WHAT CAN HAPPEN AT A BOOKSIGNING

Judi took this video at Ridley's and my Books and Books signing yesterday; it's me recounting how two people in the audience -- known on this blog as Mad Scientist and Mike Weasel -- first met at one of our signings for Peter and the Starcatchers in California back in 2004. They wound up getting married and producing a sequel.

 In case you're wondering why Ridley is wearing a sling: He was attacked by ravens. Ridley can't write for a while; he had a stamp made so he can stamp his signature on people's books. He also stamped his signature on the bottom of Zoe's Halloween-themed pumpkin-colored diaper.

Comments

[nursecindy]

Poor Ridley. I'm currently in a sling also and it is no fun at all. Ridley I sincerely hope that your arm gets better very soon. I also hope you are getting the same pharmacological help that I'm getting, iykwim.

[Clankie]

I missed the intro to this. Is this " Occupy Bookstore " ...?

[Jeff Meyerson]

Aw, nice. For those who didn't know, Zoe is Mad & Mike's little pirate.

[PirateBoy]

Pumpkin colored diaper, or too much fruit?

As for Ridley, is he Slingin' in the Rain?

[Siouxie]

Aww...I wish I could have met Mad & Mike!!

Feel better, Ridley! Miami ravens are vicious. Maybe they would be a good name for a football team ;)

[MOTW]

wishes Mad and Mike would come back to the blog every now and then

[Madweaselscientist]

I'm here MOTW. Just busy with my little sequel. I was thinking of you the other day.

[Madweaselscientist]

Sets up the Britney DNA experiment and tosses some snickerdoodles to pliskin

[rita]

Where's the "like" button?

[BrianB54]

Tenth! Wow. I don't know how long it has been since I've MOATed but at least long enough for Mad and Mike to have a kid.

**Waves at Mad, Mike, and Zoe**
**waves at new MOAT**

[neophyte]

I'm trying to "like" it too, Rita. It's a ZoeMOAT! YAY

[rita]

Mad, I'm afraid that your DNA experiment failed. Britney reproduced. Couldn't you have at least removed the stupid gene?

However, I'm very glad that you and Mike reproduced. You sure did good :)

[rita]

Hey, neo!

[neophyte]

Hey, rita! Happy Halloween, and a joyous New Moat!

[Madweaselscientist]

Whee the stupid gene came from KFed. You know what is amazing? All of you. This group of people that has been together for 6 years or more. I know many of you in person. Seen life's ups and downs with all of you. I really do count all of you as friends. This blog is a magical place.

[Higgy]

I saw Dave and Ridley in San Fran at the end of September - I told Dave we left the giant leetiehead at home - and he said "oh, you're HIGGY!" - he called Ridley over and they signed my book before they talked! Gotta love Dave, gotta love the Blog!! Hope to meet Zoe someday too!

[Madweaselscientist]

For sure higgy maybe next time we are in LA we can work something out.

[djtonyb]

*sets up bar and fills hot tub with jell-o*

[trillian]

snork @ "sequel"

that's some well written DNA code

[Mike Weasel]

Good mornin MOATies!

[Leetie]

*Loves the moaties*

[Kibby F5™]

Moved the current MOAT over!

Hi guys and gals.

*breaks out slip(e) 'n slide*

Who's got the Twister spinner?

[Madweaselscientist]

Kibby you read my mind. I was wondering where the slip n slide went too
Covers self in slippery pudding and slides away

[Kibby F5™]

Mad, after watching the video you posted on FB my FIRST! thought was "Where's the Leetie Head!?"

Now we'll have to start taking diapers ... and not our own.

[Kibby F5™]

Y!'s updated!

[Graz]

Wow, I remember way back when I would hurry home from work to get to my desktop computer to spend time on the MOAT making useless comments, and now I'm able to make useless comments from my phone. See what technology has wrought!

[Kaffy]

Technology is a fabulous thing! So is the MOAT and also the sequels!

*pours a MOATarita and slings coconut bra into the wind*

[neophyte]

Hey, I just got wind of the fact that there is coconut-bra-slinging going on around here! A fact that hits hard. *rubs lump on head*

[jamester]

We were sad to see Mad and the Weasel go, but glad to meet Zoe not too long ago.And it wasn't a Costco, it was a Sam's Club.
Hi, everybody!

