When was the last time you had a day containing two blog-worthy embarrassing moments?
(Don’t answer that.)
As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough to mistake a total stranger (up close) for my husband this morning, I had to go and make a blunder of public-address-system proportions at the Pioneer Woman’s book signing in Seattle today.
Yes, folks, I met Pioneer Woman today – twice.
I had picked up tickets a few days ago for Kat and I to attend Ree Drummond’s book signing, so we were in a relatively early group of fans and we only had to wait an hour or so to reach the front of the line. When it came our turn, we giddily (OK, Kat was totally relaxed; I was giddy!) handed the book “Pioneer Woman Cooks” to one bookstore helper and my camera to another. Ree greeted us and chatted US up for a few minutes, acting as if she had all the time in the world to spend with us. She was just as I’d imagined – funny, sweet, extraordinarily kind, and genuinely interested. I mentioned that we had two things in common – being redheads (“But I pay for mine these day,” I admitted, and she quickly admitted, “Oh, me too!”) and that we started our blogs in the same month and year, to which I added that “I don’t have a bookstore of people waiting in line…" (Why do I blurt out such things?!)
We then posed for a few pictures with our new best friend, Pioneer Woman, aka PDub, aka Ree Drummond:
(Was I embarrassed? Well, yes, I was. But more than that I was mid-hot flash! Seriously.)
(Kat with Pioneer Woman, from whom she learned so much about both photography and cooking.)
And then we left.
The end.
Only NOT.
After we walked away from the “staging area,” I put down the newly signed book so I could check the photos that had just been taken. Not that I would have gone back, had they not turned out and asked poor Ree to do it all again. I was just curious… and impatient. We gushed over the photos and left the store. That was fun, we decided.
And then, in the parking lot, Kat asked if she could see the book Ree had just signed.
“Sure…”
Oh, crap!
I had set the book down and walked away!
We hurried back into the bookstore and I headed back, against traffic (how embarrassing) to the staging area.
I tried to get the store worker’s attention as unobtrusively as possible. Really, I did. But it was Ree who looked up first.
“I, um, think I left my book here.” (Because at that point, I hadn’t remembered where I left it.)
An all-points bulletin for my missing book ensued with - I kid you not - an announcement on the PA system, to the hundreds, if not a thousand, people squeezed into the bookstore. (How embarrassing!)
“Pioneer Woman fans! We seem to have a missing book. If you could all check your books and if you have one with a dedication to ‘Carol and Kat’ please bring it to the information desk. I repeat…”
(Oh god, must you…?)
Ree was so incredibly sweet, genuinely concerned, and even offered to buy and sign another book for me! As you can imagine, my girl crush swelled ten-fold at that moment!
Upon the suggestion of the bookstore worker, I went back to the information desk, hoping someone would turn in the newly signed book. And, it turned out, someone had! (Seattle – the land of polite people.)
I scooped it up and we began to head out the door, when I stopped and told Kat that I really need to go back and thank the people at the staging area, letting them know that I’d found the missing book.
I again made my way against traffic again (how embarrassing!) and as unobtrusively as possible (really!) showed my book to the bookstore worker, mouthing “thank you.”
Then Ree looked up and said, “Yay! You found it!” And then… she picked up her own camera…
…and took a picture of me with my lost-and-found book!
And THEN! She motioned to Kat, who was standing off to the side, to join me in another picture!
Ree didn’t have to be so incredibly concerned, so amazingly generous, and so very kind. Really – she could have easily ignored the whole mini fiasco. But she didn’t. She really IS as nice as she seems on her blog!
Thank you, Ree…. my friend!
