Book Signing

Wed., Nov. 28, 2007

My mom is a huge Food Network fan, so for Christmas I thought it would be cool to get her an autographed copy of Paula Deen’s book. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as I had hope during my first try (see Nov. 4 blog entry), but being persistent, I wasn’t about to give up.

I went to Paula’s Web site and read under the Paula’s Schedule section that she would be at the Book-a-Million at Dupont Circle in D.C. on Nov. 28. My mission was to attend the event and get the book singed for my mom.

The signing was to take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Unaware of what the crowd would be like; I got there very early which was good because a line had already formed. My friend Eric (on the right in the photo above) joined me for the adventure. I arrived with books I had purchased in advance but was told by a bookstore rep that Paula would only be signing her holiday recipe book. So I went and bought two copies of it and got in line. The cashier handed me a list of “regulations” with my books.

I understand the need for some sort of organization to get the line to move in an orderly fashion, but two of the bullet points I found to be ridiculous … you could only get one specific book of hers signed and it couldn't be personalized!!! The whole point of getting a book signed is the excitement that the author made the inscription out to you personally. I even put a Post-it Note on the book with my mom’s name neatly printed for Paula’s convenience but that was disregarded.

I had brought my camera of course … another one of the “rules” was that there would be no individual pictures allowed. When you got to her table, you were to give your camera to the bookstore staff member and he took a picture for you, thus the lovely shot of the back of me.

Paula’s husband Michael was with her and signed the books also. When I reached Paula at the signing table I presented her with a candid photo I had taken from the D.C. cooking expo of her and her husband smooching. She graciously thanked me, showed her husband and said it was a beautiful photo which was cool.

After we got our books signed, Eric and I grabbed a bite at a nearby restaurant named Circa. It was a delicious meal and a nice way to end a successful pursuit.

Sabres Rule the Rink

Mon., Nov. 26, 2007

I went to the Sabres / Caps game at the Verizon Center in D.C. with my dad and little bro. Our seats were in section 416, row G. The crowd was very sparse, which wasn’t surprising considering it was a Monday evening. The game started at 7 p.m. but due to lovely traffic we arrived at 7:25 p.m. right in the middle of a good old-fashioned hockey fight.

During the first intermission my brother and I walked around scoping out all the fans. Sabres fans waaaaaaay outnumber Caps fans. There were an array of Sabres jerseys everywhere you looked -- from the classic blue circle logo, to the fierce black/red Buffalo, to the current gold/blue swoosh Buffalo. One big guy had on an original jersey, a large Sabres flag that he wore like a cape and a buffalo horns cap. There was an entire family dressed in matching jerseys who I dubbed the Von Sabres.

I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the action because my cell phone had died. It was a great game overall … the Sabres beat the Caps 3 to 1!!! The next time these two teams face-off will be on Fri., Dec. 14. I’ll make sure my cell phone is fully charged to capture highlights.

Cooking in D.C. Y'all

Sun., Nov. 4, 2007

I heard on the local news that the Food Network's popular host, Ms. Paula Deen, would be making a personal appearance at the Washington Convention Center as part of the 2007 Metropolitan Cooking & Entertainment Show. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see her in action. I bought a ticket to her noon food preparation demo.

Since her segment was one of many events planned for the cooking expo, I expected to be sitting in a modest reserved section on the convention floor that would hold about 50 - 100 people. I was wrong. One of her sponsors, Land O'Lakes, had set up a huge makeshift theatre that accommodated a crowd of approximately 500 fans!

Paula's husband Michael Groover, a character himself, introduced her and was her sidekick on stage. Paula was even more lively and entertaining in person than she is on TV. Throughout the show she'd get sidetracked by things audience members were shouting. She shared some personal stories and asked the sign language interpreter to show her how to sign the words spit and poop. After she would taste a completed dish, she would spit food out while trying to talk and apologized for doing so.

The dean of the culinary school at Stratford University cooked all the meals while Paula explained which ingredients to use and how to prepare the tasty dishes. The first Paula Deen recipe he made was gumbo, followed by southern cornbread and then pumpkin gooey butter cake with fresh whipped cream. I can't tell you how they tasted (I wish I could), but I can tell you they looked deeeeelicious!

The show lasted a little more than an hour. When it ended I had hoped to get her to sign her latest book "It Ain't All About the Cookin," but unfortunately that didn't happen. Apparently, very early that morning her sponsors had given out a limited number of bracelets to people, granting them access to get their books signed. Denied autograph aside, it was still a fun afternoon.

Classic Rock

Fri., Nov. 1, 2007

Van Halen at the Verizon Center ... the sold out event included an evening of guitar solos (Eddie), a drum solo (Alex), a flamboyant lead singer (Dave) and a young bass guitar player (Wolf). The lighting and stage design -- a ramp, several speakers and a giant projection screen in the background were simple, yet visually appealing. Right before the band took the stage, Valerie Bertinelli made her way through the audience to her seat with what appeared to be bodyguards and her boyfriend. The crowd went nuts shouting her name. She smiled and waved. I heard through the grapevine that she tries to make it to every performance and gets emotional at the sight of her son Wolfgang on stage.

OK, back to the show ... it was my first time seeing Van Halen in concert, so I can't make a past comparison. They sounded great musically and vocally and seemed to get along well considering their history together. They played a little more than three hours with mini breaks where one of them would do a solo while the others disappeared and then would subtly return. At various points Dave waved a huge red flag in a choreographed manner. It made me wonder if he was trying out for color guard!? Later he proudly twirled a large silver baton. I don't know about you, but when I think rock star, I don't think baton twirler. He did some of his signature kick spins which was cool at first, but after the twentieth one it was annoying. We get it Dave, you can still kick, enough already. Eddie owned the stage during his lengthy guitar solo and looked very fit. He must take the same fountain of youth pills as Dick Clark, because he looked younger than he did years ago. Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolf did a great job on bass keeping up the pace with his seasoned bandmates. Throughout the show him and Eddie would pair up and jam together. Eddie’s pride in his son was very evident. Overall, it was an entertaining night.