Monday, January 14, 2008

Celebrity Blogger Blind Date!

Well, I had my celebrity blogger blind date today, and did you all figure out who it was with?

None other than famed author and blogger, Dawn Meehan of Because I Said So!



For those of you living completely under a rock who do not know of Dawn yet, she is wonder uber mom of SIX CHILDREN! A boy, then a girl, then another boy, then ANOTHER girl, and then ANOTHER BOY, and then, yes, another boy and finally another girl. Whew.

Whoops! I did THAT WRONG! You see, I’m blogging this after our lunch, and yes, there was wine involved.

She’s got boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl. There. How perfect IS that? Six kids, two of each sex. Whoops, my bad again. Three of each sex. There. SHE MADE ME GET WINE. Just kidding. It was a joint decision. Good God! No, we didn’t share a joint! ARE YOU CRAZY! I meant, we decided to have wine together! Joint decision! Get your heads out of the gutter.

However, I will tell you, a pleasant surprise bestowed itself upon us at this particular restaurant, and somehow, we just picked the perfect restaurant to meet. Little did we know that the restaurant we chose was holding a NO POINTS DAY!

Seriously! We walked in, mentioned that we were both counting Weight Watcher points, and they said, “Oh boy, are you ladies in luck today, because did you know it is National No Points Day?”

We had no idea! Dawn looked at me; I looked at Dawn. In unison we said, “Bring on the pasta! Bring on the wine!”

It took us forever to decide what to eat, in between me grilling Dawn on what I hope wasn’t annoying questions she probably has to answer all the time:

How is it at bedtime in your house?

What’s it like at dinnertime?

Do your kids fight? (OK totally dumb one on my part!)

When do you sleep?

How do you approve ALL those blog comments?

When do you ‘you-know-what?’ (Dear Readers, you may fill in the blank to whatever you think ‘you-know-what’ might be!)

I forgot to ask about the bathroom questions! Like what’s the ratio of the “toilet-seat up” to the “toilet-seat down” in their house? Or how many times a day does she have to put a new roll of toilet paper on the holder, or do they even waste time doing such a mundane task? I mean, why bother?

We toasted to her success with her writing, and her two-book deal, and I will tell you this. She is so deserving of the success that has come to her. She is humble and funny, and real and modest about everything. None of this will go to her head, and she’s already made many mothers’ days brighter by bringing a little laughter into their days, by making them feel less alone, less stressed, less feeling like nobody else is out there who understands. I mean, shitola! She’s got six kids! If Dawn doesn’t understand, there ain’t no one out there who’s gonna get it, and she shares her mommy woes with the rest of the moms out there in a lightweight humor that’s so laughable and fun, so Erma Bombeckishy that you can’t just help to want to be friends with her.

And how cool is it that this Manic Mom is now maybe, hopefully, not psycho-y enough to be in the ranks of a real-life friend of Dawn’s now?

Have to tell this story about our lunch date. I don’t even know how this transpired. We had an OK server, who was really kind of stiffy formal, wouldn’t you say so Dawn? Our server, when describing how a certain dish was prepared, explained that, “We then sear the mahi-mahi and then we drizzle it with pesto-balsamic olive oil and top it with grated parmesan that we age for three years in a bin that we keep in back.”

I’m like, “WE?” What’s with the “We” crap? Our server is serving it AND preparing it? Very talented server! Is our server also catching the mahi-mahi?

And then there was another server, who delivered our salads and soup, didn’t offer us fresh pepper, but DID say this straight out of the blue:

“You know, last Friday, I had a table and they stole the salt and pepper shakers.”

He raised his eyebrows at us. Dawn and I laughed, and made jokes about our very large purses. Then he walked away.

Not two minutes later, I see him at another table and he’s smiling at the customers, probably even flirting with them, and CRANKING PEPPER ONTO THE LADIES’ SALADS!

“DAWN! DO YOU SEE THAT! He is putting fresh pepper onto their food! He just warns us not to steal the shakers but he’s over there peppering THEIR food!”

WHAT is up with that? That is just wrong and RUDE!

So, here’s what I ate, totally FAT-FREE:

And Dawn has pictures of what she ate that she’ll probably post too. I didn’t feel it was appropriate to do a photo shoot of her meal. However, when she couldn’t finish the last two of her ravioli, and she asked me if I wanted a taste, I initially declined, then said, “WAIT, NO POINTS DAY! SURE!”

