After the Q&A session it was time for her to sign books. I was going to be in the second group, so we just hung out in our seats until they were done. Her table she was going to sign at was literally right in front on me, so I could see and hear everything perfectly.




It was so fun to be able to hear her talk to and interact with her fans. She was so gracious to everyone and personalized the signature with the person's name on the "This Sturdy Book Belonged To" page. She also signed anything else people brought with them. She took the business of signing and talking to each person very seriously. I'm sure there aren't many people who would take the time to be so personable and nice to everyone.




When it was the Bs turn my Mom and I got in line. A few people before us the line came to a bit of a standstill. It turns out there was a group of her school friends who had come to see her. They talked for a while and posed for some pictures and then Amy got out her disposable camera for a picture too. I got a couple of them from the angle I was at. It was fun to see the "hometown" element that other tour locations probably didn't have.

We finally got up there and she recognized me again. "Oh Caitlin!" She signed my book "Thanks for the help with the eye burrito." I had also brought Wigfield and my Strangers With Candy box set and the woman from the bookstore that was helping lay the books and other items out for her to sign said they were mine and Amy acted all exasperated "Ugh fine!" But she was very sweet and I leaned over the table to pose with her. Let's pretend I don't look so stupid in this picture.

After we were done getting the book signed, we didn't really know what to do. We didn't want to leave yet because we were having a good time. So we just hung around and talked to our seat buddies some more and just generally enjoyed hearing Amy talk to all the fans.

After I got my book signed, a woman from the local paper came up to me and asked me for my contact information since she was writing an article and might want some quotes from people who got to participate in the event. Later on my Mom and I got to talking to her again and told her more about our story and how we had come from Nashville to see Amy and Monet. She said something about coming to see "fine art and finer art." She seemed really interested in our story and that we'd come so far and how I was able to go on stage with her.

We talked to her for a long time and she and I went on a tangent about photographic processes. She said she would contact me when the article was released, but she said it could be a while since there wasn't a date set.

While hanging around, we wandered over to the table that was selling Paul Sedaris' barbecue sauce. My mom decided to pick up a couple of bottles and to get an apron. I noticed later on that a couple of people were having Paul sign his "Fuck It Bucket" page. The idea hadn't really occurred to me before, but it seemed like a brilliant idea so I went over there and waited in the short line.

I had been expecting Paul to be seriously scary just going on David's stories. But I had always loved the stories about The Rooster so it was so cool to get a chance to meet him. He looked much more human than I thought he would (He does have a neck, although not a long one). He was actually really nice. He seemed really shocked and pleased that people were wanting him to sign his page. We talked for a little bit and he signed my page to me "Caitlin-- Just say 'fuck it' Love Paul "The Rooster."

He also told me a fun little fact that I think people had been wondering about. He said that the alphabet at the bottom of the page was the "key" so that you could look at that and figure out his handwriting. I thought that was so funny. He was wearing a T-shirt that looked to have been made for Maddy's birthday and had her name on the back. It was really sweet.

He was there that night with his wife and daughter, Maddy. She was so cute and looks just like she does in I Like You. She would come over to Amy's table sometimes and Amy would make this high pitched incomprehensible noise whenever she saw her that reminded me a lot of the sounds I make whenever I see my cats. It was just really funny to see Amy interact with her.

I also think Amy's Dad was there. I didn't pick up on it at first, but he was there the whole time and was hanging out with Paul. I should have asked, but I didn't really know how to go about doing so. If it was him, he was a lot younger than I thought he would be and also not as scary as I thought he would be. He was very friendly.

After The Rooster signed my book, Mom and I just hung around enjoying the atmosphere and talking to other various people. It seemed like the line of people would NEVER end. They would go to the microphone to announce a new letter and it would go out the door again. Amy is such a trooper. There had to have been at least 400 people there. Not every single person stayed or had a book to get signed, but with other memorabilia she probably had at least as many things to sign.

When I had gone through the line, nobody was really going back to where Amy was sitting to pose with her, but of course after I went people started doing it. I had looked at the preview on my camera of the picture with her and I wasn't very happy with it, so I wanted to try and pose again. I didn't want to just butt in line and say "excuse me, I need another picture with Amy", so we stayed. When the line was finally down to about thirty people we decided we might as well buy another copy of the book so that I would have a reason to pose with her and then I'd have a present for my boyfriend. I was the second to the last person and posed and I was glad they turned out much better than the others.

I asked her about her appearance on the Martha Stewart show and asked if the grilled cheese sandwich she had made on Conan when Martha was a guest also (where she talks about how it's good to make in prison) was mentioned. She said no, but that she thought Martha might have been a good sport about it.

She asked who the book was for and I told her Marty. She asked where he was and I told her back in Nashville. She signed his book "Marty, so glad you couldn't make it."

 

Some of the people in line in front of me had gotten some of the boxes I Like You had been in and were having Amy sign them (I think because they were too cheap to get a book for their friends) which she berated them for. I wanted one too (because I collect everything) but the people from the bookstore said there weren't any left. But right before I got up there a guy was walking around with a couple and gave me one. She signed that for me too "Pee on me -Amy Sedaris".

I thanked her again for calling on me to make the eye burrito and told her what a fun night it was. She was very gracious and still as sweet as she was when she first started signing. At this point the bookstore people were going to have her sign things for them, so Mom and I headed out.

It was a great night and it was well worth the nine hour drive to come see her. If you get a chance to see Amy in person, don't pass it up!