[Mike Weasel]

Heh, I mumbled that when he said that but didn't want to interrupt.

[Madweaselscientist]

Oh well Jamester I'm sure the day was more memorable for the 3 of us than for Dave.

[Kaffy]

Whoops. Sorry, Neo!

So what's everyone been up to lately?

[Madweaselscientist]

So nice to see all my old friends around. *Giant MOAT hugs*

[BrianB54]

You gotta love it when a plan comes together. Nice turnout for the MOAT reunion! I hope everyone has been enjoying good times and great friends!

[djtonyb]

The heydays of the MOAT were before I had a facebook account, so Dave's blog was the extent of my social networking back then. Now we can share photos and silly comments much more easily on facebook, and though we may not be as funny as we used to be (I forget who complained about that...) we're all still nuts! I love you guys and gals and various MOATmonsters!

*tosses a snickerdoodle to Fluffy*

[Madweaselscientist]

*sneezes out some exploding confetti*

[neophyte]

BOOGER!

[Kibby F5™]

recap

Kaf throwing bras
snickerdoodles to pliskin
fb and social networking
mobile MOATing now possible

we're still nuts

How much things change and how much they stay the same.

Kibby's F2 is now F9 (but still called F2) and he's getting to the States for Christmas for the FIRST! time since 1997! ... alas, without F2 ...

[Jeff Meyerson]

neo! rita! Kaffy! everyone!

Higgy, saw the pictures of you guys with Dave. Great stuff. We thought of you in Vegas last month too. Almost got some salt & vinegar chips at that place in the Forum Shops but instead we ate lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

Polly PI was back on the last MOAT for a while. She & Michael have two more kids, including her first girl!

Kaf, we've done a lot of traveling this year and have to go back to Arizona in early January again, for my parents' 65th anniversary.

We'll be in Florida for the usual winter trip from late January to early March.

*kvells*

[Jeff Meyerson]

Kaffy: what's the update on Christchurch? It looked really devastated after the quake and aftershocks. But there have been so many other freakish weather events - we even felt an earthquake here! - that it has totally gone out of US news.

[Susan]

Kibby, what part of the states? I'm still bummed that I missed you last year, just cause I had a dr appointment.

Still in the madness of high school football. Adding a new team to the PDBSN crew this week, so it's even more of a madhouse.

Never mind the political stuff...

[Madweaselscientist]

Susan how far off I-95 are you?

[Jeff Meyerson]

She's not so far away, Mad. We drove there going south through Lumberton, NC and when we left Cheraw cut more or less straight across back to 95.

[Kibby F5™]

Susan, I'm headed into and out of Tampa but driving to Pitts with the kids for New Years. I'll be passing by on both the 28th and 2nd (or there abouts). We could probably slip off 95 at Florence and pick up 73 at Rockingham taking the corner off.

Mad, I think she's about 1 hour off the Interstate. Maybe a little less if you continue north to around Sellers or Dillon. But I remember route 52 from Florence being a larger road, hence better time.

I'll see about dropping in for a travel break or something like that. We'll keep in touch.

[Madweaselscientist]

Kibby maybe we could come to Tampa for lunch one day.

Susan- if you are available maybe we could stop in the Sat after Thanksgiving. We will be driving back down 95 then

[Madweaselscientist]

Leetie and other NoVa bloglits we could arrange a quick stop near DC if interested

[Leetie]

That would be cool!

[Kaffy]

Jeff, the news with Christchurch is that it's pretty devastated. I'm going to be back there for Christmas and New Year and there's a large part of me that doesn't want to see what's happening right now. So much has had to be demolished, the inner city is essentially going to have to be rebuilt. New buildings will have extremely strict height and safety requirements. The council just opened up a part of the inner city again that's been shut down since February and it looks like a completely different place. I'm glad they're doing something, though. Here's a friend's photos of what the new city centre looks like and here are a couple of before shots, the first one being the area you can see in the album shots looking over the fence to the demolition area. It's quite a sobering contrast.