And she said, “Oh, the token, ‘No I can’t’” as I gobbled up her last two points-free raviolis! Obviously, I felt very at-ease in Dawn’s company!

HAD to have dessert. Had to! Here’s a sampling of what they were offering:

HAHA, just kidding, but do you remember these I posted in November? This is really what they offered us for dessert:

Here’s what we got:

Again, no points day, so it doesn’t matter really, now does it? Dawn had a cup-o-tiramisu. I had a cup-o-chocolate-caramel-whip-cream-drizzly-caramel-on-top-with-a-white-chocolate-straw-thing.

YUM. Gotta love no points day! Boy, will I be paying for this at weigh-in on Saturday, but the whole afternoon was soooooooo well worth it.

And for the final icing on the cake, I timidly (right Dawn?) asked Dawn to sign the copy of the newspaper article I have of her. She said she’s never signed anything yet. I have the first-ever signed copy of something from soon-to-be best selling author and celebrity blogger Dawn Meehan!

And hey, I just thought of something… Dawn hit it big when she put up a great story about her kids and a baseball and then some Pokeman cards on eBay…

…I wonder how much I could get on eBay for my signed newspaper article from Dawn!

Dawn, just kidding! Great lunch, and so great to have a new friend!

PS… I so wish I had the nerve to steal that salt and pepper shaker set. How I wish I had the nerve.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun I rad Dawns' blog everyday!! And you two defiantely do not need weight watchers I'm serious!!


rr

Dawn said...

OK, what the crap are those hands??? Seriously, I couldn't have had THAT much wine that I don't remember being offered baby hands for dessert!
And you are far too kind, Stephanie! Thank you for the nice things you said about me. :)

I am Heather...creator of all things crafty! said...

So when are you coming to Dallas for a "no points" lunch with ME. I hear Dallas has lots of restaurants that have "no points" days....wink! By the way, congrats Dawn! Will you SIGN my blog! hee hee

Kalynne Pudner said...

I think you should have asked the waiters to donate blood.

(As I commented to Dawn, I wish I was in Chicago so I could have crashed your lunch...or at least, been at a nearby table to eavesdrop.)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Dawn, you don't remember those hands they offered us at lunch? Don't you remember the waiter asking us, "Can I offer you a hand?" Hahahahah!

Kalynne, we wouldn't have let you eavesdrop, we woulda dragged your ass to our table and shared that big old bottle of vino with ya!

And RR--you know I need WW, especially with friends like you down under mailing me Tim Tams my friend!

AutoSysGene said...

Now I get the points free pasta. I was like where is Brio I'm eating there for the rest of my life. See now if I had been with you guys you would have had a permanent reminder of your lunch. Salt and pepper anyone? ;)

Glad you had a fun time. And you should put that up on ebay, maybe Dawn should, too. You guys could make some serious money. ;)

Suburban Correspondent said...

He was practically begging you to take them, you know...

Kalynne Pudner said...

Ok, I'm holding you to it! The next time I come north (and I have a kid at college up that-a-way, so it will happen), it's you and me and Dawn with the Big Bottle at a No-Points restaurant.

Lucille said...

Hello!

Followed Dawn's blog to yours - nice to meet ya!

I'll have to read some back posts to see how you got to have lunch with Dawn. Or perhaps how SHE got to have lunch with you!

;)

Unknown said...

I read Dawn's blog religiously and now I'm adding you! Another mom to help me laugh my way through the day.

Now I'm wondering if I can manage to make one of those frou frou desserts somehow... I had to look at them on her blog and now this one!

Kate said...

Ooo, another blog I need to add. And I'd heard the Pokemon story from someone...

I'm totally there. It's a good thing I live so far away or I would be begging to take you to points-free lunches and sign things that you've written.

My mom (& dad) raised four kids and I totally respect anyone who does that. Anyone who raises any kids. :)

Now that the marathon is over and we're in full-on recovery mode, hubby has been informed that if he wants to visit my newly hot body, he needs to donate blood. Maybe Saturday.

xxxx said...

FUN! I am so jealous! It is gonna be points-free day again when I come visit! I guarantee if I had been there, we would be the proud new owners of a salt and pepper shaker ... hee hee.

Kim VanDerHoek said...

Oh, how I envy you two! Out without kids and there was wine too! WOW! I bet it was a blast.

ORION said...

Wine. Pasta. Dessert. No kids.
What more can one ask at a restaurant!

Michelle Kemper Brownlow said...

J-E-A-L-O-U-S!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Manic,
Nice to read your short little snippet (heehee) on your lunch with Dawn.

