Has it really been two months since
THE EVENT happened? Doesn't seem possible, does it?
I can say without any hesitation that the
weekend of July 19 was my best weekend I've had
since I moved out to Virginia over three years ago.
In fact, it will go down as one of the BEST
weekends of my life.
How could ten incredibly diverse women possibly
expect to get along? To click? I firmly believe
that there is only one reason for this. Each TTP
BB/N has a generous/wonderful heart.
So often we get hung up on looks and body types
and beauty and age and class and money. When we get
beyond these things and accept what is beneath the
surface, well, MAGIC happens. And magic mostly
definitely took place this weekend.
For five months, we chatted back and forth,
posted responses on the boards, wrote each other
e-mails, worked on ADWOFF, and even talked to one
another on the phone. When the idea of making TTP
into THE EVENT became reality (it was like the
domino effect ... first Debby ... then Wym ... then
Joan and Sis), we believed enough in each other to
make hotel reservations, to welcome "strangers"
into our homes, to totally trust.
Since I have come to know Nora over the past
seven months, it is common knowledge that I think
she's the best. But never, ever, in my wildest
imagination, did I expect that by reading her
novels, I would meet so many wonderful people ---
make great friendships --- gain a whole new family.
One of the highlights of the TTP weekend was
when Sweet Jenn, my cyber-daughter, called and talk
to us. We so wanted her to be there with us, but
since she could not, her phone call was the next
best thing. (We are very proud of Jenn --- she
works tirelessly for charities --- and a prior
commitment to one kept her from being able to fly
out.)
Two months after THE EVENT, I still get a warm
fuzzy feeling when I remember back. I remember the
defining moments ... seeing Diane walking toward me
in National Airport, two hours ahead of time.
Meeting Carolyn---with her gorgeous smile. Waiting
anxiously for Wym to get off the plane ... and
seeing this Broad flip open her vest to reveal TTP
Buttons on each one of her boobs, which we know
hang down to Mexico & beyond (see, Carolyn,
I'll say it! LOL!) ...
As embarrassing as the rental car situation was
for Wym, it , too, was a defining moment. It
allowed us to laugh at one another and with each
other. Of course, when Joan's flight finally
arrived close to 11:30 PM and there was no Joan,
well, we searched hard for our senses of humor!
Debby Does Dulles ... very well, I might add!
Here Wym, Sis, and I thought we'd be cute and try
to guess Debby. We had insisted on "no
descriptions." ROTF ... I stood there with the
camcorder rolling, hoping to catch that magical
moment when we'd first see Debby. As more and more
people came off that plane, our "cute" idea didn't
seem so cute anymore. Thank goodness Debby had
enough sense to carry a sign!
Ironically, Joan was in the airport as we were
waiting for Debby. We broads had put our heads
together trying to figure out how we'd catch up
with her, wondering if Tracey would drive to Dulles
... and she was right there!
Tracey was fabulous ... especially when we
played our little "guess who we are" game right
there in the hotel lobby in front of Mark. (We did
the same thing to Nora the next day.)
Though Nancy and her sister Lanell were due in
that night, we ended up missing them. We went to
eat dinner, and while we were refueling, they had
arrived and were so wiped out by the drive that
they hit the hay. Thus, my first meeting of Nancy
is really not STAND out memorable ... incredible
because she left a STAND OUT INCREDIBLE IMPRESSION
UPON ME.
Wendy flew into the hotel room as I was busy
typing a post for you broads out in cyberspace. The
instant hug ... the complete at ease and
friendliness ... once again had me marveling at how
well we were "clicking."
Who was left? Well, besides Nora & her
family?! The proud owner of That Bookstore in
Danville, Jaci. Once again I was overwhelmed with
the sense that I knew her ... that I knew all of
these ladies so very well ...
There literally was not one moment where there
was painful silence ... when no one had anything to
say ... which sometimes happens when you get
together with friends or with relatives --- there
always seems to be awkward times, but with this
group, I can honestly say it just didn't happen.