My flat is still standing, despite everything, although it's in the blue zone (which means it's fine for now, but there's potential for another big shake to kick the crap out of it) so I live in hope and will just bite the bullet when my insurance goes up in the new year. Insurance is a precious thing these days. Life is a precious thing. All in all, I'm much luckier than many many people and I don't take it for granted.

BOOGER! And somebody love me a coffee please?

[Jeff Meyerson]

*hugs Kaffy*

What a disaster. I know this country is amazingly self-involved but occasionally things happening in other countries made an impact. However, Down Under seems so far away physically and otherwise that I think it's almost regarded as another world.

There are a lot of actors from Australia and New Zealand working in American movies and television yet it doesn't seem to make a dent.

[Madweaselscientist]

*loves Kaf a coffee*

[neophyte]

*loves Kaf*

[Kaffy]

Awww, thank you all! *sniffles*

*gropes back*

Jeff, quite randomly, I just had your sister (Betsy) pop up as a friend suggestion on Facebook. I have no idea why. How are your family (and your adorable nieces) now?

[Jeff Meyerson]

FIne. I don't know why that should have happened, other than that Betsy seems to spend an inordinate amount of time (IMHO) on Facebook. The girls are doing very well in school.

[Kibby F5™]

Mad that would be great! But I'm only going to be there the 17th - 26th of Dec. I don't want you to mess up your pre-Christmas. But we'd love to see you.

I'm actually on the St. Pete side of the bay.

Got a bit of late season sailing in on Sun. Another blue sky day today, but of coarse I have to werk //shudder\\

[Kibby F5™]

GADS! Forecast calling for snow in 10 days! Sunny until then in the 50s to 40s. Guess I should plan to pull the boat this weekend. Season's over....

[Jeff Meyerson]

Snow in St. Pete?

*checks for Hell freezing over*

[Madweaselscientist]

Still have the air on here

[Kibby F5™]

cats & dogs dating....

[Kibby F5™]

RIP Smokin' Joe

[Jeff Meyerson]

Yeah, that was sad, Kibby. Did you see the Czech item on the main blog?

It's going to be 68 here today, mad. Not quite air conditioner weather but pretty nice for November.

[rita]

Anyone coming to the Keys? We won't make it to Virginia for Thanksgiving this year. I have to fly to Richmond every 6-8 weeks to see my retinologist, and that's taken up all of our discretionary income. If you can call two small pensions and one Social Security "income".

On the positive side, I get to visit my family every few weeks (my parents are in their 80s) and see the doctor of my choice, and it costs 1/3 of the price of going to a retinologist in Miami. And that includes r/t from Key West :) Win/win :)

[rita]

P.S. I've missed you guys (those of you who aren't on Timesuck I mean facebook).

[Kibby F5™]

WOW! Round trip Key West/Richmond AND the doctor is 1/3rd the Miami price!? Gads! We've a finance director that rt's from, I believe, Jacksonville to DC weekly. I've (sorta) been hoping to arrange a similar job from St. Pete to Miami - maybe even a live aboard boat in Ft. Laud. during the weekdays.... (I'll keep dreaming.)

Rita, one of my goals IS to get down there when visiting the kids, just won't be this trip.

[Jeff Meyerson]

rita, doesn't look like we'll get to the Keys this year either (we traveled a LOT in 2011) but maybe we could meet you somewhere near Mad & Mike. We'll be in West Palm Beach from the end of January to the first week in March.

[rita]

Sometime in January we're going to a house concert in West Palm; maybe it'll work out to get together with you all. I'll be in Richmond Feb 9-14, but otherwise the schedule is clear. I think. I have fewer brain cells than I did a few years ago :)

Kibby, that's not to say that Key West-RIC is cheap; it's usually $320 rt, but AirTran had a good sale and I got two rt flights for $180 each. I hate that trip to Ft Lauderdale (at least three hours each way) so it works out well. Even if it's $100 more to fly out of Key West, it's worth it. It's a very small airport and TSA doesn't grope.

