Expectation: I’d pick Amanda up at the Detroit airport on Saturday morning.
Reality: I picked Amanda up at the Toledo airport on Saturday afternoon, after her two-state two-hour journey to visit me turned into a six-state ten-hour odyssey. We did still get to go to DTW, though, because that’s where her bag ended up.
Expectation: We’d have to sit and knit and wait two hours before the Yarn Harlot (a.k.a. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee) appearance on Sunday.
Reality: We had to sit and knit and wait almost five hours, because Stephanie’s two-state two-hour journey turned into a three-state unknown-hour odyssey.
Expectation: I might have trouble picking fellow SparkPeople person Shannon out of the crowd.
Reality: The woman who tapped me on the shoulder to see if the seats next to me were taken? Shannon!
Expectation: I’d get to see Denise for the first time in ages, but would have to wait a little longer to meet Ben.
Reality: Ben and his sister, the delightful Tess, joined us at the library for the last couple of hours. He’s even more adorable in real life than in the photos of him I’ve been cooing over all these months.
Expectation: Waiting would be the hardest part.
Reality: Waiting was my favorite part. I liked the vibe in the room. I liked having plenty of time to talk with Amanda and Denise. I liked looking around the room and seeing what other people were knitting (and how they were knitting it—I eventually had to stop staring at the woman behind me who was making two socks at once on one circular needle and just ask her about what she was doing; turns out she was Trish from Bloomin’ Knitiot and she told me which book to get when I decide to try that method). I liked seeing so many handknits in one place; even if they were things I wouldn’t make or wear myself I could appreciate the skill involved. There was even a Weasley sweater, and you know I had to go introduce myself to its wearer. I wish I could link to that knitter’s website, but I don’t even know if she has one because I was too distracted by patting the Felted Tweed (navy) and admiring the intarsia (the letter P, for Pen, I believe it was) to ask. I liked that I was able to meet Melissa (she made the adorable stitch markers I won in the Red Scarf Project contest), though I wish I hadn’t spent so much time debating with myself as to whether that was her or just someone who looked like her pictures so we could have chatted a bit more.
Expectation: At least one time during the weekend, I’d feel incredibly awkward.
Reality: One time during the weekend, I felt incredibly awkward. This came during the book signing portion of the program. Earlier in the afternoon, I’d bought a book in case we decided to stay for the signing. Stephanie announced that people with babies, the elderly, the handicapped, and others who couldn’t wait for some reason could go the head of the line. Denise had a baby, and Amanda had to get to the airport, and I could have given my book to either one of them to hand to Stephanie to sign—I was right there, taking pictures—but I didn’t. Why? I felt awkward. I felt like that would be cheating or cutting in line or something not quite right, and there were so many people waiting, and I just didn’t know, and before I could resolve the issue in my head, Denise and Amanda were done and the moment had passed and I can’t help but think I could have handled it better. (Though I also think the library could have handled the signing portion better, perhaps issuing wristbands like I’ve seen Borders do, or at least announcing where the line would be forming, since it was bit chaotic at first.) Ah well, I’m sure this was not my last chance ever to get a book signed.
So yeah, the weekend didn’t match my expectations, but that’s okay—some things even worked out better than I thought they would. I still got to have lunch with Rooey on Saturday; she was nice enough to come meet me rather earlier than we’d planned so I’d have plenty of time to get down to Toledo. I wish I’d been able to show Amanda more of Michigan than my house, a few restaurants, and the Ann Arbor library, but perhaps she will come back after the travel trauma subsides so we can get to some yarn shops and other attractions.
Oh, I did take a few pictures.
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