We headed out late, late morning which put us behind schedule from the start. Then we stopped for coffee – of which I did not partake – before we finally started heading southward. It was going to be a long trip so I decided to reread the wonderful books I had brought along for Mr. Sedaris to sign. Even though I had read them before, I still found myself giggling at some of the things Mr. Sedaris wrote. When my eye became tired from so much reading, I instead sat and thought about what questions and topics I would have for Mr. Sedaris at the book signing. I thought he might enjoy chatting with a fellow author about his craft, and I wanted to be prepared with some interesting thoughts. I pondered myself right into a deep catnap and awoke only after Mom picked me up from the back seat of the car and placed me on my feet in the parking garage. Now that’s the way to travel…asleep!
We were staying at a lovely old hotel on E. Bay St, right across from the Riverfront. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the hotel, anxious to see the room that was to be my home for the next couple of days.
We all freshened up and then waited for Dad to finish his work before heading out on foot to the theatre (notice the British spelling of theatre – very sophisticated!) Just as my little paw pads were getting tired, we came upon the theatre. How pretty it was! Mr. Sedaris’ name was on the marquis, which made me get even more excited. It reminded me that I was going to meet my literary hero!!
My little kitty heart was beating fast and I feared I was going to swoon! Mom rushed to get a cup of cool water for me to sip on. That seemed to do the trick and we headed to our seats.
The inside of the theatre was magnificent. It must have been quite old because it was very ornate. The balcony hanging over our heads was a little disconcerting, but that wasn’t as bad as these small sections of seats sticking out from the wall. I would NOT want to sit in one of those. I would be afraid it would fall – it didn’t look very sturdy!
I sat patiently waiting for the reading to begin. I held on tightly to my books as I didn’t want to lose them.
It didn’t take long for the theatre to fill up. There was not an empty seat in the house! The lights went down and everyone cheered – I yowled the loudest, I’m sure! Mr. Sedaris came out and was as witty and charming as ever! I had seen him on the Daily Show a couple of times and on all the late night talk shows (don’t tell Mom I stay up that late!!), but this was sooooo much better. He told a couple of jokes that made me blush – but I have to admit, they were very funny!!
Even though it had been over an hour, the reading seemed to be over in no time. I was sad it was over, but it was now time to meet my hero! I just had to figure out where to go. Out in the lobby a line was forming – a loooong line. I scurried to the end of the line as fast as I could, but I was still far in the back. Mom and Dad waited with me and we had fun chatting with the other fans and talking about what we would eat afterwards. We seemed to stand in the same spot for quite a while and I was wondering what was going on. I stepped out of line and peeked around the corner… Mr. Sedaris was chatting and telling jokes to each person who wanted a book signed. While it was very nice of Mr. Sedaris, it meant we were going to be waiting a long time.
One hour… two hours… finally we could see him. When it was our turn I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. I was hoping that wouldn’t happen, because I don’t think Mr. Sedaris would have appreciated getting covered in flying cat fur. I reached into Mom’s big purse and pulled out the copy of my book that she was carrying for me. First, I handed Mr. Sedaris the book I wanted him to sign and then I handed him my literary masterpiece.
He thanked me for the book and said he liked meeting fresh, new authors, and was anxious to read my offering. I told him I would wait for him to read it if he wanted to go ahead and dive in. He laughed and said he would prefer to not have to rush through it, so he would save it for his flight to his next reading. He chatted with us for a while and wrote a very nice inscription.
He told us one last joke before we headed off. I giggled as we headed out to the street. That was so thrilling! I hadn’t thought about food for a while, but now my tummy was rumbling. We looked at the time. Oh no! It was 11:30! All the restaurants were closed by now. On our walk back to the hotel, we did not find one single place open to feed us.
Mom, Dad and I raided the hotel snack machine for a very un-nutritious meal. With our bellies partially filled we went to bed and fell asleep immediately!!
The next day was going to be sightseeing day, so we needed some serious breakfast. We slept late and awoke starving! Dad tippy tapped on his computer and found us the most amazing breakfast in all of Savannah…maybe all of Georgia… maybe all of the United States… maybe in the whole world!!!! It was either that good or I was that hungry. Either way, it was quite the feast!
After we had refueled we were ready to go sightseeing along the Riverwalk!
There were all sorts of cool statues and historical information along the walk. One of my favorites was the Olympic torch sculpture that is a monument to the Savannah’s role as host to the 1996 Olympic yachting event.
There was also a sculpture of a girl waving a cloth. There was a really big dog sculpted next to her which gave me the creeps, so I stayed away from that one.
Unfortunately for my parents, there were many gift shops along the river and I felt compelled to visit each and every one. I had no trouble finding souvenirs for Briana, Bobbi, Steve and Malcom – Mom’s magic plastic card helped me with that!
Before we headed back to the city, I asked Mom to take my picture in front of the beautiful Talmage Memorial Bridge which spans the Savannah River from Georgia to South Carolina. I had never seen such a beautiful bridge and since it was only built in 1990 it is relatively new.
It was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. I hoped to squeeze in a catnap as well. Mom takes forever to get ready to go out, so I was able to complete a very refreshing power nap. We had a wonderful dinner and went to bed early so we could head home in the morning before the severe storms were supposed to hit.
We did manage to make it home and make sure Steve was inside before the tornadoes descended upon Fayetteville. One passed our house just a few blocks behind us and destroyed a whole neighborhood. It was very scary – though I did manage to doze on and off while the storm raged. My friends at FAPS and I helped out at a tornado relief event on Wednesday where we collected not only supplies for people, but for animals as well. It was amazing to see all the people wanting to help and it was a huge success. There will be no animals going hungry in Fayetteville!
After all the excitement was over and we could relax and think about our great trip, Mom pulled out the pictures she had taken so we could all enjoy them. As we went from picture to picture I noticed something similar in most of the pictures. Was that Preston at the hotel…at the theatre…and in various places at the Riverwalk ? What would he be doing in Savannah… unless he was following me?!? I thought I was being ridiculous when I felt like someone was watching me – just like I felt at the steeplechase. I must get to the bottom of this! I’m tired though and have a trip to London to prepare for, so like Scarlett O’Hara says – I’ll think about that tomorrow…after all, tomorrow is another day!
Love & kitty kisses,
Josie
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