We'd love to have any of the MOATies visit us :) Right now the pool water is 62 degrees so *I'm* not going in it, but you can ;)

[rita]

Jeff, if you and Jackie want to make the 4+ hour drive, you're welcome to stay with us. The house is a total fixer-upper (and was cheap enough that we paid cash for it), but the guest room is decent :)

[Leetie]

Do you, Kibby, Kind Keeper of Moat archives, or any of the Moat old timers happen to have a notation as to when Sly's Thanksgiving vibrator story first showed up? Or a copy of it saved somewhere?

[Susan]

Mad, the Saturday after Thanksgiving would be wonderful. I think I may have football that Friday, but Saturday should be clear.

Kibby, the 28th would work,,,the second I'll have to check. I'm still bummed that I had a doctor visit the last time you were nearby.

My mother is on FB.

She just asked me about the Thanksgiving Vibrator.

I don't think I summed it up as well as Sly.

[rita]

Auuugggghhhhh!!!!!!! Once in a while my mom mentions that facebook looks like so much fun. I tell her that it's a timesuck and she wouldn't like it.

Geez, I don't even use my real name on there....

[Kibby F5™]

*goes in search of Thanksgiving Vibrators*

Leetie, there were quite a few complete MOATs saved to Y! as text files. These were the early ones and I don't recall which year it came out....

Susan, "nearby"!? Heck, Jane took our photo! ;-) F22's having vacation-time problems and don't know how it'll affect the trip.... kids.

*googles Thanksgiving Vibrator*

[trillian]

here's where the FIRST! telling is:
http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2004/11/christmas_is_co_1/comments/page/2/#comments

[trillian]

lets try that again

[Kibby F5™]

Leetie, the closest I can come up with is ...

Slyeyes, your story about the vibrator was just incredible.
I'm still picturing someone like my mom saying, "Could you use a vibrator? It might come in handy." ... because she did like to use the word "handy" alot... made me giggle.

Posted by: Leetie on November 12, 2004 11:00 AM

I've gone backwards from that and haven't been able to find anything.

*continues the search for Thanksgiving Vibrators*

[Susan]

Kibby, it was nearby to me...since I never saw you. I think I was in Hartsville when you were in Cheraw, about 30 miles away.

And I never saw pictures.

Jane took pictures? :)

[Jeff Meyerson]

Thanks for finding that, Trillian. Still a classic, even seven years later. Christobol always cracks me up.

[Madweaselscientist]

Jeff Jimmy Buffet is playing Miami in January

Susan send me your phone number on Facebook and I'll call when we get close to see how things are going.

[rita]

Buffett did a free concert on Duval Street last weekend, just 30 miles from here.

I, of course, was visiting my grandkids in Orlando.

Auuuuugggggghhhhhhhh

[Kaffy]

I had one of those moments today, rita! I found a play that looked really interesting (and for the drool factor, starred Scott Bakula) at a small theatre here in London. Bad news? The run finished freakin' YESTERDAY. Boo hiss.

[LabSpecimen]

I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.

[Kibby F5™]

Prognosis Lab?

[Leetie]

Conditional?

Thank you to all seekers and googlers and finders of vibrator stories!!! It has been posted in the f/b group, "SAVE THE THANKSGIVING VIBRATOR." Please join us in our efforts to protect this valuable resource of humor.

[jamester]

Jamester Update: ran in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon on Saturday, finished in about 2:50. Hadn't run in a distance event in about 11 years. I wasn't last. Woohoo!

[Kibby F5™]

YAY JAMESTER! Kibby couldn't run that if his life depended on it - maybe if his life depended on it, but he wouldn't be happy about it!

[Jeff Meyerson]

Excellent, jamester. COngrats.

Kaffy, Jackie would have been very upset at missing Mr. Bakula too.

Mad, we will be getting to Florida that day so will not see the concert (only "restricted view" seats seem to be available). We saw him three times this year anyway - Jazzfest in New Orleans, Jones Beach in August, Vegas in October.

Did you see he is guest starring on the new Hawaii Five-O this coming Monday?

No Facebook here but will let you know the numbers before we come down.

Leetie, thought of you when I saw that bacon story on the blog yesterday. Yum.

[Leetie]

Jeff, I'm glad that I'm associated with something so delicious! :)

*goes to check the bacon link*

...oh. Bacon lube.

