Archived: True friendship is measured in food

Original Post Date: November 6, 2006

What a great weekend! I am lucky enough to work with people that I really like, and I spent Saturday and Saturday night with two of my closest friends from work, Erin and Autumn, and a dear former co-worker, Stephanie, who moved to Tulsa almost a year ago and who I miss horribly. We had a total girlie weekend, eating and shopping and eating some more. We had grand plans to go to the Sam’s in Bentonville and get books signed by the great Paula Deen, who has a fantastic show on the Food Network. We got there and the place was mobbed—I bet there were 2,000 people there. Steph shares my enthusiasm for celebrities, and especially Paula, so we didn’t give up. We made our way to where she was set up, and managed to get a spot behind her area—about 10 feet away from her. We tried to get some pictures, but it wasn’t going too well. Finally I decided that it was silly to be that close to Paula and not at least talk to her, so I yelled, “Paula Deen, you are the cutest thing EVER!” (Which she totally is). I’ll be danged if she didn’t turn around and talk to me for a minute! She loved me—I feel fairly sure that had it not been for the riot it would have caused, she’d have gotten up right then and gone to have coffee with me.
In other news, the Hogs ROCK. I am so proud of my team. I think I got on the girls’ nerves this weekend, because I was obsessed with the game—which we won, in case you’re dead and hadn’t heard. This entire season has led up to this coming weekend’s Tennessee game—#11 (us) playing #12 in Fayetteville, with ESPN Game Day as guests. Tickets are going for up to $400 each on eBay. This is huge! But. One must have priorities in life, and my family is having a reunion in Benton on the day of the game. There will be people that I love there that I never get to see, so there’s no question where we will be Saturday—in the basement of the house where the family reunion is taking place watching the Tennessee game. We have priorities, but come ON—it’s the Tennessee game! It’s ESPN!
Finally, a special shout out to my oldest (not oldest as in old, but as in the length of time I’ve known her)(though she, too, is older than me) friend Melanie, who was visiting Fayetteville from her home in the beautiful, exciting metropolis of Dallas and made a special trip to my office this morning to deliver to me chocolate truffles that she made herself. Melanie was my roommate in college, and I laughed at the students who lived off of Ramen noodles, because Melanie rocks out in the kitchen. If you want a spectacular treat, you should comment here and beg her to let you pay her to make some of these things—they make Godiva taste like mud balls. Bless you, Mellie!