my hero (I MET HER!!!!)

During Genres this week, one of my classmates mentioned that Anne Lamott would be in Seattle this week, doing a promo for her newest book Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. This totally rocked my socks off because I was introduced to Lamott's writing this semester via Genres.

I've only had the privilege of reading Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, but it was like reading a journal of the inner workings of my mind at some points. Her genuine spirit, her willingness to be bluntly, candidly real in her books shook me awake to authenticity. (We need so much more of it!)

Well, tonight, I went to hear her speak at First Baptist Church in Seattle. (For future reference: First Baptist is on the corner of Seneca and Harvard. [And online directions suck.]) Meghan came with--yay!--and we met up with Princess there. Unfortunately, as Seattle has the most ridiculous street layout ever imagined and produced, and since online directions SUCK, P missed the lecture/reading/q & a since she was driving around for an hour.

HOWEVER: we all met Anne Lamott. I repeat: WE MET ANNE FLIPPIN' LAMOTT. And she is everything we pictured her to be, and nothing like how we imagined at the same time. (Quote borrowed from Meghan.) In her short dreads and pink Ross vest, she seemed like the world's coolest mom ever--down to earth, but creative and willing to be straight with you at all times. (Thank you, Sam Lamott, for sharing her with us all!)

So Anne Lamott signed Princess' Ketchikan bag, shook Meghan's hand, and signed my copy of Traveling Mercies. We were so giddily foolish at having met her that everything we said made no sense, and Princess and Meghan both shrieked and jumped around once we were outside of the building. (Meghan: I can still feel her thumb on my hand! Princess: She signed my bag!!!)

Afterwards, we decided to find a place to eat. Meghan and I got to the area two hours early, so we ate dinner beforehand. Note: we ate at a restaurant called The Rosebud. Also of note (and correct me if I get this wrong, Meghan): there was a newspaper clipping proclaiming the Rosebud as a runner up in some "best gay restaurant in Seattle" contest. Thing. Honestly, I wouldn't have noticed anything if Meghan hadn't pointed that out to me. I'm so blindly naive in American culture!

Anyhow, the food was pretty good, a little unusual, and it was a fun setting. Our waiter was so over the top sweet in serving, and just a great guy. When we were about to leave, he asked us first if we were over 21, then told us about a show that he's playing at next week at Chop Suey. He described his band's style as "dark wave, sort of ghostly, sexy and romantic" and I'm leaving out a bunch of adjectives, but I give him props for self-promotion. I doubt I'll go since it's during the week and I'm way too tired these days to try to take in a rock show, let alone one that sounds so experimental. But my curiosity is indeed piqued.

But back to the three of us finding a place to eat after meeting Anne Lamott. (WE MET ANNE LAMOTT!!!) We decided the B & O Cafe was a good choice, so we headed off in search of it. Walking through Seattle is always an experience, and I love running across the interesting characters that make the Emerald City their home. For instance, we passed a goth guy who looked like a cross between Edward Scissorhands and something anime. I give him props for the vinyl trenchcoat.

The problem with choosing the B&O Cafe is that we kind of knew where we were going. So we wandered for awhile with no success. I texted a friend to figure out the street location. That helped sorta. Then we called another friend who looked up the address online. On Olive and Belmont. (The name makes sense now!) Problem: there is an Olive Street and an Olive Way, both of which cross Belmont. So...we ended up asking a Middle Eastern convenience store clerk how to get there. And then we hiked through a bunch of alleys and finally got to where we wanted to go.

I would just like to say that hanging out with Meghan and Princess tonight was the best thing I could have done. It's not that I completely disappear when I'm busy and stressed, but especially for people who aren't in the dorms, I have a hard time getting together with them. And, well, this semester has been busy and hard. Not like LAST semester, but still not super easy. Either I'm more compliant with God these days, or He's just not pushing as hard. Maybe both.

But right now, I'm too tired to contemplate or say anymore except that it was amazing, and if you ever, ever, EVER have the opportunity to hear Anne Lamott, drop everything and go.