Dallas/Fort Worth Mudstock?

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[Cronopio]

Misfit, I hope you are feeling better soon and can join us!

I might make a sign, although -- as a sad veteran of many blind dates -- I can tell you that it's just not that difficult to spot strangers looking for each other 

[MissSunshine]

Whew!  I just got back from SP's Plano, Texas booksigning.  It was a clear, cold day and I arrived one hour before her scheduled arrival, where a crowd of several hundred people waited.  I went around to the side of the building, where a kind-faced policeman let me slip inside the cafe for a cup of hot chocolate.  After Palin arrived, no one was allowed in without a ticket, and only in groups.  This was a newly build, upscale European style neighborhood/shopping district and the people in the store, and outside, were dressed in middle to upper class clothes and neatly groomed.  And completely white.  The lady sitting next to me had recently moved to Texas and hoped she could escape "the gays" as she had lived in California and Maine which were entirely too liberal about such matters.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. I had almost decided SP was going to be late, when I heard the crowd outside the store give a muffled shout, and I stood at my table to see a flash of red jacket and brunette hair.  I grabbed my husband's digital camera and shot wildly in her direction, and a store person frowned and gestured angrily at me, mouthing "no pictures!"  I guess she went to the second level of the store in the elevator, as I did not see her go up the stairway, where those with press passes lumbered up the incline carrying cameras and tripods.  Ten or fifteen minutes passed, and then the groups of ticket holders were escorted in.

Nothing could be seen or heard of the second floor from the ground floor.  On the ground floor, the sales assistants stood idly about.  Originally, the second floor was to be closed off for Palin, and the ground floor was to be open for regular customers, but no one could get past security without a ticket.  There were policemen everywhere, and everyone seemed a bit cowed.  The Palin Police State.

Lisa showed up, and waved to me outside the cafe windows.  I asked both the policeman outside, and a store management lady if Lisa could join me at my table, but was told I should leave if I did not have a ticket.  Oh, well.  I gathered my things and left.

We walked around the well-manicured grounds, with statues of cowboys and cattle between the shops and chatted indoors at the nicest Dunkin Donunts location I had ever been in.  I showed her my copy of "Going Rogue" in which I had taped both The Slate and HuffPost indexes, and replaced the cover art with a funny art piece by Zina Saunders.  I was glad to see Lisa had brought a nice camera that she handled confidently.  She showed me a picture of Brian the Moose she had printed out.

We walked back to the store.  It was 1:00, and hour before the signing was to be over, and there were perhaps 50 or 60 people left in line.  Lisa and I got some pictures by the big blue bus, by the huge picture of Sarah with SarahPac - donate - support -  and the SarahPac address on the side.  Lisa tried to slip around the back, and get a shot of the license plate, but a motorcycle cop in shiny black boots warned her away.  Sheesh.  We walked back to the store front and stood in line.  This was the "stand by" line of people.  At about 1:45 we were told the store was out of books to be signed, and Palin would be leaving.  The line dissolved, and we went as close as the police would let us to the bus.  Some of her fans had made a big sign, and two more were waving an American flag and the yellow one with the snake on it.  Both Lisa and I had our cameras out.  I couldn't see a thing, but Lisa said "Well, it looks like Todd came down off the roof - there he is!"  I hope she got some decent pictures of him.  It looked like Chuck and Sally Heath got on the bus as well.

I must say, after all the anticipation, her actual appearance was a bit of a let down.  Once or twice, a few of her fans starting chanting Sar-rah, Sar-rah, but it was not echoed by the rest, and died down in a moment.  It might have been the presence of the police, or a kind of wistful feeling that it would have made no difference to the woman on the second floor.  She was there, signing books, as her contract stipulated.  When there were no more books to be signed, she left.  That was all.

I hope you all can make it to Esparza's tomorrow!  Lisa may have pictures, and I will see if I shot anything worth sharing.


   

 

[futurexpat?]

Well, it will give all of you something else to talk about tomorrow! 

Have a great mudstock and come back and tell us all about it.

[Cronopio]

Tks for the report, MissSunshine! Can't wait to meet you tomorrow!

[txindygirl]

Yes, thanks for braving it, MissSunshine and LisanTx!

I'm going to have to put myself down as a maybe. I'm not sure if my daughter and I are getting sick or if it's just something that'll pass by morning. I'll know more when I wake up tomorrow. Hopefully, this headache and nausea we've got will be gone by then.

I'm looking forward to meeting everybody and hope I am able to make it!

[Misfit]

  Sorry I was u8nable to make it, but for everyones health, I thought it better to stay home.  Still coughing and feverish.

I hope everyone else was able to make it and hope everyone has a good time. 

Maybe someone can give us a synopsis of todays lunch event

[MissSunshine]

I hope you were able to rest today, and feel better soon, dear Misfit.

Esparza's Mexican Restaurant was about three blocks from the old Grapevine Main Street, and Christmas wreaths and garlands were already up on every street corner.  Every twenty minutes a horsedrawn wagon, filled mostly with seniors and their grandchildren, clip-clopped past the restaurant, and the atmosphere was full of cheery good humor. 

