Today after dinner we went to the park, a different one than we normally go to. It's a small, pretty one, tucked away behind the movie theaters and near an older part of Minden. We discovered it last week, and the novelty of the new and different play equipment hasn't worn off for you yet.
On the other side of the park, there were a bunch of kids and parents practicing t-ball. When we decided to take a stroll all the way around the park before heading home, we passed closer to the group, and I heard someone shout out, "Hey! Hi!"
It was your soccer coach from last season, Jake. Her husband was out in the middle of the bunch of kids, coaching t-ball.
Fine.
Except that the last that we saw of the two of them was the end-of-season soccer party. When I had given her my email address and told them to get ahold of us when it was time to do t-ball.
Now I don't know if she genuinely forgot us, or if this was an intentional SNUB, but... what-EV. But I just remember getting a vague feeling from her husband last year that he was already mentally trashing our email addy even as I was talking to him.
Ah well, Jakob. You have better things to do right now than stupid ol' t-ball anyway. We chatted for a bit, I admired her new baby with the insipid, preppy name and blotchy face, and then she hurried away.
Anyway, young man, you, YOU, got to meet Willy Vlautin a couple of nights ago. We drove to Reno after I got off work on Tuesday, and went to the bookstore and listened to Willy read some stuff from his new novel, Lean on Pete, play guitar and sing a few songs and then sign books.
We stood in line for quite a while before we made it up to the front. When we finally did, you plopped your new kid's book that I had just bought you down in front of him, slid it towards him, and said, "My name's Jakob." He laughed, I blushed. He said, "Sorry, buddy, I can't sign that. But I sure wish I could draw like that." He signed my book and we chatted a bit about how much I had enjoyed it. He was really taken aback that I had already read it, and I told him how I had pre-ordered it at amazon a couple weeks earlier. He couldn't seem to thank me enough for doing that. I should've let him know that I actually bought another there at the signing that night, so that he wouldn't think I was stiffing the bookstore. Oh well. I told him how he hadn't written anything yet that didn't make me cry bitterly at the end of it. He shrugged and said, "Yeah, I guess I'm just a sad sack like that." I got the two of you to sit still for a sec so I could snap your pic.
I'll tell you two a little secret... I have a wee little crush on Willy. I mean, look how handsome he is. Even though he still dresses like it's the '90s. I *loved* the '90s! And his hair is all mussed up like that because he runs his massive hands through it all the time, which is really endearing.
That was my first cute celebrity run-in this week.
Second, I got to interview the Drive-By Truckers for the magazine cover story this week! Well, kinda. Originally my editor had wanted me to interview them by phone. I died a little bit inside, because, as you know, I don't do phones. Face to face I can do, but phones are RIGHT OUT.
But then their publicist got back to us and told us they couldn't do a phone interview anyway, as they are on tour in Europe at the moment. (Last I heard, they have phones in Europe, but that is neither here nor there...) But she asked if we were interested in doing an email interview. So I came up with a dozen questions that were passed on to the lead singer, Patterson Hood.
Although my questions were quite in earnest, his answers were a bit pat and snarky, but eminently usable and quotable, so the "interview" in its entirety appears in tomorrow's magazine. Along with my adorable full-page layout. Hey. I can do it all.
Hopefully you guys will let me sneak away on Sunday night (Mother's Day! Of course you will!) to see them at the Crystal Bay Club.
So tomorrow is Friday, your guys' last chance to painstakingly paste and staple together wonderful Mother's Day projects at school. I expect to be showered with gifts all weekend!
Love you and sleep tight. Did I mention that you both smell really awesomely fantastic tonight? No? You do!
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