Have you ever heard the Cathy Ladman comedy routine about the 3 wise men?

"My best friend is Lutheran, and she was telling me that when Jesus was born, the three wise men came to visit him, and they brought as gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Myrrh? To a baby shower? I guess Mary was very polite about it.

'Oh, myrrh.'

'How lovely. One never can have enough myrrh. They call themselves wise men, and they bring myrrh? Couldn't it be something we need, like a cradle? Jesus Christ.'"

So... 'oh, bacon lube.' And pig noses?
*considers realigning herself with melon baller*

[Kaffy]

Balls!

That is all.

[trillian]

rum balls?

[Madweaselscientist]

Sweaty balls

[Kibby F5™]

Gads! We're now onto Guy parts?

.... gee, that took years.

Back from seeing F2, SHE'S GETTING BIG! Had a good time and, once again, Daddy had a tuff time keeping up - but in a good way.

Found out F22's leaving the Tampa area just before Daddy gets there for Christmas - another plan gone north!

Oh, Kibby's been invited to a Christmas Tree decoration party. He's been advised to go as one of the Wise Men (have the Arabic outfit) and if he does he's decided to be the one bringing "Mirth", after all, isn't it wiser to bring humo(u)r?

Oh, wow, the comment box is now expandable!

[Susan]

I think I had an official press release on the bacon lube a few weeks ago. I get all the good stuff.

[Madweaselscientist]

Well nO Leetie this trip. Still hoping to meet Susan.

[Jeff Meyerson]

And speaking of bacon:

Wines That Rock, a collaboration between legendary music managers RZO and California-based Mendocino Wine Co., has released a new addition to their rock ’n’ roll-inspired lineup.

The makers have teamed up with Grateful Dead Productions to launch Steal Your Face Red Blend, a fruity mix bottled in Ukiah, Calif.

Described as a “distinctively unique mix of black cherries and peppered bacon with a velvety vanilla and caramel finish,” Steal Your Face Red Blend celebrates the Grateful Dead’s famous improvisional concerts.

[Madweaselscientist]

Happy belated Thanksgiving and belated Happy Birthday Jeff and Fish. Susan is a sweet heart!!

[neophyte]

Today my son was telling me about an assignment for school. The students were to participate in a debate. My son told his classmates that if they researched the topic, he would research how to win the debate. He actually submitted as a source Dave Barry's article about "How to Win an Argument." I am so proud. (His teacher was significantly less impressed.)

[Kibby F5™]

Hope everyone that's of the turkey eating variety had a wonderful "Kill the Bird and Eat!" day, a.k.a. Thanksgiving.

Kibby had his annual feast that included 15 guests, 1, 22 lb turkey, stuffing (2 loaves of bread), mashed potatoes (about 3 lbs), 3 pumpkin & 1 apple pie, 2 cans beans, 3 cans corn and an unknown qty of wine (think the bottles have been taken to recycling so I can't count...maybe). Come midnight very few wanted to quit and though Kibby had Fri. off, the others didn't.

Kibby continued with a friend until 8 a.m. - paid for it all day Fri.

Good times!

[Jeff Meyerson]

Thanks, Mad. Glad you guys were able to get together.

We're enjoying unusual November weather the last few days - mid-60's.

neo, that proves you brought him up right!

Sounds good, Kibby. We had a turkey breast (just for the two of us), stuffing, potatoes, chestnuts, cranberry jello mold, and chocolate pudding pie for my birthday. And we had enough leftovers for two more days, which is essential (especially for the stuffing).

[Kibby F5™]

NEVER have any stuffing left over. I'm thinking next year to make 3 loafs of bread worth. Oh, reminds me that sage is now on the US Shopping list.

*starts list*
sage

[rita]

Need fresh basil? I have approximately 3 tons growing in the garden.

[Susan]

I have rosemary. A HUGE amount.

No leftovers; we ate out. Oh well.

I met Mad, Mike, and Zoe!!! Very wonderful people.

[Kibby F5™]

F2 has rosemary growing in her garden too. She and a friend walks around the neighborhood giving free twigs out. They grow like weeds!

Fresh basil is great! ... don't think I could get it back on the plane though...