I arrived quite late (sorry!) and sat down in the middle of stories of how The Quitter had been held up as a beacon of christian womanly virtue to one of us, shortly before her divorce. There were several instances told of how friends and family members were no longer on good terms with some of us because we had dared to look past the mask, and see the greedy, spiteful creature that she really was.

 I believe there was a general agreement that it is usually a mistake to try and point out to her fans the many hypocrisies of her behavior.  "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."  The final result is usually that one is considered a kook, or worst.

General rejoicing that we could all talk freely among ourselves about the progress of the Trig Truthers agenda that has lately received a boost from Andrew Sullivan's "The Atlantic" website, and the wonderful job Palingates is doing with the various comparison pictures of Quittypants's non-pregnancy event.  General mourning over how Morgan's site was shut down, after threats, as her keen eye for photo evidence hit a little to close to the bone.

While I hope that Trig's birth story, and his disgraceful treatment as one of Quittypant's human props is soon revealed, I think what will eventually put her behinds bars is Housegate, or some mismanagement of SarahPac funds.  Cronopio, sitting beside me agreed.

Lisa pulled out the great pictures she took yesterday at the booksigning.  Wow!  She even got a picture of the bus license plate.  (That took nerves of steel, as there were policemen everywhere.)  She also got a very good shot of Quitty herself, in black high-heeled sandals - completely inappropriate for the weather.  Also a very clear shot of Todd, holding Trig, and a young lady who might be Willow.  Great job Lisa!!  (She also got a picture or two of me, holding my indexed and altered "Going Rogue" book and a picture of Brian the Moose she printed out.  That odd look on my face is me trying to wink.)

We exchanged email addresses, and if Quitty comes down to Texas to "help" Rick Perry get re-elected, some of us will prepare protest signs to "welcome" her.

Both Lisa and I are glad we didn't picket the booksigning.  I hope the policemen who were there are now thinking what a waste of manhours and taxpayers money it was to stand around for hours doing nothing.  Even if there had been no policemen, Quitty would have been perfectly safe from Lisa and me.  (I can't speak for her crazy fans.)  As I have said before, and at Esparza's too, I wish the woman no physical harm.  I want the truth to be told, and justice to be done. 
 

 

[Irishgirl]

Wow, great story!

[Forty Watt]

Thanks MissSunshine.  I enjoyed that. 

I wish I'd known y'all when I lived in your neck of the woods.  It's not so easy being blue there. 

[futurexpat?]

Thanks for posting that. It sounds like you all had a really good time. Go, mudstocks!

 

[Punkinbugg]

OK -- I just sent the pictures to AKM & those who attended !!

(LMK if you do not receive them!)

Thanks,
Punkinbugg

[Lani]

I love hearing about Mudstocks!  Thank You!  Can't wait to see photos.

[Misfit]

Sounds like you all had a good time!!
I bet it was really nice to be able to discuss you thoughts, beliefs and feelings freely.

I was shocked to learn over the Thanksgiving Holiday that my brother-in-law, whom I have always admired and believed to be extremely intelligent, is another who actually listens to and believes some of the vitirol that is being spouted. 

When he started spouting such garbage as "We will be arrested and thrown in jail if we do not buy health insurance..."  I was floored!!!!
I had to get up and leave the table long before that comment though; when he actually questioned the state of our union when Bush first took over...?!  Had there ACTUALLY been a surplus when Clinton left office?  OMG  I could not believe my ears!!!!  I knew to keep peace, I had better make a quick exit.  My Grandmother-in-law had a much stronger stomach than I. 

I am deeply sorry I was unable to attend lunch and meet like minded people .

I look forward to seeing the pics too.

[Cronopio]

Sorry, Misfit, that you didn't feel up to it! It was great fun matching names to faces, and hearing the REAL scoop on the Plano appearance from Lisaintx and MissSunshine.

We'll do it again in April to commemorate that modern miracle, THE WILD RIDE.

[MissSunshine]

All of you that were at the luncheon, please feel free to add your own comments!

My memory is not perfect, and there were several little side discussions we each had with the person sitting closest to us, that were not addressed to the table at large.

For example, toward the end of lunch, someone wondered aloud, what Quitty's next move would be.  Beside me, Lisa said quietly that she thought Quitty herself did not know - it will depend what looks like the best deal for her. 

I agree.  It depends on the next financial step.  Will SarahPac generate enough money for a campaign?  Mitt Romney was willing to spend millions of his personal fortune to finance his campaign, but we all KNOW that Quitty is not going to take one penny out of her own pocket.  Shilling lipstick, or hocking jewelry is certainly not out of the question.  Who will step forward to be her next benefactor (and be stabbed in the back, later)?

I'm not totally ruling out a third party run, if there is enough money to keep her in private jets and luxury hotels, but that is a LOT of work, and she may never be ready for a real public debate with an informed opponent.  Also, the Republican party may slam her down pretty hard if it looks like she is going to split the vote.     

Also, I was nearly 40 minutes late, and I'm sure there were some interesting stories told...