Thursday, October 25, 2007

I really should Netflix "Entourage," so I'd have an appropriate reference to use here

I was going to start this out with some sort of commentary on the strange phenomenon of blogebrity--about how interesting it is that I spent an hour tonight waiting patiently for an autograph in a book written by someone not only my non-reading sister has never heard of (you know--the sister who once referred to that little-known and obscure author David Sedaris as "[my] story guy"), but whom most of my "real life" friends couldn't identify either. Crazy Aunt Purl may not be famous in some circles (apparently even her co-workers have no idea she is an Internet phenom and would be shocked to hear that she's written a book), but she is to bloggers and knitters what I can only imagine __________ is to Star Trek convention enthusiasts.

I was just about to go Google an appropriate name to put in that blank, but then I realized admitting my own indifference to and ignorance of Star Trek merely proves my point. You may have no idea who Laurie Perry is, but for the standing-room-only crowd at Barnes & Noble tonight, she's a bit of a hero.

She was also warm and funny and adorable, and that's actually what I decided I should talk about, rather than rattling on examining the very specific ways we all embrace our nerdery.

If you've ever read Crazy Aunt Purl, however, then you're already well aware that the woman is down-to-earth and hilarious, so I probably don't even need to talk about that.

Instead, then, let's talk about how -R- is a famous Internet phenom as well. Let me explain to you a little bit about how tonight's meeting with Crazy Aunt Purl went.

  • -R- and I arrive at the bookstore a half hour early, just in time to grab the last two seats, in the very back row.

  • We chit-chat to pass the time, taking advantage of the fact that we are not the only ones in earshot using the words "blog" and "comments" and "search engine hits." We are with our kind, and therefore don't have to speak in hushed tones to avoid being looked as though we've openly admitted to playing Dungeons & Dragons in our parents' basement every Friday night. Or so I tell myself, anyway. I may actually have been the only person to use the phrase "search engine hit." I care not. The woman in the row in front of us is writing down her own blog URL for the stranger she's just met, so I tell myself our conversation is completely normal in every way.

  • Crazy Aunt Purl comes out to rousing applause, reads a few amusing passages from her book, and then wins us all over with Southern charm and witty responses during the lengthy Q&A. Well, wins almost all of us. I'm just going to forget about the guy who stood in line simply to tell her that he wouldn't spend money on her book, and I very much hope Laurie forgets about him too. So much for Minnesota Nice. That man? Just a damn fool.

  • -R- and I wait patiently while an overzealous Barnes & Noble employee mad with power because he's holding a microphone corrals us row by row into an orderly line for autographs.

  • -R- and I are the second-last and third-last in line, respectively. I hand Laurie my book, along with the Post-it that Mr. Microphone gave me upon which to write the correct spelling of my name. Laurie says that her best friend in high school was named Stefanie-with-an-f, so she's always careful to spell it properly. I thank her, say I very much enjoyed her reading, and ask if she wouldn't mind terribly posing for a photo with us. She doesn't mind at all. See?



  • Next, -R- hands Laurie her book. On her Post-it, she's written [RealName]. She's ignored my advice to add "a.k.a., -R-, of And You Know What Else" below it. It matters not. Laurie looks at the Post-it, looks up at -R-, then back down at the Post-it, and says, "I know YOU!!" She jumps up from behind the table and gushes, "I'm so thrilled you came! It's so great to meet you! [Friend's name that I forget even though she's probably written it a hundred times] and I talk about your blog all the time!! You're so funny! You're an amazing writer! And you wear cute shoes!"

  • OK, I may be paraphrasing (I may also be forgetting the point of bullets and the itemized structure they're supposed to provide), but I am not exaggerating. I swear, she mentioned the shoes. And the writing. And the talking about -R- with friends. Crazy Aunt Purl totally knows who -R- is. She couldn't care an iota less about me if she actively tried. In fact, I do believe she forcibly pushed me out of the way as she lunged forward for another picture. One with just -R-. And on her own camera. OK, so I am kidding about the pushing. A nice Southern girl would never ever do that. But seriously. Crazy Aunt Purl? Fan of -R-. Check it out.