Other defining moments came when several ladies
from the boards who were not a part of our group
approached me and talked to me ... Martha Ann (aka
Madahenry), Fran (aka Fran317), and Laura (aka
Lareeth). Of course, it was rather easy to figure
out who I was with the TTP T-shirt I had on, which
also had my screenname on the back! <g>
When we entered TTP, the first person we
targeted was Dan. He was instantly mobbed &
hugged by most of us; Jason mostly sat back with a
bemused smile on his face. I don't think he could
quite believe what was happening. Bruce? Well, I
think Nora neglected to mention to him that she
encouraged us to arrive early! During that first
frantic hour, he worked hard at getting everything
set-up. Then, as the day progressed, the relaxed
& charming BW came out to play! A defining
moment for me with Bruce came at the end of the
weekend. We were in the parking lot of Ruby
Tuesdays getting group shots taken with Nora around
her BMW. He started off by wanting to take his own
picture of us ... instantly eight cameras appeared
at his feet! He handled that like a real trooper.
This was impressive. But the look on his face when
we all looked up & saw Joan bouncing down the
steps of Ruby Tuesdays ... and we realized that we
had missed her in all the other shots ... we could
literally see on BW's face, "I'll be damned if I'm
gonna take these pictures again!" LOL! We took pity
on him and had him snap just one or two more shots.
When Pat Gaffney (aka The Lying Slut ... aka The
Slut) arrived, it took me a moment to realize that
this incredibly thin lady was THE SLUT! Then, me
being me, I whispered in a soft voice, "I betcha
that's the Slut." When she finally heard me, a slow
smile broke across her face, and she said, "You
must be the Noraholics." I wonder what her first
clue was?! Pat lived up to her e-mails that we had
exchanged & the articles that she had written
for ADWOFF #2 & #3 ... it is easy to see why
she and Nora are such pals ... both have tremendous
hearts.
Elaine, Beth, and Beth's daughter Paige arrived
together. Beth surprised me with how low-key she
was. LOL! She tends to be a tad bit outspoken on
AOL's boards! Elaine surprised me in how
"put-together" she was. Now, don't take that wrong!
You have to understand that she was the one to most
likely miss the deadline for ADWOFF #3 (like The
Slut) ... Then I found out that Elaine lives here
in Fredericksburg. One of these days I'm going to
find her house & bang on the door & say,
"Elaine! Write FASTER! I've finished your books
& I want MORE!" (I have finished her three
novels ... hmmm ... wonder if she needs any help
with revisions!) <eg>
Unfortunately I did not get to talk with
Christine Dorsey as much as I would have like to.
In fact, not a one of us took a picture of her ...
:-( ... What really amazed me, though, was how tiny
she was. For some reason or another, I figured she
was 5'7" or taller!
And last BUT certainly NOT least, our most
favorite broad, Nora. I think what stands out most
for me with Nora is that here you have this
incredibly successful writer ... she's known
throughout the world ... yet she is so much like us
... no pretenses ... no airs ... give her a Diet
Pepsi, some fries, and a cigarette, and she is one
happy camper.
As you surf around ADWOFF #4, you will see time
and time again how gracious and generous Nora is.
She had to be the most photographed person in the
U.S. that weekend! We literally asked her to sign
anything that wasn't nailed down.
But probably the most defining moment for me
with Nora was her reaction to leaving her keys in
her BMW convertible --- which also just happened to
be parked in a handicapped spot! Did Nora throw a
fit? Did she become incredibly embarrassed? Nope.
She laughed (well, after she breathed a huge sigh
of relief).
Then she asked the question of the weekend,
"Sue, you want to go for a ride?" OMG! This after
spending time with us in Ruby Tuesdays, this after
patiently allowing picture after picture to be
snapped of her. And then Debby went ... then Sis
... then Tracey ... she literally would've taken
every one of us for spin around that parking lot.
After the last spin around the lot, most people
would have stayed in the car and said, "Okay ...
gotta go ... thanks for everything ... take care."
But we all know that Nora is not most people. She
parked her car in the other handicapped spot and
pronounced, "I cannot leave without my hugs!"
And so it went with everyone else as she went we
were our separate ways. With the exception of Joan
(she escaped from me when I went to use the
facilities), hugs (firm embraces! <g>) were
are way of saying, "Wow! What a GREAT time! WOW! I
really like you! WOW! I have a friend. A good
friend."
I have but three regrets about this weekend. We
did not get a picture with ALL of the BB/Ns
together. We did not get a picture with ALL of the
authors who were signing. We didn't get a picture
with Nora & her men. Oh, and one more thing, it
went by too damn fast!
Turn The Page Bookstore Cafe will be celebrating
its third birthday next July ... only ten months
away ... only ten months ... hmm ... how many days
is that!?!
For those of you on AOL, you know that I
reported the events of THE EVENT online in posts. I
will reproduce them here ... but via links ... that
way you can pass over them if you've already read
them.
