this is coming from a straight man about a woman's book.

    9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 7, 2012

    excellent read.....

    Very amusing and funny....enjoyed entire book.....read the entire book in day.......

    9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 9, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Fall of your seat laughing!

    This is a incredibly funny book, there are allot of highlights and very little low lights. Fun to read and like allot of other books you don't end up crying at the end. The stories allot of people can relate to because its things we all did when we were young. this a great book pick it up!

    6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2012

    Boring and a waste of money.

    Worst book Ive ever read ( Well except for Heather McDonalds book, who just so happens to be another Chelsea Handler friend ) Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me! Well, I wont be fooled again. I'll never buy another book suggested by Chelsea again. Who the hell read this book and decided to publish it? I want my money back!

    5 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 11, 2012

    Excellent read

    Engaging, quippy, hilarious

    As a fan of Chelsea Handler's books, I must say this may actually be better. Sarah Colonna doesnt try too hard, she has a knack fornstory telling which made the essays flow. Not to mention most, if not all, were laugh-out-loud worthy. A great buy in my opinion.

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 22, 2011

    (;

    Looks like a good book!

    4 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 17, 2012

    Most important quality of a writer -- be a hobag!

    My next door neighboor, a recovering 7th Day Adventist meth head, screwed my St. Bernard...do you really wanna read about it?

    3 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 16, 2012

    Fabulous read!

    I loved all of Chelsea Handler's books but I think Sarah Colonna's new book might be even better! I have always loved watching her on Chelsea Lately, so when I heard about her new book I put it on my nook inmediately. It is an awesome read! HILARIOUS! I am running to Barnes and Noble this afternoon to buy my best friend a copy, I know she'll live it too.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 12, 2012

    Don't waste your money or time with this....

    I've read a lot of great books written by comedians (including all of the Chelsea Handler books), so I expected this to be similar...wrong! The book is divided into Chapters, however it reads like one long boring story with absolutely no point! There are some parts that are funny (barely), but none of them actually made me laugh out loud. I'm all about reading funny stories of drunk nights/having random sex...but her stories don't have any especially funny or unique qualities. The best part of the book is the Forward that is written by Chelsea Handler.

    A friend of mine saw her live stand up and said it wasn't funny either...kind of disappointing b/c I love her on Chelsea Lately, and have always thought she would be hilarious!! :(

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 25, 2012

    Not what I expected, unfortunately...

    So, when I purchased this book, I did so expecting a collection of hilarious stories. I did not, however, expect a legit autobiography - which is what this book is. So, if you want Sarah Colonna's autobiography, this is the book for you. But, if you want a collection of hilariius stories, I suggest that you look elsewhere.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 18, 2012

    Funny, but not hilarious

    I think Sarah Colonna is hilarious on Chelsea Lately and After Lately. I enjoyed books by both Chelsea Handler and Heather McDonald, so I was excited to preorder this book. It was entertaining, but not as funny as I expected. Her dry humor doesn't translate well into written word. An audiobook version might be more enjoyable!

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 17, 2012

    do not reccomend

    Not much of a book, money and time I will never get back!!!!!!!

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 9, 2012

    I love Sarah, I think she is hilarous, but this book was not fun

    I love Sarah, I think she is hilarous, but this book was not funny. It was horribly boring in my opinion.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 17, 2012

    Anonymous

    This is probably the worst book I have ever read.
    Really dont see much humor in jumping in bed with everyone
    You meet. Seems to me you should try to learn from your mistakes but she just kept making them over and over. Definitely would not recommend this book amd I would like a refund.

    1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 2, 2012

    LOVED

    Was a really great, funny read! A bit familiar to the Chelsea Handler books yet more grounded. New fan of Sara Colonna!!! Buy it!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 21, 2012

    Love love love this!

    This book is hilarious but it also has some serious points. I just love this book and I'm hoping she will write again!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 18, 2012

    Funny

    Easy read and very funny

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 14, 2012

    I loved it!!

    Maybe it's because I related to way too much of this book, but I thought it was hilarious! It was definitely the perfect pick me up after being dumped yet again.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2012

    You will literally LOL

    I loved this book from the second i started reading. She has such attitude and the fact that she opened up about all the things she's done makes you realize she is a normal gal.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 10, 2013

    Funny and relateable!

    Sarah's book is a very funny and fast read about her growing pains! She's at least as funny than Chelsea and much more likeable!

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 64 Customer Reviews
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