    I assure you, that is not what my inscription said. -R- is special. -R- is a rock star. But we all knew that already, right? Maybe she'll at least let me be in her entourage. It may be a thankless job, but I'm certain cute shoes would be involved. And maybe even microphone-wielding.

    A girl can dream, right?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, this makes me feel special the -R- even reads my blog! Wait, what am I doing commenting here when I could be at -R-'s site?

KIDDING!

We love you, Stefanie. Even if CAP shoved you out of the way.

-R- said...

If I remember correctly, your inscription said something like, "Stefanie, Suck it! Sincerely, Laurie."

You forgot to write about the part where I just stood there and didn't say anything the whole time because I am a big dork.

lizgwiz said...

I feel honored just sharing the same corner of the blogosphere with -r-, don't you? Now if I ever make it to Minnesota, she'll probably be too important to join us for wine boxes at the tiki bar. ;)

Anonymous said...

I had never heard of CAP before, but I did have the pleasure of meeting -R- once. It was amazing. I drove all the way to Minneapolis with some friends and she was totally there at the Tiki Bar! I think there was another person there, I don't know, I'll get back to you if I remember the details.

Anonymous said...

Oh wait! That was you! Don't I feel silly now.

Anonymous said...

I am laughing at Noelle's comments - hee! Anyway, wow! Sounds like a good time, although I would have been busy trying not to visibly turn green with envy.

L Sass said...

I knew that -R- was the famous one of my Twin Cities blogger friends. :)

I have to admit, I don't even read Crazy Aunt Pearl. Perhaps I should?

Also, I would totally attend both a blogger book signing and a Star Trek convention. Ideally, both in the same day.

Paisley said...

I am so jealous that you got to meet CrazyAuntPurl! I love her blog to pieces.

That is too funny. That's how I feel when I got to my husband's work parties...lots of 'ebrity going on there sometimes. Me? Not so much.

Well, if I ever meet you I can guarantee I'll jump up and down and make you autograph my hand so I can get a tattoo of it later on.

:)

Whiskeymarie said...

I like to think that you two are equally famous. Kind of like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, but smart, better dressed and not skanky.

How's that for diplomacy?

Stefanie said...

NPW--Thanks. Nice to know someone does. :-)

R--I also didn't write about the part where I said, as we were walking away, "You know I'm going to write about that, right? If you don't, I totally have to..."

Liz--Oh, I know. But that's just more wine for us, right?

Noelle--Smartass.

Lara--Jealous of R? Nonsense. I will say (as we're all supposed to say about famous people) that R is just like us. Nice and down-to-earth and all that. Besides that, Paul Rudd reads MY blog. (OK, no he doesn't. But wouldn't it be fun to say that he did??)

L Sass--Way to embrace the multiple dimensions of your nerdery, my friend.

Paisley--Now I am just entirely curious where your husband works...

WM--Nice. So which one of us is going to jail and which one to rehab?

Anonymous said...

Ha, so weird, I'm pretty sure I am the friend that Laurie mentioned she talks with re: the awesomeness of -R-'s blog.

I'm sure that Laurie didn't mean to ignore you, and that if she had been lucky enough to encounter your blog before she would have oohed and ahhed over you, too!

p.s. Cute sweater.

Stefanie said...

Jen--I think you are. :-) Funny, I was going to type "Jen," but I wasn't 100% sure I was remembering that right, and I thought I'd rather be vague than just plain wrong.

It was clear I was kidding about the pushing and ignoring, right? I assure you, Laurie was very nice, even if she did have no idea who I was. :-)

And thanks. Everyone always assumes I made that sweater, and I have to admit that no, it was $20 at Kohls.

Anonymous said...

I wrote a long and funny comment but your blog ate it.

Basically, I just wanted you to know I am crying in the corner because you are telling the world I pushed you away. I thought it was just a small kick to the shins???? ;) hehehehe

It was lovely meeting you even though you obviously now hate me for liking R's shoes and are spreading that online. Have you considered a job with the Drudge Report?

Oh well. Can't win them all. "...and she never went to Minneapolis again. The end."

xo,
never going to leave my house again once I finally get back to my house

Stefanie said...

Gah! Crazy Aunt Purl comments on my blog, and Blogger EATS it?? I'm so ashamed.

Please come back to Minneapolis any time. I promise I will say only nice things about you. :-)