"Let me give you a hand" - you crack me up!

One more thing. Before we had kids, my husband and I met this other couple when we were camping. We became friendly, and even visited one another's homes. But I secretly always referred to them as our friends the ax-murderers. (Obviously you two don't have to worry about that - not with that little butter knife you're flourishing!) :)

KR

Terri H said...

Thanks for the good time. As busy as I am, we're always having fun.

We're not busy, really, we're not, WE'RE NOT!

Grandmother Goddess of the Garden said...

What a fun day for you and Dawn! Love the baby hands!

Roger Miller said...

Sounds like a good time!

I agree with suburbancorrespondant, those shakers were yours for the taking. Why else would he mention them? At least that is MY way of thinking.

I wish you would advertise these no-points days, BEFORE they happen! All I had was some rice cakes and water! Yum!

Oh yeah, and the kids(not even mine) convinced me to take them to Cold Stone - good thing there weren't any points there, because I always get the 'Gotta Love It' size.

Back to my water!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

YOu know, the salt and pepper shakers were NOT even nice. They were like three inches tall and wooden, not even WORTH the taking! I actually wanted the bread basket, truth be told!!!

But sadly, that sucker WOULDN'T fit in my purse!

Moll said...

I am such a dumb a*s at times. I take things soooo literally. Yes, it took me reading the entire post before I got the whole national no points day thing.

Sounds like fun...I think it was totally worth it.

Moll said...

P.S. How's the writing going?

Anonymous said...

I wish I was more social and outgoing like you are. Dinner with Dawn sounds like so much fun!!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Rebecca--the writing is not going so well right now... bigger problems... i fear my computer is DYING...

Rick said...

I just dropped by to see how much blog love you were getting.

It looks like you two were having a lot of fun.

Thanks for giving us a peek, and letting us sit in on your good time.

You could have at least carved your initals into the pepper shaker with that big knife you got.

http://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/

As Cape Cod Turns said...

I have to say I am a little jealous that you had lunch with Dawn. She was my first "blog". Now blogging has opened up a whole new world for me! Looks like you 2 had a great time and a lot in common!
www.ascapecodturns.blogspot.com

Tanya said...

Oh those desserts look so good. Why did I have to read this right before lunch?

I bet if you just carried the bread basket out of the restaurant no one would have stopped you.

Anonymous said...

Looks yummilicious!
Don't ya just LOVE Ms. Dawn? I'm glad to call her my friend, too. :)

Drewpy Drew said...

You didn't have to take the salt and pepper. Just hiding them would have been good enough to drive him crazy.

Deb said...

I have also been reading Dawn's blog and now have added yours. I just read a few of your recent blogs and happen to come across the link to your h.s. reunion! What a riot! I had my 20th a year ago and since there was only 62 kids in my class, and only half showed, I don't think ours was quite as fun as yours!

Anonymous said...

"I mean, shitola!"

Okay manic .... time to put the wine away and bring out the coffee.

I, being a dear, will gladly drink the remaining wine.

Anonymous said...

No points day? Why didn't I know about this?

I love blogger blind dates!

I still pinch myself all the time when Jen Lancaster emails me and like wants to hang out with me.

Eileen said...

Oh this looks like you had sooo much fun. And you look FAB in the pictures.

Shelley said...

Ha! When you said you had a blogger date, I was wondering if it might be Dawn. That's so awesome that you two got to meet.

No points day sounds great...there should be one weekly. However, after looking at the picture of the two of you, I'm still trying to figure out why either one of you needs Weight Watchers. Hmph.

Monnik said...

those hands are creepy. Sounds like you had a fun time with Dawn!!

Anonymous said...

Hi!! My name is Cheryl and I came here through Dawn's blog. I absolutely love both of your writing! I shared the link of your book idea with girls on my message board, we think it's so hilarious (we all just had kids very close together) and we hope that it'll get published!!! It's so freaking funny!!

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

Manic, WW is working for you. I can see the difference. Way to go!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Cheryl, THANK YOU!!

Rob, THANK YOU!! Now I won't go eat that bag of Cheetos I'm kinda craving right now! Seriously!

Unknown said...

I think you should have stolen the pepper shaker and put it up on e-bay! That would be a big seller!

Crazymamaof6 said...

seriously how cool! you guys went to lunch! and on a points free day no less. i read all the way down here. and COL(cackle out loud) i could die laughing.

and you should have snagged the shakers then had dawn sign them and THEN put them on EBAY! for real!